Netflix, Inc.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Julie and Julia ***

'Julie and Julia' stars Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. I was really excited about this one because I've been a Julia Childs fan since I was a child. Mind you, I've never actually cooked any of her very complicated French recipes, but she's a scream to watch.

'Julie and Julia' is about Julie, who decides to blog about cooking through Julia's cookbook. Interspersed within this plot, we get a mini biopic of Julia Childs life as well. It's well done, but a little anti-climactic for me. As is real life. Being based on the real life blog, she never actually meets Julia. So as a movie, it felt a little incomplete for me. So unfortunately, the life experience must have been a little incomplete for her... sad.

It was a good watch though! Lots of good laughs, and insights into Julia Childs, as well as someone else's take on Julia Childs. It was also a metamorphic experience for Julie, and inspired me to be a little more like her... to take action!

Safe for the kids too!

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Friday, November 27, 2009

Angels and Demons ***

'Angels and Demons' is the latest installment from author Dan Brown, following 'The DaVinci Code'. This one also stars Tom Hanks and is directed by Ron Howard. Throw those two names in and it's bound to be good!

'Angels and Demons' is an interesting story as well, but puts a different spin of Catholic badness on things. The reason I only give this one three stars is my innate apprehension toward something like this. It tends to make people see only one side of a situation, or here, an institution. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big Catholic supporter. And yes, I too see the corruptions of the Catholic church. But it bothers me a little that this type of subject matter is presented through a fictional story... Yeah, I know I'm probably the only one.

'Angels and Demons' is of course well done and a really good watch, as well as OK for the kiddies!

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Funny People *** 1/2

'Funny People' stars Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. Immediately, you think, 'funny stupid movie... gotta be!' But warning: It's NOT!!! This movie is more of a dramedy and I think it would have done better had it been marketed that way. The problem with it is that you go in expecting one movie, but you get another one. Thus, it didn't really meet any one's expectations in the reviews because it was didn't deliver what was expected.

But after I got over the fact that there was a lot of drama to this one, it turned out to be pretty good. It's about major life situations of a couple of comedians. So you get some great jokes interspersed as related to their professions, but the main story line of the movie is NOT funny. It's serious stuff.

So anytime you do this sort of 'serious' but comical stuff, you're taking a lot of risks. It's not an easy thing to pull off well. But here, both Sandler and Rogen do an excellent job portraying their characters. The story is also very well done with none of those loose ends that I hate so much.

As for the kids, I would say no. There is a good bit of inappropriate humor and nudity.

But all in all, a really nice watch!

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

'Whatever Works *

'Whatever Works' is more philosophical ramblings from Woody Allen... stars Larry David.

I don't know, but these ramblings were only slightly amusing to me the first fifty times. And after my total loss of respect for Allen (after the daughter-wife incident), they are really annoying.

So, 'Whatever Works' is more annoying ramblings of Woody Allen.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Is Anybody There **1/2

'Is Anybody There?' stars Michael Caine. Has anyone else noticed that he's made a lot of movies in the last 5-10 years? Some good. Some great. Some not so great.

Unfortunately, this one falls in the latter category. It's an Ok story about his moving to an 'old folks home' and befriending a boy. It was well done, but I felt like the story was lacking a little. It was pretty ordinary on a lot of levels.

As for the kids, it's ok but a little depressing. If you have a youngster coping with death, then maybe, but I would pre-screen at the risk of making your problem worse.

An Ok watch:

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The Goods; Live Hard, Sell Hard ***

'The Goods..." stars Jeremy Piven with a really nice supporting cast of faces you'll recognize.

You all know how I love a good stupid movie. Well this one was pretty stupid and pretty good. There are several really good belly laughs in here, and for that I am always grateful. The story was put together pretty well also. Something bothered me about the movie, though. Perhaps the line between serious and stupid was not designated enough? idk. It just wasn't quite as good as it could have been. Piven was great though!

As for the kids, I would suggest you watch it first. There is lots of bad language and raunchy humor so look out!

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wild Child ***

'Wild Child' stars Emma Roberts, Aidan Quinn and Natasha Richardson (probably her last role before her death?). It was clearly classified as a teen comedy, but I got it anyway because of the last two stars, both of whom I like. However, between the two, their total air time was probably less than ten minutes!

Well, it WAS just another teen movie... She's a brat who learns a hard lesson and is thankful in the end. There were a few decent laughs, but all in all, this one made me glad, again, that I'm not a mother. I would surely be in jail for beating the crap out of this kid!

'Wild Child' is a good one for the kids, and you will probably enjoy it a little too.

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How to Be **

This strange little movie, 'How To Be', stars that Robert Pattinson, the 'Twilight' vampire that everyone's so ga-ga about.

Netflix gave it four stars and I gave it two.

This movie was so sad and uneventful! It's about a young boy with a very dysfunctional family who is trying to figure out how to be happy. And he doesn't really come to any great epiphanies. There are a lot of strange things going on that some might find humorous, but I just didn't.

Ok for the kids, but they'll probably find it sad and boring.

Not a great watch...

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Friday, November 13, 2009

The Ugly Truth ***1/2

'The Ugly Truth' barely gets the extra 1/2! It stars Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler and maybe I was expecting a little more?

It has an interesting plot, chronicling their hatred for one another that turns into something else. It's an interesting psychological study into how we think... how we really think about the opposite sex. That's probably what gave this one a little more for me. There were also several good laughs to be had.

As for the kids, there's no nudity but the content is probably more suggestive than you want. This might be one to pre-screen.

'The Ugly Truth' was worth the watch!

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The Accidental Husband ***

'The Accidental Husband' stars Uma Thurman, Colin Firth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I'm an Uma fan so I was kind of excited about this one.

It was pretty good. The plot obviously is a love triangle of sorts, or becomes one. I liked the story and it was well done... no loose ends.

The performances were also very solid from three veteran actors.

As for the kids, it's probably ok. There is one love scene but no real nudity. She also wakes up in bed with her fiancee' one day. Pretty tame stuff for what's usually there.

'The Accidental Husband' was a good watch... worth it, but not great.

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Friday, November 6, 2009

The Taking of Pelham 123 ***

I recently watched the original 'The Taking of Pelham 123'. When a movie is redone, I like to watch the original. (I also would give the original three stars.)

This remake starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta of 'The Taking of Pelham 123' was maybe a little better than the original. The basic premise of the movie is kidnapping a subway car full of people for ransom, with a deeper even more interesting twist.

Without the really good performaces of Washington and Travolta, this could have been pretty boring. These two, however, do a great job delivering their characters. Travolta does such a great job as the bad guy. But then, you know, he does a great job in any role he tackles, including the Mom in 'Hairspray'. Who knew Vinnie Bobarino would end up being such a great, versatile actor???

All in all, 'The Taking of Pelham 123' was worth the watch. Not a great movie, but good.
It's probably ok for your kids too. There is some violence and shooting, but no more than on that video game they're playing right now.

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Sunday, October 25, 2009

John Adams ****

I watched the first installment last night of the HBO series, 'John Adams'. It's very well done.

I think this sort of historic biopic is important for us as Americans to remember exactly what I forefathers went through in creating this country. We always hear how we should be grateful, but it puts a whole different perspective on things when you're living it with them.

The series is very well done, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'll let you know how the rest of it goes.


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Drag Me To Hell **1/2

'Drag Me to Hell' is a horror movie as you may have guessed. Have I mentioned how incredibly stupid I think horror movies are??? First, they're just stupid. I ruin it for whoever may be watching with me through my roars of laughter. Second, they are usually perpetuating the whole demon-possession theme which I think is absurd to give that crap more power. (If you think you ever have this problem, get help.) And third, what's with the whole embracing fear thing?? They like to be scared... I don't get it. And I don't get scared. I laugh?? I got scared the other day when the concrete truck in front of me had a blow out. I got scared when the TV almost fell on me, with the DVD player cord strangling me. I don't even get remotely scared watching these movies. Sure, there's the shock factor when something jumps out at you. But it's just shock for me.

So, I guess as a horror movie it was probably ok. I only gave it the 1/2 because I think Justin Long is great. Gotta' love the Mac guy!

As for the kids, it's your call. Typical horror movie. Not really any nudity or sex, but plenty of fear and creepiness.

If you must, here's the link to get it:

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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

How to be a Serial Killer **1/2

'How to be a Serial Killer' is listed as a 'dark comedy' on Netflix. That was kind of stretch for me. The basis of the movie is a guy who is instructing people at a seminar on serial killing. This is done mainly through a retelling of events as he instructs the video store clerk, who becomes his 'apprentice'.

The comedy here is weak. I didn't get any good laughs. It's just disturbing.
I liked the end, at least.

'How to be a Serial Killer' really isn't appropriate or entertaining for anyone, in my opinion.
And I thought video games and horror movies made killing seem commonplace!?

If you must, you can get it here:
Ok, I can't seem to get to Amazon, so you're on your own here!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Proposal ****

'The Proposal' is a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, with an awesome supporting cast featuring Betty White, Mary Steenburgen and Craig Nelson.

Honestly, I wasn't that excited about another romantic comedy, even though Netflix rated it 4.1 stars. And I'm a fan of Sandra...

But I was oh so pleasantly surprised. This one has a great story with great lessons. As well as the ooey gooey love stuff, you really get an appreciation of family. I even cried once! And I'm not hormonal! Sandra Bullock is really an amazing actress, and incredibly versitile. I think she's so real and so believable in everything she does. And in this one, she does an amazing job as 'Satan's Mistress', transforming into someone with a heart.

This one is totally safe for the kids too, by the way.

A really good one!

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Friday, October 16, 2009

Land of the Lost ***

First, I feel pretty sure that if you didn't enjoy 'Land of the Lost' TV series as a kid, you probably won't like this movie at all. But for me, it was a strange and interesting part of every Saturday morning. I got up, got my pancakes, and checked to see what they were doing. I don't even know that I ever watched a complete episode. The series was pretty corny, but I was always interested to see what happened to them. They were in a place where everything was wide open... anything could happen.

The movie, 'Land of the Lost' starring Will Ferrell was equally strange, interesting and corny. I think that it was as well done as it could have been. The great part was the much more advanced special effects. Whereas in the '70s, we were laughing at the crazy homemade special effects, today with the movie, we're laughing at the lines and thinking the effects are pretty cool.

If you never watched the series or are not a huge Ferrell fan, you could probably skip it.
But for the rest of us, it was worth the watch!

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Imagine That ***1/2

'Imagine That' stars Eddie Murphy as a dad struggling with that job, and also the one he has as an investment broker. It is a really cute family movie. There were plenty of good clean laughs.

There is a lesson to be learned through his daughter's imaginary friends, the queen and princesses. He at least thinks he learned something about self awareness. But of course, they leave you wondering if the royalty is real??

'Imagine That' didn't change my life, but it was a really nice, funny watch!

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Year One **1/2

'Year One'... The only reason I threw in the 1/2 is because I really like that Michael Cera boy. This one also stars Jack Black and supporting roles by a myriad of other amazing comedic actors like Paul Rudd! (one of my favorites).

The lead roles are Black and Cera. And yes, there have been times in the past where I have enjoyed Jack Black... but it seems lately that he's annoying me. I've not been seeing good acting, comedic or otherwise. Is he just trying to get rich to retire or what? Please do something with a real story, here and there at least!

The premise of 'Year One' is that two cavemen venture out into early Biblical times and encounter some of those Old Testament perils. Granted, there are some laughs, but really only chuckles. This movie did not produce even one good belly laugh for me, at least. And I love a good stupid movie!

As for the kids, I'd just skip it. The attempts at sophomoric humor are indeed sophomoric and of course, sometimes vulgar.

If you're a fan, I'm sure you'll have to see for yourself!

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

My Life In Ruins ***

Most of us loved the belly laughs from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding', and are hoping they will follow up in 'My Life In Ruins'. Well, there are definitely some good laughs. Maybe not as many as before, but some good laughs nonetheless.

'My Life In Ruins' again stars Nia Vardalos as our favorite Greek-American. She plays an out of work professor who is giving very educated tours to unappreciative tourists in Greece. (Where is she when I'm on a tour? I can't get any facts!) She loves ancient Greece, but is disparaged by modern Greece, and her life. Of course, like Stella, she gets her groove back with the help of a really hot guy (played by Alexis Georgoulis).

Richard Dreyfuss (and several other familiars) play her round of obnoxious tourists for the week. This is where the comedy ensues. She gets the throw-back everything from the tourists to the bus, to the hotel. But, in the end, she learns to be a better tour guide and a more relaxed Grecian!

As for the kids, it's PG13. There are some inferences to sex and a few adult situations, but it would probably be ok for most kids.

I was a little disappointed that 'My Life In Ruins' wasn't quite the laugh fest of the first installment of Vardalos', but it was still definitely worth the watch.
A very good laugh!!!

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Away We Go **

'Away We Go' stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. I like both of these actors fairly well. Krasinski is great in 'The Office' and Rudolph has appeared in lots of things and is a pretty good actress, I think. (There are also appearances by Maggie Gyllenhall, Jeff Daniels and others you'll recognize.)

'Away We Go' was just soooo uneventful for me. It's about a couple who get pregnant and embark on a journey to decide where they want to raise their child. We meet their friends and family, learn a little about them, and then enjoy their decision with them (last two minutes).

Granted, there were a few funny moments (thanks to the Maggie Gyllenhaal character), but not many. This one was just a story. The embedded life lessons are, in my opinion, nothing that common sense wouldn't lead you to. I was just really not impressed and could have saved my time.

As for the kids, skip it! The opening scene is cunnilingus! Do that with your 15 year old!

I wouldn't watch it if I had it to do over, but if you're just a huge fan of somebody in it, here is the link to go get it:

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The Brothers Bloom *****

'The Brothers Bloom' is an Indie dramedy starring Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Weisz. I hadn't heard much about it and had no idea what to expect. It got pretty decent reviews so I assumed it would be at least ok. Guess what? It was better than OK!!!

'The Brothers Bloom' is written and directed by Rian Johnson. He did an amazing job! The story is incredibly well done. Everything ties in and makes sense! You know how I love that. There are also interesting secondary elements which make the story that much better. And to top it all off, there's a life lesson!!! My favorite!!!

As for the actors, they all did a really good job. Adrien Brody is not one of my favorite actors to see, but he was absolutely the perfect choice for this role. Ruffalo and Weisz were also very good here. Also, Rinko Kikuchi plays a vital and hysterical role in the film. I think she only speaks once during the whole thing, but you'll be laughing at her a lot!

I've been watching a lot of sub-par movies lately, so this one was incredibly refreshing. It's definitely very well done from every angle.

As for the kiddies, I think it's ok. They mention 'horny' once, there is a brief love scene where you don't really see anything... they kiss and then wake up together. The premise is that they are con artists, thieves. There is a good bit of drinking and smoking going on, and an occasional profanity. (You'd hear worse at my house.) So this movie is ok for every teenager I know and probably ok for younger kids unless you guard them that much.

'The Brothers Bloom' was an amazing, refreshing movie that stimulated my mind and imagination. I LOVED IT!!!
So you should definitely watch this one!
Unbelievably, Amazon doesn't have it, but you can go there to buy it from someone else, or you can go ahead and try Netflix up there at the top, and rent it.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Observe & Report *

'Observe and Report' stars Seth Rogen as a mall cop who is infatuated with the lovely cosmetics girl played by Anna Farris. The plot of the movie revolves around him apprehending a streaker who is exposing himself all over the mall.

Rarely do I talk about movies that I disliked this much. It was not good at all! Bad story, bad acting, bad most everything.

It's not good for you or the kids. (Full frontal male nudity toward the end.)

Seth Rogen has given us some really funny movies lately, so we all were hoping he would have some consistency. Well, no. This one is so far from good that it was horribly disappointing.

AND, what irritates me the most, I think, is the similarities to 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop'. The story is so ridiculously similar! The difference, however, is that 'Paul Blart' was actually a really good movie that had a well developed story with a nice ending and lots of good clean laughs. 'Observe and Report' didn't have any of those. The 'dirty' laughs were not even that funny!

I really can't recommend that anyone watch this, BUT, if you're a Seth Rogen fan and MUST complete your collection, here it is:

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Ghosts of Girlfriends Past ***

So you must know the premise here, of 'Ghosts of Girlfriends' Past'. It's Dickens done yet again! Except this time, the regrets are girlfriends and not christmases.

It stars Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner. The premise/story of the movie was actually really well done, in keeping with their theme. Acting was good. And several really good laughs. So I enjoyed it!

As for the kids, the main character is a man who uses women for sex. This is a constant theme. There really isn't nudity or even very bad language, but the fact that he blatantly scams women for sex is a constant topic of conversation in this one. You can decide.

Even though I don't have a whole lot to say about this one, I did enjoy it.
Nice chick flick! (& they guys won't mind it because they'll love the dog he is to start with!)

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Thursday, September 17, 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine ***

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the super-hero, comic book based movies, I was kind of excited about this one. I heard this one was really good... and it was... but perhaps not as good as I anticipated.

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' , you guessed it, gives us the origin of Wolverine. In the other movies, he's a dark, misunderstood and mysterious mutant. Well, now we know why! This movie gives us the background into what made Wolverine the mutant he is. It takes us from his childhood through to where Patrick Stewart starts collecting mutants (but not Wolverine).

'Wolverine' was, in fact, very good and entertaining. In my opinion, it's not really as good as some of the other X-Men movies. You meet a few new characters and get some background on Wolverine. It was good but not great.

A must watch for comic fans, and entertaining for the rest of us!

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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Gran Torino ****

I feel like I'm the last person in America to watch 'Gran Torino'!
It got on 'very long wait' on netflix before I got it!

It was worth the wait.

I'm not a huge Clint Eastwood fan, but at the same time, he's never done anything I hated. 'Gran Torino' is like dirty Harry as an old man.

He's a widower who is left in a now bad neighborhood, dealing with the gangs that have taken over. His character muttered almost every racial slur you can imagine, but delivered them in such a way that it's hysterical. He makes friends with some of the good people, helps some young people in need, and ultimately, sacrifices to help the young people he's befriended.

'Gran Torino' is amazingly another great movie from Clint Eastwood. It's a great story, well done, and of course, masterfully acted by Eastwood.

It's ok for most kids. There are some gang violence scenes (not terribly disturbing), and as I said, almost every racial slur imagineable. (My favorite was 'doo-wop dego' for the barber.) Otherwise, most kids might even learn something about people from it!

A must see!

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Crank 2: High Voltage ***1/2

If you enjoyed the first 'Crank', you'll probably like 'Crank 2: High Voltage'.

It's another installment of assassin Chev Chelios. (I think it's interesting that we never really see him perform as a paid assassin because everybody just wants to kill him.)

The plot is similar to the original, in that Chev is racing against the clock to save his life. This time, however, we have different circumstances and a whole new set of tricks to pull from the bag. Although sequels are frequently disappointing, Jason Statham delivers another twisted and interesting plot with this one! Well done sequel!

Neither of the 'Crank' movies is what I would call 'child appropriate'. 'Crank 2' even more so than the first one. There are things in here that are not appropriate even for the most mature teenager. You may very well even be offended by some of the craziness in 'Crank 2'. If you're not offended, you'll be freaked out at the very least.

All in all, really entertaining one for the adults!

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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Dance Flick **1/2

'Dance Flick' is a spoof of that inspirational dance movie... It's a creation of some of the Wayans' guys.

You know I love a good stupid movie. This isn't it. It's too ridiculous from the start. There's absolutely nothing believable happening. No lead in, but all shock value. All silliness.

Granted, there were a few moments that I laughed out loud, and I'm grateful for that. But there were more moments where I just wasn't amused.

There were also moments very inappropriate for the kids. I would keep this one away from them. It has some pretty raunchy moments that you don't want your creeepy 14yo son to be watching. No need giving them any ideas.

Ok, so maybe on a different day I would have felt differently, but today, I didn't love 'Dance Flick'.

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Friday, September 4, 2009

State of Play ***

'State of Play', starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck turned out to be a pretty good political thriller. I hadn't heard a lot about it, so I wasn't very excited.

It's one of those stories about the newspaper guy whose best friend is a Congressman, and there's a story to blow! There are lots of twists and turns, and a rapidly evolving plot. I like that when it's well done, and here, it is. It's not the greatest story I've ever heard, but at least everything made sense!

'State of Play' also stars Robin Wright Penn, Rachel McAdams and Jason Bateman. They all do a really good job, but I must say that Jason Bateman plays a great sleaze bag! I would hate for him to get type-cast here, but I think he may become the rich guy with too much hair gel in a lot more movies.

This one is totally OK for the kids. There is discussion of marital infidelity, but that's about it. I doubt, however, that most kids would hang on to this story.

'State of Play' was a good watch!

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Life As A House ***1/2 (almost 4)

'Life As a House'... have I mentioned I'm a huge Kevin Kline fan?? I don't think he's made one that I've hated, and I can't say that for many!

I really wasn't excited about this one though and in fact, almost took it off of my queue several times. The sleeve sounds horribly sad... about a guy dying. In case you didn't know, I'm not a fan of the really sad kind of drama. I can appreciate it, but most times I wish I'd just skipped it. This one was a very rare exception.

'Life As A House' tells a beautiful story of a guy dying, and his very dysfunctional family. From the start, there were several things that disturbed me about the characters in the movie. But as I continued to watch, the story unfolded absolutely beautifully! It was like a Hemingway novel. Every twisted piece of information tied back in later. I love it when all of the pieces fit!!

There were a few disturbing bits of Americana in 'Life As A House' that I think could have been left out, but we probably need the intrigue. These things are the ones NOT appropriate for the kids... including a teenage 'hot' shower scene and some statutory rape thrown in for effect to name a couple! Let your kids watch this when they're much older!

Despite the inappropriateness, 'Life As A House' is a beautiful story about love, forgiveness and human frailty. I teared up a little at the end, but it made me more happy than sad. Absolutely amazing given the movie description!

'Life As A House' was a great watch and once again, I love Kevin Kline! (He also had an amazing cast behind him including Kristen Scott Thomas, Hayden Christenson, Mary Steenburgen and Scott Bakula -- I loved 'Quantum Leap' as a kid!)

Really well done!!




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Monday, August 31, 2009

Goodbye Solo **

This is one of those Indie dramas that was supposed to be pretty good...
It was just ok, and then the end just kind of pissed me off... on a personal level.

Cab driver befriends an old man who is alone. That was the good part.

I guess if you're bored on a Sunday and this is on, you should watch it, but otherwise you could probably skip it.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Rudo Y Cursi ***

'Rudo y Cursi' stars Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal.

It's about two brothers who love and are gifted soccer players, who play to get off of the banana plantation. We go through their rise to stardom and their women and money challenges with them.

This was an ok story, and well done movie. If you're a fan of the round ball, I think you'll enjoy this one a little more.

As for the kids, there's some nudity and bad language...


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Friday, August 28, 2009

Duplicity *** (barely)

'Duplicity' starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.
This is about corporate world espionage, and how these two dance around each other in it.

This is one that you need to be watching and paying attention. The time frame jumps around a lot. But then, after you've paid all that attention... it's just not that good. It's all pretty well done, and a fair watch, but the idea of big corporations with their own little 'cia' running around is more than a little disturbing to me. I guess it's really all about money, whoever you are... country of corporation... sad.

I'm not sure what it would've taken to make this a better movie for me, but I'm thinking that the story line probably needed to be beefed up a little. There's just not enough interesting stuff to tie together.

This one is rated PG-13, so it's ok for the kids. There is one love scene, but there isn't anything your 13yo hasn't already seen. However, I don't think most kids would be able to hang on or understand what's really going on here.

'Duplicity' was ok, but not great...

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Adventureland **1/2

Story about a young college graduate, virgin who gets a summer job at an amusement park.
blah, blah, blah... not that great. I didn't laugh once. Skip it.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Sunshine Cleaning ***

'Sunshine Cleaning' stars Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. It's about two sisters who start a cleaning business that specializes in biohazard and crime scene clean up. It seemed ripe for off-color jokes to me???

It turns out there are no jokes. It's a pretty serious, non-funny movie. It was just ok... kind of sad. I'm a little disappointed... Am I not paying attention??

It's ok for the more mature kids, but they'll be bored. However, there are a few shots of Amy Adams in her underwear, and an almost-lesbian moment with Emily Blunt. huh??

It was all kind of odd, but a pretty good rainy day kind of watch:

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Friday, August 21, 2009

The Lives of Others ****1/2

'The Lives of Others' has become one of my all time favorites. I just happened to see it over at Amazon and felt like I should tell you about it. By the way, I rarely even tear up during a movie, but this one made me all-out sob!

It's about Iron Curtain East Berlin in the early 1980s and the strife felt among artists and writers. The story itself is very compelling, but for me, it became personal.

I remembered how I felt as a teenager... worried they'd drop the big one tomorrow... and those poor people! Held prisoner in their homeland! I was in West Germany in 1986 and even though I didn't experience the 'other' side of it on a first hand basis... I felt it. The scary thing was right over there! Everything I had learned to fear was just a few miles away.

'The Lives of Others' brought back some important feelings for me; the fear, the worry of the Cold War. But more importantly, it reminded me to be grateful for the progress that we have made in my lifetime. Yes, we should still complain about the government and we should still help the misfortunate. But hey, I can go to Berlin (all of it) without fear now. To many these days, the very idea seems silly... but it was very real back then.

The story and movie themselves are amazing and compelling. Everything was very well done! And to me, an important movie to help us remember, and also very important in educating our children on the past. Watch it with them. It is probably too much for the younger kids, but good for the older more mature teenagers.

I'm going to buy it now. You should too:

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Surveillance **1.2

'Surveillance' starring Julia Ormond and Bill Pullman. I don't love either of them, but I watched it anyway.

The story is that five people and two policemen end up on the side of the road with a serial killer. The entire movie is the FBI interrogation and their recollection of the events. THEN, there's a big twist with a blood bath at the end! So if you're into that kind of thing, go for it!

This movie was pretty messed up and disturbed. I could've skipped it.
And you should see to it that your kid skips it too.

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I Love You, Man ***1/2

'I Love You, Man' starring Paul Rudd, was quite good. I'm a big fan of Paul Rudd and am always excited to see something of his. I think that in the end, he could be considered one of the great comedians of my generation.

It's about a guy who's getting married and realizes that he doesn't have any 'buddies', guy friends. We've all known a guy like this... The few friends he has are usually women, and he goes from girlfriend to girlfriend, hopelessly devoted to each of them. As he tries to find a 'best friend' to be his best man, the comedy ensues. It's one laugh after the next.

My problem with this movie is why, why, why??? I would've cut down my wedding party, told him to get his Dad to be his best man, and lived at the center of his world!!!
But, ok, he was enriched by finding a friend... So maybe guys do need friends?? (If your guy needs one, mine's got a few extra to get rid of so give me a call!)

This one is ok for the more mature teenager (He gets the tongue from a guy), but you may want to screen it?

Ok, all in all, 'I Love You, Man' was not among my favorite of Paul Rudd's work, but it was still very funny and definitely worth watching!

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Monday, August 10, 2009

Obsessed ***

'Obsessed' stars Beyonce', among others. It was marketed as a 'Fatal Attraction'-type movie. The movie was sort of ho-hum for quite a while, then it picks up steam like a freight train until it culminates in Beyonce's big scene at the end.

I'm not a big fan of my favorite singers crossing over into acting, but... Beyonce' was really good! Really! I believed her, and wanted to help her kick butt! She made me emotionally invested in what was happening to her character! That's Acting 101! So 'Yea!' Beyonce'!!! I hope you get more acting gigs, but don't you dare stop singing!

Good movie, worth the watch, and ok for the mature teenager...

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The Echelon Conspiracy **

Looked like it might be good... started out really interesting... until it turned into another movie about a computer gone bad and taking over the world!! I'm so sick of that! We CAN live without them people! Not gonna' die!


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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Race to Witch Mountain ***1/2

'Race To Witch Mountain' is a Disney remake starring Dwayne Johnson. Although it's not exactly like the original 'Escape to Witch Mountain', it too will become a Disney classic.

I have to say that I've grown to love Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. When I was a kid, the face of many Disney movies was Kurt Russell. I really thought they would never replace him as their stand-in male. But this actor/wrestler has done a great job as Disney's new guy.

'Race To Witch Mountain' was a very good watch... entertaining and interesting. It held my attention the whole time! And it made me a little nostalgic for my childhood and watching the original. Also, if you're paying attention, you'll see the kids from the 1975 movie in this one!

Great addition to any Disney collection!

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Fanboys *** barely

In 'Fanboys' a bunch of Star Wars nerds get together to attempt stealing Episode I before its release. I can totally see how this might have really happened since I'm sure there were plenty of them up in arms over the release of Episode I.

I love a good funny stupid movie, but this one just wasn't that great. It was just an ok watch.

Does G.Lucas have producer credit here?? because I would almost bet that this happened???

It was just ok for me, but apparently others liked it more.

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Saturday, August 1, 2009

Yeah, I know I've been busy today! Seven to comment on!
I'm caught up for now, but 'Fanboys' is a-waitin'!! Oh Boy!

Miss March ***1/2

So you know I'm a fan of stupid movies, right?? Well 'Miss March' surprisingly delivered!
It's about a guy who wakes from a coma to find his wholesome girlfriend is Playboy's Miss March! This movie has some absolutely great belly laughs as well as a life lesson from Hef himself! So glad I got it... 'Miss March was a great time!'

As for the kids... This is one you should lock up and keep away from them. Don't let your kids watch this movie! There is everything inappropriate about it!

But hysterical for the silly grown-ups!


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Bart Got A Room ***1/2

'Bart Got A Room' was a strange little teenager movie. It's about a boy with two crazy, divorced parents (one of whom is William Macy) trying to get an easy date for prom.

I wasn't really expecting it to have much value, but it was entertaining and I loved the ending. It shows a stupid young boy who makes a profound realization in the end. Love when they end it with something wholesome!

I would say that it's ok for most teenagers. No nudity or really bad language. There is some questionable content that would need to be your call. He is looking for an easy date, so obviously sex is an undertone... even Bart got a room!


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The Great Buck Howard **

'The Great Buck Howard' is a movie based on the career of the Amazing Kreskin, who if you remember, made lots of appearances on Carson back in the early Carson days. Stars John Malkovich and Colin Hanks (Tom's son).

It was sad and a little strange, but ok.


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Coraline ***

Ok, I really wanted to go see this at the theatre because it was in 3D and it's one of those weird animations like 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. But I didn't....

I have to say... 'Coraline' just freaked me out??? The story is weird and messed with my head... I can't imagine what a kid might think?

If you wanna' be freaked out, then watch it. Otherwise, skip it.

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The Haunting in Connecticut *** ...almost

'The Haunting in Connecticut' was very Amityvilleish but with a good bit more blood and gore. Also with this one, (on doing a little research), the writers took lots of liberties embellishing on the story. This did make for a much better movie since they were able to tie all of the loose ends together. It is BASED on a true story. That's a broad term!

I hate horror movies, and this one was actually ok to me???

As for the PG-13 rating.... I think it should've been R!!! Lots of freaky stuff!
My 15yo horror movie freak daughter watched it and of course was fine, but I would heed some caution to anyone else, I think!

Pretty good watch, surprisingly!

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The Watchmen -*

I couldn't even pay attention to see the giant (probably computer generated) penis that I heard was in it!

The Edge of Love **1/2

Keira Knightley. Story about poet Dylan Thomas, during WWII, and his two women.
Only mildly entertaining, and I'm not sure if I'm enhanced by being informed of this story?
Just ok.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Gray Gardens ***

I've been looking forward to seeing this HBO movie about the Beales of Gray Gardens. The original documentaries chronicled the later lives of Big and Little Edie Beale. (Daughter is Edie Jr.) They were high society once, but then were left to live in squalor with little money and no one to look after them. Their Hampton estate was in ruins, and they lived in filth by the end, even though Big Edie was a Bouvier... Jackie O was her neice and did offer help after the documentary came out because I'm sure she was embarrassed. But it was no time before this little bit of help ran out.

Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange star in this retelling of the story of the Edie Beales. I have a lot of respect for Drew Barrymore. She was amazing as Little Edie. (And Jessica Lange did quite well as Big Edie.)

If you've seen the two original documentaries made back in the '70s, this rendition does sort of fill in some holes. It allows us to see what went on leading up to and after the documentaries.

I think that without seeing the original documentaries, this re-telling may be a little strange to you. You'd probably just think 'crazy women' and go on. It's very sad.

The thing about the original documentaries was that you felt like you got to know them. I laughed at them, and I cried with them. They were such a very sad couple, mother and daughter.

I'm glad that I watched the HBO re-telling of 'Gray Gardens'. Drew really nailed Little Edie! And it helped me to further understand them. But, without seeing the original documentaries, I don't think you totally 'feel' for them.

It's fine for the kids, although they probably won't be interested.

A good watch!


And this is the two disc set of both original documentaries:

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Knowing ***

I was optimistic about 'Knowing'. I heard it was good. It has Nicholas Cage!

'Knowing' is about a guy and his son, who receives some strange numbers out of a 50 year old time capsule at school. Strange things begin to happen, as Cage realizes that the numbers have meaning. At this point I'm liking the movie. THEN, we find out it's all about aliens and the world is ending! So, you know how I hate a sad ending.....

The movie was basically very well done, and worth the watch. The entire ending bothered me a little, but maybe that's just me?? Y'all let me know what you think!

It's also OK for the kids, but may be a little scary for the younger ones!

You can get it here:

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Push ***1/2

'Push' starring Dakota Fanning and Chris Evans proved to be a little better than I'd expected. It's one of those movies where everybody seems to have a 'super power'. I'm not a big fan of this genre, but to me, it seems like a disorganized X-men??

On the run from the Division, a government agency, our main characters are primarily working on saving her mother who is being held, and staying alive. She is psychic and he has telekinetic abilities. Other characters can telepathically make you believe a lie. And the list of powers goes on! Although the story had some holes, it was pretty well put together. They've set us up for a sequel, I think, but not all that well.

Even though I have some criticism, this was a really fun movie to watch. Edge of your seat fun... and makes you want super powers!

It's ok for the kids. Rated PG-13, there is some blood and violence.

A good watch! Get it here!

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

12 Rounds ***1/2

'12 Rounds' starring John Cena turned out better than I would have thought. He's one of those WWE wrestler guys or something. I generally really hate when these type guys do the action movies. You know the ones I'm talking about...

But John Cena is actually not a bad actor. The movie all in all was pretty good and definitely held my attention the entire time. It was literally thrilling. Perhaps not good for the heart, but fun.

The story was good and well put together.It's about a cop who is involved in a girl's murder. Her bad guy beau then resurfaces, kidnaps the cop's girl, and makes him go through 12 'rounds' in the hopes of saving her life. It was pointed out to me, however, that they kind of cheated on round 10. Not really a 'round'? So maybe they were running out of ideas by then??? Whatever.

A good watch as it turns out!!! I really wouldn't have thought!

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Sunday, July 5, 2009

Real Time ***

'Real Time' starring Jay Baruchel and Randy Quaid. Strangely entertaining.

It's July 4th weekend, and I left myself with no disks from Netflix. So I've been using my Roku device to access my instant queue and watching some that I wouldn't waste disk time on.

Let me also add that Randy Quaid is probably one of my least favorite actors. I'm not sure exactly why, but he's like nails on a chalkboard to me??

But, both actors did a great job in this little story which takes place in real time. It's not exciting, but an interesting watch when there's nothing else. Also, there's a twist ending and a life lesson... you know how I love that!

Not really kid-appropriate content but they probably won't want to watch it anyway.

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Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li *** (barely)

'Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li' starring Kristin Kreuk. She's the girl from the 'Smallville' TV series... Lana Lane. She's a gorgeous woman and a pretty good actress, so I was excited about what she might do with this role. I know absolutely nothing about the video game, so you won't get those comparisons here. Sorry.

'Street Fighter', as it turns out was not that exciting. The plot was pretty good, but Kreuk just didn't really make me believe her. If this is to be a continuing role, she's going to have to get super hot and get some better muscle tone. Also, if they really want to appeal to the target audience of martial arts type movies (men), then they're going to have to make sure she's got some better wardrobe to go with the hot bod she's gonna' have!

'Street Fighter' was well done in that she was playing a valid role at the time. But if they're going to make me want to take up some of that crap, they need to make her more appealing.

Ok for the kids (that is if you're ok with kung fu fighting), and an ok watch. (If only in the hopes that they'll make a sequel that's awesome, and you'll need this one for background later.)

Get it here if you're still not doing Netflix up there!

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Confessions of a Shopaholic

'Confessions of a Shopaholic' starring Isla Fisher.

I was expecting a cute little chick flick... and it is. It's about a girl who loves to shop, or more appropriately, has to shop. It's a cute story with the love thing all wrapped up in it.

It's totally OK for the kids.

The part of it I don't like, however, is that I think it sort of makes light of a real problem. It did, however, bring the shopaholic problem to the attention of people, as a problem. There are so many out there like her. We all know them. They have to buy something new constantly. It doesn't matter what it is. Maybe even a pack of gum they don't need thrills them. So, if you can't go to a store without buying something, you might be a shopaholic. Get a grip and get help.

Cute movie and definitely worth the watch! Get it here:

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

'The Pink Panther 2' ***

'The Pink Panther 2' starring Steve Martin as Inspector Clouseau, and backed by some greatness like John Cleese!!! (Not to mention Jeremy Irons, Andy Garcia, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, and Lily Tomlin!!! What a cast!) Steve Martin is an amazing Jacques Cousteau. What a comedic genius! (Did you guys know that 'The Jerk' is my all-time favorite movie? It doesn't matter how bad things are. If you just put that in, you are going to laugh.)

This movie is another tribute to the long lost art of physical comedy. We don't see it much anymore. People don't appreciate 'The Three Stooges'. But alas, we get a bone every now and then.

This Pink Panther sequel delivers plenty of the stupid, bumbling Jacques Clouseau. It takes me back to my childhood with Peter Sellers. I didn't 'get' all of the humor, but there was always something going on to laugh at. Some idiocy that he found. But then as always, in the end, Clouseau always ends up being the smart one?? You'll be giggling the entire time. The plot? Yes, there is one and it's put together quite well.

Now it's true that watching 'The Pink Panther 2' will probably not change your life. But if life's about the journey, I'd prefer to get there giggling.

Totally OK for the kiddies. They probably won't get it... all of the humor that is, but you should at least try to explain it to them so this artform doesn't die! And they'll have to be laughing right along with you as Inspector Clouseau falls into all sorts of mischief.

Here's how to get it:

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Sunday, June 21, 2009

The Rocker ***1/2

'The Rocker' starring Rainn Wilson. I really wasn't excited about this one. It just looked annoying.

And again, you can't judge a book by its cover. This turned out to be a really cute little movie, good for the whole family. The story is about a drummer in a hot band who is ditched right before stardom. He spends the next 20 years lusting for what might have been. Until one day when his teenage nephew needs a drummer for his band. They turn out to be great and everyone is happy in the end! It teaches a lesson of chasing your dreams when the opportunity arises. He learns to live again.

Cute movie and a good watch!

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The Reader ***1/2

'The Reader' starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes, and David Kross playing young Ralph Fiennes. All I really knew about it was that Kate was naked and there was reading going on.

It actually turned out to be a little better than I'd expected. Kate plays a 30 something woman who has a very inappropriate affair with a 15 year old boy. She disappears, but then reappears in his life later when he's in law school... and she's on trial for murdering 300+ people as a Nazi. She is convicted, even though you feel some sympathy for her. Fiennes' character remains drawn to her, even in love with her even after she is imprisoned. He finds a means of corresponding with her and loving her from a distance.

ALL of the performances here; Winslet, Fiennes and Kross were Oscar worthy performances. They all succeeded in evoking the emotion that actors struggle to attain. Very well done.

Don't let your kids watch it!!! She's naked and cavorting with a 15 year old!!!

But you should watch it. It's an interesting story and another side of Nazi Germany to think about. I love when a history lesson is involved!

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Sunday, June 14, 2009

Zack and Miri Make a Porno ***1/2

'Zack and Miri Make a Porno' immediately went to 'very long wait' on Netflix. I was patient... I heard it was really funny. It was!

The title basically gives you the story. Zack and Miri are best friends who live together, and are so broke... that's what they do. The antics that ensue are hysterical. This one was really well written and has several really good performances. (Justin Long as the gay guy had me rolling for hours -- on the deleted scenes!)

Lots of good laughs here, and a nice love story wrap-up!

Obviously, you should keep this one far away from the kids. And if you're easily offended, you should probably stay away from it too.

But for the rest of us who love a good stupid movie, here's the link to get it!

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Fired Up ***1/2

Yeah, so there wasn't much sleep going on here last night.... Three! OMG!

So, if you didn't already know, I'm a fan of the stupid movie. And here's a good one! It's about two teenage boys who decide it would be much more fun to go to cheerleader camp than football camp. And let the frivolity begin!!!

There are lots of good laughs and the two lead guys (sorry?) were great. We'll be seeing them again.

You're an idiot if you let your kids watch this! It's everything you don't want them to know about! At any age!!!

BUT, if you can get into a stupid frame of mind, it's really funny!!!

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Killshot ***

'Killshot', I was less than enthusiastic about! Diane Lane is great and everything, but I've just been seeing waaaayyyy too much of her lately. Take a break for God's sake! And I have similar feelings for Mickey Rourke. I like him in small doses.

BUT, I was pleasantly surprised by 'Killshot'. It's about a newly divorced couple who end up hunted by a crazy hitman. It was a good story and it all came together quite nicely. It was adequately suspenseful throughout. All roles were played well. 'Killshot' probably didn't get the attention that it deserved at the time.... I knew nothing about it? But it was a very good movie, all around. A good watch.

As for the kids, just skip it. There's some nudity and a lot of stupid killing.

But for you, it'll be a fun, so you can get it here:

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The International ** Ugh!

I like Clive Owen, but 'The International' was just not very good!!!

He's an Interpol agent working with a NY D.A. agent (Naomi Watts), trying to bring down a bank that is helping to supply arms to third world countries.

The whole plot of it is large... almost too large. It makes you see the operatings of the world from a 'big picture'. So there's the big picture, and then there's the smaller picture with our characters and what they were dealing with. The problem is that the smaller picture was not developed enough. Their small plot within the bigger one was not complete. (I'm sure a lot of pertinent information is on the cutting room floor! Two hours as is!) There were lots of holes. You know I'm a fan of the complex plot lines, but this one just didn't come together at all for me.

It's ok for the kids except for the killings and gun fights! ??
No sex or anything remotely sexy.... Not even the two hot stars!

If you must see all of Clive Owen, you can pick it up below.

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Sunday, June 7, 2009

Defiance ***1/2

'Defiance' starring Daniel Craig and Clive Owen... I really like both of these guys and again was not disappointed.

This is another one that I feel strongly about in that it's an historical account that I (and I'm sure most people), knew nothing about. It turns out that there were thousands of Polish Jews hiding in the woods for over two years during WWII. Four brothers, the Bielski's, were in charge of a huge camp of migrating, hiding people! At the end of the war, they had helped to save over 1200 people!

The movie was done very well. You really feel their pain.... And it kind of made me want to stop complaining about being inside during the harsh Alabama winters! What a weenie I am...
After watching 'Defiance', you will be grateful for whatever you have. And you will appreciate the strength and courage that those before us have faced.

'Defiance' is a very well done historical account, and an important lesson for all of us.
If you want to go get it, here's the link:



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Revolutionary Road ***

'Revolutionary Road'... Kate and Leo!! How exciting!

Yeah, I know a lot of people were excited about their reuniting in a movie, but I'm one of the ones who doesn't care.

However, they both did an excellent job retelling this story from the 1950's of a young married couple and their woes. Kate Winslet really was excellent as the slightly crazy housewife. She made it so that most women can relate to her on some level. We may not be all-out crazy, but we've all got a little in us! (Leo was very good too, just not quite as juicy of a role.)

Just keep this one away from the kids. #1. strange, random adultery with some nudity, and #2.Let's just keep them from some of the harsh realities for now.

All in all it's a decent watch. I'm not that fired up about it, but I stayed awake to see what Kate's character was going to do next. Pretty good.
Here's the link if you want to go get it:

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

He's Just Not That Into You ***1/2

I was really pleasantly surprised by 'He's Just Not That Into You'. I was expecting nothing more than a cute little date movie, chick flick. It's actually much more.

The movie takes us through several different dating scenarios. It's like seeing every stupid dating thing that you or anybody you know, has ever done. Several situations are going on at the same time. You see all points of view and the explanations behind them.

The lesson in 'He's Just Not That Into You' is to stop reading into things! If a guy says one thing, he DOES NOT mean something else!!! (If he does, which occasionally there are guys like that, you shouldn't waste your time playing these games!) If a guy (or girl!) is not pursuing you, then you should just move on to the next one! If both parties are 'feeling' it, then they'll both pursue.

I wish this movie had come out about 20 years ago before I made all of these mistakes!!! Keep going 'til you find someone to pursue you!!!

Really nice movie, and it should be mandatory viewing for everyone in the dating arena!!

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To see them, just go to the site: http://triciasmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Monday, June 1, 2009

JCVD ***1/2 Really???

JCVD. Jean-Claude VanDamme. I can't believe I'm rating it 3 1/2!!! It's probably the best movie he's ever done! (In my humble, not a fan of his, opinion)

It seems that it's at least semi-autobiographical, in that it's Jean-Claude VanDamme playing himself. You go through his life and really feel what that life must be like. (Or is it really his or one that he has imagined??? Both, I'm sure.) Until suddenly he's swept into a bank robbery and hopefully this is at least where real life diverges.

It reminded me somewhat of 'The Wrestler' in the basic concept of a sort of 'has been'. You can call me crazy if you want to, but I felt more emotion from JCVD's dubbed English than from Rourke. (Sorry) VanDamme really showed us that he can act!! He's not just a crazy action hero, fighting guy. Really a surprisingly amazing job.

I thought that this one was a really nice watch, even though I'm not a big fan of JCVD at all!! And available on instant view at Netflix!!

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Lakeview Terrace *... *

I can't even bring myself to talk about 'Lakeview Terrace'.

Samuel L Jackson. Angry a**hole. Racial Tensions. Climactic conclusion with a big confrontation.

That's about it.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

One Thousand Years of Good Prayers **

Just so you know.... I was a little excited about "One Thousand Years of Good Prayers" because it's directed by Wayne Wang who did "The Joy Luck Club".

It wasn't impressive at all.
Slow. Nothing really happening. Boring.
You get a little explanation of the awkward father-daughter relationship at the very end, but it's just not worth it!
And the title.... The father references a story where there are THREE thousand years... but not ONE???

Sorry, but I wouldn't watch it again... ever.
Don't buy it!
If you must see it, do the Netflix thing up top!!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Star Trek *****

Let's start this one with some background...
When I was a kid (no cable, one TV), I was forced to watch all of the old 'Star Trek''s... not once but over and over. One brother in particular was totally obsessed with the show! (You know who you are...) As a result I had to be a fan.

So I went into the new movie, 'Star Trek', looking forward mainly to Simon Pegg as Scottie. Otherwise, I went in with a critical eye. To say I was impressed is a HUGE understatement!!! They did an awesome job!!! It was writtten soo well... soo in line with the original series!! But here, we get to see our contemporary special effects, not models!!! Cool!!!

The movie basically takes us through what happened leading up to the series. So, you guessed it, it set us up for as many sequels as they can do!! I can't wait for the battles to come! The potential is almost endless!!!

The cast was spectacular! We don't even meet Scottie until close to the end... Pegg was awesome, but so was everyone else! Harold guy from the 'Harold and Kumar' movies plays Sulu... (delighted me!) Entire cast did great jobs!!

And the entire movie was a great job! It's not often that I have NO criticisms, but here it is! For anyone who is even vaguelly a 'Star Trek' fan, this is a MUST SEE!!!
And I can't wait for what's to come!!!
Watch it!!
It's still at theaters, but I'll get you the link as soon as it's released on DVD!!!

The Passengers **1/2

I keep watching Anne Hathaway in dramatic roles, hoping to see what others see. I still don't see it??? I'm really not impressed with her in any dramatic role she's done?? She should really stick to comedy. She seems like she should be a good dramatic actress, but I'm just not impressed. Sorry.

'The Passengers' is about a therapist, played by Hathaway, who is counseling the survivors of a fatal plane crash. You notice some strange things along the way???... and then BAM, there's a huge plot twist at the end.

'The Passengers' was Ok, but again, I'm not overly impressed with Hathaway or the movie.

Here's the link if you really want to try it:

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Vicky Cristina Barcelona ***1/4

I was kind of looking forward to 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz are both super hot. Scarlet Johanson isn't anything to sneeze about either. I just don't like her super blondness. It was also directed by Woody Allen, so, you know.... I think he's a total perv for marrying his adopted daughter!! BUT, yes, his messed up little head has often been entertaining for me in the past.... So I always watch them, despite his perv-ness.

The film is the story of two young women, Vicky and Cristina, who go to Barcelona for the summer. Vicky is uptight and thinks she knows exactly what she wants. Cristina is a free spirit who has no idea what she wants, only what she doesn't want. Bardem plays everyone's love interest, and Cruz plays his crazy ex-wife. And yes, I think she did deserve an Academy nomination for this! She was awesome! Loved her in this role!

All in all, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' was a well made film with a nice but crazy story. I think it makes all of us women wonder which one we are... Vicky or Cristina... or in my case, at least, a little of both! There is some sexual craziness going on that I found a little disturbing. (Three of them end up in a 'relationship'.) But despite that, it was a very thought provoking movie that held my attention.

As for the kids, unless you're OK with them knowing about 'free love', then they shouldn't watch it. I'm definitely not even letting my very mature 15yo watch it! There's not really any nudity, but the subject matter is way more than any kid needs to know about. They just don't need to know about the crazy perversions of adults!

But for grown ups... Good one to check out:



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To see them, just go to the site: http://triciasmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Friday, May 22, 2009

Valkyrie ****

I'm an avid fan of our human history. So I have to watch movies like 'Valkyrie' for several reasons. Mainly it's to see what Hollywood wants us to think about history. Is it accurate? Does it give a full spectrum of what happened?

With 'Valkyrie', I was expecting an epic movie... Tom Cruise and all!
It wasn't really what I would call 'epic' in that it wasn't really an encompassing view of what happened. It's a story of a specific man and his conspirators in a specific situation.

'Valkyrie' was a great history lesson for all of us in what went on with Operation Valkyrie, the failed plot to assassinate Hitler. It's also an important lesson for us... all Germans aren't evil y'all !!! Some of them recognized his madness and did try to stop him.

Tom Cruise really did a great job here. He's not one of my favorite actors, but he earned some respect from me in this dramatic role. He did a great job portraying Col. Von Straussberg, and made me believe that he truly did abhor Hitler. Good job!
I was a little disappointed not to see more of K.Sutherland. His character is transferred halfway through, and we don't really hear from him much after that. But the time we did see him, was very good. I'm a fan of both Sutherlands!

'Valkyrie' was a really good portrayal of Operation Valkyrie, and an important addition to our video libraries! (If you don't see the link below to get it, then go to the blog:) http://triciasmoviereviews.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Paul Blart: Mall Cop ***

I like Kevin James. But I don't love him. When I saw that I was getting this one, I wasn't terribly excited, but I knew it would be at least a few laughs.

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' had several really good laughs. It was definitely worth the watch.

As you may have guessed, it's about a mall cop named Paul Blart. There's a love story, personal issues and of course a major drama in his life. All of which come with some great almost slapstick humor.

Another thing I really liked was that it was very well written! I'm pretty critical of a movie's story line, and I hate when it doesn't tie together, leaving loose ends. No loose ends here. It all made sense, and each piece of information was vital to the story later on. I love that!

It was totally OK for the kids. I'd let a three year old watch it.

'Paul Blart: Mall Cop' was a very nice little watch!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Taken ***1/2

I wasn't all that excited about this one. I'm not a big fan of Liam Neeson generally, and it seemed like it might be lacking originality. But I was wrong!

'Taken' turned out to be a really good watch. Neeson plays an ex-military, over controlling Dad who doesn't want his 17 year old daughter to go to Europe for the summer. When he succumbs, he has lots of rules for her to follow. But quickly after landing in Paris, she and her friend are abducted by an Albanian prostitution ring. He knows that he only has a few days to find her before his chances of finding her alive greatly dwindle. He's a man on a mission. And the mission is great fun to watch!

All in all, 'Taken' is not the most original or suspenseful movie of this type, but it does have some snippets of originality thrown in to make it very enjoyable. Liam Neeson's character is really the only main character, and he does a great job holding the movie together. (I probably wouldn't have cast him... but I don't know who I would have??)

This one is probably OK for most mature teens, although the subject matter of enslaved prostitution might be further than you want any kid to learn about.

It was a good watch! (And all in about an hour and a half!)

Monday, May 11, 2009

Frozen River ***1/2

So I wasn't too excited about getting this one.... But the lead, Melissa Leo, was nominated for an Academy Award, so I thought I should check it out.

It was worth the watch!

In 'Frozen River', Melissa Leo plays a desperate and alone mom who happens into a little human smuggling. We've seen this story and heard others like it many times. Usually it takes place around Mexico, however. With 'Frozen River', the action takes place in upstate New York and they're smuggling people across Mohawk territory, specifically a frozen river. Who knew this happened? I didn't.

There are, of course, some personal traumas that she goes through in this endeavor. And you get to meet a myriad of other interesting people.

All in all, 'Frozen River' was a nice surprise and very worth the watch.
Also, it's ok for the kids, but the younger ones probably wouldn't enjoy it.

Good one!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

TimeCrimes ***1/2

Ok, so I watched several other new releases this week beside 'Benjamin Button'. 'Last Chance Harvey' was ok but really sad, but then...

I turned on my Netflix instant view player last night and turned on 'TimeCrimes'. It's Spanish for starters, so you will probably need to read. The sound track for me at least, was off for most of the movie, so I just muted and read it. Also, it's considered a sci-fi/fantasy! And I still liked it??

The plot of the movie 'TimeCrimes' deals with time travel. Yes, I hate things that are unreal, but the theory of time travel does hold a little credibility with me. You know, because of the whole plausibility of it with Einstein and quantum theory and all.

In 'TimeCrimes', our main character, Hector, is swept up into a plot where he inadvertently gets into a time machine. He goes back about an hour in time and realizes that now there are two of him. The plot gets sticky with two and then three Hectors. Then at the end, at least one of the Hector's is back to normal. But I'm pretty sure the other Hector's will be forever perpetuating the same plot and themselves??

Although 'TimeCrimes' wasn't great and probably won't be one of my all time favorites, it was definitely worth the watch. I enjoyed the complexity and layering of the plot. It was one of those movies that was fun to keep up with!

As for the kids, there's a little nudity (it's foreign) not in a sexual way, just a naked chick. So if your ok with that and your kid wants to read it.....

A nice watch!