The Moviequest blog

Mother

2010-04-13T23:27:00.002-04:00

Dear Mom,
If I am ever in jail don't fret, I am probably in there for a good reason. Whatever you do, don't obsess over the situation and try to get me out. It will just lead you down a dark path that you may or may not be able to return from. Trust me I may be stupid, but I know what I'm talking about.

Your Son,
Yoon Do-joon

A letter like the one you have just read would have made the lives of two fascinating characters a lot less complicated. But, for my sake I am glad it was not written because if it was there would be no movie and I would have missed out on one of the most visceral movie going experiences of the year. Mother is a South Korean film, I have enjoyed all of the 3 South Korean films I have scene, Mother is no exception. Every tense situation this mother is put in heightens the fright of myself and the rest of the audience. There is one scene in the film when the Mother is hiding in a closet that is so intense I will remember it for the rest of my life. There is also another great scene in which there is a nasty confrontation between the mother and the family of a deceased girl. The film also deals with one of the most conflicted characters ever. The mother's internal struggle at the end of this film is devastating. You feel so bad for her yet you can't stand the decision she makes. The last scene is also brilliant and unbelievably upsetting. In all Mother is a very unsettling and upsetting mystery that will leave you shaken and moved.
Mother 4 out of 4
-Zach

Hot Tub Time Machine

2010-03-28T15:08:00.003-04:00

Okay for starters I just want to say I think The Hangover is EXTREMELY overrated, I may have laughed twice. It's not that I didn't get the jokes, its just that I didn't find them funny. Now that I got that out of the way I do think this movie was a little bit funnier than The Hangover but unlike The Hangover all the jokes worked. Yet, there were not that many jokes. Also unlike The Hangover, Hot Tub Time Machine works as a movie without the jokes. I would prefer to see this movie marketed as a fantasy/comedy and it would be perfect. The 80's movie references were spot-on. I think it was more of an examination of 80's movies than the 80's themselves. The villains were so much like the clichéd villains in movies like The Karate Kid and other 80's films. I thought John Cusack was fantastic, yet I have never not liked him in a movie. I think he is probably in my top 10 favorite actors to see in a movie at this point. He is simply extremely likable in every singe thing he does from High Fidelity to 1408. Chevy Chase does not belong in this movie his character adds ALMOST nothing to the plot, he does give them like a stupid little tip on how to get back to the future. One of the main problems I had was that there was no real reason that they had to get back to the future, their lives would have probably been more enjoyable if they didn't go back. The plot was flawed it was pretty funny and the performances were on the whole pretty good. It is no where near my favorite film of the year, it is actually probably one of my least favorite films of the year.

Hot Tub Time Machine - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

A Kick-Ass Night at the Movies

2010-03-16T21:47:00.008-04:00

I was lucky enough to get to attend the New York premiere of Kick-Ass over a month before the film's release on April 16th. As a reference point, I read the entire eight-part series of comic books before attending the screening. After the screening I was luck enough to get to meet the co-creators of the comic, Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. and I got them to sign some of my Kick-Ass comics. The curtain pulled back that was in front of the screen and what was then presented was one of the best comic book film adaptations I have ever seen. There is an energy that is running through every second of this film that is inexplicable yet evident in every shot. The language is profane and the violence is graphic, yet the films is shot like a Spider-Man or Superman film. The screenplay is fabulous, there are many changes from the comic, especially towards the end. There was one change I didn't like at first, but the more I think about it the more I don't really mind. The performances were actually okay, towards the beginning I didn't really get the accent Aaron Johnson was using as Dave/Kick-Ass, but I warmed up to it by the end. It was only after getting home after the movie that I realized that Aaron Johnson is British, and it is actually amazing how well he pulled off a New York accent. I also really loved Nicholas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Big Daddy and Red Mist. But the stand out performance in my opinion was from Chloe Moretz as Hit Girl. She was recently in (500) Days of Summer but she shines here as the trash-talking ass-kicking 11-year-old warrior-girl who blasts right off the screen into oblivion as pretty much the most awesome little girl in any movie... pretty much ever. If they make a sequel I think it should be focused on her because frankly, she is a more interesting character than Kick-Ass. The action sequences are beyond awesome, they feature moments so intense I was nearly falling off the edge of my seat from the suspense... AND I HAD ALREADY READ THE COMIC!!!! I even knew exactly how it was going to turn out in the end and I was still so far on the edge of my seat towards the end of the film. After the film was over I found myself exhausted from the intensity of the proceeding 15 minutes. Considering the amazing writing, acting, and great direction from Matthew Vaughn, Kick-Ass is easily my second favorite superhero movie of all time, I enjoyed it even more than The Dark Knight which I felt was approaching perfect but because of some clunky storytelling towards the end fell a few feet short. I would say Kick-Ass is a few inches short of perfect. I really hope this film does amazing at the box-office because I'm already extremely excited for a sequel.
Kick-Ass - 4 out of 4
-Zach

The Ghost Writer

2010-02-28T14:39:00.007-05:00

Zach is unable to write a review this week so I will be filling in for him. You can call me Ghost. I really shouldn't have told you that since the whole point of a ghost writer is so the reader would think that they are the credited writer. Hm now that I think about it I was actually joking around before I actually am Zach. I had you going there for a second. Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod is recreated beautifully in Germany in Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer. Every detail is perfect from the shops to the licence plates. Ewan McGregor plays "The Ghost"... yes it's one of those movies where the main character doesn't have a name. Robert Harris's novel that the film was based on was actually called The Ghost. Pierce Brosnan plays Tony Blair... I mean Adam Lang a former British Prime Minister accused of committing war crimes who hires "The Ghost" to replace his last ghost who died under mysterious circumstances. I had no idea what the film was about going in. I thought it was a supernatural thriller with ghosts that takes place in London or something. But what I actually got was a nail-bitter of a political thriller that has lots of not-dead people talking to each other intensely and a mystery element to it. The twists and turns that it takes are unexpected unless you read the novel before seeing the movie, in that case you would probably know the entire plot. I would recommend the film even if you have read the book because of the great acting. I really enjoyed Tom Wilkinson in a bit part. Eli Wallach is in it as the ever memorable "Vineyard old man" who appears in one scene. Roman Polanski delivers as usual and it is probably a better bet to check this film out over some of the other "less-worthy" films that are being released.
The Ghost Writer - 4 out of 4
-Zach

Shutter Island

2010-02-20T20:41:00.002-05:00

Martin Scorsese is a master filmmaker, I don't think there is much controversy concerning that. I personally think that Taxi Driver is his best film and I have never seen anything of his that I haven't enjoyed. Shutter Island is no exception. Shutter Island is a beautiful film, from the production design to the cinematography and the lighting, it is all close to perfect. It's one of the best looking films in years, it just blew me away. It is also amazing how Scorsese build suspense through the entire film. Imagine a suspenseful scene in a movie, it starts off rather normally and the suspense builds and builds throughout the scene like a ticking time-bomb until it erupts. Shutter Island is like that except it is spread out across the entire film. The way the plot unfolds is masterful and literally every performance is amazing. I did not enjoy the films score though, I felt it was basically saying the entire time "there is something wrong on this island, be afraid," it is okay for a score to say that but it said it in such a way that it pulled me out of the film. There are some continuity errors and one shot in a flash-back involving German soldiers being shot that doesn't make sense if you think about it. But, if you are looking for a break from the below-par, early year releases Shutter Island is the way to go.
Shutter Island - 4 out of 4
-Zach

The White Ribbon

2010-02-01T07:37:00.004-05:00

When someone recommends that you see a 2 hour and 24 minute, black and white, German film about a little village before WWI would you be interested? My guess many people wouldn't be. If the daunting running time doesn't scare people away, the fact that it is in Black and White and in German probably would. The film also contains some disturbing subject matter and images that may deter some potential viewers. But once you get past all that on the surface, this is one of the most beautiful films of the year. It is utterly mesmerizing, the black and white visuals are key to the films enjoyment. The film would really be awful with out the black and white. There is no music in the film which gives it an eerie quality. The acting is amazing, some performances are just so creepy they will stay with you hours after the completion of the film. When you go to see a film in which the first 2 minutes consist of a silent and slow credit sequence, it can give you a clue to what you are about to encounter. The film is made up of slow paced scenes but when the scenes are put together they make a film that isn't slow paced at all. It actually moves rather quickly. I did not find myself checking my watch or wondering when it was going to be over once during the movie (and some 90 minute films have me checking my watch). It is one of the best films I've seen in a very long time. I'm probably going to add it to my top of 2009 list. It is defiantly the best looking film I've seen that was released last year. This is the type of movie that people will look at in 100 years and still be as moved by it as I was, watching it in the theater. I'm still pondering what really happened in some parts of the movie, and what everything symbolized. It is a movie that leaves you will just as many questions as answers and it will give you something to talk and think about. I know it seems like a movie that may be unappealing to many but it is simply amazing.
The White Ribbon - 4 out of 4
-Zach

Crazy Heart

2010-01-24T15:38:00.002-05:00

On a TV spot for Crazy Heart in one of the review blurbs it was compared to 2008's The Wrestler a film I enjoyed very much. It was once my number one film of 2008 but I feel that it doesn't hold up as well upon second viewings. Rewind to January 11, 2009, The Wrestler takes home 2 Golden Globes, Best Actor and Best Original Song. Now go to January 17, 2010, Crazy Heart takes home 2 Golden Globes, Best Actor and Best Original Song. I don't think it was because I read that blurb or because of the similarity of the awards they won, but when I was watching Crazy Heart I thought I was watching a toned down version of The Wrestler. Everything about this movie is exactly the same as in The Wrestler but toned down. For example, change coke and steroids to alcohol and cigarettes, a heart attack to a concussion, and a stripper to a journalist. Even the characters are the same, a has been wrestler and a has been country singer. There are maybe 20 similarities I noticed while watching this movie, so many it was distracting. But comparing 2 films isn't real film criticism except for pointing out lack of originality (even though it was based on a 1987 book). Jeff Bridges is an amazing actor and he play Bad Blake better than anyone could and he is amazing. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a somewhat weepy but average performance. The movie was undeniably good, it just wasn't great. I'm not a big fan of country music, so I won't count my lack of enjoyment of the music against the film (yet I did enjoy the song that won the Golden Globe). I think it may have something to do with the fact that I didn't enjoy The Wrestler as much the second time. Maybe every one needs to see this story told once and never again to receive its full impact. I would be interested to see what someone thought of the film who didn't see The Wrestler.
Crazy Heart - 3 out of 4
-Zach

Top Movies of 2009

2010-01-16T17:53:00.010-05:00

This is sort of late but I was busy and I also wanted to make sure I saw all the films I wanted to. I didn't get to see Crazy Heart (Well except Roger Ebert's) but it didn't make it on many top lists so I'll hold it off.

Inglorious Basterds - This is seriously the most awesome movie of the year by far. Tarantino can write a screenplay so good, some of the lines were whirring around in my head a week after I saw the movie. It's all so memorable and well executed. It was my #1 most anticipated movie of the year, and it delivered.
Up - This was also on my most anticipated movies of 2009 list. To find out what is so good about this movie all you need to see is the 5 minute "Married Life" scene about 7 minutes into the film.
A Serious Man - It is a brilliant dark comedy. I enjoyed Burn After Reading, but it is nothing compared to this year's offering. If you want to know the secret about what is so great about this movie you need to put it in perspective... think about it as a parking lot...
(500) Days of Summer - A really wonderful relationship movie this is taken an extra step up by the amazing performances by Zooey Dechenel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Where the Wild Things Are - This movie captures imagination and childrens' anguish coping techniques better than any movie to come out... ever pretty much.
The Hurt Locker -This movie is undeniably amazing. It sets out to capture the life of this bomb squad, and it does it so extremely effectively it will blow your mind. Although its probably the best directed film of the year it is not #2 or 3 on my list because the story was a bit one note and repetitive by the end for my taste.
Moon - I saw this movie at the Tribeca Film Festival in April or May and I loved it back when I saw it. I find now that I can still remember most of what happens in the movie even though I haven't seen it in 8 months which is a good sign. I wish I could say the same about another science fiction film that cam out this year, Terminator Salvation, wait did that movie come out yet? Oh yeah that was that one... wait a second, was that the one with all the explosions?
Up in the Air - This movie isn't overrated, it is fabulous. Every performance is great from George Clooney to the amazing J.K. Simmons in a small role. The entire story is formulated so well, it's all just amazing.
District 9 - I really enjoyed this Science Fiction movie. It probably would be my #10 but it's just fun to make it my #9... because it's called District 9... so yeah.
World's Greatest Dad - I didn't review this film but I ended up seeing it a few weeks ago and loved it. I was bound to love this movie. I just enjoy dark comedies like this, and trust me this is a very dark comedy.

Honorable Mentions: Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire, An Education, Humpday, Broken Embraces, Watchmen, and In the Loop

I hope you like my list but I couldn't end this post without a mention of my least favorite film of the year. I would make a list of my worst movies of the year but no other movie I could put on the list could compare to how much I loathed this movie. It's Transformers 2, I don't even have enough respect for this movie to call it by it's full name. I simply hated every minute of it. There is no other film this year that made me feel like I was going to vomit as much as much as this one did. The worst part of it is how much money this film made and how many people liked it. It seems that modern audiences only go to the movies to see explosions and not a movie with good acting, directing, screenwriting, continuity, or editing (all of which this film lacks). The fact that this film was made and did so well makes me worried about the future of cinema. As Criswell said in Plan 9 from Outer Space, "god help us in the future."
-Zach

Top of the Decade

2010-01-14T15:28:00.006-05:00

Okay making a list of the top movies of the decade is nearly impossible. I turned to other lists but found very little leverage. It took me a while... that's why I haven't posted it until now.

Kill Bill (2003-4) - I still think of these two movies as one split into two parts, I don't like one better than the other, I just think of them as one movie.
WALL-E (2008) - This movie wasn't originally my top film of 2008, it was at a close second. The reason it made it all the way here is that I liked this movie more and more every time I saw it, and it ended up to be so extremely re-watchable. To tell you the truth, I saw this movie 3 times in theaters and I must have seen it 7 times on DVD. Now all you animation haters who won't even give this movie a fair chance, shame on you!
Adaptation (2002) - Watching this movie was seriously one of the most interesting times I've ever had watching a movie. The way it went back and forth between fact and fiction was brilliant. When I was finished I had no idea what was truth and what wasn't I just knew I really liked what I saw.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - This movie was right up my alley, creepy, weird, and haunting. It is like if a Greek myth was placed in the middle of a horror movie taking place during the Spanish Civil War.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - It's the second Charlie Kaufman screenplay to appear on my list. This movie is unexplainable in one short paragraph as are many Kaufman movies so I'll just make a cheesy statement about the movie instead. I won't have this movie erased from my memory!
Mulholland Drive (2001) - This movie was just so creepy and cool, and Naomi Watts is so good in it. This is another movie that is just my type of movie.
Inglorious Basterds (2009) - If you read my review you know that I love every second of this movie. From the amazing opening scene to the final frame.
Donnie Darko (2001) - This is another one of the strange type of movies that I love, but for some reason I didn't find is as confusing as most people seem to.
Juno (2007) - This is another one of those movies I watch over and over again and they just don't get old. Every darn line of this screenplay is spot on, kudos to Diablo Cody.
Erin Brockovich (2000) - I don't know why, but for some reason I really love this movie. Mainly because of the fact that I just enjoy the story.

-Zach

While I've Been Out...

2010-01-01T15:52:00.004-05:00

I went away for a week or so, but I did get to see a few movies in theaters while I was away. I'm currently forming my list of the top ten movies of 2009, but before I post that I've decided to give short snippet reviews of the movies I saw.
Up in the Air - For me this is not a perfect movie, but a pretty damn good one. The strongest element of the film is the acting. Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick are all fantastic but in my opinion Kendrick (who I first saw in a movie called Camp) is the stand-out. The story is excellent and it is really touching and funny at the same time. Jason Reitman has proved himself to be a director who has really not messed up with a film yet and will hopefully continue this trend.
Up in the Air - 4 out of 4
Nine - I really didn't like Nine. I felt the musical sequences were redundant, and unneeded. The performances weren't that good and the story was long and boring. The best thing about it was the aesthetic and I have seen better. In other words there is absolutely no point in seeing this movie it's a waste of your time, go rent Chicago.
Nine - 1.5 out of 4
So I'll be getting back to you all with my top of 2009 list, a best of the decade list, and possible a best performances of 2009 list.
-Zach

AVATAR!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-18T22:25:00.003-05:00

You are no longer at the Moviequest Blog... you are in Pandora, and since you are in Pandora it means you are about to witness a review of James Cameron's Avatar! To cut to the chase, this is the most exhilarating, visual theater experience of my life. I saw it in an IMAX 3D theater, and every element was big. It is big in length, budget, scope, and awesomeness. I have never seen special effects as good as those presented in this movie. The creatures all looked almost real, the environments were lifelike and vast. This is an epic movie, spouting a great environmental message and spouting memorable action scenes. This movie will definitely be watched by millions of people for many years. I don't have much to say, mainly because I don't want to give away the visceral experience I had while watching this movie. It should be seen in IMAX 3D, the way it was meant to be seen, and it is magnificent. This will definitely be appearing on my top 10 of the year.
Avatar - 4 out of 4
-Zach

A Precious Film (My Review Titles Keep Getting Better)

2009-11-21T13:25:00.005-05:00

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire is the full name of this movie. I had never heard of the novel Push nor did I know who who Sapphire is. It is an interestingly long title for a film that somehow came in at #3 at the box-office last weekend in only 174 screens. I have yet to mention how this film is almost impossible to sit through. It's not hard to sit through because it's bad, on the contrary it is actually an amazing film. It's so hard because of the huge amount of pain and suffering being experienced by the protagonist, Clareece Precious Jones. Clarice is haunted by memories of lambs being slaughtered when she was a little girl, she hears them screaming. And she thinks the only way to stop the screaming is to take down the ruthless serial killer, Buffalo Bill. Unfortunatly the only way for her to catch him is with the help of a deranged cannibal named Hannibal Lecter... and that ladies and gentlemen was a synopsis of the film Silence of the Lambs. Getting back to Precious she is tortured by her mother and the only way to ease the pain of her home life is to go to an alternate education school, but she can only do that with the help of the seemingly perfect Ms. Rain. Well that was not a very accurate plot description, but it was close enough and it sounds like the one for Silence of the Lambs. The special thing about this movie is the performances, apart from a few interesting camera movements towards the beginning, the camera is mostly stationary, I stress mostly. But the performances by Paula Patton and Mariah Carey, and the two performances I think are Oscar worthy Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique as Precious and her mother. It is unbelievable to see Mo'Nique, who's most memorable film role before this was in Phat Girlz, can pull off such an amazing depiction of a woman so horrible, you want to step onto the screen and punch her in the face. Talking about Gabourey Sidibe, it is impossible to process that this is her 1st film role. She shows such raw emotion in some scenes I had to turn away from the screen. Yet she is so great she draw me into the screen at the same time. It is an experience that shouldn't be missed by anyone who is interested, just be warned it isn't an easy watch.
Precious: Based on the Novel "Push by Sapphire - 4 out of 4
-Zach

My Surprisingly In-Depth Review of 2012

2009-11-15T14:32:00.007-05:00

I vowed I wouldn't see this movie, I promised myself I would never, ever see it. Well, I saw it. I did so for two reasons... One was Roger Ebert's 3 and a half star review of it. If Ebert gives it a good rating, I'll see it. The other reason was that NASA confirmed that the world won't end in 2012 so I feel safe going to see it. As it turns out, 2012 is trying to make more of a political statement than a prediction of the apocalypse. The only good thing about the first 30 minutes of this movie was John Cusack who is amazing in pretty much every movie he's in, but unfortunately doesn't appear until about the 20 minute mark. Before that it is mainly unintelligible sciencey nonsense. It felt exactly the same as the beginning of The Day After Tomorrow. I felt you could have even taken some scenes out of the beginning of this movie and put it into the beginning of The Day After Tomorrow and I wouldn't have noticed it came from another movie. It starts with a single abnormality in the temperature of an area. Then it involves telling the government, thankfully the government actually believes the scientist in this movie, unlike in The Day After Tomorrow but this isn't a comparison essay it's a review of 2012. So you get past the stupid, meaningless and unneeded exposition and suddenly Woody Harrelson shows up with more premonitions of the apocalypse, but this time I didn't mind it because... well... because it's effin' Woody Harrelson for pete's sake. Then you get to that fateful day you've been waiting for since the beginning of the movie. It starts simply with an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator who says the worst of environmental troubles are over suddenly there is a huge earthquake literally splitting Los Angeles in half. While that is going on, one the best action sequences of the year ensues with Cusack driving his family through the whole mess in a limo. For the next hour and a half there is almost nothing but straight up action, sure there are a few "serious" talking scenes, but I tried mostly to ignore them because of the mediocre dialogue (then again John Cusack can make most of the lines sound convincing enough). Going back to the action, this movie has some of the best special effects I've ever seen in a movie and there are more of them than any movie I've ever seen as well. As you see national monuments such as the Washington Monument destroyed it looks surprisingly real. Surprisingly there are some good performances sprinkled in this less-mindless than usual action film. I enjoyed John Cusack (obviously), Woody Harrelson (I already mentioned him too), Danny Glover as the president, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and I also though Liam James showed some early talent as John Cusack's son (he sure beats Jake Gyllenhaal in The Day After Tommorow). On the opposite side of the spectrum I hated, hated, hated, Oliver Platt as Carl Anheuser, he is the villain of the movie, but even he started being evil he pulled me out of the movie with his terrible line delivery. The Carl Anheuser character is representing big business and its involvement with the government, no one of authority shows up on the plane so who takes over, Anheuser. While the president is portrayed as a noble caring man, Anheuser makes sure that only billionaires will be able to survive after the apocalypse. He also sets up a very intriguing conspiracy to stop the world from finding out about the apocalypse. After all this business with who is being saved and who is not, I felt the final 20 minutes are very anti-climatic. The world had just ended and the movie continued with a climax that seemed so minuscule in comparison to the end of the world it made me laugh. Also, a fact revealed in the last minute of the film almost makes the previous hour pointless, which upset me quite a bit, but it was made up for entirely by the previous hour. When I reflect on this movie it just seems like a huge (158 minutes) mash-up of Titanic, Poseidon (I swear one scene was taken directly out of Poseidon, you'll know it when you see it), The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, and there's many more but I just can't place my finger on them. Surprisingly, it works, amazingly in fact. It's much better than any of that Michael Bay, Transformers crap, and it more than makes up for 10,000 BC, director, Roland Emmerich's last film. 2012 is huge in every way and it is really a great time at the movies.
2012 - 4 out of 4
-Zach
Note: I like The Day After Tomorrow, I'm neutral towards Independence Day, and I hate 10,000 BC.

Antichrist, The Men Who Stare at Goats, and A Christmas Carol

2009-11-08T20:20:00.005-05:00

I saw three movies this weekend, and guess what, I'm going to review them! The first movie I saw was...
Antichrist - Lars von Trier is an amazing director. Antichrist is amazingly directed. It is also amazingly acted by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. After watching the first hour of this movie it would be a four star movie for me, but then something happens. The movie takes a sharp turn to the extremely graphic and insane. The first hour is masterfully done, the first scene is jaw-droppingly beautiful and there are also some more surreal moments and images. But in the last 45 minutes there are occurrences so extremely graphic I'm not even sure how to recommend this movie with a clear conscience. If you have a strong stomach, I urge you to see this as fast as your can, but for everyone else I'm afraid I have to give...
Antichrist - 3 out of 4
The Men Who Stare at Goats - This movie was weird and stupid. I enjoyed some of it but for the rest of the time I was bored out of my mind. The only thing that almost saved this movie was Jeff Bridges playing a more assertive dude (from The Big Lebowski) who actually did something with his life. All the other performances, even Kevin Spacey's, were dull. The story goes nowhere and most of the jokes aren't funny.
The Men Who Stare at Goats - 2 out of 4
A Christmas Carol - This was a funny little movie. It was not funny like a comedy, I just find it funny that this movie was made. I don't understand how in any circumstances kids would enjoy this movie. I really enjoyed the movie, but there is almost no comedy and there is a lot of talking. There are also some haunting images which I enjoyed but many young children wouldn't. I absolutely loved the visual flare of this movie and I think that is the best thing about the movie. If you like the story I would recommend it, but if you are going with young kids with short attention spans I'd suggest that you not spend your ten dollars on this.
A Christmas Carol - 3 out of 4
A Christmas Carol and The Men Who Stare at Goats are in wide release and Antichrist is in limited release and is available on IFC on demand.
-Zach

Best Movie Endings

2009-11-06T11:39:00.005-05:00

I haven't done a list in a very long time; so I decided, since it was the end of the year to do a best movie endings list.

Pulp Fiction - Well, it is my favorite movie of all time, and the end scene in the diner is one of the best scenes I've ever scene. Key Moment: "The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd."
Gone With the Wind - Classic, classic, classic, that's all I have to say about that. Key Moment: "... After all tomorrow is another day!"
The Shining - The last 20 minutes of this movie is filled with great cinematography, acting, music, etc. But the last slow zoom-in, right before the credits is simply amazing. I won't give it away in case someone reading this hasn't seen it, but it's a must see movie. Key Moment: The zoom in before the credits. A bit redundant? A bit redundant?
Halloween - The whole final chase scene is magnificent. Key Moment: I'm aware that the last lines of the movie are very famous, I feel that when Tommy Doyle tells Laurie that "... you can't kill the boogeyman!" is my favorite moment in the entire film.
Jaws - Once again, no explination is needed for why I love this ending, everyone loves this ending. Key Moment: "Smile you son-of-bitch!" BOOM.

Well that's it I guess, I'll try to get a review up this weekend.
-Zach

Trick 'r Treat

2009-10-28T22:09:00.004-04:00

I have still not gotten over the awesomeness of Trick 'r Treat. It's new horror movie with a trailer with shots that look like shots form The Gingerdead Man, is surprisingly executed as a mixture between Pulp Fiction, John Carpenter's Halloween, and Crash. It may sound strange from that description but hear me out. It's like Halloween because it's an amazingly made horror film about Halloween. Pulp Fiction, because it has several interweaving stories, which combine in a similar way to Crash. The best storyline, by far, is the final one which I don't want to give away, but I will say it contains one of the best horror scenes since Scream (one of my top 20 movies of all time) or maybe even better, I'll have to think about it more. If you are not busy watching John Carpenter's Halloween (and I mean John Carpenter's, that is not Rob Zombie's Halloween its the one from 1978, you know the one that's often considered one of the best horror films of all time) on Halloween this will serve as an almost equal substitute. I'd say it's much better than Paranormal Activity because of the fact that it's more entertaining that uncomfortably creepy making it my favorite horror film of the year.
Trick 'r Treat - 4 out of 4
-Zach

I Saw VI (Does the same joke work 2 years in a row?)

2009-10-25T22:39:00.004-04:00

Yes, I actually made it out to see Saw VI this weekend and I have to ask one big question to the makers of this movie. Why are you putting political commentary into your films. The main plot line revolves around a evil health insurance company (I'm not joking). I came to see blood and guts not Sicko 2, but I'm not saying there isn't a lot of blood and guts in this movie. Now that I got that out of the way I want to propose...
My Easy Plan To Stop Jigsaw From Killing People (and to Stop the Saw Franchise From Making Another Movie)

Make sure there are no abandoned warehouses or zoos in your area (this new one takes place in a zoo type place).
Make sure no one has a job that somehow makes someone's life suck. This includes people who rip people off, I assure you there is to be absolutely no ripping people off. In fact ripping people off is so bad I'm going to make
Don't rip people off or deny them coverage for your health insurance.
Don't kill people or cause some one to die from inaction, Jigsaw doesn't like killers (that hypocrite).
Value your life.

That's it, it's that simple... yet impossible to pull off. This film is slightly above average when it comes to the Saw franchise, of course it doesn't come close to the first Saw, a movie I think is amazing. This movie pretty much feels like, lets see how far we can stretch this one character that died three movies ago. What is surprising about this whole ordeal is that this film is actually affective at an emotional level. I actually felt for the main character, and some of the hard choices he had to make really had me questioning what I would have done in that situation (and this is a Saw movie!!!) I really feel this installment series is really what the previous installments, Saw IV and V were trying to go for. Unfortunately I can't give this movie a perfect score because it employs the use of flashbacks in such a juvenile why it pulled me out of the movie, the people who make these movie need to learn to express their story in the dialog and not revert back to the previous films to tell their story for them. While it isn't as good as paranormal activity, Saw VI is still Halloween fun.
Saw VI - 3 out of 4
-Zach

The Wild Things Are Here!

2009-10-17T00:39:00.008-04:00

I saw Where the Wild Things Are in IMAX today, anticipating something great. The main reason I was so enthusiastic about this film based on a children's book I loved when I was much younger was because of the director, Spike Jonze. Spike Jonze is the director of one of my favorite films, Being John Malkovich. ATTENTION: if you are going to this movie expecting to see a light-hearted feel good family films, you will be very disappointed. This is a very emotional, angry, and sometimes depressing film. To get to the point, I was hooked from the first scene of this film in which Max has a snowball fight with his sister's friends. He hides in his igloo to protect himself, when one of his sister's friend crushes his igloo. His sister doesn't do any thing about it and her and her friends drive away. Max goes up to her room and he finds this art project shaped like a heart that he made for her that says "To Claire, From Max" He destroys it. Then he looks down and immediately regrets his actions. The scene is heartbreaking in a way that is unexplainable. All I can say is that many of the more emotional parts of this movie work because of Max Records, a 12 year old actor who plays Max. I believe that Max Records gives one of the best performances of the year and should be nominated for an Oscar. He hits every emotion perfectly and doesn't over do the emotion or make it cheesy, it feels real every moment he's on screen. Another brilliant performance in this movie is by Catherine Keener who plays Max's mom. Now, these wild things are much different from the book, they are real characters and most of them are emotionally unstable. This movie is so damn good I really have to say that I believe this will become an instant classic. There is not a single aspect to the film that wasn't rewarding in some way. The only problem I had with the film was that two of the wild things looked exactly alike and I kept mixing them up. Every person should see this movie, it is really one of the best of the year.

Where the Wild Things Are - 4 out of 4

-Zach

A Serious Man and a Short Review of Paranormal Activity

2009-10-12T20:38:00.011-04:00

This weekend I saw A Serious Man and Paranormal Activity. Since they are both in limited release and will both probably be released wider in the next few weeks I decided to wait until Monday to blog. I'll Start with A Serious Man.

"This is a seri... I'm a seri... I'm, uh... I've... tried to be a serious" blogger, "ya' know, tried to do right, be a member of the community. Raise the... Danny, Sarah, they both go to school, Hebrew school, a good breakfast, well Danny goes to Hebrew school, Sarah doesn't have time. She mostly... washes her hair, apparently there are several steps involved, but you don't have to tell Marshak that, just tell him I need help. Please, I need h-help." That line besides the word blogger is part of an important scene in the Coen Brothers' new film, A Serious Man. This film is truly extraordinary, it is much better than the Coens' previous film, Burn After Reading (a movie I gave a four-star review last year (I wonder how many stars this movie will get)). The visual style of the film is so mature and brilliant, as well as the absolutely fabulous screenplay. This dark comedy will have you thinking for weeks, I am already planning how I will see it again. This is a film that has many questions and not many answers. The main question the film is asking is why do bad things happen to good people. The good person in this situation is Larry Gopnik played brilliantly by Michael Stuhlbarg, unfortunately many terrible things happen to Larry, starting with his wife requesting a divorce so she can leave him to be with a man named Sy Ableman, played by Fred Melamed, who gives by far the best performance in the film. I really don't want to go too far into the plot in order not to give anything away because the plot is so amazing. Besides the Coens and the Actors the next person who should be praised is Roger Deakins, who is in my opinion the best cinematographer working today. I will leave you on a hopeful note, "We're going to be fine."

A Serious Man - 4 out of 4

Paranormal Activity is an interesting supernatural-horror film that has a lot more brains behind it that the average modern horror film. It is like The Blair Witch Project and The Exorcist combined. It takes place entirely in one house, which creates a sense of isolation. I don't want to go too much into plot because once again, its just so good. The two main actors are amazing, and it caps the whole thing off as an extremely realistic fright fest. With some moments seemingly impossible to pull off without CGI, but no CGI is visible. If you're looking for a great scary movie to see this Halloween Paranormal Activity would be your best bet.

Paranormal Activity - 4 out of 4

Both Paranormal Activity and A Serious Man will most likely be expanding within the next few weeks. Also, I would like to note that if any of you readers have noticed the huge amount of 4 star reviews this year, there are not that many because I'm going easy on the films its just because I only go to movies that get good reviews from other people, and also, it just happens to be a great year in film.

-Zach

What Will Destroy America First, Big Business or Zombies?

2009-10-04T19:49:00.003-04:00

This weekend I saw two movies, Capitalism: A Love Story and Zombieland. Lets begin with what I believe is the inferior movie, Zombieland. Now don't all get on my case saying I didn't like this movie. I did like this movie, there are some parts of Zombieland that I loved. But in comparison I'd have to pick Capitalism, but we'll get to that later. Zombieland is a rip-roaring action-packed zombie/road-trip action/gross-out comedy/character driven drama/horror movie. Yeah that's a lot of hyphens and backslashes but you can consider this movie on all those levels, and to its credit it manages to merge them all together into a rather cohesive film. The action is awesome, the comedy is funny, and the performances are on the whole average. I feel that the only thing wrong with it was that it kind of lacked a real aim, they weren't really driving across the country for any reason other than to go to a theme park. They should have replaced Woody Harrelson with Chevy Chase, got rid of the zombies and changed the theme park's name to Wally World, now that I think about it, the theme park featured in the climax of the movie did look a bit like Wally World.

Zombieland - 3 out of 4

Now, lets talk about Capitalism: A Love Story. Michael Moore is a force unlike any other. He creates a riveting portrait of American business's relationship with the government and the American people. This film is the wake-up call that our country needs in this time where our economy is the center of our concerns. He sets up the movie with a tale about a Utopian America in which all people benefited from capitalism. He then goes on to show us how it took a steep downward plunge to today. Moore brings together mounds of newsreel footage, testimony, and his attempts to get into cooperate buildings with a seemingly infinite amount of skill and passion. When Moore makes a film he is always really passionate about the topic in question. Weather you agree or disagree with his opinions or tactics, you would be doing a disservice to yourself if you didn't check this film out. Capitalism: A Love Story is, in my opinion, the most important and relevant film in years and it hopefully will cause people to want to act to make our country a better place.

Capitalism: A Love Story - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Whip It

2009-09-28T15:46:00.003-04:00

I saw the preview of Whip It on Saturday. It is the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore who does a fine job directing and acting. Ellen Page gives a fine performance and who I believe is one of the funniest people on the planet, Kristen Whig, is at the top of her game. A major strength of the film is the cinematography which makes you feel like you are inside the roller-derby. The love story didn't work which is one of the flaws of the movie, it seems that Page's character immediately falls in love with some guy, simply by looking at him which is not a realistic thing at all. There are also some other problems I had with the realism of their relationship later in the film. A good thing about the plot is the main focus of the story. It sets the roller-derby as a backdrop for the story at home with her parents, instead of the conventional route of setting her story at home as a backdrop for the sports story. In all though it is a wonderful, inspirational story about a girl discovering to take her own path and not the one her parents laid out for her.

Whip It - 3 out of 4

-Zach

The Informant!

2009-09-19T21:06:00.005-04:00

The Informant! is an interesting comedy staring Matt Damon who gives a surprisingly great performance. Steven Soderbergh also directed the Ocean's series, but as you may expect from a director as versatile as him, this film is completely different than them. This wacky, twisting, espionage movie starts out slowly but slowly escalates until it explodes in the final act into chaos. The type of comedy it employs is not joke based comedy but comedy that becomes funnier when you think of the plot as a whole. It isn't laugh-out-loud funny but it is more of the type of thing in which you find your self giggling as you exit the theater. There is another side to the plot of this movie also, one that I don't really want to give away but it really makes the movie. If it ended in a more conventional Hollywood way it would not be nearly as satisfying as it was in the end.

The Informant! - 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

Movies I Saw Away

2009-09-09T20:22:00.003-04:00

I went away again over the last few weeks. I saw a few movies over my vacation so I'll give them all short reviews and ratings.

First I saw The Final Destination. I felt it was a worthy installment in the series and at an equal level with the previous ones. Don't expect anything of any substance here, just some light gory fun.

The Final Destination - 3 out of 4

Next, I saw Paper Heart. It is a very sweet movie. I was touched by many of the stories told and the movie still holds a lot of truth.

Paper Heart - 3 out of 4

I also saw Taking Woodstock which I found rather dull and uninteresting. I felt there were some amazing scenes but on the whole it is not worth seeing.

Taking Woodstock - 2 out of 4

Finally I saw Extract which I thought was very funny and Mila Kunis and Jason Bateman were both very good as well as many others.

Extract - 3.5 out of 4

I will probably see a movie this weekend and I'll try to get around to reviewing it.

-Zach

Inglourious Basterds

2009-08-21T19:59:00.002-04:00

Wow... Inglourious Basterds is so amazingly awesome. I'm still blown away thinking about the final action scene. Now, Quentin Tarantino is my favorite director, and Pulp Fiction is my favorite movie I've ever seen, but I don't let my bias get in the way of how I feel about this movie. About the plot, if you are expecting to go into the movie and see 153 minutes of Americans killing Nazis I have to inform you that Inglourious Basterds is not that movie. Instead the film consists of many long scenes of that amazing Tarantino dialogue, slowly building up suspense to the final powerhouse of Nazi killing awesomeness (and I'm talking really awesome). Besides the final action scenes there is another one in a tavern that is also fantastic. I know you will probably hear this in every review of this movie but Christoph Waltz is perfect as Hans Landa, sometimes you are scared by him and sometimes he makes you laugh, sometimes he is being very pleasant but is extremely terrifying at the same time. His talent is best exemplified in the first scene of the film in which he interrogates a man hiding Jews in his house while the Jews are under the floor-boards listening, it is an amazingly intense scene yet it still involves some comedy and the way it ends up is not how you would expect it to. There is also comedy in many other moments in the film, but I'll opt not to give them away because of the sheer hilarious surprise they turn out to be. One more thing I have to mention is that this film is very gory and not for the faint of heart, but you won't find yourself feeling bad for Nazis when they are hurt because, well... they're Nazis. I'd if you are squeamish see this movie anyway and cover your eyes during the gory scenes. In comparison to Tarantino's other movies, I'd say if you had Kill Bill Volume 2 except at the end instead of facing Bill, The Bride faces a Crazy 88 of Bills in the House of Blue Leaves than it would remind me of Inglourious Basterds in the way that it is a sequence of events building up to the huge climax. This movie might be higher than 500 Days of Summer on my best films of the year so far list, but I'll have to see it a second time to confirm my suspicion (any excuse to get to experience this masterfully made epic again).
Inglourious Basterds - 4 out of 4
-Zach

District 9... FROM SPACE!!!!!

2009-08-16T22:14:00.002-04:00

District 9 is a film bleeding with originality, as well as many other thing. It is a story about how the human race doesn't learn from its mistakes and how money is more important some people than any single life they ruin while trying to gain it. With absolutely fantastic special effects and jaw-dropping set pieces this is defiantly one of the best films of the year. The beginning of the movie is shot like a documentary and it seamlessly converts into a narrative very quickly. The protagonist named Wikus van der Merwe starts out as a mild-mannered kind of average weakling of a guy. He slowly turns into a Rambo-eske character after a substance begins to turn him into an alien. Sharlto Copley gives a fantastic performance as Wilkus. The action in the movie is so cool and so heart stopping it makes my time seeing this film in the theater one of the most intense film experiences of my life. This is director Neill Blomkamp's first feature length film and I've hear rumors he is in the running to direct the Halo film. If Halo is any where as good as this movie I'll be first in line to see it.

District 9 - 4 out of 4

-Zach

In the Loop

2009-08-08T13:46:00.002-04:00

In the Loop is a British farce centering around the communication or the miscommunication between the U.S. and U.K. governments. The whole movie is about words. In the very beginning the U.K.'s Secretary of State for International Development says that war is "unforeseeable." Apparently that made his department look bad and it starts a whole chain of events that leads to mass confusion and hysteria. The satire is spot-on the entire time. But the stand out feature of the film is the screenplay which was written by five different people is so amazingly funny that I had some of the best lines running through my head while chuckling to myself while other people stared at me wondering "what's that guy laughing about" for several hours. There is so much cursing and fowl-mouthary in this movie and the usage of these words is perfect. Notable performances are those of Peter Capaldi (the most fowl-mouthed character in any film this year, probably), James Gandolfini, and Steve Coogan. My favorite moment in the film (which is featured in the trailer) is when a man says to his assistant "this will be easy peasy lemon squeezy" and his assistant replies to him "No, it'll be difficult difficult lemon difficult!" In the Loop is one of the funniest movies of the year.

In the Loop is in limited release and is available On Demand.

In the Loop - 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

Funny People

2009-08-01T14:04:00.002-04:00

Funny People is a movie I can't describe what I really mean to say about this movie but I will try. Well before I start to talk about my dislikes of the film I just want to make it clear that I did truly enjoy this movie but for some reason I don't feel as connected to it as I do to Knocked Up or Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which was produced by Apatow). I think the main reason is that I did not want Adam Sandler's character to succeed at regaining the love of his like, who is played by the love of my life, Leslie Mann. This is mainly because he is just not a nice guy. On the other hand, the character played by Seth Rogan I was with the entire time. I really love Jonah Hill as Seth Rogan's roommate. I also loved the scenes of Adam Sandler's Character, George Simmons's Movies which were parodies of the type of movies Sandler makes. Unfortunatly shortly after the beginning of the movie there was about 20 minutes which I can't pinpoint exactly, but they struck a wrong chord, I'm not sure exactly why but it just didn't feel like the rest of the movie, but other than that I think Funny People is one of the best comedies of the summer so far.

Funny People - 3 out of 4

-Zach

(500) Days of Summer

2009-07-23T14:09:00.004-04:00

500... 500 romantic comedy cliches, 500 bad romantic comedies, 500 times I feel like shooting myself in the face while watching the average modern romantic comedy. Enter: 500 Days of Summer. 500 Days of Summer is a non-linear, sometimes whimsical, sometimes sad, mish-mosh of a romantic comedy... and it is probably the best film of the year so far. I really can't think of a moment of the movie that didn't fit into the overall puzzle that is this film. To tell the truth, this film is inspirational not only the subject matter and the execution but an inspiration to all film makers. It is a feel-good movie that had me intrigued and invested in the relationship between Tom and Summer throughout. Yes, an amazing romantic comedy can still exist and not be in the Apatow vein like Forgetting Sarah Marshall or Knocked Up. I don't want to give away some of the more creative moments in the film because it will take away some of the sheer enjoyment you will have when experiencing them. Also, Zooey Deschanel give the performance of her career, she is the element of the film that ties it all together because if she hadn't given the amazing performance that she did, the relationship the is then anchor of the film would become de-legitimized. To sum it up, 500 Days of Summer is a mind-blowingly amazing expression of creativity and pure awesomeness that is an absolutely fantastic movie-going experience.

500 Days of Summer - 4 out of 4

500 Days of Summer is now open in limited release and will be in wide release August 7th.

-Zach

New "Basterds" Trailer

2009-06-30T16:43:00.000-04:00

Looks amazing.
-Zach

Whatever Works

2009-06-28T11:26:00.003-04:00

The new Woody Allen film, Whatever Works, is not as good as Vicky Cristina Barcelona but it is still great. It is amazing to see Allen return to his home city of New York. The city is filmed rather well and it adds to the movie. Larry David gives an amazing performance which now leads me to believe he may get many more acting roles. Evan Rachel Wood looks much different than she did the The Wrestler which I found strange, but none the less she is still very funny. The film is full of great performances and lines and is in my opinion, very memorable. Whatever Works is definitely one of the best comedies of the year so far.

Whatever Works is in limited release and will be released wide on July 3rd.

Whatever Works - 4 out of 4

Also, I may not post for 3 weeks because I will be in Italy, if I see a movie and get to an internet source to post, I will.

-Zach

Transformers: Revenge of the F***ing Stupidest Movie of All Freakin' Time

2009-06-25T20:11:00.005-04:00

Transformers... Michael Bay... If you put these two things together is it possible to make something good? The answer is yes, Michael Bay proved that in a little movie I like to call Transformers. I wish I could say the same about Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The action I am okay with, its everything else that fails. To make it simple, words can not describe how much this movie annoyed me. I even found myself covering my eyes at certain parts of the story, not because they were frightening but because how cringe-inducingly bad they were. In the car, on the way home from the movie theatre I made a list of quotes that exemplify how extremely stupid this film is. The Fallen is actually the name of a Decepticon who wants to harnes the power of the sun for energy and also to get revenge on Earth because the humans wronged him in some way that is unclear. In a scene early in the film The Fallen says something to the extent of, "I can only be killed by a Prime and Optimis Prime is the only Prime left." That is proabably one of the laziest examples of story telling I have ever seen, couldn't have the screenwrites presented that information in a different way then to have the villian just say it for no reason at all. Also, I took note of a line that was mentioned in Roger Ebert's Review of the movie. I had actually written it down before I read his review. The line is said by the amazing John Turturro while climbing a pyrmid to stop a Decpticon from activating a machine that will destroy the sun. He says TO HIMSELF, "Oh no! The machine is buried in the pyramid! If they turn it on, it will destroy the sun! Not on my watch!" Might I add that the fact that this machine will blow up the sun had been mentioned at least ten times before this point in the movie. There are so many things wrong with this movie it would take me at least ten more pages to list them all. To end I just want to mention that I saw the movie in IMAX, and yes, it did look amazing but that dosn't justify how horrible the movie was.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - 1.5 out of 4

-Zach

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

2009-06-16T15:04:00.003-04:00

Denzel Washington and John Travolta both give very good performances in a very good Thriller, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. The suspense is built up gradually and beautifully. Almost the whole movie consists of a conversation between the subway and MTA. The dialogue is excellent and the action scene at the end is pretty satisfying. There is not much to write about because the movie dosnt move around too much and there aren't to many aspects of it. That isn't a bad thing, it just leads to a shorter review.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 - 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

The Proposal and More!!!

2009-06-10T15:02:00.003-04:00

I saw a screening of The Proposal last month. To tell you the truth, it was not as bad as I expected. I imagined it would not be funny and it would have a very predictable ending. When I finally saw the movie, I laughed more than I expected. The ending was predictable, but there was a big surprise that I wasn't expecting. A performance in the movie that I really enjoyed was Betty White as the grandma, I thought she was extremely funny, and also I always love Sandra Bullock. On the whole this was an above average romantic comedy.

The Proposal - 3 out of 4

The Proposal will have 800 sneak peeks on Saturday June 13th and will open in wide release on June 19th.

Also, I saw Land of the Lost last weekend and I thought it was below average for Will Ferrell.

Land of the Lost - 2.5 out of 4

But the movie you should see this weekend is called Moon with Sam Rockwell. I saw it at Tribeca Film Festival and it is one of the best movies of the year. If you want to read my review check out the post called "Tribeca Film Festival: Part 2."

Moon - 4 out of 4

The other weekend I also saw Drag Me to Hell which is the best horror movie to come out in years and should be seen by every 80's horror movie fan.

Drag Me to Hell - 4 out of 4

This weekend I'm going to see The Taking of of Pelham 1 2 3, and hopefully write a review. Also, I have already prepared the website for my most anticipated film of the year, Inglourious Basterds. I have updated the movie news, poll, and movie videos, all to be about the new Tarantino film.

-Zach

Up

2009-05-27T20:48:00.003-04:00

Wow, I was completely blown out of my chair as I watched Pixar's fabulous new film, Up. Up is undoubtedly the most beautiful, touching, truthful, amazing, funny, exciting film of the year. It is also my favorite movie of the year so far. With rousing visuals that will astound even the most cynical viewer. At some parts of the movie I was watching with my mouth open and I said out-loud "WOW," and I didn't even see it in 3-D. The movie starts off with Carl meeting Ellie who he soon realised is the love of his life. The film continues with a five minute montage set to music beautifully showing the rise and fall of their marriage without dialogue. Carl Fredrickson is one of the most endearing animated characters of all time. Russell, the boy scout could have turned into a Rhino(from Bolt)like performance, instead he is an amazing character and his friendship with Carl is believable and in a way beautiful. He is infatuated with the wonders of life and adopts many of the creatures he finds along their journey as his own temporary pets. Their travels are truly epic and the action scenes are of massive proportions. They are all masterfully choreographed and are breathtaking. The morals presented in the story don't feel preachy at all. The film was sending chills down my spine the entire time. Up is defiantly the must see film of the summer so-far. Don't judge this move because it's animated and rated PG, it is a movie to be enjoyed by adults and children alike.

Up - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Terminator Salvation

2009-05-23T20:20:00.008-04:00

With a director named McG, Terminator Salvation's got to be great, right?
Wrong. Terminator Salvation is an insult to the other 3 movies. The
third movie isn't a gem but this new one makes it look like one.
Christian Bale is horrible in the movie; I know he can act, for proof
see American Psycho. The action sequences are good but they don't
measure up to the ones in the other installments. If you want to see a
good action movie this weekend, I'd suggest you stay home and rent
Terminator 2.

Terminator Salvation - 2 out of 4
-Zach

New Inglorious Basterds Clip

2009-05-22T19:19:00.003-04:00

Heres a clip from my most anticipated film of the year, Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. This weekend I will review the new Terminator film and will post and early review of Up.

-Zach

Angels & Demons: Quick Review

2009-05-17T12:56:00.010-04:00

I'm sorry, I'm busy this week so I don't have time to give a full review of Angels & Demons. I felt the movie was very well made and directed, I found it very exciting. I believe this movie is tons better than The Da Vinci Code, and Tom Hanks hair isn't as distracting. I like the twists and turns the movie took and I felt the main plot was very compelling. In all Angels & Demons was a worthwhile experience.

News- I saw a screening of The Proposal on Thursday, I'll post a review when the film is closer to release. Also, I am probably going to a screening of Up this week and I will review that after I see it. I get my screening tickets from filmmetro.com.

Angels & Demons - 3 out of 4

-Zach

2009-05-14T15:12:00.001-04:00

2009-05-11T18:41:00.001-04:00

Star Trek: An Early Review!

2009-05-03T14:26:00.003-04:00

I was lucky enough to attend an early screening of Star Trek, starring Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. Pine gives a fine performance, Quinto is rather one-note though. Eric Bana plays an amazingly well written villain. Leonard Nimoy gives a surprisingly good performance as Spock from another dimension. A great thing about the movie is the accessibility, I have seen approximately two episodes of Star Trek and I completely understood everything that was going on in the movie. I many not know the name of these planets, I may not know what "red matter" is, but I was still invested in all the story lines from start to finish. I usually don't give a plot synopsis, but because this is an early review, I will. The story follows Captain Kirk from his life as a child, to him becoming captain of his own starship. The film doesn't spend a lot of time on Kirk's days in Starfleet Academy, basically he cheated on a test and was put on probation. He later fakes his way on the the USS Enterprise, gets himself kicked off again, meets Spock from another dimension, fakes his way back onto the USS Enterprise and is immediately sent on a mission. He becomes first officer because Captain Pike, knew about his father. As you can see, the plot is pretty average. Once the movie gets passed the Starfleet Academy stuff, its pretty much non-stop, very exciting action. Star Trek is a great start to the summer movie season and can be enjoyed by anyone.
Star Trek will be released this Friday, May 8th.
Star Trek - 3.5 out of 4
-Zach

Tribeca Film Festival: Part 2

2009-05-03T13:37:00.005-04:00

The last two movies I saw at the festival were, The Girlfriend Experience and Moon.
The Girlfriend Experience - A Manhattan call-girl, a trip to Vegas, a personal trainer, all these things form the plot of an amazing, stylistic movie called The Girlfriend Experience. The director of the film is the one and only Steven Soderbergh. While doing her call-girl "duties"the main point of discussion is the Economy and the election. At one point the call-girl, Chelsea, and her client at sitting on a balcony in the morning, the client is reading the newspaper and her asks her "So, do you think the bail-out is going to work?" She replies with a no, end of scene. The film is so simple yet there are numerous complexities. Sometimes, the film acts as a slice-of-life style film, such as when Chelsea and her client see Man on Wire and she explains how they both enjoyed the film, the audience sees them walk and talk about the film. Other times, it acts as an plot-based, emotional roller coaster, such as when Chelsea arranges a weekend getaway with her client, which violates the conditions set up by her and her boyfriend intensifying their relationship, when she arrives at the place, her client doesn't show up. The Girlfriend Experience is a fantastic film and is a must-see summer movie.
The Girlfriend Experience will be in limited release, May 22nd.

Moon - Moon is a gripping sci-fi flick about a man serving a 3 year contract, mining for an alternate energy his isolation drives him insane. After an accident on the job, he wakes up in the infirmary and notices he is hallucinating as he sees himself across the medical table. He soon comes to realise this man who looks just like him is not a hallucination. As the plot unfolds a conspiracy is unfolded that will surprise everyone who comes to see the movie. It was influenced by 2001: a Space Odyssey, Alien, and Silent Running, all these influences are evident as the movie goes on. Sam Rockwell gives a fantastic performance. The screenplay is complex and intense. Moon is a must see movie.
Moon will be in limited release, June 12th.
The Girlfriend Experience - 4 out of 4
Moon - 4 out of 4
-Zach

Tribeca FIlm Festival: Part 1

2009-04-28T14:56:00.009-04:00

So far, I've seen 5 movies at The Tribeca Film Festival. Don Mckay, Serious Moonlight, Handsome Harry, Midgets vs. Mascots, and Black Dynamite. Here are my mini-reviews.

Don Mckay - So far, this is my favorite film from the festival. It is an absurd, very dark comedy with a plot, very hard to explain past the first 15 minutes. It involves Don Mckay, a high school janitor returning to his home town to see his childhood girlfriend off to her grave. By the end, dead bodies are everywhere and everyone in the audience has a great laugh as someone is hit over the head with a frozen roast.

Serious Moonlight - Meg Ryan plays a wife who ties up her husband to mend their marriage. A much less dark comedy than Don Mckay. The laughs are big when they happen, but most of the humor is derived from the ridiculousness of the situations the characters get themselves into.

Handsome Harry - A on-the-whole well crafted thriller. At many points it got very slow and boring, but the performances were all excellent.

Midgets vs. Mascots - A completely non-PC comedy about a competition between Little People and Mascots. It had many over-the-top hilarious slapstick moments, and a surprise cameo by Jason Mews at the end.

Black Dynamite - An absolutely hilarious throwback to 70's blaxploitation films. With too many "rolling on the floor lauging" moments to count.

Black Dynamite will be released this September.

Don Mckay - 4 out of 4

Serious Moonlight - 3.5 out of 4

Handsome Harry - 3 out of 4

Midgets vs. Mascots - 3.5 out of 4

Black Dynamite - 4 out of 4

-Zach

State of Play

2009-04-19T22:26:00.003-04:00

I saw the film, State of Play starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck. Both of them gave rather good performances but nothing to write home about. The best thing about this movie it the plot. It involves a huge conspiracy involving a company doing some shady business-work. One major strength of the plot is that I knew what was going on in the movie the entire time, and that is very rare in a movie with a plot as complicated as this. Also, many of the twists the plot took where unexpected and very compelling. Plus, Jason Bateman from Arrested Development (my favorite TV show) gives a stellar performance in a pivotal scene.

State of Play - 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

Sorry

2009-04-15T01:52:00.004-04:00

Hey guys sorry I haven't been posting these past few weeks, I was skiing in Utah. Now, I'm back, and I did see a few movies.

Adventureland - 3.5 out of 4

Duplicity - 3 out of 4

Sunshine Cleaning - 3 out of 4

Observe and Report - 4 out of 4

-Zach

P.S. - Above is a photo I took in Utah.

Bart Got a Room

2009-04-01T15:11:00.004-04:00

I saw Bart Got a Room about a year ago at the Tribeca Film Festival. William H. Macy was at the screening along with the director and star. Surprisingly I remember most of the movie which is a very good sign. I remember many of the hilarious moments also. William H. Macy is one of my favorite actors, and he delivers with every moment in this movie, his hair dew is also amazing. Alia Shawkat is from my favorite TV show, Arrested Development, she did rather well. Brandon Hardesty, who is amazing on YouTube (ArtieTSMITW), is completly under-used. He is only in five short scenes, but in those scenes he does very well. Cheryl Hines is also in the supporting cast. The film probably won't go down in history, but it still is a very good independent comedy.

Bart Got a Room is opening in limited release, Friday, April 3rd.

Bart Got a Room - 4 out of 4

-Zach

(The pictures are from the screening I went to in New York)

Top 5 Movies to Watch on April Fools Day

2009-04-01T14:59:00.004-04:00

I said I'd make a list this week and it's April 1st so... here's a list of movies to watch on April Fools Day.

Airplane
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Blazing Saddles
Animal House
(If you're looking for something a little more modern) Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Okay, so theres the list. As for this weekend, we might put one or two reviews up.

-Zach

Update

2009-03-28T18:04:00.002-04:00

Don't expect any reviews up until next week. I'm going to an advance screening of a movie tomorrow, I am not permitted to blog about the movie until its release in November. I will tell you it's an animated movie based on a Roald Dahl book and it's directed by Was Anderson (look it up you'll find it), I don't know what I will get in trouble for saying. I may try to make a movie list this week or something, check back to see that. Also, Ben and I will both try to make it to the Tribeca Film Festival in April, we'll keep you posted on that.

-Zach

I Love You, Man & The Great Buck Howard Review

2009-03-21T14:53:00.006-04:00

Finally after 2 weeks, I'm back! I'll start with my review of The Great Buck Howard starring one of my favorite actors, John Malkovich.

The Great Buck Howard - A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of viewing one of my favorite actors, John Malkovich, play Buck Howard! This movie also stars, Colin Hanks, the son of Tom Hanks who makes an appearance in this movie (he also produced it). Colin Hanks gives a fine performance, but the real star of the film is Malkovich who gives an outstanding performance as a has-been mentalist still hanging on to the little ounce of fame he still possesses. Malkovich's performance alone is worth the price of admission.

The Great Buck Howard is currently in limited release and available on video on demand and pay-per-view.

I Love You, Man - I liked this movie a lot. First of all, the cast is amazing, Paul Rudd, Jason Siegel, and J.K. Simmons are all favorites of mine. The movie is not as funny as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but not many things are. Surprisingly, Apatow is not involved with the movie. The screenplay is very good, it is written by John Hamburg (who also directed) who also wrote Meet the Parents. In all, none of the performances were as good as the ones in Buck Howard, but it defiantly scores more laughs.

The Great Buck Howard - 4 out of 4

I Love You, Man - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Moviequest Finally Watches the Watchmen

2009-03-06T23:15:00.005-05:00

Yes... I finally saw Watchmen, approximately one hour after finishing the graphic novel. I thought this movie was a masterpiece. Zack Snyder has shown a real development in his directing skill, it is hard to believe this is his third major film. Every performance is spot on, including a star-making role by Jeffery Dean Morgan who plays The Comedian. The most amazing aspect of the movie is the writing, Alan Moore should have seen the movie before taking his name off it. One of the problems with the movie is that they couldn't fit in the Tales of the Black Freighter (look out for the director's cut) and decided to release it on DVD as a separate feature. Also, my favorite scene in the novel involving a perfume/snow-globe metaphor has been taken out. If you read the book and liked it, there is no way you won't like this movie; this is possibly the most faithful graphic novel adaptation ever. Yet, the ending is slightly different than in the novel. If you havent read it, don't start now; run out and see the movie then begin to read the book, it will seem even more amazing if you see the film first.

Watchmen - 4 out of 4

-Zach

My opinion on calling movies "overrated"

2009-03-04T17:29:00.014-05:00

I can't stand the term overrated, mostly because it is a pretentious term. Saying a movie is overrated is like saying that your favorite movie is automatically the greatest movie ever made because it is your favorite. My favorite film of all time is The Shawshank Redemption, but I do not think I am in any position to call it the greatest film of all time. Calling a movie "overrated" is like saying "A lot of people think this movie is fantastic, but it actually sucks because I don't like it." No one is in the position to say that. I am not calling out anyone in particular, but that's the way I feel. I think that instead of a person using the term "overrated," they should say "I don't like it as much as most people do." I know that takes longer to say, but what the heck? Anyway, here are movies that I don't like as much as many people do.

Full Metal Jacket - I am really not a fan of this movie. Although I like pretty much all of Stanley Kubrick's other films that I have seen, this is my least favorite. It is not my least favorite war movie ever (Pearl Harbor, anyone?), but I still don't like it very much.

2 and 1/2 out of 4

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - I do not in any way dislike this movie. I think it is very well made, and it is a very creative story. I also think that the performances are very good, Kate Winslet in particular. However, I think that everyone really likes this movie a lot better than I did. I didn't really find it interesting at all, and I found it a bit boring. I actually liked the plot about the doctors trying to stay focused than the story about Joel and Clementine. But still, it is not a bad film in any way.

3 out of 4

From Here To Eternity - Once again, I do like this movie, and the performances are great. I just don't understand what all of the hubbub is about. I like it, but I personally do not enjoy it quite as much as most.

3 out of 4

Bonnie and Clyde - Please don't hurt me. I know how many lovers there are of this movie. There are many impressive scenes, but it just did not measure up, for me, to what many people have said. I also did not enjoy the final death scene as mush as most people. I still think it is great, but not phenomenal.

3 and 1/2 out of 4

Once Upon a Time in the West - I like most of Sergio Leone's films. Although I am a big western fan, I couldn't get through this movie. Because of my boredom and the fact that most of the time aI had no idea what was going on. It took me about 4 sittings to finally get through it. The cinematography, however, was great. It was just okay. (Even though it has the best line ever, "How could I trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? He can't even trust his own pants!")

2 and 1/2 out of 4

That's pretty much it. If you agree or disagree with

either my disdain for the word "overrated" or my choices of movies, please leave me some comments. Thanks.

-Ben

Opinions On the Oscars

2009-02-23T17:52:00.003-05:00

Hey, it's Ben. After watching the Oscars last night, I had no problem with the winners at all whatsoever. I had seen all of the films that won the major awards, and I was happy with all of them. However, what upset me was that there were absolutely no surprises. Except for foreign language film (I thought it was between The Class and Waltz with Bashir, but Departures took the award), I predicted all of the awards. But, here are my opinions on the winners:

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

If anyone is a regular reader of the blog, they know how much I love this film. I am so glad that it won best picture, and I hope it will be remembered as a great film for years to come.

Best Actor: Sean Penn (Milk)

Even though I was pulling for Mickey Rourke, Sean Penn is great as the gone-too-soon Harvey Milk, and any other year he probably he would have been my choice.

Best Actress: Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Kate Winslet is so fantastic in this movie that I completely lost myself in the film. Like many other people are saying, if someone plays a character who seduces a 15 year old b

oy, abandons him, and sends thousands of people to their deaths in Auschwitz, and still makes the character sympathetic, this must be a great actress. And, of course, Kate Winslet is one.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Not only is it the best part of The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's performance is one of the best villains in movie history.

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

Even though Marisa Tomei was my choice, Cruz is brilliant in this movie, and it shows that she will have a long and great movie career in the future.

Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Once again, not a surprise, but still fantastic direction by Boyle.

Best Animated Film: Wall-E

A wonderful, inspiring movie, with both great animation and great heart.

-Ben

Ratings for Oscar nominees

2009-02-22T18:41:00.005-05:00

Here is every film I've seen that's nominated for an Oscar's rating.

Benjamin Button - 4 out of 4

Frost/Nixon - 4 out of 4

Milk - 4 out of 4

The Reader - 3.5 out of 4

Slumdog Millionaire - 4 out of 4

The Wrester - 4 out of 4

Tropic Thunder - 4 out of 4

The Dark Knight - 4 out of 4

Revolutionary Road - 3 out of 4

Rachel Getting Married - 4 out of 4

Changeling - 4 out of 4

Bolt - 0 out of 4

Kung-Fu Panda - 3 out of 4

WALL-E - 4 out of 4

Man on Wire - 4 out of 4

Hellboy II: The Golden Army - 4 out of 4

Presto (Short Film) - 4 out of 4

Wanted - 3 out of 4

Happy-Go-Lucky - 4 out of 4

In Bruges - 4 out of 4

-Zach

The Oscars

2009-02-19T17:10:00.004-05:00

Okay, you know what movies I loved this year and you know what performances I loved. There's only one more question left to ask... Will the Academy agree? So, here are my picks for who I think should win and who I think will win for all categories I actually can possibly have a say in.

Best Picture

Prediction & Opinion: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor

Prediction & Opinion: Mickey Rourke-The Wrestler

Best Actress

Prediction & Opinion: Kate Winslet-The Reader

Best Supporting Actor

Prediction & Opinion: Heath Ledger-The Dark Knight

Best Director

Prediction: Danny Boyle-Slumdog Millionaire

Opinion: Davin Fincher-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Original Screenplay

Prediction: Dustin Lance Black-Milk

Opinion: Martin McDonagh-In Bruges

Best Adapted Screenplay

Prediction & Opinion: Eric Roth-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Documentary

Prediction & Opinion: Man on Wire

Watch the Oscars, Sunday February 23rd at 8:00 on ABC.

-Zach

Happy Friday the 13th to Me!

2009-02-13T21:59:00.003-05:00

Friday the 13th is a terrifying day for me, mainly because I'm a very superstitious person. I'll tell you it has nothing to do with Jason Voorhees, and this movie didn't make me any more scared than I was before walking into it. I'm not dissing this movie's scare factor... I'm just saying I wasn't scared, then again my The Exorcist didn't scare me so it depends on your scare-ability how scary you'll find it. I'm going to confess something to you... I hate when all the scares in the movie are exactly the same. Jason jumping out at you, again and again and again and again and you get the point... that's all this movie is. This movie has less blood and is better looking than the original but the killer has no motive! Why is he doing this? The funny thing is that in both movies there is one scene that surpasses all the other scenes put together. I would actually say there were two amazing scenes in the original, the Kevin Bacon scene and the final showdown. In the new one the amazing scene involves a boat and a bow and arrow, the opening scene is also pretty solid. In all the entire movie summed up to a mildly satisfying night at the movies.

Friday the 13th - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

Zach's Top 5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2009: Late Edition

2009-02-12T15:05:00.003-05:00

I know its late into the year and everyone has already made their most anticipated movies of the year list but I decided I might as well before it's too late.

Inglorious Basterds - Directed by my favorite director of all time, Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) , there is no way I'm not seeing this movie opening day. Plus the trailer features Brad Pitt delivering the line "...and I want my scalps!"
Watchmen - Based on one of the most influential graphic novels of all time, I can't wait to see this because of the amazing trailer but also because of the director (Zack Snyder director of 300 and the remake of Dawn of the Dead, which are both movies I enjoyed), the fact that I'm reading the graphic novel, and for tons of other reasons.
Up - Pixar's follow-up to WALL-E, I don't have to say much else.
Terminator: Salvation - T2 is one of my favorite movies of all time so that's all the reason I need to be very eager to see this movie.
Star Trek - I don't actually need an explanation for this.

Honorable Mentions:

The Bruno Movie
Public Enemies
Sherlock Holmes
The Wolf Man
Avatar
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Shutter Island
Where the Wild Things Are
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The Brothers Bloom

My Top 5 Least Anticipated Movies of 2009

Alvin and the Chipmunks 2
Cats and Dogs 2
Dance Flick
Night at the Museum 2
Ice Age 3

-Zach

Update

2009-02-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

We are currently recording a audio podcast including a review of Coraline, we will announce when that is available (Give us at least a week). I'm going to try to see Friday the 13th this weekend and I'll post a review of that. In about a week I hope we can post our Oscar predictions. In two weeks Watchmen will be released and I will make sure to see and review that when it comes out.

-Zach

Inglourious Basterds Trailer

2009-02-11T15:30:00.005-05:00

First footage of my most anticipated movie of the year, Inglorious Basterds (not a spelling mistake), directed by my favorite director of all time, Quentin Tatantino. The full trailer is available at http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808404206/trailer

and it is also embedded below.

-Zach

Inglourious Basterds - #1 Trailer
by hawkbcn

Taken

2009-02-01T09:59:00.003-05:00

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom. I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you." When hearing that line, brilliantly spoken by the master of stage and screen, Liam Neeson (a.k.a. Oskar Schindler), you know he means business. In the new movie, Taken, the plot has no surprises, except for maybe one instance that I was surprised about, but won't give away. Just because the plot doesn't shine in Taken doesn't make it a bad movie. There are tons of awesome action moments, including an awesome scene involving a construction site. The action looks very good, the special effects are unnoticeable, bad effects can distract you from the action. Of course Neeson gives a stellar performance. I started thinking that Liam Neeson's character might end up to be some supernatural force, plowing through people without a scratch on his body, but by the end of the movie you learn, Liam Neeson is able to bleed. What I trying to say is, Liam Neeson is opening a can of what some people like to call, whoopass. The producer of this movie is Luc Besson, who produced the Transporter movies, Taken is far superior to any of of them. This movie has already been released in other countries for almost a year, and has already made back its budget, but I doesn't mean you shouldn't see it. Although if you don't see it you may receive a phone call from Liam Neeson saying, "If you see Taken now, that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you."

Taken - 3.5 out of 4 (Although I would like to give this movie a 4, unfortunately I can't because of the lackluster plot)

-Zach

War Movies Series Post 4: The Caine Mutiny

2009-01-29T17:50:00.004-05:00

I'm finally doing some more war movie posts everybody! Right now I'll be reviewing the Caine Mutiny, which, like From Here to Eternity, is not REALLY a war movie. There are very few, if any, battle scenes. However, the entire film circles around a plot about a captain named Queeg, played brilliantly by Humphrey Bogart. Queeg is slowly going crazy, and his crew does nothing. To keep his sanity, he rolls metal balls around his hand. The members of the crew are played by an all star cast, including Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray, and E.G. Marshall. When the ship is caught in a storm, and Queeg is planning on doing something that will clearly result in sinking, the crew takes over, and it results in a trial. That is when the film really picks up.

During the trial, you are rooting for the crew to win. However, after the trial, during a party, when the defense lawyer makes a speech, your opinion might just be changed.

This is a great film. It has 2 parts. The first half is a great war movie, and the second half is an excellent courtroom thriller. Unlike in many war movies, all of the characters in this movie actually contribute to the plot, and, unlike in many war movies, the characters aren't all completely static with no changes taking place whatsoever. It also has a great and compelling story that you actually care about (once again, unlike most war movies).

I have no problem recommending this film. It is not as well known as some of the other films I have made posts about, but it is worth seeking out.

The Caine Mutiny - 4 out of 4

-Ben

Ben's Best Performances of 2008!

2009-01-28T10:49:00.006-05:00

First the male performances.....

1. Mickey Rourke in the Wrestler - Yes, my number one is the same as Zach's. What I want to know is why anyone wouldn't choose this as their number one.

2. Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight - No explanation needed. Just watch the Dark Knight, which you probably already have.

3. Colin Farrell/Brendan Gleeson in In Bruges - The only tie on my list. "If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me. But I didn't, so it doesn't." My favorite line of the year, delivered brilliantly by Farrell. Just like everything he does in this movie. Gleeson is also hilarious as his partner in crime.

4. Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire - A fantastic performance in Patel's first feature film role.

5. Richard Jenkins in The Visitor - Completely understated and not over the top. A great performance.

Now the Ladies.....

1. Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler - My favorite performance of the year by an Oscar winner. She does great in this film as the "stripper with a heart of gold," Cassidy.

2. Amy Adams in Doubt - The most underrated performance of the year. Even though she is nominated for an Oscar, barely anyone has her on their performances list, and I think she belongs on all of them.

3. Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona - A great, funny performance in her best role. Yes, believe it or not, it is better than her performance in Sahara ;).

4. Angelina Jolie in Changeling - Although she most likely will not win the Oscar, she does great job in this film.

5. Cate Blanchett in the Curious Case of Benjamin Button - I think this is the best performance in the movie.

-Ben

Zach's Best Performances of 2008

2009-01-28T10:21:00.006-05:00

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler (I have nothing to say about this performance besides how much it blew me away in every aspect)
Colin Farrell - In Bruges (Farrell's first amazing performance of his career as a neurotic hit-man with a conscious)
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky (Wow this is another performance that will sweep you off your feet)
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight (Do I have to explain?)
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino (Get off my lawn!)
Kate Winslet - The Reader (Just see this movie, she is amazing in it)
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges (See #2)
Sean Penn - Milk (I don't have to explain, he is on pretty much every critic's list for best performance)
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married (Who thought Anne Hathaway could give such an amazing performance... by the way she doesn't play Rachel)
Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Another neurotic character)

There were many great performances last year.

-Zach

Ben's Top Ten Movies of 2008!

2009-01-22T20:29:00.010-05:00

1. Slumdog Millionaire - This is quite simply the movie that I thought was the best movie of the year, the most entertaining movie of the year, and the movie that made me feel the best after seeing it. Just fantastic. I wanted to see it again the minute it was over. This is my choice for Best Picture this year.
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - What a great movie. I have seen all but two of David Fincher's movies, and this is my favorite. I think Fincher should win for Best Director of the year at the Oscars.

3. The Visitor - A great movie. This is a movie that really changed my outlook on the state of the world today. Also, Richard Jenkins gives a great performance.
4. The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke is outstanding in this movie. As is Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, and everyone else. This is probably the most gut-wrenching movie of the year, and one that really makes you think.
5. Wall-E - This is the best animated film of the year, and my favorite animated film since Finding Nemo.
6. In Bruges - This is one of the best comedies of the year, and all of the performances are great.
7. Frost/Nixon - One of Ron Howard's best films, Frank Langella and Michael Sheen both give outstanding performances and it is intense, dramatic, and funny ("as opposed to what, Nixon the horse?") all at the same time.

8. Young @ Heart - The most heartwarming movie of the year. Also, this is the only movie I can remember that throughout my entire viewing, I never stopped smiling.

9. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood gives a great performance. The drama, which tugs at your heart, and the comedy really make this movie worth seeing.

10. The Dark Knight - My favorite superhero movie ever. And yes, Heath Ledger deserves to win the Oscar.

Honorable Mentions: Changeling, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Bank Job, Transsiberian

Despite what many people are saying, this was actually a GREAT year for film. This year has so many fantastic films, and hopefully 2009 will be just as great.

-Ben

Zach's Best Movies of 2008!

2009-01-22T19:20:00.008-05:00

The Wrestler (Wow... this movie blew me away!)
WALL-E (The best science fiction movie in ages)
In Bruges (In f%^#ing Bruges?)
My Winnipeg (A true masterpiece in every sense)
Slumdog Millionare (Another masterpiece)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher is one of the best directors working today)
The Dark Knight (Do I really have to explain?)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (The funniest movie of the year)
Happy Go Lucky (The feel good movie of the year)
Man on Wire (The most inspiring movie of the year)
Rachel Getting Married (A hard view, but worth the pain)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (A real great time)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Woody Allen does it again!)
Iron Man (Tons of fun!)
Changeling (Depressing and dark, but great.)
Tropic Thunder (Downey Jr. sells this laugh-fest)
Burn After Reading (Another great performance by Brad Pitt)
Role Models (Another laugh-fest)
Gran Torino (Another Eastwood pick)
Zach and Miri Make a Porno (Kevin Smith is a true genius)

Honorable Mentions: Milk and The Reader

-Zach

*Also, make sure to check out the Oscar nominations

http://www.oscars.org/awards/81academyawards/nominees.html

Zach's Worst Movies of 2008

2009-01-20T17:04:00.005-05:00

Bolt (I simply hated this movie, it was just so extremely stupid.)
Disaster Movie (What is the point of making and/or seeing this movie.)
10,000 BC (This movie seemed fine when it opened, the more I think about it the worse it gets.)
Meet the Spartans/Fool's Gold (These movies would have probably tied for my worst movies of the year... if I had finished them. They were so bad I couldn't sit through them.)
Mamma Mia (Do I have to explain?)

-Zach

My Bloody Blog Post in the Third Dimension

2009-01-16T23:42:00.012-05:00

Holy cow. Tonight I saw My Bloody Valentine in 3-D. This movie is the most cutting edge movie possibly ever to come out. The special cameras used in the making of this movie are second only to Imax cameras. Gore is blissful in 3-D. Also, this movie is not supernatural it is pure slasher, reminiscent of Friday the 13th and Halloween. To tell you the truth, I absolutely loved this movie. This movie is not goofy or cheezy, it looks totally realistic. The jokes are funny, but don't diminish the scare factor. The performances are not nearly as bad as they are in other horror films. If you want to see this movie I would reccomend to see The Wrestler first and also to see it in 3-D. It won't be the same without the 3-D effects.

My Bloody Valentine 3-D - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Coming Soon: Top 10 of The Year

2009-01-14T15:04:00.003-05:00

It's Moviequest's turn. By next week Ben and I should have our 10 ten lists up. I'm thinking 10 films and performances (both lead and supporting in one list... or two if I can think of that many) I'll try to do male and female. Also, about this holiday weekend I'm not sure if I'm going to see a movie. If I do I'll see My Bloody Valentine 3-D or Paul Blart: Mall Cop. My Bloody Valentine looks like campy fun and all four reviews on rottentomatoes.com so far are positive. Also, I know Entertainment Weekly and Roger Ebert liked Paul Blart. I don't particularly want to see Notorious, but I never know what I'll end up seeing. I know Ben is going to try to see The Wrestler this weekend.

Just wanted to keep you posted.

-Zach

The Wrestler A.K.A If You Don't See This Movie You Are Dis-Servicing Yourself

2009-01-11T19:25:00.016-05:00

(Note the rest of this post will be in red and large to get your attetntion and to assure you see this movie)

Wow... I am still recovering from a movie called The Wrestler. I can't remember ever seeing a movie in the theatres and walking out as moved as I was after The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke give a performance that is undoubtedly one of the best performances in any movie ever. The way Rourke moves his body and his facial expressions tell just as much as his dialogue. The way this movie is made keeps you emotionally involved with Randy "The Ram" every step of the way. I have not screamed out for you readers to see a movie like this since Happy-Go-Lucky. I'm going to very be frank with you, YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE. I believe it is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Every aspect of this movie is perfect. I don't know if I've ever seen a movie in theatres and liked it as much as I liked this. Take my advise, next weekend The Wrestler is expanding to many more theatres, don't go see My Bloody Valentine 3-D, Notorious, Hotel For Dogs, Gran Torino (which Ben overrated), Bride Wars, or the dreaded Paul Blart: Mall Cop, go see a little independent movie called The Wrestler (you'll thank me after). One more thing I want to mention is how powerful the last shot of this movie is. It's so powerful it is blog-worthy.The Wrestler is in limited release and it expands Friday January 16th

The Wrestler - 4 out of 4 (The best movie I've ever reviewed)

-Zach

Get Off MovieQuest's Lawn!

2009-01-10T13:26:00.004-05:00

Clint Eastwood is a master. Apart from his great acting in films such as The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly and Dirty Harry, his directing efforts have been, in my opinion, even more fantastic. His great direction is showcased in films such as Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters From Iwo Jima, and, from earlier this year, Changeling. I loved Changeling, and it was a gripping and emotional filmgoing experience. However, I think this film is even more masterful.

The film begins with Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski at his wife's funeral, extremely perturbed about the behavior of his grandchildren. He growls, and then he growls, and then he goes home, drinks a beer, growls, says a racial slur, etc. In anyone else's hands this movie would have become tedious after 15 minutes.

But it's not.

It's in Clint Eastwood's hands.

Walt Kowalski's treasured 1972 Ford Gran Torino is almost stolen by Thao, the next door neighbor who did so because of peer pressure by his cousins, who belong to a very, very violent gang. Thao is, of course, caught by Walt. Walt threatens to kill him, and Thao runs away. Afterward, the gang starts to beat up Thao, almost killing him, but they do so on Walt's lawn, and Walt wants them to get off of his lawn. What is the line he uses to get them off? Take a guess.

Anyway, after that, Thao's family is happy that Walt saved him and they make Thao do jobs for Walt, and they end up bonding.

There are countless memorable scenes in this movie, and a ton of great performances. Surprisingly, the film is hilarious at a lot of times.

One of my favorite scenes is a scene in which Walt takes Thao to a barber shop to teach him how to talk like a man. The barber, Martin, is played by John Carroll Lynch, who played Norm in Fargo!

The ending is a great change of pace, and you don't see it coming. I would also like to add that the theme song (sung by jazz singer Jamie Cullum and Eastwood himself) is fantastic and should win the Oscar for Best Original Song (even though I love Bruce Springsteen's song for the Wrestler).

I really loved this film, and it is one of the best of the year. It will definitely get a spot on my top ten of the year.

Gran Torino - 4 out of 4

-Ben

There's no DOUBT in my mind...

2009-01-09T19:42:00.005-05:00

...that DOUBT is a great film. I haven't seen many films about nuns or priests or nuns fighting with priests, but as far as I know, this is one of the best around. Although the film is about the investigation of whether or not Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) has sexually abused a young altar boy in the rectory, there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING shown on screen. It is only implied.

As you would expect, Academy Award Winner Philip Seymour Hoffman and 2 time Oscar winner - and arguably the greatest actress of all time - Meryl Streep are both excellent. However, I believe that the two best performances are by Viola Davis and Amy Adams. Although Viola Davis is getting all of the Oscar buzz, I personally think that Amy Adams gives a better performance. However, if Viola Davis won the Oscar, I would not be disappointed.

Many critics are saying that the film was fantastic until the last line which was awful to the extent of ruining the movie for them. I disliked the last line and thought that Meryl Streep's delivery was not very good, but it was not nearly extreme enough to ruin the entire film. Although the line doesn't really work on screen, I can see the line working extremely well on the stage in the Pulitzer Prize winning play. Even though I have not seen the play, I do understand why the line would have been included.

This is a movie with great performances and wonderful writing, and although it probably won't make it into my top ten, it comes pretty close.
Doubt- 3.5 out of 4

-Ben

Read This Post Out Loud

2009-01-08T16:04:00.004-05:00

The Reader is a new movie starring Kate Winslet from Titanic. No, it is not the one with Leonardo DiCaprio, its the one that takes place in Germany. Note, this movie is very emotional and contains tons of sex and nudity. As anyone who's seen one of the other eight movies Kate Winslet is nude in knows Kate Winslet is no stranger to being nude on screen. To stop all you sick-minded readers from thinking this is a porno I give a (very rare for this blog) summery of the film. A 15 year old kid, Michael, is helped one day on his way home from school by a lady, Hanna, twice his age. Very soon the two begin an affair. Very soon after, Hannah asked Michael to read to her (before the sex). Apparently she loved being read to. Very soon something unexpected happens and then the film makes another shift and becomes about the Holocaust (I'm not joking). Kate Winslet gives the standout performance (one of the best of the year). There are many other good performances as well. The movie is paced very well which is surprising for a movie that changes around as much as it does. Still The Reader is a very solid movie. If you don't like watching sex in movies then DON'T DON'T DON'T see this movie, you will want to leave within the first twenty minutes. The Reader opens tomorrow 1/9 in wide release.

The Reader 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

Coming Soon From The Moviequest Blog

2009-01-08T16:00:00.000-05:00

I'll review the Wrestler staring Micky Rourke.

I'll try to see Gran Torino by Clint Eastwood and Revolutionary Road starring Kate Winslet.

I'll post more James Bond reviews followed by our Hitchcock series.

I'll get my top lists of the year up when I finish seeing all the movies I think look good so I can take all into account.

All this and more are coming soon from The Moviequest Blog.

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 10: The Spy Who Loved Me

2008-12-29T13:16:00.002-05:00

Nobody does it better than Roger Moore (except Sean Connery... and Daniel Craig... and Pierce Brosnan... he's actually one of the worst Bonds, never mind). A great pre-title and title sequence start this tenth entry in the James Bond series, and this is another winner. This movie is, in fact very funny. The villain's main goal is to build a city beneath the sea (I'm cracking up just thinking about it). One of the coolest gadgets to come out of Q's lab so far is the submarine car (I have to have one). This also marks the first appearance of the greatest Bond villain of all time, JAWS. Jaws has teeth made of metal (awesome). On the whole The Spy Who Loved Me is the best Moore Bond film so far. Can't wait for the cheesiest Bond film so far in the series, Moonraker.

The Spy Who Loved Me - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Who Wants to Be a Slumdog Millionaire?

2008-12-28T19:03:00.004-05:00

Slumdog Millionaire was loved by critics from the day it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. The huge amount of buzz started during the Toronto Film Festival where it was also shown. Now, with four Golden Globe nominations, including best picture Slumdog Millionaire will surly be generating some major Oscar buzz. Now that I've seen Slumdog Millionaire I can confirm that all the buzz is extremely justified. Slumdog Millionaire is just short of perfect (perfect=Benjamin Button). The emotional journey that awaits Jamal on his quest for a good life. He is faced with trouble every step of his way. The character arches of every character are fully fleshed out and magnificent. Danny Boyle (director of Sunshine and 28 Days Later) does a great job directing this movie. This proves he has tons of range(28 Days Later- Zombie Movie, Sunshine-Science Fiction, Slumdog Millionaire- Romance/Adventure). Every performance is perfect. Something to notice is that the movie is not about the game show, the game show is just a device to tell the story of Jamal's life. Take time to check out this great independent movie instead of horrible blockbusters (The Day the Earth Stood Still), but don't forget to see Benjamin Button first.

Slumdog Millionaire - 4 out of 4 (that's my final answer)

-Zach

The Curious Case of Benjamin Valkyrie (wow what a creative title)

2008-12-25T23:38:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas one and all. As my Christmas present to you dear readers I have decided to lament the meaning of life and death with Benjamin Button, and to conspire to kill Adolf Hitler with Count Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg (that is his full name). Let's start with Benjamin Button. I sat through 2 hours and 48 minutes, or shall I say mesmerised for 2 hours and 48 minutes of beautiful yet epic film making by David Fincher (the director of Fight Club and Seven). By the time it was over I truly feel I learned something about my own life. Not many movies released this year moved me in the way Benjamin Button had. This is defiantly the saddest movie I saw this year. The decision Benjamin makes toward the end of the movie is one of the hardest decisions I think a person could make. He had to face the fact that he was going to continue growing younger while the love of his life grew younger. It is a choice you can see coming from early on in the film, yet still when the time comes for Benjamin to make that decision you realise how terrible his situation is. All this is told beautifully in the screenplay by Eric Roth (the writer of Forrest Gump, yet this movie is better). Benjamin Button is one of the best movies I've scene this year. Valkyrie is a very serious tale about one of 15 plots to kill Hitler. The cinematography of this movie is phenomenal. The acting is alright, but the standout performance was by David Bamber who very subtly plays Hitler. Also, Terence Stamp who was in a million movies this year (Yes Man, Get Smart, and Wanted, I lied he was only in 4 but that still is alot). I haven't much more to say about this movie except that it was very averagely executed and seemed rather depressing.

Benjamin Button - 4 out of 4

Valkyrie - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Moviequest's New Feature: Readers' Reactions

2008-12-25T16:26:00.002-05:00

It is now time for you, the reader, to tell us what you thought about the movies we review. Here's how. Notice on the bottom of every post there are a few checkboxes. See the movie we reviewed and check what you think of it. It's that simple! Also, don't forget to check out the Moviequest archives to see our past posts.

-Zach

Did You See Yes Man... Yes, Man

2008-12-24T23:27:00.000-05:00

I don't have too much time to talk about Yes Man, but I still want to let all 5 of our readers know I saw it and what I thought about it. I felt this is one of the few recent Jim Carrey movies that actually made me laugh. The main reasons for the hilarity are two things, first Jim Carrey's boss named Norm, who is brilliantly played by Rhys Darby. The second thing is a scene toward the end of the movie when two government agents arrest Carrey's character, the scene plays on the tension the nation is expressing at this time about terrorists. The agents suspect Carrey's character of being a terrorist and the scene is so absurd yet it is played out brilliantly. Much better than the scene in Harold and Kumar, which runs on too long. For those reasons I'm recommending Yes Man.

Yes Man - 3 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 9: The Man With The Golden Gun

2008-12-24T11:17:00.002-05:00

Wow... The Man With The Golden Gun was actually amazing, or at least great fun. Any movie that has a car chase resulting in a flip turning the car upside-down and right-side-up again wins my vote. Also, Christopher Lee, who plays the man with the golden gun is an awesome actor. The opening song sung by Lulu is totally awesome. There are so many cool things in this movie, a car that flies, a magical third nipple, a fake magical third nipple worn by Bond to pretend to be someone else, a golden gun made out of household objects such as a pen, a trippie light room with cowboy animatronics, a freakin' laser beam, the list goes on and on. Also, the man with the golden gun has a cool name, Mr. Scaramanga.

The Man With The Golden Gun - 3.5 out of 4

-Zach

War Movies Series Post 3: Full Metal Jacket

2008-12-22T19:18:00.006-05:00

Stanley Kubrick is a fantastic filmmaker. Although I have not seen A Clockwork Orange, I have seen Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Shining, all of which I loved. I am not, however, a big fan of Full Metal Jacket. Like From Here to Eternity, I find it vastly overrated. The first half of the movie I do love. The first half is the fabulous training camp sequence. It also includes some of the most terrifying, most affective performances of all time: Vincent D'Onofrio as Pvt. Pyle and R. Lee Ermey as Sgt. Hartman. Pyle is a disturbed man, teased and mocked by all of the other soldiers at the camp. Hartman is the terrible drill sergeant who takes no prisoners when it comes to verbally abusing his trainees. I honestly believe that one of them should have been given an Oscar. Unfortunately, the two both end up dead by the end of the first act. Then the film goes downhill.

All characters other than Pyle and Hartman are completely 2 dimensional, and not

the least bit likable or relatable. I understand that the characters are supposed to be depicted as heartless killing machines, but I don't even get the least bit of an impression left on me from their characters, and, more importantly, I didn't care.

The battle scenes are not very good. I mean, the camerawork is okay and you can understand what is going on, but that's about it. The battle scenes are not groundbreaking like many people say they are, and even if they are, they don't hold up today.

The only scene after the first act that I enjoy is the last scene. It consists of the "mindless killing machines" walking into the sunset singing the Mickey Mouse club song.

So, that's about it. I liked about a third of the movie total.

Full Metal Jacket - 2.5 out of 4

-Ben

I Finally Saw Role Models

2008-12-22T18:56:00.007-05:00

Yes... I finally saw Role Models. After all it stars two great comedic actors... Paul Rudd and Seann (yes with two "n"s)William Scott (aka Stiffler). Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who plays Fogell (aka McLovin) in one of my favorite comedies from 2007, Superbad, is great as Augie. This movie is very funny don't get me wrong, but I think it is less funny than Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I still think it is more funny than other comedies that came out this year, such as Step Brothers. This movie also is very sweet. I really loved it.

Role Models - 4 out of 4

-Zach

War Movies Series Post 2: From Here To Eternity

2008-12-21T15:49:00.004-05:00

From Here to Eternity falls (for me anyway) into the category of "Good, Not Great." Don't get me wrong, I like this movie a lot, but I think it is pretty overrated. I don't think it was anywhere near good enough to receive the eight Oscars that it did. But let's talk about what I do like about the film, shall we?

Let's get this across: Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed both deserved the Academy Awards for their roles, so it was good that they won. Also, the emotional impact of this film is fantastic. I won't give anything away, but at one point, a character is thought to be the enemy, when in fact he was just trying to defeat the enemy himself. That event results in his death. I think the war scenes of this movie (there are only a few) are pretty good, but not fantastic. I do, however, believe that this is the best film ever to be made about the attack on Pearl Harbor and should be watched by any war movie fan.

From Here to Eternity - 3 out of 4

-Ben

War Movies Series Post 1: Platoon

2008-12-21T14:54:00.007-05:00

Hey, it's Ben. Guess What! I'm starting a new review series. Don't worry, Zach is still going to be doing his James Bond reviews, but I thought I'd start a new series. I have always been a big war movie buff, so I thought I'd do a series devoted to all war movies. I'm going to start with...

Platoon (1986)

Out of all the great war films out there, I think that this is my favorite of them all. I have seen this movie maybe ten times. Even though that doesn't seem like a lot, I only saw this movie for the first time a few months ago, so that shows even more how much I love this film. It is directed by Oliver Stone, and I personally believe that this is his best film, just barely ahead of JFK. The film features some of the best performances I've ever seen, by Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Willem Dafoe. Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes is one of the best screen villains of all time. One of the reasons that he is so affective is because he is not playing a usual villain. He isn't playing the leader of the enemies or the man out to sabotage the platoon from the inside. He is just a sergeant who thinks he is just doing his duty.

However, I believe that the best and most effective performance in the film is by Willem Dafoe as Elias Grodin. When he is betrayed and left to die towards the middle of the film (I'm not spoiling anything, his death is depicted on the poster for the movie), it is one of the most powerful deaths of all time.

Whenever this movie comes on TV, I always say to myself, "I'm not going to watch this, I've seen it too many times." But I always end up watching the entire film.

From the opening scene of Chris Taylor (played by Charlie Sheen) getting off the transport in Vietnam to the closing moments, this is, quite simply, the best war movie of all time.

Platoon - 4 out of 4

-Ben

Stand Still and Read This Post

2008-12-13T18:58:00.007-05:00

I just got back from seeing the Day the Earth Stood Still. PLEASE DO NOT FOLLOW IN MY FOOTSTEPS.

I love the 1951 version of the Day the Earth Stood Still. Love it. That's why I was so disappointed in this film. You're probably thinking, "Why did Ben even have high expectations for this movie? All remakes suck." Well everybody, I didn't really have such high expectations, considering the recent lackluster science fiction remakes of The War of the Worlds and Planet of the Apes. I just expected it to be okay. But it didn't even meet those expectations. There are countless flaws in this movie. So many that I need to bullet them.

This is a terrible remake. However, I didn't mind that it was nothing like the original. What bothered me was that it didn't even have to be the Day the Earth stood still. It could have been any movie.
The characters that are actually in this that were in the original do not cross over well. The character of GORT was given muscles so that he would look modern, but it really just made me roll my eyes.
There are far to many environmentalist undertones in this film. I'm all for stopping global warming, but this is overkill. There are more environmentalist undertones in this movie than in Happy Feet, the Mist, and Wall-E combined.
There is a lot, a lot, A LOT of product placement, including one scene in which two otherworldly beings have a meeting in a McDonald's. I think Microsft, LG, and McDonald's covered the entire budget on this movie.
Jaden Smith(Will Smith's son)'s character is extremely annoying.
2 great actors are put to waste in this film (Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly)
The ending is not good. It's just another hollywood ending that makes you, once again, roll your eyes.
Last but not least, IT'S TERRIBLY WRITTEN. This is some of the worst dialogue I've heard.

The only thing I liked about this movie at all was the fun appearances by a bunch of great actors, including John Cleese, Kathy Bates, and, my personal favorite, James Hong. Who is that you ask? Well, among other things, the Chinese Restaurant manager in the classic Seinfeld episode in which he yells one of my favorite Seinfeld lines: "CARTWRIGHT!"

Even James Hong doesn't save this picture. It's a fun time if you like to make sarcastic remarks at the screen, but that's about it.

The Day the Earth Stood Still - 1.5 out of 4

-Ben

James Bond Series Post 8: Live and Let DIE

2008-12-11T15:01:00.005-05:00

Roger Moore... James Bond? I couldn't think of a more different approach to the character. Live and Let Dies is Moores's first time as bond and he's still getting used to it... it shows. To tell you the truth I felt this movie was just creepy. A bunch of mourning people are walking down the street. A man walks up to an agent. "Who died?" asked the agent. The man kills him as the people with the coffin walk by. They bend down so the coffin goes on top of him and it engulfs him so his body is in the coffin (don't ask me). Then all the mourning people start dancing... that's just the opening scene. Then comes the incredibly creepy scene when you realize everyone in the ghetto is working to bring Bond down and they all have walkie-talkies to tell the head villain where Bond is (Did I mention this movie is racist?). Then there is the man who can't die... this guy is so creepy. Another creepy part is when all these voodoo idols are watching Bond through the forest. Then there is Rosie... the worst performance in any Bond film so far. Did I mention she is the first African-American Bond girl, and she is a spy. Finally an African-American, that is positively looked upon, with a good job. Oh wait she is not a very skillful spy, and later you find out she is not a spy at all she works for the villain. So much for a positively looked upon African American with a good job. That is how racist this movie is. The only African-American that is not a villain in this movie is a blue-collar worker. In all this is a very creepy racist Bond movie.

Live and Let Die - 2 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 7: Diamonds are Forever

2008-12-04T16:51:00.004-05:00

Once a diamond always a diamond, FOREVER! Yes, it is true Diamonds are Forever. The theme to Diamonds are Forever is very promising. Unfortunately the promise is unfulfilled. This movie is too over the top. It needs to hold its horses and wait for Moore to step in. If there was a moon-buggy chase in Moonraker I might have not had a problem with it. This film takes itself seriously, meanwhile it has a moon-buggy chase, the villain dresses up as a woman, and a car gets through a tight alley-way by driving on two wheels. Some of the action scenes work well but others are like the moon-buggy chase. On the whole this movie seemed very strange and Connery seemed tired of playing Bond.

Diamonds are Forever - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 6: On Her Majesty's Secret Service

2008-12-02T21:41:00.004-05:00

Lazenby, George Lazenby is the new Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service a rather decent title in the series. The best line of the film happens in the pre-title sequence. After Bond escapes from a ridiculous situation he says, "This never happened to the other fellow!" I totally cracked up at that part. There is a ski chase scene in the middle of the movie that is very fantastic. The guy who plays Blofeld is okay but not as good as the guy in You Only Live Twice. I don't have too much time to write any more, mainly because it is a Tuesday night and also because I'm trying to watch A View To A Kill (Yes I am that far ahead of my blog posts). On the whole this movie is better than Thunderball but not as good as You Only Live Twice.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Bolt SUCKS

2008-11-29T16:39:00.007-05:00

I saw Bolt and believe-it-or-not this is the single WORST movie of the year. This is also the most predictable movie of the year. The makers on this movie (some of whom are responsible for the disaster, Cars) should have spent more time and money writing a good screenplay and less hiring A-list stars some of whom are horrible (Miley Cyrus), some have no screen time (Malcolm Mcdowell), and some of whom are too old for the part and should be working on Pulp Fiction 2 (John Travolta). The most annoying character of the year is also in this movie, Rhino the Hamster. Rhino's 6 scenes are too much screen time. Mcdowell's character has only 3 lines. Miley's character is in 4 scenes. There was no passion in the making of this movie just money making gimmicks (3D, Miley Cyrus, John Travolta, Talking Dogs). All this movie is, is a non-creative rip-off of every creative movie ever made. Skip this movie and check out Homeward Bound a good movie that Bolt completely stole almost every "creative idea" it had from. Bolt could almost be considered a remake of Homeward Bound. Except Bolt has no stakes unlike Homeward Bound which features life-or-death situations. The only stakes in Bolt occur in the last 10 minutes. In fact I'm going to ruin the ending of this movie so you don't see it. Penny is trapped in a fire and Bolt tries, but fails to save her so he uses his super bark (think the end of Titanic when Rose blows the whistle) to get attention. The animation in this movie isn't nearly as good as Kung-Fu Panda or Wall-E (both highly superior movies). Instead of wasting your ten bucks on this piece of crap, rent Kung-Fu Panda, Wall-E, and Homeward Bound.

Bolt - 0 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 5: You Only Live Twice

2008-11-28T20:12:00.002-05:00

You Only Live Twice gave Bond another life. I thought Thunderball ended it but You Only Live Twice revived it (what irony). First of all the title song blew me away. Add to that you finally get to see the face of Bond's nemeses Blofeld. It takes place in Japan, another plus. Also the final action sequence blew me away (unlike the never-ending underwater battle in Thunderball).

Sceptic: Great title song, villain, and action sequence, it can't possibly get any better!

Zach: But it can!

Connery is fantastic as always. but the best character besides Bond in this movie is Aki the Asian girl. She loves Bond and Bond loves her back. But, when Bond is forced to get married he is not allowed to marry her (heartbreaking). It all sums up to a pretty fantastic Bond movie.

You Only Live Twice - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Bolt is a SUPER movie

2008-11-27T11:25:00.007-05:00

Last night I saw Bolt, the newest Disney animated movie. It's about a dog who thinks he's super because he stars in a TV show where he plays a superdog. One episode finishes filming with a cliffhanger, in which the Bolt's "person" Penny (played by the very annoying Miley Cyrus, who is actually very good here) is kidnapped by the green-eyed man, Dr. Calico. Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), of course, thinks the kidnapping is all real, so he escapes from the set and travels across the country to find Penny with the help of a stray cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. Unlike most animated movies, Bolt is NOT predictable and is very heartwarming and entertaining. This film is great for kids, adults, and, yes, even dogs. This film is the second best animated movie made this year. It is not as good as Wall-E, but it comes very close.

Bolt - 4 out of 4

PS - A fun little tidbit of information: the green-eyed man, Dr. Calico, is voiced Malcolm McDowell, Alex from A Clockwork Orange!

-Ben

James Bond Series Post 4: Thunderball

2008-11-27T10:37:00.006-05:00

Unfortunately Thunderball lost the gold streak of James Bond excellence. I thought Thunderball was rather a weak entry in the James Bond franchise. The main problem is the villain. Mr. Largo, a one-eyed "mastermind" is unskillfully played by Adolfo Celi. The action sequences were fine. The final one was okay but it lasted too long. There are two fantastic scenes, one takes place in a shark tank, and the other one is a street chase ending in an encounter in an outdoor bar reminiscent of a bar in Dr. No. There are other small gems including the pre-title sequence, but I stress the word small. This is by far the least strong Bond so far, but it could have been worse.

Thunderball - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 3: Goldfinger

2008-11-26T14:57:00.003-05:00

Wow! I have never seen a movie like Goldfinger. The action, the villain, the opening theme, the girl... all perfect. I can't think of an aspect of this movie that I didn't like. The pre-title sequence is fast-paced and ends with a great one-liner (if you've seen this you know what I am talking about). The title sequence is one of the best songs in a movie I have ever heard. Goldfinger is a fantastic villain. The girl's name is Pussy Galore (no joke)! Goldfinger has so many memorable scenes in it. When it sums up, not only is Goldfinger the best Bond movie so far, it is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Goldfinger - 4 out of 4

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 2: From Russia With Love

2008-11-26T14:37:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! In honor of Turkey Day I have decided to write this post and any other posts I write, in orange until Black Friday when I will once again write in black! From Russia With Love is the second Bond flick. To get down to the point it is not nearly as good as Dr. No. So by default this is my least favorite Bond film so far. I felt this movie was a little bit boring, yet the final 30 minutes are fantastic. The Bond girl in this movie is not nearly as good as the one from Dr. No. The production values are significantly better in this movie than Dr. No. Connery is still fantastic as 007 as he was in Dr. No. From Russia With Love is not as strong as Dr. No but still can earn itself a recommendation.

From Russia With Love - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Happy-Go See This Movie-Lucky

2008-11-22T18:12:00.008-05:00

When I review independent films, I feel like I'm helping a cause. Independent films are often overlooked by the general public. I urge people to venture out to their local art-house cinema and see films off the beaten path. I had a 30 minute car ride to get to my art-house cinema to see Happy-Go-Lucky, a British film Directed by Mike Leigh. This movie made me feel happier than maybe any other movie ever has. This movie made me look at the world in a different way. It is one of the most beautiful movies I've seen a very long time. I urge whoever is reading this to go and see this movie right now, no need to read the rest of this review. Check your local times, pre-order the DVD, whatever you have to do, just go see this movie. The movie is about probably the most optimistic person who ever lived. She is charming and Sally Hawkins plays her wonderfully. This movie is inspiring and lovely, it will change the way you feel about your life. This is one of the top 5 movies I've seen this year, so far and every person alive should go see this movie, it will bring a smile to your face.

Happy-Go-Lucky - 4 out of 4

Also, I've decided to wait to finish my Hitchcock series after I'm done with the James Bond series. My From Russia With Love review should be up soon.

-Zach

James Bond Series Post 1: Dr. No

2008-11-21T17:18:00.007-05:00

The photo you see here is the first time the world saw the amazing Sean Connery as super-spy, James Bond in the film, Dr. No. You hear him say, "Bond, James Bond." Thus begins the legacy of one of the most iconic characters in film history. You can watch Dr. No and think, this is where it all began. I believe, everything was right about this film, the tone, the actors, the direction. This is truly an iconic piece of film making. Dr No, the main villain (played wonderfully by Joseph Wiseman) doesn't appear until far into this film. It is fun to try to figure out who is working for him, who isn't. Dr. No is truly an unique film experience, not regularly seen in today's cinema.

Dr. No - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Hitchcock Series Post 1: Saboteur

2008-11-20T14:53:00.004-05:00

Saboteur is not one of Hitchcock's most iconic films, but it is somewhat well known. I was very hyped when I sat down to watch Saboteur, this would be the oldest Hitchcock movie I had seen so far. The performances were average, the plot was confusing. It didn't have that visual complexity I was used to from Hitchcock. Yet, if this was the first Hitchcock film I'd seen and if Hitchcock wasn't so famous, I might have been more satisfied with the film as a whole. Yet, Hitchcock's directorial magic was still developing at this time so I'll give Saboteur the benefit of the doubt.

Saboteur - 2.5 out of 4

-Zach

I WANT MY BLOG POST BACK!

2008-11-16T17:05:00.004-05:00

Hey. Ben here. Last night I saw Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie as a woman whose son has ............... VANISHED! I expected that to be the entire story, but I was dead wrong. There is a very disturbing, very affective subplot, but I don't want to tell you what it is about because that might give some things away.

I have always loved Clint Eastwood's films (my favorite is probably Mystic River), and he certainly does not disappoint. I think this is, other than Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood's best film. Not only that, I think this movie is one of the best movies of the year, and should get serious consideration when it comes to the oscars.

Changeling - A very strong 4 out of 4.

- Ben

Announcing Series Reviews!

2008-11-16T12:00:00.006-05:00

Very soon I hope to begin a new type of movie review! I call them series reviews. They are not current release movie reviews but older movies all connected, whether it is by a single director, writer, actor, or maybe it is a movie series. I will have to consult with Ben to see if he wants to take part in this idea. I have two topics so far that are very possible for me to do very soon. Any suggestions of topics will be greatly appreciated.
Future Series
Hitchcock - I have a box set of 14 of his movies and I have seen others so far I've seen 10 of his movies
James Bond - I am receiving the set with all the official bond films as a gift for the holidays
-Zach

Bond, James Bo... Do I Really Need to Continue?

2008-11-15T18:52:00.004-05:00

Quantum of Solace is the 22nd official film starring Bond, James Bond. It is a revenge movie, unfortunately it doesn't involve Uma Thurman and a samurai sword. Nor is there anyone named Bill in it. Oh, this is not a Tarantino revenge movie this is a 007 revenge movie. Though not as strong as Casino Royale "QOS" is still a pretty solid action film. The action sequences are fantastic yet there are not enough of them. It is too short and Daniel Craig is pretty good. In all it is not one of the best films of the year but it may be in the top 20.

Quantum of Solace - 3 out of 4

-Zach

Zach and Kevin Smith Make a Blog Post

2008-11-01T17:12:00.005-04:00

Zack and Miri Make A Porno is one of the single most hilarious movie-going experiences in my life. This movie is touching, gross, hilarious, profane, and amazing. I think this movie may be just as good if not better than Clerks II, one of my favorite comedies. This movie is not only about sex and toilet humor, this movie is about love. It is also about making movies about love-making, but mostly it is about love. This movie has more heart than any of Judd Apatow's movies. Seth Rogan is absolutely fantastic in this movie, Elizabeth Banks is great, and every supporting performance is amazing. This is not only my favorite comedy of the year, but one of my favorite movies of the year, period. Kevin Smith is one of my favorite filmmakers and this may be his best film to date.

Zack and Miri Make A Porno - 4 out of 4

-Zach

Recent movies I've seen in theaters

2008-10-29T16:26:00.005-04:00

Hey it's Ben. No one's made a post like this in a while, so I decided to make one. I put the last few movies I've seen and the movies I'm most looking forward to for the rest of the year. (By the way, I did not see High School Musical 3, and I am not planning to. Sorry to disappoint anyone.)

Recent Films (alphabetical):

Appaloosa - 3 1/2 out of 4

Body of Lies - 3 out of 4

Eagle Eye - 3 out of 4

Miracle at St. Anna - 4 out of 4

The Secret Life of Bees - 4 out of 4

Transsiberian - 4 out of 4

Vicky Cristina Barcelona - 4 out of 4

W. - 3 1/2 out of 4

Movies I really want to see (no particular order):

Frost/Nixon

Changeling

The Road

Quantum of Solace

Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(Plus, I really wanted to see The Soloist, but they changed the release date and now it isn't coming out until March)

-Ben

Most Touching Movies

2008-10-26T23:50:00.003-04:00

Most touching movies. Touching lines/moments

5. ET - "I'll be right here,"

4. Schindler's List - then end when he has to run away

3. West Side Story - the end

2. Life is Beautiful/Cinima Paridiso - the ends

1. Harold and Maude - "Harold: I love you, Maude: That's wonderful, go love some more."

Ever want to cry, watch Harold and Maude.

-Zach