M: Shaun of the Dead

Another bout of boredom has led me to finally knock out one of the longest-lasting movies in my Netflix queue: Shaun of the Dead -- a bit appropriate given the circumstances. This movie perfectly demonstrates all the techniques that make Edgar Wright's later movies (see: Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim, Baby Driver) stand out so well, from juxtaposing the protagonists' dialogue with not-so-subtle foreshadowing in the background to making sure the action scenes sync flawlessly with the soundtrack.

The film follows an average Londoner and his average friends and his average routine; it's a life that's so mind-numbing he's completely oblivious to the fact that he's woken up in the middle of a zombie outbreak. That doesn't last, however, as he takes advantage of the occasion to rebuild strained relations with his ex, his family, and his roommate, all while taking charge of possibly the most slapstick zombie survival plan ever conceived. Although this movie isn't afraid of playing classic horror tropes for laughs and laying on the irony, it still manages to insert the heartbreaking scenes you'd expect from a survival movie, though it never really dwells on them, given the runtime of just over 90 minutes. If you're looking for a quick and consistently entertaining movie but aren't afraid of a little gore now and then, this one's a must-see.

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M: Eye of the Needle

In high school, I became acquainted with Ken Follett when I chanced upon his novel Eye of the Needle at the municipal library, but I was not aware of its movie adaptation until I came across it while checking MGM On Demand's offering on Xfinity. Full disclosure: for some reason, when I was a kid I hated Donald Sutherland's eyes as well as his manner of speaking. I still do.

M: The Architect

* this rom-com's weak foundation crumbled from the get-go.

M: Enemy at the Gates

Having read William Craig's 1973 book "Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad," on which the film is based, as well as David L. Robbins' novel "War of the Rats," the sniper duel between the film's protagonists was very familiar and easily captured my imagination as my mind went back and forth to the scenarios printed in the pages of said books and the unfolding scenes in the film. I have watched 'Enemy at the Gates' numerous times before and in the eyes of this military enthusuast it never really gets old. Yes, I have seen the movie on blurry VHS tapes while on a bus trip from Bicol to Manila, on a pirated VCD bought in Quiapo, on a brand new DVD from Best Buy and tonight on Showtime cable TV. Thus, to this day "Enemy at the Gates" is easily one of my favorite movies and I always made it a point to watch it or record it on DVR for later viewing whenever it came up on cable TV. In a way it became my de facto companion especially...

B.M.S.

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