the boy in the striped pajamas

this movie is about this cute little boy named bruno. his family lives a very privileged life, and his father is in the army working for Hitler. the family has to move out to the countryside because bruno's father was needed to be stationed there. the transition is hard for everyone in the family, except the father it seems. bruno's sister becomes nazi-obsessed due to a cute soldier who works around the house. bruno is left to play on his own, isolated from the world.

bruno notices that there are kids at a farm that he can see from his bedroom window, and wants to go play with them. when his parents hear of this, they board up his window. bruno doesnt really understand it, and just wants to go adventuring.

as the movie goes along, bruno slowly sees his father for what he truly is. he secretly meets a little boy, shmuel, at the "farm" (concentration camp) and becomes friends. their relationship is very sweet, and sad at the same time. especially once bruno learns he isnt supposed to talk to people from the farm since they are all evil jews.

the movie portrays the Holocaust very well, and gives us a glimpse of how twisted life was then. it is heart wrenching, especially at the end. the whole film was done excellently, with great acting, sets, cinematography, etc.

a beautiful movie, i recommend it.

the grade: A

the taking of pelham 123

[sorry we havent posted a lot lately. we'll try to make it up to you]

in this movie, john travolta and his little gang hijack a subway train. denzel works as a train operator person (he sits at his booth and makes sure the trains are all going smoothly, etc). when denzel notices that train 123 is stopped, and shouldnt be, he tries contacting them by radio. finally, travolta responds and explains the hostage situation. they demand $10 million from the mayor, and have a time limit of an hour.

so first of all, there were so many unrealistic things that it made the movie seem stupid. for example, there was a sniper who was in position where he could kill a guy, but his superiors told him to wait. then, a rat goes up his pant leg and allegedly bites him, which causes the sniper to fire, kill someone, and gets all the the bad guys mad. ok, ever seen the movie shooter? snipers are trained to not let anything distract them!!

also, this movie was so typical that we were hoping for a twist. it just made it a little on the boring side. everything we thought could possibly be a twist didnt happen [and if it had, the movie would have been more interesting]. the only thing that could be considered a twist was something we all called near the beginning. therefore, not much of a twist. nice try tho..

most of the actions done by everyone in the movie just didnt make sense. characters would do something that was so stupid, or pointless, etc. one time they randomly showed the major do a little cough, and then cut away to another scene. we were all like what!? was that an editing mistake or something? it made no sense at all (like most of this movie).

i felt by watching this movie at least a few brain cells died. maybe several, im not sure. it was just weird, stupid, boring, etc. i dont really recommend it.

the grade: C-

Burn after reading

c...or watching. Look, I'm just going to cut to the chase on this one. This movie is terrible. Awful. Pointless. I should at least attempt to explain the plot to you, but I honestly can't...not in less that 10,000 words. It's a convoluted mess. I can definitely tell that the directors (who have had success with other movies, No Country for Old Men) think they are much smarter than I think they are. The plot goes round and round, all to end up with a big nothing. I kept thinking, "okay, this movie is all over the place....but just maybe, by the end, they are going to surprise me with a big twist that explains everything." Nope. Nada. The crazy thing is, most film critics gave it good reviews. Even one of my favorites, Ebert. If you don't want to believe me, fine, watch this movie, and waste a hour and a half of your life. By the way, can someone please tell my why Brad Pitt is an actor? He is actually quite awful. I'm really drawing a blank, can someone tell me the last time he played an interesting or believable character in a decent movie? [Note: Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Benjamin Button are coming to my mind now and those DO NOT fit under the categories I just listed] Anyways, avoid this stinker at all costs. The end.


D+

This is it

If you are a Michael Jackson fan, this is the movie to see. If you are a skeptic, and you wonder if Michael can really sing and dance like he used to, you should see this movie.
(answer: yes he can)
Shot over a 3 month period before his sudden death, This is it gives us a behind the scenes look at the practices for Michaels come back tour. He sings and dances to all his hits, and it sounds better than ever. He even gets a lot of laughs by his attention to detail. He is seen several times correcting the director or musicians. He has trouble with his ear monitors and the timing of songs, and wants to make sure every detail is checked. While watching the movie, there is no sign of fatigue....he keeps up with the much younger dancers the whole way through. After seeing this movie, you realize just how much of a shame it is that he is gone. This would have been the concert of the decade. This movie will only be in theaters for 2 weeks, so if you're planning on seeing it, don't wait too long.

A

Quarantine

This is a horror movie, based after a Spanish version called [REC]. The movie is shot in the hand held camera style.
A reporter and her cameraman are following a group of firefighters into an apartment building where there has been a 911 call. One of the residents has been screaming in her apartment. Basically, there is some sort of rabies virus that turns people into zombie-like animals, and it is spreading throughout the building. The tenants (and firefighters, reporter, ect) are then locked in the building by the center for disease control, thus preventing them from escape. Let the madness begin.

Okay, so that wasn't a very good explanation of the movie. Here's what you need to know:
-The camera is not nearly as shaky as some other movies shot in the same way.
-Lots of people die
-This movie is very cool.

Granted, you will have to like horror movies to enjoy this, but it's pretty intense and exciting. Rent it...if you dare. Muah ha ha ha......But seriously, check it out.

A-

The Invention of Lying

This movie was extremely hilarious and everyone should go and watch it......wait, that was a lie. Here's the deal. I thought this movie was going to be good, and it simply didn't deliver. The story is clever enough: The people live in an alternate reality where there is no such thing as lying. Everyone just says the truth. The problem is, the writers didn't think this one through. Instead of people just telling the truth, this reality actually involves people just blurting out random thoughts from their mind. Example: if you walk up to someone and think they are ugly, you are not telling a lie if you don't say to them "hey, you are ugly". If they asked you how they looked, then you could say it, but if they didn't, you would have the sense not to say it. Get the idea?

The story is all about this man who suddenly discovers how to lie. His life becomes so much better. He becomes wealthy and popular, but still can't seem to get the girl. She won't marry him, even though she admits she loves him, because he is "fat with a stub nose". She's actually quite rude to him throughout the whole movie, but he still says she's the nicest girl he's ever met. blaahahh. So ridiculous. How can we, as an audience, root for a couple that do not work together. We all wanted to yell at him, get rid of her! Anyways, the dialogue is funny for a while, then gets old. The jokes are okay, and you will be somewhat entertained throughout, but all in all, the invention of this movie should have never happened.

C

Gigantic

as most people should know by now, i love zooey deschanel. i found this movie on netflix, and i decided to see how it was. paul dano (little miss sunshine) is the main character, and he works at a mattress store. one day an interesting man (John Goodman) comes into his store, and dano sells him a top of the line mattress. before he leaves, he says that "he'll send his girl over later to do financing," and then leaves as quickly as he came in.

later, "the girl" comes in, Happy, who is goodman's daughter (deschanel). her quirky charm intrigues dano, and they start to develop a relationship of sorts. things turn sort of awkward when it comes out that dano's goal his entire life has been to adopt a baby from china. he's been saving up and going through the application process for years, but when he starts dating deschanel, it gets put on the back burner.

the only thing i didnt really like in this movie is that they would randomly show this homeless guy that would come beat up dano and hurt him pretty bad. really, i think it is just trying to symbolize some sort of mental instability, or demons in his head, because there is no real homeless man who's mission in life is to kill dano. his injuries are real though, so somehow he is really just harming himself. this whole theme is pointless, and never is resolved in the movie. it never expounds upon it except for showing him get hurt a few times, and being stalked by the homeless man.

besides these weird dillusions that occur every so often, the movie really is excellent. funny, interesting, engaging, and just plain good. i wont give away anything, but i highly reccommend it.

the grade:
B+

phoebe in wonderland

who knew dakota fanning had a younger sister, and that she was so talented?? in this movie, elle fanning plays a young girl named phoebe. she was raised to be a little different from the norm, and to also love "wonderland" (as in alice in wonderland).

as the movie goes on, phoebe's behavior becomes progressively worse and uncontrollable. after a few incidents at school (example: spitting at a classmate), she is sent to therapy.

family dynamics are very interesting, as phoebe's mother fires the therapist and blames herself for raising her daughter poorly. the mother thinks that phoebe doesnt know she loves her, which causes more angst and drama within the family.

the only place phoebe seems to thrive is at play practice. she got the role of alice, in alice in wonderland. phoebe's theater teacher, mrs hodgins (patricia clarkson), seems to be permanently living in wonderland, but her character inspires the children--especially phoebe. the principal doesnt ever seem to fully trust mrs hodgins, and questions her behavior, and her influence on phoebe.

as phoebe struggles with her actions, which she does not want to do but can't help doing, she also starts seeing characters from alice in wonderland. the red queen and alice are seen most frequently. this development concerns all parties involved (parents, principal, and therapist).

i wont spoil the movie, but seriously i really liked this film. all of the roles were well developed, had excellent acting, and were very interesting. phoebe's story will keep you entranced throughout the entire movie. there were even a few times i laughed out loud, and other times when i might have gotten a little teary. i feel that this movie has something for everyone, and is very well done.

the grade:

A-/A

The king of kong

This documentary was first brought to my attention by guest reviewer, vegafoo. I guess I just didn't remember it, b/c I found it on accident on netflix yesterday and finally got around to watching it.

The story revolves around the world of classic arcade games and the challenge of obtaining the world records. In it, excentric Billy Mitchell (who could be considered the best arcade game player ever) has his high score and world record on the game Donkey Kong challenged by an ordinary father of 2 from Washington named Steve Weibe.

The movie follows the twists and turns of various people who make these games their lifes work. It was actually very interesting and funny at the same time.

I promise you, you will not be let down. Billy Mitchell is....well, interesting to say the least. He is talented (this is the guy who played a perfect game in pac man), but he is also insane. Watch this movie and you will be entertained. Will Steve beat the high score? (which was set in the early 80's) Will billy cut his disgusting hair? Will this make you want to beat the high score of Donkey Kong yourself?...you'll just have to watch it and see.

A-

sunshine cleaning

in this film, rose (amy adams) is a single mother who works as a maid. she does a cleaning job and goes to tell the house owner that she's finished, and it turns out to be a girl she went to high school with. apparently rose was very popular in high school, and was the head cheerleader. she tries to get over the embarrassment of being seen as a maid by her former high school friend, and is frustrated that she feels her life is headed nowhere. there is talk of getting her real estate license, but it is just that: talk.

rose's little boy, oscar, is quite a handful and always gets into trouble. the principle and teacher of oscar call rose into the office to explain that he needs to take medication and go into special needs. rose refuses, and takes him out of school. the only alternative she has is to put him in private school, which she can't afford.

through all of this mayhem, rose is having an affair with her high school sweetheart, mack, who married someone else from high school. mack is always making empty promises to rose, like how he will put her in classes to get her real estate license. however, he proposes an interesting plan to rose as to how she can make extra money for oscar to go to private school. mack is a police officer, and he sees that the people who clean up after crime scenes make quite a bit of money...

rose's deadbeat sister, nora (emily blunt), gets roped into the idea, and soon enough rose and nora have their own business: sunshine cleaning. they clean up the mess that is left when someone dies. while rose is working to earn money for oscar's private school, oscar is hanging out with his grandpa--who has a couple of screws coming loose. he is always thinking of new quirky ideas to make money, most of which fall through.

the story is a complex web of peoples lives: rose, nora, oscar, mack, grandpa, and the people they come in contact with. rose has to grow up a little and realize what this affair with mack is all about. she hopes that he will leave his wife, but comes to realize that may not ever happen. also, rose and nora have issues they have to work on, and their relationship is constantly fluctuating.

as her business grows and develops, rose becomes more independent and realizes that she is not just a maid, she affects peoples lives and makes a part of a bad situation (death) a little better (by removing it).

there were a couple of issues i had with this movie:
1. there were a lot of side stories that weren't always followed through with
2. along with #1, there are some characters that seem to just be put in to throw you off, because they are never followed through with

i watched this movie with the expectation that i would love it, and it just didnt measure up all the way. it was funny, sweet, dramatic, and interesting. but it did not make me love it. they needed closure with all the characters, which i felt was lacking in the end. the movie just sort of ended. it was one of those endings where you go "WHAT??? that is the end?" it was a relatively happy ending for sure, but just happened too fast and with little explanation.

the grade:

B-

hi my name is ryan

ok sorry, i kind of distorted this picture, but it was really small and you wouldnt be able to see it.

this is a documentary done by my bffs brother-in-law, paul eagleston, and his friend (cousin?) stephen rose. the official website can be found here. we saw it at the slc film fest a couple weeks ago.

this film is all about a boy named ryan, who is very into music and being creative. he has about 5+ bands with himself and friends, all within different genres. he will do weird/strange things just to do weird/strange things. he wants people to see things in a different way, and understand deeper levels or motives. he admits he isn't "normal" [although these days who isnt, right?], but his main goal in life seems to become a sort of superhuman, who is just plain awesome.

one thing about ryan is he has some sort of growth deficiancy, and therefore has an extremely young looking face. he is also lds, and even serves a full-time mission. it almost seems ironic that these two facts are about the same boy who sings songs like "spank the world" in his thrash band "Fathers Day." this particular band appears to be a product of a difficult upbringing in which his father seemed to have little interest in (go figure). oh, and he also dropped out of highschool because he didnt like it (understandable), and his interests and life-path so far have been fine without the rest of his high school education.

the documentary is pieced together very well, with different aspects of his life: from his family to his fake-mustache-wearing habit, his bands, and the people he interacts with (via shows, theaters, etc). with interesting shots, interviews, clips of shows, and graphics, the film will keep you entertained the whole time. by the end you really are almost in awe of ryan, and the kind of activities he does for fun.

one of the funniest characters in the movie is this crazy art guy (who isn't a very good artist actually), who is taped saying some obscene things about ryan and his cohorts. it is really quite amusing just to hear the things that come out of his mouth. it's a riot. i believe one line he is quoted as saying about Ryan is "I will bake you like a chicken!" ...now those are some classic one-liners.

all in all, the documentary is interesting/funny, well put together, and really captivates the audience. paul and stephen did an incredible job, and hopefully we will be seeing this film going places. :] sundance perhaps? bravo to them, and way to keep striving for awesome-ness ryan.

the grade?

B+/A-

(500) days of summer

we saw this movie yesterday. loved it.

tom hanson (joseph gordon-levitt) is working at a greeting card company, although he studied to be an architect. he meets his bosses new assistant, who is a beautiful girl named summer finn (zooey deschanel-love her!). they start off kind of awkward, but find out they have similar interests (like the same type of music, etc). becoming friends moves to unknown territory, in which a lovelike friends-with-benefits relationship unfolds.

summer is against labels, doesnt believe in love/fate/destiny, and does not want a boyfriend. tom wants to meet his soul mate. as the movie clearly states, this is not a love story.

the movie is really impressive; from the way that the story line is presented, to the acting, to the actual story. as the movie goes on, you will be irritated with summer and love tom.

relationships in this movie teach the characters new things that they needed to figure out. like what love is, and if fate or destiny is real. getting out of dead end jobs and following your dreams are also themes. although this paragraph i just wrote sounds mushy, it really is all presented into a wonderful story.

the movie does not end like you would like to think it would. but in a way, it ends better. this movie does not disappoint. everything is well done, pretty believable (although juji doesnt think there are really people like summer, which i disagree with), and compelling. go see it now!!!

the grade:
A-

Guest Review: Funny People

The Funny, Yet Not So ‘Funny People’

Guest review by an old friend, Jon

Going into this movie I was prepared, I knew it wasn’t “what everyone expected” thanks to a friend (who I don’t remember) telling me about it. Maybe it was Luke. I also knew it was over two hours long. I was looking forward to the laughs it provided, yet was pleasantly surprised by the seriousness of the plot. Though despite it’s sometimes sobering scenes, I was found to be humored just by the situations these comedians (literal and figurative) became wrapped up in. Concerning the length of the movie; it was not LOTR long and epic, nor was it Benjamin Button all encompassing long. As I sat there and watched Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, I felt I was watching the very humorous, dramatic and ironic parts of their characters lives. All-be-it for a small, yet very important, chunk of their lives.

For the most part it was well put together, I didn’t notice any glaring editing flaws (which happen a surprising amount these days). And the overall flow of the movie felt natural throughout, minus the speeding semi that was Sandlers ex-fiance suddenly deciding she wanted him back. Her character had the worst development, she was more of an extension of Sandler than the independently fueled character she should have been. It detracted from the obvious hang-ups Sandler still had for her.

Sandler and Rogen played their characters well through the duration of the story, they stayed true to who they were, yet had believable personal growth occur. I can’t comment too much on the directing, as I have always been a poor judge unless it is beyond-bad, but it appeared to be spot on for this particular movie. Cinematography was used only in such a way to properly portray characters and story development.

Whatever failings the script might have possessed were neatly ironed out by those charged to bring it to life. Sandler, a very well off/jerk comedian fit his role wonderfully and gave him some challenges with the whole ‘near death’ experience. While he did good, Luke Wilson I think takes the cake on the gonna die/aint gonna die in this psuedo-comedy genre. Seth Rogen, he did good, especially since you can tell he might have drawn a lot of experience playing a struggling comedian from his own life.

I admired this movie and highly commend it on a very strong morale point. While some very grievous mistakes are made between characters, the morale high path is chosen, a move not made often in movies, yet seems to come about on occasion. Perhaps Hollywood is learning from Las Vegas, sin sells, but families pay the most $$$.

Final word, go see it. This movie is about people. It’s funny, dramatic, and while it might not beg any social issues, it’s a movie I want in my collection.

District 9

Before watching this movie I had been reading all of the reviews online. (as I usually do) They have all been phenomenal, so I had very high expectations going into this one. Let me tell you, they were all met.
This movie has officially become:

my favorite movie of the year.

Yes, it IS as good as they say.
The story is set in South Africa, where 20 years earlier, an alien space ship settled over Johannesburg. The aliens were basically harmless and just wanted to leave. Instead, they were forced to live in District 9, which became a sort of refugee camp. It is a disgusting place, filled with crime and filth. Overtime, the humans have grown tired of the "problems" caused by district 9, and a task force has been created to move the aliens to district 10, located some distance from the city. Problems arise when the man who is put in charge of moving the aliens becomes infected with some substance that begins to alter his DNA, and turn him into an alien.
What makes this movie so amazing is its story, and characters. There are no cheesy 1 line jokes, no random explosions for no reason (though there are plenty of explosions). No actresses are here to show skin and sell sex. This movie shows aliens from another point of view. By the way, the aliens are very cool and entirely done with CGI. They have human qualities and make you feel for them. Go see this movie. You won't be disappointed. Promise. If you are, just wait another year until your awful big budget movies of next summer arrive.

A

Reviewer Spotlight, part ii

yours truly dear

if there's one thing i have always loved as a hobby, it's movies. and yes, i consider it a sort of hobby. if people ask the weird question "so what do you like to do in your free time?" i give them an awkward stare and then say "we love watching movies."

when i was little i used to watch my favorite movies over and over and over. on this list were: 101 dalmations (my fave as a youngster), shirley temple movies, and my fair lady. i was raised watching disney, shirley temple, and musicals (state fair, oklahoma, brigadoon, the divorcee, singing in the rain, sound of music, etc).

my movie tastes have changed (obviously), and now i love dramas and comedy, and some action movies. juji loves scary movies so my viewing of those has increased, but usually begrudgingly. i have left the theater a time or two when i get too scared... i also hate gore. anything gory is absolutely disgusting to me. violence is not appealing to me. if it is in some sort of action movie i can usually be ok, but i just hate it.

there are some movies i refuse to watch, which i think are just stupid. example, the twilight movies. another example, transformers 2 (i wasted enough of my time watching the first one). if anything looks too childish or unbelievable, or based on a stupid book, i wont watch it.

anyways, i just love movies, and feel like i have a pretty good grasp on if they are awful or not. (dont ask juji though, because he will bring up movies i like such as "failure to launch" or "sex and the city" and then will say i have movie faults). i hope you enjoy my reviews, and i like feedback so feel free to leave comments.

some of my favorite movies are: best in show, baby mama, gran torino, slumdog millionaire, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, misery, the river wild, changeling, dark knight, and many more

favorite actresses: zooey deschanel, britney murphy, sarah jessica parker, kathy bates, tina fey, amy poehler, lisa kudrow, jennifer anniston, kate winslet, meryl streep

Reviewer spotlight

Juji
So here's the deal, I like movies. They can be fun, scary, entertaining, and exciting all at the same time. Here's the issue: They can also be boring and awful. I am NOT one of those people who just thinks movies are to be enjoyed for "entertainment value." What does that even mean? No, I expect more from my movies. That's why I consider myself an amateur critic.

No matter what genre of movie your watching, there are some things to look for that can tell you if it's a good movie or not. Acting, plot, believability, dialogue, character development...ect. It goes on an on. However, some genres can be weak in some of these categories and still be considered good in my book. For example: in some comedies, a story may be somewhat unbelievable and still be okay. You wouldn't fall for those awful costumes in White Chicks, but that movie is nonetheless hilarious.

The point is, for me to like a movie, it has to make sense, have a great story, and be told well. For this reason, you may notice that I don't really like action movies all that much. Especially when summertime comes around and all the big production companies start churning out their usual blockbuster disasters, which are generally lapped up by the public. I'm more into thrillers, dramas, suspense, and comedies.

So enjoy my movie reviews. If you disagree with any of my reviews, great. I like to hear others opinions, and then quickly explain why they're wrong. :) The end

Favorite movies: Slumdog Millionaire, Misery, Changeling, Best in Show, Clue, Gran Torino.

Double Jeopardy

This ain't the game show....Double Jeopardy stars Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones in a suspense/thriller from the 90's. Libby (Judd) is accused and convicted of murdering her husband on a boating trip. She loses her son and is quickly whisked off to jail. The trouble is, she has been framed by her husband. Thanks to the "Double Jeopardy Law", she can't be tried for the same crime twice. Once she gets out of jail on probation, killing her husband for real is no longer a crime. The movie follows her attempt to find her son and bring justice to her husband.

Okay, sorry that synopsis was only so-so, but I'm so ready for the analysis I can hardly stand it. There are many different problems with this movie, it's hard to know where to begin. First off, we are never told a motive as to why her husband framed her in the first place. He gets with another woman for a while, but then we discover later that she's been killed under questionable circumstances herself. (It is implied that he kills her a few years later).

And another problem: In the attempt to find her son and husband, Libby commits numerous crimes herself, including breaking her probation, destruction of property, resisting arrest, theft, assault, vandalism, breaking and entering, etc. After all this, I'm supposed to feel sorry for this woman? Hardly. This movie has a promising story, but something is just off. Judd is somewhat convincing, but Jones, playing her probation officer, merely takes up space. While extremely rude to her at first, he somehow begins to believe her "I'm innocent" story only AFTER she's wrecked his car, stolen his gun, and bashed him on the head.....righttt.....and by the way, when they finally do find her husband, who has since changed his name, wouldn't just providing a picture of him prove he is who she says he is? That would be too easy.

And as I predicted halfway through the movie, by the end, Libby is "cleared of all charges". Ummmm, hello?, remember all the other crimes mentioned above? That scene made me roll my eyes almost as much as the cheesy scene where Libby is finally reunited with her son. ( the one where he's playing soccer and seems un-phased by the fact that his dad has been shot and killed) I'm sorry, I just gave away the ending AND vomited a little bit. This movie left me annoyed and only slightly entertained.

C-

Movies Movies Movies

Got a movie in mind that you would like reviewed? Leave a comment and it just might end up on this blog. Got your own opinion on things...email us with a guest review. We're up for other opinions....of course if we disagree, we'll let you know.

A Perfect Getaway

In this movie, a newly married couple goes to Hawaii for their honeymoon. They set out to go backpacking on a major trail on one of the islands, and while they are on their journey they find out that a newlywed couple just got murdered the island over while on their honeymoon. While wary about the news, they decide to press on with their honeymoon plans.

They meet up with some interesting characters, including an ex-special ops guy and his girlfriend--Niko and Gina. Both couples are going the same way, and decide to travel together. Niko and Gina prove to be interesting characters, who kill and clean a goat, carry dangerous weapons, and seem to possibly have a few screws loose.

While they are worried that their fellow travelers may be the murderers, they see a young couple (who were seen earlier in the movie and seemed shady) get arrested, with evidence found in their bags. All is fine and dandy then, as they enjoy the rest of their vacation together with their new friends knowing that they aren't the murderers.

Most of the action occurs in the last 15 minutes of the movie, which is slightly annoying on the movies part but oh well.. A twist in the plot leaves you with an unexpected ending, which really makes the movie.

This film is just ok in our opinions. Although the twist is crazy, it may become quite apparent to you while watching it. Josh figured it out within the first twenty minutes (although I said he got helped because he knew their was a cuckoo twist...). A lot of the movie may seem slightly boring, until the end. Because really you just watch them hike and camp a lot. It's interesting to see the fishy relationships between all the characters though.

The grade: C/C+

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Guest Review By: Vegafoo

Transformers 2 is trainwreck...but perhaps i'm judging it incorrectly, bc i was judging it as a movie. Perhaps i should have been judging it as a test to see if you were a 13 year old with mental retardation. What, not sure if you're a 13 year old with mental retardation? heres a simple test. Watch the following scenes from the movie:
2 dogs humping, a different shot of the 2 dogs humping, a small robot humping a robots leg, the same 2 dogs now humping in a different location, a giant robot with balls.
If any of those scenes made you legitimately laugh, you are a 13 year old with mental retardation. If so, congratulations, I found the movie for you.

Also, for all of you racists/sexists out there who have been disturbed by the lack of prejudice in recent giant robot movies, you are in luck. There's plenty racial profiling, bigotry, and female degradation to meet your needs. Just ask the stereotypical black robots, neckbone and cheesegrits. (The names may be a little off, but that doesn't really matter does it?)

Let me give credit where credit is due: Director Michael Bay did make the tough discision to film the entire movie without an actual plot. It was a bold move, but then again, Bay is a bold man. Wait, is bold the right word? Serioulsy though, even as a pure mindless action film, it also exceeds at failing miserably. The CGI is impressive. Who knew that with the technology we have today, futuristic robots can actually be made to look like piles of metal vomit, only distinguishable from one another by bumblebee's yellow color and Optimus' red.

In conclusion, here's a list of things I would rather do than watch this movie again:
-Watch every movie Lindsay Lohan has ever made
-Read the Twilight Series
-Have a cavity filled by the new dentist, Lindsay Lohan
-Come in contact with Lindsay Lohan in any way

No no no, don't stop reading this review. You will sit here and read the funny things I would rather do than watch this movie!!!...

for those of you smart enough to avoid this tragedy, here is the cliff notes version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRS90V8BQGo

the end

F

Hancock

So I finally watched Hancock, the movie that got a lot of publicity last year, but never really got me that interested. Okay, here's the deal (and try not to turn on me)....I didn't get it. I know, I know, it had Will Smith in it, and don't get me wrong, I love his work.....but not this one.
The problem is, the movie really doesn't have a point. The whole time I was trying to decide exactly what they wanted me to get out of it. Hancock is a super hero, who apparently everybody in the world hates b/c he is so lazy and rude. He acts this way (I think) b/c he's mad that he's the only super hero in the world....or something like that. Spoiled brat anyone?
Anyways, he meets people, things happen, he fights incredibly pathetic bad guys who aren't scary or threatening at all. Think annoying jail thugs.
Things happen that are supposed to make us feel sorry for him, even though they aren't really sad. Weak story, okay acting, lame action.... Annnyways, I can't go on anymore. Major dud. The end.

C-

Orphan

Finally, back to the movies I like, the scary ones. This movie has been portrayed as a horror film, although I'll let you know it's mostly a suspense/thriller. (oh....besides the killing)
Esther is a 9 year old Russian Orphan who is adopted by a family who has recently lost a child at birth. She seems like a perfectly polite little girl at first, but obviously, things change very quickly.
Accidents seem to follow Esther everywhere she goes, and her past is almost impossible to uncover.
Esther has a secret.....and it makes for a very exciting twist and ending.
There are funny parts in this movie too, including the end line of the movie which mimics (and mocks) the last line of "The Ring 2". Remember that one?
I liked it. If you like scary movies, you'll like it too.


B+

Confessions of a Shopaholic

So...I went and saw a scary movie with Josh (that I actually ended up liking), and I figured I could indulge in a silly chick flick. Which was entirely what this movie turned out to be: silly.

Granted, I like silly. I am silly. But as far as movies go, if its going to be silly- it needs to be hilarious (ie White Chicks). There were funny parts and cute parts, and a lot of themes I felt I could relate to. I am a bit fashion obsessed and a bit of a shopaholic (ask Josh) so it was funny to see some of myself in the main character.

In this movie we meet Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher), a journalist who racks up the credit card bills to a freakish amount just by shopping. She decides to take a job at a financial magazine in order to work her way up to a fashion magazine that stems from the same publisher. Her kooky personality and the situations she gets in will keep you entertained. There is a lot of screaming over bills, shopping (of course), shopaholics anonymous, and calls from the dreaded debt collector.

Of course, being a romantic comedy, she gets busted for giving such brilliant financial advice yet having debt up to her eyeballs. This lie destroys all her relationships, including her budding romance with her (cute) boss, Hugh Dancy.

Overall, this movie is mildly entertaining, whether you are laughing at the jokes or the sillyness (read: stupidity) of the script.

The grade?

C+

Guest review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Thanks Cam for this guest review:

I just got back from watching "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and I thought I'd write down my thoughts. I'll keep this review brief, so if you're looking for an in-depth analysis, you'll have to look elsewhere. This movie, the sixth in the series, was without a doubt the best of them all. I've already gotten in several facebook arguments with people who disagree, but my opinion has not changed.

Reason one, the style of this movie is very visual and efficient without disrupting the flow of the story. There are never special effects for the sake of special effects, and the focus is always on the characters and plot instead of visually stunning or amusing magic. The third movie's major downfall was it's overreaching representation of Hogwarts. They had an enormous pendulum swinging in the doorway of the great hall in that movie, for pete's sake. The sixth movie cuts away all unnecessary special effects, such as moving staircases and talking paintings. We were done being wowed by those things halfway through the first movie. We don't need to be reminded of them in each subsequent movie.

Reason two, the acting is immensely better. I won't deny that Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint aren't the best actors, but I will submit that their acting has vastly improved since the beginning. I think they have also been assisted by better dialogue (the funny lines are actually funny in this one). There are also not as many characters straining to get lines in. We see a lot of Harry, Ron, and Hermione (of course), a lot of Dumbledore (as it should be), a lot of Horace Slughorn, and just the right amount of everyone else (I'm so glad we got to see some good bits of Prof. McGonagall too. You can never have too much Maggie Smith. Some of the other movies have definitely been lacking her presence).

*SPOILER ALERT*
There were a few faults I would have liked to have been fixed. First being the scene where Bellatrix and Greyback come to the Burrow and set it on fire. I didn't see any reason why that needed to be in the movie. I'm not one who feels that adaptations need to follow the book too closely, but I didn't see any reason for this departure. Especially considering that many scenes in the beginning of "The Deathly Hallows" need to take place at the Burrow. Maybe this will be cleared up in the next movie, but overall I thought this scene was time wasted.

Second, I didn't like that Snape and the death eaters got out of Hogwarts at the end without a fight. Snape blasts one auror out of the way and they don't see a single other person. I wouldn't even care if we had key characters fighting the death eaters at the end (I can see how having Bill Weasley get attacked by Greyback would eat into the time), just as long as it showed SOMEONE putting up a fight. A friend of mine felt like there was no climax to the movie and I partially agree. A bit more of a fight at Hogwarts would fix that problem.

Like I said, I firmly believe that this is the best movie so far and I hope the next two movies (apparently they're splitting book 7 into two movies) will follow the same style as this one. In conclusion I'll leave you with my favorite trailer for "The Half-Blood Prince." I couldn't find that good of a copy of it, but I think this is the most chilling trailer they released.

The Proposal

Again, Sandra Bullock. This time joined by the attractive Ryan Reynolds (yum). Sandra Bullock is an uptight, top editor for one of the largest publishing firms in America. She appears to have no life outside of work, and no personality except for being known as the office witch. Her poor assistant, Ryan Reynolds, has to succumb to her every whim.

When Sandra realizes that she will be deported to Canada and replaced by a second-rate editor she just fired, she quickly comes up with a plan to be able to stay. She announces to her superiors that she is engaged to her assistant, and therefore will be able to stay in the US after marrying him. Ryan Reynolds is shocked, needless to say, and only sticks with the plan in order to get the promotion of his dreams. The immigration officer they have to meet with is suspicious of foul play, and warns them many times what the consequences of such activities would be.

This comedy is the story of how Sandra comes with Ryan on a vacation to stay with his family in Canada. Watching this movie you will fall in love with Ryan's family, especially his mother (Mary Steenburgen) and grandmother (Betty White). Sandra's character starts opening up and her true personality starts to come out, and the pretend couple slowly (of course) fall in love.

This comedy will give you big laughs, and maybe even a few tears. Oscar (from the Office) is even a prominent and ridiculous character. Purely entertaining on all accounts, this is a great movie for anyone to see.

The grade: B+

The Net

In case anyone doesn't know, we love Sandra Bullock. This is an older movie, but definitely a good one. In the movie, Sandra is a sort of computer programmer who's expertise is viruses/bugs. When her friend sends her a particularly strange sort of virus to check out, Sandra's world is slowly turned upside down. She goes on vacation while simultaneously working on the virus, and meets a handsome computer programmer. They hit it off and she spends most of her vacation time with him.

While on vacation, her wallet is stolen. Her new lover turns out to be someone entirely different than he seems, and Sandra has to literally fight for her life. Her entire identity is stolen, and she is wanted by the police. Sandra realizes all these problems are connected to the virus, which she tries to crack while she also fights to stay alive.

This intense thriller will keep you intrigued the entire time. Sandra Bullock does not disappoint!

The grade: B

the river wild

so we're on a bit of a meryl streep kick...nothing is wrong with that! if you have not seen the river wild, you need to rent it stat. this movie is a lost kind of thriller...more movies need to be made like this nowadays.

meryl streep wants to take her son, roarke, on a river trip before the river gets ruined "by pollution and all that stuff..." roarke's father is on shaky terms with meryl due to his obsession with work, but at the last minute he is able to come too. the family (and their dog maggie) meets up with some interesting characters who are essentially stranded, and they decide to help these 2 guys out. things start getting a little sketchy and the rest of the movie is them trying to ditch the weirdos. [there is more to the plot obviously but i dont want to give anything away!]

if you dont hate kevin bacon already, you will hate him for sure after seeing this movie. all the acting is top-notch, and the characters are all very interesting in their own way. meryl streep is truly the hero of the story, and you will love watching her kick butt.

like i said before, this is a kind of lost thriller. they just dont make them like this anymore. go watch it ASAP!

the grade: A+

Doubt

This weekend we watched this movie. I loved it (excluding the very last scene). One reason i liked it was b/c it was starring Meryl Streep. Nominated for an academy award for her performance, she plays the principal of a catholic school. She's extremely strict and all of the kids are terrified of her. No matter what Seinfeld might say, she's no phony. She's very believable and makes every scene interesting. In the movie, Streep accuses the Priest of some inappropriate behavior with one of the school boys. Throughout the whole movie she keeps trying to find out if he really did what she thinks he did. There's tons of drama, funny moments, and good acting. As for the last scene, well, it just did what I didn't want it to do. I won't spoil it for those who want to (and should) see it, but it's just something that I personally didn't want a character to do. Other than that, it's a great drama. Check. it. out.

B+

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Today I made the long overdue purchase of this classic. The new Terminator movie (which i don't want to see....read the reviews) inspired me to go get this one. Most of you know that I am not a big action movie fan. They're usually all flash with no substance. This movie is different. This is my kind of action movie. It actually has a story to tell (much like the original Die Hard movie).
I'm not going to spend forever explaining the plot of this movie b/c it is kind of complicated, but basically, a robot from the future (Arnold), is sent back to protect John Conner. A better, more advanced model of robot is also sent back to kill him. Annnnnddd so forth. It is such a good movie. Love it love it love it. Forget Star Trek, forget Transformers, forget the new Die Hard, forget allllll of those pathetic excuses for "blockbuster" action movies. THIS is an action movie. You'll love it.



A

star trek

so, hello to any lurking trekkies. i myself am not a 'trekkie,' but i have wanted to see this movie. i had heard it appeals to the masses, not just the trekkies. you dont need to know everything about star trek to watch it, it was sort of designed as an action movie rather than a fan movie. the previews were good and i was excited. somehow i managed to convince josh to come with me, and we went with my sister and her hubby.

anyways, about the movie...

the movie overall was good. my only main problems with it were:

1. the plot was kind of all over the place. the timing of everything was confusing. there was a lot involved and there were a few times when i was like huh??
2. the bad guys werent that bad. they werent super intimidating or scary. just kind of "bad" looking... not the villain you love to hate, you know?

besides those two little setbacks, the movie was very good. it was exciting and entertaining. josh isn't a huge action fan but he said that he remained "entertained the entire time." the characters were pretty true to the original star trek, and the original Spock was even in the movie. it was all pretty cool. there were some funny parts too, which is always good.

the movie ended with the nerd clap. you know, all the trekkies clapping because the movie was so great when the credits start rolling? true story......yikes.

the grade?
B

wanted

we just saw this movie last week with our friends. at first i was a little hesitant because it has angelina jolie in it, and everyone knows how we feel about her...

this movie was pretty good. the beginning seemed a little weird and didnt quite set up the entire plot very well. it just sort of randomly jumped into the action.

the action was pretty good though, and it was fun to watch. there is an underground....society(?) called the Fraternity. they are in charge of killing people chosen by "fate." the main character, James McAvoy, is recruited because his father was murdered and he was supposed to avenge him.

i cant remember seeing James McAvoy in anything, so i had no idea who he was. i liked him, i think he did a good job with his character. the amazing Morgan Freeman is also in this film, which is always a plus.

the story ends with an interesting twist. the very ending line is incredibly corny but its funny. anyways, the grade is:

B-

Obsessed

Today we saw the brand new thriller, Obsessed, starring Beyonce'. Now look, this movie looked pretty cool in the previews, but it's not like we expected something spectacular. It had beyonce and wasn't set in the 30's.... so we were hooked. Beyonce' did a very good job. Overall, the story was okay. The problem was, it wasn't believable and it was veeerrry frustrating. The whole thing was frustrating. You know I hate it when movies create fake drama, or cause characters to do things no normal human being would do. Well, this movie does it time and time again.

I'll sum the movie up quickly. White girl becomes freakishly obsessed with beyonce's husband, antics begin, big fight scene ends the movie. (even with the classic, you think she's dead and then her eyes pop open with loud music moment....which was hilarious)
Beyonce' and the girl have a really (unintentionally) funny fight scene at the end. You never worry for B b/c she's much bigger than the other girl. In the end, it was pretty predictable and frustrating, but fun to see Beyonce'.



C+

the skeleton key

tonight we rented the skeleton key from the playstation network. being the scary-movie-hater that i am...i got a bit nervous. to be honest the whole thing was suspenseful and i was tense the entire time.

this movie is very good and engaging. it keeps you involved, and always wondering exactly what is up. kate hudsen is an excellent star in this film, and her character is believable and likeable. she always asks the right questions, not like some other movies where you just want to yell at the screen and go "what are you doing!?!" (well, that happened a couple times, but it wouldnt be a scary movie if it didnt).

kate hudsen is a nurse who gets hired to do a hospice job out in the swamps around new orleans. there is an old married couple, and the husband had a stroke so he is paralyzed and can't speak. the house is spooky and old, and weird things happen...

the movie ends with an unexpected twist. if i had to compare it to another movie i would say the sixth sense. it was suspenseful, scary, and ends with a bang outta nowhere. go rent it now!

the grade:
A-/B+

earth

just saw this yesterday. GO SEE IT!! every ticket bought gets a tree planted. the footage is amazing and breathtaking. as much as i love nature, this movie just enhanced it. if you love planet earth (or just the earth/animals in general) than you will love this movie.

there were a few times that an animal was running away from a predator and i was going "runnnnnn!!!!" then i almost got sad but i was like ok ok they need to eat too.

please go see this movie. it will increase your appreciation for the earth and the wildlife it supports. (my favorite part is when they talked about water and how it makes everything possible etc etc and i was like yayyyy my future career has meaning!!)

the grade?
A+

march of the penguins

i know this movie came out a while ago, but we had never seen it. so this weekend we rented it on the playstation. we had heard so much about how awesome this movie was, so we were really psyched up for it...

the movie was good, but not what we expected. there was a lot that wasn't really explained very well. several times i asked out loud "wait, what is going on!? why arent they telling us!?!" also, the movie was filled with several stretches of monotony. it would zoom up on a melting icicle for like 5 minutes straight. we got the idea after the first few seconds...

besides those two problems, i did like this movie. the penguins were sooo cute, and its amazing how their bodies work. i didnt like it when they showed dead penguins though. i even cried at one point... it was interesting though and generally good.

overall, i'd say the grade is a B-

Pan's Labyrinth

New post time. Ahhh, Pan's Labyrinth. Personally, I love this movie, although I realize that not everyone will. This is a foreign film from Spain, so yes, It is completely done in Spanish, by spanish actors, with english subtitles. The reason everyone won't like this movie is it mixes history with fantasy. A young girl moves with her mother into the home of a Spanish general who is currently fighting the rebels. Turns out the girl is actually a princess in some alternate world. She is approached by a creature who presents 3 tasks for her to accomplish to prove that she is still the princess. It has some pretty scary/thrilling moments which make it very intense at times. Anyways, as long as fantasy doesn't completely turn you off, you should enjoy this movie. It even won a few Academy Awards. Highly Recommended.

B+

The Benchwarmers

Well, by request, here is the tragedy that is...the benchwarmers. Now, to be honest, I haven't watched this movie all the way through. No, this is one of the only movies that I have ever walked out of the theater on. Sad to say, I did pay to see this movie. I have no idea why now, but I did. Believe me, I've seen some awful movies, and stayed the whole time. But this, this was beyond awful. The acting is horrific, the jokes would be funny to 5th graders, and the story (what I saw of it), was just stupid. Really, if you somehow saw and liked this movie, don't let me know....I'll only think less of you. 2 notes: not surprisingly, the people in the theater were dying laughing at all the jokes...we are in Provo, the gene pool isn't too deep around here. Also, if you think it's funny to see people pee in bottles, get poop put on their face, or see people held down while someone else farts in their face...you might like this movie.

F

The Watchmen

so we went and saw this movie today in theaters. i was a little hesitant to see it to be truthful, since some reviews were mixed, and i dont like violence. i decided to give it a chance though...

i actually really liked it. the fight scenes were really cool, and i almost wish there were more. my favorite characters were the girl, Miss Jupiter, and the guy with the cool changing mask, Rorschach. they both kicked butt.

it isnt as much of an action movie as you might think, since it revolves around war and world peace. but the fight scenes with the superheroes were still pretty cool. (there were a couple instances of unnecessary violence i admit, and i had to look away once). the ending is different from the book, which is probably a good thing since apparently in the book there was a giant squid involved. the ending of the movie was really good though.

my only problems with the movie is that it was a teeny bit long, had moments of unnecessary violence, and could have had more cool fight scnenes (like jason bourne kind of style you know? not gross/bloody etc). there were a few jumpy moments, but maybe that was just because its me and im really jumpy :]

overall, we both really enjoyed this movie. i would say that some of the reviews and even content descriptions are misleading.

what grade do we give it?
A-/B+

bravo

we are so glad that slumdog millionaire won EIGHT oscars last night!!! this was probably my favorite movie of the year. i downloaded the soundtrack last night, and i have been listening to it all day. i can't say anymore how much i loved this movie, and i was so proud of the cast and crew for getting so much recognition. if you havent seen it, go see it right now. thanks.

Taken

As the most popular movie in Utah right now, we were excited to go see it this weekend. I know, we should have seen it a lot earlier blah blah blah, but the last time we tried to see it, it was sold out. So we finally saw it yesterday.

This is an action movie, sort of a mix between Bourne Identity and James Bond. In the movie Liam Neeson is an ex-government "preventor", sort of like a bonafide security guard. His daughter goes on vacation, and gets taken (mostly because her and her friend are idiots). Because of his previous work history, he is able to get all the information he needs (which sort of tells all and is semi-unbelievable) and goes to Paris to find her.

My two beefs with this movie:
1. the daughter. I think they told her to act like a 9 year old, when really she's supposed to be 17. She runs everywhere, and is unbelievably childish. She also has an unmemorable face which makes her hard to distinguish in later scenes and then you can get confused.
2. The dad almost knows too much. As someone pointed out, if that much information was really accessible we would have gotten Saddam Hussein in like 24 hours. He also seems to be invincible (thus the major comparison to the Bourne movies), and never gets hurt or too stuck in a situation.

Overall, this movie was entertaining and exciting. A good action movie, with some great scenes and unexpected events. The grade?

B

Family Guy: Blue Harvest

this. movie. is. hilarious.
it follows the story line of the original star wars movies pretty well, but actually includes witty banter and a whole lot of comedy. it is a condensed version of the originals, highlighting the key moments.

you will never watch a funnier animated movie. there is even an "I've had the time of my life" montage from Dirty Dancing, preformed by Obi-wan aka Herbert, with backup vocals from storm troopers.

Peter plays a perfect Han Solo, with Lois as Princess Leia, Chris as Luke Skywalker, Brian as Chewbacca, and Stewie as Darth Vader. all around this movie is a true masterpiece. we cannot thank the producers from Family Guy enough.


The grade?
A

let us know

please let us know what movies you would like to see reviewed. new movies, old movies, funny movies, cruddy movies, whatever. leave a comment and let us know what you would like to see on the review blog. thanks guys!!

josh + jess

See____Not____

Here is a snapshot of movies from different genres that you might want to check out:

Musical:
See "Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street"...
Not "Mama Mia"

Comedy:
See "Blades of Glory"...
Not "Step Brothers"

Drama:
See "The Shawshank Redemption"...
Not "Fracture"

Fantasy:
See "Stardust"
Not "Lord of the Rings"

Action/Adventure
See: "Eagle Eye"
Not: "King Kong"

Horror/Thriller
See: "The Strangers"
Not: "Prom Night"

Best in Show

Now how could we have a movie review blog without including my favorite movie of all time??? Best in Show is by far one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It is a "mocumenary" about a bunch of people taking their dogs to a dog show. The humor doesn't come from old jokes or slap stick comedy (which I do love in certain movies). No, this is smart humor....which is usually the best. Meaning, if you are not intelligent, you might not get a lot of it. This is a funny movie b/c the characters are over the top, crazy, insane, BUT believable. It's funny in much of the same ways as the movie "Clue" is funny. Not because it's a similar movie, but in Clue, the characters personalities are what is so likable. Same thing here. These people are genuinely funny. So anyways, rent it, buy it, download it, just watch it. I love it.

A

Changeling

I know you're looking at this picture of Angelina Jolie and thinking about how you'd rather stab yourself in the eyes than watch her on the big screen for more than 20 minutes....i'm usually right there with you. But this one is actually good. It's a true story and you'll probably like it. It's a story set in the 20's or 30's about a woman who's son goes missing. The L.A. police are corrupt at this time in U.S. history so in order to make a good name for themselves, they "find" her son and return him to her. All the press is there to cover this wonderful occasion. Only problem is, it's not really her son. She fights to find her son and even gets thrown into a mental hospital against her will. Very very good, I can't wait to rent it when it comes out. You should definitely put aside your angelina hatred for a minute and watch it. I'm glad I did.



A

slumdog millionaire

in this movie, a slumdog goes on the show "who wants to be a millionaire" and on the first night he makes it all the way to the second to last question (then the time ran out). he was interrogated that night because everyone thought he had cheated, since there's no way a slumdog was that smart. the movie goes through all the moments in his life that led him to know the answers for each question.

this movie is amazing. i loved it from beginning to end. the movie ends the way you want it to, which is nice to have every once in a while. i would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone. one of the best movies i've seen in a while.

what do we give this movie?

A

the crush

i have always loved alicia silverstone. love her. this is her a couple years before clueless. she plays a sultry little 14-year old who crushes hard on the new guy that rents the extra apartment on her parents lot.

alicia's character becomes consumed with romantic obsession. the renter starts out flattered, but things go from weirder to wrong. watch this thriller and you will appreciate alicia in a way you never thought you could.

oh, and the princess bride guy is in it. he's ok, but when has he ever been especially memorable except as the princess bride guy, right?

plus, this is a movie from 1993, and some could describe its quality as a 'made for tv movie.' but really, just watch it because its interesting and suspenseful, and you will think that alicia is a little nuts.


the grade??


B-/C+

saved!

mandy moore.....you might already be thinking "...gross."
dont worry though, her character is so annoying in this movie you will love to hate her.

this comedy is laugh-so-hard-you-might-pee-a-little funny. this flick makes fun out of hardcore self-righteous christians. watch it for its comedy, and you will appreciate it.

my favorite character? the rebel jewish girl who gets kicked out of every school shes been too. she delivers the best lines throughout the entire movie.

this movie also makes you awkwardly love macaulay cilkin for more than his Richie-Rich side. overall, just a really fun, silly movie that you will definitely get a kick out of. go rent it. or ask us if you can borrow it.


what grade do we give it?

B/B+

the curious case of benjamin button

ok, i know people that like this movie, and i am not trying to offend you or anything if you liked it. personally, i hated it. the movie was about 3 hours long, and the whole time i was just thinking "ughhhh is this over yet!?!"

benjamin is born as an old nasty baby-guy, and gets discarded on the doorstep of an old folks home, where a black caretaker takes him in and raises him. he grows from old to young, which is a phenomenon that is not well explained in the plot. when there is narration it is by an old raspy woman whose voice is beyond irritating.

cate blanchett's character is annoying, promiscuous, and quite rude until near the end of the movie when she gets a little more calmed down. by that point, benjamin is only getting younger. by the end of the movie, i was entirely depressed, emotionally tired, and was concentrating more on keeping my eyes open than what was going on in the movie. when i tried to recall what the point/message of the movie was afterward, i couldn't quite put my finger on it. to this day i'm still not completely sure...

what grade do i give this movie?

D-

Misery

Misery is one of my all time favorite movies. It's scary, but not horror-movie scary. The whole movie is intense and you feel like you are trapped with James Caan the whole time. Basically, he plays a writer and Kathy Bates is his "#1 fan". Turns out, she's a bit psycho and keeps him locked away. The whole time he has to try and find a way to get out. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for this one. Very very good. If you love thrillers....rent it.


A

four christmases

Now I know this movie will be coming out on DVD soon and you might be thinking to yourself..."Hey, I forgot to see that one, i should rent it." Do yourself a favor and go burn the 3.50 you would spend renting it...that would be a better use of your money. This movie was a pile of garbage. The plot is terrible (and bizarre at times), the acting is sub par. Hate hate hated it. Do not waste your time. Basically, reese and vince have to go visit family members for christmas. They hate doing this, and who could blame them...their families are insane, over-the-top, and truly unbelieveable. Most importantly, they are annoying. Every house gets more and more frustrating to watch. You'll be praying for it to end sooner. This movie did well in theaters, so people were definitely fooled by the previews. (myself included)


grade: F

wait until dark

Who doesn't love Audrey Hepburn, right?? I do and I have since I was little. I used to watch My Fair Lady about once a week growing up. Until this past year, I had never heard of this Audrey movie before. A little different from some of her more well known classics, this is a thriller. Yes, it may have been made in 1967, but it is still freaky. Not in a 'hide-my-face-pee-my-pants-i-hate-this-movie' kind of way, but in a suspenseful and intriguing way.

Audrey plays a blind woman who is being harassed by some drug-dealers who believe she has a doll full of heroin. They go to extremes in a kind of evil Sherlock Homes way, and Audrey is left fending for herself.

Audrey won an Academy Award in 1967 for 'best actress' in this film. She is absolutely fantastic in this movie, and very convincing. Go rent it, you will like it!

What did we give this movie?

A

the house bunny

So if you're in the mood for something really funny, "the house bunny" is definitely a good bet.
It has many many stupid-funny moments ala "white chicks"
(which i really like), but it's actually just a really clever movie. Mostly it's because of Anna Faris. She plays Shelly, a former playmate who gets kicked out of the mansion for being too old. She finds a job as a sorority house mother for a misfit bunch of girls. No big surprises here, but still hilarious throughout. The most funny moments come when Anna's character randomly yells out funny words after getting hurt, and when she does her weird, and totally original, deep voice.

"I've got to do something mysterious..." hahaha, check it out.

A-/B+

gran torino

We saw gran torino in theaters on saturday.

This is Clint Eastwood's last film as an actor. (He is getting a little old, after all). This movie is a great drama that is a must see, just be prepared for some racial slurs. It's a very interesting, compelling story with great character dynamics. Some characterizations are a bit over-the-top, but it adds to the story in a good way. The ending is a combination of unexpected and expected situations, in a way that will leave you both sad yet ultimately content. Overall, this movie is a winner, and you need to go see it immediately.





what grade do we give it?

A