Watched: 1984

1984 is not a book I have ever finished. I never had to read it for school, somehow because I was placed into honors classes it fell through the cracks of my curricula, and although I've attempted it a few times on my own I've never been able to get very far. So this was a nice easy shortcut for me feeling all of the depression and hopelessness of knowing the story and seeings it parallels with our society today without all of the majesty of the Orwellian prose. Perfect. I do think Orwell is a great writer and I love several of his other books (Down and Out in Paris and London, Animal Farm immediately come to mind) so it's not I doubt his abilities. I don't know. Anyway I did finish the movie and it is every bit as bleak and British and weird as I imagined it would be. John Hurt really gives it his all and even though I got a little tired of the Richard Burton monologues, which basically comprise the last 30 minutes of the film (or feel like they do), he really does give a great performance as a human being stuck in a system so inhumane he's no longer capable/interested in discerning between truth and lie.

Watched: Under the Skin

Probably one of the darkest films I've watched in a long time. After enjoying Captain America: The Winter Soldier, especially Scarlett Johansson's somewhat subdued but still interesting performance as the Black Widow I thought I'd check out a film that I've had for a while now and could never quite work my way up to, Under the Skin. I'd read a lot about it before watching it, mostly reviews talking about how cold and disturbing it was but how well it achieved what it set out to do. I would have to agree with those reviews. This is not a film that reaches out and welcomes you in. There are a LOT of unanswered questions at the end. There are a lot of things that you are shown which at left to you, the viewer, to interpret for meaning. It gets frustrating at times but I do think there are just enough clues to piece together a more-or-less satisfying story as long as you're paying attention and okay with contemplating the darkness and horror that the movie is suggesting.

Watched: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Just a fun spy movie packaged as a superhero movie. A lot of payoff for viewers of the first film which is why I really recommend watching them as a double feature. But this one is a little slicker, the writing's a little better, it moves a little faster, and it introduces less characters (or at least it feels that way since Black Widow and Nick Fury are familiar to anyone who's seen the Iron Man or Avenger movies) but uses them to much greater effect. Overall a better, more fun movie that sets up a lot of interesting potential for the third chapter (because let's be honest, they were never going to really delve into the Winter Soldier/Bucky/Captain/Steve relationship in this one, right? Anyone who's in invested, they've got them on the line now for another movie ticket).

I love that this was different in other countries depending on what culturally relevant stuff Steve would've need to catch up on there. Nice touch.

What what! I know where this is :)

  

Hey there, Abed! Happy to see you!

  

This final credits sequence showing the duality of SHIELD/HYDRA was really cool, visually and conceptually.

Watched: Captain America: The First Avenger

I remember thinking this was a little slow, a little boring around the time when it first came out. However, watching it as a double feature with its sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier great improves and sharpens what came before. Context can be everything, can't it? So let's talk about... the sequel.

The 1940's costuming was to die for, I'll give them that.

Grumpy Cat, sleepwalking through his role as grizzled army man #231212, and the Tuche, doing a strongly sibilant German accent, together forever.

  

Richard Armitage as a HYDRA spy! (SPOILERS WHOOPS)

Uh, yeah. I'll just leave this here. For science.

Natalie Dormer! You're a lot more famous now because of The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones! But you're still very Natalie Dormery in this small role.

Hugo Weaving basically fulfilling the dream of being an antagonist/morally ambiguous character in every nerdly universe: LoTR, The Matrix, Marvel, Transformers, oh my! Is there nothing this guy can't play? (Obviously my favorite Weaving incarnation is and always will be Mitzi Del Bra in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. But he's pretty consistently great and this role is no exception.)