Rambling Film

Indie Gems: Clerks

2012-02-10T18:34:00.000-06:00

The start of the "askewniverse."

Black and white? Check. Hand held camera? Check. Unknown actors? Double check. Director Kevin Smith had to sacrifice a lot to make this film on such a minuscule budget. Then he had to deal with the MPAA slapping the film with an NC17 rating for swearing of all things. (It was later over turned) What he got out of this was a cult classic and the beginning of his popular reoccurring characters in Jay and Silent Bob.

Clerks follows Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran) as he works at his local convenient store. Dante wasn't supposed to work that day, but he comes in anyways and has to deal with multiple issues that present themselves. Then there's his hanger on best friend Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) who won't stop messing with his stupid customers. Everything in the world seems to be going wrong for Dante.

I've always enjoyed Kevin Smith's films.(minus Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back..that was just too much.) Clerks feels so real to me, like I'm listening to in an actual conversation my friends and acquaintances would be having. With references to Star Wars and Batman among other things, Clerks is hilarious and shines bright. It kick started Smith's career and paved the way for his other great films such as Mallrats and Dogma.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "Jedi just ended with a bunch of muppets!" - Dante Hicks (Brian O'Halloran)

DVD Review: Restless

2012-02-07T15:42:00.000-06:00

There's a lot you can get done in 3 months.

Enoch (Henry Hopper) is a lonely boy who crashes funerals in his free time. He frequently talks to a ghost, Hiroshi (Ryo Kase) who was a Japanese Kamikaze pilot who's hobbies now include playing Battle Ship with Enoch and throwing rocks at trains. While at a random funeral Enoch meets Annabel, (Mia Wasikowska) a terminally ill girl who's been given a few months to live. They become friends, and fall in love, and face the matter of death together.

I really wanted to like this movie, but when you think of Gus Van Sant's last film, Milk in comparison, this is a let down. Sure it has a nice score, and a few of Van Sant's signature shooting techniques (but no long shot..surprising, apparently he got all his long shots in while filming Paranoid Park) but casting Henry Hopper as the lead was a huge mistake. He's wooden, whiny, and boring. Thankfully Mia was there to save most of the movie, but when you're acting opposite someone with zero charisma it's hard for you to shine as well. I hate to place my dislike of a film solely on the actor, but Hopper really is the elephant in the room here. Hopefully he will take a few acting lessons in the future.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "When you think about it, humans haven't been around as long as reptiles, so 3 months could be like 300 years.." - Annabel (Mia Wasikowska)

DVD Review: Beginners

2012-02-04T08:17:00.000-06:00

This is what love looks like.

Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is a graphic artist who has just lost his father. In the years before, his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer) tells him that he has terminal cancer. He also tells him that he's gay. He's been gay his whole life, even when he was married to Oliver's now deceased mother. He changes his lifestyle, starts a relationship with a much younger man, Andy (Goran Visnjc) and really starts to love life. Oliver tries to start a relationship with French actress, Anna (Melanie Laurent) hoping it gives him a new outlook on life.

I loved how the movie was shot, it was very arty without being pretentious. Christopher Plummer absolutely deserves all the awards he's been winning lately, he was fantastic in this movie. For a man given his death sentence, you could really feel the love radiating off of him. McGregor and Laurent have wonderful chemistry (as does McGregor with the film's dog), and they carry the movie well. It's cute, quirky, and still manages to pull on the heart strings. I left the movie wanting to give Christopher Plummer a gigantic hug.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote. "You re-wrote Jesus's death?" - Oliver (Ewan McGregor)

Indie Gems: Stakeland

2012-02-03T20:48:00.000-06:00

The world woke up to a nightmare.

Stakeland puts quite the effort into standing out from other films in it's genre. I felt like it tried to combine everything that is "in" at the moment. The world is not just over run by vampires or zombies, Stakeland makes a vampire/zombie hybrid that's taken over the world.

Martin (Connor Paolo) is trying to make his way to Canada, which is allegedly a safe haven. He comes across a man known only as Mister. (Nick Damici) He's a bad ass and zombie/vampire hunter who helps Martin and others (including scream queen Danielle Harris as pregnant Belle) as they try to survive.

Stakeland was gory despite the film's small budget. Even though I'm growing tired of the "crazy Christian church" schtick it was an interesting touch to what could've been just a regular zombie movie.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "I've seen things you would never believe.." - Martin (Connor Paolo)

DVD Review: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

2012-02-01T10:22:00.000-06:00

Of the. Of the. Of the. Of the.

I've been pretty vocal on how ridiculous I think the title of this movie is. The working title, Rise of the Apes was much better, I don't care if it was tradition to do it otherwise. Any who..

Will (James Franco) is trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's, in doing so he's been testing his cure on apes. It increases their intelligence, but comes with fits of rage. When he takes home a recently orphaned baby ape, Caesar (motion captured by Andy Serkis) Caesar thrives and excels. But after an incident that gets him taken away from Will, he finds himself thrust into the real world of apes in captivity, and he's going to use his brains to start an ape revolution.

I thought I'd be annoyed with CGI apes throughout the entire movie, but I surprisingly wasn't. The special effects were great and the Caesar truly steals the show away from the rest of the actors. It was an interesting look at how the apes came into power in the originals, but the happy ending was a bit off for me. You know, because they eventually take over the world..

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "He's asking you for permission." - Caroline (Freida Pinto)

DVD Review: The Change Up

2012-01-31T14:23:00.000-06:00

You spent your CGI money on what?

Olivia Wilde and Leslie Mann have CGI nipples in this movie. That's right, they can fake nudity. I'm sure there's a logical reason for it, like how Jessica Alba won't be completely nude due to her religion, yet makes directors go through painstaking camera angles to show "just enough." I just think the idea is so stupid. If you don't want to be nude, don't do it, re-write it, re-cast it. Why waste your CGI money on something like that when you could've used it towards those God-awful babies that made Baby Geniuses' look like a masterpiece.

Working dad Dave (Jason Bateman) and playboy slacker Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) are old buddies that piss in a magical fountain and suddenly switch bodies. Now they must find this fountain (it's been moved) and pee in it again to get themselves back to normal. Pretty standard.

I figured this movie might have a few laughs, but it didn't. Not even Ryan Reynold's flawless physique could save this disaster. It wasn't funny, the effects were crap, and the plot is beyond recycled. I don't look forward to the day when they do CGI dongs.

Recommended: No

Grade: F

Memorable Quote: "Is it weird that I miss your penis?" - Dave (Jason Bateman)

Indie Gems: Atonement

2012-01-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

Come back..

Robbie ( James McAvoy) is in love with Cecilia, (Keira Knightley) but after her younger sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan) witnesses something that she isn't sure she actually saw, she blames Robbie for a crime that he didn't commit. Instead of spending the rest of his life in jail, they give him the opportunity to join the army and fight in WWII. Robbie writes to Cecilia and hopes that they can one day be reunited. Meanwhile, as Briony grows older and realizes her mistake, she's set on giving up her dream of being a writer and to work as a nurse like Cecilia. A way of atoning for what she has done.

There are so many beautiful things about this movie. One that stands out first is the score. They were very clever to use a type writer sound in their music when we are first introduced to Briony, who is played wonderfully by Ronan as a child. The costumes were breathtaking, Cecilia's green dress has reached icon status in my opinion, and let's not forget about the story. Director Joe Wright brings us through at a perfect pace, then absolutely breaks every one's hearts all at once. Once you think you've forgiven Briony for what she has done, you start to re-think it. It's the perfect "tragic love story" in my eyes.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A+

Memorable Quote: "I wouldn't necessarily believe everything Briony tells you. She's rather fanciful." - Cecila Tallis (Keira Knightley)

DVD Review: Warrior

2012-01-26T16:37:00.000-06:00

Did I miss something?

Reviews for this film contain words such as "heartwarming"and "entertaining". I guess I didn't see the same film everyone else did. Shame.

War hero Tommy (Tom Hardy) teams up with his alcoholic father, Paddy (Nick Nolte) to train for some MMA fighting, he eventually crosses paths with his Pyshics teacher and cash strapped brother, Brenden (Joel Edgerton) who is training to fight as well. They had a falling out as teens during their parent's divorce and now they must fight each other.

The plot is so recycled and filled with cliches that you can practically predict whats going to happen next. Nick Nolte turns in a fine performance, but even he can't save this film. Bring on Tom Hardy as Bane, because this film did nothing for me.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "Why am I looking at pictures of people I don't know?" - Tommy (Tom Hardy)

2012 Oscar Nominees

2012-01-24T15:45:00.001-06:00

Ah Oscar season. With that comes the usual complaints on who got robbed and who deserved it. This year's nominees however are a real buzz kill. It seems like there's way more gripes then praises, that even the best nominees (Gary Oldman, FINALLY) get overshadowed but a few total "wtf" moments. My comments as always are in green.

Best Picture:
"War Horse"
"The Artist"
" Moneyball,"
" The Descendants"
"The Tree of Life"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
" Hugo"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close "
This year, the number of nominees could range anywhere between 5-10. They settled on 9. (stupid) Not only did they settle on 9, but Extreme Loud & Incredibly Close? Really? I wasn't aware anyone liked that movie. War Horse? While not a surprise, my problem with Speilberg's picture was that it was obvious Oscar bate. This movie serves no other purpose than to gather awards. The Tree of Life?! HA! That made my list of least favorite movies of 2011. Nothing but Terrance Malik ruining a great film with his weird ass editing. At least the rest of the nominees deserve to be there.

Best Actress: Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"Viola Davis, "The Help"Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"
Rooney Mara took Tilda Swinton's spot. I'm sick of hearing about Rooney Mara. As a twitter friend pointed out "how are you sick of her? She's been in two movies." Easy. I felt like I read about her everywhere. All during last year's awards season it was all about her snagging the role in GWTDT. Now it's all about her performance in it. I'm not saying she's not worthy, I'm just sick of hearing about her and that movie. Especially when Noomi Rapace did such a great job in the original that Mara getting this nomination feels like a slap in the face.

Best Actor: Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"George Clooney, "The Descendants"Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"Brad Pitt, "Moneyball
Demian Bichir is a total surprise. No Michael Fassbender is criminal. I'm bummed JGL didn't make the list, but I knew it would never happen. What I'm stoked about is Gary Oldman FINALLY getting an Oscar nom. He should've gotten one years ago..

Best Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"Jessica Chastain, "The Help"Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids" Octavia Spencer, "The Help
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Melissa McCarthy over Shailene Woodley? What a joke. Someone on twitter put it perfectly. McCarthy stole scenes from other comedians. Woodley stole them from George Clooney.

Best Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"Nick Nolte, "Warrior"Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"Max von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
Von Sydow is the surprise entrant. Academy Award Nominee Jonah Hill still sounds weird.

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"Alexander Payne, "The DescendantsMartin Scorsese, "Hugo"Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Malick should not be in here. His directing is what ruined The Tree of Life for me.

Animated Feature:
"A Cat in Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

Art Direction:
"The Artist," Production Design: Laurence Bennett, Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Production Design: Stuart Craig, Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan"
"Hugo," Production Design: Dante Ferretti, Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris," Production Design: Anne Seibel, Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse," Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
Woo Harry Potter.

Cinematography:
"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design:
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips
Yay Jane Eyre! Although W.E being nominated probably means Madonna will show up..gross.

Documentary (Feature):
"Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas
I had no idea Paradise Lost was eligible. I thought it was made for TV?

Documentary (Short Subject):
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing:
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film:
"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote" Israel
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
"A Separation" Iran

Makeup:
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland
People were laughing at HP's make up nom. I thought it was well deserved.

Music (Original Score):
"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song):
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett
They need to re-do this category. I find it hard to believe that only 2 songs were Oscar worthy this year.

Short Film (Animated):
"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe; "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action):
"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing:
"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom
No Harry Potter? That's surprising

Sound Mixing:
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick; "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson
Ditto

Visual Effects:
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay):
"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi
Bridesmaids being in here is the biggest joke of them all. What was original about Bridesmaids? It was essentially a female Hangover! I know people are sick of those two being compared, but it's true. You are telling me that Bridesmaids is more original than 50/50, Drive AND Martha Marcy May Marlene? What a fucking joke.

Dear Oscars, here's my wish list.

2012-01-23T13:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a few things I hope will be announced during tomorrow's nominations. Some may seem a little far fetched, but that's the point of a wish list.

1) Elizabeth Olsen for Best Actress. She blew me away in Martha Marcy May Marlene, why not include her? An up and coming actress that broke out in a Sundance favorite? Why not?

2) Leave Bridesmaids out. No supporting actress, no screenplay, and please no Best Picture! It didn't deserve it.

3) 50/50 deserves an original screenplay nomination. It was one of the most unique pictures this year.

4) Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Best Actor? Yeah..I know this probably won't happen, but I loved him in 50/50 and Best Actor isn't as stacked as it was last year. In my mind, there's only three "for sure" performances, Clooney, Pitt, and Dujardin. Possibly Michael Fassbender for the 4th. Who does that leave for the 5th? Go with Gordon-Levitt, 50/50 got better reviews than J. Edgar and I know you won't nominate Michael Shannon for Take Shelter (even though he probably really deserves it.)

5) No animated films in the best picture race, please. They have their own category.

6) Go easy on the Ides of March. It had a great cast, but it was NOT a great film. Give your love to Drive.

7) Be kind to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. I'm not asking for a best picture nomination (though that would be awesome) let it clean house on the technical side. God knows it did a fantastic job all around.

8) Viggo Mortensen for best supporting actor. Just because he's Viggo fucking Mortensen.

2012 BAFTA nominees

2012-01-22T15:16:00.001-06:00

Late, I know. Here's a list of the 2012 BAFTA nominees. I'm happy to see that Drive is getting more love. It's deserving, and a far better film than Ides of March. Phillip Seymour Hoffman's nomination feels like it's a little "out of nowhere" but I like the guy, so I'm not complaining. I'm bummed that 50/50 didn't get an original screenplay nomination though.

Best Film
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
The Help
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Film Not in the English Language
Incendies
Pina
Potiche
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

Outstanding British Film
My Week with Marilyn
Senna
Shame
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
We Need to Talk About Kevin

Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Tomas Alfredson, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Lynne Ramsay, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Leading Actor
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
George Clooney, The DescendantsJ
ean Dujardin, The Artist
Michael Fassbender, Shame

Leading ActressBérénice Bejo, The Artist
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Viola Davis, The Help

Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Jim Broadbent, The Iron Lady
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Ides of March

Supporting Actress Carey Mulligan, Drive
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Judi Dench, My Week with Marilyn
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Original Screenplay
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Guard
The Iron Lady
Midnight in Paris

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March
Moneyball
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

EditingThe Artist
Drive
Hugo
Senna
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

Production Desi
gnThe Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse
Make Up & Hair
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
The Iron Lady
My Week with Marilyn

Costume Design
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
My Week with Marilyn
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Special Visual EffectsThe Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
War Horse

DocumentaryGeorge Harrison: Living in the Material World
Project Nim
Senna

SoundThe Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Original Music
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
War Horse

Animated FilmThe Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Arthur Christmas
Rango

Outstanding British Debut by a Director or Producer
Joe Cornish, Attack the Block
Will Sharpe, Tom Kingsley, Sarah Brocklehurst, Black Pond
Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus
Richard Ayouade, Submarine
Paddy Considine & Diarmid Scrimshaw, Tyrannosaur

Indie Gems: Daydream Nation

2012-01-20T07:15:00.000-06:00

A dreamer, that's what he was.

Caroline (Kat Dennings) has just moved from the big city to a small town. This year, everything would happen to her. Her new home town is plagued with an industrial fire that burns outside of town, and a serial killer praying on young women. Then there's the fact that Caroline is having an affair with one of her teachers, Mr. A (Josh Lucas) and also carrying on a relationship with stoner buddy Thurston (Reece Thompson) who has plenty demons of his own.

Kat Dennings may not be the strongest actress out there, but she's well on her way. What she lacks when trying to convey extreme emotions she makes up for in spunk during the rest. She's a great narrator for this film, she makes it interesting despite it's flaws. I felt like they tried to cram way too many subplots into one film. All were strong enough ideas and I felt they didn't get the time they deserved, but if they did the film would've been longer and just as jumbled. Like it tried to be an ensemble piece, but it just couldn't break away from Caroline as it's lead. Needless to say, this film is never boring.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "The only reason you think I'm ethereal is because we just flirt and have sex!" - Caroline (Kat Dennings)

DVD Review: Scream 4

2012-01-18T14:58:00.000-06:00

What's your favorite scary movie?

Ahh the Scream franchise. You could say this rebooted the slasher movies in the 1990's. You have to give Scream credit, while it was painfully aware of the ridiculous nature of the slasher film, it still turned in some jumpy moments and made you think about who the killer really is.

Sydney (Neve Campbell) is back in Woodsboro for her book tour on the anniversary of the slayings. Of course things don't go well. Scream 4 brings back familiar faces like Courteney Cox and David Arquette, and adds new ones like Emma Roberts and Rory Culkin. It also adds some pretty funny cameos by Anna Paquin, Adam Brody, Kristin Bell, and Lucy Hale.

I felt like the stabbings in this film were taken to a higher level than the previous ones, which fits perfect. Scream 4 lampoons the horror remake, and the last line of dialogue from our heroine may be the funniest in a slasher flick yet.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "You forgot the most important rule, don't fuck with the original." - Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell)

2012 Golden Globe Winners

2012-01-16T21:41:00.000-06:00

Here are the 2012 Golden Globe winners. As always, my thoughts will follow in green. Ricky Gervais was hosting again, and honestly it went a lot better than I expected. I found him to be terribly boring last year, but this time around he had some decent jokes.

Best Picture (Drama): The Descendants
I thought War Horse would win since the Best Drama at the Globes never wins at the Oscar, but Descendants won instead. I'm fine with this because I really enjoyed the movie, but I was a little surprised to see how many were against this win.

Best Actor in a Movie (Drama): George Clooney, The Descendants
Again, I'm ok with it, but really Michael Fassbender probably deserved it. As Clooney pointed out, he did go full frontal..

Best Picture (Comedy or Musical): The Artist
I figured this would happen, I think 50/50 deserved it. Thank God it wasn't Bridesmaids.

Best Actress in a Movie (Drama): Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
I was surprised here too, but Streep's acceptance speeches are always great. She includes her peers, which I love. I love that she gave a shout out to Pariah, small movie that not many people (me included) have seen. If only she would've given a shout out to the snubbed Elizabeth Olsen..

Best Actor in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Joseph Gordon-Levitt should've won. Just sayin'.

Best TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Modern Family
I really need to watch this already.

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Hugo never interested me, but I do love me some Scorsese.

Best Supporting Actress in a Movie: Octavia Spencer, The Help
I had predicted Chastain as the winner but Spencer is deserving too. Her speech nearly brought me to tears. It DID bring Melissa McCarthy to tears. It was just beautiful all around.

Best Actor in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Really? I didn't know people thought Matt LeBlanc was funny. I sure don't.

Best Actress in a TV Series (Drama): Claire Danes, Homeland

Best Foreign Language Movie: A Separation (Iran)

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
I need to check this out as well. I thought Kelly MacDonald would win. I wanted Evan Rachel Wood to win.

Best Screenplay: Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Allen wasn't even there to pick it up! Midnight in Paris was beautiful, I just hope 50/50 makes it into the Oscar race.

Best Animated Movie: The Adventures of Tintin

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
My husband "guran-fucking-teed" me that Dinklage would win again for his favorite show. Good for you dear. Aaron Paul should've been nominated *cough*

Best Actress in a Movie (Comedy or Musical): Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Her speech was so sweet, good for her. An actress of her caliber deserves this.

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Idris Elba, Luther

Best Original Song: “Masterpiece,” W.E.
Ugh, I hate Madonna. Was never a fan. I love how when she accepts an award, she's British, but when she presents, she's American. Figure out your accent, lady.

Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Best TV Series (Drama): Homeland
Surprised. I don't watch Homeland, but I do watch Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones, and they're great. Although Boardwalk's next season is probably going to suck because of the choices they made in their season 2 finale.

Best Actor in a TV Series (Drama): Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Fuck you, HFPA. How dare you award this to anyone but Bryan Cranston. You should be bowing down to his greatness, and Breaking Bad's greatness all around. That may have sounded mean, but it's true.

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Yay Kate Winslet! I love her, and they predictably panned to Leo in the crowd. They should just get married and get it over with.

Best Miniseries or TV Movie: Downton Abbey

Best Actress in a TV Series (Comedy or Musical): Laura Dern, Enlightened
I wish Tina Fey and Amy Poehlar could just share this. They're hilarious.

Best Supporting Actor in a Movie: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
This is coming in the mail via Netflix. I'm excited to see it.

Indie Gems: The King

2012-01-13T16:30:00.000-06:00

The devil made him do it.

When Elvis (Gael Garcia Bernal) goes to Texas to search for the father he's never met, he doesn't expect much. He surely didn't expect him to be tough, Christian pastor David (William Hurt) who tells Elvis to stay away from his family. It's too late for that, Elvis is already in a relationship with David's teen daughter Malorie. David is faced with some serious questions about faith, while Elvis is about to take everything a step too far. (Pell James)

If you can get past the fact that Pell James is way, way, WAY to old to play a 16 year old (this is Alison Lohman territory we're talking about) The King is actually very interesting. David brings up some valid questions and we really come to find out how unstable Elvis really is. What I enjoyed most about this film was it's unpredictability. I didn't expect it to go where it did. I also enjoyed Paul Dano's small role, surprise surprise.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "Stay away from my sister." - Paul (Paul Dano)

Review: Midnight in Paris

2012-01-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

J'Taime

Not too long ago I went on a mini tangent about how I always try to watch Woody Allen films, and am always let down. A number of my fellow bloggers/tweeters were quick to recommend a few that they didn't think I would hate. Midnight in Paris was one of those film.

Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams) are ~~done crashing weddings~~ and are tagging along on Inez's father's business venture to Paris. Gil is a successful screenwriter who's attempting to write his first novel. He believes the 20's were the golden age, and he quickly falls in love with Paris. He feels inspired through his midnight walks through Paris, but snobbish Inez doesn't feel the same.

Paris is an enchanting city, and I honestly think that beauty distracted me from the fact that this was an Allen feature. Maybe I'm looking for excuses, but I couldn't believe how beautiful this movie was. Sure it followed the familiar formula of a couple drawn apart, but Gil's trips down memory lane were mesmerizing and I really rooted for him to stay in Paris and leave Inez, as horrible as it sounds.

I guess I can enjoy a little Woody Allen when something as beautiful as walking the streets of Paris is thrown in. I'm a little embarassed to admit how much I loved this.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "I see..rhinoceros.." - Adrian Brody (Salvador Dali)

SAG Awards: Who Will Win. Who Should Win.

2012-01-09T18:42:00.000-06:00

For my intial thoughts on the SAG awards, click here.
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DEMIÁN BICHIR / A BETTER LIFE
GEORGE CLOONEY / THE DESCENDANTS
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / J. EDGAR
JEAN DUJARDIN /THE ARTIST
BRAD PITT /MONEYBALL
Who will win: George Clooney, there isn't a clear favorite yet, but this was the film I enjoyed the most.
Who should win: Leonardo DiCaprio. Give this guy a damn Oscar already, he obviously wants one.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
GLENN CLOSE /ALBERT NOBBS
VIOLA DAVIS /THE HELP
MERYL STREEP /THE IRON LADY
TILDA SWINTON /WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
MICHELLE WILLIAMS /MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Who will win: Michelle Williams
Who should win: Williams, this is her year.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
KENNETH BRANAGH / MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
ARMIE HAMMER /J. EDGAR
JONAH HILL /MONEYBALL
NICK NOLTE /WARRIOR
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER /BEGINNERS
Who will win: Kenneth Branagh
Who should win: Branagh, the hype for Marilyn is very high. I don't think Hill has a change, I don't think anyone is familiar enough with Hammer, and Warrior and Beginners just don't stand out enough.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
BÉRÉNICE BEJO /THE ARTIST
JESSICA CHASTAIN /THE HELP
MELISSA McCARTHY /BRIDESMAIDS
JANET McTEER /ALBERT NOBBS
OCTAVIA SPENCER /THE HELP
Who will win: Jessica Chastain
Who should win: Chastain. She's really getting nominated not only for her wonderful work in The Help, but for the other great performances she turned in this year. She deserves it.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE ARTIST
BRIDESMAIDS
THE DESCENDANTS
THE HELP
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Who will win: The Artist
Who should win: The Help. I haven't seen Midnight in Paris or The Artist, Bridesmaids surely doesn't deserve a win. the Descendants was great, but the movie really belonged to Clooney and Woodley. The Help had the best cast all around, they all turned in great performances

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURENCE FISHBURNE /THURGOOD
PAUL GIAMATTI /TOO BIG TO FAIL
GREG KINNEAR /THE KENNEDYS
GUY PEARCE /MILDRED PIERCE
JAMES WOODS/TOO BIG TO FAIL
Who will win: Guy Pearce
Who should win: Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce was just wonderful all around.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
DIANE LANE /CINEMA VERITE
MAGGIE SMITH /DOWNTON ABBEY
EMILY WATSON /APPROPRIATE ADULT
BETTY WHITE /HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE
KATE WINSLET /MILDRED PIERCE
Who Will Win: Kate Winslet
Who should win: Kate Winslet, see previous category.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PATRICK J. ADAMS /SUITS
STEVE BUSCEMI /BOARDWALK EMPIRE
KYLE CHANDLER /FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
BRYAN CRANSTON /BREAKING BAD
MICHAEL C. HALL /DEXTER
Who will win: Bryan Cranston, he's the best.
Who should win: Bryan Cranston. What Cranston does on Breaking Band is outstanding. While others like Buscemi and Hall are great, Cranston takes the cake. No one does it better.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
KATHY BATES /HARRY’S LAW
GLENN CLOSE /DAMAGES
JESSICA LANGE /AMERICAN HORROR STORY
JULIANNA MARGULIES /THE GOOD WIFE
KYRA SEDGWICK / THE CLOSER
Who will win: Glenn Close/Kyra Sedgwick. I can't pick, it's Sedgwick's last season, but Close is a popular vote as well.
Who should win: Glenn Close. I don't think she'll win for Albert Nobbs, but she'll make up for it here.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN /30 ROCK
TY BURRELL MODERN FAMILY
STEVE CARELL / THE OFFICE
JON CRYER /TWO AND A HALF MEN
ERIC STONESTREET MODERN FAMILY
Who will win: Steve Carell for his last season on the office.
Who should win: Alec Baldwin. His performance is great, but I have a feeling him acting like a total douche on that flight will make his peers think less of him.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
JULIE BOWEN / MODERN FAMILY
EDIE FALCO / NURSE JACKIE
TINA FEY /30 ROCK
SOFIA VERGARA /MODERN FAMILY
BETTY WHITE /HOT IN CLEVELAND
Who will win: Tina Fey
Who should win: Tina Fey

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
BREAKING BAD
DEXTER
GAME OF THRONES
THE GOOD WIFE
Who will win: Breaking Bad.
Who should win: Breaking Bad. The others are great, but Breaking Bad is outstanding.

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK
THE BIG BANG THEORY
GLEE
MODERN FAMILY
THE OFFICE
Who will win: Modern Family
Who should win: Modern Family, while I'd love to see The Big Bang Theory win..

The Golden Globes. Who Will Win: Who Should Win:

2012-01-08T10:43:00.001-06:00

Best Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse
Who will win: War Horse. It's a Speilberg vechile, plus Best Drama at the Globes never wins Best Picture at the Oscars.
Who should win: The Descendants was my favorite of this list, but I wouldn't be upset if The Help won either.

Best Comedy/Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Carnage
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn
Who will win: The Artist (or, Bridesmaids..but hopefully not)
Who should win: 50/50. It seems the HFPA has a big golden boner for The Artist. I haven't see it, so all I can really say is how much I love 50/50 and how much I think it deserves to win.

Best Animated Film
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Rango
Puss in Boots
The Adventures of Tintin
Who will win: The Adventures of Tintin seems to have awards written all over it.
Who should win: Rango?

Best Foreign Language Film
The Flowers of War
In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Kid With a Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
- I haven't seen any of these, therefore I cannot provide an accurate guess.

Best Actor in a Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Who will win: George Glooney
Who should win: Probably Fassbender. Full frontal is bold.

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
Who will win: Jean Dujardin.
Who should win: Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Did you really expect me to say anything else?

Best Supporting Actor  in a Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Who will win: Kenneth Branagh
Who should win: Viggo Mortensen. Because he's Viggo Mortensen, bitches.

Best Actress in a Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Who will win: Tilda Swinton, everyone review about Kevin raves about her performance.
Who should win: Swinton

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage
Who will win: Michelle Williams
Who should win: Williams. This is her year, she's always turned in great performances, but has always been beat out by just a little (Rachel Weisz in 06, Natalie Portman last year) This is her time to shine.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Who will win: Chastain, she's had a hell of a year.
Who should win: Chastain. She deserves it too. I wouldn't complain if Spencer or Woodley took it home either.

Best Director 
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Who will win: Martin Scorsese.
Who should win: Alexander Payne. I really enjoyed The Descendants.

Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants
Steve Zallian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin, Michael Lewis, Moneyball
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Who will win: The Descendants
Who should win: The Descendants, It's really the msot original. 50/50 should've been nominated.

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse
- Haven't seen any of these, I'd go with Williams based off of his track record.

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture
“Hello Hello,” Gnomeo & Juliet
“The Keeper,” Machine Gun Preacher
“Lay Your Head Down,” Albert Nobbs
“The Living Proof,” The Help
“Masterpiece,” W.E.
Who will win: The Living Proof
Who should win: The Living Proof

Best TV Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland
Who will win: Boardwalk Empire. Unless the HFPA hated the finale as much as everyone else..then Game of Thrones will win.
Who should win: Breaking Bad..where the hell are they? Fine, Boardwalk Empire. Even though the season 2 finale literally took away everything that was interesting about the show.

Best TV Comedy or Musical
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl
Who will win: Modern Family
Who should win: Modern Family. No 30 Rock, The Office or The Big Bang Theory? Then this is a no brainer, these other shows don't compete.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour
Mildred Pierce
Too Big To Fail
Who will win: Mildred Pierce
Who should win: Mildred Pierce

Best Actor in a TV Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Who will win: Bryan Cranston, if the HFPA has any sense.
Who should win. Cranston. Hands down.

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Who will win: David Duchovny, they love him here.
Who should win: Johnny Galecki

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big To Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Who will win: Peter Dinklage
Who should win: Guy Pearce..technically Aaron Paul should win, but for some odd reason he was left out. Michael Pitt should've been nominated too.

Best Actress in a TV Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness
Who will win: Julianna Margulies
Who should win: Margulies

Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Who will win: Laura Dern,
Who should win: Tina Fey, but I'm probably bias. I love Tina Fey.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Who will win: Kate Winslet
Who should win: Kate Winslet

Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie 
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce
Who will win: Kelly MacDonald
Who should win; Evan Rachel Wood. I love her.

Indie Gems: Pretty Persuasion

2012-01-06T23:02:00.000-06:00

Mean girl.

Kimberly (Evan Rachel Wood) is a scheming high school sophomore at a prestigious private school. She forces her two friends Brittany (Elisabeth Harnois) and new exchange student Randa (Adi Schnall) to wrongfully accuse their English teacher of sexual harassment. Why? Fame. Her father, played by James Woods is more concerned about how this trial will effect his business than the effects it has on his daughter herself. TV Reporter Emily (my first exposure to Jane Krakowski) also hopes covering this case will further her celebrity. It seems like everyone is in this for the wrong reasons.

When this first came out, most of my friends hated it, but not me. PP has some pretty intense dialogue and possibly an agenda. Some see the film as having political undertones. I didn't pick up on that at first, but I can kind of see where they are coming from. I enjoy Evan Rachel Wood as an actress, and it was nice to see her in such a cruel role. It goes to some dark places, but manages to place it's inappropriate humor well.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "You want me to be sexy for you..?" - Kimberly Joyce (Evan Rachel Wood)

5 Timeless Classics...That I Hate.

2012-01-05T17:47:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when you're bored..

1) The Sound of Music:

Julie Andrews has a beautiful voice, but after having to sing all of those songs for a elementary school program has made me appreciate it less. Sixteen Going on Seventeen is probably one of the WORST songs ever written for a film. (Or book?) It makes What Would Brian Boitano Do sound like a masterpiece.

2) Gone With The Wind:

Frankly, my dear, this movie is so damn boring! Scarlett O'Hara is completely unlikable - some unlikable characters in movies are at least fun to watch. Not her.

3) Bed knobs and Broomsticks:

This sparked a debate on the greatest magical movies of all time (I say Harry Potter) There was too much going on in this movie and none of it was interesting.

4) Dances With Wolves:

Never mind the fact that Kevin Costner can't act, this movie actually beat Goodfellas for Best Picture. GOODFELLAS! Fail, Academy. Fail.

5) Field of Dreams:

Guess who's not a Costner fan? I babysat a neighbor for one summer and he would watch this movie every day. It easily made it's way on my mental list of "Most Overrated Movies of All Time."

DVD Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

2012-01-03T20:33:00.000-06:00

Everyone has a price.

Mobile defense lawyer Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is slapped with an interesting case when a wealthy realtor, Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) is accused of a terrible crime. At first, Haller is convinced he's innocent, but after a little more digging he realizes that he was picked for a purpose, and that he may have already put an innocent man in prison because of Roulet's previous crimes.

Lincoln Lawyer didn't look that interesting to me when it first came out, but I have to say the cast is impressive. Besides McConuaghey and Phillippe, there's Marisa Tomei, Michael Pena, Josh Lucas, William H. Macy and Bryan Cranston to top it off. McConaughey seems to be at his best when he's playing a lawyer. You might guess the ending before it comes, but watching the characters put all the pieces together is still very enjoyable.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "Repeat customers.." - Mick Haller (Matthew McConuaghey)

My Top 10 Films of 2011

2012-01-01T15:35:00.000-06:00

A few films that I really wanted to see, but haven't gotten the chance yet are: We Need To Talk About Kevin, Pariah, My Week With Marilyn, Take Shelter, and Shame.

1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

- Were you surprised this was at the top of my list? You shouldn't be. Actually after numbers 1 and 2 this list is in no particular order. I love Harry Potter, and it's quite sad to think that I don't have anything HP related to look forward too ever again. I love having HP fever, and all the build up before standing in a long line for the midnight showing. Even though there were a few gripes I had about the film, it was still good overall and ended on a great note for the series. I still hate Steve Kloves. Horrible fucking screen writer...

2) 50/50 - This film had the perfect balance between drama and comedy, which is a tremendous feat for a movie about cancer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a fantastic lead and the story was great.

3) Martha Marcy May Marlene - Elizabeth Olsen was fantastic in her breakout role. The ending isn't for everyone, but I loved all the possibilities it had. Olsen being left out of the SAGs and Globes is tragic.

4) The Decendants - Great story, Clooney and Woodley stole the show.

5) Drive - Loved Gosling in this. I was surprised how violent it was, but it didn't feel exploitative. Really a great movie.

6) The Help - Fantastic ensemble, and I almost cried about 10 different times.

7) Hesher - Another JGL vehicle, although little seen. I liked this film's "fuck you" attitude.

8) Hanna - Soairse Ronan is a little bad ass. I was really hoping she'd get a Globe nomination (Maybe there's still a chance for a BAFTA?) The soundtrack was killer as well.

9) Super - This movie owned Kick Ass on so many different levels. It was hilarious, then got serious at the end. I thought the final note was a bit far fetched (even for this movie) but it was overall a great watch.

10) Our Idiot Brother - This is certainly my favorite comedy of the year. I loved the story and all the characters. I just wanted to give Paul Rudd a big hug.

Honorable mention: Captain America, Red State, Horrible Bosses. Super 8. Moneyball.

The 5 worst. (Note: I'm sure there were way more horrible movies than these, but I chose not to see them. Sorry, Jack and Jill)

1) Melancholia - Lars Von Trier, your directing blows. Way to waste a talented cast.

2) Tree of Life - Terrence Malick, did you forget you were making a movie and not putting together a power point? I'm frustrated with how great your movie would've been had you not allowed one of the most God-awful editing job in recent history.

3) In Time - This movie was so fucking bad.

4) Soul Surfer - The bravery of Bethany Hamilton deserves better than this melodramatic piece of crap.

5) Mr Popper's Penguins - This was so bad I refused to write a review on it. That's sad, because I love to bitch about bad movies I've been forced to see.

Review Young Adult

2011-12-31T08:52:00.000-06:00

Grow up.

Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) left her (fictional) hick town of Mercury, MN to move to the big city. In this case, that city is Minneapolis. Her job is a ghost writer for a once popular young adult series. When she gets an email letting her know that her old high school flame, Buddy (Patrick Wilson) has just welcomed a child. Mavis, recently divorced, decides that she's going to go "save" buddy from what she thinks is an unhappy marriage that traps him in the small down. She runs into fellow classmate, Matt, (Patton Oswald) whom she never gave the time of day before, and drunkenly tells him her master plan. He attempts to knock some sense into her.

Young Adult is Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody's 2nd collaboration, and you have to give them credit for being gutsy enough to center their film around a completely unlikable character. Diablo Cody's signature dialogue is thankfully toned down and Theron and Oswald thrive off of their off beat chemistry. What I didn't like about the film was there was no redemption. I suppose that sets it apart from most films where the main character gets a serious reality check, but not having that happy ending hurt it in my opinion. Sure, Mavis realizes she needs to get the hell away from her small town, and as a small town girl, I can relate, but she never stopped being a heinous bitch. Her one redeeming moment at the end of the film is ruined by the fact that she still doesn't care about other people and that soured the movie for me. I just wanted her to apologize, and she never does.

Young Adult isn't a bad film, but it's certainly Reitman's worse. Even though I didn't like the final note, I can't say that I hated watching it. One minor gripe from a Minnesotan - NO one refers to Minneapolis as just "the city." It's always "The Cities" because of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minor gripe that I'm surprised wasn't addressed when making it.

Recommended: Yes, for Reitman fans.

Grade: C+

Memorable Quote: "I see you got a KenTacoHut." - Mavis (Charlize Theron)

Indie Gems: Ghost World

2011-12-29T16:50:00.000-06:00

Back in the day when Thora Birch was more famous than Scarlett Johansson

Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) are two recent high school graduates who are total outsiders. They spend most of their days pestering creeps, when they decide to play a mean prank on Seymour ,(Steve Buscemi) a pathetic looking man they find in the classifieds. Enid actually finds herself feeling bad for him and forms a relationship that will test her friendship with Rebecca, and possibly reshape her future forever.

I'm a big fan of Birch's work and I think this is one of her best movies. She plays the outsider so well, yet she's so likable and relatable. Johansson doesn't have a lot to do here, which is fine because she's certainly the weaker of the two. Buscemi is perfect as Seymour. He's creepy and heartwarming at the same time.

Ghost World was the first film based off of a graphic novel to be nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. That alone is pretty cool.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "By the end of this summer, you're gonna be up to your neck in pussy." - Enid (Thora Birch)

DVD Review: Jane Eyre

2011-12-27T19:29:00.000-06:00

Everyone has secrets.

Some are just a little more drastic than others. Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) has had a tough life. Her parents died when she was young, she was forced to live with an aunt (Sally Hawkins, not her usual lovely self) that hates her. She goes to work for a man, Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender) and eventually falls in love. But it's not that simple.

I've never read Jane Eyre and had never seen any of the previous adaptations. This one interested me at first because Ellen Page was supposed to play the lead. I cannot imagine her in the role, I thought Mia did well. Both she and Fassbender were interesting leads, and it was nice to see small roles by Judi Dench and Jamie Bell thrown in there too. Since I had not read the book the ending genuinely surprised me. I have to admit I was expecting Jane and St John to start furiously making out there for a second. The film sets a dark and dreary town, but doesn't come off as overly depressing. I can't compare it to the other films, but I'm glad I started with this one.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "Kill you? Those words are unfeminine and untrue." - St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell)

Indie Gems: Terri

2011-12-23T11:32:00.000-06:00

We've all been there.

Terri (Jacob Wysocki) is an overweight teen who is teased at school and is tasked with taking care of his sick uncle at home. He forms a bond with his off beat vice principal, Mr. Fitzgerald. (John C. Reilly) Mr F takes notice of the outcasts and meets with them weekly. He pretends to ream them to amuse his secretary, but he generally cares about where they go in life. When Terri sticks up for another classmate, Heather (Olivia Crocicchia) his life starts to go in a different direction.

There's lots of dry humor in Terri, and Reilly and Wysocki carry the show. They have wonderful chemistry. You generally feel bad for Terri, and root for him even though he makes some questionable choices. For me, it was a little weird seeing Crocicchia, who played little Katy Gavin on Rescue Me in a more grown up and promiscuous role. In the end, it is a loving and cute little film. While not the best, nor the worst, it deserves to be seen if you are a fan of Reilly.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: C+

Memorable Quote: "I knew this kid growing up who tied flaming tennis balls to cats' tails and loved every minute of it. I think he's a cop now."

DVD Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

2011-12-20T07:59:00.000-06:00

Love hurts.

Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) are getting a divorce. Their young son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo) has a thing for his babysitter Jessica. (Analeigh Tipton) Jessica has a thing for Cal. Cal goes to a swanky bar to drink his depression away when he meets Jacob, (Ryan Gosling) a ladies man that shows him how to pick up chicks. Jacob eventually finds himself settling down when he meets Hannah. (Emma Stone) Did you catch all that? Everyone is connected in Crazy, Stupid, Love; a comedy that tells you how love really is.

The movie was filled with cliches, but still managed to stay aware of them. It also contained one of the most interesting "family show down" moments I've seen in awhile. Kevin Bacon and Marisa Tomei have small roles, but they feel wasted after being so heavily focused on in the movie's many trailers. I didn't find the movie particularly funny, there weren't any scenes that made me laugh out loud. I can appreciate the little things, like the costume designs for the folks in the bar (dapper suits, sophisticated dresses, fashionable heels.) The babysitter and son storyline was actually pretty funny. Oh, and Ryan Gosling is really, really hot. Any movie featuring him nearly naked automatically gets a higher grade than it deserves.

Recommended: Yes, it's a mediocre movie, but I wouldn't call it bad.

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "He doesn't know that I'm in love with him and he doesn't know about the naked pictures!" - Jessica (Analeigh Tipton)

Review: The Descendants

2011-12-18T10:47:00.000-06:00

Now what?

Matt King (George Clooney) is a lawyer and the trustee of a large chunk of land on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. While he's making the difficult decision on who to sell it too, he suffers a personal blow much greater: His wife has been in a boating accident, and will never come out of the coma it has put her in. This leaves Matt to raise his two daughters, the bad girl Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) and the middle finger loving Scottie. (Amara Miller) on his own. Matt knows that Alexandra and her mother fought about something before her accident, and he encourages her to let it go. But she can't. You see, his wife had been cheating on him. Matt had no idea, now he's trying to find the man that his wife was in love with.

The Descendants at first felt a lot like Up In The Air, which I loved, so I didn't mind. It eventually morphed into it's own movie. I've never been on the Clooney bandwagon, but after Up In The Air I started to take more notice, and after this film, I'm firmly on board. I thought Clooney was tremendous as a grieving father with some tough choices to make. I was also very impressed with Woodley, who I've only seen in passing on her show The Secret Life. I enjoyed the classic Hawaiian music they played through out, and of course the beautiful scenery. The story was fantastic, instead of being the revenge flick that it very well could be, it's endearing and even a tear jerker. Small parts by Judy Greer and Matthew Lillard were a nice touch as well.

The Descendants is by far one of the best films I've seen all year.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "Why did you tell me in the pool!?" - Alexandra (Shailene Woodley)

Indie Gems: Beautiful Boy

2011-12-16T14:21:00.000-06:00

Do you blame the parents?

While I've been waiting patiently for We Need To Talk About Kevin to come my way, I started looking around for movies like it just for kicks. This is how I came across Beautiful Boy.

Kate (Maria Bello) and Bill (Michael Sheen) are a couple that's possibly on the edge of getting a divorce. They're growing apart, and with their only son away at college what's holding them back? That is until their son, Sam (Kyle Gallner) opens fire on campus and kills 17 other people before killing himself. They are now not only faced with the difficult decision of what to do in wake of this tragedy, but now their feelings towards each other will get the ultimate test.

What this movie did very well was show us the raw emotions that Kate and Bill are going through. They don't know why Sammy did what he did, and neither do we. A video Sammy made for the world to see is only shown in part, so we don't get an answer. It shows us how miserable that must be to be the parents of a murderer, you ask yourself "Is this my fault?" "Was I a bad parent?" I thought Bello and Sheen were top notch as the troubled couple, and a scene with them in their hotel room is particularly powerful.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "I wish we never would've had him!" - Bill (Michael Sheen)

2010 Golden Globe Nominees:

2011-12-15T11:10:00.000-06:00

My thoughts, as always are in green.

Best Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse
The biggest surprise here for me is The Ides of March. That movie had a tremendous cast, but was very mediocre. I thought Deathly Hallows 2 might have slipped in here since it's the Globes, but I guess not. I would've had Drive and Martha Marcy May Marlene in here instead of Ides and Hugo.

Best Comedy/Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Carnage
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn
SO Happy that 50/50 deservingly got in here! I would definitely say it's between this and the Artist. I haven't seen My Week with Marilyn yet, but I thought it looked like a drama. Maybe I'm wrong. I hope Bridesmaids doesn't win.

Best Animated Film
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Rango
Puss in Boots
The Adventures of Tintin
There wasn't a single animated film that interested me this year. The closest to it was probably Rango.

Best Foreign Language Film
The Flowers of War
In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Kid With a Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In I haven't seen any of these, but thanks to a dork at work, I know exactly what happens in The Skin I Live In.

Best Actor in a Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
The Usual Suspects, It's a shame Michael Shannon didn't sneak in there for Take Shelter. Gosling should've been nominated for Drive, not Ides of March. At least Fassbender got in there after being forgotten at the SAGs.

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
Yay! Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Who's bias? Me, and I don't care. He's really the only nom I care about in this category, sadly it will probably go to Dujardin. Though, I here he was wonderful in The Artist.

Best Supporting Actor  in a Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Viggo is a nice surprise! Jonah Hill is not.

Best Actress in a Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Where the hell is Elizabeth Olsen? I feel like Mara only got in there because The Globes love big budget movies and Dragon Tattoo is falling under that. I'm sure she's fine in it, but newcomer Olsen was great in Martha Marcy May Marlene.

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage
Carnage is something I've been wanting to see, but it hasn't come out in my area. Glad to see it's getting some love.

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
I have a feeling this is what the Oscar's will look like too. This list, exactly.

Best Director 
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Again with the Ides of March. That's so surprising. They must really like Clooney. Thank God Von Trier and Malik aren't in here.

Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants
Steve Zallian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin, Michael Lewis, Moneyball
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
I would've thrown out Ides and added 50/50. They are a dark horse for an Oscar nom.

Best Original Score in a Motion Picture
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse

Best Original Song in a Motion Picture
“Hello Hello,” Gnomeo & Juliet
“The Keeper,” Machine Gun Preacher
“Lay Your Head Down,” Albert Nobbs
“The Living Proof,” The Help
“Masterpiece,” W.E.

Best TV Drama
American Horror Story
Boardwalk Empire
Boss
Game of Thrones
Homeland Leaving out Breaking Bad is absurd. That's the best drama on television. Boss and Homeland? Really? I'll be rooting for Boardwalk I guess.

Best TV Comedy or Musical
Enlightened
Episodes
Glee
Modern Family
New Girl
I can't believe they left out 30 Rock. Wow.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Hour
Mildred Pierce
Too Big To Fail

Best Actor in a TV Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Well at least they had the decency to nominate Bryan Cranston, if they didn't the Globes would seriously be fucked. Lots of people turn in great performances, but Cranston kills it every time.

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 RockDavid Duchovny,
Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
That's pretty cool that Galecki got in here over Jim Parsons. I love Parsons, but seeing Galecki get some love is just as good.

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

Best Supporting Actor in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big To Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
No Aaron Paul? Fail.

Best Actress in a TV Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness
Callie Thorne for Necessary Roughness? This is like last year's Piper Perabo.

Best Actress in a TV Musical or Comedy
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
I'm glad to see Zooey, but I hear that show is awful. I'll have to watch it for myself.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Best Supporting Actress in TV Series, Mini-Series, or Made-for-TV Movie 
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce
Evan Rachel Wood!! FTW!

2012 SAG Award Nominations

2011-12-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

My 2 cents are in green as always.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DEMIÁN BICHIR / A BETTER LIFE
GEORGE CLOONEY / THE DESCENDANTS
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / J. EDGAR
JEAN DUJARDIN /THE ARTIST
BRAD PITT /MONEYBALL
I'm surprised Michael Fassebender isn't in here for Shame. Or Ryan Gosling for Drive. I'm a bit disappointed Joseph Gordon-Levitt didn't get in there for 50/50. I think he'll have a better chance of a nom at the Globes. I find Pitt's nomination sort of amusing, he was great in Moneyball, but this was hardly his most difficult role.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
GLENN CLOSE /ALBERT NOBBS
VIOLA DAVIS /THE HELP
MERYL STREEP /THE IRON LADY
TILDA SWINTON /WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
MICHELLE WILLIAMS /MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
Does it seem like Meryl Streep gets nominated just for being herself? I think Elizabeth Olsen deserved to be here for Martha Marcy May Marlene. She should have Streep's spot. I haven't seen Swinton's performance, but I'm dying too. I expect Glenn Close takes it, her part seems the trickiest. No Kirsten Dunst for Melancholia, The movie really ruined it for her, her performance was great.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
KENNETH BRANAGH / MY WEEK WITH MARILYN
ARMIE HAMMER /J. EDGAR
JONAH HILL /MONEYBALL
NICK NOLTE /WARRIOR
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER /BEGINNERS
Jonah Hill doesn't belong here in my opinion. He wasn't spectacular in Moneyball, he just was playing a different character for once. I guess this is positive encouragement?

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
BÉRÉNICE BEJO /THE ARTIST
JESSICA CHASTAIN /THE HELP
MELISSA McCARTHY /BRIDESMAIDS
JANET McTEER /ALBERT NOBBS
OCTAVIA SPENCER /THE HELP
Love that Spencer and Chastain are here! Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids? She had some great lines but that movie is vastly overrated.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE ARTIST
BRIDESMAIDS
THE DESCENDANTS
THE HELP
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
The Help deserves this in my opinion. Again, I think Bridesmaids is overrated and it doesn't feel like it belongs here. I thought the cast of 50/50 was great. Why not them? Or Martha Marcy May Marlene? or Drive?

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURENCE FISHBURNE /THURGOOD
PAUL GIAMATTI /TOO BIG TO FAIL
GREG KINNEAR /THE KENNEDYS
GUY PEARCE /MILDRED PIERCE
JAMES WOODS/TOO BIG TO FAIL
Mildred Pierce will take it home.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
DIANE LANE /CINEMA VERITE
MAGGIE SMITH /DOWNTON ABBEY
EMILY WATSON /APPROPRIATE ADULT
BETTY WHITE /HALLMARK HALL OF FAME: THE LOST VALENTINE
KATE WINSLET /MILDRED PIERCE
Again, Mildred Pierce will take it home.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PATRICK J. ADAMS /SUITS
STEVE BUSCEMI /BOARDWALK EMPIRE
KYLE CHANDLER /FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
BRYAN CRANSTON /BREAKING BAD
MICHAEL C. HALL /DEXTER
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that Bryan Cranston is in here. Nobody deserves his award more. Nobody.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
KATHY BATES /HARRY’S LAW
GLENN CLOSE /DAMAGES
JESSICA LANGE /AMERICAN HORROR STORY
JULIANNA MARGULIES /THE GOOD WIFE
KYRA SEDGWICK / THE CLOSER
That's kind of cool that American Horror Story got in here, I don't watch the show, but I always applaud when a Freshman show snags it's first big nomination.

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN /30 ROCK
TY BURRELL MODERN FAMILY
STEVE CARELL / THE OFFICE
JON CRYER /TWO AND A HALF MEN
ERIC STONESTREET MODERN FAMILY
Apparently the Critic's love Jim Parson's in The Big Bang Theory but not his peers? He's snubbed every year. Normally I'd assume Alec Baldwin will take it for the 5th or 6th time in a row, but after this whole Airplane business I'm not so sure anymore.

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
JULIE BOWEN / MODERN FAMILY
EDIE FALCO / NURSE JACKIE
TINA FEY /30 ROCK
SOFIA VERGARA /MODERN FAMILY
BETTY WHITE /HOT IN CLEVELAND
I'm sick of Betty White. Plain and simple.

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
BREAKING BAD
DEXTER
GAME OF THRONES
THE GOOD WIFE
Again, LOVE that Breaking Bad is in here. I hope it wins, it deserves it. On a side note I love that Boardwalk Empire included the child actors in the cast nomination. That's really sweet.

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK
THE BIG BANG THEORY
GLEE
MODERN FAMILY
THE OFFICE
So happy The Big Bang Theory is in here! I know a lot of people hate it, but I'm not one of them. I expect Modern Family to win, but I'd love TBBT to.

DVD Review: 30 Minutes or Less

2011-12-13T08:06:00.000-06:00

Life is hard when you're a pizza delivery guy.

Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) learns this the hard way. He's in a dead end job delivering pizzas, he hates his boss, oh, and two lazy lunatics (played by Danny McBride, in full Kenny Powers mode and Nick Swardson) strap a bomb to his chest and force him to rob a bank so that they can get $100,000 to kill Dwayne's (McBride) father. Nick pulls his reluctant friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari) along for the ride.

30 Minutes or Less is filled with laughs and some great one liners. The banter between Swardson and McBride is strong, they are clearly very talented comedic actors, but it's Eisenberg who carries the film. He's witty and amusing, yet convincing when he needs to be scared or stressed out. Michael Pena also has a hilarious part as the hit man that is hired to kill of Dwayne's father. At this point I'm not sure if Ansari has a lot to offer. He delivers every line exactly the same way. Thankfully he had some good material to work with.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "No, I'm holding the bomb." - Nick (Jesse Eisenberg)

Indie Gems: This Is Spinal Tap

2011-12-10T18:35:00.000-06:00

Very loud.

Ahh Rob Reiner's cult classic. Most people love it, some think it's overrated. Even though I'm with the former, I can see the latter's point as well.

Marty DiBergi (Reiner) is filming a come back tour for an aging British band known as Spinal Tap. (Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer) He follows them around and gets up close and personal with their love lives, their friendship, and their determination to get people to their shows..even if they are confusing most of their fans.

The film felt very real and the soundtrack is top notch. At only 82 mins, it's a short film, but some scenes drag and make it feel longer. All of the actors fit their parts well (hell they've even performed as Spinal Tap live and made albums together), but it's really Reiner who stands out here. His directing intends to make Spinal Tap into a parody, but he adds on layers. There's plenty of laughs, and great dialogue.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "Well, this piece is called 'Lick my Love Pump.'" - Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest)

DVD Review: Bad Teacher

2011-12-08T07:59:00.000-06:00

Missed opportunities.

Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) is a selfish gold digger, who after being dumped by her rich fiance finds herself going back to her day job of teaching. Her life now consists of raising money to get breast implants, finding a man to look after her, (possibly handsome new sub, Mr. Delacourte (Justin Timberlake) and dodging the come on's of gym teacher Mr. Gettis. (Jason Segal) There's also that feud with super peppy fellow teacher, Amy Squirrel. (Lucy Puch)

Bad Teacher had the raunch factor going, but failed to capitalize on almost every level. The comedic talent of Jason Segal is horribly wasted, Cameron Diaz seemed out of place and Lucy Punch's over dramatic schtick is getting a little old. The main problem exists in the script. Elizabeth is our main character. Therefore, she has to have something the audience can relate to right? Nope. There's nothing likable about Elizabeth. Her priorities are a mess, she's completely inappropriate, when she bests Amy Squirrel, are we supposed to be happy for her? We surely can't sympathize with her.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "I'm going to suck your dick like I'm mad at it!" - Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz)

DVD Review: The Tree of Life

2011-12-04T15:22:00.000-06:00

Did I miss something?

The movie I just watched is nothing like I thought it would be. Was Malick doing his best impression of Lars Von Trier?

Jack as an adult is played by Sean Penn. He's questioning the meaning of life and faith as an adult. His brother R.L died when he was 19 (we don't know how, we can just assume.) Jack reminisces about his childhood in Texas. His father, played by Brad Pitt is strict, his mother, played by Jessica Chastain is ethereal and meek. He thinks of the time spent with his two brothers. The lessons they learned, the things they did, both good and bad. All of this is littered with shots of oceans, stars, dinosaurs, (yep) and other things that are supposed to represent how God created the world we live in. It reminded me of something I might find on Deviantart.com.

Malick never shoots his actors straight on. The camera is always looking up, looking to the side, or behind them. The cast talk as if they are in a dream, they walk, and walk, and walk while mumbling what's going on in their minds. This works for a few scenes, then grows old. The shots of special effects made the film feel twice as long as it really was. Sean Penn stated in an interview that the movie that Malick put together on screen was not at all like the script he read, he said the emotion wasn't there. I completely understand where he is coming from. On paper, I bet this story was fantastic, it had all the makings to be a great coming of age story about a family that is halted by tragedy, but the way our director chose to edit it completely ruined whatever heart this film had. The ending in particular frustrated me. If Malick had chosen to shoot the film like a normal drama, the ending would've been beautiful and meaningful. Since the entire movie was filmed that way, it didn't feel special at all.

What a shame.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "The nuns taught us there were two ways through life - the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you'll follow." - Mrs. O'Brien (Jessican Chastain)

Indie Gems: SLC Punk

2011-12-02T09:25:00.000-06:00

Anarchy.

Stevo (Matthew Lillard) and Heroin Bob, (Michael A. Goorjian) who doesn't actually do heroin, or any other drug for that matter are two punks living in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are obviously out of place, Stevo's father wants him to go to Harvard like he did, but Stevo is more interested in anarchy than the law. The film follows the two men as they encounter various things in the punk rock scene.

SLC Punk is shot like a jerky documentary, which works tremendously with the theme of the film. Stevo narrates, and occasionally breaks the fourth wall to tell us about his daily routine, how he hates rednecks and neo-nazis, what a good concert is like, and ultimately the important life lesson he learns at the end. This role is perfect for Lillard who's usually accustomed to playing obnoxious characters, but he digs a little deeper into Stevo, and that's what makes this his best performance to date.

Recommended Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "I wasn't ready for this!" - Stevo (Matthew Lillard)

Review: Martha Marcy May Marlene.

2011-12-01T22:03:00.000-06:00

This is the only Olsen you need to care about.

I wanted to be the Olsen Twins when I was a child/tween. They had it all. As an adult I can look back and note that they did have it all...except acting talent. Luckily for us, little sister Elizabeth got all those acting chops and is getting off to a good start.

Martha, Marcy May, and Marlene are all the same person. Martha, (Elizabeth Olsen) is the real thing. A young woman that has spent the last two years of her life as part of a cult and has recently run away. Marcy May is what they called her there, and Marlene was the fake name her and the other women used when answering the phone. Martha has taken refuge with her older sister, Lucy (Sarah Paulson) and her husband Ted. (Hugh Dancy) She lies to them about where she's been, but that doesn't stop her from having disturbing flashbacks and dreams about her life with the cult and it's cunning leader, Patrick. (John Hawkes) She begins a downward spiral, and Lucy and Ted just aren't fit to help her.

We don't know why Martha ran away to a cult, and in a way it doesn't matter. What matters is she made a mistake and she was obviously messed with to the point where normal things about society are now abnormal and her outlook on life is naive. Olsen really captures a lot of emotion in her first role and has a bright future. Hawkes is creepy, and their scenes together are completely uncomfortable. The ending of the film is extremely abrupt and left opened. It's hard to be bothered by it when you think of the near endless possibilities that could happen to Martha after that final scene. It's quite fascinating.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "I am a teacher and a leader." - Martha (Elizabeth Olsen)

The Independent Spirit Award Nominees

2011-11-30T23:25:00.001-06:00

As always, my 2 cents are in green. Great variety of films, many of them are on my list to see.

BEST FEATURE
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
The Artist Producer:
The Descendants
Glad to see 50/50 and Drive in there. Both two of my favorite movies of the year so far. Take Shelter is playing here, hopefully I can catch that soon.

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Mike Mills - Beginners
Jeff Nichols - Take Shelter
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Nicolas Winding - Refn Drive

BEST SCREENPLAY
Joseph Cedar - Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Tom McCarthy - Win Win
Mike Mills - Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash - The Descendants
For some reason I thought Win Win would've qualified last year, It feels like that movie came out a long time ago. Haven't seen any of these films, but would like to.

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Another Earth
In The Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection
Seeing Martha Marcy May Marlene tomorrow! Very excited.

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Another Earth
Margin Call
Terri
Cedar Rapids
50/50
Again, love that 50/50 is in here. Same with Cedar Rapids, though that movie feels like it came out so long ago as well. Terri is currently in my Netflix queue.
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

Bellflower
Circumstance
Hello Lonesome
Pariah
The Dynamiter Writer
I have heard wonderful things about Pariah, I hope to check it out.

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Lauren Ambrose - Think of Me
Rachael Harris - Natural Selection
Alepero Oduye - Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen - Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn
Good for Elizabeth Olsen, already out acting her sisters. Michelle Williams will probably take this home, I've heard wonderful things about My Week with Marilyn.

BEST MALE LEAD

Demián Bichir - A Better Life
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Ryan Gosling - Drive
Woody Harrelson - Rampart
Michael Shannon - Take Shelter
I'm bummed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt wasn't nominated for 50/50, but Ryan Gosling for Drive makes me happy.

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Jessica Chastain - Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston - 50/50
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana - Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
How many movies has Jessica Chastain been in there year?

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Albert Brooks - Drive
John Hawkes - Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
John C. Reilly - Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll Midnight in Paris
I love John Ce. Reilly, that's all I have to say about that.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Joel Hodge - Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke - The Off Hours
Darius Khondji - Midnight in Paris
Guillaume Schiffman - The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron - The Dynamiter

BEST DOCUMENTARY

The Interrupters
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
We Were Here

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

A Separation
(Iran) Director: Asghar Farhadi
Melancholia
(Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany) Director: Lars von Trier
Shame
(UK) Director: Steve McQueen
The Kid With a Bike
(Belgium/France/Italy) Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Tyrannosaur
(UK) Director: Paddy Considine
Lars Von Trier shouldn't be encouraged. I'd love to see Shame though, but because of it's harsh rating I'll more than likely have to wait for the DVD.
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD

Chad Burris - Mosquita y Mari
Sophia Lin - Take Shelter
Josh Mond Martha Marcy May Marlene

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

Simon Arthur - Silver Tongues
Mark Jackson - Without
Nicholas Ozeki - Mamitas

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

Heather Courtney - Where Soldiers Come From
Danfung Dennis - Hell and Back Again
Alma Har’el - Bombay Beach

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

Margin Call
Ensemble Cast: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci

DVD Review: Last Night

2011-11-28T09:52:00.000-06:00

To cheat or not to cheat.

That is the question pondered in Last Night. A posh, NYC married couple Joanna (Keira Knightley) and Michael (Sam Worthington) are apart for one night. The night before, Joanna accuses Michael of having an affair with a beautiful co-worker, Laura. (Eva Mendes) Now they are away together at a conference. Meanwhile, Joanna encounters a past fling, Alex (Gulliaume Canet) and has dinner with him while her husband is away.

I liked how the film was shot from a character's point of view, drinking in the others. Other than the nifty camera work and upscale New York settings, not much else happens in Last Night. We know what our character's are about to do, yet we don't get to see the results of their actions. I will say that it was nice to see Knightley in something other than a period piece, and Canet was was completely charming. I'll be looking for more films staring this Frenchman.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "You can be happy, but still tempted." - Michael (Sam Worthington)

RE Post: Indie Gems: The Vicious Kind

2011-11-24T03:39:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, happy Thursday to my international ones! Due to the fact that I'm out of town for work, I didn't get the time to post a new Indie Gem this week. (Or much else for that matter) so instead, I am re-posting my favorite Thanksgiving themed Indie. I reviewed The Vicious Kind back in March of 2010, Loved it. Hope you do it.

http://ramblingfilm.blogspot.com/2010/03/dvd-review-vicious-kind.html

DVD Review: Wasted

2011-11-22T07:29:00.000-06:00

Pretend like nothing is wrong.

I had to watch this movie for my Addiction Studies class in college, I never got to see the ending. So when it randomly came on TV the other day, I had to see where the story went.

This made for TV movie was loosely based off of the huge heroin bust in Plato, TX. Sam, (Summer Phoenix) Owen, (Aaron Paul) and Chris (Nick Stahl) are inseparable best friends who get caught up in the drug scene. Owen's a full blown addict, Sam has low self esteem, and Chris is the track star that no one suspects to be addicted.

The production value is incredibly low, but in a way it works for the tone of the film. The movie is a great example of people who are battling addiction. The subject matter (i.e swearing, sex) is kept light, unless it's talking about the drugs. Then they go all out. That's why I think it's a good film for younger teens to watch. It's a great learning tool.

A film lover's opinion? Besides the lesson it teaches I found Summer Phoenix a terrible lead, that's probably why she left the acting to her older brothers. Nick Stahl and Aaron Paul have proved themselves to be great actors today, so it was a little interesting to see how they started out. I don't think they quite received the direction they needed.

Recommended Yes: for teens or young adults that need a lesson on addiction. No for anyone that's just looking for a good movie. (Go See Trainspotting instead)

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "I tried to pretend that Chris had just stayed up late or had a cold. But I knew." - Sam (Summer Phoenix)

Review: Melancholia

2011-11-19T09:24:00.000-06:00

The final straw for me.

The final straw for what, you may ask? For Lars Von Trier films. Kirsten Dunst has been one of my favorite actresses since I was a kid. She always had all the cool roles in my eyes. Even though a lot of her films were geared towards teens, she still had acting chops to go with them. See: Interview with a Vampire, The Devil's Arithmetic. So When She won the Best Actress prize at Cannes, I decided to put my dislike for Von Trier aside and check out her performance.

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) has just gotten married to passive Michael (Alexander Skarsgard, a far cry from the brooding Eric Northman on True Blood that I'm used to.) Her sister Claire (Charolette Gainsbourgh) and her husband John (Keifer Sutherland) have thrown them a massive reception at their home. Justin and Claire's relationship is strained to say the least. Justine is battling severe depression, and Claire is trying to help her through it. Meanwhile, a planet named Melancholia has been hiding behind the sun (yep) and is now hurtling towards earth. John says it will be a "fly by." Claire grows more paranoid and panicky the closer the planet gets. Although it's never quite explained why these sister's both have different accents. One American, the other British.

At least Von Trier admitted he didn't look at the possibility of Melancholia scientifically. He wanted it for merely a metaphor. A back drop. His direction is still overly pretentious and he still goes out of his way to try to be too "arty." The slow motion opening sequence was so ridiculous I had to fast forward it. (Thanks, VOD, it looked better in sped up mode too.) The classical music score was too up front and didn't blend with the film at all, it just added to it's ego, so to speak. The most beautiful moments were when the camera was just taking in the scene. Those subtle moments that Von Trier probably didn't intend to be the best parts. They were. When he's so up front with with his colors and music is when his direction is the worst. In my opinion, anyways.

The sad part about all of this? Dunst gives the best performance of her career. She's brilliant, and Gainsbourgh is right behind her. These two ladies were heartbreaking and really captured the essence of depression and paranoia, even though Dunst's character constantly walked the line between sad and downright annoying. It's a shame that two great performances have to be hampered down with pretentious directing.

Recommended: No/Yes. I want to recommend the film for Dunst's performance, but the directing style is not for me. Not for me at all.

Grade: C

Memorable Quote:

Indie Gems: Red State

2011-11-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

"Stop being so middle class."

The usually comedic Kevin Smith brings us Red State, his indie thriller that got a lot of attention at this year's Sundance film festival. Both good, (the film itself) bad, (Some people thought he was selling out/full of himself.) and hilarious. (the westboro baptist church tried to picket it) Oh, I didn't capitalize the name of that ~~church~~ cult because it doesn't deserve it...moving on...

Travis, (Michael Angarano) Jared, (Kyle Gallner )and Billy Ray (Nicholas Braun) are high school boys that answer an online ad for group sex. The woman behind that ad: Sarah Cooper. (Melissa Leo) Sarah drugs them and brings them to her religious cult led by Abin Cooper. (Michael Parks) When the police follow up with an unrelated weapons charge, all hell breaks loose.

It's pretty obvious that the Five Points church is a direct jab at the westboro church, they even name drop them at one point. The film is brutally honest when making it's points about religion and politics and how they don't mix. This is a very different thing we're seeing from Smith. While the motives of the characters are pretty obvious Smith still takes his time to explain them. The film is full of some pretty impressive camera work, I must say. Quick shots and some great chase scenes.

The ending isn't going to work for everybody. I myself, was a bit disappointed, but I still appreciate the fact that it's different and honest and stuck so true to it's point. In a way I wanted the typical cookie cutter ending, but that's not what was given, and I'm glad. Red State stands on it's soap box and makes it's point. It's damn impressive point.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "Well he was standing unnaturally close to me.." Joseph Keenan (John Goodman)

DVD Review: You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger

2011-11-15T16:24:00.000-06:00

Can someone explain the hype around Woody Allen films?

I mostly stick to my own tastes in movies, but at the same time, I like to have a film recommended to me by a good friend or a blogger I read. This is where Woody Allen comes in. I've never liked a single Woody Allen film, there are a few that I would label "ok" at best. Yet, everyone I know is in love with the guy. So I've been trying to give his films a go, and I seem to come up disappointed every time. Maybe next year's film starring two of my favorites: Ellen Page and Jesse Eisenberg will do the trick?

This film is a study of couples, betrayal, (is there always cheating in an Allen film?) and life in general. Helena (Gemma Jones) is recently separated from her husband of 40 years, Alfie. (Anthony Hopkins) Alife now has a new squeeze, Charmaine, who he hopes to have a son with. (Lucy Punch) This doesn't really set well for his only child, Sally (Naomi Watts) who finds herself attracted to her boss, Greg (Antonio Bandarass) and growing frustrated with her husband, Roy, (Josh Brolin) who's taken up watching his beautiful neighbor, Dia (Freida Pinto) through their window. Did you get all that?

My main reason for giving his Allen film a try is the beautiful and talented Naomi Watts, but not even she could save this mess. The film drags it's feet as it jumps from plot to plot and is otherwise, I dare say, just plain boring. What a waste of a cast of capable actors. They were held back by the story. I did enjoy the narrator, however. I thought that added a nice touch.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "I don't want to keep doing this if we have to use a contraceptive." - Sally (Naomi Watts)

DVD Review: Bridesmaids

2011-11-12T07:31:00.000-06:00

Lady Hangover.

When Bridesmaids first came out, I avoided it. It didn't look like my type of film at all. Then to my surprise, tons of positive reviews came in. So when it became available on Netflix, I figured I'd give it a shot.

Lillian (Maya Rudolph) is getting married. Her best friend, Annie (Kristen Wiig) is her maid of honor, and this causes some friction between her and Lillian's new friend/bridesmaid Helen. (Rose Byrne) As they plan a bachelorette party, Annie and Helen must learn to play nice.

I should've stuck with my initial instinct, because I didn't think Bridesmaids was funny at all. There were some great one-liners, but it mostly wasted the talent of Wiig, Rudoph, Byrne, and Melissa McCarthy. I enjoyed the raunchiness of the movie, but the rest of it fell flat on it's face.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: I'm sure she welcomes him home, beaver first. - Annie's Mom (Jill Clayburgh)

Indie Gems: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

2011-11-11T14:40:00.000-06:00

How would it feel to be trapped in your own body?

This is just one of the questions you ask yourself after viewing the French film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) is the editor of Elle magazine. He suffers a stroke and ends up with "Locked-in Syndrome." The only part of his body that he has control over is his left eye. He developes a code with his therapist as a way to communicate, and while he struggles with being completely aware and trapped in his own body, he eventually accepts it.

I know when you read the summary of this movie, you're probably thinking: "No way, that's too depressing." I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. The film is sad, it will make you cry, and it will make you feel so sorry for people that this sort of thing actually happens to. But it's the way this story is told that makes it special. Director Julian Schnbal chose to shoot a good portion of the fim from Jean-Do's point of view, and the cinematography is nothing short of beautiful. The music fits the film well and there's a dream sequence sampled from The 400 Blows that is absolutely stunning.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorabe Quote: "I decided to stop pitying myself. Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory." - Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amalric)

Review: In Time

2011-11-09T20:06:00.000-06:00

When you know you'll be running, it's best to wear a dress and five inch heels.

In Time doesn't have the time to tell you how people ended up engineered with green clocks on their arms, how they stop aging at 25, or how time is now the currency. But it does have the time to tell you about Will Salas, (Justin Timberlake) a man from the ghetto who's given extra time by the mysterious Henry Hamilton. Will dares to cross time zones and fraternize with "rich" people like Sylvia. (Amanda Seyfriend, in a bad wig) Soon time keeper Leon (Cillian Murphy) is accusing Will of theft, and he and Sylvia are now on the run, and only have minutes to live.

In Time has an interesting concept, but it's littered with horrible dialogue, bad special effects, obvious stunt doubles, and bland acting. Timberlake and Seyfried have zero chemistry and their performances were completely emotionless. You can't put all the blame on the actors, the screen play doesn't give them much to work with. The gang subplot turns out to be completely pointless and while Cillian Murphy is creepy as the baddie, his character is disposed as quickly as he is introduced. This film has no heart. No soul, and no enjoyment. The funniest part of the movie to me? The fact that Sylvia runs all over the place in platform heels, and when given the opportunity to change, she chooses another dress and platform heels. Did they stop making running shoes in the future?

Recommended: No

Grade: D

Memorable Quote: "Unfuckingbelievable." - Will (Justin Timberlake)

DVD Review: What We Do Is Secret

2011-11-08T07:56:00.000-06:00

It all started with a germ.

Shot almost documentary style, What We Do Is Secret is a biopic about The Germ's front man, Darby Crash. (Shane West) We start off with Darby and band mates Pat Smear, (Rick Gonzalez) Lorna Doom (Bijou Phillips) and their countless drummers in high school. They don't know how to play their instruments, they just decide to form a band and play a show first. The film follows them through their underground success in the Punk scene, and ends with Crash's overdose.

The first thing I noticed about this film was the horrible back drops. Parts of this film were obviously shot on a stage and the backgrounds looked horribly fake at times. The acting was hard to watch, when you read or watch interviews and footage of the Germs, you see that the characters in this film act nothing like them. You can tell a lot of effort was put into this film, some of the lines in the film were deep, then were muddled by the rest of the crappy screenplay. Shane West even sang for the Germs in real life when they went on a reunion tour, but the pay off just wasn't great. Worst of all, the film is forgettable. Unlike the Germs, who certainly left their mark in the punk rock world.

I honestly just feel bad for the movie. It tried so hard.

Recommended: No

Grade: D

Memorable Quote: "It's the Germ Burn. 40 years from now, you'll be getting groceries, and you'll see it on the cashier, and you'll know: They were part of it." - Darby Crash (Shane West)

Indie Gems: Bobby

2011-11-05T18:44:00.001-05:00

He was going to change everything.

I know I'm probably in the minority over this film. When it first came out many critics hated it because it didn't focus enough on Robert F. Kennedy. After reading all those reviews, by the time I actually got around to seeing it I knew what not to expect.

Bobby is an ensemble drama about roughly 20 people who's lives are somewhat connected to the Ambassador Hotel. Some are staying there, others work there, we meet a slew of people and see what their lives are like on that fateful day in June.

The cast ranges from William H. Macy, Shia LaBeouf, Elijah Wood, Sharon Stone, Demi Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ashton Kutcher, Freddy Rodriguiz and Christian Slater. Not all are great actors, nor are all the story lines interesting, but they come together nicely. You could really feel the faith some of them at put into Kennedy, and how devastated everything was when he was murdered.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "Now that Dr. King is gone, nobody left but Bobby. Nobody." - Dwayne (Nick Cannon)

*Yes, I chose a quote coming from Nick Cannon's mouth. It's a rare moment of serenity from this guy.*

Indie Gems: Halloween

2011-10-31T12:22:00.000-05:00

Don't fear the reaper.

Michael Myers (Tony Moran) stabbed his older sister to death when he was just a child. After being in a mental hospital for all of his youth, he escapes and returns to his home town of Haddonfeild, IL. His psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) has an idea of what Michael might do. He's returned to target young Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends.

Halloween continues to be one of the most frightening movies of all time. There have been many sequels, even a few remakes, but none can compare to John Carpenter's original masterpiece. Besides his creepy mask (and the wonderfully ominous score that follows him) we didn't know a whole lot about Michael Myers. That's what made him so scary. He was just plain crazy, no intentions, just the need to kill. In Jamie Lee Curtis' first role, she cemented herself in the screen queen scene.

You have to have a lot of respect for this Indie Gem. It was the highest grossing independent film of it's time. They had to paint fake leaves to make it feel like fall, then gather them after they filmed a scene. All of the actors wore their own clothes, the majority of the film's minuscule budget ($320,000) went towards the cameras used to shoot the film. Hell, Michael's signature mask was a William Shatner Star Trek mask painted white! That's making the most of your money.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "He was standing right there.." - Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis)

Indie Gems: 28 Days Later

2011-10-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

Not zombies. Just rage.

Anyone who reads my blog knows about the Danny Boyle lovefest that goes on here constantly. So 28 Days Later is a perfect fit for my horror Indie Gems.

Animal Activists attempt to set some caged monkeys free only to find out the hard way they are infected with the rage virus. 28 Days Later we see Jim (Cillian Murphy) waking up stark naked in an empty London hospital. He soon encounters fellow survivors, Selena, (Naomie Harris) Frank (Brenden Gleeson) and Hannah (Megan Burns) they attempt to find refuge in this deserted land while trying to avoid the raging humans infected with the virus.

28 Days Later often gets categorized as a Zombie movie when it really isn't. These aren't the walking dead. They are alive, just infected. Boyle's signature way or shooting things is front and center with quick cuts and spots of rich color amongst the gloomy London backdrop. Then there's the fact that the film is down right creepy and has plenty of suspenseful moments. This film introduced me to Cillian Murphy who has easily become one of my favorite actors since. This is one of the best horror movies out there, everything about it works. Just ignore the inferior sequel.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "Are you trying to kill me?" - Hannah (Megan Burns)

Indie Gems: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

2011-10-26T20:15:00.000-05:00

Meet Leatherface.

You know, that creepy dude with the mask made out of people's skin, who wielded a chainsaw and had the balls to saw a dude in a wheelchair in half. He's the focus of the scary Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I point this out because the remakes and prequels like to show us more of Leatherface's dysfunctional family as if it's an excuse for this monster. Yes they were a family of cannibals, but they made the father out to be more of the monster than the son, and that's where I think the film lost focus. That and that God-awful scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning where baby Leatherface literally CRAWLS out of his mother during child birth. Terrible film making.

Now that's out of my system, lets talk about the original TCM. Shot so wonderfully it felt like it really happened. (what a convincing narrator) They even marketed it that way. (It didn't by the way, it's loosely based off of Ed Gein.) All those classic deaths, the meat hook, the frightening scene of someone chasing you with a chainsaw to Sally's (Marilyn Burns) iconic scream as she finally escapes on the back of a pick up. TCM was downright terrifying. By the time I saw this, I was used to seeing Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger stab people to death. But Leatherface had a fucking chainsaw! I couldn't think of anything more terrifying. This was a slasher flick that dared to be different. Instead of the sneaking up on his victims slowly, Leatherface ran. He showed no mercy. He was ready to feed these five teens to his entire family. I still consider The Exorcist to be the scariest movie I've ever seen, but TCM is a close second. For any horror fan, this is a must see.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "The events of that day were to lead to the discovery of one of the most bizarre crimes in the annals of American history, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." - The Narrator.

DVD Review: The Extra Man

2011-10-25T07:10:00.000-05:00

Gentleman.

Louis (Paul Dano) is a young teacher who loses his job after being caught curiously trying on a bra in the teacher's lounge. He goes to Manhattan in an effort to find himself and ends up bunking with strange man that escorts older women, Henry. (Kevin Kline) Henry dances strangely, sneaks into Operas, and thinks women shouldn't get an education. He's a playwright, but his ex room mate who he refers to as a "Swedish Hunchback" stole his one great piece of work. Louis goes along on his escapades, all while trying to find a way to balance his new job, his new crush, and his secret enjoyment of cross dressing. Then there's neighbor Gershon (John C. Reilly) with a huge head of hair, long beard, and Mickey Mouse voice that shows up for a few laughs.

I thought the movie felt smart and fresh, but jumbled and disjointed. They tried to cram too many subplots into one film. The characters are interesting and different, but the film loses it's focus on them. Still, Dano and Kline give good performances. John C. Reilly was funny, but his part was brief. Katie Holmes also stars as Louis's Vegan co-worker, but she falls flat as always. I have yet to see a believable performance from her.

Recommended: Yes, disjointed or not, it's still a clever story.

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "Gershon is pathologically late." - Henry (Kevin Kline)

Indie Gems: Cabin Fever

2011-10-21T13:51:00.001-05:00

Nothing bad ever happens when you spend your vacation in a remote cabin in the woods.

Right? Never happens! Cabin Fever has a simple formula.

Five college friends spend their vacation in the mountains. On their first night they encounter a strange drifter who appears to be sick. Soon, one of them contracts a scary, flesh-eating virus. Of course they can't just drive away and get help. As the virus spreads the survival instinct kicks in and perhaps these friends aren't as close as they seem.

Cabin Fever introduced me to a true horror fan in director Eli Roth. He took a cliche horror movie plot and turned it into something enjoyable. Who can forget that infamous scene of Marcy shaving her legs? Or Paul making the tough decision of ending the one he love's misery. And he managed to be clever and funny on top of that. It's always a good thing when a horror movie can bring on equal amounts of creep, gore, and laughter in my opinion. Plus you have to love Eli Roth's taste in horror. When you see his name on something, you know it will be gory and creepy. Because of him I also discovered the wonderful Japanese film Audition. I'm thankful for that.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "I made it! I made it!!" - Jeff (Joey Kern)

DVD Review: Biutiful

2011-10-19T20:57:00.000-05:00

Javier Bardem is a fantastic actor.

But you already knew that. He turns in one of his best performances yet in Biutiful.

Bardem plays Uxbal, a man recently divorced from his bipolar wife and raising his two children alone. He's diagnosed with terminal cancer and wants to atone for his life of crime before he dies. He works on the streets in many illegal operations, he has an unwanted gift of seeing people who have passed on, and forwarding messages to their loved ones. Uxball has a lot of things going on.

The movie's long run time hurts it a bit, but what I really enjoyed were the chain of events in Uxbal's life. The film starts off normal and slowly gets more disjointed and you can see it in Bardem's face. That's one of things that makes him so great, the way he's able to convey emotion. It's written all over him. His fear, his love for his children, his guilt when something goes horribly wrong, the over all tiredness of Uxbal is all there.

The film is beautifully shot and I felt like I saw a whole new side of Barcelona compared to what I have seen in previous films.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B+

Memorable Quote: "Please don't forget me." - Uxbal (Javier Bardem)

A Look Back at Breaking Bad Season 4

2011-10-16T16:13:00.000-05:00

I think Breaking Bad might be the best show I have ever seen on television. I have a lot of shows I enjoy, but none of them put me on the edge of my seat like this does. I can't get over how good Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are. They are superb actors, and they deserve every Emmy that comes their way.

With my True Blood recap, I went over a few things I disliked and a few things I liked. Honestly, the only think I didn't like about this season of Breaking Bad is Skyler, I loved everything else. So instead I'm going to ask questions. Questions that will for sure be answered in Breaking Bad's final season.

1) Is Tyrus dead? Gus's epic death (and double meaning for the episode's title "Face Off" was left slightly open. Skyler tells Walt that "Gus Fring is dead and some Mexican drug cartel." Who was she referring too? Tyrus or Hector? Gus yelled when the bomb was about to go off, Tyrus could've easily ran into the bathroom or something.

2) Who will try to avenge Gus's death? Gus was probably the best villain on TV in awhile. It would almost be cool if in some strange twist he was still alive, but that wont happen. The last episode had a close up shot of the Los Pallos Hermanos logo. I assumed Gus's former partner was the other "chicken brother." But what about that company in Germany that backs Gus's restaurant? Was Gus answering to a higher man?

3) Who will Mike align himself with when he returns? Gus's camp? Or Jesse?

4) Did Walt poison Brock? I'd like to think our anti hero wouldn't stoop that low juts to get Jesse on his side, but the finale sure left us wondering. Will he be set up?

5) Is Ted dead? Injured? Will he play a part in bringing Skyler down.

6) Will something happen to Walt's family? I Think Walter Jr. gets hurt or killed. He's bound to wonder more about why Walt referred to him as "Jesse" when he was passed out after getting beat up.

And the ultimate what if..

7) Will Walt and Jesse become partners or enemies? Will they continue to cook? If Walt did poison Brock and Jesse finds out, what will he do? Will Jesse find out that Walt let Jane die? There's so many what if's between this relationship. Personally I hope they end up on good terms. If the cancer doesn't get Walt in the end, could he die by Jesse's hands?

Indie Gems: Saw

2011-10-14T12:42:00.000-05:00

Want to play a game?

Nowadays, Saw has been turned into a total joke. It was a Sundance hit that turned in a decent sequel then several horrible ones.

Let's forget all the crap that happened and focus on what started the franchise: The original Saw. Shot on a grainy hand held camera, with a dirty bathroom set and quite possibly one of the most surprising endings in all of horror. Saw turned a lot of heads at Sundance and soon found a limited release. It exploded on DVD once word of mouth got around.

Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) and Adam (Leigh Whannell) wake up chained to the walls in a bathroom. There's a dead man lying in the center, and an ominous voice on a tape player telling them they are part of a game. They will need to play to be set free. Obviously it isn't easy.

Saw in some cases kick started the genre known as "torture porn." The plot centers around people getting stuck in various traps and dying, but these aren't just random victims. No, The Jigsaw Killer only kills people that don't realize that life is a gift. In a way, that sort of made up for it. It didn't feel as exploitative since Jigsaw was making a valid point, but it is still wrong and you are against the killer nonetheless. When I saw this in theatres, the ending literally made several people say "No fucking way." in unison. It was a pretty cool moment as a movie goer. Saw's rep may be tarnished today due to greedy movie studios, but I still love the original and it remains one of my favorite horror films to this day.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "Most people are so ungrateful to be alive." - Jigsaw (Tobin Bell

Review: The Ides of March

2011-10-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

Politics.

Stephen (Ryan Gosling) is working on a presidential campaign for Mike Morris. (George Clooney) In between working for his sometimes pushy boss, Paul (Philip Seymour Hoffman) dodging nosey reporter, Ida (Marisa Tomei) having secret meetings with the opposing campaign manger, Tom (Paul Giamatti) and falling for a young intern, Molly (Evan Rachel Wood) Stephen has got his hands full. Eventually he learns one of Morris's dirty little secrets, and Stephen will have to play dirty himself.

I've never been a big fan of political thrillers, but I gave this one a chance because of the wonderful cast. I didn't think it was possible for Ryan Gosling to look unattractive, but the opening and closing shots of this film do him no justice. His performance is good, as is everyone's, but besides Gosling and Clooney the rest of the cast aren't given much to do The plot started out interesting but felt like it had been dragged through the dirt by the time it made it to it's abrupt ending. I've seen a lot of blogs talk about which role Gosling should campaign during the Oscar season. I say Drive. I was never looking at my watch during Drive.

Recommended: No

Grade: C+

Memorable Quote: Well...I've been trying to fuck you for awhile now." - Molly (Evan Rachel Wood)

Review: Moneyball

2011-10-12T18:23:00.000-05:00

The story of the Oakland A's.

Moneyball follows the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) as he attempts to put together a playoff worthy team on a tight budget. He hires Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) who's strategy is to get players on base, it doesn't matter how as long as they get on. You don't buy wins, he puts it. You buy runs. They analyze each player and eventually form a contending roster. They don't win the World Series, but they proved that you don't need star players to get to the post season.

Being a huge baseball fan myself, (go Twins!) I really enjoyed watching Moneyball. I loved all the baseball talk and found it extremely interesting how they put everything together. Brad Pitt delivered as I expected, but who I was really surprised by was Jonah Hill. I'm used to him playing the same character in every single film and he finally shows a different side here. Moneyball might not be for you if you don't like baseball, but I still think you should give it a shot. This is coming from someone that wasn't intially interested in the film. I could nitpick and say that they left out a few key players that helped during the year, but I understand that things needed to be cut for time constraints.

On a side note, I can't believe Billy Beane turned down that deal with the Red Sox. Especially when they won the World Series in 2004.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "You're about to get on a plane. Those things crash all the time." - Billy Beane (Brad Pitt)

A Look Back at True Blood season 4

2011-10-09T17:03:00.000-05:00

Ahh True Blood. My guilty pleasure TV show. As much as I hate cliff hangers, I admit they make for some good TV. And the best place for a cliff hanger is a season finale. Last season's finale left me feeling a little empty. I felt like the episode prior to it was better. Season 4's finale? Off the charts. Next June couldn't come quick enough.

Here's a few things I loved about this season, and I few things I didn't care much for.

1) Eric and Sookie finally hook up. I realize that sounds very teenybopper of me to say, but I have to admit their sex scene (which earned the first "graphic sexual content" rating that I've noticed) was hot. They did it in the forest! On the floor! On the couch! In the bedroom! It almost makes up for the fact that they made that shower scene so fucking weird. Eric loosing his memory was actually quite heartwarming, and when bad ass Eric finally came back, it made me love his character more. It also provided one of the funniest things I've ever seen on this show.

2) Fiona Shaw was awesome. Witches didn't really sound interesting to me at first, but boy did Shaw kill it with her Marnie character. Denis O'Hare's Russell is still my favorite True Blood villain, but Marie got up there.

3) Pam's lines were great. "I'm so sick of Sookie and her precious Fairy vagina and her unbelievably STUPID name!"

Lafayette's were great too: "We'll stay for 5 minutes. 10 if they got dranks."

And Jesus's.. "You can't trade magic like their fucking Pokemon cards!"

4) Tommy finally got killed off. I seriously hated his character.

5) The finale. Oh the finale, there are so many things to look forward to in season 5! Debbie is dead, what will Alcide think? Tara got shot? Will she survive? (I'm going with a vampire saving her, but having to turn her due to the amount of blood she's lost.) Lafayette lost the love of his life, how will he cope? What's up with the ghost of Terry's past? Will Eric and Bill start to get along? Will Eric and Pam sort things out? Who's the werewolf outside of Sam's trailer? And the biggest cliff hanger of them all... How did Russel Edgington get out of his grave of cement? And how pissed off is he going to be? I can't wait to find out.

A few minor things I didn't like:

1) Werepanthers. That storyline was so unbelievably stupid. I hated it in season 3, and I hated it even more in season 4. Thank God it only lasted about 4 episodes. Werepanter gang rape is where I draw the line on my supernatural shows.

2) The fairies take a back seat. I never cared much for the fairy storyline to begin with, but they started off the season with a very interesting take on them..then went no where with it. Eric killed Claudine, and we didn't see another Fairy again until the finale episode in which one mates with Andy. If they can keep it interesting like they did in the opener, I wouldn't mind seeing more.

3) Eric and Pam fighting. It just seemed out of character for the two. Pam worships Eric and he's always been particularly loving towards his progeny. So him threatening to kill her during their face off with Marnie just felt strange. I hope they patch things up.

4) Not enough Godric. I know he's dead, but in season 3 he still spoke with Eric from beyond. I wanted more of that, Godric was one of my favorite characters that died too soon. One little dream with him was not enough for me.

5) Jesus's death. I admit, I saw it coming, but it still made me sad. I loved him and Lafayette as a couple. I hope we see a lot of him from beyond as well. He certainly grew on me.

2011-09-27T10:40:00.000-05:00

You died of Dysentery.

Ok, so that doesn't really happen, but it's hard not to get a little nostalgic while watching this film. It reminded me so much of playing the computer game The Oregon Trail in the labs in grade school. You named all of your characters after your friends, then joked when one of them perished from a disease or failed to shoot any game. I wouldn't mind having a go at that game again.

Anyways.. Meek's Cutoff follows a group of familes that are navigating the Oregon Trail. Meek (Bruce Greenwood) is their guide, but after claiming to know a short cut he gets them lost and without water. Other members of the group include Emily, (Michelle Williams) Soloman, (Will Patton) Thomas, (Paul Dano) and Millie (Zoe Kazan) among others. Eventually they come across a Native American, someone they've always seen as the enemy. With a huge language barrier between them they attempt to have him help, but they are torn between listening to Meek and getting help from the enemy.

Meek's Cutoff gets off to an incredibly slow start. It reminded me a lot of There Will Be Blood with the shots of the plains and the almost 15 minutes before a character utters a word. I was actually expecting to find the same cinematographer, but that wasn't the case. When the settlers finally cross the Indian is when the film finally starts to pick up and become more interesting. The ending ultimately felt like a letdown, but I still wouldn't call it a bad film. The actors give good performances that are expected of them. Overall, the film gets off to a rough start and is very slow paced but does manage to regain interest in the second act. It's something to see if you are a fan of Williams, Dano and Kazan.

WINNER

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"

Other Nominees:

"The Colbert Report"

"Conan"

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

"Real Time with Bill Maher"

"Saturday Night Live"

9th win in a row for the Daily Show. The best damn news team deserves it.

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

WINNER

"The Amazing Race"

Other Nominees:

Other Nominees:

"The Colbert Report"

"Conan"

"Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

"Saturday Night Live"

Again, well deserved. Although Colbert Report deserved it too.

Indie Gems: The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys

2011-09-17T09:48:00.001-05:00

Serious trouble beats serious bordem.

Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) are two 14 year old boys going to Catholic school in the mid 70's. They have a talent for drawing, and create comic books to pass the time. When a nun (Jodie Foster) comes across one of their drawings she immediately disciplines the boys. Fed up with their teacher, they come up with a seemingly over the top plan to take her out.

Hirsch and Culkin have a lot of talent, and even at their young ages it shows in this film. They play their conflicted characters with ease as they deal with first love, consequences, life and death. I spent the entire film thinking their plan was way to over the top to work. Just a simple fantasy in the mind of a child, but when they actually begin to pull it off I was surprised. The film switches back and forth between our actors and the comic book characters they have created. It's a very cool effect seeing their comics come to life in animation while still using the respected actor's voices.

I liked the film so much I'm going to check out the book it was based off of. My only gripe with the DVD was that the animated sequences were much louder than the other scenes and I found myself messing with the volume constantly.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "Don't tell me to get real. I know what fucking real is." - Tim (Kieran Culkin)

DVD Review: Take Me Home Tonight

2011-09-14T07:55:00.000-05:00

I suppose it's a better title than 'Kids in America.'

Kids in America was the working title for this movie when it was filmed way back in 2006. Being a big fan of Teresa Palmer, I've been keeping an eye on this movie since. When I first saw the trailer for this, it wasn't anything like I pictured. A quick look at the film's IMDb page says the heavy drug use in the film was the reason for it being delayed, I almost wonder if the licensing for all the songs they used had something to do with it at well.

Matt (Topher Grace) is a recent MIT graduate that for some unknown reason doesn't want to put his education to good use and get a good paying job. He's back home in LA working at a Sun Coast. Matt's always had a thing for Tori (Teresa Palmer) who's back for the Labor Day weekend as well. He's determined to get her phone number at an annual party for his high school class. Anna Faris plays Matt's twin sister, Wendy and Dan Folger plays his best friend, Barry.

One thing Take Me Home Tonight did well was really capture the feel of the 80's. Everything about the movie screams 80's, the hair, the music, the clothes, everything. However the plot is quite predictable and in turn it made me care less about the film. I was just watching it, not laughing, not being invested, just watching it play out. It's a shame because I enjoyed the cast, but after watching a comedy as funny as Your Highness yesterday it's hard to feel the same way about Take Me Home Tonight, no matter how much I wanted to like it.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "You were a loser in high school." - Tori Frederking (Teresa Palmer)

DVD Review: Your Highness

2011-09-13T18:27:00.001-05:00

Quest time!

Prince Fabious (James Franco) is a hero, a charmer, and clearly his kingdom's favorite prince. His brother Thadeous, (Danny McBride) is lazy and somewhat jealous of his brother. When Fabious's new found love Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel) is kidnapped by the evil Leezar, (Justin Theroux) The princes must go on a quest to save her in this Renaissance parody.

Your Highness isn't a perfect movie, but I don't understand all the hate towards it. Sure 3/4 of the dialogue is sex jokes, but they're hilarious and do exactly what they are supposed to: make you laugh. I loved the one liners and the cast was hilarious. The special effects were incredibly corny, but it fits the tone of the film. I'm not saying that the movie is poorly done, they just fall into "so bad it's funny category."

The gag reel and alternate takes on the DVD are definitely worth watching as well.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "Father, you cannot be serious! If you want me to go on to a quest then let's start with something easy. Like boiling a chicken, or beating off in front of a Pegasus." - Thadeous (Danny McBride)

Indie Gems: Wet Hot American Summer

2011-09-09T21:56:00.000-05:00

Cold, wet, Pennsylvania Spring.

After viewing My Idiot Brother this week, it got me thinking about the casting of Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks together. They make a good pair, and the film that started it all (for me anyways) was Wet Hot American Summer.

It's the last day of summer camp and there's a lot to be done. The talent show, the activities. Love is in the air. Whether it be a triangle between the staff, a secret love, or the camp director's (Janeane Garofalo) love for a scientist. We follow both the staff and the campers on this day.

The cast is littered with plenty of comedic actors including Rudd, Banks, Garofalo, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Bradley Cooper, David Hyde Pierce, A.D Miles, and Ken Marino. There's plenty more to name. Even if their parts were small they still contributed to one of the best comedies of the 2000's. It's great to see where the careers of Banks, Rudd, and Poehler in particular have gone after this film. It's also very nostalgic if you got sent to a summer camp when you were young. Even if your camp wasn't nearly as cool. Mine wasn't, but at least I can spot poison ivy now, right?

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B

Memorable Quote: "You taste like burger!" - Andy (Paul Rudd)

What I got from Rescue Me's final season.

2011-09-08T21:24:00.001-05:00

Last year I wrote a post about what I wanted from the finale season of Rescue Me. I wrote it shortly after I watched the season 6 finale, which greatly pissed me off to put it lightly. I'm much more pleased with how the series finale played out. I was getting a little nervous because season 7 started off weak, but I thought the ending was a perfect fit. Let's see how I did. Spoiler alert, obviously.

1) What I wanted: Jimmy and Damian to interact in Tommy's visions.

What I got: As it turns out, Damian didn't succumb to his injuries and was still in a wheelchair when we see him in season 7. (There was plenty of speculation last year that he might die) I was pretty disappointed that Jimmy never even mentioned Damian when Tommy did see him later on in the season. I felt Damian getting hurt was a huge deal, but the show didn't treat it that way. I did enjoy Johnny being in Tommy's visions once again though.

2) What I wanted: Tommy needs to be with Kelly. (Maura Tierny)

What I got: Yes, Tierny did make an appearance in season 7, it was brief, but it helped Tommy out. However they didn't get together. I've always hated most of the women on this show, but I enjoyed Kelly. I thought Tommy would've been happiest with her.

3) What I wanted: Focus on the men in the house.

What I got: They did focus more on the guys with the exception of a few episodes that were geared more towards Tommy's family. I always thought the playful banter between the men in the fire house was one of the show's strongest points. They were more than co workers. They were brothers, and they were at their best when they were together. On a side note, I thought the speech Lieu gave at the "funeral" in Tommy's dream was so powerful. It really described the relationship between the men well.

4) What I wanted: Shape up Colleen and Katy, possibly bring back young Connor in Tommy's visions.

What I got: None of the above, I'm not surprised. Tommy's daughters still manage to be two of the most unlikeable kids on television.

5) What I wanted: Promote Lieu, get him out of the line of duty and give Tommy his job.

What I got: In the finale episode, Lieu dies and eventually Franco is promoted to Lieutenant. This was ok with me. It worked. I'm sad that Lieu died, because I really expected Tommy to die in the finale.

6) What I wanted: Focus on 9/11, not Tommy constantly falling off the wagon.

What I got: Exactly that. What I enjoyed most about the finale season was that it brought us back to the beginning. Yes, they still talked about Tommy's drinking problem, but it didn't feel like they shoved it down our throats like they have in previous seasons.

7) What I wanted: Explain how Teddy didn't get arrested for shooting Tommy.

What I got: No explanation. This is one of the biggest plot holes of the series. Like I said before, the crew "lying to the police" just doesn't cut it.

8) What I wanted: No loose ends, wrap it up nicely and go out with a bang.

What I got: I suppose it was unrealistic of me to hope all loose ends would be tied, but I really enjoyed the final episode. I had to let it sink in at first, I wasn't sure what to think. Now that I can reflect on it, they really ended the series perfectly. I loved that final scene with Tommy and Lieu in the car. I laughed at the scene with Lieu's ashes. I loved the dream sequence at the beginning. I could've done without the ridiculous birth scene though, that was way over the top. Maybe its because I have a child of my own and child birth was NOTHING like how it was portrayed there. I think it would've bothered me less if I wasn't a parent.

9) What I wanted: Give Rescue me some love at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAGs.

What I got: It's still too early to tell. I think Denis Leary and John Scurti could secure nods. Hell, Scurti's speech in the last episode alone should get him some consideration.

Review: Tucker & Dale vs Evil

2011-09-06T02:49:00.001-05:00

What's the matter with these college kids!?

I'm going to describe this movie to you the same way it was described to me: "Basically, Alan Tudyk plays a hillbilly who gets mistaken for a murderer, but really the people just keep dying by accident." Needless to say, that ridiculous statement was enough to get me interested in viewing this on demand.

It's slightly accurate. Tucker (Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) fit the hillbilly from West Virgina look pretty well. They are out in the woods fixing up their "vacation home" when they come across some college kids that assume they must be psychos. After Allison (Katrina Bowden) accidentally falls in the river and is rescued by Dale, her friends automatically assume they have kidnapped her and began to wage war against the "hillbillie killers." Unfortunately for them they make some mistakes and accidentally die one by one. Unfortunately for Tucker and Dale, they are convinced that these kids must have some sort of mass suicide pact and are out to get Allison, who Dale has grown quite attached too.

I was expecting to get a lot of campy gore and that is what I received. The characters are over the top but also managed to tug on my emotions. Dale, while a little daft was completely loveable and I rooted for him. Chad, the primary antagonist/douche frat boy managed to annoy me greatly. At the beginning of the film I actually thought to myself: "I can't wait until he dies." That means I cared about where the story was going.

Is the acting top notch? No. Is it a funny and gory B movie? Yes. I wasn't expecting a whole lot but was very pleased with what I got. It won't win any awards, but despite all the blood and profanity I dare to call the film "cute." Yeah, it was a cute little film. I'm glad I watched it.

Recommended: Yes, but know what your getting into.

Grade: C+

Memorable Quote: "I'm a horrible therapist!" - Allison (Katrina Bowden)

Review: Our Idiot Brother

2011-09-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

He had a bad day.

Poor Ned. (Paul Rudd) He's just a easy going farmer with a heart of gold. Too bad he's a little on the space cadet side and sells pot to a uniformed police officer and winds up in prison. Released for good behavior, (he won most cooperative inmate four months running!) he winds up homeless, and dogless, after his girlfriend Janet (Kathryn Hahn) kicks him to the curb. He's forced to spend his time living with his three sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, and Emily Mortimer) who all have very different and very busy lives.

The supporting cast also includes Steve Coogan, Rashinda Jones and Adam Scott among others. This was definitely one of my favorite ensembles of the year. Rudd's Ned is so loving even though he messes things up. Banks, Deschanel and Mortimer also bring out the best in their very different characters. Deschanel in particular is starting to steer away from the "quirky girl next door" character she's been shoe boxed in. Coogan's part is small, but very memorable. He plays a complete dick, but he plays it well. I would've liked Adam Scott to be in it a bit more, but his few scenes were still a nice touch. The film balances comedy and drama well with it's laugh out loud moments and it's touching ones. It may not be the funniest comedy of the year, but it sure is one of the better ones for it's story and great cast.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "Nobody loves like Ned loves." - Miranda (Elizabeth Banks)

Review: The Conspirator

2011-09-03T22:33:00.000-05:00

One man did not kill Abe Lincoln.

Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) is a war veteran and a lawyer that's tasked with defending Mary Surratt, (Robin Penn) the lone woman amongst seven men charged with planning the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. As the trial goes on Fredrick begins to believe his client's innocence, and feels she's being used as a decoy.

The Conspirator has strong performances from McAvoy, Penn, and Evan Rachel Wood who plays Mary's daughter, Anna. The plot was interesting, but I felt that it dragged at points and became a little hard to pay attention too when it was moving so slowly. That's typical Robert Redford though. All of his movies feel longer than they really are. (With the exception of Quiz Show, which was fantastic.) I feel like he didn't quite get his message across. Similar to what happened with Lions for Lambs. Great cast, interesting plot on paper, but not the best transition to the screen.

Recommended: No

Grade: C

Memorable Quote: "You were infatuated with Boothe." - Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy)

Indie Gems: Snow Angels

2011-09-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

Being a born again Christian doesn't always make you a good person.

Glenn (Sam Rockwell) is a man that's nearly falling off the wagon again. He's seperated from his wife, Annie. (Kate Beckinsale) He's trying to prove that he's a good person and can be a good father to their young daughter. He's found The Lord, and is on his way to starting a new job and hopefully leading a better life. Annie doesn't think he can do it. She's slightly depressed and angry. She's a waitress at a diner with Arthur, (Michael Angarano) whom she used to babysit as a child. Her story intertwines with his, and his crush on Lila. (Oliva Thirlby)

The ending of this movie is ultimately very depressing, but everything leading up keeps you invested an interested. I found myself wishing there was a little more of Arthur and Lila and less of Glenn and Annie, but that was because Glenn and Annie were such flawed individuals. You want them both to be good parents and good people, but their dark sides get in the way of that. The snowy setting helps set the tone, and the actors do a great job. I felt myself wanting a little more towards the end of the film, but overall a good movie for a quiet afternoon.

Snow Angels was based on a book, which I haven't read. So I can't compare the two.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "I'm ready.." - Annie (Kate Beckinsale)