Recent movies watched and my crappy reviews of them.

Walkabout (1971)

This movie is about a father who decides to kill his kids by driving them far in to the Australian Outback and shooting them. The kids escape, the father sets fire to the car, kills himself, and the bulk of the story is how the kids escape the Outback. They run in to a teenage Aborigine boy who saves them from the desert. The movie was filmed in Australia in 71 so the film quality and cinematography is what’s to be expected.  What I found funny was the father who tries to kill his kids is “Wally” from Crocodile Dundee, the Aborigine boy is Crocodile Dundee’s native friend from the same movie, and the oldest kid turned out to play Jessica from Logan’s Run.  Even with the screwy cinematography and the over filming of  Jenny Agutter either scantily clad or in the buff “meh nudity is fine but no relevance to the movie”, I still liked the story and all of the Outback  footage.

Paper Heart (2009)

This was kind of a goofy love story/documentary about comedian Charlyne Yi as she and her friends film a documentary about how her problems with the concept of love. While filming the movie, she really runs in to Michael Cera “Superbad, Juno”, and the movie turns into a real life romance. I guess they are now a real couple. Charlyne Yi is pretty funny to begin with so the movie wasn’t too bad. I liked it.

The Black Balloon (2008)

I seem to be on an Aussie movie kick. Along with Walkabout, I watched The Black Balloon. It’s comedy about a military family with a twenty something son with special needs, and a high school age son, who move in to a new neighborhood. The special needs kid is always two steps past out of control, and his brother is doing his best to fit in at school while keeping his older brother a secret from his fellow students. The mother is the only one who can completely control the older boy, but she is pregnant and due at any time. The whole story is about all of the antics that happen while over stressed and very pregnant mom is admitted to the hospital before she gives birth, and leaves her husband and other son in charge of “Charlie”. There are a few fights, some throwing of poo, and even a little romance. I didn’t think it was the funniest movie I have ever seen, but worth seeing at least once.