Hamlet 2

Debut: 2008
Director: Andrew Fleming
Starring: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener

In a word: amazing! So I went to see this with a few friends, and it was basically awesome.

I will say that it's slow-moving for a while, but the ending is a blowout. The "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" number is completely hysterical, and the movie has way too many funny moments to be overruled by the slow ones.

DEFINITELY worth your time and money, unless you're easily offended.

The Producers

Debut: 1968
Director: Mel Brooks
Starring: Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel

I'm gonna go ahead and say that I love anything and everything that involves Gene Wilder, but this is truly a classic if you've never seen it.

I'm not even going to say anything else, just check it out already.

Tropic Thunder

Debut: 2008
Director: Ben Stiller
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black

So I'm going to go ahead and freely admit that I am currently feeling a little mixed about this one, but I will probably see it again just to get it all.

As we know, it's a movie making fun of movies, a huge challenge that has rarely been pulled off successfully. I will say it's a challenge in this film to remember that while you're watching, and that if you don't specifically remember that, it's pretty easy to think it's not that great.

But, if you are watching it and realizing that every last bit of action is exaggerated and every last actor takes themselves too seriously, you will find it hilarious.

I'm gonna go ahead and say my favorite part, which you catch a glimpse of during the previews, is when their director (played by Steve Coogan) actually gets blown up by stepping on a land mine. Stiller's character convinces the others that this is just a stunt to make them believe the director is seriously, and starts playing with the prop head that is supposed to be the real head. It's kind of disgusting, but it's also hysterical.

I do think a lot of work ( A LOT) went into this film, and it's important to recognize that everything is there for a reason. Including Tom Cruise dancing his ass off in the final scene, which, if not for anything else, this film is worth seeing.

The Graduate

Debut: 1967
Director: Mike Nichols
Starring: Dustin Hoffman

I'm working on the classics, and I finally got to this baby. It was pretty all right. The story, as everyone knows, is about a boy who sleeps with a neighbor's wife, and then ends up dating and falling in love with her daughter.

I'm going to go ahead and say Dustin Hoffman was basically adorable when he was younger. After watching this I totally understand why it's such a big deal.

Aside from that, I'm amazed at the quality considering how long ago it was made. The whole movie is some kind of wonderful, so I'm just going to tell you to watch it for yourself.

Pineapple Express

Debut: 2008
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco

In a word: amazing! So people can agree to disagree but I thought it was as funny as Superbad and Knocked Up. But everyone has agreed that it is pretty hilarious, and worth your time.

Seth Rogen plays Dale Denton, a process server who spends all his time smoking weed and has a girlfriend in high school (he's 25....) and Franco plays his drug dealer. One night, when smoking, Dale witnesses a murder, committed by Franco's dealer's dealer. After that, they're on the run.

It's pretty much an awesome movie and you definitely need to see it. I would say, at the least, it is the best of the Apatow bunch since Superbad - since a bunch of the other ones didn't go so well. Needless to say, two thumbs up. P.S. Bill Hader in the beginning = hysterical.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Empire

Debut: 2008
Director: Rob Cohen
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, Luke Ford

So this was pretty entertaining, and I don't often use entertaining and "good" interchangeably, and I won't in this case either. The movie keeps you occupied, but if you're a thinker, as I often am, you're going to find a lot wrong with the film.

There happened to be numerous plot holes and impossibilities (so many white people in China in the 1940s? Doubtful...) but it was worth watching.

That being said, I have to comment on this Luke Ford fellow. He's like a younger Matt Damon (exactly) and it's too adorable. I love it.

I have to say, going off of that, it was ridiculously annoying that this kid (who is clearly in his mid-20's) is playing Brendan Fraser's son. This is an all-too-common occurrence on the CW, yeah, but I would have thought better of the Mummy creators. They could have toned it down and found someone who was in their teens to play the son (although, again, I didn't totally mind...) but nuff said.

This one is more worth your time to rent than to shell out $9 to see in the theaters. P.S. the abominable snowmen (called Yettis) are AWESOME.

Be Kind Rewind

Debut: 2008
Director: Michael Gondry
Starring: Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover

You know, for having mediocre reviews, I actually thought this was pretty amusing and the ending happens to be adorable.

The story takes place in an ancient video store where, yes set in present time, still only rents VHS's. Jack Black's character undergoes some electric shock and ends up as a magnetized person (which in itself is quite entertaining) and erases all of the videos in the store on accident. Jack Black and Mos Def's characters then decide to re-create movies for their customers using their own scenes and themselves as the actors, which is extremely entertaining. For example, Jack Black tries to sing the Ghostbusters theme song but gets it way wrong. It's great.

At the end, they make a film about a historic jazz figure who is supposedly from their era, and it's actually adorable. Oh yeah, the part with Jack Black doing black-face is amazing as well.

Check it out.

Broadcast News

Debut: 1987
Director: James L. Brooks
Starring: Holly Hunter

I hate to put it like this, but having taken journalism classes, they made Holly Hunter seem like a fighter for all we're supposed to believe in.

Hunter plays the managing editor of a major network's nightly news feature. She ends up having a fling (falling in love, I guess) with her co-worker and fights to keep the news an honest profession.

I seriously felt like this could have been written based on a college student before they enter the news world. I, for one, am a huge critic of the news but at the same time take classes in the Jschool at Drake, so it's kind of an interesting balance that most probably don't believe or understand. But I suppose we all go into journalism with this mind that we're going to keep it honest and just tell the story, when the reality is that many journalists lose those values along the way. I really enjoyed this movie for those reasons.

I wasn't crazy about the ending - she totally should have ended up with Aaron, duh, but aside from that, it was a pretty decent flick.

Swingers / Made

Swingers
Debut: 1996
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau

Made
Debut: 2001
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau

I put these together, even though they totally don't belong together because their goodness is so far apart. As everyone knows, Swingers is basically amazing and Made is not so much so. I'm not going to really discuss Made for that reason.

Swingers was kind of a launching the careers of both Vaughn and Favreau, and helped them become BFF's even more, after Rudy of course. The entire film focuses on Favreau's character's search for either a new girl or a way to get back with his old girl. It's basically these two guys that don't have much of a life besides bar-hopping and using the catchphrase "it's so money, baby."

I loved it, I might even buy it. But in the meantime you need to check it out.

Nanny McPhee

Debut:
Director:
Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Thompson

I would be lying if I said I didn't start watching this on ABC Family and that I wasn't sure from the get-go. But it was actually a pretty decent movie. The only thing I didn't approve of was the techni-color set - it looked a little kitsch for my tastes.

Other than that, the characters, the story and everything else were on par. Emma Thompson plays Nanny McPhee, a hideous nanny who is basically the real life Nanny 911 and tames some uber-crazy children. They end up loving her most when she has to leave, and she helps the father find a bride.

It's a pretty cute little dig, so check it out.

Drugstore Cowboy

Debut: 1989
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Matt Dillon, Kelli Lynch, Heather Graham

Not as good as the previous entry, needless to say. This story was basically about a group of addicts who rob drugstores for a living.

I guess I sort of got bored during this film and tuned out, so it's hard for me to give it a fair opinion, but then again if I got bored and tuned out, there's your review.

My Own Private Idaho

Debut: 1991
Director: Gus Van Sant
Starring: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves

I was pretty into this one, I'd have to say. The story just follows two males prostitutes on their excursions - in particular, Phoenix's character's quest to find his birth mother.

The thing that really made this film interesting was that it kind of gets you thinking about prostitution, and not really in any sort of bad way. It really seems to get inside what gets prostitutes into prostitution, and in reality, I guess I came out of it thinking that most prostitutes aren't so bad. Watching the film, you kind of realize that sex for a prostitute really isn't what the rest of the world places it up on a pedestal for - that for a prostitute it's meaningless and cheap. It sort of makes you think that we should probably shame those who go to prostitutes more than the prostitutes themselves.

Well, that's maybe a little more philosophical than the movie intended (perhaps not with Gus Van Sant at the helm...) but the movie was interesting and fascinating enough.

Looking forward to.... Pineapple Express

Debut: 2008
Director: David Gordon Green
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco

I'd be lying if I said that half the reason I want to see this is because I love James Franco (because he's hot) but I love them both from Freaks and Geeks as well. And although Franco's hot, it kind of cancels out in this movie because he's playing a pothead with long hair.

Well, I think it will be good. I actually have no doubts - besides Franco and Rogen are Gary Cole (awesome), Darrell from the Office (no one knows his real name) and that new up-and-comer Danny McBride. All signs point to good.

And even if it's not funny, it appears to have a solid amount of action, so that will do either way.

Game 6

Debut: 2005
Director: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr.

Whoa, I didn't think Michael Keaton had made anything since Batman.... thanks for proving me wrong, man. Please see that comment as harmless, because he was basically amazing in this film.

Keaton plays this guy Nicky who writes plays for a living and has one coming out soon, and lives in fear of a horrible review from Steven Schwimmer (Downey). Downey tells the honest-to-God-awful truth in his reviews, so he lives in isolation and wears disguises when he leaves his building.

Anywho, Nicky is also obsessed with the Red Sox - to the point he misses his own play's opening night. He leaves the bar (after watching the losing game six....) furious without even knowing Schwimmer's impression of his play, wants to kill Schwimmer (finds him with Nicky's daughter....yikes!) and they end up working things out because they are both Red Sox fans. Maybe that last bit was a SPOILER ALERT. I didn't even realize it until I wrote it. Sorry.

Well, basically everything was great. It was easy on the eyes, easy on the head, and that's how I like it. Ooh, and it was short. You can tell I spend my days watching Blues Clues with the boys when I complain about most movies being too long or too much action. But this one was adorable, and completely worth your time.

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Debut: 2001
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, a bunch of random celebrities

So basically I love most Kevin Smith movies (and by most I mean all but this one...) yeah it wasn't so great. I normally find Jay and Silent Bob hilarious, but yeah. This just didn't do it for me.

I think a lot of the parodies were pretty off-key. Yeah they weren't good at all, I would say. There's a fine art to doing parodies, which SNL proves from being on the air for 33 years, and Kevin Smith did not seem to find that fine-tuning. I'm not going to bash him, I'm sure he knows it's not his best.

And it's a little ironic that he made fun of all of his other amazing movies in this one - the one that wasn't so amazing. I don't really know what to say, but if you're a Kevin Smith fan, you're only going to be disappointed.

Sherrybaby

Debut: 2006
Director: Laurie Collyer
Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Um, I would side on the "liked it" side, but I'm not completely sure. I don't know that I would watch it again, which generally is my personal indicator as to whether I liked it or not. Hmm.

Well, it's about this girl who gets released from prison on a drug charge and ends up in a transition house. She's extremely trashy and supposedly only wants a better life for her and her daughter.

It's just plain hard to watch I suppose. Just not my style, not my thing, not anything I could ever relate to, so maybe that makes it a little bit harder to sit through. Gyllenhaal plays the kind of girl you would frown upon and the movie, in no way, ever makes you feel bad for her or relate to her at all. You still kind of just judge her and don't really think that she makes anything better for her life.

Whatev.

The Practice, Season One

Debut: 1997
Creator: David E. Kelley
Starring: Dylan McDermott, Michael Badalucco, Camryn Manheim, Steve Harris, Kelli Williams

So back in the day I was like a fanatic of The Practice. And you know what, after watching the first few episodes, I am completely shocked it ever took off. I never saw the beginning, and lately it's been on in the morning, and I was like, all right, I'll go back and watch them because I loved it so much.

Wrong. The first episode is about a drug charge. A DRUG CHARGE I say. Yeah, most of their shows were about serial killers and murderers, and they kicked it off with a drug charge case. BORING. Aside from that, Helen Gamble (Lara Flynn Boyle) was not in the picture yet, and apparently she made the show significantly more interesting.

Well, don't bother with the beginning of the great show. There was just no chemistry yet, nothing. Lame. And for some God-awful reason, that's the only season on DVD. Thanks for nothing!

Soapdish

Debut: 1991
Director: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Sally Field, Kevin Kline, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Downey Jr., Elizabeth Shue

My gosh, I finally understand that clip that is always in a Scene It? question.

I don't feel like talking about the plot, so I won't. But I liked it, quite a bit. This one was extremely witty - which is more my kind of humor. In no way is it laugh-out-loud humor (have I mentioned I HATE the phrase LOL?) but in no way does that ever mean a movie isn't funny. This one was extremely funny.

I haven't really seen many Kevin Kline movies (except Wild Wild West when I was like 10.... I don't want to talk about that...) , and he was excellent. I mean he was great. Actually, everyone was great so I don't want to single him out. This was Sally Field when she still played more cutesy characters and less serious Mom characters.

The entire movie was adorable, and I'm thinking I'm going to have to take a peek at it again sometime. Check it out for yourself.

Fargo

Debut: 1996
Directors: Joel & Ethan Coen
Starring: Frances McDormand, Steve Buschemi, William H. Macy

Loved it. I had seen bits and pieces of this one over and over on TV or something, but knew that one of these days I would have to sit down and watch the whole thing, and of course, as everyone knows, it's great.

The acting is too funny - being in the Midwest and going to school with like a bazillion Minnesotans, it's just cute I guess. I don't even know anyone whose accent is quite that exaggerated, but it's just plain fun.

Aside from that, the story is great. If you haven't seen it yet, like my lame self hadn't until yesterday, I suggest looking into it.

Ghost World

Debut: 2001
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Based on the graphic novel "Ghost World" by Daniel Clowes
Starring: Scarlett Johansen, Thora Birch, Steve Buschemi, Brad Renfro

I actually was really into this movie. I had to read the "graphic novel" in an English class last year, and was kind of into the book, but I really really liked the movie.

Straight up, Ghost World has no true point to it. It's not making any kind of commentary about society or any bull like that. It's simply about two girls - Enid and Becca - who are BFF's and it sort of just follows them through the post-graduation summer.

Enter Buschemi's character, Seymour, who is kind of a middle-aged geek who listens to old records. Seymour and Enid (Birch) end up being pretty good friends, and I HATE relating to characters, but I'm the kind of person who has had best friends who I should not be best friends with.

I'm going to be letting you know all about Fargo in a minute, but I have to say, Steve Buschemi is some kind of wonderful in this movie. You almost get a crush on him (crazy, I know, right?) He is so likable, and you're not really creeped out by the time him and Birch's character get together.

I liked the acting quite a bit, and I actually think the movie made the story a little less boring than the comic book (oops, graphic novel). They added in some bits and pieces and subtracted others, and all in all, it was pretty all right.

Looking forward to.... "The X-Files: I Want to Believe"

Debut: 2008
Director: Chris Carter
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson

So I just want to clear something up, because some people think that the X-Files is for sci-fi nerds, which I definitely am not. The X-Files isn't just about aliens, contrary to popular belief, and I have always found a lot of the X-Files shows to be pretty scary.

Now, moving on, a lot of people also feel weird that they're putting out this X-Files movie so late. I don't care. I loved the X-Files and forgot all about it until now, so hey, bring it on.

Further more, I have NO idea what's going to happen in this one, but I do recall the first movie being pretty scary. The opening scene involved a boy falling into a hole underground, where some kind of bug creepy crawls into his skin. It was downright scary.

Needless to say, this might not be a horrible move - to introduce lots of people to something they might have not watched ten years ago. It could actually be genius, but who knows. I think it will be a good movie whether it actually does well or not.

The Dark Knight

Debut: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Wowsers. Obviously, this movie is kind of a big deal. A few friends and myself went to see it Friday, and I seriously cannot make up my mind. Not as to whether I liked it or not, but there was SOOOO much going on in this film that I'm surprised it's a blockbuster.

I don't know if they did this in all the theaters, and Trevor made fun of me for it, but they seriously made it darker than usual in ours. Like normally they have those side sconces on a tad, but everything was completely off for our showing. So it was darker than normal in the theater, which set the mood.

The thing that made this movie ridiculous was mostly that they crammed sooo much plot into it. So much plot AND action. The entire film either involves an all-out brawl or some serious secrets and whatnot.

The one big beef I have had, and I don't consider this to be a spoiler, but my boyfriend was annoyed when I told him, is that Two Face actually is in quite a bit of the movie. Like an hour probably. My friends and I agreed that the Two Face stuff should have been left for the next one, and I think a lot of people going into this expect that the movie will end when you see Harvey Dent's transformation to Two Face. That is the one main thing I would say I didn't approve of, because really, then, there were two villains in this film, and I think most would agree that the Joker is his own show.

Moving on to the most talked about topic in the history of the world, Heath Ledger's Joker is stunning, impeccable, scary, funny, and dead on. So many people say that Jack Nicholson did it so well, but I have to say that this was the performance of a lifetime. Here's my take on the Oscar thing - I saw most of last year's nominees, and quite frankly, WAS NOT IMPRESSED. I mean no disrespect, it just seems like some of their performances weren't terribly jarring or didn't take any real guts to play. THIS is something that should be hailed by all. Ledger did a complete transformation, and it's the weirdest thing, because no where in the film did I see the slightest trace of Ledger in the actual role. Not a bit. Aside from that, it KILLS me how he made the character, how the Joker was ridiculously sadistic but made us laugh numerous times. The one horrible thought that went through my mind during the movie was this notion that now the world could understand what led up to his death. The Joker truly frightened me and astounded me at the same time.

I've heard a lot of talk about Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance, and have to say, I wasn't crazy about it. One thing that seriously bothered me is the fact she crossed her arms all the time (which I'm sure was direction) but it's an etiquette thing that people don't cross their arms, especially not when they're hanging out with billionaires. Also, I am NEVER a fan of an actress being replaced in the way they did here. They should have just came up with a new love interest rather than having someone else place the same character Katie Holmes donned a few years ago. But whatever.

Final thoughts - it was good, and it was a whole lot of movie.

Mamma Mia

Debut: 2008
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Starring: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth

Pretty great, I would say. The story you can get from the previews - it's all about a girl who is about to get married and has three possible fathers and invites all three to the weeding to give her away, thinking she would know immediately which one was her father, and she doesn't, and hilarity ensues.

I guess for musicals I was comparing it to Hairspray, because it's kind of the standard you have to live up to. And I would say that Mamma Mia was nowhere near as seamless or natural as Hairspray was. By no means does that imply that I didn't like the film, but a musical really has to have a natural aspect to it. All big musicals in history have this ability, and this one really seemed to be lacking the ability to go into song on a whim.

On that note, I will also mention that this one had a lot more "down time" between songs, which kind of made it a little harder to sit through. The comedy, too, compared to Hairspray was much more kitsch and much less witty.

On a standalone basis, I still thought it was an adorable flick. The cast was easy to love, and it was pretty entertaining. Stick around for the closing credits - the cast dresses up a la ABBA style and it's just too great.

The Muppet Show: Season One

Everything: Frank Oz and Jim Henson


Okay, I know what you're thinking. Most people who grew up around my age don't know that the Muppets are a far cry from Sesame Street - many, in fact, believe they are one in the same. But fact of the matter is the Muppets were originally created as an adult puppet show (wow that sounds bad.)

Anywho, I'm going to say it's worth it for the following reasons:

1. The music - in case you didn't know, they had a guest star on every week and the musical selections are quite entertaining.
2. Statler and Waldorf - they are the guys who sit up in the balcony and make fun of everyone else. Hilarious. And my idea of fun.
3. Pepe the King Prawn - I actually don't think I saw him in this season, but he is still one of my favorite characters. He's the little shrimp-looking guy who says "okay" after everything. I wish I could speak like that, okay.

Well, I guess those are my main reasons. But in case you don't believe me, youtube it. P.S. - "Mah-na mah-na" is the very first Muppet act of all time. If that's not worth your time then I don't know what is.

Waiting for Guffman

Debut: 1994
Director: Christopher Guest
Starring: Christopher Guest, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Fred Willard

Oh man, do I ever love Christopher Guest movies, and somehow had never seen this one. I'm going to go ahead and say... AMAZING.

I've heard criticisms about the fact that all of his movies are the same basic plot - a bunch of not-so-talented people getting their hopes up for some award or whatever. But if anyone can make the same movie over and over and make it genius every time, well that man deserves an award.

Waiting for Guffman is about a small town in Missouri - Blaine - which has a sesquicentennial coming up (which you small town folks surely know what kind of a big deal that would be). The resident actor / director/ former-off-Broadway "star" decides to write a musical about Blaine's history - which includes being founded by someone who had thought they were in California but refused to tell his camp otherwise.

The story is adorable, and the actors are at their best. I think the best part is the dinner scene where they discussion Fred Willard's character's "penis de-largement".... it's pretty good.

If you like Best in Show or any of the other Christopher Guest movies, you'll love this one too!

The Painted Veil

Debut: 2006
Director: John Curan
Starring: Edward Norton, Naomi Watts

You'll notice that I read this book a few weeks ago, loved it, and felt absolutely compelled to find the movie.

Like most movies-based-on-books, this one isn't as good as the book, but I still think it was excellent.

I don't think they set up the emotions quite as well. I doubt that makes sense, but in the movie they kind of breezed through the main character, Kitty, cheating on her husband and how involved she really became with her lover, and how much it hurt them both to dive into this cholera epidemic.

I still enjoyed the film though. Somehow it didn't make me cry (I have become the biggest wuss and cry at like everything these days) but it was still a great movie. Enjoy!

Ghost Rider

Debut: 2007
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Eva Mendes, Wes Bentley

Not so good. You know how I feel about comic book movies (by that mean I love them!) and this one was not so great. It was way too much mythology, for lack of a better way to put it.
I don't really know what to tell you. I don't feel like saying much more, so do what you will.

Hancock

Debut: 2008
Director: Peter Berg
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman

I don't really know what to say, but you can see it for yourself. I can't explain my beefs with it, because that would give away the huge plot twist that no one sees coming, but it was pretty all right.

No further comments.

A Scanner Darkly

Debut: 2006
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson

I'm going to give you the plot line according to imdb.com because I don't think I could rightly explain it myself. "An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result."

That's the most of it, but it's extremely interesting a) because it was based on a graphic novel and b) because it involves technology that basically transformed the actors and world into a graphic novel-looking world. At first this tech kind of freaked me out, but I think when you get used to it, it's pretty awesome.

Aside from the whole graphic novel-ness, the acting was amazing. I loved it - every last bit.

This one's not going to be for everyone, so watch out if you're one of those.

Chapter 27

Debut: 2007
Director: J.P. Schaefer
Starring: Jared Leto, Lindsay Lohan

I'm going to start off and say that I am a pretty big Beatles fan, but not so much of John Lennon. I don't really have a beef with the guy, but I definitely don't think he was bigger than Jesus.

This movie is about Mark David Chapman, who shot and killed John Lennon. The film takes place over three-four days before Chapman killed him, and basically goes inside his brain leading up to it.

Leto's performance was unforgettable, as I'm sure you've heard. He put on 30+ pounds for the role, and did a complete physical and mental transformation to really put himself in the shoes.

I would say the story is going to be about as interesting as those three or four days could have been, which isn't terribly interesting. I'm not really knocking it, because it is an interesting subject, it just gets hard to watch a crazy man's rambling after a while.

Looking forward to..... The Dark Knight

Debut: 2008
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart

Who isn't looking forward to this? The God-awful thing about this movie is this massive debate is going to ensure as to whether or not it's amazing because Heath Ledger died. I expect it will be a big deal, as it already is.

I have to say, when I first saw the photos of the Joker (before he died) I was already in awe. And I hated (I say hated!) Batman Begins, but I immediately thought I could open my mind up to this one. I think the Joker is, hands down, one of the most amazing transformations an actor has probably ever made, and I can only hope and pray it will be legendary someday.

I feel like it will be oh-so-hard to judge this film. I think it will be awesome. I do! But I think there are going to be so many nay-sayers who are going to say America feels guilty about Heath Ledger and we're just trying to make up for it by saying how awesome this movie was. I think it will be a big challenge and a huge issue, for real. This issue will be more important than the general election at some point, I'm sure.

Fact of the matter is comic book movies have taken this massive turn for the best, minus the Hulk. We already know how I feel about that one. I don't doubt for a second that this one will be amazing, and you should expect a post in a few weeks saying as much.

Looking forward to..... Mamma Mia

Debut: 2008
Director: Phyllida Lloyrd
Starring: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried

Based on the hit ABBA musical, I have to say I'm dying to see this. I hate to use the following terms, but it will be this summer's Hairspray. (Sorry, I read a piece by EW's Dalton Ross about the terms "this summer's Juno...)

Anyways, it's about a girl (Seyfried) who's engaged to be married, and wants the father she never met to walk her down the aisle. Problem: her mother slept with three different guys around the time she was conceived.

I don't doubt it will be amazing, at all. And ABBA is never less than stellar, so yeah. I think it will be wonderful.

Semi Pro

Debut: 2008
Director: Kent Alterman
Starring: Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin

I can't really say one way or another on this one. It's kind of usual Will Ferrell - it goes right along with Anchorman and Talladega Nights. I think it was slow-moving, but there were some pretty good parts.

Nothing special, nothing new.

Rosemary's Baby

Debut: 1968
Director: Roman Polanski
Starring: Mia Farrow, Ruth Gordon

Pretty long, but I guess good. It was a pinnacle of it's time, but I don't think it would fare in today's world.

Anyways, Rosemary gets pregnant and starts to suspect that her neighbors want her baby as a sacrifice, or for some sadistic cause in general. She begins to suspect everyone is in on it, and they are.

She finally gives birth and her baby happens to be the spawn of Satan. And the movie ends there.

It was terrific acting, but I suppose the movie carried on a little longer than it needed to. I loved the story - it probably was quite horrifying when it was made, but it's something that's a challenge to love because of where we are today, but on the same hand it's wonderful to appreciate because of how ahead of its time it truly was.

Happiness

Debut: 1998
Director: Todd Solandz
Starring: Jon Lovitz, Jane Adams, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Dylan Baker

I'm definitely not going to recommend this one to everyone. This movie is extremely dark, but very funny. It's the kind of humor that's pretty sick and twisted, but if you find it funny, you find it extremely funny.

It's basically about these different lives (lots of them) connected by three sisters, but the point to the story is that just about everyone is miserable. I'm not going to go into the baseline joke of happiness (involving an 11 year old boy) but it's similar to Welcome to the Dollhouse in the way that it has no real point to it, except to let you laugh at the lives of these miserable people. Nice.

Valley Girl

Debut: 1983
Director: Martha Coolidge
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Deborah Foreman

What was it with the 80s and this theme of people that aren't supposed to be together being together? That's the theme, apparently, of like every single teen film from the 80s! I'm not dissing it, because I wish to God I would have been a teenager in the 80s, but they could have maybe come up with more than one plot for these films.

Anyways, Valley Girl is about a girl, from the Valley, duh, who ends up falling for this guy, Randy, who she isn't supposed to be with. That's pretty much it.

At one point she does switch back to her ex for the sole reason that it's who her friends want her to be with. I know the film was kind of pointed at making fun of the whole social scene (especially the way these Valley chickees spoke) and the film was entertaining enough. It's worth seeing just to say you have.

The Singing Detective

Debut: 2003
Director: Keith Gordon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Robin Wright Penn, Mel Gibson

I watched this baby with an extremely open mind, and I couldn't help but feel it would be way above a lot of people's heads. I think the audience for this one would have to be pretty narrow - and I don't ever mean that in a bad way, and in no way is that a bad thing.

The main character, Dan Dark (Downey), is hospitalized while suffering from an extreme case of psoriasis. During his stay, he often hallucinates and dreams of the characters in his book and a few random musical numbers as well.

He begins to suspect that his significant other (Penn) is stealing his work and selling it to a movie production company. I think. I had a hard time understand bits and pieces (then again I was writing while watching it, so I might have missed some things...) but it's a story of the unconscious mind and Freud, and all that which helps him come to believe so many of the things that make him not only who he is, but the meaning behind his novel and many of his hallucinations.

I did think the acting was terrific. It actually took me quite a while to recognize Mel Gibson as the shrink - so good job there. Downey, as usual, was extremely witty, delivering jokes without acting like they are jokes, and Penn had a certain sincerity that added more and more to her character.

I'm going to go ahead and say this movie isn't for everyone. If you only see mainstream movies, this might not be for you. If you like more obscure films, maybe something that takes some thinking, go for it.

The Dead Girl

Debut: 2006
Director: Karen Moncrieff
Starring: Toni Collette, James Franco, Brittany Murphy, Marcia Gay Harden, Giovanni Ribisi

This movie was pretty interesting. I kinda wished some endings would have been tied up, but I can live with never knowing.

I'm going to go ahead and say if you don't like a movie that doesn't make sense, then don't take the time on this one. It begins with Toni Collette discovering a dead body in her mother's yard, and then it unravels as this dead body affects others.... it ends on the life of the dead girl.

I did think it kept me interested, and I thought the acting was great.

The Goodbye Girl

Debut: 1978
Director: Herbert Ross
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings

I don't get into many love stories - mostly because romantic comedies and horrible chick flicks have made love something based on the worst far-fetched plots anyone can pitch. Needless to say, this film was amazing!

The movie is about a woman and her daughter living in an apartment that was leased by her still-married boyfriend. When he dumps her and moves on, he sublets the apartment without letting her know. She then gets this stranger on her doorstep who has already paid for the place. He lets them stay there, and they eventually fall in love.

Telling it to you like that puts it pretty roughly. The story is full of ups and downs, and is way more about their respective lives than about their love, which I found all-the-more respectable.

Lastly, a love story just cannot be without a connection between the two. The interaction between Dreyfuss and Mason makes this movie worth it's time in gold (can you measure time in gold?) The witty banter, the odd situation, and the performance by then-newcomer Cummings is adorable.

The Goodbye Girl is worth watching, and then hunting down to have a copy of your own.

The Incredible Hulk

Debut: 2008
Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt, Tim Roth

First off, I'm going to say that I'm extremely annoyed that so many reviews are comparing it to the 2003 Hulk. Everyone knows that the 03 Hulk was awful, and that Marvel is blatantly ignoring that said version was ever made.
So, anyone reviewing this movie needs to play on what it needs to exist now. I'm going to go ahead and lay out my expectations for you. I thought that this movie would, similar to Iron Man, lay out Banner's story and build up to the Avengers movie. I was extremely disappointed that it accomplished neither.
Firstly, we get the Hulk's story through the opening credits - an accident gone wrong and all that. I don't have a huge beef with this, but it's only too smart to put the story in there for anyone who isn't a comic book fan, such as myself. The best comic book movies are the ones anyone can watch. Hulk failed miserably to explain the complexities of having this blessing/curse, and really seemed to only focus on this idea that the only facet of his life it greatly affected was his love life. P.S. - Hulk creators - did you learn anything from Spiderman 2? People don't want a love story when they're expecting a comic book movie.
Aside from the love story being the main point, I just thought the characters weren't likable enough. Bruce Banner was actually extremely boring, and I had read some reviews that commented on "playful banter between he and Betty Ross", which was completely flat. I just didn't see any chemistry between the two, and nothing about it was witty and entertaining when an action scene wasn't going on.
Next, whose decision was it to make the Hulk animated? Seeing it played out, I would opted for a costume. It was too animated - I know what they can do with graphics and all, but the whole time I found it so hard to believe the interaction between live characters and the animated Hulk. I had an extremely hard time getting past all of that.
Overall, I would say Marvel definitely should have opted to released this before Iron Man. Most of the movie, I found myself noting where and how Hulk fell short of Iron Man. Edward Norton, as much as I love him, did not give us much interest in Banner. I have to say that Tim Roth's character was hands down the most entertaining and interesting.
Finally, I'm going to say that I really expected this to lead up to the Avengers movie we are all anticipating. I am left wondering how Banner was against the Army, Stark works with the Army, and they haven't really made it clear how they are going to work together. I understand Banner ended up fighting for the Army at the end and all, you don't need to go on, but it's clear that some bitterness on his part should, by all means, exist and that he does not give them his full support. I'm having a hard time figuring out where it's going to go from here.
Nonetheless, the thing that really disappoints is how on Earth are they going to make a sequel? There wasn't much of a story in this one in the first place, and I have no interest in them creating another awesome villain just to be destroyed.
They have some catching up to do, but I would say this is about what I expected.
Don't waste your money for the time being.

Juno

Debut: 2007
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera

I have to say this one was extremely likable, but be careful if you think you're getting a comedy. The movie was mostly advertised and promoted as a comedy, but I would argue that it wasn't that funny - which by no means is saying it wasn't good.

I loved the story, and the characters were adorable. And again, not to be harsh, but I don't totally understand why Ellen Page was up for Best Actress. That's not to slam her by any means, because I really like her, but she seemed to be pretty herself, and didn't have to act much at all. I could be wrong, but the character seemed a lot like her.

It's worth a watch, and I'll let you decide. I liked it for more of a drama or "coming of age tale" but definitely don't call it a comedy.

Looking forward to: The Incredible Hulk

Debut: Friday, June 13, 2008
Director: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler

I'm not completely sure how to feel about what I'm anticipating for this one. I'm hoping for a good story, which I have faith in. Not knowing all the comic book stories, I am hoping this will pull together (from what I've heard) the story leading up to the Avengers movie we're all anticipating.

So far, the graphics are what concerns me. The Hulk is not terribly real-looking, and maybe is something they need to take into consideration. I'm intrigued at the thought of Edward Norton playing the Hulk, but aren't we all?

Again, though, I'm going to have faith because they took the time to recruit good actors for this one, so I think it will be worth my time.

American Beauty

Debut: 1999
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Amber Tamblyn

This Oscar-winner for Best Picture has been a favorite for a while.

There's not a lot to say other than to see it! It's a good one for almost any crowd - I've seen people with all different tastes enjoy this one.

While the story as a whole might not necessarily be relatable, Lester Burnham is one of the most real characters we've ever known. From the witty, sarcastic writing to the delivery, this film is itself, an American beauty to be proud of.

Michael Clayton

Debut: 2007
Director: Tony Gilroy
Starring: George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, Tom Wilkinson

Um, not impressed. At all. For real. I have to say, after seeing a number of the Oscar nominees this year, I was disappointed. I have yet to see both There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men, so I won't make that completely affirmative.

But, needless to say, not totally sure why Tilda Swinton got an Oscar for this. The entire movie just wasn't that exciting, and left me wondering what all the hype was about.

Aside from being entirely too long, it was anti-climatic. Not only that, but the entire movie was like an action version of Erin Brokovich - all about finding that some corporation had information about harming people and someone else trying to hunt it down.

If you want to see it, judge for yourself. But don't ask me for your two hours back.

Welcome to the Dollhouse

Debut: 1995
Director: Todd Solandz
Starring: Heather Matarazzo, Eric Mabius

This dark comedy has gone down in history as an eternal favorite of mine. Remember how mean kids were in junior high for no real reason? Remember how there was that person that even losers wouldn't hang out with? So is the life of Dawn Wiener (pronounced exactly as you think...).

Dollhouse is all about making you laugh at things that are completely inappropriate, and in no way makes you feel bad for this girl who has the most hellish life imaginable. Each character is memorable, from Ralphy ("You think you're hot shit but you're really just cold diarrhea") to Dawn's brother Mark ("Of course I don't think about girls. I want to get into a good school") to her mother ("She has no friends... Case closed. She's a loner.") You want so badly to feel bad for "Wienerdog" but don't because you know there was someone like that in your school.

The darkness of the comedy comes back to the fact there is no real story, no real climax, no real point to showing this girl's awful life. Try it out, you will surely love it, unless you were that person in junior high.

Iron Man

Debut: 2008
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard

I am positive everyone knows by now that I loved this movie. I've never seen a movie twice in theaters, but I definitely saw this one three times, so far. There's nothing I didn't love about it. I thought every little thing was spot on, and I will totally go into more detail.

Downey plays Tony Stark, a billionaire who owns a weapons company. After being captured by terrorists, he builds a suit of iron in a cave in Afghanistan. In a cave! I loved that particular part because I thought it was completely badass that someone could build that thing in a cave.

Anywho, after escaping, he comes home and decides to use his brilliance for the good of those his weapons have endangered. After building a new and improved version of his iron suit, he flies (not in a plane, again badass) back to Afghanistan to wipe out the missiles that have wrongly landed in the hands of terrorists.

I'm not going to say much more, even though people surely already know the rest of the story, but I thought everything about this movie was awesome, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to comic book movies because of it. I love this whole "we're going to cast good actors in these comic book movies" because, darn it, they are worthy! No more second-rate actors in over hyped movies - we have a lot to look forward to here.

I have yet to meet someone who didn't love Downey's performance, which essentially is the movie. Here's looking forward to No. 2!

Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show

Debut: 2006
Director: Ari Sandel
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Ahmed Ahmed, Peter Billingsley, John Caparulo, Justin Long, Sebastian Manscalco, Bret Ernst, Keir O'Donnell

I've heard mixed reviews on this one too, but I completely enjoyed it. Set as a documentary, Vince Vaughn and his crew set up 29 comedy shows in 29 nights in 29 different cities. Some hated it because it showed a lot of what went on during the trip than the actual shows, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. If you want to watch stand up, then watch stand up. This takes it to a totally different level - going into what makes a comedian nervous and what the rest of their lives are like.

One of the best parts, perhaps, is that the trip took place right around the time Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Vaughn and other producers make the decision to hold a number of benefit shows, which is not only commendable, but reminds us that some celebrities don't care only about themselves. Some of the crew later meets backstage with Katrina refugees, who tear up in thanks.

It's worth a watch. Disregard the R rating - nothing is that bad.

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints

Debut: 2006
Director: Dito Montiel
Based on the book "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" by Dito Montiel
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Shia Labeouf, Diane West, Rosario Dawson

Loved it! I don't watch too many dramas (maybe I do) but this was a random movie I picked out, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is about a young boy whose friends get in trouble with drugs and crime, and Dito (the main character) makes it out not only alive, not only out of prison, but goes on to write a book about his experiences.

The movie is centered around Dito's visit home some 15 years after the original story (set in 1986) takes place. Dito travels home to visit his ailing father, and realizes that these friends (his "saints") are what led him to where he is now.

I thought the acting was great, and I love even more that the title character is the guy who wrote and directed the film. Best yet... the end quote: "In the end I realized - just like I said - I had left everything, and everyone. But no one, no one has ever left me."

Mommie Dearest

Debut: 1981
Director: Frank Perry
Based on the book "Mommie Dearest" by Christina Crawford
Starring: Faye Dunaway

I had heard on VH1 that this movie was creepy, and it definitely is, but not in any horror-movie kind of way. Mommie Dearest is the saga of Joan Crawford, set in the 1940s. Crawford, unhappy with living only with her housekeeper and maid, pays a pretty price to adopt a child, and later others. Christina, the first, shows the appalling abuse endured in the Crawford household from toddler until teenage years.

I thought Faye Dunaway was excellent, albeit a little over the top. I wish I would have known more about the movie going into it, because much of the portrayal is believable.

It's hard to come up with a conclusion to this film, so I won't. Watch for yourself and decide.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Debut: 2008
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis

Definitely saw this one way later than it came out, but still loved it. I have to say, I usually agree with my Entertainment Weekly reviews, but they missed the ball on this one. It's lovable, and you know how having a full theater can make a movie better because you find yourself laughing more because of the full audience? Well, there was like two other couples there and we still laughed for almost all of it.

Sarah Marshall is definitely worth your time, and I would say I'm extremely disappointed at how critics accepted it. I had heard it was mediocre and whatnot, but it's definitely up there with Knocked Up and Superbad.

The Fugitive / US Marshals

The Fugitive
Debut: 1993
Director: Andrew Davis
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Harrison Ford

US Marshals
Debut: 1998
Director: Stuart Baird
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes, Robert Downey Jr.


I'm doing these together because they weren't that different. I enjoyed the action days of the 1990s. Really, I did. I love lots of action movies that didn't have the greatest plots, but I will say they did action right back then. Now the effects are so ridiculous and normally pull away too much from what's going on in the movie. And maybe that's why action movies just aren't making it.
Anyways, both movies had the same basic plot - someone is supposed to go to prison for a crime they didn't commit, and Tommy Lee Jones (in both) is trying to track down the fugitive, only to find out that someone else did it.
Firstly, the Fugitive was way too long. I started watching it thinking, hey, I got some time to kill. But I was waiting to take a nap, and after a while I was getting a little sick of it. The main reason I rented this movie was because we had talked about the Sam Sheppard case in a law class of mine.
Action movies have a tough challenge of balancing the action with the story. Not many can sit through mind-numbing action, myself included. I did enjoy Jones' character, though, and I think the sequel wasn't half bad. I would say that it was what I like in action movies, even though both probably could have been shorter and the plots could have been a little stronger.

Sex and the City

Debut: 2008
Director: Michael Patrick King
Based on the HBO TV Series "Sex and the City"
Book: "Sex and the City" by Candace Bushnell
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall

I have heard so many mixed reviews of this, I don't stand a chance of everyone agreeing. I will start out by saying that I loved it - it made me cry like three times, and I think anyone who is an avid fan will love it (hopefully...) as well.
First off, we all know some of the major points. Charlotte finally gets pregnant, Carrie's supposed to get married to Big and it doesn't work out, Steve cheats on Miranda (that definitely was like a dagger straight to the heart!), but I think the movie purposely tugs at your heart. The ups and downs are not that far from real life, no matter how dramatized. We've all been heartbroken before, and we've all experienced joy that nearly brings us to tears at sometime or another. This is what the movie is all about.
Whether you feel for them or not, I always believed the best part of Sex and the City was creating these characters that (while affording untold amounts of shoes) are flawed just like us. Shows are so often created so that fans form alliances one way or another, but Sex and the City is great because someone is always screwing up. That's what I love about it!
I'm not going to spoil the ending if you haven't seen it, and I feel pretty indifferent on the situation, but I will say that the thing I love most about the movie is based on that quote a few seasons ago where Carrie talks about wanting to find someone who will love you no matter what... and that she was lucky enough to find four.

The Shining

Debut: 1980
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Book: "The Shining" by Stephen King
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd



For being a horror movie fanatic, I had never seen this movie. Please don't make fun of me.
What prompted me to put it in my Blockbuster queue was the fact it's based on somewhat of a true story. For any of you who watch Ghost Hunters, they did an episode at the hotel where Stephen King stayed at, which inspired him to write the book. Supposedly, King had things happen while he was there, and hence the Shining came out.
I think going into that movie with this knowledge made it a BILLION times more scary for me. That and ghosts are the only thing that really scare me in movies, and that could just be because I've had experiences of my own.
Like many (from what I've heard) those twins were scary as hell. That, and I've been leaving my shower curtain open for fear there will be some disgusting lady in there. Yuck.
My end result, though, is that I can completely understand why this movie is so monumental. I would say a remake could possibly make it better, but we all know how remakes have gone... not so good for the most part.
I think horror movie directors, actors, etc. could learn so much from this movie. A) Little kids are always creepy. B) What could happen in isolation is terrifying to most. And lastly, leave plenty to the imagination. The Shining seems to accomplish all of this.

Why oh why?

So today I found myself reading movie reviews on dmregister.com and was like, why on Earth don't I do that?
A) I'm a person that has seen a wide variety of films and consider myself to be an afficionado and
B) I just started that Blockbuster Total Access thing, so I am constantly seeing more and more movies.
It only makes too much sense.
Hopefully this doesn't turn out being incredibly lame, but I have started looking into some classics, I will see most of the big summer movies, and I would say this baby should be worth your time. Nuff said. Enjoy.