Movies

There are some months/weeks when we don't watch a single movie or any television at all. Then there are months/weeks in our lives when we watch a whole crap load of movies. Hey, thanks to the person who invented RedBox for that one. Here are some movies we recently viewed, and my thoughts on them.

Knowing--- Okay what is it it about our fascination with the end of the world? Here is another movie about some kind of apocalypse. For the most part, it was an all right movie, considering that this type of movie has been so overdone. Seriously, there are like a bajillion movies out there with this theme and yet, we just eat 'em up. Sadly, there is nothing new under the sun to add to this movie to make it stand out amongst all the others with this type of storyline. The schpeal: John (Nicolas Cage) finds a numerical code written by a girl like 40 years ago that was put in a time capsule and just re-opened in 2009. The code prophesied of historical events that have killed people over the last 40 years, such as plane crashes, terroist attacks, earthquakes, etc. After he deciphers the code he realizes that something baaaad's gonna happen and eliminate everyone from the earth pretty dang soon. So he busts his butt trying to figure out what to do, and in the end there's nothing he can do to save the people on the earth. However, his son (along with another little girl and some rabbits) are chosen to go with aliens to start a new life on another planet. A little Adam and Eve action going on, if you ask me. Except I think there might've been some more kids and animals chosen besides them. Anyway, I don't really understand the story....Like the whole point of the code was to warn them about the end of the world. Yet, with that knowledge, there was nothing anyone could do about it. So why in the heck does it matter that there is a code in the first freakin' place!!! So, there ya go. There was some horrible acting done by Nic Cage, and lots of goofs that the producers apparently thought nobody would catch. There were some disturbing images as well. Not a show you should watch with little chilluns. B-

Twilight--- So, I got roped into reading this book by a good friend of mine. I finished reading it this month, so I figured I better watch the movie (finally.) I know, I know, I'm a late bloomer. The book was actually okay to me. Yeah, there were some annoying things about it, but I don't think Stephenie Meyer is a crappy writer by any means. In fact, on some level I can see why there are people out there who are totally obsessed with this series. My thoughts about the movie are kind of neutral. I think the book had potential to be made into a really cool freaking movie. But the truth is that it was slightly disappointing at times. Like some of the acting was ridiculous. And I didn't picture Edward that way when I was reading the book. In fact, I didn't picture a lot of stuff the way the movie portrayed it. But, that's just what's going to happen when someone turns a book into a movie. You look at it through their eyes and see they're interpretations of things. Many things weren't like the book AT ALL, and I'm really picky about stuff like that. The movie wasn't horrible, but I bet it could've rocked a lot more. Especially visually and also if they casted different actors for some of the parts. One thing I liked about the movie was the soundtrack. I know I'll probably get mocked for this, but I'm addicted to "Bella's Lullaby." I liked all the other songs as well, most of which I already had on my playlist before watching this flick. However, the song "15 Step" by Radiohead which played during the ending credits did not appear on the soundtrack. It didn't upset me, since I already have the "In Rainbows" album. And I don't see Radiohead as the type of band that would allow their song to be on a soundtrack for a movie like this anyway. I guess it just bugs me because (and I have to agree with Kenna on this one) that all the 13 year old girls who watched this movie will LOVE Radiohead because this song was played on their FAVORITE movie. But they cannot fully appreciate Radiohead. Not even a little. That band is beyond amazing. Okay, that's my 2 cents. B+

Passengers--- Two words: SO PREDICTABLE. I knew what was going to happen from start to finish. It was SOOOOOO lame. It had a really great cast, so I was expecting it to be way better. Okay, spoiler alert....They're all dead. So, seriously, how do they not know that they're dead? And how do dead people do any of the stuff alive people do? (i.e. have intimacy, eat, drink, be seen by the living, etc.) There were some eerie images, but I thought it would've been scarier than it was. Not that I like scary movies all that much, but if I'm anticipating seeing a scary movie, then I better pee my pants, ya know? Anyway, it was just kind of lame. Nothing spectacular about this film. C-


Life After People--- This was originally shown on the History channel. What would the earth be like if there were no people left? Basically the movie says the earth would reclaim itself and all evidence of human life would eventually be lost. Kind of a cool movie, but I think it tried too hard to be "scary," using visual and audio techniques you'd find on a movie like The Ring. It was an interesting idea. But if I'm dead, I don't think I'm going to give a rat's about what the earth is like without me. Also, it never really explained how something like this would ever happen in reality. All humans become extinct SOMEHOW, while every other living creature on the earth (plants, animals, mold, etc.) keeps on kickin'? Doesn't seem logical. B


The Haunting in Connecticut--- Like I said earlier, I'm not big on scary movies these days. This was a Mike pick. The schpeal: This boy with cancer and his family move into a house that used to be a funeral parlor. The cancer boy, being so close to death himself, can apparently see those beyond "the veil." Cancer boy gets an inside look of some dead kid's life. Dead kid was used as a "medium" in seances back when his father was running the funeral parlor. I guess he didn't like it. Who would've guessed? Black toxic-like jell-o spewed from his orifices when the dead tried to converse with the living through him. Would you like that? Didn't think so. Anyway, there were definitely some scary parts that made us jump. You can pretty much guarantee that something will make you jump when the movie gets too quiet all of a sudden. There were a lot of moments like that. Also, there were some really gross images involving eyelids. Sick. Oh, and hundreds of corpses hidden in the walls of the house. Hello? Don't you think you could've smelled that? Sick. The synopsis said it was based on true events, but Mike and I wondered what true events were actually a part of this movie. A boy having cancer? Yeah, that's happened. C-


Paul Blart, Mall Cop--- I liked this movie. I thought there were many humorous parts, some which involve Paul Blart trying to act all seductive on his Segway. Whoooooo. Yeah, this movie doesn't require a lot of thinking. It's just a "fun laugh out loud comedy." Ha ha. I think I liked this movie because, unlike other comedies, it didn't have to use inappropriate humor just to get a laugh. And that, boys and girls, doesn't happen very often. In fact, I think it's rated PG. So, if you're in the mood for some dumb humor, go rent this. B+


The Spirit--- This movie didn't get very many good reviews, but I still liked it. I'd never even been familiar with the comic, and I still liked it. It was bizarre, but also kind of cool in an artsy way. Some of the dialogue was crappy though. And I didn't really like the lead character. The other characters were more appealing to me. Here are some words and phrases from critics used to describe this movie: "insane," "campy," "sinks like a stone," "bereft of charm or wit," "boring," "trying to be a parody of itself," "alarmingly ill-paced," and has "tedious characters." Perhaps it is an acquired taste? I guess you should watch it and decide for yourself. B+


Groundhog Day--- This is an oldie but a goldie. I guess it was in the RedBox to promote the movie's 15th year anniversary. I'm sure everyone has seen this movie. It is classic. It is hilarious. Bill Murray is a freakin' genius. I think this movie is one of the best comedies ever made. I give it an "A."


Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind--- Okay, we didn't get this one from RedBox. A friend of ours lent us his CleanFlix edited version of this film. This movie was strange but oh so good. I really like Jim Carrey when he plays a serious role. When I first saw this movie, it reminded me a lot of Being John Malkovich. I recently learned that it was actually made by the same dude, so that's why they had a similar feel. This movie was a little sad and eerie. But there was also some unexpected humor interweaved throughout the story. I really dig movies like this. It's the kind of movie you enjoy more after watching it a second time. A-

Movies

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
(based on the novel by John Boyne)

I saw this film last Friday and was deeply moved by it. It is the story of a young German boy named Bruno who is required to leave his home and all his friends when his father is promoted as a high ranking official in the German military during WWII. The new home the family moves to is in the "country" and is walking distance from a Nazi concentration camp. Bruno is unaware of what the camp is or what it is for. During one of his times of loneliness, he disobeys his parents and decides to go explore the area surrounding his home. At the back of the camp near the fence he meets a Jewish boy his age named Shmuel. They quickly become friends and Bruno goes to see him everyday. Bruno asks why Shmuel wears striped pajamas and Shmuel replies that the German soldiers took their clothing and made them wear the striped uniforms. Shmuel also tells Bruno how horrible the camp is and that he is always very hungry. Bruno begins to question his father's goodness as a soldier, but is then relieved when he accidentally sees a movie depicting how wonderful the camp is. Throughout the movie you get to see the boys' friendship develop, though they realize they are supposed to be enemies. Bruno still likes Shmuel even during times of confusion when he is getting "brainwashed" with anti-Semitic literature and propaganda from his in-home tutor. The plot thickens as the tension between Bruno's family grows and grows. Bruno's parents are constantly fighting because his mother doesn't agree with the war crimes that are occuring practically in her own back yard, while the father feels it is his duty to serve his country by whatever means it takes. Bruno's sister is fed the same misinformation from the tutor, but unlike Bruno, she sucks it up like a sponge and becomes a radical Nazi like her father.

Okay, I'm going to stop here so I don't give away any more details of the movie, in case you want to watch it. :)

The part about the movie I loved was the innocense of the two young boys. They were told they were enemies, but they didn't understand why. These children could not have understood the complexity of the war, they just wanted to be friends. It makes me believe that hate is a learned concept. The movie doesn't show in great detail the violence and abuse towards the Jews, but it is implied. Anyone who knows about the Holocoust is aware of the horrific tragedy the Jewish people experienced. I've been to the Holocoust museum in New York, I've seen pictures, watched several movies and have read many accounts about the historical event, but it never gets any easier to see and hear things about it. By the end of the movie my stomach was literally heaving. However, I think it is a good film with a great moral and would recommend it to any of you.

Movies

So we've watched quite a few movies lately and since I don't have time to give a huge review for each of them I'll just give a few brief comments instead.

The Love Guru----Okay, normally I'm a fan of Mike Meyers. I used to be big into Austin Powers and stuff. But apparently something has changed inside of me and I have a hard time finding penis jokes funny anymore. I'd say there were more offensive things in this movie than truly funny things.

The Great Debaters----Mike and I really liked this movie. It was fairly clean and had a good story. I thought the acting was good. I felt like it brought out something good in me. I've used the word "good" too many times describing this movie, haven't I? It was just one of the better flicks I've seen lately.

Baby Mama----Seriously, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are really funny broads. The movie seemed to be inter-weaved with part funny and part serious moments. I thought there were some humorous scenes. Definitely not as crude as The Love Guru.

Iron Man----This had some good action and some humor. I thought Robert Downey Jr. was great for the part. I'm not big into action films, but I still enjoyed it.

Indiana Jones----Okay, so I actually wasn't paying much attention to this show while it was playing. I was working on some mind boggling brain puzzle. I just remember the ending being kind of weird and trippy and....lame.

The Eye----Typical scary/thriller flick. It was interesting though and now I'm curious to know if this kind of thing could really happen with an organ transplant. I liked this movie because even though it was kind of frightening, it had a happy ending. Not like some of the scary movies these days where you think it's over, but it's really not.... or it leaves you with a ton of unanswered questions. This movie had none of that.

The Other Boleyn Girl----This movie wasn't too bad. There was kind of an uncomfortable love scene there in the middle. And basically the movie was about trying to "bed" the king of England. So that's a plus, right? This was kind of a tragic film in so many ways.

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan----It's an Adam Sandler film, need I say more? I guess I'm just not into crude sexual humor lately. And there was quite a bit in this film. Too many disturbing things for me to really enjoy the funny parts. Lots of pelvic thrusting, bare bums, body part references, the list goes on and on. Too bad that producers think the only way to make movies funny these days is to talk about penises non-stop. (p.s. Dave Matthews had a small part in the movie, so that was a bonus.)

Movies

The Rocker

Staring Rainn Wilson

Mike and I went on a date last night and ended up watching The Rocker at the local theater in town. The movie stars Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) and it's his first appearance as the lead in a movie. Mike and I didn't have high expectations after the reviews we read. Basically everyone said it was stupid and not worth watching. But I have to disagree. It wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. Trust me, I've seen many movies that were WAY worse. Yeah, it had it's stupid moments, but for the most part I thought it was pretty funny. I even laughed out loud a few times. I especially enjoyed the facial expressions "Fish" made as he was playing the drums. There was also a line in there about John Lennon that was a little crude but for some reason made us bust up laughing. Yeah, we're immature. So here's the lowdown on the flick: In the 80's, Robert "Fish" Fishman and his band Vesuvius play at small venues, bars, and things of the like. Their agent promises to get them a huge deal opening up for a big name band, if only they agree to let drummer "Fish" go and replace him with someone else. "Fish" is booted out and moves on with his life working one crap job after another while Vesuvius ends up making it big. "Fish" spends the next 20 years being bitter and cynical about the band's success, until an opportunity falls into his lap. His nephew is in a band called A.D.D. and they just happen to lose their drummer. Convenient right? A.D.D. agrees to let "Fish" play with them for their "big gig" at the high school prom. After botching up that performance, the band decides to get rid of him. However, "Fish" persuades them to let him stay in the band if he can get them a real show. He actually comes through, but some obstacles get in the way to deter them from making it. The band members are all grounded and unable to practice together, until Fish's nephew Matt comes up with the idea to practice with eachother via webcam on their computers. Out of touch Fish doesn't realize he's on camera and practices naked. Matt's little sister uploads the video on the ever popular You Tube and the video gets millions of hits and becomes known as the "naked drummer" video. Soon after, a record producer is offering them a deal and a tour. The rest of the story is pretty predictable. Fish has a small romance, the band goes on to be successful despite the many obstacles and mishaps along the way, and Fish finally feels like he's making up for lost time. Yada yada yada. Some people have compared this film to Almost Famous or School of Rock. Except, there really isn't a moral to this story. Follow your dreams maybe? I don't know. The movie doesn't have a lot of depth or creative plot twists, but it wasn't completely boring. And there were some ideas that were a little hard to believe. Like a heavy metal "butt rock" hair band still being popular now, or some really old drummer playing with a bunch of punky, angsty teens. Wait for it to come out on DVD so you don't waste 8 bucks on something you might not like. The only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the incessant footage of Rainn Wilson's naked body. Way too much skin for my eyes, considering what Rainn Wilson's body looks like without clothes. Otherwise, not a bad film if you're in the mood for something stupidly funny that doesn't require a lot of thinking.

Movies

Juno

Sorry guys, I know this movie has been out for awhile, but I'm just catching up with my blog now that I have more time on my hands! So, here's the scoop: I loved this movie! I thought it was one of the funniest films I'd ever seen. Juno was such a kick in the pants. Everything she said cracked me up. Even all the cool lingo that I didn't "get" made me laugh. When I watched it with Mike I told him I must be getting pretty old if that's how the "young" kids actually talk to each other these days, because I had never heard some of the slang before.
I thought the cast was great and the acting was just as great. I was happy to see Allison Janney (Juno's stepmother) in the movie since I'm a big fan of hers. And I was pretty happy with Rainn Wilson's short part in the beginning and his humorous comments ("This is one doodle that can't be undid, homeskillet.")
So, here's the background. Juno MacGuff is a 16 year old who, on a whim because she's "bored," has sex with her friend Paulie Bleeker and ends up getting pregnant. Her first thoughts are to "procure a hasty abortion" but then decides against it. I don't know if it had anything to do with Su-Chin standing outside the clinic chanting, "All babies want to get borned!" or her comment about babies having fingernails (yes, fingernails.) But Juno decides to carry the baby to term and give it up for adoption. The lucky couple she decides to give the baby to are Mark and Vanessa. Mark is a bit of a kid at heart and has a hard time letting go of his rocker band past. He and Juno have a real connection and exchange cds and watch old horror flicks together. Vanessa is more serious minded and materialistic, but also very nurturing and mother-like. Then there's Leah, Juno's best friend who helps her through her pregnancy and stands by her when no one else at school will. Juno's parents are even surprisingly "cool" and supportive with her decision. Throughout the show you get to watch Juno's relationships with these people grow and change. You also get to see instances of closeness between Juno and Bleeker (when they're not fighting about prom and Katrina De Voort.) The movie was funny but even touching at times. The only beef I had with it was that it kind of glamorized teen pregnancy. At the end of the show you see Juno and Bleeker together and happy and just living like kids again. The baby's out of the picture and POOF! No big deal right? I don't think it worked out like that for any of the girls that got pregnant in my school. But you know, I guess I don't have too much of a beef with the movie afterall. I suppose it just seemed a little unrealistic at times. But, c'mon, it's just a movie. And an entertaining one at that. I would also like to say the soundtrack is pretty freakin' sweet, if you're into simple idie rock-y folk-y stuff. I'm sure no one else will agree with me on this, but I thought "Vampire" by Antsy Pants was so cute and catchy during the end credits. It's like one of my favorite songs! But I really like all of the music they used in the film and thought it fit perfectly. Great movie, great soundtrack. Bonus!

Movies

Dan in Real Life

Okay, I love Steve Carrell. Really, anything he does is great. I even loved his character "Brick" on Anchorman a few years back. He can play a funny character or a serious character. It doesn't matter. I felt like this was the perfect role for him because it balanced out his funny and serious sides.
Dan is an advice columnist for a local newspaper and the single father of 3 girls. Still grieving over the loss of his wife, he's been reluctant to date again. That all changes when he meets Marie. They have an immediate connection, but the prospect of dating her seriously is dashed when he finds out she's actually dating his brother. Throughout the movie we watch Dan struggle to hide his feelings for Marie, though it proves quite difficult. Besides all the drama associated with that, we also watch him strive to maintain a relationship with his daughters and attempt to find his place in his own family. This was a great love story without being too sappy and pathetic. It had genuinely funny parts...like the "Ruthie 'Pigface' Draper" song comes to mind. :) I felt like the family was authentic and the characters all meshed well. And the soundtrack fit the movie perfectly. You know, it's just a feel good movie. Yes, there are some lam-o lines here and there, and some predictability as far as the plot goes. But all in all I had no regrets with this film.

Movies

Across the Universe












So, I finally watched this movie last week and I'll give it an A-. I liked the idea of incorporating Beatles songs into the story. It seems like the movie was created around those songs rather than the songs based around the story. One of the reasons is because all of the characters names are associated with Beatles songs. (Jude, Lucy, Prudence.) But there are several Beatles references throughout the movie besides the songs.
The story takes place in the 1960's. It is a story of love and war, music and freedom of expression, drugs, riots, and civil rights. I liked the entire movie, even the trippy parts such as the circus scene with the blue people and the water scene. Oh, and I kept trying to figure out if Prudence (played by T.V. Carpio) was a lesbian. Any thoughts? But I ABSOLUTELY loved it when she sang "I want to hold your hand." It is one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack and she has such a beautiful voice. If you like movies like Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, or Pink Floyd's "The Wall" then you'll probably like this movie. If nothing else, the music was good, so go buy the soundtrack.

Movies

1408

This week Mike and I went out to the dollar theater with Scott and Shanna to watch the supernatural, horror, suspense, thriller 1408. I heard that it was incredibly frightening so I was a little hesitant to see it. I used to really enjoy a good horror movie, especially if it was disturbing and left me thinking. But for the past year or so, I haven't been able to stomach too many horror flicks. The movie is based on a short story by Stephen King from the book Everything's Eventual. However, I didn't know that until after the movie, and if I would've known before hand, I probably wouldn't have watched it since I'm not that into King's work. The movie starts out pretty slow as you get to know Michael Enslin (John Cusack), a washed up author who writes about hauntings, yet doesn't believe in the supernatural. He's been to several hotels claiming to be haunted, but he's never actually seen a ghost or witnessed any paranormal activity. He gets a postcard from an anonymous somebody telling him not to stay in room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel located in NYC. Obviously, he doesn't take the advice and ends up determined to reserve that particular room at all costs. Despite strict orders to stay away from room 1408 by the hotel manager (played by Samuel L. Jackson) he finally retrieves the key and stays in the room. The first little while everything seems normal, but then weird things start to happen. Granted, there were some scary images, and even a few cool scenes, but for the most part, I wasn't a big fan of the movie. I suppose I was so tense anticipating something really creepy, that when I finally realized the movie was more trippy than scary, I was a little disappointed. One thing that I didn't like about the movie is that it never explained why room 1408 is the way it is. Is it haunted by a ghost or just an evil entity of some kind? How much of it is in the imagination and how much of it is real? What happened there? A lot of people died, but why? Who or what did it? The questions were never fully answered. The movie was worth the buck fifty we paid for it, if only to get out of the house and spend some time with friends. Overall I just felt like it was one never ending bad dream sequence, and I wasn't too broken up when the credits finally rolled.

Movies

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

Okay, so I'm a little late watching this movie since it came out like 6 years ago. I'm not the biggest fan of science fiction, but I decided to give it a try. So Mike and I watched it a few nights ago and we both thought it was pretty good, at least better than what we expected. In fact, I found myself wanting to cry at several parts. Any of you who have seen the film...is this normal? Was I just extremely emotional when I watched it or is the movie a little heartbreaking at times? I was kind of disturbed by a few of the scenes. The flesh fair was one of them. The woman abandoning her robot son was another. I got really attached to the character David the robot and was sad for him. Sad because his creators made him to take the place of a human child in a family and to feel the emotion LOVE without the guarantee of receiving love in return. There were a few flaws in the film, but overall it was a good flick and kept my interest. No regrets.

Here is a summary of the movie:

In the not-so-far future the polar ice caps have melted and the resulting raise of the ocean waters has drowned all the coastal cities of the world. Withdrawn to the interior of the continents, the human race keeps advancing, reaching to the point of creating realistic robots (called mechas) to serve him. One of the mecha-producing companies builds David, an artificial kid which is the first to have real feelings, especially a never-ending love for his "mother", Monica. Monica is the woman who adopted him as a substitute for her real son, who remains in cryo-stasis, stricken by an incurable disease. David is living happily with Monica and her husband, but when their real son returns home after a cure is discovered, his life changes dramatically. A futuristic adaptation of the tale of Pinocchio, with David being the "fake" boy who desperately wants to become "real". Written by Chris Makrozahopoulos {makzax@hotmail.com}

In this futuristic fairy tale, "David", a highly-advanced robotic boy, hopes to become a real boy so that he can win back the affection of the human mother who abandoned him. Like Pinocchio, he goes on a long journey hoping to find his "Blue Fairy," who can make his dreams come true. Written by jgp3553@excite.com