"Is this actually happening? Is this movie actually real?"

The Movie: Cry-Baby, directed by John Waters
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: "Oh, just watch. Trust me."

I could have sworn I hallucinated half of this film. It just seemed so unreal, so bizarrely perfect that I didn't believe I was actually seeing it on the screen. I haven't seen any of John Waters work before, though I've been peripherally aware of the movies he's done. Oddly, I didn't know Hairspray (the original) was his film until I checked out his filmography on Imdb-I knew about Pink Flamingos and Serial Mom. Now that I've seen his work, I know that Waters is the sort of director I like.

Cry-Baby's a weird as hell movie that subtly and not-so-subtly lampoons Elvis's movies, teen-rebel movies, James Dean, Grease and the list goes on. It's quick paced. I'd even call it lean. Waters exaggerates the 'falling in love in an instant' schtick that so many romantic movies try for, and does so in such a way as to thumb his nose at all of them. Johnny Depp is the perfect beautiful boy in the lead role, shimmying like Elvis and smoldering like James Dean. I think it was here, with Cry-Baby, that John Waters found Depp's potential as an actor. Depp plays weird well and with great gusto, taking on quirky characters and giving them depth and life. His character, Cry-Baby, is an overblown mockery of the antiheroes John Waters is satirizing, and Depp plays it note-perfect.

Waters' reputation precedes him, but one transvestite-eating-dog-doo scene (not in Cry-Baby, that's from Pink Flamingos) does not make an entire career. I recommend this movie to those with sharp eye and an appreciation for this sort of over-the-top production. Anyone without a vague sense of what's being mocked here need not apply.

-153/365 down, 212/365 to go

Yo-HAR!

The Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, directed by Gore Verbinski
Recommendation: Me!
Reason: I had to finish the trilogy.

I was dragged to Pirates of the Caribbean. I really was. I did _not_ want to see it at all. For crying out loud, it was based on a Disney ride, and the Haunted Mansion movie looked bad enough. Imagine my surprise when the original movie turned out to be a slightly longish swords and seas flick with a spectacular performance by Johnny Depp as the possibly-villainous, possibly-heroic Jack Sparrow. It was thrilling. I giggled with glee. Then they started putting out sequels, and that wasn't...so bad. I liked Dead Man's Chest, which wasn't the general consensus, and I did like At World's End.

At the end of the movie, I was so tired I didn't stick around for the after-credits bit. Apparently it was important, but unless it was Elizabeth standing behind the wheel of a pirate ship in full regalia, I can wait for DVD. If I did miss that, I apologize and I will rectify it as soon as possible. That's the part of the ending that probably annoyed me the most-Elizabeth is left on a stupid beach, pining away for Will...and everything we've seen so far makes that conclusion of her character a little difficult to accept. I think I'll settle for being happy to have seen so much of Naomie Harris and Geoffrey Rush-his scenery chewing manic-pirate antics would've punched up Dead Man's Chest quite a bit.

This third installment was adequate, I'd say. It wrapped up the stories it started, everyone went on their merry way and it was nearly a happy ending. Sorry if I've gone and spoiled things for people, but I've left out the more...bizarre stuff. Go and see it, assuming you haven't already and you liked the first two movies. At the very least, there's a damn cool ship-battle.

-134/365 down, 231/365 to go

So...Julianne Moore doesn't even have a kid?

The Movie: Benny and Joon, directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik
Recommendation: Dee
Reason: It's Valentines Day!

As you may guess, the title's a reference to Julianne Moore's more recent roles, in which she has a child, usually a boy, who is dead or has been taken from her, and the loss is driving her insane. Refreshing to go back to the time in which she wasn't so wrapped up in such dramas. Of course, I barely remember her being in the movie, due to the presence of a certain Johnny Depp.

I have a great deal of respect for Depp as an actor. He has a signature style, admittedly. He plays quirky characters, characters with a weird sort of depth to them. He steals the show, lights up the screen just by being on hand. He's not even a title character-it's pretty obvious that he was never intended to be more than a supporting actor, but seriously, he blows Aidan Quinn right off the screen. Sam and Joon just wouldn't be as good a title, unfortunately. He's spectacular, essentially, as usual. It's just not worth it to comment on the rest of the cast-they're basically props for Depp to work off of.

Musically, this movie was quite excellent. I'm a huge fan of seminal moments in movies being denoted by the perfect music, and Benny and Joon's musical selector (whoever they are-I don't know who on the crew list would do this job!) was some kind of genius. 500 Miles, by the Proclaimers, now sits right up there with Battle Without Honor or Humanity, Misirlou, I Need a Hero, You Don't Own Me, Sugar High, Lovefool and...well, you're getting the idea. The closing shot of the movie was perfected by music. Huzzah. Excellent Valentine's Day movie.

-42/365 down, 323/365 to go