Joe Dante 

Joe Dante

Last night my son and I watched Small Soldiers together--a movie we've owned in VHS for many years. Very enjoyable. One of the writers also wrote The Borrowers; another has worked on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Still my favourite line: the toy Major Chip Hazard says to teenage Christy, who has been tied up: "Are you scared?" She nods. "We all are. You'd have to be crazy not to be scared." There's something weird and funny between Christy and her Gwendy dolls--somehow installing high-tech chips in the dolls just brings out hostility that was always there.

And somehow, one can see how Kirsten Dunst became a bigger star than Gregory Smith, her romantic interest, who is now on Everwood.

So I guess I should see more Joe Dante movies, starting with the Second Civil War, which we also own. My son has been recommending it for years.