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-