Movie Review Thread

The Muppets (3 out of 4 stars)
The Muppets will have you grinning ear to ear from start to finish. Of course that was expected. The Muppets are an iconic image of joy. Each character is unique in their own ways. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses. A strong character has their pros and cons and The Muppets as a cast has them.
For kids this will be a funny film about images that they probably have seen but not experienced. Adults will want to reminisce on the great times they had as children watching this cast of characters. I remember fondly seeing The Muppets Take Manhattan I was much younger. The Muppets is a delight and one that won't disappoint.

I feel no need to dive deep into plot elements because it's predictable and simple Muppet fun. Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) is buying the muppets studio to drill for oil and now the Muppets need to reunite and put on a telethon to make ten million dollars to save it. They are helped by three small town yolks. Gary (Jason Segal) and Mary (Amy Adams) are a long term couple who deviate from their ten year anniversary to help the Muppets, The other small town man is actually a Muppet who may be the Muppets (the actual cast) biggest fan. The actors have a blast (Segal, Adams, and Cooper are fantastic), all the Muppets (for the most part) have something to do, the musical numbers are joyous, the jokes are quick and timely, the cameos are splendid and the charm is near endless. Sure it's not a perfect film, nor does it have to be. It's just something that Muppet fans and even new comers alike can sit back and enjoy.

A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas (2 and a half out of 4 stars)
So here we are again and I have to say that I like being here. Stoner buddies Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) are back to their hilarious hijinks. This time instead of going somewhere in particular, our two heroes are looking for a specific christmas tree. Harold's father in law has spent years growing this perfect tree and when it gets destroyed (Kumar is the culprit of course), the two buddies scramble around NYC looking for this rare type of tree. The jokes are over the top and pushing borders. That's the best way to make a such a comedy. In a world where jokes are recycled day in day out, this film tries some new things. Not to many new jokes to make it brilliant but enough to get me laughing. I enjoy the series but unfortunately I have to say this is the weakest. Yet this is still a very funny film. There is a lot of returning characters and some new ones (both welcomed in this series). I had a lot of fun watching it and I don't see why anybody wouldn't (maybe they like pancakes).

The Devil's Double (3 out of 4 stars)
Uday Hussein was said to be "beyond a psychopath". His actions were cruel and uncalled for most of the time. US soldiers found an iron maiden in Uday's mansion after his death even. Uday was cruel but his body double was kind. Uday forced his schoolmate Latif to become his double. Latif would even go as far as to speak to Iraqi soldiers on the front line when Uday would party back home. The film shows the inside story of Uday and how Latif struggles with with impersonating a demon. Dominic Cooper plays both roles in a incendiary effort. Cooper is mesmerizing as Uday and gains the audiences sympathy as Latif. It's a very strong performance indeed. A great performance and story almost larger than life makes this one to see.

The Green Lantern (1 and a half out of 4 stars)
The Green Lantern is the worst superhero movie that I took seriously. Did I expect Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer to be good? Of course not. However part of me held up hope for The Green Lantern. I told myself to loom past the awful reviews when starting it, of course the critics were right. This film is dead upon arrival.

Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds playing himself) is a fighter pilot when he receives the ring. The Green Lantern Corps defends the universe using rings powered by the universe's will power. I don't mind the silly idea because I'm a comic book fan. I like the Green Lantern story but defiantly prefer others. The Corps greatest fighter is killed by a mighty power called Parallax, the ring then chooses Hal. He trains with the Lanterns to dispel fear. Also Hal flirts with Carol (a pretty but boring Blake Lively), a fellow pilot and his superior. There action isn't special, the characterization is dumb and the overall plot in general is in the gutter. The film doesn't even have any guilty pleasure fun, it's all boring. The only saving grace is Peter Sarsgaard as the villain Hector Hammond. He's a brilliant scientist that can't compete with Hal for Carol's affection (Hector isn't the best looking guy). Sarsgaard pulls off a near impossible character with ease and has some fun doing it. I see Green lantern not as a movie that was made to tell a story but one to make money. The producers knew that superhero movies are hot right now so why not make one that hasn't been touched yet. Too bad no emotion or soul was put into this adaption.

Everything Must Go (3 out of 4 stars)
I can say with honest sincerity that Will Ferrell has the ability to be great dramatic actor. He chooses to be a great comedian which in all honesty I prefer. I have a nice warm home in my heart for Ron Burgundy and Brennan Hoff. However much like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams; Ferrell has given us a performance to show how special an actor he is. It is exceptional work but I wish the film could keep up with him. The story is of Nick (Will Ferrell) who has just been fired and lost his wife. She threw all his stuff on the front lawn, left town for a while and want's him to leave permanently. Nick decides to live in his front lawn however which really is him reclining in a chair and drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. Nick is not a likable character, Ferrell's presence tries to make us like him. Nick has done a lot of things wrong he isn't looking to change. Of course you know with the help of two neighbors played by Rebecca Hall and Christopher Jordan Wallace (Biggie's kid) that he may become a nice man. The film is shinny when nick is happy and dark when he is sad. The contrasts are quite nice. Ferrell makes this one special in the end.

We Need To Talk About Kevin (2 and a half out of 4 stars)
The year's most divided film has come through my life and has left as meteor shower might. It will give me some memories but never those that I think about as defining moments. More mere moments in time that passed through my life. Some people have watched this film and seen a masterpiece, the scariest film of the year, something horrifyingly true and a film to never watch again for the good reasons. Others like myself saw potential perhaps never reached. Then there are those who despised this film but that is far from my thoughts. I myself wanted more.

The film is about Kevin who is a high schooler that killed many of his classmates. He is sick, deranged, twisted and many other negative words that I personally can't think of right now. What the film wants us to decide if he was born evil or was made that way. His mother played ferociously by Tilda Swinton gives us reason to believe elements of both. This begins with jumping time frames between before and after the massacre. Swinton in the present is in her own hell and it can easily be felt by the audience. The confusion of time at the beginning was part of the films strength until about midway throughout he film just straight up tells of the leading up events. The film seems distant and soulless but not in the way it should be. Kevin may be a son of a bitch, but not one that will haunt our dreams. Well maybe for some because this film is the American Dream horror film that some have been craving. Once again to me I saw a film that didn't connect well. Swinton and big ideas (not all of which fulfilled) make this worth it in the end.


Trespass (1 and a half out of 4 stars)
LOUD NOISES!!!
Brick Tamland's iconic quote is all I could think of when watching this film. it is more or less 90 minutes of people screaming at one another in a display of overacting. Nicholas Cage here may not be overacting enough for my taste. Cage and Nicole Kidman are taken hostage by the worst criminals I've seen in some time. They want the diamond's in his home safe but Cage won't give them up easily. The film is silly, stupid and once agin very loud. I've seen worst movies which is why I won't give this the one star. However I did think about it before writing this film. Part of me actually liked the team of very stupid criminals (Ben Mendelsohn what happened, you were such a great villain in Animal Kingdom). Criminals normally have everything planned down precisely but these goons would make me look like Keyser Soze. I had a little fun watching these buffoons run around. Then we were twenty minutes in and I had to endure some bad things.

Water For Elephants (2 and a half out 4 stars)
With a film containing actors such as Robert Pattinson, Reece Witherspoon and Chrisoph Waltz, it's funny that the elephant Rosie steals the show. She has more heart and fun then the entire cast really. Not that this is a bad film. Just one that seems forced and disinterested some times. Jacob (Robert Pattinson) due to some life changing circumstances stowaway's on a train. The train belongs to a traveling circus that he soon joins due to his veterinary experience. Jacob sees Marlena (Reece Witherspoon), the show's main attraction one night and they begin to make cute. She is married to the ringleader (Christoph Waltz with some glamor) who you know will turn out to have a nasty side. The film has a nice eye for it's depression era sets and costumes, some nice acting, and a moving soundtrack. However at times the emotion seems quite forced. That pleasant soundtrack is part of it's downfall. The audience is tricked into believing some scenes are moving due to a piano score but is that because of the images or the music accompanying them? Is that a bad thing in the end though? I mean it all adds to a finished product. Water For Elephants is a fine film but not one that will stick with you. Even the time watching it makes you think that you'll soon leave to perhaps see something better. I sound quite negative here when I shouldn't be. I did like the movie and if given the chance I think it is worth the watch. Take that part away from this review.

The Skin I Live In (3 and a half out of 4 stars)
This film devoured me. I was mesmerized by the events presented to me. So lost was I that the near two hour run time was over before I knew it. I haven't felt such a thrill since Perfume: Story of a Murder. Before I get ahead of myself let me dial the praise back a touch. I want to do this review right.

I won't say much of the plot. Only that it will draw you in like you've never felt before. What I do think should be shared is the basics of Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas in his best performance). Ledgard lives in quite the manor. A nice touch of classic woodwork and paintings but also modern furniture. In this house is a woman. She is dressed in a skin looking suit and is locked in a room at all times of the day. All we know she looks delicate and her name is Vera (Elena Anaya). Ledgard spends most of his time working in his stylish lab. He's working on a skin that will be immune to heat, disease or a host of other harms. Of course he needs a test subject. See where this is going? Trust me when I say the story will shock you with the twists and turns the film will take.

Pedro Almodovar is a director unlike no other. I've said it before and I'll say it again his films are all terrific. What he has done here is that he's made a horror film with no screams. There will be terror and suspense but we won't be waiting for the jump to give us a break. No The Skin I Live In knows how to build intrigue mixed with horror. Almodovar films all have beautiful soundtracks and a emphasis on colors. He has a lust for the color red and his films support this. The artistic design of the film is ravishing that the story won't be the only thing to keep your eyes glues to the screen. Dark sexuality breathes through this film to leave you drained yet wanting more. The Skin I live In is something to adore for reasons of human nature. It appeals to all our senses. It is one of the year's best.

Perfect Sense (3 and a half out 4 stars)
Ewan McGregor has quite the great year. Beginners which he starred in is one of the year's best. Now comes Perfect Sense which teams him back up with the underrated director David Mckenzie. The film is one of the most moving of the year. In the sense of emotion in is perhaps the best. The Tree of Life and Beginners are both moving in their own right but not like this. This is a entrancing romance mixed with sci-fi epidemic. It's the strongest in perhaps both categories this year.

There is a virus spreading on a global scale. It cause people slowly to lose their sensory perception. First goes smell, then taste and so on. It's actually horrifying when you think about it. Losing a sense creates fear, distrust and irrational behavior. However the theme of the movies is also the result of the virus. Humans adapt to the situation that befalls on them and they move on with their life. The ideas presented in the film over how people dealt with the senses were both brilliant and heart filled.

McGregor plays Michael who is a chef in Glasgow. A chef is the perfect career for this film FYI. He meets Susan (Eva Green) who is a scientists who originally helps to try to cure the virus. The two begin to get close and become very romantic. Green's and McGregor's chemistry is hypnotic. Personal lives and emotions are much better topics when talking about a global catastrophe. Melancholia showed a single family dealing with the end of the world rather and it was astonishing. Contagion told multiple stories that got us involved because of big name actors but was a bit of a let down. Perfect Sense has found a good middle ground where we see the world panic but are moved more by the love story presented. This is the film Blindness should have been. Perfect Sense for me was one of the profound and emotional experiences in some time.

Young Adult (3 and a half out of 4 stars)
When breaking down this movie it's odd that as a product it's so successful. Mavis (Charlize Theron) is a character that the audience likes less of by the minute. However somewhat like the residents of the town we keep giving her a second chance. To warm up this film seems strange and the easiest thing to do. The film is above all else hilarious, executed well, contains unique characters and is very well acted. Young Adult is the dark comedy of the year.

Mavis was the most popular girl in her high school when she was younger. The blonde girl that we see in movies that walks around with an entourage and everyone puts on a pedestal as a golden god. Mavis is now 37 and has peaked hard. She is a somewhat successful author (the book series is failing now hence somewhat) lives in a Minneapolis condo in a pigsty. There are a lot of little characteristics Mavis has that will bring a goofy grin to your face. Mavis finds out her high school sweetheart has a kid and is married. Mavis being the upstanding citizen must rescue him for a loving family in a small town. Yes Mavis is the villain. She flirts with Buddy (Patrick Wilson) and drinks heavily with a geek she use to never give a thought about. The geek is played by Patton Oswalt in a terrific role. He's the heart the film needs so that Mavis' actions seem plausible. Charlize Theron gives one of her best performances in this fantastic film. I expected high things from the returning team of Retiman and Cody and I was not let down in the slightest. Every laugh comes with a little slap but you'll want to leave battered and bruised.

The Sitter (1 out of 4 stars)
When the only time you actually laugh during a comedy is to something completely unintentional then that is a bad sign. I had perhaps three chuckles and that one case of random laughter for what was a grueling 81 minutes. I can say full heartily that not only is this a unfunny film, it is one of the worst of the year.

Jonah Hill babysits for three kids one night but then brings them to NYC as he tries to get laid. I think leaving the kids at home with the doors locked and some food would have been the best choice. Hill could've been back in like two hours but then we don't have a movie. I'm not to sure if getting rid of this movie in general is such a terrible thing though.

With a recent trend of pushing comedies to their limit with cases such as Horrible Bosses, Cedar Rapids, and Bridesmaids you'd figure a movie described as the "filthiest R rated babysitting movie ever made" would do something good. Nope. Awful plot devices and a lack of jokes make this one. I say the three children are blameless though. They were given bad characters that had cliche characterization. I don't know where to place the blame or even if finding the source is worth my time.

I can say though that David Gordon Green is coming close a point of no return in the case of my interest. All The Real Girls was one of the most powerful films I've ever seen. Snow Angels (which also stars Sam Rockwell who in The Sitter plays ass of a drug dealer) was quite the great film as well. I will even say Pineapple Express, his first comedy was a monstrous success and one of the best of last decade. Your Highness was atrocious and the most disappointing film I saw this year. Yet somehow The Sitter is even worse. I said quite confidently after seeing it that I would consider getting cancer over watching the film again. After sleeping on it I feel the same way.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (3 out of 4 stars)

Know that I'm being very kind here in giving this three stars. I decided the good outweighed the bad after sleeping one it. The reason I wanted to rate this film lower was one of the biggest flaws I've seen in some time. However this flaw may be more personal than the film's fault. When Holmes and Watson were speaking often I found myself bored. So I let my mind drift only then to realize I was missing story points. So then I'd pay attention again until about a minute later I found my self bored again. This happened repeatedly though out the film and luckily the scenes changed quickly. I can imagine watching the same dialogue but with no action being a miserable time. Yet this is where the film achieved it's greatness. Both in action and visuals.

Sherlock Holes: A Game of Shadows boosts one of the more entertaining at action sequences of the year. The heroes run through a forest as soldiers chase after them. Trees are torn asunder with mortar rounds, the ground crumbles and there is a sense of fear that this will be the place of Holmes' and Watson's grave. There is some clean cut and exciting editing in this that keeps the film flowing kinetically even if the dialogue slows it down. Also some strong art direction and costumes make this dazzling to look at.

I've seen to have talked about the major features of my film without even touching the plot. I think I'll leave it this way. I just want to say that the two heroes played finely by Robert Downey JR. and Jude Law are joined by Noomi Rapace in hunting down "the Napoleon of stealing" (a affective Jared Harris). I don't think this was a great film. However I will say it passed my expectations in some cases. Once again the good outweighed the bad here.
 
Margin Call (2011) 8/10- FINALLY! I’ve been waiting on that one successful film that features Paul Bettany for quite some time, and Margin Call is that one high quality gem I’ve been looking for. But to be fair, Bettany doesn’t deserve all of the credit here. Margin Call features an excellent cast, and the entire cast gives an outstanding collective effort, because the acting in this film is just superb. Bettany’s performance was very solid, but he did have some help from Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, and Simon Baker. Kevin Spacey would be my pick for the standout star in this film, because he did deliver a very convincing performance in this film. Zachary Quinto showed some real promise here, and he could have a bright future in Hollywood, but I’m afraid he might suffer some typecast problems in the future, because he does look like the perfect fit for the Spock character in the new Star Trek films. Also, Demi Moore’s performance was solid enough. Overall, I’ve been impressed with Demi Moore’s acting in 2011. She’s been featured in some films I’ve seen this year (Bunraku, Another Happy Day, Margin Call), and Moore can be one of the more noticeably talented veteran actresses in Hollywood. Moore probably won’t win any Oscars in the near future, but I think she’s had a respectable career in Hollywood. Moore does have a nice amount of popularity, she can consistently deliver solid performances, and I hope she receives some more roles in the near future.

Margin Call should’ve been a tremendous bore, but the stylish directing from J.C. Chandor and the high quality level of acting from the cast took everything to the next level. Margin Call is an intense drama, the story does move at a quick pace, and everything flows so well here. Also, I could really feel the realism factor in this film, because this film does focus on the early stages of the financial crisis of 2007-2008, and this one does feature its fair share of greedy and heartless characters. Greed is a very important theme in this film, and the actors helped everything feel more convincing. Margin Call is one of the most gripping films I’ve ever seen, and I really wanted to care about the characters, because the fear and inevitable doom in this film felt so real. Margin Call will probably get lost in the shuffle, when the Academy Award nominations roll around, but J.C. Chandor seriously DESRVES an Oscar nomination in the Best Director category. Chandor probably won’t win, because Spielberg and Scorsese are big names, and they should receive a ton spotlight for their respective films (Scorsese: Hugo, Spielberg: War Horse). But I’m still hoping for a Chandor nomination, because he really deserves the recognition.


New Year’s Eve (2011) 1/10- Ugh, I actually started to develop some hope for Robert De Niro again. De Niro was very enjoyable in Killer Elite, and this was a decent enough action film, but New Year’s Eve was one steaming pile of shit, and De Niro just had to be apart of the cast here.

New Year’s Eve tries to be this feel-good holiday film, but everything fails miserably. First of all, the humor in this film is unbelievably corny. I really did try to laugh most of the time, but I just couldn’t, because the jokes just felt so forced. They also tried to provide a good mix of comedy and drama here, but New Year’s Eve is a painfully dull film most of the time.

The high profiled cast was supposed to be the main highlight for this film, but when it comes to the acting, everything isn’t so great. As far as the quality of the acting goes, I’d say everything is about 50/50. Robert De Niro, Hillary Swank, and Halle Berry all delivered some very convincing performances. Jessica Biel was pretty enjoyable here, and I did see a nice set of solid performances from Abigail Breslin, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Michelle Pfeiffer. But the acting in this film does have an ugly side. Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl were awful as usual, Zac Efron and Sofía Vergara were very annoying in this film, especially Sofía Vergara. And Jon Bon Jovi delivered another forgettable and underwhelming performance in this film. This man CAN NOT act! He’s bland, dull, and he never showcases an interesting personality in any of his films. Who the fuck makes the decisions to hire this man for so many movies??? Bon Jovi must have one hell of an agent, or his connections from the music world could help open some doors for him in Hollywood. Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but Bon Jovi has to be receiving some kind of help, because he is one horrendous actor. This is something that can‘t be ignored, and everyone should be able to notice the talentless bore that is the actor Bon Jovi. Also, they really did squander some of the members from the high profiled cast here. This film really doesn’t feature a coherent story, and the more talented cast members (Berry, De Niro, Swank, Breslin) couldn’t save this one.

And why the fuck would so many popular and respected actors and actresses accept roles in this piece of shit? Did they not thoroughly read the script? Surely they could’ve found something better than this? “Hey! I’ve got an idea! I’m going to join the cast for this shitty and pointless romantic comedy about New Year’s Eve, and I can make a fat paycheck at the same time! Who cares if the movie sucks total ass! I win either way!” This had to be the mentality of the more successful and talented actors and actresses in this film, because I can’t think of another logical reason for someone accepting a role in this film. Robert De Niro’s bad habit of delivering a constant barrage of shit films really doesn’t bother me anymore. In fact, I usually expect the worse from De Niro now a days, but Swank, Breslin, and Biel can do better than this.

And I really hated most of the characters in this film. New Year’s Eve features so many tiresome characters, and I didn’t want to care about a lot of them here. Almost everyone is a sad and lonely person, who can’t let go of the past, and they drown themselves in self-pity. I wanted to care about the characters in New Year’s Eve, but they throw way too many “down on their luck personalities” at you in this film, and so many people have to break out their little motivation speeches. When it comes to the characters, everything can feel so redundant after a while, and the sappy stuff can be very annoying.

I’ll give this one an extra bonus point for Swank, De Niro, and Berry, but this is still an atrocious film. New Year’s Eve is WAY too sappy most of the time, and the sentimental stuff started to drive me nuts after a while, because they really tried to force the tear jerking moments in this film, and the heartwarming side of New Year’s Eve didn’t do anything for me. This is a very bland and predictable film, filled with tired and overused clichés. New Year’s Eve does feel like a pointless film, because as I said before, there isn’t a real story here, and a plot is pretty much nonexistent, because the overload of storylines in this film kills any chances of some real continuity. This film seriously pissed me off, and they really did waste a nice set of talented actors and actresses here. This a very predictable and cheesy film, that just goes through the motions the entire, and you can see everything coming, if you just pay close attention.

This rating shouldn’t be a surprise to regular readers of this forum, because I would NEVER praise a film that featured Katherine fucking Heigl and Ashton Kutcher in the same cast. New Year’s Eve was supposed to be that feel-good holiday film, but I couldn’t stand this one. New Year’s Eve deserves some recognition as one of the worst films in 2011, and I still can’t believe the somewhat successful box office run this film has enjoyed over the past couple of weeks. You might enjoy this one, if you’re in the mood for a positive holiday film, or you might want to show this to some friends at a New Year’s eve party one day, but I hated this. New Year’s Eve was supposed to help build some excitement and hope for 2012, but watching this film brought too many facepalms out of me, and I just want to cling on to 2011 for a lot longer now.
 
I haven't been watching as many movies lately, been more on a TV kick, so here are a few reviews of what I have been watching lately.

Mr. Brooks- Most impressive Kevin Costnar role I have seen in some time. He really did a tremendous job. The film as a whole is pretty solid, nice crime/murder drama. The cast worked well, even Dane Cook who I despise. Though he was a bit annoying at times. The movie did drag a bit in the middle, but the ending picked up big time and made the payoff worthwhile. Definitely worth a watch. 7/10

The Muppets- I love the Muppets and the movie was pretty heartfelt. You can just tell that Jason Segel and the rest of the big name cast were Muppet fans at some point in their lives. However, the movie was actually really sad for a good portion of the film. All in all I enjoyed it and had many good laughs. 8/10

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows- Nice sequel to a film I absolutely adored. Robert Downey Jr., is a God of an actor. So good. Jude Law also finally came into his own and gave a tremendous performance as Watson. Not as inspired as the first film, but the villain made it good. However, the ending left a lot to be desired. 7/10

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo- I had been meaning to watch this one for awhile and finally got around to it today. Long ass film, but very good. Noomi Rapace has officially gotten her name on my list of actresses worth watching. The story did drag a bit at the end, it just felt drawn out. Still, very good film. 8/10

Luther- This is a British crime drama starring Idres Elba. I love Elba's work and he made this show worth watching. The show itself isn't constructed very well. The continuation between episodes lacks and the stories are uninspired, but Elba is simply phenomenal. 8/10

How I Met Your Mother- Now I haven't seen all of the new season but I have finished everything up to it. Very fine series. I love all of the characters, but Lily wears on me so much. Her character has just gotten progressively more annoying as the show has gone on. Still, watching the development of each character from season to season is great, especially Barney, who has gone from player to an actual man. 9/10

Hesher- Very strange film, yet very poetic at the same time. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is easily my second favorite actor working today and his work in this film is great. Some of the writing left me scratching my head though. It could have been written better but is definitely worth a watch. 7/10
 
Stephen King’s Bag Of Bones (2011) 2/10- I guess this one could fall under the category of a “TV miniseries,” but I usually enjoy the Stephen King adaptations that are based on his novels, so I wanted to take a chance on this. Well, it was a mistake on my part, because Bag Of The Bones is a painful four hour travesty.

Adapting a Stephen King novel into a film or a miniseries isn’t easy at all. It can always be tricky and risky project, because King’s stories are VERY complex and thought provoking, and his characters usually have a ton of depth. Creating a successful King adaptation can always be a hard mission, and I can only think of five high quality films/miniseries (Kubrick’s version of The Shining, Misery, Secret Window, The Langoliers, Pet Sematary). These films/miniseries were fun to watch, but the same thing can’t be said about Bag Of Bones, unfortunately. Condensing a Stephen King novel into a screenplay can be a tough task, and the success rate for King’s adaptation’s isn’t too high. Bag Of Bones starts out with some promise, but as time passes, this one eventually becomes a massive failure.

Bag Of Bones does feature an intriguing premise and a mysterious story. Pierce Brosnan delivers a solid performance as the lead man, and the rest of the acting is decent enough. But this story doesn’t become better with more time: “Wow! This could be something good, and I want to see where this goes!” This is how I felt during the early stages of this TV special, but as time progressed my feelings changed: “Oh God let this be over! Please just let it end!” Bag Of Bones can provide some nice spook moments, and this film can feel chilling and eerie most of the time, but Bag Of Bones slowly turns into one gigantic disappointment. This was a four hour special, so everything moves at a snail-like pace, as the mystery unravels. They actually do a decent job of building the tension, but everything just falls flat towards the end. The surprises felt so underwhelming, and the big twist at the end was an enormous disappointment. I guess they were trying to pull off one of those jaw-dropping mind fuck style endings, but the final moments of this special just left me with that “Really??? That’s it?!?!?” feeling. It felt like they were building towards something BIG here, but the ending didn’t provide that satisfying payoff I was looking for.

You can call this a TV miniseries, or you can call this another Stephen King “film” (because this one will be released as a “film” on DVD in the near future), but either way you look at it, four hours is a lot of time. There should’ve been a special payoff at the end of this long journey, or the ride to the end should have provided me with some kind of special experience, but Bag Of Bones does neither. Unfortunately, I caught A&E’s full four hour version, where they ran both specials back to back, so I didn’t have the chance to see both two hour specials separately. I didn’t take the break between both parts, and the lack of an extended break did drag this rating down for me, because sitting through anything for four hours can feel exhausting. Bag Of Bones does have its spooky moments, this one does feature a few jump scares, and I’ll give this one some extra credit for the production values, because the production values do rise above the normal made for TV standard. Still, Bag Of Bones can be very dull most of the time, and this spooky ghost story does have some silly moments. Brosnan gets his ass handed to him by this elderly woman, and he struggles to defeat this VERY old woman during a laughable fight at the end of this special. And I can’t forget about Mike’s (Brosnan’s character) connection with his dead wife. Mike receives a lot of signals from his deceased wife, and he attempts to make a connection with her. Mike constantly tries to establish a bond with his dead wife, and these scenes were suppose to deliver the majority of the emotional moments here, but these scenes just provided some unintentional laughs for me.

I’ll admit, I haven’t read the novel this film was based on just yet, but Bag Of Bones just unraveled into a weak and disappointing mess as time progressed. The twists and surprises towards the end didn’t do anything for me, because the explanations for the secrets and the mysteries just felt so ludicrous and far-fetched. Pierce Brosnan gave his best effort here, but he couldn’t save this one, and Bag Of Bones was a painful and forgettable four hour experience for me.

Young Adult (2011) 7/10-Charlize Theron should receive some recognition in the Best Actress category at the Academy Awards next year, because she really did earn a nomination with her performance in this film. Theron was the centerpiece of this film, and everything revolves around her character. Mavis (Theron) was the delusional and depressed writer, who wanted to relive her glory days, as she returned to her hometown. Mavis wanted to recapture her high school sweetheart, but Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) has a family, and he is a married man. He’s moved on with his life, but the depressed and lonely alcoholic (Theron) doesn’t want to let go of the past. At times, I wanted to feel for Theron’s character, because she was this lonely woman, and her memories from the good old days in high school made her happy. Mavis wanted to be the success story, because she was the one, who left the small town, and she managed to land a career as a writer. But Mavis had fallen on hard times as a writer, and she couldn’t get herself out of a miserable slump. I could feel for Mavis, but at times, this character could bring some anger out of me. Mavis was a lonely woman, but she could also be a cruel and selfish person, who only thought about herself, as she tried to regain happiness at any costs. She didn’t care about, who she hurt along the way, because Mavis was willing to do ANYTHING to relive her glory days. The Mavis character in this film was pretty complex, and Theron’s performance was just brilliant. Theron was very convincing in this film, and she did do a good job of showing some real emotions here.

Young Adult can be a very entertaining black comedy, and this film does feature a nice mix of humor and drama. Charlize Theron provided the highlight performance in this film, and the rest of the acting is very solid. Patton Oswalt was hilarious, but he could also show a serious side, and I really wanted to feel for his character. Also, Diablo Cody continues to impress me as a screenwriter. Her screenplay for this film was just marvelous, and she did provide some excellent dialogue for this one. Cody is one of my favorites, and she should bring something special and unique to the new Evil Dead film, because she does seem like the perfect choice to write the screenplay for the remake.
 
The People VS George Lucas (2011) 8/10- This documentary gives Star Wars fans an in-depth look at the love/hate relationship most fans have with George Lucas. This documentary is a very thought provoking piece for Star Wars fans, because The People VS George Lucas raises that one question that’s always on every Star Wars fans mind: Is George Lucas taking advantage of us? This is a legitimate question, because we’ve been flooded with tons of Star Wars merchandise over the years (special edition VHS sets, special edition DVD sets, special edition Blu-Ray sets, toys, etc.). Most Star Wars fans (myself included) can be blind sheep sometimes, and we will buy anything that features the Star Wars label. Personally, I own two VHS sets of Episodes IV-VI, I own a special edition version of The Phantom Menace on VHS, and I have all six films on DVD.

Some Star Wars fans KNOW they’re being taken advantage of deep down inside, but these feelings don’t stop them from buying new merchandise over and over again. The outstanding sales numbers for the most recent Star Wars Blu-Ray set prove this theory, because most of these fans probably own each film on a different format (DVD or VHS). But the temptation of watching the greatest science-fiction saga of all time in clear and crisp HD might be too much to resist, and there’s always the promise of “new and never before seen bonus footage.” Then, there’s the upcoming theatrical 3D re-releases of all six films. Most Star Wars fans know the new 3D effects won’t bring anything special to the table, but they will STILL pay money to see all six films in theaters, because the experience of watching all six films on the big screen is too much to resist.

Some Star Wars fans are stuck in the middle. They love and respect George Lucas, because Star Wars has become apart of their lives, and for a lot of people, Star Wars provided some great childhood memories. But at the same time, these same fans feel like they’re being taken advantage of. They’re not happy with Lucas’ changes, and they see the constant re-releases as another way for George Lucas to make more money he doesn’t need. Then, there are those Star Wars fans, who just flat out hate George Lucas. They despise his changes to the older films (the altering of the Greedo/Han Solo scene in A New Hope, the addition of the Solo/Jabba The Hut scene, new CGI effects, etc.), because they believe George shouldn’t tamper with his classic masterpieces. This is how these fans feel, and most of them refuse to accept the new changes made for Episodes IV-VI. They treasure the original versions like pieces of gold, and they don’t want to let go of the past. These same people also loathe George Lucas the person. They see him as a greedy and stubborn business man, who doesn’t want to listen to his loyal and dedicated fanbase. This group of fans don’t want to think of Lucas as the creator of Star Wars and the filmmaker. In their eyes, he’s not the same man they admired and respected in the 70‘s and 80‘s, because a lot has changed over the years. Most of these fans hate the prequels (especially The Phantom Menace) with a burning white hot passion, and they refuse to accept these films.

I’ve always thought the prequels received a lot of unjustified hate, and most people just love to bash these films, because they’re “not as good as the originals.” This line of thinking is just pure bullshit, and some Star Wars fans can be so close-minded.

The People VS George Lucas is an outstanding documentary, and this film is a MUST-SEE for all Star Wars fans. You just have to watch this film, if you love Star Wars, because this one will make you think about your loyalty to this famous and legendary film franchise. The People VS George Lucas is a thought provoking documentary, this one is filled with some great humor, and this documentary does feature a good amount of hilarious skits, parodies, and reenactments. This is a very informative film, the interview clips with George Lucas are just great, and this one does feature some very clever editing. Also, this wasn’t a lopsided documentary, and I really did appreciate the fair and unbiased approach here. They didn’t go out of their way to kiss George Lucas’ ass, and they also didn’t turn this into one gigantic hate filled mudslinging fest. Different points of view are showcased here, and you will see all arguments from many sides. Lucas has his fair share of haters, followers, and supporters (Francis Ford Coppola defends and supports Lucas throughout this film), but one thing is very clear, all of these people have a deep and undying passion for Star Wars. They’re still devoted to the films, and most people won’t let their bitter feelings for Lucas ruin the excitement, enjoyment, and love they have for Star Wars. This is one of the better documentaries I’ve seen over the years, and The People VS George Lucas did provide a great experience for me.

Hell Night (1981) 7/10- A group of new pledges (Linda Blair, Peter Barton, Vincent Van Patten, Suki Gooden) are willing to do anything to join a fraternity. They’re seeking acceptance from the cool people on campus, but they must pass one crucial test, if they want to become proud members of the fraternity: This particular group of pledges must spend one night in a haunted mansion. A group of brutal and horrific murders occurred at Garth Manor twelve years prior to the stroryline. Raymond Garth (the father of the family) snapped, and he killed off the members of his family one by one, but the body of Andrew (Garth’s youngest child) was never found. At first, the group of pledges discover an obvious plot for a prank, and the “haunted” mansion doesn’t seem so scary. But a series of some very real and brutal murders change everything. The pledges aren’t alone in the mansion, and the chances for escape and survival are very slim.

Hell Night is your typical 80’s slasher flick, but everything works well here, and I really enjoyed this film. Hell Night provides a spooky and chilling atmosphere most of the time (mainly during the scenes at the haunted mansion), there are a few jump scares here, this film features some very likeable characters, and the acting is decent enough. Also, the kills in this film are pretty gruesome. Hell Night doesn’t go too over the top with blood and violence, but the deaths and the gore do provide some cringing moments. The story was decent enough, and Hell Night was a fun ride for me.

Yeah, this film does feature a few plot holes, this one can feel very corny and cheesy most of the time, and the humor is just dreadful. Also, this film can feel predictable at times, and you can clearly see who the sole survivor will be at the end of the film. Still, Hell Night works as a mindless slasher film. Attractive women, blood, gore, violence, and scares….what more could you ask for? Hell Night features all of the elements, that would satisfy plenty of horror fans, and you can have a good time with this film, if you lower your expectation levels for anything good or great. I’ve watched this film three times or more over the past couple of days, and I can’t get enough of it. Oh, and for what it’s worth, seeing Linda Blair in a non-possessed and evil state was kind of weird. Sorry, but after watching The Exorcist so many times, images of Blair’s zombie look and the green vomit are burned in my memory, and to tell you the truth, I have a hard time remembering Blair for anything else besides The Exorcist.

On a side note, Hollywood’s desperation for new ideas continues to be a problem, and they will reach into the bag of past horror films again, because Hell Night will receive a remake in the near future. This news was reported a while ago, and a remake for this film doesn’t surprise me at all. Hell Night has developed a nice sized cult following over the years, so the remake could gain its fair share of attention. Hell Night isn’t as popular as Halloween and other past slasher films, but with the right marketing strategy and promotion campaign, the Hell Night remake could become a respectable box office success. Although, when it comes to horror remakes, Hollywood doesn’t have a good success rate, when it comes to making high quality films, so the thought of a remake really doesn't excite me at all.
 
As is normal over the holiday season, I saw quite a few movies over Christmas and New Year. Here are some brief reviews on a few of them:

Son of Rambow: Son of Rambow tells the story of a young boy who has lived a sheltered life due to his families religious beliefs. These beliefs come into conflict with his desire to make a film with the school bully and his imagination which runs wild after watching Stallone's First Blood. The acting from the kids is brilliant and they're genuinely funny. The story gets a little too over-the-top for my liking, but it's still a great piece of fun and a touching adventure about two very different kids growing up: 8/10

Miracle of 34th Street (Richard Attenborough Version): Richard Attenborough is probably the greatest choice to play the Kris Kringle character ever. He just suits the role so well. Outside of him in a wonderful lead performance, and the always solid Mara Wilson (Matilda in case you didn't know), it's a fairly meh affair. The rest of the cast does alright, but it's just not special. Thankfully Attenborough is in almost every scene and lights up the screen whenever he appears. 7/10

District 9: My second time watching this film, and it pretty much reinforced my thoughts from the first time; it's pretty damn good, if not a wee bit ropey. I don't think they really struck the balance of the documentary and the actual Wikus story very well at all, and the villains are as 2D as it gets (A batty warlord, a douchey businessman, and a nutty mercenary). The acting from Shartlo Copely is first class throughout and the story is strong. It also looks incredible considering its budget and you do get a real sense of the atmosphere. 8/10

Total Recall: Arnie doing what Arnie does; kicking ass and making bad puns. Total Recall's a bit of a mixed bag. It's effects are absolutely outstanding and Arnie's hit his stride as Quaid, but the entire time he's on the screen, Michael Ironside annoys the living daylights out of me. He's just trying far too hard to be Jack Nicholson. He looks like, and sounds like, a second-rate version of Jack and it's so distracting. The script's a fair bit ropey too with lots of talk about rebel's and shit. It feels like you've walked on the set of a cross between Star Wars and Judge Dredd. 7/10

Bolt: Bolt's a fun film with a decent angle; Bolt, the star of his own TV show, believes he in fact lives in the fantasy television world and so, when he gets lost, has to make his way back to Hollywood, but also has to learn how to cope in the real world. Solid, no? The supporting cast is full of wonderful and colourful characters like Rhino the hamster and a number of pigeons who adopt local guises wherever they are (In New York they're wise guys in Hollywood they're piss poor writers etc...), but the problem I have is, I don't care enough about the lead character. Bolt is a fairly dull character and so I'm not truly invested in his quest. 7/10

Twins: Another movie with Schwarzenegger, only this time it's his comedic side that's showcased. He teams up with Danny DeVito to form a weird odd couple that bizarrely works. The film has a lot going for it with DeVito and Arnie, so it's a shame that they manage to squander a lot of its potential in an overly complicated storyline which just leaves you scratching your head. Oh yeah, and there's some weird twin love interest story. It's just weird. Good lead performances (one of Arnie's best comedy roles) prop it up. 6/10

The Skin I Live In: Just finished watching this about an hour ago. Good lord it's nasty...in a classy way. Antonio Banderas plays a brilliant plastic surgeon whose pet project is somehow wrapped in his own bizarre and twisted past. The movie's narrative is a bit all over the place at times, but damn if it isn't entertaining. The direction is smooth and crisp allowing both elements of horror and drama to unfold. The story itself contains a sickening twist in the middle which throws everything up in the air and will probably leave you repulsed, but it's brilliant. Banderas also works magnificently as the central character and reminds you of a younger Sean Connery at times. Like a good car-wreck, The Skin I Live In is a grim prospect, but one you refuse to take your eyes away from. 9/10
 
Why did I not know about this thread? Obviously I'm not really paying attention, because I have been doing film reviews for YEARS. And since I love the WZ forum community, it only makes sense that I join the team! Here we go, I'll just list the movies I've seen in the past few weeks:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: I went into this one expecting a 10/10 film, as David Fincher is perhaps my favorite director in the industry today. With Fight Club, the Social Network, Benjamin Button, and Se7en under his belt I was confident in his ability to pull off this incredibly disturbing material... I won't say I was disappointed, because about 80% of the movie was brilliantly done. Normally sex scenes and nudity in films are over-done and unnecessary. Often, they actually take away from the creativity and exploration of the mind... Dragon Tattoo managed to include several sex scenes, a graphic rape scene, a rebuttal to said rape scene, and a few more acts of nudity while maintaining its integrity. I have no idea how...but this film greatly disturbed me and kept me in my seat the whole time. When the movie focussed on the central plot - the mystery angle - it did incredibly well. But they concluded the plot, and instead of ending the film, they went back and focussed on a lesser drama from the main character's backstory. Then, when that was over, they ended with the even-less developed romance between the two characters, ending the film with a lackluster moment. I understand that this is based off a 3-part book series, so you can't blame anyone working on the project for the material itself... I loved most of the movie, but it seemed to me that Fincher had his hands in too many cookie jars at the same time. Rating: 82%

The Ides of March: Here's the thing about politics: they're incredibly dull and boring about 90% of the time, and only appeal to about half the population. I think the same description can be perfectly applied to The Ides of March. I have an issue any time a film is directed, written, produced, and stars one man...especially when that man is George Clooney. The guy is a legend and has done some incredible things, but it's because of that, that I can't seem to see him as a character anymore. I just see George Clooney, and it's really distracting! I think the acting was incredible in this movie, and everyone came across as normal, politically-minded individuals. Giamatti was used far too little if you asked me, but the acting was really well done... It was just the plot that bored me! You can't save the last 20 minutes of a film for all the drama and excitement - especially when your movie is only 90 minutes long. Rating: 65%

The Help: See this movie. Film of the year with no doubt in my mind... Over two hours of heart-wrenching material, great acting, and a disturbing (and truthful) look at a time in American society. I was worried about Emma Stone pulling off the southern drawl and blonde hair, but she surprised me! I love a good period piece, and this one was pulled off to a near-perfect extent. I think they could have taken a few more risks with the material, maybe offended the viewers a bit more with their jabs at white culture, but that really is my only (very small) complaint. Rating: 98%

Moneyball: The last time I had any interest in baseball was when the ultimate underdogs, the Arizona Diamondbacks, came out of nowhere with the best pitching team in the league and won the World Series. That being said, Moneyball was brilliant with or without a passion for the sport. I love Brad Pitt, and Jonah Hill was surprisingly solid in a non-comedic attempt. The ending was anti-climactic to say the least, but you can't really blame them for the material presented when a film is based on a true story... Rating: 92%
 
Just to let you know that the films I review may not be the most recent releases.

Contagion(2011)- A very decent movie here as this feels more like your casual action film you see so much these days. The plot here is that due to some woman attracting the disease in Hong Kong (or Macau I can't remember) she brings to the U.S and from there on it spreads around the world. As expected there are many scenes with doctors, government officials, and world leaders addressing the epidemic as well as the reactions to it. To be honest and outbreak epidemic story really doesn't interest me at all, not to mention the movie is close to about 2 hours which is longer than it needs to be. There are subtle moments such as when this man's wife is passing away. Anyway it's really over the top at times and a passable movie in my opinion. 6/10

White Dog(1982)- For an independent film this is actually quite good. I enjoy Paul Winfield as the black man that has to evict racism for a trained "White dog". This movie for all the great themes it has, also has some very absurd moments as well. The main character played by Kristy McNichol is very passive during the crucial moments that include stacks by the dog. Most of the attacks lack common sense of the human part as they let the dog rip them apart when they are 90% of the time able to throw him off. The ending is quite satisfying though and the dog has a pretty good performance as well. 8/10

The Help(2011)- Now this is one of the best films of 2011 in my humble opinion. It exploits segregation in a setting that is a lot like that off Hairspray (2007) with a very past and colorful feel to the setting. The villain is one of the most annoying female antagonist yo will ever see courtesy of Bryce Dallas Howard. Emma Stone also is great here and the black actresses especially Octavia Spencer are really interesting playing their characters. There is so much more to say when bashing a film than when praising so I will cut this one off here. 10/10

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked(2011)- My little brother made me go see this and I decided to give it a chance after loving the first one, and hating the sequel. While it surpasses the The squeakquel in terms of quality the plot looks like it was just thrown together, which it the case for most children's films. You get what you expect here as they are shipwrecked and Dave must come to the rescue. There is only man that stands out here as great and saves this movie from mediocrity and that is David Cross as Ian Hawk. His dialogue is so vile and full off mean jokes compared to the corny lines of the chipmunks that he comes off as a huge asshole. You either love him or hate him in this movie, and me being the heartless soul loved every bit of his hilarious insults at the Chipmunks. Other than that it's a really fun movie, but it doesn't offer much more than that, you get what you expect. 6/10
 
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 82%
The Ides of March - 65%
The Help - 98%
Moneyball - 92%
I just want to talk a little about how I actually review movies. Many use a star system, most of them out of 5. I think this is generally just a gimmick that could be expanded to 10 for simplicity. Roger Ebert uses a 4-star system that I can't stand. I think there needs to be more room for leverage, and 4-star means that every single star is worth 25% of its overall grade. Plus, when you get down to half-stars, you're working with uneven, difficult numbers. It's just stupid... I like to use the 100% system, and I actually have a scoring chart to help me come up with accurate ratings. There are particular categories, each having their own point value based on their importance to the film. That being said, I think the review is ultimately more telling than the number representing its score. It may be rated 60%, but if you read the critic's actual review you may find something compelling enough to give it a shot! In the end it's only a number, and every fan has their own system of preferences.

Here are a few more from my recently watched films:

The Three Musketeers (1993): I downloaded this the other day for nostalgia alone. I watched this movie every single week when I was younger, and for whatever reason I thought it was awesome. I'll admit, Tim Curry is still fantastic, and it's pretty hilarious when you realize the cast is essentially Tim Curry, Jack Beaur, Charlie Sheen, and the kid who plays Robin in the worst Batman movie ever made. If you liked this movie in the 90s and want to relive some hilarious moments, go for it! But as a movie up for review in this here thread, it's pretty terrible. The script is just hilariously bad. Rating: 53%

Eat, Pray, Love: I know our community is mostly male, but all stories are deserving of review - even romantic ones! I was originally concerned with Julia Roberts as the lead choice, considering her age and the subject material, but she ended up doing a wonderful job. It gave it that mid-life crisis feel, which to me was more interesting than one of a thousand chick flicks that came out this decade. The story was great, but most of that can be attributed to the original source material. Definitely a must-see for fans of romance. Rating: 80%

Tangled: Not the greatest Disney movie, and well under the Pixar level of quality, but definitely one of the better "classics" of the 21st century. It's been awhile since I've been fully entertained by something Disney did (not including the Pixar team). I'd say my favorite outing by them since Emperor's New Groove! Rating: 79%

Super 8: On principle I just can't stand child actors. Part of me thinks there was a reason men played women and children in old English plays! This is one of the first films I've seen where I just loved the entire cast, kids included. JJ Abrams continues to be one of the modern greats. Rating: 88%
 
Sorry for the double post, but I took too long and couldn't edit.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 82%
The Ides of March - 65%
The Help - 98%
Moneyball - 92%
The Three Musketeers - 53%
Eat, Pray, Love - 80%
Tangled - 79%
Super 8 - 88%

Mr. Popper's Penguins: Just got done with this about five minutes ago. Another kid's movie with child actors I could actually put up with. Despite an inevitably low rating, if you're simply looking for a film to throw in with the children on a Friday night, this is a great pick. It's got all the symptoms of a cheesy, lazily written kid's story, but Jim Carey makes it more than just watchable. Impressive CGI work too! Rating: 72%
 
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) 9/10- Rooney Mara’s performance really did blow me away here. Matching Noomi Rapace’s performance in the 2009 Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragoon Tattoo wasn’t an easy task, because Noomi was simply brilliant in this film. But Mara really did step up to the challenge here, and her performance was just outstanding. Mara really did immerse herself in the Lisbeth Salander character, because she was believable in this film. Mara could be very convincing as a psychotic bad ass, and she was able to bring a good amount of intensity and rage to the Lisbeth character. Lisbeth could be crafty and viscous at the same time, and Mara did deliver with the cold and vindictive side of this character. Lisbeth was a person, who you wouldn’t want to mess with under any circumstances, and Mara did provide the necessary intimidating and unwelcoming presence for this character. Lisbeth is a complex character, and Rooney Mara did a phenomenal job with this role, because she was able to balance all of her emotions throughout this film. Lisbeth could be this mean and aggressive woman, who could provide plenty of shocking moments, but at the same time, you could also see a troubled person with a dark past, and you could feel for her. Rooney Mara deserves all of the tremendous praise she has received, because her execution was flawless, and she really did deliver a powerful performance.

The Lisbeth role will do wonders for Mara’s career, and she really has made a ton of progress over the past year. Remember, this is the same woman, who starred in that piece of shit Nightmare On Elm Street remake (Mara wasn’t bad in this one, but this was still an awful remake), and Mara didn’t receive too much attention for her work in The Social Network. She didn’t have a lot of on-screen time in this film, but you could see some signs of real talent from her performance. Mara has a bright future in Hollywood, and I really am looking forward to her future films.

Remakes usually don’t live up to the success of a high quality and original film. Some remakes feature no true flaws, but critics and fans still love to bash the new film, because the remake will always suffer the “well, it wasn’t better than the original” criticisms, and because of this, a lot of remakes can’t escape the tremendous shadow of the original. But The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) doesn’t suffer from this problem. Noomi Rapace’s performance in the original shouldn’t be forgotten, but Rooney Mara was able to bring the goods with her performance in this film. Daniel Craig was very solid as Mikael Blomkvist, and I would put his performance on the same level as Michael Nyqvist’s performance (Mikael from the original) in the first film. The remake is loaded with some exceptional acting, and the entire cast really did give a great effort here. As far as the violence goes, this film can be more dark and disturbing than the original. The rape scenes are far more perversive in this one, and this remake does feature a few “hard to watch” moments. The Girl With Dragon Tattoo (2011) does feature some material you won’t see in the original, there are some new scenes here, and everything does feel different. For the most part, they stayed true to the spirit of the original film, but the changes are very noticeable. Still, this is an outstanding film, and this is one the best remakes I’ve ever seen. The 2009 Swedish version is an excellent film, and you should give it a try, if you’re a fan of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The tremendous praise for this film is justified in every way, and to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t have a problem with other critics and movie fans rating this one higher than the original. Yeah, this film is THAT good. Personally, I really enjoy both versions of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Both versions are high quality films, and each one is unique in its own way.

For me, the rape scenes still felt unnecessary in this film. Lisbeth is a rebel and a bad ass, and you can clearly see this BEFORE the rape scenes take place. The rape scenes in this film just felt like another cheap attempt for some shock value reactions, but still, I can’t deny how much I enjoyed this film, and these particular scenes couldn’t ruin this one for me. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a dark and disturbing drama/thriller. This film can bring some genuinely uncomfortable feelings out of you, and this one does feature some great suspense, especially during the final moments. The cinematography looks absolutely gorgeous, and David Fincher deserves his fair share of credit here, because he did do a masterful job with the directing. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was one of the better films in 2011, and this one needs some serious recognition in multiple categories at this year’s Academy Awards.
 
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - I watched it with my little sisters a few days ago and we all loved it. For people who enjoyed movies like Tangled, Ratatouille and other animations of the sort would really like this movie. It's the usual 'Misunderstood person meets someone who likes him for who he is and then a great relationship develops between the two and bring out the best in each other, resulting in the others actually appreciating the once misunderstood person' story. It's a really cute movie.
Rating - 10/10
 
A Night To Dismember (1983) N/A- Detective Tim O’Malley (the role of O’Malley is portrayed by an uncredited actor, and this guy should be thankful for his unknown identity here, because A Night To Dismember is a potential career killer) tries to piece together the mystery of a series of bizarre and brutal family murders. At first, O’Malley suspects Vicki Kent (Samantha Fox). Vicki was recently released from an insane asylum, and she has killed before, so Vicki does seem like the perfect suspect, but other members of the Kent family aren’t so innocent. Everyone displays signs of suspicious activity, as the story progresses. O’Malley must act quickly, because the bodies are piling up fast, and the crafty murderer is determined to finish off the entire Kent family once and for all.

Yeah, I will probably go on an endless rant here, because A Night To Dismember is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my entire life. But to be fair, A Night To Dismember did suffer some serious production and distribution problems, so I’ll try to keep it short. It probably won’t work, because I can feel a long rant coming on, but I will try.

First of all, the narrating just kills this one. This was an incredibly stupid idea, and the narrating is one of the many weaknesses in this film. The O’Malley character narrates the entire film, and he actually describes some very basic actions/movements (answering the phone, opening doors, looking through a window, while a woman performs a striptease, etc.) Why was this truly necessary??? I don’t give a fuck about O’Malley looking through a window, or opening a door, or answering a telephone, because I can clearly see his every move, while I‘m watching the movie. Explaining the thoughts and personal feelings of the O’Malley character through narration is one thing, but having him describe simple movements was just unbelievably stupid. And most of the characters don’t get a chance to talk throughout the film, because O’Malley’s narration interrupts everything. The characters do provide some dialogue in this one, but for the most part, you don’t hear them talk too much, because they’re speaking parts are overtaken by Detective Tim O’Malley’s narrating and some very shitty background music. Also, the narration absolutely kills ALL of the suspense in this film. Again, O’Malley describes EVERYTHING. He describes the kills in detail, and he describes the killer’s movements and actions before they prepare to deliver the final blow. This might have worked, if the narrating was used on a very limited basis, but this didn’t happen. You have to listen to Tim O’Malley describe everything that happens within the movie, and this can become so annoying after a while. James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman have the perfect voices for narrating of any kind, but they wouldn’t have been able to save this one.

Low budget horror films usually don’t bother me, but the effects in this film looked so incredibly cheap and fake. It’s so obvious, and the atrocious makeup effects used in this film can’t be ignored. The violence, gore, and blood in this film are extremely laughable, and the killing scenes did bring some “Are you serious!” reactions out of me. The special effects in this film aren’t believable at all, the kills didn’t make me cringe, they didn’t gross me out, they didn’t force me to look away from the screen, and A Night To Dismember couldn’t scare a four year old, who watches Dora The Explorer and Barney on a regular basis.

And the acting in this film is just dreadful. NOBODY provides a believable performance in this film, and the acting really drags this one down. Apparently, Samantha Fox was noticeable porn actress during this time, and she might’ve had some talent in the world of porn (Fox is a member of the AVN Hall Of Fame), but Fox’s performance in this film was painful to watch. Fox was one of the main characters, and her performance wasn’t believable at all. Everything felt so forced and unrealistic, and I just couldn’t buy Fox as this crazy and bloodthirsty family member, who might go on a killing spree. And the uncredited actor, who portrays Detective Tim O’Malley didn’t bring anything special to the table. This film wants you to believe O’Malley as this smart and crafty detective, who can solve the murder mystery, but the O’Malley character just comes off as this clueless and creepy douchebag, who likes to watch women (who are suspects by the way) perform stripteases, while he stares through a window. The O’Malley character wasn’t a good detective. He just looks like a dumbass and a pervert most of the time, and the uncredited actor’s bland and painfully boring performance didn’t help anything at all. The rest of the cast was awful, and nobody showcased a convincing performance in this film. Everyone was so emotionless, and the cast sounded like they were reading their lines directly from cue cards.

The actors and actresses were pretty bad here, but the dubbed-over dialogue didn’t help anything. As I said before, A Night To Dismember was a victim of some production and distribution problems, and Doris Wishman (the director for this film. Wishman was also one of the producers) had to re-edit a lot of footage in this one. The dubbed-over dialogue in this film is just terrible, because the dialogue doesn’t sync up with the actors and actress as they speak on-screen, and you can clearly see this. The dubbed-over dialogue can cause some unintentionally funny moments, it makes this film feel so ridiculous, and the dubbed-over dialogue was another major problem for A Night To Dismember.

A Night To Dismember features a laundry list of problems, but the very end of this film just drove me nuts. They were going for a documentary style of filmmaking here. The O’Malley character tells the story of the killings in detail, and this film wants you to believe everything is real: The murders actually happened, and the killer is still on the lose. This is the illusion they were trying to sell to the audience. Well, this might’ve worked, but at the very end of the credits, A Night To Dismember reminds the audience “all characters and names are fictitious.” That’s right. A Night To Dismember tries to be a documentary style film, but they actually tell you everything isn’t real during the credits? As the credits begin to roll, they remind you to contact Detective Tim O’Malley, if you find any details and “all information will be kept confidential” when submitted. But they totally killed the illusion with the everything is “fictitious” stuff. You try to make a documentary style film, and then you remind the audience everything is fake at the very end? That doesn’t make sense at all.

Yes. I know. I’m watching a movie. You don’t have to remind me everything is fake, because this can totally kill the illusion for any film, and you destroy any credibility the “real” story might have had. “The fictitious” reminder brought a faceplam out of me, and A Night To Dismember did provide one of my more memorable “WTF!?!?“ moments, while watching a film, but not for good reasons, though.

Usually, on my normal scale of 0/10, I would give this film a zero, but this film did suffer some production problems, and A Night To Dismember was an incredible incoherent mess. I seriously couldn’t follow the story most of the time, and I actually had to rewind some parts of this movie, because I couldn’t grasp everything the first time around. Oh, and if you’re wondering, a complex and smart story didn’t cause this. The editing for this film is FUCKING TERRIBLE. Each scenes jumps from one to the next so quickly, and at times, the previous scene feels unfinished, because everything ends so abruptly. The sloppy transitions for each scene can cause so much confusion, and for some odd reason, they felt the need to add in some random scenes of lighting storms. A Night To Dismember is a horrible train wreck, and I can’t give this film a normal score, because this film is hard to comprehend and hard to watch most of the time. This one lands on my rare list of unwatchables, because A Night To Dismember is just atrocious in every way. The acting is bad, the story is confusing and the plot really doesn’t make any sense at all, the effects are cheap and unbelievable, and the directing is very, very poor. A Night To Dismember doesn’t feature any redeemable qualities at all, and I really can‘t think of any positive highlights for this one.

A Night To Dismember provided a painful experience for me, but I chose to hold off on the zero rating for this film. This is an unwatchable film, but this colossal clusterfuck did suffer some production problems. A lot of already completed footage was destroyed, so Doris Wishman was forced to re-edit and re-shoot the good majority of this movie. A Night To Dismember doesn’t deserve a score as real film, and this was film was hard to follow and comprehend, so I’ll go with an N/A rating for this one, because this choppy and unclear disaster doesn’t deserve recognition as a competently made film. The lost footage really hurt this one, the final product was a total abomination, and I can’t give A Night To Dismember a real score. I just can’t. Although, I can’t imagine the original version of this film being any better than what I saw recently, because I didn‘t see signs of anything special in the renovated version. If someone forced me to make a choice between ramming a machete into my own gut, or watching this movie again, I would take the machete, easily.
 
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 82%
The Ides of March - 65%
The Help - 98%
Moneyball - 92%
The Three Musketeers - 53%
Eat, Pray, Love - 80%
Tangled - 79%
Super 8 - 88%
Mr. Popper's Penguins - 72%

Contagion: I completely lost track of this one after it left theaters. I remember being mildly excited about it when I first saw the trailor, and then so many things came out at the same time that it flew completely off my radar. SO I finally downloaded it last night and took the two hours to watch it, and I'm glad I did. It's not a perfect thriller, and it definitely has it's issues. For one, there's nothing really surprising about the plot. It's pretty much what you would expect from a film about a global epidemic threatening to wipe out all of mankind. The few times they tried to do something outside of the box, I thought it came off as unnecessary filler. At one point there's a hostage situation I didn't even bother to go back and hash out. I did like the casting, the subtle soundtrack throughout, and some of the lighting effects they used. They managed to portrait a very somber setting, and by the end I felt real emotion as humanity stood on its last legs. Seeing totally abandoned city streets was kind of cool, and give it a slight post-apocolyptic feel. It was good, but I think in a lot of ways it could have also been better. Rating: 76%

Drive: This was a very odd movie. The plot was simple enough: a guy with a very troubled (yet ambiguous) backstory becomes a professional driver for all sorts of dirty, under-handed business dealings. He meets a girl and eventually gets in all sorts of trouble to save said girl. But where the movie truly gets strange is in its presentation. The whole thing, from cheesy opening credits, to the 30-year-old soundtrack, to LA scene seems to be right out of the early 80s; except for Patrick Swayze, we now have Ryan Gosling. I loved the way they used near-silence (a single low tone was played and rarely ever deviated from in all of the serious moments), and it added to the suspense and tension, but it's been done before. It felt like American Beauty and Pulp Fiction had a love child, but purely in style, not plot or script. I think the weirdest thing of all though, is how limited the dialogue was. When people DID talk, and it wasn't often, it was incredibly awkward. I'm not sure if I loved this one, or hated it, but I give it a lot of points for originality. Or at least...taking original materials, mashing them together, and coming up with whatever the heck happened in this movie! Rating: 83%

50/50: Joseph Gordon-Levitt: awesome. Anna Kendrick: great (and the only good thing about the Twilight series). Seth Rogen: um...yeah. This was honestly head-and-shoulders better than I expected, and for anybody looking for a good dromedy with a little bit of romance thrown in there, check this one out. Anna Kendrick continues to play that really awkward girl-next-door, but it's still incredibly charming. Joe Levitt is great, and pretty believable as a cancer patient... And for once, they finally found a decent role for Seth Rogen. There were a few serious scenes he did well, but for the most part they brought him in for comedic relief. And that's how you best utilize an actor that HAS to be funny to be good! I liked the premise, but near the end when they were really building drama towards the finale, I thought they had captured magic. All they needed to do was cut the comedy and pull the trigger...but they couldn't resist just ONE more Rogen one-liner, and of course *SPOILER ALERT* ...the happy ending. I know I sound terrible, but in some movies, people just need to die! Rating: 81%
 
The Three Musketeers (1993) - 53%
The Ides of March - 65%
Mr. Popper's Penguins - 72%
Contagion - 76%
Tangled - 79%
Eat, Pray, Love - 80%
50/50 - 81%
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 82%
Drive - 83%
Super 8 - 88%
Moneyball - 92%
The Help - 96% (recently edited)

Book of Eli: Great story, great acting, great cast (seriously, Denzel is one awesome black dude) and an even better stylistic approach. I'll admit, I have a thing for post-apocalyptic fiction. There is a slight twist, at one major part that had me rolling my eyes at how over-the-top the irony was...but that is literally my only complaint. Maybe Mila Kunis... Rating: 87%

Fast Five: The best of the series by far, in my own opinion. At the very least, it's the best since the original. It's a little confusing to some that the series is out of order, but the only thing you need to know is that Tokyo Drift comes AFTER the events of Fast Five. Not that it really matters, because you can expunge all THREE of the middle movies and I doubt any self-respecting movie fan would care. I was pleasantly surprised by Dwayne Johnson's character, and his ability to pull it off. The story was interesting, and all the crazy explosions, sexy cars, hot babes, and insane car chases are present... Not bad if that's what you're into. Rating: 75%

Ironclad: I am a HUGE fan of Paul Giamatti. I don't care what he's in, I will watch the heck out of it just to see him perform. That being said, there was not near enough Pauly G for me to be comfortable with this movie. James Purefoy was decent enough to sell his role, and that's pretty much a trend that carries through the entire cast. Kate Mara was the one exception that really shined, except for Giamatti's rather limited performance. She is gorgeous, but she's not super-model-esk, and that's perfect for a movie where you don't want the secondary female to steal the spotlight. I had higher expectations for this film, but it was decent enough to merit a redbox rental or download. Rating: 77%

Pirates IV: Four words: Giant pile of blaaahhhh. Everyone loves the first Pirates movie, and in pretty much every way (except, you know...the lackluster Keira Knightley and over-acting Orlando Bloom) it's a great film. The only thing I loved about Pirates IV was the soundtrack, and that's only because it was a variant of ALL the other soundtracks... Only see this one if you have an insane OCD to see all of the movies in a series. Rating: 72%

Zombieland: Remember that post-apocalyptic love affair I mentioned a few minutes ago? It's only heightened when there are zombies involved. Also, when Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg are involved...in pretty much anything. Not to mention that Woody Harrelson is a comedic bad-ass, AND Bill Murray makes a cameo. I was born and raised in Woodstock, IL (the town where all of Groundhog Day is filmed) so I have an inbred thing for Murray... Seriously, great movie from beginning to end, and probably the reason Eisenberg was chosen for the Social Network. Rating: 89%

Shutter Island: I think the only plague on this film is DiCaprio's terrible accent, but even that is explained by the very end. The actual story behind the film is fantastic, and has an extremely creative twist. One of the few films that manages to surpass the novel it was based around. It's a shame that not many people went and saw this, but I'm not terribly surprised considering that DiCaprio's other film that year was Inception. Rating: 85%

District 9: I was floored when I learned about Sharlto Copley, and that District 9 was the first film he had ever been in. He took the reigns as lead actor and did an incredible job, to the point where if you told me he had been acting for 30 years, I'd have believed you. And considering that the majority of the film is spent having Copley interact with aliens, he has to carry the brunt of responsibility for the film's success. I should also mention this was director Neill Blomkamp's first full-length film as well... Mind = blown. Rating: 86%

I Am Legend: When my post-apocalyptic love affair meets my Will Smith love affair, this movie is born. This was right around the time I thought Smith was developing into the greatest African-American actor in history. Pursuit of Happyness had just launched the year, proving that he can play a serious role and win a lot of awards doing it. And then this came out, with Seven Pounds already being advertised behind it (we don't talk about Hancock). I think this is my favorite of Smith's three incredibly serious roles thus far, not because it's emotionally a better movie than Pursuit, but because I can watch it over and over again, and not want to kill myself out of sheer depression! Rating: 87%

Seven Pounds: I thought this was perfect the first time I watched it, but it got significantly worse after I'd seen it about five times. The brilliance is in the ending, and how he ties together all your emotions and throws them in your face when the time is right. But if you're expecting it, you're going to miss out, and it becomes just another halfway decent drama. Smith is still great, it's just Rosario Dawson and the guy who wrote the script for her parts. There's probably a reason he hasn't written anything since... See this once, if you haven't had it ruined for you already. Rating: 79%
 
A Soldiers Story(1984)-A heavily acclaimed movie here that I was very interested in checking out myself. I saw it on netflix and it is a very impressive film. Denzel Washington of course is the best part about this movie (as he usually he is) his young and brash character also produced comic relief during the film. It does expose a bit of segregation in the U.S army during world was 2, which this is the first instance I have seen of that on film. Most of the moments are flashbacks which is fine since this is more of a detective mystery murder plot. I feel that's it is a little too slow paced but the acting and the story are very interesting. 8/10

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs(2009)- This was surprisingly entertaining for a kids film. As usual you get the story of a misfit, who is trying to do something important, impresses a girl, and saves the day in the end. It's kids movie formula, but it works really well here as the characters especially Flint are all likable. The best part about this is the father son-relation aspect and how it relates to their vastly different personalities. There is as expected comical violent comedy which is just fine,and I always like movies where the hero is very smart. It's not a masterpiece of cinema but it isn't supposed to be it's just something fun to watch. 7/10

Mission impossible: Ghost protocol (2011)- Good god this is hard to sit through as all of the action gets boring after awhile. The fact that it is an action-spy film practically writes the story itself: saving the world. As with most action flicks you get the cars chases, guns, fights, women, boobies, and explosions. It's all very predictable and really doesn't bring anything new from all the other action flicks that have the same content. Not to mention that this runs for over 2 hours! I get bored after watching this for an hour an half, but it's almost double that time. Paula Patton is the best part of this simply because she was the only thing keeping me awake, Tom Cruise was.. Tom Cruise, and the other 2 I have no idea who they are. Very predictable movie, and if you like seeing an action film for the hell of it then you will enjoy this, if you want something very interesting and unique, look elsewhere. 4/10

Inception(2011)- THIS is my favorite movie of all time! I love this film with passion. I saw this just when I was getting into lucid dreaming so this was a right time and place moment for me. Christopher Nolan never fails to direct and excellent and thrilling motion picture. The concept of dreams in this film captures my attention like no other. Not every film needs originality, but this one brings it at full force, and I love it for that. Leonardo Dicaprio is fantastic in his role, he brings the pain of loosing his wife to this dreaming concept to his character quite well. Another pet like of mine for this is that there is barely a love story. Yes the Wife-dream thing is sort of one but at least the movie doesn't center around romance. The action scenes are very thrilling but not overwhelming and while subtle moments are rare in this fast paced flick, you at least on or two of them. For me the dream within a dream concept makes this my favorite movie of all time. 10/10
 
Paralyzer Z said:
Mission impossible: Ghost protocol (2011)- Good god this is hard to sit through as all of the action gets boring after awhile. The fact that it is an action-spy film practically writes the story itself: saving the world. As with most action flicks you get the cars chases, guns, fights, women, boobies, and explosions. It's all very predictable and really doesn't bring anything new from all the other action flicks that have the same content. Not to mention that this runs for over 2 hours! I get bored after watching this for an hour an half, but it's almost double that time. Paula Patton is the best part of this simply because she was the only thing keeping me awake, Tom Cruise was.. Tom Cruise, and the other 2 I have no idea who they are. Very predictable movie, and if you like seeing an action film for the hell of it then you will enjoy this, if you want something very interesting and unique, look elsewhere. 4/10
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Good god, what the fuck is wrong with you? Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is everything you could want in an action movie. Great action sequences, spectacular yet believable stunts, good cast, comedy to break away from the intense drama... what more could you want? Well, I'll tell you. My main gripe with the film are that the story is a little one-dimensional. There are no twists and turns but, at the end of the day they aren't needed. Simon Pegg's character is hilarious, Tom Cruise is exactly what you say he is... Tom Cruise, the chick is alright and Renner put in a stella performance. Also, what I liked about the movie was its ability to make me forget that they were obviously going to save the world. It really did have me at the edge of my seat, and boy, the last scene in the parking made me lose about 5 kilos in sweat. Really, JJ Abrams and the gang did a great job. I was wary going into the film as MI3 hadn't really impressed me but, Ghost Protocol blew me away. A perfect pop-corn flick and what James Bond should be like.

This film deserves a 9.5/10 and ranks near the top of my favourite action movies ever. It was that good.
 
Christian "Minimum Wage" Cage;3633592 said:
Good god, what the fuck is wrong with you? Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is everything you could want in an action movie. Great action sequences, spectacular yet believable stunts, good cast, comedy to break away from the intense drama... what more could you want? Well, I'll tell you. My main gripe with the film are that the story is a little one-dimensional. There are no twists and turns but, at the end of the day they aren't needed. Simon Pegg's character is hilarious, Tom Cruise is exactly what you say he is... Tom Cruise, the chick is alright and Renner put in a stella performance. Also, what I liked about the movie was its ability to make me forget that they were obviously going to save the world. It really did have me at the edge of my seat, and boy, the last scene in the parking made me lose about 5 kilos in sweat. Really, JJ Abrams and the gang did a great job. I was wary going into the film as MI3 hadn't really impressed me but, Ghost Protocol blew me away. A perfect pop-corn flick and what James Bond should be like.

This film deserves a 9.5/10 and ranks near the top of my favourite action movies ever. It was that good.
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Like you said it's a pop-corn flick or a B-movie for short. However I'm not one to pull out an new system for ranking B-movies out of my ass. I have seen countless action films but to me only a few stand (I.E Man on Fire) out. I thought it was decent at least, the visuals were fantastic, but where you expecting otherwise? Maybe it's because I have seen non of the other mission impossible films, but still it's no masterpiece. Like I said before it's a B-movie, it's not supposed to a masterpiece, it's meant to be a fun film to watch, which is exactly what it is, ok I bump up the rating to 6/10.
 
The Devil Inside (2012) 1/10- This film starts off with a flashback from 1989. During an attempted exorcism, Maria Rossi (Suzan Crowley) brutally murders three people. Maria is hauled off to jail, and she leaves behind her husband and young daughter, Isabella. Maria is declared insane, and she spends the rest of her life in a Catholic insane asylum. Twenty years later, Isabella Rossi (Fernanda Andrade) tries to reconnect with her mother. She also decides to make a documentary about exorcisms and demonic possessions. Michael (a camera man) decides to help, and he manages to catch everything on film. Isabella wants to learn the truth about the viscous murders, that caused her mother’s imprisonment, and she is determined to find the answers to two very important questions: Is her mother just batshit crazy? Or was she under the influence of a demonic possession, when the murders were committed? Along the way, Isabella receives the help of two priests, Ben (Simon Quarterman) and David (Evan Helmuth). Isabella’s journey towards the truth is filled with some very terrifying events, and the quest to save her mother takes a drastic turn for the worst.

My hatred for found-footage films is no secret, but I actually tried to go into this one with a positive mindset. I really did try to like this film, but The Devil Inside was terrible. Yeah, this one does feature some very disturbing and intense moments. The exorcism scenes in this film can be pretty violent and shocking, these scenes do feature some vulgar and explicit dialogue, and one particular exorcism (you’ll automatically know what I’m talking about, if you decide to watch this film) does provide plenty of “hard to watch moments,” and I did want to cringe at times. The exorcisms served their purpose. They wanted to make me look away from the screen, and they did bring some “HOLY SHIT THIS IS GROSS!” reactions out of me, but the exorcisms couldn’t save this one.

Overall, The Devil Inside can be a very boring and dull film most of the time. The constant barrage of confessional/interview scenes drove me absolutely nuts. Yeah, I know. This is supposed to be real footage, so I have to buy into the illusion of a documentary style film here. Still, the scenes that featured the confessionals and the interviews killed the momentum and suspense in this film. I can understand the characters explaining their thoughts and personal feelings towards exorcisms and demonic possessions, and of course, as this film progresses, their thoughts and feelings change, because the presence of evil forces can’t be denied. But the confessionals and the interviews bored me to death, and after a while, I couldn’t stand to watch them. Found-footage fans might enjoy this approach, because it makes everything feel more “realistic“, but the confessionals and the interviews just reeked of overkill, and they did interrupt the pacing of this film.

I was ready to give up on The Devil Inside after a while, but this film did deliver some nice suspense towards the very end. The final moments of this film caught my attention (again), but they ruined everything with this horrific ending………

So we’re in the final moments of the film. David has become possessed, and he can’t fight the demons. He loses his mind, and he decides to take his own life. David kills himself by using a gun to blow his brains out, but some of the demons have found a new home…. Isabella. That’s right. Maria’s daughter has now become possessed, and the evil demons have taken control of her body.

During her possession, Isabella suffers a seizure, and she is rushed to the hospital. Well, this proves to be a bad idea, because during her stay at the hospital, Isabella viscously attacks another patient, she sends the entire staff into a frenzy, and the demons inside her become more powerful. Ben and Michael (Ionut Grama) are the only remaining survivors, and they quickly begin to panic. Ben can only come up with one solution to save Isabella: Perform an exorcism. Isabella is sedated by one of the nurses. Michael and Ben eventually restrain her, they put Isabella inside a car, they rush her to the church, and they must retrieve the necessary tools for an exorcism. Yeah, that’s a smart move. Let’s take a woman, who’s highly dangerous and possessed by demons, and put her in a car, because if she completely snaps again and tries to kill everything in her path, there’ll be no possible chance of an escape. :rolleyes:

Anyway, Isabella finally comes around, once she’s inside the car. But there’s one major problem: SHE’S STILL POSSSESSED. Isabella tries to strangle Michael (who is the driver by the way), but Ben is able to stop her. Everything calms down for a brief moment, but this emotionless look quickly comes over Michael’s face, and he joins the team of possessed people in this film. Michael is now possessed by demons (at this point in the film, I started to lose track of the number of demons here), Isabella is still throwing one hell of a temper tantrum in the backseat, and Ben struggles to control the hectic situation. Michael is under the control of the evil demons, so he speeds into traffic. He hits another car head on, the dangerous crash is shown on camera, the aftermath of the crash looks serious, and……then the screen cuts to black?

The screen faded to black, and I was instantly pissed off. I was enraged, because this film left me with that enormous “That’s it?!?!?” feeling, but I guess I jumped to a conclusion way too soon, because everything wasn’t over just yet. The screen fades to black, and then a message about the “Rossi cases remaining unsolved” pops up. At this point, I was frustrated beyond belief, but The Devil Inside continued to disappointment me after this message. The unsolved stuff was pure garbage, but they continued to anger the audience with the “go to www.therossifiles.com, if you want learn more about the mystery of the Rossi family” stuff. So I just sat through an entire film, and you want me to finish the story online? That doesn’t make any sense at all. Well, I did invest some time in The Devil Inside, and I did sit through the entire film, so I decided to check out therossifiles.com. I thought I would find some more informative material, but I was wrong, and The Devil Inside just wasted more of my time. Therossifiles.com is filled with a shitload of useless information, this site features more fucking confessional videos, and they posted videos of footage that was featured in the actual film! Are you serious? They try to make everything feel more realistic on this website, because they do post links on how to become an exorcist, and this website actually features an exorcism discussion group. Also, they post the account of a priest’s exorcism that was performed on another person.

Yeah, I get what they were trying to do here, and it still didn’t work for me. They were trying to stay true to the footage-found style of filmmaking for this one, and I can understand this approach, but only to a certain extent. They took things too far here, and therossifiles.com just brought another facepalm out of me. This website wasn’t informative at all, it didn’t help tie up the lose ends for The Devil Inside, and most of the information posted on this site can be seen in the film, so you really don’t learn anything new. Everything just felt so pointless, and the real news article was laughable. Therossifiles.com post a clipping of the newspaper article, that features the story of Maria’s murders, and Isabella’s journey to save her mother. Well, this news article could’ve been a nice touch, but this article doesn’t bring any new material to the table. The article just explains a good amount of the information that was featured in the film. I already knew everything the article had to offer, so this piece of “news” just felt like some more useless information.

A while ago, I watched Seven Days In Utopia. This film also pulled the “go to the website to finish the film” technique at the very end. But Seven Days In Utopia DID tie up the lose ends, and they did explain the ending. Yeah, the website was just another way for the author to plug his book, and they actually posted a link to an online store, that sells Seven Days In Utopia merchandise, but still, they did provide some closure, and they did explain the ending.

The producers and filmmakers for The Devil Inside should be ashamed of themselves. Why would I would want to be apart of the ongoing investigation for The Rossi family mystery? For fuck’s sake, I know it’s a fake mystery/murder case. You don’t have to go to such extraordinary lengths to convince me otherwise.

The Devil Inside is one of the main reasons why I despise the found-footage era in Hollywood. The exorcism scenes and the solid acting barley pushed this to a one for me, but still, The Devil Inside is a pretty shitty film. The scary stuff in this film is very limited, there aren’t enough spook moments, this one features WAY too many unintentionally funny moments, and this film can be so incredibly dull and boring most of the time. And the final moments of this film brought legit feelings of anger out of me. They did such a great job of providing some real suspense at the very end, and I thought they were building towards a nice cliffhanger, but they ruined everything with an awful ending. The Devil Inside features one of the worst endings I’ve ever seen. It felt like they were building towards something BIG, and I did anticipate a shocking moment at the end, but this ending is very underwhelming. The ending didn’t provide that satisfying payoff I was looking for, and this film just left me with some strong feelings of disappointment. The Devil Inside is an early contender for one of the worst films in 2012, and I wish I could erase this one from my memory.
 
Shame (four out of four stars)
Sex is a drug of contradiction. There are many different views that are cast upon it. Sex is often seen as a dirty act but something everyone wants, craves and longs for. It is a drug make no mistake of that. It creates a natural high in the body that a drug can attempt to replicate. Sex addiction is also scary thing. It creates a need for something that many find offending. For an action that requires the presence or thought of another person it seems to create a sense if alienation. A loneliness that may never be filled. Shame is a film that tackles the issue of sex addiction with unflinching courage. This is a film that is shocking film not only in the detailed way its subject matter is presented but in the strong ideas the film wishes to share with the audience.

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is the Dante like lead of our story. He lives alone in a small NYC apartment, works in a office and as a man is quite handsome. He has the qualities to be quite the catch for any girl if his mind wasn't so warped. Brandon however is a hollow shell of a man. So lost in his addiction that he has no connection to anybody. His job is never specified because like it is to him, it doesn't matter. He has no real friends. He'll go out on the town with coworkers and his boss (James Badge Dale) but Brandon's eyes always seem vacant. Brandon of course is always thinking of his release. An interesting idea presented is Brandon may no longer be simply heterosexual. How can he be attracted to anybody if his mind is only looking for the release that comes with such interactions

One day his sister Sissy (A marvelous Carey Mulligan) shows up out of the blue and needs to stay for a few days. Brandon can't stand human contact for this long and his world is thrown into a loop. This is a character study film. It's plot is simply how sex addict lives his life. Sissy acts as a plot device that helps move Brandon further into both a empty bastion as well as redemption.

Steve McQueen's sophomore is as dazzling as it is haunting. It moves along at a loving pace that matches Brandon's personality perfectly. No doubt this film portrays an accurate depiction of sex addiction. Michael Fassbender plays Brandon in a performance that is like no other. He has some courage to go "full monty" on screen but that simply doesn't make it a great performance. Fassbender inhabits the role to such a depth that his pain looks genuine. He commands the screen with his presence. It is quite possibly the best performance you will see for a film released in 2011. Shame is a unforgettable film that is hard to watch but impossible to look away from. The surge of emotions that ran through me causes fear to watch it twice. Yet that makes it all the more appealing.

The Girl With The Dragoon Tattoo (three and a half out of four stars)
Murder, rape, abuse, sodomy, religious crimes, deceit, nazis and wild eroticism are all carried out in The Girl With The Dragoon Tattoo. It has the best elements a story needs to succeed. A world where good and evil are not necessarily defined by typical standards. Instead let us dive into a new world where what might disturbs us also gets us thrills. Themes in films that may have turned you off before may excite you like never before here.

I won't give a plot summary because it will be a lengthy process that seems unnecessary. If you don't know anything about Lisbeth Salander by now I can't help you. Just take my word that if you have not read the books or seen the swedish films run to the theater now. You are missing out on a worldwide phenomenal. Instead I feel like reexamining Lisbeth as a character and talking about how this film was successful with living up to it's universe.

Rooney Mara plays Lisbeth in this adaption. She had a scene stealing scene at the beginning of The Social Network that showed to me (any most the world) she would have the gaul to play this heroine. Mara plays the role like a frightened animal ready to pounce. It's grade A work on her part. Lisbeth is small and dresses as punk as you can get. She is not the classic image or personality most female heroes have shared throughout history. No, instead she is defined by character. Lisbeth is strong in mind, spirit and courage. She is both imaginative and intelligent in procedure. She is not a classic sex symbol but has a sensuality that is oddly alluring. Maybe not so strange as people have a desire for new and darker styles of life. Lisbeth as a hero in a story is the best thing to make it interesting. A strong character can make this good but somewhat confusing story mesmerizing.

This version is very strong as it is not a classic remake. It's a remaining. David Fincher has made a dark and more electric world. It is not as brutally threatening as the Swedish version though. There is no better version of this film. They are both equally fine. They just tackle the story in a slightly different style. I can say I preferred Noomi Rapace to Rooney Mara. Both are truly great in the role but Rapace felt more uneasy in her skin and ready pounce at any moment. Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist keeps the character alive and fresh. However he brings a confidence and strength in presence to the role. Michael Nyqvist doesn't seem so confident in attitude and thus a bit more likely to fail. The idea if failure is possible can make any story so much more entertaining. Predictability is thrown out the window in that sense. The film is very strongly made but the story isn't perfect. That is more of the source material's problem though. You can bring up the question "how many times will we see this story?" I say if they are all this good this story can continue as long as it's possible.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (three and a half out of four stars)
The Mission Impossible series has become more over the top as times has gone on and better for it. There are plenty of engaging and realistic spy thrillers out there. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about authentic as you get. The James Bond series is over the top but tries to act like the action may possible. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol doesn't abide by logic and is all the more thrilling for it. The suspense in these situations is none the less high. In fact in the history of action films, this film may have some of the best sequences you'll ever see.

Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back but with a twist. He is a rouge now after a terrorist organization blows up The Kremlin and lays the blame on I.M.F. Ethan and his team, Jane Carter (A beautiful Paula Patton), William Brandt (the always welcomed Jeremy Renner) and the returning Benji Dunn (A hilarious Simon Pegg) must hunt town these terrorists. They are lead by Kurt (Michael Nyqvist) who's goal of nuclear war isn't so far fetched. Believing that humans become stronger in tragedy has truth to it, just let's avoid the nuclear war part in that plan.

The film has some terrific sequences with the paragon being a scene in Dubai. Honestly the series stepped up it's game there to action scene legend status. Ethan has to climb up the side of the tallest building in the world with only special magnetic gloves keeping him up there. From my understanding the stunts were about as authentic to climbing up the side as possible. To say the fear was felt would be a understatement. That scene helped what was already a great film to make it one of the most entertaining of the year.

The Artist (three and a half out of four stars)
It's amazing that it has taken the movie industry this long to make a silent movie. The introduction of sound doesn't make silent films any less grand. They have engaging soundtracks and larger than life facial expressions. It's actually quite a lot of fun to see the exaggeration. The Artist is lovely film that has character you'll become connected with. It's a wonder.

George Valentin ( A marvelous Jean Dujardin) is a silent film hero. An actor set up on a pedestal for his craft. Bumping into him one day is aspiring actress peppy Miller (A terrific Berenice Bejo) and the two form a bond. One of romance and connection. Of idolization for both acting and personality. She rises through the ranks of cinema until both come to a cross roads in the introduction to sound in film. George can't keep up while Peppy becomes a major star. Things will be dark but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The Artist has great production values, terrific acting, a show stealing terrier and above all else it feels like a fresh film. Jean Dujardin has the perfect look and facial expressions for a silent film actor. It's his wide smile. Like the film it warms the soul.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (three out of four stars)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a great spy thriller. It is smart, brave, artistically pleasant, well acted and just the right bit of cool. Yes it's a tad confusing at parts due to a heavy subject but the end goal is clear. The film is quite the great feature to actually engage the mind.

George Smily (A commanding Gary Oldman) is charged with hunting down a soviet mole in a spy agency ing England. It is one of four men. George assembles his team and looks for clues on who is the traitor. This requires sneaking around those who are suppose to be your friends and taking in a rouge agent (Tom Hardy).

The film is well crafted and very precise in its subject matter. It has strong supporting casted which welcomed with the contributions of Colin Firth, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Stephen Graham, Christian McKay and Ciaran Hinds. Sorry for so many name drops but they are all great in the film. The film is a duel of sorts. Smily says at one point he is "always looking for the weakness in others". These men can not trust each other with secrets in their heart and minds. These secrets would cast suspicion and in some cases death. You must be carful exactly what one says. Once again the film is very heavy in material so that you bet left confused once in a while. However don't let that stop you from watch a first rate spy thriller.

War Horse (three out of four stars)
As far as movies about horses go, this could be the best. I'm not too sure, I've seen Seabiscuit and Hidalgo and those are fine movies too. Perhaps the movie shouldn't be focus on with whether or nor the horse is the main character. It should be enjoyed as moving treat for the eyes, ears and heart.

Albert (Jeremy Irvine) sees a horse born one day and he'll form a connection with this horse over the next couple of years. The horse's name is "Joey"and he's the heart and soul behind the film. A soldier in a war that is deemed expendable. Joey is sent to WWI as a part of a calvary division but doesn't stay there. He'll be taken in by different people and armies while Albert fights in the trenches. The emotional stuff I expect will work for some (I heard some gasps and "awww" 's in my audience). However I was most entertained with the war aspect. There are some brilliantly designed WWI battlefields captured with some beautiful cinematography (an impressive score adds to big picture as well). No Man's Land always seemed to me as Hell on Earth and War Horse holds true to that. Joey drifts from people during the war and nearly each time to a well known actor. I found some thrill recognizing some the actors and faces with each new caretaker. Quite the impressive cast that I won't list for their names aren't big but they are the people you'll see and go "oh that's the guy from that movie" (Eddie Marson is the paragon of that). War Horse is very impressive but nothing new. Still very enjoyable as a normal film goes.

Adventures of Tintin (three out of four stars)
It's easy to see why Tintin is such a famous character. He has a clear understanding of right and wrong, is very bright, not afraid of a fight, has a taste for mystery and a lovely fox terrier named Snowy. Tintin hails from a series of comic books written in Belgium, They're quite big in Europe and India. Spielberg tapping into his inner "Indy" brought the series to the big screen. It is captured in glorious motion capture with talents such as Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg involved.

Tintin and Snowy get caught up in a mystery to find a great treasure. The villainous Rackham seeks to take the prize for his own but needs something in Tintin possession to proceed. Both however need Captain Haddock to remember the final clue. The film contain some thrilling sequences (one involving a hawk was some of the most fun I had this year), some quick humor and dazzling views. As far as adventure film goes it contains all the elements it need to succeed. Some of this is greatly enhanced with 3D. In the end you'll have fun and have a new heroic face to remember. Sometimes that's all we need in a film.

Carnage(three out of four stars)
There is both little and lengthy things that can be said about this film. The plot is simply two couples set to discuss a fight their children had at school. Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz are an upper middle class couple that have the hint of superiority here. It comes down to that Waltz is bored endlessly by this tediousness while Winslet fakes interest which can only last so long. The other couple is played by John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster. Reilly has the job of the one who thinks this is all unnecessary and this meeting is just a bad idea. Foster must play the reasonable one that is looking to regain control of their lives. The film is a short 76 minutes mostly because it's all in real time in a single apartment. As the situation progresses each distinct character eventually gives into their carnage. They have come to meet as reasonable adults but in not getting what they want have reverted to childish and simple yelling. Allegiances shift, people seek to disarm one another, hilarity and melodrama occur all backed up by great performances (although Foster is a bad too manic near the end). From my understanding the film is weaker than the play. Nearly every time I read something about the film they said the theater play was better. Well since I've never seen it I didn't need to compare the two. So the final product here seems fresh to me and an upscale kind of fun.

Margin Call (three out of four stars)
The biggest strength of Margin Call comes from its cast. It features Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker and Jeremy Irons. All are capable to achieve greatness and when put together create a unforgettable product. As actors they make the dialogue the script presents all it could be. J.C Chandor as a first time writer and director has done very well with the material. However his words are so heavy that they may have come off as algebra on screen. Yet the actors pull of this dialogue to give it a thrilling pace. In fact the way every scene is created seems like a dialogue heavy thriller rather than a film about wall street yuppies. It it great work by everyone involved.

Quinto's character has uncovered something big that may mean the end of their company. It's the story of banking crisis and the collapse of wall street that we all know. However now the audience is given a first hand a first hand look at the stress involved. For the type of film it is, its made exceptionally well. Margin Call is confident and bold in its ideas and has the material to back it up.

Weekend (three out of four stars)
Film is largely about identification. We look at the silver screen to see a story that can be affectionally understood. It doesn't mean all the time that the story is relatable. However being able to step into the shoes of those on and behind the camera is the goal. Feeling the struggle, emotions, heartbreak, and excitement is easy in Weekend.

Russell (Tom Cullen) leaves a house party with his straight friends to go to a gay night club. He wakes up in the morning with Glen (Chris New). What might have been a one night stand turns into a story where the two spend the weekend together and fall in love by the end. Being a film about two gay men doesn't mean its not easy to relate to the leads. It's strongly written, well acted and actually has a point for being a film that seems bland on the surface. It is subtle and delicate in the way Russell warms up to Glen. Sometimes love means stepping out of your comfort and just going for it.

Boy Wonder (three out of four stars)

Here is the serious and near realistic version of Kick-ass & Super. It centers on Caleb (Sean Steinmeyer) who lost his mother when he was ten. She was killed in a car jacking. His father before that use to beat both her and Caleb. He's sober now that Caleb is about 18. Caleb works hard in school and works out heavily afterwards. Caleb goes looking for criminals that have attacked children like when he was younger. Teresa (Zulay Henao) is a cop that he befriends but she in turn is hunting this vigilante. The film contains rich characters, complexing emotions, development and a interesting device. Often Caleb imagines characters are rash and harsh but they are really calm. This adds some weight to whether or not Caleb is righteous or misguided. In the end it does what it set out to do quite well.

Immortals (two and a half out four stars)
Roger Ebert described this as "the best looking bad film ever". I can't disagree but neither will I call it bad film. Filmmaking means analyzing all aspects on the screen. Fantastic costumes and art direction play a role when creating a film. In that aspect it leaps beyond what is normally deemed at as acceptable to a treat for the eyes. I could watch some of the images presented in Immortals all day and feel fulfilled. Also since this is a action film, that quality is also met quite well. Where this story falls apart is at the script. The story is too sudden and childish to be anything noteworthy. The images are an A, the script is around a D.

King Hyperion (Micky Rourke) declares war on humanity and the gods by deciding to release the Titans. He needs the Epirus Bow, a mythical item to release them from their prison. Zeus (Luke Evans) and the other gods can not interfere in human matters but fear the release of the Titans. They guide Theseus (Henry Cavill) to defeat Hyperion. It is inaccurate to greek mythology but I can overlook that if the film is good. Of course the story presented is miserable so yes I'm allowed to judge it now. Some fun action and great visuals make this definitely watchable but nothing to look back kindly on.

Insidious (two and a half out of four stars)
I can say quite confidently that my opinion means little here. Not that I'm wrong in any sense but I really would like the viewer to make their own. Insidious has a world of it's own that is more terrifying than any other horror film in years. Its imagination is daring and the film's best quality. However there are scenes here that are both silly and mood ruining. A strength the film finds is letting the audience work it's own theories but this ends around an hour in. The film casts aside wild dreams for basic explanation. So the audience is expected to know everything but it just leads us into confusion. Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson do their best and never skip a beat even when the story requires the use of force pushes to gain the audiences attention. It has some good a lot of potential but I also saw some serious problems. However this is my opinion and I will respect just about anything anybody says about the film. Just don't say it is a total disaster. I had some fun and fear while watching it and I feel that is there general view as well.

My Week With Marilyn (two and a half out of four stars)
The Marilyn Monroe craze wasn't all about how beautiful she was. A great portion of it came from the idea of her as "there perfect woman". The idolized every part even if you could perhaps find a prettier woman somewhere. She was the unattainable prize everyone sought but never thought they could realistically get. Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) spent a week with her that was the dream of nearly every person in the world. To be the center attraction in her eyes.

Colin is working on a film that stars Laurence Oliver (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn. This is where his one week comes into play. The film has a glorious and terrific cast also made up of Emma Watson, Dominic Cooper and Judi Dench. The acting is really first rate here. However I felt very distant to the emotions on screen. For a film that was meant to be an insight into Marilyn's personal life it feels like your never really connected. It brushes upon her personal life and not much more. Acting is where the film shines all helmed by Michelle Williams marvelous performance as Marilyn. She captures the idols movements and breathy voice perfectly. She inhabits the role in the best way. Living the idea of the woman and not so much doing a good impression. Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh do make it worth the watch especially due to it being Oscar

Restless (two and a half out of four stars)
As predictability goes this film has it all. You could have told me the plot in say a single long sentence and I'm sure I could tell you near the exact way the story would unfold. I guessed near where every scene would head to confirm what I thought beforehand. However some stories have basic structures that work. Earlier this year I said Win Win followed a predictable pattern but work wonders within its field. Restless does near the same thing but just slightly down on the whole scale of things. Enoch (Henry Hooper) crashes funeral (I've heard this story before) for various reasons. What he is really at heart is a bit different. He meets Annabelle (Mia Wasikowska) who is unique and cute. She is dying of cancer and has three months left. They decide to date for her remaining time. Looking through their eyes is the best way to watch the film. Their joy ever present and love flourishing. However it still doesn't mean that the story is anything great. I enjoyed most of it for what it is worth.

The Darkest Hour (two out of four stars)
The Darkest Hour is a film that I had such low expectations of going in I ended up quite liking it. So in terms of entertainment value it's not actually a bad film at all. In terms of story, suspense and believability it is the complete opposite. Sean (Emile Hirsch) and Ben (Max Minghella) are in Moscow to propose a social network venture. They meet Natalie (Oliva Thirby) and Anne (Rachael Taylor) in a night club when as luck would have it, aliens invade. These invaders are cloaked in a electromagnetic field that makes them invisible to the naked eye but cause electronic devices to react in their presence. I actually liked the actors in the film so perhaps personally I overlooked boring characters here. The film goes for a mix of apocalyptic atmosphere (ala 28 Days Later) and the simple alien fighting genre. Moscow in ruins is pleasing to the eye for apocalypse junkies such as myself. Perhaps if the aliens didn't look like Pokemon I'd have been drawn into the world more. Then again it's not great in the first place. I had a decent amount of fun watching though (some russians caused me to laugh hysterically due to their getups). If you don't examine the film and turn off your brain then fun times are ahead. Of course I couldn't do that and hence the poorer rating.
 
Mitch Henessey said:
The Rum Diary (2011) 5/10- Ugh, this was hard rating for me, and I did want to give this film a lower score, but The Rum Diary really wasn’t that bad. Although, good acting really saved this film, because The Rum Diary can be a very dull and uninteresting film most of the time. Johnny Depp did deliver a very good and believable performance here, Aaron Eckhart delivered a fine performance, and he was very believable as the rich and successful businessman. Also, Giovanni Ribisi really surprised me in this film. Ribisi has always been a solid actor, but this film does feature one of his more memorable performances, and Ribisi was very enjoyable as the drunken oddball. This film is loaded with some very good and solid performances, but I was disappointed by Amber Heard’s character here. Heard’s acting wasn’t bad at all, but I thought she would have that one breakout performance I was looking for here, but it didn’t happen. Heard’s character is nothing more than eye candy, and I’ve seen this same type of character in Heard’s other films before. Sure, Heard’s character does suffer some setbacks here, and at times, I did want to feel for her character. She has some feelings for Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp), but she is already in in a relationship, and she is Sanderson’s (Eckhart) fiancée, so this obviously causes some problems. I wanted to have some more hope for Heard’s character here, but for the most part, Chenault (Heard) is just the hot and young blonde, who every man wants a piece of here, but Heard’s on-screen appearances did provide some drooling moments for me.

In the end, I expected a lot more from The Rum Diary. I was expecting a more thought provoking drama, and this film did have an intriguing premise, but for the most part, The Rum Diary is a very dull and bland film. If you’re a fan of Hunter S. Thompson, then you might enjoy this, but I couldn’t get into this boring and uninteresting film. It’s a shame, because the overall cast really gives a good effort here, and The Rum Diary could’ve been so much better.
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This hurts me a little bit in the heart region. I just have to ask if you ever read the book? Not being a jerk or anything just curious. I am a huge HST fan and absolutely adore the novel. But, if you aren't an HST fan I can understand why you feel the way you do about this film. The novel is very similar in tone to this film, though the film took some great exceptions to the original novel. I liked the movie a lot, but it really did not follow the book all that closely, and the ending left a lot to be desired. However, as you stated the acting was very good. Depp is HST reborn, Eckhart has always been a favorite of mine and Ribisi is in my top 5 favorite actors working today. His performance is deserving of a Best Supporting Actor nomination, obviously in my opinion. I wish the film would have followed the book more closely but overall I enjoyed it and would give it an 8/10.
 
INDYjon22 said:
This hurts me a little bit in the heart region. I just have to ask if you ever read the book? Not being a jerk or anything just curious. I am a huge HST fan and absolutely adore the novel. But, if you aren't an HST fan I can understand why you feel the way you do about this film. The novel is very similar in tone to this film, though the film took some great exceptions to the original novel. I liked the movie a lot, but it really did not follow the book all that closely, and the ending left a lot to be desired. However, as you stated the acting was very good. Depp is HST reborn, Eckhart has always been a favorite of mine and Ribisi is in my top 5 favorite actors working today. His performance is deserving of a Best Supporting Actor nomination, obviously in my opinion. I wish the film would have followed the book more closely but overall I enjoyed it and would give it an 8/10.
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Sorry about that, Jon, but I just couldn't get into The Rum Diary. And no, I haven't read the book this film is based on. Reading the book could've helped me develop a better appreciation for this film, though. But The Rum Diary just felt so damn dull and bland most of the time. The source material for this film has to be something eccentric (again, I'm taking a guess here, because I've never read the book), because this film did feature some bizarre scenes, and this film did feel very weird at times. It felt like The Rum Diary couldn't capture the essence of Thompson's novel, and I couldn't escape this feeling throughout the film. For the most part, the acting was very good, but Amber Heard's character disappointed me so much. I was looking for her breakout performance here, but she just portrayed the hot blonde, who you wanted to drool over...again.

I'll admit, I'm not all that familr with the majority of Thompson's work, and I'm not a huge fan, but I DID read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas years ago. The book was fantastic, and I loved the film. This film was able to capture the bizarre world of Thompson's work, Terry Gilliam's directing was marvelous, and Depp and Benicio del Toro were just great here. Also, Christiana Ricci has a small part in this film, so there's no way I could hate this one. :)

Reading the book could help me better understand the film, and I guess I'll have to give it a try someday. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas felt like this wild and stylish adventure, but I can't say the same thing for The Rum Diary.
 
Country Strong (2011) 3/10- Kelly Canter (Gwyneth Paltrow) is a popular country singer, who’s trying to make a comeback. She’s a recovering alcoholic, but she wants to relive the glory days, and reclaim her spot as the hottest attraction in country music. But a series of setbacks and relationship problems threaten Kelly’s path back to the top.

I’ve never understood Gwyneth Paltrow’s success over the years. She’s been around for a while, and Paltrow has won an Oscar for her performance in Shakespeare In Love. Paltrow was pretty solid in this film, but I didn’t see anything great from her performance. Paltrow usually receives her fair share of roles every year, but to me, she’s always been a mediocre actress, who can POSSIBLY pull out a very solid performance every now and then.

As you can clearly see, I’m not a big fan of Gwyneth Paltrow‘s career, but I will give her the credit she deserves for her performance in this film. Paltrow did deliver a very believable performance here, and I did want to feel for the Kelly Canter character. She was a broken woman, but you could also see a person, who struggled to find real happiness. Paltrow’s performance helped take this character to the next level, because she was very convincing here.

Paltrow proved to be a nice choice for the leading lady in this film, and the acting from the rest of the cast was pretty solid, but the acting is one the few highlights in this film, unfortunately. The story for Country Strong isn’t anything mind blowing or spectacular. It’s simple enough, but still, the story could’ve worked. This film features characters, who you can actually care about, and the entire cast really gives a nice collective effort here, because the acting is enjoyable, but the shitty screenplay for Country Strong really drags this film down. Usually, I don’t have a problem with predictably. It’s a common trait in Hollywood, and to tell you the truth, I usually expect it now a days. But if you’re going to go down the route of a predictable and formulaic screenplay, please provide an enjoyable ride to the end. Give the audience something entertaining, and keep them hooked into the story. At times, I wanted to fall asleep on Country Strong. The story was so dull and predictable, and I could see everything coming from a mile away…….

I ALWAYS knew Paltrow’s character would suffer a tragic end here. “She’s probably going to commit suicide at some point.” These were my thoughts early on, and I wasn’t halfway through the film yet! And sure enough, this happened at the very end. After a concert performance, Paltrow’s character pops one too many pills, and she’s found dead in the backstage area. Beau (Garrett Hedlund) cries hysterically, as he holds Kelly’s dead body in his arms, and her overbearing manager/husband, James (Tim McGraw) looks on in shock. Yeah, I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t be able to predict a suicide so early in the film. I KNEW something like this would happen, and the painful predictably is a real problem for this one.

I wanted to like Country Strong, and this film did have its moments, but the good acting wasn’t enough. The cast couldn’t save this one, and it really is a shame, because Country Strong did have some potential. Also, I’ve never been a fan of country, and I hardly know anything about this style of music, but I did enjoy the singing scenes here. They were soothing, and most of the musical performances are very enjoyable. Still, Country Strong is a pretty bad film. This one slowly goes through motions, and you can see everything coming, if you just pay close attention. And Country Strong can feel way too sappy most of the time, and they went too over the top with the emotional stuff in this film. It’s a shame, because Country Strong could’ve been an Oscar worthy film, but this one has received some harsh treatment from the critics, and I can see why.

Haunting At The Beacon (2009) 1/10- Bryn (Teri Polo) and Paul (David Rees Snell) Shaw are still grieving over the tragic loss of their young son, Daniel. They want a fresh start, and they want to leave the past behind them, so they decide to move into the old Beacon Apartments. Everything is calm and quiet at first, and some of the local residents are friendly enough, but as time passes, the dark past of the old Beacon Apartments begins to emerge. Nobody believes Bryn’s ghost sightings at first, but a series of strange events change everything. Bryn’s delusions become more realistic, and her feelings of depression and heartbreak could prove to be her downfall. The ghosts, who stalk the haunted Beacon Apartments want another helpless and suicidal soul, and Bryn seems like the perfect choice.

Teri Polo really tried to save this one, but she couldn’t. First of all, this film really isn’t scary at all, and the lame spook moments didn’t do anything for me. “Hey! Let’s have a bunch of dead people quietly lurk in the background, as they stalk their victims! We’ll keep using this technique throughout the entire film, because dead people with emotionless and menacing looks on their faces are SCARY!” Please. Haunting At The Beacon uses the same type of scare tactics throughout the entire film, and it really does become tiresome after a while: Dead people lurk in the background, they don’t say anything. Dead people randomly appear out of nowhere, but still, they DON’T do anything. Dead child appears out of nowhere, he runs away. As far as scare tactics go, this is the same formula they used throughout the entire film, and it wasn’t scary at all. These moments didn’t provide any jump scares, because everything felt so predictable and repetitive, and this formula does become very annoying pretty quickly. Also, the ending felt so underwhelming. The mystery was building towards something big at the and, and the story did develop at a nice pace, but the ending didn’t provide any sort of satisfying payoff for me. They tried to pull off a jaw-dropping cliffhanger at the very end, but the final moments of this film just left with me with some strong feelings of disappointment, and I couldn’t buy into the “shock” value of the cliffhanger.

Teri Polo gave it her all here, but the majority of the acting in this film is pretty bad. The horrible acting really drag this one down, and most of the performances in this film aren’t believable at all. Haunting At The Beacon is boring, dull, and this lifeless film really does feel like another forgettable straight-to-video horror release. For me, Teri Polo’s performance was the lone highlight in this one, but she couldn’t be the miracle worker for this film, because she was surrounded by tons of shit here (mediocre production values, the supporting cast was awful, noticeable plot holes, that can’t be ignored, etc.). Haunting At The Beacon did receive a VERY limited theatrical release a few years ago, and this film did spend some time at a few film festivals, but Haunting At The Beacon deserved a straight-to-Wal-Mart’s $5 bin release. This was an awful film, and trying to stay awake during this one was a real test for me, because the unbelievable boredom almost put me to sleep.
 
Mission Impossible 4(2011) 8/10
I managed to get to see this at the imax cinema in London before Christmas. I was informed by my brother who booked the tickets that some of the scenes(the one in dubai in particular) were shot using an imax camera. I don't know what it was like for people watching this film in a normal cinema but some of the scenes were absolutely breathtaking to watch. For an action film it's got everything you want good casting a believable storyline and great action scenes. I enjoyed Simon Pegg in the film as he provided a few laughs in between the action scenes. Overall if your looking for an action film to watch then this should be on the list. The best Mission Impossible film so far.

The girl with the Dragon Tattoo(2011) 8.5/10
Before i start ill mention that i haven't seen the original version so i won't be making comparisons between the two. Ill start with what i liked. The casting is spot on, Rodney Mara is brilliant in the role as Lisbeth Salander and captures the character perfectly. She shows how Salander is unwilling to let anyone in to her life and displays an awkwardness in social situations yet isn't afraid to show her emotions when she feels threatened. I thought Stellan Skarsgard was great as Martin Vagner, you really get a feel that he could be your friend one minute and then turn on you the next. I found some of the scenes disturbing but i guess that's what the fil, was trying to do at those moments.
I didn't like how they ignored certain parts of the book like Lisbeth's photographic memory, her relationship with her mother and holger palmgreen and how they changed the ending. I realise that those criticisms are a little unfair seeing as the film was already over 2.5 hours long and to delve on those things would drag it over the 3 hour mark.
Overall i was very enjoyed by the film and eagerly await the sequels. I may even consider watching the original versions before then.
 
The Three Musketeers (1993) - 53%
The Ides of March - 65%
Pirates IV - 72%
Mr. Popper's Penguins - 72%
Fast Five - 75%
Contagion - 76%
Ironclad - 77%
Tangled - 79%
Seven Pounds -79%
Eat, Pray, Love - 80%
50/50 - 81%
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 82%
Drive - 83%
Shutter Island - 85%
District 9 - 86%
Book of Eli - 87%
I am Legend - 87%
Super 8 - 88%
Zombieland - 89%
Moneyball - 92%
The Help - 96%

30: Minutes or Less
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer
Written by: Michael Diliberti
Staring: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, & Aziz Ansari
I really expected more out of this movie. Not necessary because of director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), and certainly not because of fledgeling writer Michael Diliberti... In fact, Diliberti is primarily why this movie bombed, as the writing is atrocious for the first half of the movie, and the story follows no logical patterns in the second. I understand making these campy post-teenage-action films, but a late-20's loser (played by Danny McBride) and his drop-out friend, two perfectly normal American wastes-of-space, don't just wake up one morning and decide that murder, bank robbery, prostitution, kidnapping, assault, and strapping a bomb to a kid's chest are viable means of income. It doesn't happen.

Normally this is a non-issue for me, because post-apocalyptic zombie adventures don't happen either - but Zombieland's script was both hilarious and well-written, and the atmosphere of the film made the over-the-top setting believable. In this case, not so much. I will say, once you come to terms with the fact that the plot wasn't going to follow any semblance of logic, it got better in the second half. Watchable, at least... Like I said, I expected more from this film; not from the director or the writer, but from Jesse Eisenberg. The guy is still relatively young, but when you've been cast in the lead role of both Zombieland and the Social Network, you should have the foresight to read scripts like 30: Minutes or Less, turn around, and walk the other way. Rating: 64
 
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