Tag: Matt Damon

Eurotrip

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:33 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Eurotrip
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Scott Mechlowicz, Michelle Trachtenberg, Travis Wester, Jacob Pitts, Matt Damon, Kristin Kreuk
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Dreamworks SKG
Release Date: 2004
Kiddie Movie: Don’t even think about bringing them to this one.
Date Movie: Enough nudity for dudes and dudettes.
Gratuitous Sex: Yup.
Gratuitous Violence: Yes, but it’s in slow-motion, robotic style. And funny as hell.
Action: Not really.
Laughs: I laughed my ass off!
Memorable Scene: The fight with the robotic street performer and the little kid prancing around the living room like Hitler had me busting a gut.
Memorable Quote: Too many to quote.
Directed By: Jeff Schaffer

I guess I’m a sad young lad in a state of mid-pubescent anxiety. At least that’s according to another reviewer who said “Eurotrip” will appeal to that kind of audience. Me, I thought I was just easily amused, but in any case, “Eurotrip” has quickly landed in my all-time comedy list. Here we go…

“Eurotrip” gives us a relatively unknown cast of characters making their way through Europe trying to find Mieke (Jessica Boers), the computer pen-pal of Scott (Scott Mechlowicz). I suppose I should set this up a little better. It’s graduation day and Scott gets dumped by his girlfriend, Fiona (Kristin Kreuk). That’s not bad enough, now they’re at the proverbial drunken high school graduation party and Donny (Matt Damon, yes, that’s Matt Damon), the lead singer of the punk band, lets everyone know that Scott doesn’t know about his boffing Fiona via the new hit song “Scotty Doesn’t Know.” And that’s still not bad enough. With a nice hangover, Scott’s little brother is going through Scott’s e-mail and nicely informs him that his pen-pal isn’t Mike, as Scott thought, but Mieke, the hot dudette in the picture Scott has from her. The problem is that while Scott was thinking Mike was a dude, he got an e-mail from her saying they should hook up, that she would even come to America to do so. Freaked out, Scott rifled back an e-mail saying he didn’t want to talk to him ever again. So Mieke, freaking out, blocks Scott’s e-mail address, and now that Scott knows Mike is really a hot chick, well, he can’t get a hold of her to apologize. What is a crazed teenager, thinking Mieke might be the girl for him, to do? Well, he sets off with his buddy Cooper (Jacob Pitts) to find Mieke in Berlin, starting in London (it was a cheap flight) only to get sidetracked by a bunch of soccer hooligans.

As our heroes find themselves now in Paris, they hook up with their brother and sister friends, Jamie and Jenny (Travis Wester and Michelle Trachtenbert respectively), and now the four of them begin there hilarious trip through Europe on their way to Berlin, finally ending up in Rome where the Pope is a bit surprised to find that he is dead. Trust me; you’ll understand that last statement when you see the film.

Anyway, that’s really about all you need to know about the plot. This movie is about sometimes crude, sometimes politically incorrect, and pretty much non-stop humor, maybe more for the dudes, but there’s also things in this one for the dudettes as well. The thing is, you’ve got to be one of those types that likes this type of comedy, you know, where you can find the humor in a youngster giving himself a Hitler mustache and high-kicking around the living room, or be able to laugh at people having sex in a church confessional. If you are one of those easily offended type, stay away, but for the rest of you who appreciated a movie like “Old School,” I urge you to find “Eurotrip” on your next movie excursion.

For me “Eurotrip” was a 5 star comedy out of 5, but those of you who regularly read my reviews know that I am easily amused. I can take a comedy like “Eurotrip” for what it is, not a masterpiece, but a bunch of fun. If you’re like that, you’ll probably like the movie, but if not, you’ll think it’s a total piece of garbage. You know who you are, make the decision to see it on your own.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Dogma

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 2:08 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

Dogma
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Salma Hayek, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Chris Rock
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Columbia/Tristar Home Video
Release Date: 1999
Kiddie Movie: Nope, lots of swearing.
Date Movie: She might find it funny or maybe just find it disturbing.
Gratuitous Sex: Nah.
Gratuitous Violence: They don’t show it, but it’s hinted at.
Action: Not really.
Laughs: Lots.
Memorable Scene: Rufus falling out of the sky and Silent Bob’s facial expressions.
Memorable Quote: Two quotes by Jay: “Snootch to the motherfuckin’ nootch!” & “Beautiful, naked, big-tittied women just don’t fall out of the sky you know.”
Directed By: Kevin Smith

I don’t know why but “Dogma” is quickly becoming one of my favorite videos to watch or movies to watch for on cable. Maybe it’s the way they question religious beliefs, maybe it’s the subtle jokes, or maybe it’s because they bust on the platypus. In any case, as long as you can keep an open mind about religion, well, “Dogma” might just be a movie for you.

Opening with a disclaimer that the movie is fictitious and should be taken as a comedy, Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) and Jay (Jason Mewes), joined by the 13th apostle, Rufus (Chris Rock) help Bethany (Linda Fiorentino) make her way to New Jersey to stop two banished angels, Loki and Bartleby (Matt Damen and Ben Affleck) from entering a church and negating all of existence. How can entering a church end existence? Well, it seems the Pope has decreed, in conjunction with the New Jersey church’s anniversary, that all who pass through the church doors get their sins forgiven. Loki and Bartleby, who have been banished by God from Heaven for eternity, could find their way back into heaven if they walk through the church doors. This would make God fallible and thus end existence as we know it. Alright, my explanation isn’t the greatest, but Bartleby does a better job explaining it to Loki, and they begin their journey to the Garden State.

So it’s a race against time to stop Bartleby and Loki, and Bethany and her entourage aren’t without their difficulties getting to Jersey. There’s a run-in with a shit demon, Jay constantly trying to get in Bethany’s pants, Bethany questioning why she is chosen to stop the angels, and Azrael and his goons trying to stop Bethany because he wants existence to end.

Like I said before, “Dogma” is at its best on many levels, from Loki’s conversation with a nun resulting in her wondering what she is doing with her life, to the Rufus’ dilemma of not being in the bible because, well, he is a black man, to Alanis Morrissette playing God, and portraying God as kinda, well, a ditz. This movie isn’t to be taken seriously, but it may make you wonder if Mary did have sex with Joseph after Jesus was born because, as Rufus explains, “Do you really think he would have stayed married to her for all those years if he wasn’t getting laid?”

I didn’t see “Dogma” in the theater so I can’t say which place might be a better venue to see it, but it is nice to be able to pause and rewind to go back and catch a joke or two you might have missed in the theater. That and the fact that the DVD subtitles helped me figure out one of my favorite lines, only because it still doesn’t make sense to me, “Snootch to the motherfuckin’ nootch!” I give Dogma 4½ stars out of 5.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

Celebrating Emancipation Day, Would You Buy a Zoo?, Golf-Triggered Memories, and America’s Got Talent is Almost Back.

By: The Dude on the Right

Download and ListenDownload the Podcast!

As millions of people were doing yesterday, I was celebrating Emancipation Day. Okay, I wasn’t really celebrating, I just couldn’t quite get to the podcast, but for those of you wondering why April 17th is Tax Day this year, instead of at least on the 16th, all is revealed in this podcast episode. Also revealed in the podcast – if “We Bought a Zoo” is any good. It’s a movie now out on Blu-ray about a dude (Matt Damon) who buys a zoo. Okay, it’s a little more complicated than that, and it also has Scarlett Johansson as a zookeeper/potential love interest, but it does have real animals for your kids to watch instead of a movie with cartoon animals that can talk.

Watching golf makes me remember my college days, I had vegetarian food for Easter, Apache Helicopters are invading Chicago, and don’t look now but it’s less than a month to the return of “America’s Got Talent” with new judge, Howard Stern. You may love him or you may hate him, but you’ll probably at least watch out of curiosity. All of that and some movie news in this week’s podcast!

Thanks for listening!

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Departed

MPAA Rated – R
It’s 2:31 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Departed
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin
MPAA Rated: R
Released By: Warner Bros.
Release Date: 2006
Directed By: Martin Scorsese

I guess this is a remake of some big Asian film from a few year’s back, but if it gets released on its tentative date, October 6th, Oscar buzz will already start hitting this film if only because Martin Scorsese is directing and it’s got a great cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin. From what I can gather you get the Irish-American mafia infiltrating the Boston police department, and the Boston police department infiltrating the Irish-American mafia, and they all have their allegiances both to who they’re spying on and who they’re spying for.

Right now the movie looks to be very entertaining, and it’s rated R for three great reasons in my book, strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and as an added bonus, drug material.

Scorsese’s got the track record, especially when it comes to movies like this, so I doubt he’ll screw it up.

That’s it for this preview! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Bourne Supremacy

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:49 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Bourne Supremacy
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Franke Potente, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2004
Kiddie Movie: Not too young.
Date Movie: She might find Matt Damon dreamy, or wonder why you can’t kick everyone’s ass.
Gratuitous Sex: Sadly, no.
Gratuitous Violence: Lots of it, but not gratuitous – it is PG-13.
Action: Lots of chasing going on.
Laughs: A couple of good chuckles.
Memorable Scene: Bourne on the rooftop across from the CIA offices in Berlin.
Memorable Quote: It would give away a good chuckle if I listed it.
Directed By: Paul Greengrass

When “The Bourne Identity” was hitting movie theaters, I thought the trailer looked pretty decent, but really didn’t get that excited about the film. I was so unexcited about the film that I didn’t even go to see it. Then I heard good things about it, and I still didn’t go see it. Finally it came to my cable television channel and I said to myself “Self, let’s give it a shot.” When the movie finished I then said to myself “Self, that was a damn good thriller. I really should have gone to see that in the theater.” This time I was actually excited about the follow-up “The Bourne Supremacy”, and after seeing the film, I was not disappointed.

The first film sets us up with the history of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon). We find out that he is this government trained assassin with amnesia. The movie finishes with Jason telling the government folks to leave him alone or he’s going to bring his wrath to their doorstep. So this film opens with a new CIA lady, Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), running an operation in Berlin that goes horribly wrong, and we see the bad guy placing a fingerprint as evidence, obviously to throw the trail to someone else. Duh, it’s Bourne’s fingerprint. Meanwhile Jason is living with his girlfriend from the first film, Marie (Franke Potente), having nightmares about something in his past, and her trying to help him through it. Then, of course, the bad guy shows up looking for Bourne, Bourne easily spots him, and with a single gunshot Jason finds himself on his way to Berlin to bring his wrath to the government folks. Meanwhile, Landy thinks Bourne killed two of her agents, and now she’s on the hunt for him for all of the wrong reasons, but, as it turns out, it’s actually for the right reason.

Well, I’m not going to go into much more of the story because the whole point of a thriller is to, well, thrill, and of course, give some surprises, so the basic plot is all you need to know going in. With that, is the movie any good? In a word: Yes.

The Dude on the Left still isn’t buying Matt Damon as a super-spy, but for the role of Jason Bourne, I’m finding him dead on. Jason’s not supposed to be a James Bond type, he’s just a normal looking dude who is able to kick some serious ass without knowing why he can do it other than he is some trained government agent. He’s trying to put back the pieces to his life, but other people keep getting in the way.

The movie is filled with a great supporting cast, also. Joan Allen does a nice job as the new CIA lady, Brian Cox is back as Ward, and Julia Stiles returns to her role, and gets used nicely, as Nicky. But the key to this franchise is Damon, and so far the future is looking bright. You don’t have the super-flashy gadgets like a Bond film, but then again, why would Jason have them when he’s not really working for the CIA? But you do get some great chase scenes, and I’ll tell you what, that’s one hell of a tough taxi cab in this film.

If you enjoyed “The Bourne Identity,” odds are you’ll enjoy “The Bourne Supremacy” as well. If you missed the first film, don’t worry that you’ll be lost in the sequel. The film folks to a decent job at bringing you up to speed, but really, all you need to know, is that Jason Bourne is a government trained assassin who has amnesia. For me, “The Bourne Supremacy” gets 4 ½ stars out of 5. It doesn’t get too over the top, it’s got some great chase scenes and some surprises, and the dialogue gives you a chuckle or two to boot.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Brothers Grimm

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:58 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Brothers Grimm
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Lena Keadey
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Dimension Films
Release Date: 2005
Kiddie Movie: There’s some killing and a confusing story, so leave the younger ones at home.
Date Movie: Only if she likes Monty Python type humor.
Gratuitous Sex: Just some push-up outfits.
Gratuitous Violence: There is some killing going on.
Action: There is some chasing going on.
Laughs: A couple of chuckles here and there.
Memorable Scene: The mirror breaking was pretty cool.
Memorable Quote: “Trust the toad!”
Directed By: Terry Gilliam

I wasn’t in my “Monty Python” mode going in to see “The Brothers Grimm,” and it probably took me about half of the movie to switch to that mode, but after I did, I really began to appreciate “The Brothers Grimm” a little more. Not enough to really recommend it, but the weird humor that is Terry Gilliam began to surface and I could finally see where he was going. That’s too hard when going to a movie sometimes, and it’s too hard for this one.

In “The Brothers Grimm,” we get Matt Damon and Heath Ledger as Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. They’ve been making a living with a couple of other cohorts by exploiting old legends. For our introduction to them, they are convincing some townsfolk that they can get rid of the Mill Witch who has been terrorizing the town as of late. And so, with elaborate pulleys and costumes, they stage the destroying of the Mill Witch and collect the cash. But the French have invaded Germany, which is where our boys have set up shop, and aren’t to pleased with them. Facing death or helping the French, Wilhelm and Jacob decide to help the French calm down a town whose girls keep disappearing in the woods. With Angelika (Lena Headey) as their guide, and Cavaldi (Peter Stormare) making sure the brothers don’t try to run away, our heroes find themselves in some sort of enchanted forest, based upon the legend of an old witch. And so, with honest to goodness strange things happening around them, things like trees coming to life, a horse swallowing a girl, and roaches moving the covers off of crypts, well, our heroes find themselves in real-life weirdness that they have to solve, all along with fairy tale references being tossed around like candy (a gingerbread cookie, a Little Red Riding Hood, a “who’s the fairest of the all”, and a frog to kiss, just to name a few).

But this isn’t an easy comedy to get into, unless I guess you are a huge Monty Python-type fan, so it was kind of interesting sitting in the theater, hearing some groups of people laughing at nearly everything, with the other groups probably just wondering what they aren’t getting. Like I said, it took me too long to back into that comedy-style mode, and even then, it doesn’t seem to live up to that kind of humor I remember from other Terry Gilliam projects, I think, mostly, because it gets too bogged down in itself to just let the humor and fun be let out.

There were some good moments, and Matt Damon and Heath Ledger were actually very good in their roles, but unless you love “Monty Python” type humor, I really can’t recommend this one. It’s 2 stars out of 5. This one seems more like a good rental than spending your hard-earned cash at the box office.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Bourne Ultimatum

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:55 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Bourne Ultimatum
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Stratham, Joan Allen
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2007
Kiddie Movie: Leave them at home, this is for teens and above.
Date Movie: If she liked “The Bourne Supremacy” she’ll love this one.
Gratuitous Sex: Nah.
Gratuitous Violence: Lots of fighting but we usually don’t see people die.
Action: From start to finish.
Laughs: Some good chuckles.
Memorable Scene: I loved Jason Bourne leading Simon Ross through the train station.
Memorable Quote: Agent: “He drove off the roof!”
Noah: “What?”
Directed By: Paul Greengrass

Here’s some helpful advice if you are a nosey newspaper dude, have people trying to kill/kidnap you, and the only person helping to keep you alive is a rogue government agent who just beat the crap out of two of the goons – Do exactly what the agent says, do not deviate, do not think you know more than the agent, and do not open a door unless you are told to do so. Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) tried to help the dude, but sadly the newspaper dude thought he could run for safety. What a bonehead!

Anyway, Jason Bourne is back, still trying to find who made him like he is, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a movie as action-packed as “The Bourne Ultimatum” is, ever. The CIA, meanwhile, is still trying to find him, and as in “The Bourne Supremacy,” there are those in the government who need him dead, especially to hide some dirty, little secrets.

It seems in this installment there is a CIA dude, Neil Daniels (Colin Stinton), who doesn’t like the government program “Blackbriar,” which was born out of the “Treadstone” era, and has been leaking some information to a British reporter, Simon Ross (Paddy Considine). Now, because the government is monitoring all of our phone calls, all around the world, for key words, when Simon utters “Blackbriar” on his cell phone little does he realize the degree of spy-dom that he is about to unleash. Within moments phones are tapped, he is being trailed, and now that Jason Bourne has read Simon’s latest installment about himself, Jason enters Simon’s life, trying to save the dude so he can find out about “Blackbriar” and thus, where he came from.

And so “The Bourne Ultimatum” begins traversing the European countryside as Jason looks for Neil, he finds Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles, whom I still have a crush on) in Madrid, the both of them head to Tangier where Neil supposedly is hiding out (and he’s an idiot), an “asset,” a.k.a. assassin, is dispatched to kill Neil, Nicky, and Jason, but Jason will have none of that, well at least not all of that, and in the meantime, back in the states, Noah (David Strathairn), leading the CIA folks in New York City, is pissing the hell out of Pamela Landy (Joan Allen back for more fun) as he crosses a line in the aspects of killing people.

Jason, of course, because we know from the movie trailer, makes his way back to NYC, finds a “friend” in Pam, leads Noah and his people on a couple of wild goose chases, and finally finds out how he became the killing machine he has become.

In following in the tradition of “The Bourne” movie franchise this third installment will give you just about everything you are looking for, and expect, following “The Bourne Supremacy.” You have the sneaky government, with even more internal sneakiness by those thinking they have ultimate power; you have scary technology that can track you anywhere in the world; you have “assets” who lack the skills of the ultimate “asset”; you have car chases that are utterly fantastic and over-the-top; you have action and suspense from start to finish; you get a chuckle or two from some fantastically placed dialogue; and you have Jason Bourne, in ultimate Bourne-ness.

I loved this movie even more so than the “Supremacy” flick. Sure, things were a little over-the-top at times, but the inventiveness (like how Bourne gets into Noah’s safe) eclipsed the previous two, and I liked that Julia Stiles had a larger role in this installment, especially since I’m a stalker of hers.

You will get exactly what you expect in this movie, and then some, because there really isn’t a dull spot from start to finish. The movie starts with Bourne on the run; the movie ends with another movie able to be made if the film folks so choose. Just keep Paul Greengrass directing, keep the writing as we have come to love it, and this franchise can probably continue for a long while.

A great thriller. I’m giving “The Bourne Ultimatum” 5 stars out of 5.

That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

The Bourne Identity

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:59 Long
A Preview by:
– The Dude on the Right

The Bourne Identity
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Gabriel Mann, Julia Stiles
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Universal Pictures
Release Date: 2002
Kiddie Movie:
Date Movie:
Gratuitous Sex:
Gratuitous Violence:
Action:
Laughs:
Memorable Scene:
Memorable Quote:
Directed By: Doug Liman

Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne. He wakes up one day nearly dead and not remembering who he is. He also wonders why people are trying to kill him and how he has these great abilities to shoot, hide, disappear, and fight. Bourne has a few clues as to his identity, but not much to go on, he hooks up with a dudette, and runs around Paris wishing he could remember who he really is.

The movie is based on a book by Robert Ludlum, and the trailer looks to be action-packed, but there is some initial word that the movie isn’t that good. I’ll see it anyway, and I’m sure guys won’t have a problem getting to see this movie because the dudettes will come along to see Matt Damon.

That’s it for this preview! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!
—-
Preview update….
I’m sick of this trailer. They seem to attach it before most any movie and I can’t wait for this movie to come out. Not because I think it will be good, my usual inkling is that if they overkill a trailer the movie is going to suck. I’m hoping for more, but right now this movie is looking bad. I just want the trailers to stop.

That’s it for this update! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!

All The Pretty Horses

MPAA Rated – PG-13
It’s 1:54 Long
A Preview by:
– The Dude on the Right

All The Pretty Horses
Movie Stats & Links
Starring: Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz
MPAA Rated: PG-13
Released By: Miramax Films
Release Date: 12:25/2000
Directed By: Billy Bob Thorton
Produced By: Mike Nichols

Watch out ladies, here comes Matt Damon! The story looks the same, rich girl falls for commoner, commoner falls for rich girl, rich girl’s family won’t let them get together, commoner doesn’t care.

This one’s got Matt Damon as a ranch hand, Penelope Cruz as the rich girl, and they like each other. The problem for Matt is that he is in Mexico where he went for fun and adventure and now finds himself in jail. She promises not to see him again as long as they don’t kill him and let him go and he goes back looking for her.

Do I really need to go into this story anymore? Probably not, but Matt Damon has been coming into his own as an actor so this might just have potential.