A Couple of Movies

Aside from the great fun of surprising Jenn with a visit from her college buddies, we also took in a couple of videos.

Harold and Kumar go to White Castle is a stoner movie. It is by the same folks who did "Dude, Where's My Car", and it really shows. Jenn and I like Dude Where's My Car a lot, and we were hoping that this one would be good too. It certainly had it's funny moments, but it was just too over the top. That, and it came off a little too thick with the "paid advertisement for White Castle" feel. I mean, nobody talks about White Castle burgers as the perfect burger. Sure, they hit the spot when you crave em, but I've never referred to them as the ultimate burger. I currently hold the record for most slyders in a single sitting at work (17), so I think this makes me somewhat of an authority on the matter.


We did laugh at some of the antics in this movie, but it just doesn't have any staying power. Some comedies are funny even when you've seen them several times. This movie doesn't have that kind of appeal. We groaned at some of the gags, too, as they were just so over the top that they went from funny to just plain stupid. I suppose if we were blazed we might have thought it was funny too.

That was on Friday night. Sunday night we watched The Village. This is another suspense film by M. Night Shyamalan. As a writer, producer, director, Shyamalan hit it big with The Sixth Sense. Everyone was wowed by this suspensful movie with a surprise twist at the end. He then took the same formula and cranked out Unbreakable, Signs, and now, The Village. The Village is set in a creepy pioneer america town where everything appears nearly utopic. Families enjoy a simple life together, operate without any currency, and give thankful priase for their time. The only dark part of life in the town is the fear of "those we do not speak of" who live in the woods. Watchman keep guard over the border between the woods and valley to be sure no one passes into the woods, and to give warning if a creature comes into the valley. The plot line follows Ivy, a young woman who was struck blind at a young age, and her courting of Luscious, a quiet boy who has always shown affection for her.



Unfortunately, this movie is all too predictable, a sad trend in Shyamalan's latest movies. Within the first few minutes of the film I told Jenn what I predicted for the end, and sure enough, it all played out. Predictability didn't ruin the film, but it certainly detracted from the suspense. In all, The Village is not a bad film, but don't expect the same "I've gotta see that again" sensation you had from The Sixth Sense.