Things To Watch If You Have Time

Hi everyone,

So, my summer has begun and now that I have spent the last few weeks basically sleeping to recover all the hours that I lost during this school year, it is time to get back on track with review movies. I will admit that I have been procrastinating. I’m going to be pretty far back for a while but good news is that you can take these as short DVD recommendation for now.

1. Saving Mr. Banks

Director: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Collin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman.

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: The story of Mary Poppins being made into a film and the hidden story behind the tale itself.

The Review: I was really excited when this movie was announced but I don think that going I knew what I was expecting. It is the story of Walt Disney acquiring the rights to make Mary Poppins into a film and the difficult process with the writer, P.L. Travers. That’s what I thought the whole movie was about but it is also the story behind Mary Poppins and how in ties into the writers life. I guess it turns out that I really didn’t understand the story as a child. To say the least, the story was enlightening, interesting, and well executed with good dialogue and transition between the past and the present. It paid attention to detail, so that even the smallest thing like pear can be apart of the plot. It made point of the plot interesting. As for casting, was it the most look alike casting not really. I mean come on does Tom Hanks really look like Walt Disney? No, but did each of the actors embodied and execute the feeling of the person they were play? Yes, and that is what is important especially Emma Thompson, who just stole the movie. It heartfelt, funny, and sad in all the right places with good dialogue, acting that made you attached to the characters, beautiful cinematography and score, and an enchanting story that I found interesting.

Watch it?

I thought it was worth it and I personally really love it.

Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kYmrjongg

Clip 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YleWxBYKrLY

Clip 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gRpG3ZVRyI

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2140373/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

2. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

 

Director: Ben Stiller

Starring: Ben Stiller, Adam Scott, Sean Penn,

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: After the cover photo for the last magazine issue is lost, a daydreaming photo developer must go on a journey to track down.

The Review: I don’t know what about this movie really caught my attention but its first trailer is still one of my favorite and the best I’ve seen. Nothing said just a series a nice clips set to Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men. The film has a very somber pace and is something that is visual based. Meaning it has beautiful cinematography but don’t expect a lot of action and CGI explosions. Its funny and has good dialogue performed by just a great cast. It has feeling and a good feeling and I find it different from what Ben Stiller is known for doing. It’s not heavily romance based but self-discovery with a bit of impossibility to it but I think that’s where the fun lies. Not bad for your first serious directing shot Ben Stiller.

Watch it?

I think it’s worth a shot.

Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGWO2w0H2V8

Clip 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnh-jVSNLoc

Clip 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hijJxwlmCAY

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0359950/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Sorry to cut these short but like I said I’ve slacked a lot.

Until next time,

Jackie

Breaking Your Heart One Okay At A Time

Hello Reader,

I will not begin with apologizing because I feel I’ve been doing that a lot lately since I have been so behind on reviewing but today I break one of my rules in reviewing. I don’t normally like to review films out of order but this is too amazing to pass up. So, though I’m sure you all heard recently my school has endure a frightening tragedy there was something that I have been looking forward to that happened, which is the film department Script to Screen event managed to land an advanced screening of The Fault in Our Stars with director Josh Boone this last Wednesday.

The Fault in Our Stars

Director: Josh Boone

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, William Dafoe, Laura Dern, and Sam Trammell

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: The story of two cancer stricken star crossed lovers.

The Review: I want to say that I think that this is the film that I was most anticipating this year. I read the book and absolutely loved it, cried a lot, but loved it. I was really happy when I found out that it was going to be turned into a movie and even more so with Josh Boone directing (a review on Stuck in Love coming soon) and the writers that they got. I was so happy with the casting also. All this happiness and excitement did also mean that I was a little scared that it was going to be disappointing. Luckily it was beyond my expectation. Ansel and Shailene brought so much emotion and had such great chemistry.  They were wonderful as well as Hazel’s parents in the film and William Dafoe, who made me hate Van Houten all over again with the way he played him so perfectly. It was one of the best books to movie adaptions with only part in changed that I won’t discuss because it is a spoiler. After speaking to the director about it I find that I was necessary and well done. Its filmed beautifully and simply with an honest and a good independent film feel. For having such a smaller budget it sure doesn’t look like a small budget film. The costuming is appropriate with some piece as described in the book and the setting were simply and perfect with the exception of Amsterdam, which was heartbreaking to watch and stunningly beautiful. I really loved how they open and closed the film and the soundtrack chosen was just perfectly suited in tone and highlighting scenes. This film truly captured the emotions and feeling of the book with witty and hilarious dialogue that mixed in directed quotes omitting very few of the most popular. I adore how this film was written, I spent half the film crying (started in the Amsterdam scene and didn’t stop till the end, just cried harder) but I want to say over half was spent genuinely laughing and sometime even crying and laughing at the same time. Like I said before Ansel and Shailene made the perfect Augustus and Hazel and their scene like the eulogy scene were just heartbreaking and perfect. With Ansel being just the right balance of charming and pretentious and i fell in love with his character all over again. I cried for Hazel and love her sarcasm throughout.  I had too many favorite scenes from the literal heart of Jesus to the dinner scene in Amsterdam.   It was an amazingly good film and I absolutely love it and how it turned out. I high recommend it to see.

Watch it?

HELL YES!

Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ItBvH5J6ss

Clip 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=642lKXC97c4

Clip 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0UClGdiWAQ

Feaurette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weTfCigE_qs

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582846/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Until next time,

Jackie

What Were You Guys Thinking?!

Hello Internet,

I greet you all from my favorite coffee shop and beginning a new quarter. Sadly my conflicting majors means that I will not have any film classes this quarter but do not fear my reviews come from many source, there may be a slight bit less of classic film but I will pull some past ones out from last quarter that I did not have time to review.

Grudge Match

Director: Peter Segal

Starring: Robert De Niro, Selvester Stallon, Kim Basinger, and Kevin Hart

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: Two revival boxers decide to have the last fight that they never did after 30 years.

The Review:  One word: horrible! That’s all there really is to it. Who thought this was a good idea?  I normally try to find something good about every film I see but this one was just tasteless, boring, stupid, and vulgar in a bad way. The trailers to this film didn’t interest me one but it was something that I went to go see with some family and I never pass up a movie. Anyway it was really as bad as it looked. I found the story boring; the dialogue crude and cheap, and the characters all around unlikeable with problems that just made them seem like over grown children.  I found this to be the case especially with Robert DeNiro’s character that just came out as a flat out asshole. He was disgusting, childish, and incredibly annoying. The troubling part about this is not only is it the degradation of a great actor, but its not the first time that he has played this horrible character. It seems like even movie I watch with him now he is playing this character. This just makes the movie worse if its already pretty bad but also takes away and distracts from a good movie such as in the cases of The Big Wedding. The plot was predictable and was just made worse by the tasteless dialogue of all the characters. To sum up the film: boring, distasteful, and a complete waste of time and disappoint of theses actors on doing this film.

Watch it?

DON’T DO IT!

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bQSOBJCPQE

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTwjTLxe9KU

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV3cs3mJFTA

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1661382/?ref_=nv_sr_1

So, I have officially been writing this blog for a year according to WordPress. Thanks to all of you for continuing to read my reviews and I hope that you do continue because I know I will continue writing. I hope y’all like what’s to come.

Until next time,

Jackie

Foreign Film Discovery

Greeting my Esteemed Readers,

I live or better yet I have survived another grueling quarter of college. The quarter has set me behind tremendously in reviews. They say winter quarter is the hardest and I completely believe that. The truth also is that I am incredibly tired. Balancing a double major is tiring. Did I ever mention that I’m a double major? Who knows? Well to contribute to that I contract a lovely cold during my finals week but as previously stated I lived. Here’s a short review on a little foreign film I found over break.

Nosotros los Nobles

Director: Gary Alazraki

Starring: Gonzalo Vega, Karla Souza, Luis Gerado Mendez, and Juan Pablo Gil

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: A father tries to teach his spoiled children a lesson so they will see the errors of their way of living.

The Review: I’m always on the look out for a good foreign film and if it’s from Mexico that even better. It is my firm belief that the Mexican film industry has so much potential and I’m not just saying that because I am Mexican. Anyway word of this film came to me through word from my dad who also enjoys films from his home country. This is a small production and has a simple story and actors that are most unknown except for a few. The children at the beginning of the film really annoyed me but I guess that was the point and why the father was trying to change their selfish brat ways. The film follows the father and his three children as they get jobs and learn to grow up. The father decides to do this by saying that his company is under investigation and the police are after them. To escape he takes them to his fathers old house and tells them they must now do what they’ve never done before: work. This is where all madness ensues. It really is a simple film so there’s not a lot to say without giving things away but I like that about the film. It’s funny, witty, and incredibly sweet. The dialogue, setting, and cinematography are all done without great finesse but that’s part of its charm and heartwarming feeling that make the film feel good and jus something great to watch without any complications. It has a minor romantic story line but it is a family story at heart.

Watch it?

Yeah, sure, I found it sweet and funny.

Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChlQQb49Xf0

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2222394/?ref_=rvi_tt

Look forward to a lot of upcoming reviews. I hope all of you got a chance to see the Oscars that past a few weeks ago. I know I had some struggles but I luckily still got to see it.

Until next time,

Jackie

 

I’ll Over Look The Hair For The Acting

Hiya Everyone,

Ok, so I have sacrificed catching up on review for studying for midterms but the good news is so far I’ve gotten three out of four backs with A’s. The game of catch up continues with reviews so I’ll keep them a little shorter and will hopefully be done before the Oscars get here.

American Hustle

Director: David O. Russell

Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner

Rating: R

The Plot: After being caught, two con artists are forced to work for a FBI agent.

The Review:  It always surprises me how much I enjoy David O. Russell films and with a stellar cast, how can this movie not being amazing? The incredible acting in this film blew my mind away and I agree with all the nominations they receive. They were well deserved. I don’t think I quite knew what this movie was going to be about when I want in. I mean I saw the trailers and searched IMDB but I still don’t think that I properly prepared for the madness of this film. So, the characters are of course not the best of people, they flawed but interesting and the whole film deals with them conning others but more importantly one another. Watching their interaction is just pure insanity and the cast complements each other so well. I fell in love with the costuming for Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams and found the men of the casts a little odd but that that’s due to time period issues. Their wardrobe was really used to reflect aspects and emotions of the characters. Speaking of the male cast, though the ladies of the film had fantastic hair, I just could not get over the guys’ hair. I think Christian Bales appearance had to be the worst, still worked for his character, but Bradley Coopers fake perm definitely gave him a run for his money. The narrative structure is interesting because it really just throws you in and explains later and is divided with the voice over of the two main characters at the begin so show how all of whatever happened began. It was a mixture of a drama, comedy, with a slight hint of suspenseful con movie complicated by romantic details and really showed some pretty great character progression. The dialogue, acting, and cinematography are all great but I think that for this one the acting really takes the spotlight because it’s so character centered.

Watch it?

I’d say yes.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST7a1aK_lG0

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_M3wRmWKms

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5kfOvWu1zc

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800241/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Until next time,

Jackie

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Hello Reader,

I LIVE!!! I know it’s been a while since I have posted. I have begun a new quarter and so far looks like it is going to be dreadful so I will fill the time with more movie and reviewing. On the up side the Oscars are coming in like month so I’m ecstatic especially with the nomination being released last Thursday.

1)   Pitch Black (2000)

Director: David Twohy

Starring: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, and Keith David

Rating: R

The Plot: When a transport ship crash lands on a strange planet, the crew finds that there are more terrifying things on the planet then the convict that escaped from the ship.

The Review: Curiosity has finally gotten the best of me and I watched all three of these. So, first off this movie needs some back-story because it is confusing as hell and you really have to listen for the tiny hints they give you. Characters are a little flat and predictable and let’s face and this is not a spoiler most of them are not meant to live. It’s predictable but entertaining in some instances and I did find myself interested it the animalistic nature of Riddick but I feel that without him this movie would have been completely boring instead of just boring in some parts. Again though they do not really provide any back story so Riddick remains a mystery the whole time, which does give him a more dangerous aura but makes for a confusing and gapped story.it was simplistic and the dialogue was not that great and sometimes hard to hear. Everything just builds up to an ending that is just slightly disappointing in a bitter way. The creatures, though in concept sound interesting and terrifying are hindered by the developing technology of the time so the CGI is not that great. This also creates a bit of a problem since the film as part of the sci-fi genre relies heavily on it and being a movie watcher that has been spoiled by modern film and its wonderful advancements in CG tech, the visuals bothered me especially Riddick’s vision, which was blurry and a fluorescent pink that just looked a little ridiculous and made his ability to see in the dark a little less cool. I did enjoy Riddick’s sass and bad-assness but his motive and character was unclear making his interactions and relationships wit other characters ambiguous to the extent that it felt random and awkward sometimes.

Watch it?

Interesting in concept, poor in execution. Your call.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPEKNToK3TE

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134847/?ref_=nv_sr_3

 

2)   The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Director: David Twohy

Starring: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench, Keith David,  Alexa Dalavos, and Karl Urban

Rating: R

The Plot: Ten years after the first one, Riddick encounters a new problem when the bounty is raised on his head by a mysterious powerful person.

The Review:  Still confusing first of all because there still is no back story given. How the hell did everyone get here? What happen? Though theses questions are briefly touched upon, I’m afraid that it still remains ambiguous for the most part. The timeline seemed just off and awkward and the trailer seems to have a better put together story then it actually has. Looking back I actually find that there were a lot of the same problems in this one. Although is this movie they did hint more about Riddick’s past and we did get to see where everyone ended up. This one flowed better and gave Riddick a bit of sentimentality so he becomes even more of an anti-hero instead of being a cold-hearted killer with no ties. This humanizes him a bit but I still was confused about necromancers of whatever they’re called. There origins, ideas, and beliefs are unclear and not explained too well. The visuals did improve significantly though, including Riddick’s shine job and vision, and Judi Dench is just well…Judi Dench and fantastic in everything she does.

Watch it?

Better visuals but mediocre and I would say watch it only if you have a really want for a mindless action film that slightly confusing or if you saw the first one. Really though your not missing much.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCrDo3eCXkw

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0296572/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

3)   Riddick (2013)

Director: David Twohy

Starring: Vin Diesel, Katee Sackhoff, Karl Urban, and Matt Nable

Rating: R

The Plot: Just after the last one after a betrayal, Riddick finds himself on unnamed planet.

The Review: Surprise! More Confusion! These movies really need to work on clarity and continuity. It’s not really necessary to watch the pervious two but this one bring one small detail in from the first one. The film is heavily computerized and its pretty in some aspects but has really no plot. I didn’t like were they went with Riddick. The film made him soft and sentimental and almost weak at one point and it’s his tough and dangerous demeanor that makes him such an intriguing character. Another character that they mess up by was Dahl. I was so excited for Katee Sackhoff in this movie. I loved her on Battlestar Galactica and she was going to play another kick but role. She was really awesome during the beginning of the movie but slowly they faded her out and turned her into just anther girl lusting over Riddick. Now what made this worse is that Dahl firmly states that she is a lesbian so suddenly jumping Riddick is kind of out character. I won’t deny there is something attractive about his character but apparent that the writers of this film just want to go out of character for everyone. There’s only one other detailed that bothered me with this film. Now I don’t mind profanity all, hell I use a pretty good amount in my life, but I felt the film’s use was just unnecessary and other done make the films writing look worse than it was.  Come naming a planet Not Furya. Seroiusly? It just looked so much cooler from the trailer and the action does not even happen till like the last half hour of the film and the film itself feels disjointed and too happy. Though it does seem that these film got significantly gorier for the first to this one.

Watch it?

Frankly I was a bit disappointed.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH3O-CeZckE

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_QuI6O5aSE

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNpQlvt-pag

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1411250/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Until next time,

Jackie

 

Hobbits, Dwarves, and Elves…Oh my!

Hey Internet,

The New Year is here so let the reviewing continue! I opened my new year with crying my eyes out on Doctor Who and screaming over Sherlock. I wonder if that’s an indication on how my year in movies and fandoms is going to go.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lily, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Cate Blanchett, and Aidan Turner

Rating: PG-13

The Plot:  Bilbo, Gandalf, and the 13 dwarves continue their quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain.

The Review: I’m not huge Lord of the Rings fan and I can’t say I read the books. I mean I skimmed the books so I know basically the story but as for details for adaptation comparison purposes, I apologize, I’m at a loss. Well the first Lord of the Rings movies, that actually take place after these movies I know, are not bad. They’re great in cinematography, dialogue, casting, directing; you name it really and their great but they’re so incredibly long which kind of take away from the beauty of the films. The first movie in The Hobbit trilogy was the same in that it was beautiful in visuals and great in all other aspects but it was long though I didn’t feel the length as much as when I watched the Lord of the Rings maybe because it had more humor. I do still love Merry and Pippin and Gimli and Legolas. I was always did want more of Legolas in the Lord of the Rings movies just because he looked so awesome and yet we only got to see glimpses of what he could do.  The entricement of Legolas being more in this one, I admit, was a factor in why I went to go see this one and because the awesome She-elf, Tauriel, that was in the trailer. Both characters did not disappoint in their action scene and were just plain kick butt. It was nice to get a little bit of background story on Legolas and see that he wasn’t always the way he was. I did squeal a little and laugh when he was shown a picture young Gimil and grimaced. Throughout the movies though, I could not remember Tauriel in the books and was not surprised when I found out that she wasn’t. I know Peter Jackson was getting a lot of criticism for creating her for the movie for the sole purpose of being a love interest but personally I loved her. She was kick butt and I love myself little romance. A love triangle? Even better! I always thought the Lord of the Rings need just a bit more romance. Sure we had Aragon and Arwen but lets face it they weren’t really in it for more then a total of like 10 minutes out of all three movies that combined are like 9 hours. By the trailer even one can see that Legolas and her are part of the love story though it is forbidden. In comes (spoiler begins) Kili. I already love Kili’s character and love him and Tauriel but I also love Legolas and Tauriel but I find her and Kili just too cute! I was rooting for that till I remembered after the movie how his story ends and now I’m just depressed (spoiler ends). I like that though more of a love story was present it did not completely change and divert the plot into something that it was not. I felt the length of this movie the least I think and so far I think I like this one the best. It was still great in visuals, dialogue, cinematography, and casting/ acting. I actually love this whole cast but I will admit I got lost once or twice with the flipping between three events and I hated the gross spider. Ugh spiders but other then that I enjoyed it and won’t be surprise if it got a couple of nomination for like visuals and such.

Watch it?

Yeah why not but be warned its long so a lot of patience is needed.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os1G8RtqY2c

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YreJ0SamM0I

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCt_f_WA-qA

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1170358/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I fear I will missed the deadline I have set for myself but anyway Happy New Year to you all!

Until next time,

Jackie

Well That Was…Umm?

Greetings,

Whew! I am tired. I have been writing like a madwoman and it’s starting to give me some very unwanted flashback of school right now but I’m getting there. See, the problem is that so many good movies have come out this month that I have wanted to see and I’m watching them faster than I can review them. I got this though I just need to pick up the writing pace.

Delivery Man

Director: Ken Scott

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders and Britt Robertson

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: After a mix up a fertility clinic, a man finds out that he is the father of 533 children and 142 of them are suing to discover his identity.

The Review: This was not originally not on my must see in theaters list but I went to see this for a friends birthday. Happy late 20^th birthday, Matt! Going into this movie, I knew it was a remake of a film called Starbuck. I hadn’t see the original but I knew what it was about so going into the film but I wasn’t too excited since the trailer made it look uninteresting and slightly awkward. Now the concept its self is ridiculous and awkward. If I was one for those 533 children I would seriously be a little afraid to date someone without family background check if I was one of those kids. The movie gave me some laughs with its just barely passable dialogue that was just a bit to cheesy for my taste but I think I expected more from Vince Vaughn. His character was slacking, awkward, and just a bit too childishly naïve but he has good intentions. There wasn’t really anyone else in the movie that appeared more they like 5 to 10 minutes and most of the time he was disappointing them.  It had a sweet ending and was cute over all but as a story it was just a little bit unbelievable but I did like Chris Pratt’s part, which gave me the most laughs. Other then that the film just made me go umm a lot and I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head that those kids are going to have a hard and uncomfortable time dating. Also holidays are going to be really crowd and hard with 142 families plus Vince Vaughn’s character’s wife and child so really 143 families. I mean can you imagine?

Watch it?

Eh not really amazing… rent it if you want to see it.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGAktL45XNQ

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqNSfpigqDo

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqH4R1fIqis

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2387559/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Until next time,

Jackie

Films I Missed That Were…Ehh

Hi Internet,

I’m going to make these reviews kind of short because these are really just some blurbs because I have a lot to cover in a short amount of time and I have films I liked more to write about that. Which I know is really bad but I really want to get to those.

1) Olympus has Fallen (2013)

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Starring: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, and Dylan McDermott

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: When the White House is attacked, an ex-presidential guard is the only hope for everyone being held hostage.

The Review: Yes, this film is as ridiculous as it sound and it is an idea that has been done over and over. The movie was predictable and just slightly cheesily ridiculous in dialogue, action and story. The action sequences are kept the film mildly entertaining but most of the film is eh… okay. Impossible but okay seems to sum up this movie rather well. Gerard Butler was pulling of some cool fight moves and I do like most of his movies (shudders at The Bounty Hunter), but lets face it exaggerated. Not enough Morgan Freeman, who’s just great in any thing he does. My last question for this film is: Why is it always the North Koreans?

Watch it?

Skippable, in my opinion, but hey if you really what a simple pure action film go for it. It’s really not that worth it though.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwx1f0kyNwI

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vACVKgjWMTc

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prcnfCJLT5g

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2302755/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

2) Hotel Transylvania (2012)

Director: Genndy Tartakovosky

Voices: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, and Steve Buscemi

Rating: PG

The Plot: At a high-end resort, Dracula tries to shelter his daughter for the outside world.

The Review: I watch this one because like Rise of the Guardians I skipped it. So, I thought maybe it would surprise me like Guardians did. I always encourage watching animated film and I’m so happy when they come from production companies other then Disney just to see a different style. Now when I looked up this film I saw that it had a pretty good cast even though I’m not a huge Adam Sandler fan. So my little brother and I said eh why not? I was a little disappointed overall. It was cute and different in story idea and it was great seeing so many different know monster characters, but it was just a little too cheesy for my taste and dragged a little. I think this one was catered more to children rather both the children and their parents so its great for the younger kids but not so much for people of my age. I did laugh and I found the relationship between Dracula, his daughter, and the human who wanders into the hotel super adorable. It was simple in dialogue and story but I guess it had to be. It is a children’s film so I give a nod to Sony. Not as good or entertaining as DreamWorks  or Disney but it a decent try.

Watch it?

This one is good for little kids but I would recommend Rise of the Guardians or Wreck-It Ralph as a better choice if you want an animated film from 2012.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYgzizpCTKU

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UFu8wR_vXw

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBL6Zgbdv64

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0837562/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Until next time,

Jackie

“Words Are Life, Liesel”

Hello Readers,

I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had a lovely one and if you don’t I hope your Holidays are going well. I had a fantastic Christmas and my older sister and her boyfriend came to visit, which was just so amazing because I haven’t seen them in quite a bit. They got me a beautiful Wicked poster signed by the entire Chicago cast. I got some other really cool stuff but that, I’m not going to lie, is my favorite present with my second being my Nook. I finally got to see this movie after searching for it for so long. Well I actually saw a little bit ago when I first began my break but with all this Christmas stuff going on I fell majorly behind in film reviewing. With Christmas day already gone and New Years day fast approaching it is my ambition and hope that I can review all I’ve seen before then I went to see this one with my mom because we love seeing movies like this together and I think it was the perfect movie to start my break with.

 The Book Thief  (2013)

Director: Brian Percival

Starring: Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Roger Allam, and Ben Schnetzer

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: At the brink of WWII, a little girl and her foster parents face the perils of hiding a Jewish man in their basement.

The Review: I did have a chance to finish reading this book and it made me so sad but it was still an amazing book that I would high recommend. I mean come on narrated by a witty and sarcastic death. It just great, so naturally when the movie came out I wanted to see it. Now it had some noticeable changes but it was extremely drastic except that death only narrated half the film. I understand why these changes were made because it is and extremely hard story to adapt. Some changes changed the order of smaller events that occur in the book, so it was not a prefect adaption but still a good one. I liked how you got to see more interaction between Max and Liesel and ever between Rudy and Liesel. I really got the sense that she cared in the film for him. Rudy was a character that I loved so much in the book and his ending got me in the book and it was just as heartbreaking in the movie. All characters were casted so beautifully and perfectly that it just made the characters adaptation to screen flawless. Their acting was phenomenal and the dialogue was moving and spot on, the precise blend of deep ideas with just a bit of comic relief. All this with pair with some beautiful cinematography, costuming, and setting made this truly intriguing and captivating story come to life.  Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush were just like I pictured the Hubermans and Max and Rudy were just as imagined them but it was the beautiful little girl playing Liesel that caught my attention with her innocent and true performance of the character and how she was exactly like Liesel was described in the book. The only real criticism is that it is really hard to discern how much time has passed. To do this you really have to the length of Liesel’s hair because it gets longer and sometimes how much time has passed is mentioned briefly, but this film does a pretty good job of compacting such a big chuck of time into one movie and keeping all the important details. I will stop here so I don’t give too much away but both my mother and I really enjoyed this film.

Watch it?

I think this is a yes for me. If you do see it, be prepared for some sadness and tears.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dRuGwS1gWU

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEloQmpg8Sc

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqCZn5W3WDs

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816442/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I’m so happy because this is my 50^th post! I didn’t think I’d make it this far but I have and there is still much more to come so stay tuned.

Until next time,

Jackie

Once There Was A Hushpuppy…

Greetings,

The quarter is closed for me and that means this is the last film I had to watch for advanced film analysis. As much trouble, pain and headaches as that class has caused me, I will admit that I’m going to miss it a bit. I know that sounds crazy but it was had a lot of interesting movies and information. This was for our week on sound:

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Director: Benh Zeitlin

Starring: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, and Levy Easterly

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: A girl and her daddy must survive the perils of living in a region called the Bathtub

The Review: This movie has both a complex and simple at the same time. There is not a lot of back-story so you don’t know exactly when or where you are. To get any sort of context you really have to pay attention to the dialogue of the film. It is a heavily based dialogue film and told from a subjective perspective of Hushpuppy, so the information can get scramble or be hard to understand because it is told for the perspective of such a young child. Despite, this the film still have fantastic dialogue. It had a fairytale feel to it but still incredibly deep and moving. Quvenzhané Wallis does phenomenally for such a young and new actress and the relationship her father angered me at first. As the film progresses it clear that her father cares for her and is trying to prepare to live in the harsh and presumed futuristic area of called the Bathtub. The film does rely on sound a lot and tends to merge its diegetic (sound inside the realm of the film) with its score. Which makes from a very empathetic tone but makes it a pain to write a paper on, trust me. The cast is small and there’s not a lot background given or names mention for that matter but you still able to discern the strong relationship that this community has. I mention that the film has a bit a fairytale feeling so it’s sometimes hard to tell what’s real with the beasts that appear. It has a very touching and somewhat sad tone that causes a tear or two to slip but it is still up lifting and filmed simple. No crazy effects or CGI just a simple film and I agree it deserved all its nominations.

Watch it?

I’d give it a yes.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF7i2n5NXLo

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZYd5MOHXck

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iims4CJobVc

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125435/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Until next time,

Jackie

Don’t Let This One Go

Hej (Danish) my Esteemed Readers,

So, next up is the other half of the Thanksgiving weekend. I manage to barely sneak this one in before I got back to school. On a side note I have finally finished The Book Thief. I didn’t think that I was going to be that sad after that book but nope still managed to tear my heart out. I still maintain in my head that Max and Liesel end up together down the bend because there need to be just a little bit more happiness in that ending. It was a fantastic book and deeply emotional. I loved it and I would highly recommend it. I so excited to see the movie in theaters next weekend after all my finals are done. Well, there you go you get a book recommendation and movie in one review.

Frozen (2013)

Director: Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee

Voices: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathon Groff, Josh Gad, and Santino Fontana.

Rating: PG

The Plot:  Anna, with the help of a snowman and mountain man named Kristoff, goes to find her sister and bring back summer.

The Review:  As you all know by know I have a love, fascination, and a great respect for animated films. They take a tremendous amount of work. I mean all films do but I feel that not a lot of people acknowledge that with animated films. Now I’ve taken a class in animation and I can tell you it’s freakin’ hard. I was really excited for this one and made my dad take me. Now I do this with like every time I go see an animated film. I have read the Snow Queen a long time ago and this is a little different but I was okay with that. First a quick story, this started because I had no one else to take me but now its just because its hilarious. I take my dad. I do this because he’s always turns bright red with embarrassment that he’s stilling in a theater of children of ages like 4 to 7 with his nearly twenty year old daughter. He always asks me too if it ever embarrasses me and I tell him no I don’t care what others think and I going to watch what I’m I want to watch. Also that I probably understand and get more these movies then the kids do because lets face it we miss a lot as children. Trust me rewatch old Disney and animated films you’ll be really surprised at what you missed. That brings us to the movie. Now the dialogue was definitely at a higher level and I didn’t notice it till later on when Olaf the snowman used the word impaled but that was okay it made the film just a little bit better for the adult or this case older kids like me cough.  It was funny and witty dialogue that made laugh so hard especially with Olaf. I love the characters. Olaf is funny and cute, Anna is a little awkward but sweet and adorable (I kinda relate to her), Elsa is just so cool, and Kristoff is adorable like Anna. I’m not going to get into Hans because that might spoil something. I didn’t see it coming and I was actually really shocked. Now the voices, oh my god! I have been waiting forever for Idina Menzel to be in a Disney film and she was phenomenal. Let it Go is my favorite part and song of that whole movie but honestly all the music in the film is so amazing. I’ve downloaded it have been listening to it non-stop because its so good. I was a little sad that Jonathon Groff didn’t get to sing more but props to Kristen Bell for shocking me with not only can she sing but she’s got a great voice. Now if the music wasn’t just beautiful enough, it was complemented so beautifully by gorgeous animation. Seriously, it was just so pretty and I fell in love with it.

There was just so much detail in it from Anna’s freckles and how she wakes up to the use of snow and ice to reflect and emphasize Elsa’s emotions. Now I know everyone is saying they look exactly like Rapunzel from Tangled. On same animation studio so same style…duh but when you watch it the features and reaction are really different and they don’t really look like her at all. the facial expression and costumes…just everything is so well animated and detail. I really do sense a nomination for an oscar in best animated film and for its music particularly Let it Go for this film and I will say it will be well deserved. This film had such a broad range of emotions and still carried a sweet message. It was cute and funny but it still had its moment where I almost cried because it was so sad. I fell in love with this movie and left that theater happy and slightly in awe at the music and animation.

Watch it?

YES. Just YES.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLzfXQSPBOg

Clip 1 (My favorite Scene): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moSFlvxnbgk

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yJrytUyagY

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Until next time,

Jackie

Another One For Class

Hi Internet,

This was another I had right on for class. So, I’ll keep this one short because again I don’t feel like talking at length at this one. I’m finally back at school after break and I hope all of your breaks and Thanksgiving was as great as mine. I saw all the movies I wanted to this weekend so those reviews will be coming up soon. I’m going into finals week soon and I am not happy at all.

No (2012)

Director: Pablo Larraín

Starring: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, and Luis Gnecca

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: The story of the No campaign to remove the Chilean dictator Pinochet from power.

The Review: So, I’m not a huge fan of political history based dramas but I’ll still watch them and I love foreign films. This one was for class, it was a really small independent foreign film, and for our week on the discussion of time in film. It is still my firm belief this is not the best thing to pick because time is so hard to determine in this film. Yes I know it’s a challenge and all that but I want a challenge that’s not going give me a exuberant amount of stress. Fun fact: this movies was filmed on two restored from that time period. This accounts for the not so great quality of camerawork and the editing was rapid and kinda choppy but that was done on purpose and does make it difficult to discern time I the film. I know the film to place in a little more than a month. The cast is pretty good and the film was well acted; I mean I love Gael García Bernal movies and he’s great in it. I didn’t know much about this part of Chile’s history so I was really interesting but the movie could be confusing at times since thing weren’t elaborate on but they were all same things like Bernal’s characters relationship with the mother of his kid. The film is in Spanish and there are subtitles but the dialogue is still pretty good. The story develops well despite the camerawork and the editing and in times it does work with the commercial ads the No campaign buts together. It was interesting, unique, and rather good, at least that’s what I thought.

Watch it?

Yeah, it was pretty good and interesting.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOeiw_BJPas

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2059255/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

I will try to survive finals to keep writing and post my review on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Frozen. The good news is that if I make it through this week I’ve found a theater playing The Book Thief and that is my reward to myself that I know I’m going to need for this week.

Until next time,

Jackie

Better Late Than Never

Hello,

Ok so after this review I am officially caught up and I wanted to do it before I had another big essay or two due this week. I saw these when I went home for Veteran’s day weekend. Amazingly, still sick and I can get to the movie theaters but not do anything else. Weird, just weird and yes I know this one is late too. I’m really excited to see Catching Fire but sadly that’s not till next week for me. Oh the upside I just watched the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who, which was just awesome! Don’t judge me, I’ve been a Whovian for a long time (like way before it was cool) and proud of!  So, a shout out to my fellow Whovians, you are awesome people.  If you haven’t watched Doctor Who, its all on Netflix, I would definitely recommend it. Its funny, witty… it’s really just so many things and hard to describe so, I would just look it up and give it a try.  I just wrote a review on the episode so if you’ve seen it, you can always check that out.

1) Thor: The Dark World  (2013)

Director: Alan Taylor, James Gunn

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Rene Russo, Idris Elba, Kat Denning, Stellen Skarsgard and Christopher Eccleston.

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: After an ancient force threatens earth, Thor returns to save mankind and the woman he loves, Jane

The Review: I actually was really excited to see this one this year. The first one wasn’t so great but from the trailer this one looked better and there was a promise of more Loki being in this one plus I really like to see Chris Hemsworth. I will say it went a lot different then I thought it was and going to be, but wow that’s a lot of actors to fit in a movie, all fantastic of course. The story was ok but I did feel a little abrupt and ended kind of nowhere. Like I said before the acting was all ok and the film still had the blend of sassy, sarcastic humor and huge amounts of action so the dialogue wasn’t too bad in the cheesy area but of course still had its moments.  Loki was especially funny and entertaining and Tom Hiddleston was just fantastic at playing him and Kat Denning and Stellen Skarsgard  also added some comedy into the mix and I love them both. Thor was not the only kick butt characters, there were many such as Lady Sif and the warrior three and even Queen Frigga, played by Rene Russo that provide some spectacular fight scenes. Last of all: the special effects. Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning and I would expect nothing less.  Loki was definitely the best part of this movie but it was entertaining as a whole movie. There was part that shocked me with Loki but the end put a smile on my face. This film has comedy and action that’s just beautifully highlighted by special effects that help to make the slight cheesy dialogue that just a trademark now of big budget action films but the cast is still fantastic. I will admit I found myself enjoying this one even if it wasn’t the best of films. Don’t forget to stay till the very end after the credits for the hidden scenes.

Watch it?

Sure, I liked it.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KTvjFGgGkk

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41MsrSgDbyI

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZlvRzVLGwk

More Info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1981115/?ref_=nv_sr_1

2) About Time (2013)

Director: Richard Curtis

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Domhnall Gleeson, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson, and Lindsey Duncan

Rating: R

The Plot: At the age of 21, a man discovers that the men of his family can travel in time.

The Review:  I had a small panic attack when no theater in Santa Barbara or my hometown but luckily that was Veterans’ day weekend and a theater in my hometown got it just in time for me coming home. I love Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Love Actually so when I heard that the creator of these and so many other movies I love. So needless to say I had high expectations for this movie and I will say that it did not disappoint. The cast is just perfect and fantastic actors that create just the prefect blend of comedic and dramatic acting. They are lovable, adorable, odd characters that you can’t help and fall in love with because for their perfect on-screen interaction that just flawless. Tim (Domhnall) is awkward and protagonist you root for all the way and finds his perfect match in Mary (Adams). The film began with a like a sweet and romantic comedy but slow transformed to a film that was more serious with bittersweet tone and depth to it. The camera work was a little shaky but then again it was a small production film but the cinematography was still pretty. This exactly the type of film you can just fall in love with. I did. I was funny, sweet, romantic, deep, sad, happy and all in one movie. It did go differently they you would think it does in the trailer. Not as predictable but I found that to be a good thing.

Watch it?

Yes, absolutely.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7A810duHvw

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBnUFrdLgN0

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh5DDwIw2X0

More Info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194499/?ref_=nv_sr_1

I’m so excited because I get to go home in like an hour for Thanksgiving break so the next time I’ll be writing will be from home and probably on Catching Fire. If you celebrate it, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! If you don’t then do something fun and have a good weekend!

Until next time,

Jackie

“This is Not a Game”

Hey Internet,

I’m so happy because I’m so close to being caught up with all the reviews I have to right? Don’t you just hate when you fall behind on something because you just way too much school work? Well anyway here’s Ender’s game and yes, I did manage to finish the book before I saw this. I like it, I really did and some of it broke my heart and then other parts just flat out pissed me off.

Ender’s Game (2013)

Director: Gavin Hood

Starring: Asa Butterflied, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Hailee Stanfield, Abigail Breslin and Ben Kingsley

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: After an alien attack, earth now recruits the best and brightest children to fight back; Ender Wiggins is one of these children.

The Review:  I know that I always talk about book to movie adaption and how you can’t expect a movie to be exactly like the book and I still stand by that. Of course an adaption still has to maintain a level of commitment to the book (cough Eragon cough). Complicated balance, right, but like I said what you imagined is what you imagined and I’m sorry to say that no one else lives inside you head. I always try to explain this when I get into discussions of book to movie adaptions. The movie will never be exactly like the book and it pisses me off when people hate something because it isn’t exact. Now an adaption can be exact for many reasons such as one film has limitation, two censorship based on social rules sometimes don’t allow something in or have to add something (The Mortal Instruments line in the movie that was basically the end to City of Ashes big reveal), time constraints and relevancy. Which is why I try to think of an adaption as separate and related to the book, you enjoy it more that way, actually watching the movie instead of spending two hours compare and contrasting. Ender’s Game is a perfect example of this. The book spans years first of all so to compensate for that the film makes the character’s a bit older because lets face it watching everyday for almost 8 years, especially when not a lot happens everyday, would be boring and having them be  bit older is just slightly less disturbing. Time is also condensed, but keeps the main and important events and changes some slightly to fit it into a little less than two hours. Some characters are brought in soon as a result of this and some stay longer and get more screen time because the book introduces you to many different character and some are very fleeting but this all still works. I will say for those who have read the book there is more Petra in this movie and women in the background in fact Major Anderson, played amazingly by the talented Viola Davis, is a woman instead of a man. This does not affect the character in any way and I actually think that it’s a good thing because there was a severe lack a female characters in that book. Speaking of female characters, Val’s story was cut out and I understand why. Now the book is very political and the bulk of that is in the Val and Peter section of it, which I found a little out of place. So, they cut it out but keep both siblings interactions with Ender but this did slightly change the execution of the ending of the film in neither a bad or good way.

All right so there were the differences, now the actually film. Freakin’ beautiful. Those were some stunning special effects that brought to life the battle rooms, simulations, the mind game, and the epic ending battle. It was just all so pretty and paired with some nicely done cinematography, it was just beautiful and so cool to see this elaborate setting brought to life of screen. I think that all actors casted were perfect. They looked and acted almost exactly like that of the character in the book and I found myself experiencing the same emotions I did when I read in the book. Asa Butterfield was just perfect for Ender, both emotionless and stoic when necessary and heartbreakingly broken when necessary. Colonel Graff, played by Harrison Ford, still pissed me off along with Ben Kingley’s Mazer Reckham but with Graff I still only half like him some times because you see that he still cares for Ender. The Dragon Army and all the other soldiers Ender’s meet including Bean, Bonzo, and Petra were spot on. I laughed so hard a Bonzo though and I couldn’t help it because he was so tiny. Bernard was the only character that was slightly different toward the end but that was not really a big deal. The dialogue was good and fitting, some of it taken directly from the book and other parts modernized like the aliens having an actual name not just bugger, which annoyed me in the book. I still got that sinking and sick feeling of having my heart ripped out at the end that just made me so sad. All around I think it was a fairly true and decent adaption.

Watch it?

Yeah, why not, I liked it and thought it was pretty good.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UNWLgY-wuo

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3fu3IJb_qc

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T6_QvUzvCw

More Info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1731141/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Here are also two movie trailers of movies  I’m super excited for and you can bet anything that I’m going to see in theaters. Love both these book series!

Divergent Official Final Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sutgWjz10sM

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Final Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoKj7TdJk98

Sorry this one was a bit long,but up next Thor: The Dark World and About Time, so look out for that and I’m still trying to find a theater playing The Book Thief. Ugh movie goer problems!

Until next time,

Jackie

What I Did For Halloween

Hello Everyone,

Good news! I survived three essays coupled with being sick. Bad news, I didn’t catch up on reviews. I know this is late but I’ve had a busy schedule, but better late than never, right? I’ll keep them really, really short for the sake of time and because its four reviews. Plus most people have or heard of at least one of these movies.

1) Safe(1995)

Director: Todd Haynes

Starring: Julianne Moore, Xander Berkeley, and Dean Norris

Rating: R

The Plot: A wife in the suburbs develops a chemical sensitivity.

The Review: This is another one I had to watch for class and I kinda wish I hadn’t. Now it wasn’t bad but just long and ever so slightly boring. I had to watch it for its use of narrative space and it was a really good example of that but it was slow and nothing really happened. Every time you thought something was going to happen, nothing really did, it was just was so anticlimactic. The main character is flat and meek so that was kind of annoy and her family was uncaring and thought she was crazy.  There’s really nothing more that I can say about this movie.

Watch it?

Skippable, there are better Julianne Moore movies.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63NPIiCl3zo

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114323/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2  

2) The Shining (1980)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall, and Danny Lloyd

Rating: R

The Plot: A family goes to live at an isolated hotel as car takers till strange things begin to occur.

The Review: What?! Just what?!  Every time I watch a Stanley Kubrick movie I always forget how mind-boggling they are. Like half way through this movie I stop being scared and was just being overloaded with like information. The use of color, sound, and space…just everything was amazing. Acting was superb, cinematography was beautiful, and dialogue was well done and if I missed any thing I’m just going to say that it was all fantastic. My mind is still trying to figure out some of the stuff in that movie and I fear that I will never quite get everything. I still find the twins and Tony super creep though and the film was nerve wrecking  but never the less great.

Watch it?

Absolutely!

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cb3ik6zP2I

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMbI7DmLCNI

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/?ref_=nv_sr_1

3) Halloween (1978)

Director: John Carpenter

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence and Tony Moran

Rating: R

The Plot: An escaped psychotic killer terrorizes a girl and her friends.

The Review: Jamie Lee Curtis is so young! Ok, just had say that once. Hands down the creepiest use of music I’ve seen so far. It just makes you so tense. The story is simple and a little scattered but still really creepy. It has a very 70’s horror film feel to it like Carrie does and it did manage to get me jumping out of my seat a couple of times and yell and the screaming at the stupid kids. I still don’t understand how in the world that the hell Michael Meyers doesn’t die! Now most of the movie is just him being super creepy and lurking in the background, staring and in the last like half an hour everything goes down.

Watch it?

Sure, I plan on continuing with the series.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SFmmROBUto

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/?ref_=nv_sr_1

4) American Psycho (2000)

Director: Mary Harron

Starring: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, and Jared Leto

Rating: R

The Plot: A wealthy bank executive struggles to hid his psychotic, murder personality.

The Review: My friends and I had a massive headache after this one. Yes, Christian Bale was super attractive but after a while he just became flat out weird and creepy making us uncomfortable. The movie had a pretty odd story with a slightly unexpected ending that just left me mind scrambled. The cinematography was good, the acting as well, and the dialogue alternated between slightly funny, really creepy, and just plain odd but I feel that is like a description for the whole movie. For me though the best part had to be when my roommate was screaming no and ducking under a blanket when Christian Bale was going to shove a cat in an ATM machine and we realize at that moment through the whole film she wasn’t screaming like the rest of us at people being murdered but bring in the cat and she lost it. Which kind of made us all say seriously?

Watch it?

Yes, if you like mind-boggling and slightly quirky.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GIsExb5jJU

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144084/?ref_=nv_sr_5

There are some short reviews for you on some old horror films but look forward to Ender’s Game, Thor: The Dark World, and About Time.

Until next time,

Jackie

I’m Gonna Really Need You To Stop Spinning!!!

Hello Readers,

Ugh I am sick again but I have one easy in my way from a break from working. I will prevail! So I thought I’d see this one just because everyone was raving about it so my friend and I hopped a bus and here it is. Oh, and by the way Happy 5^th of November for those of you that have seen V for Vendetta and if you have I would totally recommend seeing that one.

Gravity (2013)

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: After a terrible accident a medical engineer is left drifting through space and must find a way to get back to earth.

The Review: I don’t usually watch something because everyone else says its good but there are times when my curiosity gets the best of me and I go and see one. This was one of those movies. When I first saw the trailer to this I wasn’t really interested in it. Well come on a movie on floating through space for an hour and a half, yeah not so rousing. I will admit though it was better than I though and kept my interest with a massive dose of anxiety it was not as amazing as every one had painted it really. Was it good? Yes, but it wasn’t phenomenal. What was phenomenal were the visuals. Now that was just stunning. The story is simple and was carried almost solely by Sandra Bullock, who is just awesome as always. There really is no one else in this movie except for George Clooney for like ten minutes. I will say that the use of sound in this film was interesting and well done and the dialogue was good and had just a touch of wit and humor to it. The only thing that really bothered me was the constant spinning of the camera, and actually spun so much and managed to give me a slight headache and just a bit nauseous, which is difficult cause I don’t get sick easily but all around a pretty okay movie.

Watch it?

Yeah, sure it’s good, why not.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufsrgE0BYf0

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXK1yZYsr98

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/?ref_=nv_sr_1 

Until next time,

Jackie

 

The Worst Prom in History

(Aka at least no one died at your prom aka don’t piss off the quiet girl)

Hello Internet,

Sorry my posts have been late. You see I have been watching a ton of movie but with all the essays I’ve had is hard to keep up with writing all the essays and still post about the films I’m watching so bear with me I am determined to catch up. And I know I keep saying that but I have a small break in my work coming up this week so my priority for that is time is to catch up on reviews. I had postponed this one to watch the original and now that I have done that there’s nothing else left but to review it.

1) Carrie (2013)

Director: Kimberly Peirce

Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, and Ansel Elgort

Rating: R

The Plot: A remake of the classic horror film based of Stephen King’s novel about a girl who discovers she has a power and when a prank is played on her at prom, she unleashes it.

The Review: To start off I must first say, I’m not a huge fan of horror films but when I saw the trailer to this I was actually really interested in it. Now I didn’t really now what happens in the movie, like I knew that something happens at her prom but that’s it so you can imagine how shocked I was at the movie. It’s a horrible story! Everyone is terrible except like two or three people. The movie is not scary at all for those of you who scare easily and even though the story is a horrible one, it’s rather interesting. Carrie is a sweet and innocent character that you feel so bad for because she get bullied so badly. Chloe Grace Moretz was pretty good and I found myself on more than one occasions tearing up for her and muttering not so nice pleasantries under my breath at those who bullied her, especially Chris, who I just wanted to slap across the face. I did start out disliking Sue (Gabriella Wilde) at the beginning but I grew to be okay with her when she tried to help Carrie. Now her boyfriend played by the adorable Ansel Elgort (soon to play Augustus Waters in The Fault in Our Stars, so excited!) who start out a little dull but I just fell in love with his sweetness when he take Carrie to prom (sighs). For those of you who know how the movie ends for Tommy Ross, I will say I’m not happy and it was kind of lame. The last character that really stood out was Carrie’s mother played by Julianne Moore who was not only crazy but also genuinely scares me and I must say Julianne Moore was fantastic with her crazy acting and creepy costuming. I must first mention that I went to see this movie with my lovely roommates, one who had already see the original and was laughing at my rather horrified and strong reactions. With that said, let’s move on to the visuals, which were just so great. I mean you can see some of them in the trailer but they are truly entrancing when Carrie unleashes her powers at prom. The dialogue was solid and wasn’t ridiculous like it is in some of the horror films I’ve seen. Towards the end of the movie you know exactly where it’s going and for me I’m still wishing it could have gone differently and a little happier but I know that’s impossible.

Watch it?

I’d say yes, I really enjoyed it.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks_JQO7t0kU

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONOAFL03vac

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1939659/?ref_=nv_sr_1

 

2) Carrie (1976)

Director: Brian De Palma

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, and John Travolta

Rating: R

The Plot: Based of Stephen King’s novel about a girl who discovers she has a power and when a prank is played on her at prom, she unleashes it.

The Review: I think this one was even less than a horror film then the remake. Now it does have the old horror movie feel to it with the cheesy music and sound effects and unnecessary nudity but hey it is the original so I decided to see it. This one is a little more describing and weird because Carrie’s mom is a little more physical and the relationship between Chris and her boyfriend was rather abusive too, in fact there was a lot of slapping in general in that movie. The plot is the same but the execution of the story in this one is a lot less smooth than that of the remake and the visuals of course are not as great. This one also seems to explain and develop less than the remake like why Sue has Tommy take Carrie to the prom. In this one some of the events are executed differently like the poem reading scene or the last scene of the movie but others the remake seemed to take right out of this one so they were very similar. Sissy Spacek is just phenomenal as always and I still dislike everyone besides he in this film and even Sue and Tommy were not really that nice in this one but at least they weren’t horrible. I actually found Tommy a little bit of an airhead throughout the whole movie but he was decent at the end. I think that’s all due to lack of development in character but hey it’s an old horror film. Carrie’s mom in this is less scary and just crazy and obsessive which took more of the scariness out of the film. The story was still there and interesting and it was nice to see to understand the references made in the remake such as direct dialogue and settings.

Watch it?

Yeah, sure, it’s a pretty ok film. I mean you have to watch it once in your life and I would recommend doing this one first and then the remake.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csojRxg1F2I

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074285/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Look forward to a Gravity, Ender’s Game, and a very long post on horror movies since Halloween just past.

Until next time,

Jackie

Movies in Film Class

Hello Internet,

I’m nearly caught up but I have decided to postpone my review on the recently released Carrie for a couple of days in order to watch the original version made in the 1970’s. So, to bridge that gap I did on review on three films I had to watch for class and one that was just for kicks so I’ll try to keep them short and yes this is the order I watched them in.

 

1)Monsieur Hire (1989)

Director: Patrice Leconte

Starring: Michel Blanc, Sandrine Bonnaire, Luc Thuillier, and Andre Wilms

Rating: PG-13

The Plot:  When a woman is murder by a local shop, the owner is the first suspect, who spends his time watching his beautiful neighbor.

The Review: Weird! That was my first thought when my film professor had the class watch this. Weird and creepy film in French! The main character spends his time watching his neighbor, Alice. Now of course she finds out but instead of being afraid she finds it tantalizing and befriends him in order find out how long he’s been watching her because her and her boyfriend have a dark secret. Now most of this film him staring at her and going about the same routine while he’s watching her. Now from a film students point of view I can see how this is an exemplary fill and it was interesting when it finally got past all the staring and moved on to the investigation of the murder that the film opened on. It had a shocking ending and I found myself liking how it ended but the rest still mildly weirded me out.

Watch it?

I honestly don’t know.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elNCMX8EzAM

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097904/

2)Thunderheart(1992)

Director: Michael Apted

Starring: Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard, and Graham Greene

Rating: R

The Plot:  A young mixed-blood FBI agent is sent out a reservation to investigate a murder.

The Review: I watch this for class because it the director guest lectured for our class. Yes, it was interesting and would have been so much better if I hadn’t had to write my first paper and segment the entire film scene by scene. It was stressful and exhausting but back to the movie. This movie is so 90’s! From the music to the fashion, it screams 90’s. That just made me laugh now the film is not the best film but it’s decent. The story is simple and straightforward and basically a movie of self-discovery with a little bit of action and mystery mixed with some humor in it. Acting, camerawork and dialogue are all decent but there’s really nothing else to say about this film but that it was decent. I mean graham Greene was great and funny but the romance between Val Kilmer’s character Ray and Maggie just seem like it went to fast and out of place. The end was a bit cheesy but the film had a central theme and reason, which is very typical of these kinds of film.

Watch it?

Eh, there is better Val Kilmer movies but if you want to give it a go I’d say why not?

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dfmkymTr4c

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105585/?ref_=rvi_tt

3) Charlie Barlett(2007)

Director: Jon Poll

Starring: Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Hope Davis, and Kat Dennings

Rating: R

The Plot: When Charlie is kicked out of every private school and is made to attend public school and becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist of the school.

The Review: This has officially made it into my list of movies that I absolutely love. I put this one off for a long time and to this day I have no clue why. Its just one of the small somewhat unknown independent film that just ends up being fantastic once you watch it. It’s sweet, smart and touching, just the perfect balance between serious and funny. I love Anton Yelchin, Kat Dennings and Robert Downey Jr. but al three of them together are just amazing. Anton Yelchin plays the intelligent, funny, sweet, and honest Charlie Barlett. He’s just an awkward kid trying to get though high and be liked and finally have friends. This makes you feels so bad for him and you see how abnormal life he leads that makes him act more like an adult when he just wants to be a normal. In the process of trying to be liked he makes some wrong choices but all with good intentions behind them.  His relationship with his mother is odd and gives you a sense of where he gets his charisma but also some of his problems. Kat Denning and Robert Downey Jr. play supporting roles as the principal and his daughter and are fantastic but also help to create tension in the film when Charlie begins to date the principal’s daughter. Both have some get speeches and lines that are just indicative of having well written dialogue. It’s a simple film that doesn’t have fancy cinematography or special effects but it does have depth that it mixes with some dark humor.

Watch it?

Yes, just yes.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_DVwLq0wn0

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423977/?ref_=nv_sr_2

4)Hanna(2011)

Director: Joe Wright

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, and Vicky Krieps

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: Trained as an assassin all her life, one girl sets out to kill the woman who killed her mother.

The Review: Okay, I wrote the most difficult paper of my life on this film so I don’t particularly want to discusses it anymore but per rules I established when I started writing this blog, it has to be reviewed but I’ll keep it brief. Now, I love Joe writing film their cinematography and composure using color, sound, costumes and setting like Atonement and Pride and Prejudice. Hanna was no different and I won’t lie its composure, cinematography, and sound use were stunning and worked to make the movie as though it was telling a fairytale rather then a movie about an assassin. Its delivery on information is balanced well between withhold and overloading but still leaves room to throw some surprises and twist into the story. The cast is great and does amazingly and the story is not bad.

Watch it?

Sorry for making it short but I’m tired of talking about this movie. I would still say that it’s a good one to watch though.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugireeCoYyU

Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Be1_6rqKMM

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993842/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Until next time,

Jackie

I Really Wanted It To End Differently This Time

Hello Readers,

So, I caught this one with my mom last weekend because lets face it no one I really know willingly and avidly wants to watch a Shakespeare film let allow one in Old English but I was really excited for this one. What can I say I’m weird like that and this was another small independent film the theater in my hometown got so kudos to them for bringing in the small films lately. I’m loving it!

Romeo and Juliet (2013)

Director: Carlo Carlei

Starring: Douglas Booth, Hailee Steinfeld, Paul Giamatti, Edwestwick, and Stellen Skarsgard

Rating: PG-13

The Plot: The tragic classic tale of the star-crossed lovers of Verona.

The Review: All right we all know this story; all read it in high school but I really love this story and Shakespeare for that matter. I know its clichéd now and been told so many times and in so many ways but I just love it anyway. Now I’ve seen almost every version of this story ever made into film including the Baz Luhrmann version that was till now my favorite but this film has official bumped that one down to second. They story was the closest to the play that I have ever scene, no character was omitted but some scenes were changed or if they weren’t there they were not important like the opening scene of the Capulets biting their thumbs at the Montague’s. I actually thought that the changes they made in the execution of some scenes was a good factor and made the film a fresher take on the classic tale but also filled in the temporal gaps that the play has. The dialogue stayed mostly true to the play with very, very minor changes that would only be noticed if you’ve read the play like five thousand times and memorized it like I have. The changes made the dialogue more understand able for those who are not a fan of iambic pentameter. The cast was chosen perfectly for this film, all of them, and I loved that though it is a dramatic story, none of the actors were over dramatic in executing their roles like so many others have in the past, just honest and true performance. It was done passionately but not cheesy like the 1960’s version or over the top like the Baz Luhrmann one; just two young people from two angry feuding families who fell in love fervidly and kept it a secret. One that led to their demise and in turn causes their families to see the errors of their ways.It was filmed in Verona, which made it not only cooler but more authentic since that is the city that its set in, and just made the setting of the film absolutely stunning especially when paired with the stellar cinematography and gorgeous lighting highlighting the place as well as the characters. Seriously, every scene was just magical and spectacular and almost looked lie a fairytale. The music was instrumental and perfect, most just a piano, and set it the appropriate times so it severed to really accent moments and scenes in the film.  The film was truly elaborate in all aspects but none more them the striking and detailed costumes that were both time period appropriate in style but still had a modern touch to it in its detail. All around a beautiful well done adaption and movie that really just captivated my attention so much that I actually for a second thought that hey made this time it’ll end differently and happy, but silly me sadly not.

Watch it?

Yes! I thought it was just fantastic. Oh and just as a side note the trailer to this film is one of the best I’ve seen, just really beautiful.

Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXvufMqcWQA

Clip 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af4MiwyDSL4

Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZviGeGGdqqs

Featurette: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha6QFZfRvwY

More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645131/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Phew, so close to catching up! Next up the 1970’s version and the new remake of Carrie and a review on some seen on Netflix and DVD movies. So, keep an eye out.

Until next time,

Jackie