This weekend we watched some more movies, in keeping with our pattern of late :) We saw Cold Mountain at the movie theatre, and rented Seabiscuit and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on DVD.

We also did some post-Christmas shopping, picking up heavily discounted wrapping paper and cards. While at the store, we had a look at kitchen stuff and ended up getting one of those George Foreman grills, along with a carving knife/fork set. We didn't realize until we got it home, but the grill was smashed up pretty well, so we had to return it the next day for a replacement. Tonight we'll be giving it a test-run with some chicken. Mmmmm...

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Since Return of the King seems to be consuming vast numbers of theatre screens locally, we had to visit a smaller theatre (without Dolby Digital, shock horror!) to see Cold Mountain. Despite the sound being pretty average, we still really enjoyed the movie!

Cold Mountain, based upon the book of the same name, is set near the end of the Civil War. Unlike most Civil War movies, this one focuses less on large-scale battle scenes and more on the personal cost of the war. After the one big battle of the movie (interspersed with background taking place before the war), we follow the journey of a wounded soldier (Jude Law) returning home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his love (Nicole Kidman).

The cinematography is truly a sight to behold, from the lush, rolling landscape of Cold Mountain, to the graphic detail of the 'Crater Battle'. The acting is well-done throughout and Jude Law delivers a stand-out performance as Inman, the war-weary soldier. It's a sad story, but has its lighter moments. It managed to hold my interest the whole way through, which was quite a feat considering the 2.5 hour running time.

Cold Mountain is one of the better movies to come out this year and it really does have something for everyone. Highly recommended!

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I'll try and keep this brief for the other two movies... Seabiscuit is based on the true story of the racehorse 'Seabiscuit' and the people who helped him become a champion during the Great Depression. I had heard good things about this movie and it exceeded my expectations. Acting was good, the accuracy of the races was amazing (see the special features), and the documentary-style scenes and voice-over by David McCullough were a nice touch.

While on the topic of racehorses, I cannot neglect to mention Seabiscuit's Australian equivalent, Phar Lap, who was a champion racehorse in Australia around the same time. After conquering the local racing scene, Phar Lap went on to win the North American Agua Caliente Handicap in 1932, and died mere weeks later. Google for 'Phar Lap' to learn more.

Jack Nicholson stars in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, playing the part of a rough character sent to a mental hospital for evaluation. He fits in well with the other patients, but faces a constant struggle with the head nurse (Nurse Ratched). Other big-name actors making an early appearance include Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers (from The Shining). I'm surprised I hadn't seen this one before - it pretty much bowled over the competition at the 1976 Academy Awards, winning in 5 categories! Enough said :)

And so ends another movie-filled journal entry. There'll be more writing and SF discussion next year, I promise! ;)