Wound down with Surrogates with the fam. Really enjoyed it, cared about who the characters were behind the artifice. Tickled by a movie that had a very valid reason to be populated by very pretty people.

We watched Law Abiding Citizen, Twilight, and Becoming Jane today. Now we're headed out to see Shutter Island.

Not even attempting Oscar fare. Watching Modesty Blaise.

Now we just caught the end of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. My goodness, that's real pretty. Amazing animation, and holy cow, did they use some version of motion capture for the movement and facial expressions? On one hand, highly innovative for the times, on the other, holy animating skills, batman!

I don't know about the expressions, but they definitely rotoscoped at least some of the motion.

Amazing animation, and holy cow, did they use some version of motion capture for the movement and facial expressions? On one hand, highly innovative for the times, on the other, holy animating skills, batman!

I just learned this past week that some footage of scampering deer from NS was used as models for Bambi. It's in the holdings where I work, but it's not digitized...yet.

I've always heard that Snow White is considered the zenith of artistry in traditional animation.

Just came back from Alice. Two things I'd like to say:

a) I do not remember the source material very well;

b) The movie is just okay. We saw the movie in 3-D and I kind of liked the visuals (I am easily thrilled, I haven't seen a 3-D movie since the 5th Harry Potter movie), but the story is rather pedestrian and I am not quite sure why Johnny Depp was in the movie.

I would agree with reviewers who have given the movie a "C" rating (on A-F scale). It isn't one of Burton' best and while I haven't seen all of Burton's movies, this is my least favorite. There was nothing to the story and not enough psychedelic elements/creativity to wow in lieu of a story.

Helena Bonham Carter is pretty good in the film (though if you've seen the ads, I think you've seen half of her performance), and Alan Rickham gave a wonderful voice performance. Anne Hathaway's character is terrible. I think she is a good actress, but I think her direction wasn't good.

I've had a movie filled week. On Thursday I went to see The Last Station , which I really liked. After it was over and I was getting ready to leave and noticed that The Wolfman was just starting and the door was open and there was noone looking...so I snuck in and saw it! I was fun, but Benicio bel Torro was miscast. I think he had producer credit so that must be how he got the part, I'm guessing. It was like an old '30s horror movie only in lovely moody color and very good actors, with the above mentioned exception.

I just got back from seeing My Name is Kahn. It was a very enjoyable, if long movie.

I was amused by the Alice In Wonderland movie, but then, I went in with low low low expectations.

It was very pretty. Yes, it was Tim Burton being very self-indulgent and self-referential, but as eye candy, it was fun. The story itself? Ugh. And why, oh God why, did they have that horrible horrible "dance" from the Hatter at the end of the battle? Whyyyy? I recoiled in my seat at that.

(Pete hated it. He was bored the entire time, and was astonished that I liked it at all.)

That said, I'm going to buy the big art book. I may not buy the DVD or Blu-Ray, but I'm absolutely going to buy the big art book.