Elizabeth: The Golden Age

I didn't see Elizabeth when it came out. I really wasn't interested in it and wasn't a yet a fan of Cate Blanchet. And I probably wouldn't have worried about seeing Elizabeth: The Golden Age if it weren't for my boyfriend. He's a big history buff and really wanted to see it. We did watch Elizabeth and it was pretty good.

At times Elizabeth: The Golden Age was a bit hard to follow. There was a lot going on in that time and so there were a lot of subplots going on that did all feed into the main plot. It's just at times it was difficult to figure out what was going on the first time or two they would go to one of those subplots. If you can keep up with it it's a good movie. Definitely don't see it if you are having trouble staying focused on things that day.

The acting was all very good. I could see Cate again getting nominated for the role but, I don't feel it has Oscar winning potential. There are definitely some things coming up that could challenge this movie and possibly even knock her out of the nominations. I think any real potential for wins here will come in the form of costuming and set design stuff.

I'm glad that both movies were directed by the same person so they had the same feel. Everything as far as movements and visuals lined up perfectly. That was really important because that was one of the things that really made Elizabeth work. Although there was one point in the movie that I didn't care for the directing. That isn't too much of a surprise though because I have a lot of issues with slow motion sequences in movies. They are always used with the intent of enhancing the drama and usually just result in killing it and that's exactly what resulted here.

I saw a matinee showing and that was the perfect price for me. I'm not entirely sure what it was but, I just don't think I'd have been too happy paying full price for it. One other thing about it. The next time someone tells you women aren't fit to lead a country. Tell them to watch both Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

3:10 To Yuma

I'm not a big fan of westerns in general but, this one looked pretty good. And since Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are two of my favorite actors I was interested in seeing it.

It was a lot better than I thought it would be. Another movie with a villian who isn't quite the villian you'd expect him to be.

The performances were all very good. And while it was a small role I'm always happy when Gretchen Mol can get work. The supporting performances were right on par with the lead performances. Which was very important. With two leads that can easily control a movie and run circles around the supporting actors the movie would have been awful if those actors hadn't been able to hold their ground.

The directing wasn't the greatest in a couple places. Overall it was very good. There were just a couple spots that they really shouldn't have gone for the shots they went for. There are just somethings you can't do with horses it ends up looking bad and amatuerish.

Unfortunately part of the ending was very transparent.

Went to a matinee and it was very much worth it. I would not have been upset having paid full price for it.

The Brave One

Admittedly I'm a litte behind again but, I thought I was going to see this a second time right away so I was waiting to post a review until then. That hasn't happened so I'll go ahead and post now.

Overall the movie was pretty good. It was rather thought provoking. It wasn't as intense or suspenseful as I was expecting. I did feel it was let down by the directing at times.

As always Jodie was very good. It was a very interesting role and as seems to be her pattern of late there were some things that awhile back you would have never thought you'd see her do. Of course there was a time when the critics would have all out attacked her for one of the scenes in the movie because for some reason they didn't want her doing them.

I was a bit disappointed by Terrance Howard. It's not that there was a lot in the way of range for his character but, I just felt that his performance was very bland. Very cookie cutter for that type of character.

The arc of Jodie's character was rather interesting and again thought provoking. It takes a special actor to play a character like that and make you feel anything for the character other than disgust.

I don't know that this is a movie for everyone out there. What I do know is that people are going to take very different things from it. I don't think it's a love it or hate it movie. It's a very grey area movie. Two people could go to it and enjoy it but, they'd like it for different reasons. The same goes for not liking it. I think people are going to have vastly different opinions on the story and the character and the good or evil of it.

Do to scheduling issues I saw it at a mattinee and it was worth it. I would have been plenty happy to see it for full price.

Stardust

Stardust is not a movie that would normally appeal to me. I'm not much on fantasy or sci-fi stuff. However, the cast of this movie really caught my attention and the story seemed rather interesting. And I was not at all disappointed and my expectations for the movie were greatly exceeded. This is hands down the best movie I've seen so far this year.

Everything about it was top notch. The acting, the directing, the story, and the effects were all fantastic. I know the chances are slim but, honestly I think a huge number of Oscar nominations should come from this movie.

It's probably a shoe in for things like visual effects and costuming but, it deserves big time nominations.

This was the first movie in a long time that really let Claire Danes show her huge rage. I'd love to see her get nominated for this. Michelle Pfiefer was amazing as the wicked witch and a supporting nominations should not be out of the realm of possibilities.

The directing and screenplay were phenomenal and should get some awards of some kind. And at the very least they should get nominations.

The main reason I don't usually like movies like this is that they over do the effects. They use way too much digital stuff and it takes away from the movie and the story rather than enhancing it. That was not at all the case with Stardust. All the effects only served to improve the story.

I especially loved the ending. It was one of the best parts of the movie.

I'm going to skip the spoiler section of this review so no one is tempted to read it.

I paid full price and would pay full price to see it again. I recommend it to anyone at full price. Regardless of if you pay full price or a discounted price of some kind do try to see it in theaters to experience the full scope of the film.

I Know Who Killed Me

It's been a while since I posted and I return with my review of Lindsay Lohan's latest movie.

The story was very interesting and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately the directing really let the story down. The story also could have been a little tighter and some areas could have used a little more explaining.

Lindsay gave a terrific performance as always. She did everything she could to really make the whole thing work and it was a great step further away from the teenage fair that made her famous. The directing let her down as well. A better director really good have used her overall ability to enhance the story but, that didn't happen here.

The supporting cast was a bit of a disappointment. It's like they decided that since they weren't in it very much they didn't really have to try very hard. That or once they started filming they realized the movie wasn't going to turn out the way they expected so they just phoned it in.


Spoiler Alert:


One of the things that really hurt the overall story was the way they dealt with Lindsay's character getting her prostetic limbs. She was in the hospital for a few days then one day a guy comes in gives her the prostetics takes her down to the rehabe room and she is instantly a master with them and experiences no pain while walking on her fake leg. She then gets to go home from the hospital that day and everything is fine. That's not at all how it works. It takes quite a bit of time to get the hang of prostectic limbs. They could have easily used some dialogue or super imposed a time lapse on to the screen in the next scene to say some time had gone by rather than just rush it like that.

The ending was also a little rushed and I don't know if a lot of people picked up on exactly what the connection was between the victims. There was no reason to kill Lindsay's characters father. And the confrontation between her and the killer could have been a little more climatic.


I did pay full price to see this movie and it was actually worth it to me. Despite the story issues I still found it to be a pretty decent movie. But, I'd recommend just seeing it on video or even waiting until it was on a cable movie channel.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I didn't see any of the other Harry Potter movies in theaters but, I did watch them all on dvd recently on account of my boyfriend being very into them. They were pretty good. I have to say each individual story was quite good and the over all story running through them was very good and very strong. I liked how they depicted a regular school life for Harry and his friends along with the main story and obstical for that movie.

That being said Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix did not live up to the previous four movies. I understand that it was an extremely long book so there was a lot that had to be cut out but, in all honesty they cut out the stuff that made the movies so good. This one was way to focused on the big bad for this story. There wasn't enough of the everyday stuff that was in the earlier movies and that really made it drag.

The thing is because the core audience here is viewed to be a younger audience they were clearly trying to keep it as short as possible. However, the kids that read these books and watch these movies soak it up they would sit through a slightly longer movie. As long as they get more Harry they are staying glued to the screen.

Aside from that everything else about the movie was good. The actors held up their end of the deal just like they have each time. And the special effects where very good. One thing I really like about the effects in the Harry Potter movies is they don't push them too far and they don't use them in places that they don't need to. A lot of movies the effects look hokey even in other movies of this type that can be the case. That is not the case with these movies which makes them easier for me to watch. Generally I avoid movies like this just because I don't like the effects.

For this being my first Harry Potter theater experience it was decent. I paid full price and it wasn't a complete waste. I would have prefered matinee price but that would have meant dealing with all the little kids so I'm fine with full price. It's definitely worth full price if your a big Potter fan.

Loving Annabelle

Loving Annabelle is a movie that covers a lot of controversial territory. Not only is it about a teacher and student falling for each other but, it happens to be a female student and female teacher at a private all girl Catholic school.

It is the student (Annabelle) who pursues the teacher. I found it interesting how the teacher did several things to try and avoid situations that put them together. Yet at the sametime I think she did other things not because she necessarily was looking for something to happen between them but, because she was hoping to get Annabelle to stop being so rebelious.

The story was very strong and well written. The movie itself was put together very well. For an indie film with a very short shooting schedule it had very high production value. The one thing that really hurt the film was it's ending. Or lack there of. It needed a stronger more real ending. And there was plenty of room time wise for it because it was only 77 minutes long.

Some answers as to the shortness of the movie were given in the commentary track. Commentary that I was very disappointed in since the director barely let Ering Kelly (Annabelle) speak. And for the most part all the director could do was complain about not having enough time or money to do the things she wanted. I finally stopped listening to it because every scene I was really interested in hearing about was just more whining.

But that really had nothing to do with the movie. It was good and I would have liked getting to see it on the big screen. Thanks to the not so great ending though it would have only been worth matinee price at best.

Come Early Morning

It hasn't been my normal practice to blog about stuff I watch on video. However, due to recent life developments and the fact that things still don't always come to a theater that I can easily get to I have decided to change this.

Last year there was a lot of buzz about Come Early Morning. As a big Ashley Judd fan I was very interested in the movie. My interest in it was also peaked by it being written and directed by Joey Lauren Adams. Unfortunately the movie either went straight to dvd or it just got a really limited release.

Thanks to netflix I was able to finally see it. Normally I'm not much on the whole average life kind of movie. I just don't get into watching a person go through day to day life. However, this movie was really well written and had a really good story. There were a couple parts of the story that could have used a little more development because they just kinda left you wondering what was going on. And it would have given a little more depth to Ashley's story.

It was one of Ashley's strongest performances in a long time. I've never been disappointed in her but, it's nice seeing her get back to where she started. For those of you who aren't familiar she got her start in a small little film called Ruby In Paradise. She really is more than just a pretty face. And movies like Come Early Morning and Ruby In Paradise really show that.

I was very impressed with Joey Lauren Adam's writing and directing skills. I hope she continues to do more of both.

I definitely recommend seeing this movie. I would not have felt jipped if I had paid full price to see it.

Evening

To me the female cast alone is worth seeing Evening. I always find it interesting how little Claire Danes seems to work. I don't know if that's a personal choice or if Hollywood has for some reason forgotten about her. What I do know is anytime she is in a movie I look forward to it and when she gets to be in a movie with a cast like this one it is even more worth it. Considering the fact that both Claire and Meryl Streep were in The Hours and Evening was written by the author of The Hours that was even more reason to see the movie. Not to mention the story looked and sounded really good.

The movie wasn't quite what I expected it to be. It was a good movie it just wasn't quite as moving as it could have been. The story also wasn't told the way it seemed like it would be. Also unfortunately Michael Cunningham makes a better novelist than a screenwriter. The movement of the story through the dialogue just wasn't what it should be for a movie. One scene I did find interesting was the one with Meryl and Vanessa. It was very much like the scene between Meryl and Claire in The Hours.

All of the performances were very good. Mamie Gummer who played Lila was very good. It wasn't until The Hours that I truly started to like Meryl. As my friend Liz Taylor's House and I later figured out it was because I never felt an emotional connection to Meryl. I must say that Mamie (who it turns out is Meryl's daughter) does not suffer that same problem. I was very much involved in her performance. Should she choose to continue in the industry I believe she could have a career very similar to her mothers. Although in this day and age it probably won't come with as many Oscar nominations as Meryl's.

I do wish that Natasha Richardson and Toni Collette had played opposite roles. I'm not a big Toni Collette fan and I would have prefered to see more of Natasha than Toni.

It'll be very interesting to see what if any awards nominations come from this movie.

Potential Spoilers Ahead:

From the previews and what I read I thought that it was about Vanessa telling this story of a weekend that changed her life to her daughters as she was dying. That isn't how it was. In fact Vanessa, Natasha, and Toni were rarely in the same scene. Instead it was that Vanessa was dreaming about that weekend as she laid dying. I didn't really care for that version of the story. There was really no need for Natasha and Toni to be in the story for the most part.

I did enjoy the story but they left out some very crucial information that I feel may have been better worked into the story had she been telling it to her daughters. I was left wondering why Ann and Harris didn't end up together. Was the tradgedy of Buddy's death just too much for them to deal with? Or did they just return to their normal lives thinking they would see each other again and then got so wrapped up in those lives they didn't see each other again?

Also when Lila comes to Ann's death bed I was left wondering how long it had been since they had seen or spoken too each other. I didn't know if they had drifted apart after Buddy's death. If perhaps Lila blamed Ann and Harris for his death or what. I found this a very odd question to leave hanging.

I also really didn't care for the side story involving Toni's character and her trying to come to terms with being pregnant. It felt very forced. As if they decided they didn't have enough story with just the story of Lila's wedding weekend. When in fact that was plenty of story and they could have fleshed it out and answered those lingering questions if they hadn't wasted so much time with the part of the story that took place in the present.

I paid full price for this movie and it was very much worth it for me. I feel most people would prefer it at matinee price though. I don't know if this will make since to a lot of people but, it really is more of a matinee movie overall.

A Mighty Heart

I didn't really have any expectations for A Mighty Heart. There's not really a lot you can expect from a movie like this since you don't know going in just how much information the film makers had access too. I was very pleased with the movie. It wasn't a sappy mess and it wasn't an indictment on our government or the Pakistani government. It really seemed to just be an honest picture of what everyone went through to hopefully find Daniel Pearl alive.

Angelina gave a great performance and the Oscar talk is completely warranted. Her portrayal of a woman who found more courage and strength in that horrible time than most of the world can find on a daily basis was moving. I don't think any one would have faulted her if for her's and her unborn child's health she had left Pakistan before learning of Daniel's fate yet she stayed there never giving up hope even for a minute. The scene when she found out that her husband had been killed was a monsterous gut punch. I always find those scenes to be the most telling of a performance and a story. It's not like the viewer doesn't know how the story ends. I think all American's felt the heartbreak of learning Daniel Pearl had been killed. So for the scene's in which that information in the movie is learned to have that impact shows how strong the movie is.

The only thing I didn't like about the movie were the few scenes that flashed back to random days in Daniel and Marianne's relationship. They did a perfectly good job of showing how in love they were and how strong their relationship was without those weird flashbacks that really just slowed the movie down a bit. Other than that the story and the movie were executed very well. The thing I liked best was learning just how much both countries worked together in an attempt to save Daniel.

I saw the movie for full price and it was definitely worth it for me. I recommend the movie and think most people would not consider it a waste at full price.

Bug

Memorial Day weekend I went to see the new Ashley Judd movie Bug. What a crazy ass movie. It was good but, man it was even more trippy than I thought it was going to be. None of the story turned out the way I thought it would which was a good thing. It wasn't your standard formula for any genre of movie especially horror.

Ashley was fantastica as always. There were times when the material was a little flat but, she made the best of it. And she had one of the biggest most complicated monologues I have ever heard. And it wasn't just complicated because of how long it was it also had to be delivered in this rambling, fast, way as her character put the pieces together. Or put what she thought were the pieces together. It was really quite extrodanairy that she did such a great job with it.

The other actors were good but it was mostly just her and Michael Shannon locked in a hotel room. A couple other characters stopped by a few times but, that was it. They did their part and where all good. Michael held up his end of the bargin very well and thus the movie turned out very good.

Overall I really enjoyed the movie and it was worth full price. However, because it is so different and out there I don't think it is a movie for everyone. Most people would probably enjoy it on video.

Georgia Rule

Yes, I know it's been awhile but, I'm back again (now that I'm settled in my new place) and I've got lots of posts to do tonight. First up is my review of Georgia Rule.

Fronted by a powerhouse female cast there was no way I wasn't seeing this movie in theaters. And I am 100% glad I didn't get sidetracked and miss it. It was the best movie I've seen in the last few months and reminded me why I love to go to movies. The movies I've seen lately (and didn't get around to blogging about) had been disappointing for the most part. This movie was not disappointing and actually was better than I could have hoped for.

The movie was advertised as a comedy and it was rather funny but, it actually dealt with very serious subject matter and was very much a drama. Sadly director Gary Marshall didn't do the best job of blending the two genres together. Instead of having dramatic seens laced with a little bit of comedy it was more comedic scene, dramatic scene, couple of comedic scenes, dramatic scene, and so on. While it didn't destroy the movie it did keep it from being an even better film than it was.

As for the acting it was all very good. I was mainly seeing it because of Jane Fonda and Lindsay Lohan. If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I am not a big fan of Felicity Huffman and honestly I was not looking forward to her being in this movie. When I originally heard about the movie I wished they had cast someone else. But, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked her in this movie. Maybe it was because it wasn't over hyped and praised like many of her other roles of late so I didn't spend the whole movie asking myself what performance everyone else was seeing that I wasn't. She gave a very compentent performance. Unfortunately I do think there are somethings that could have made the performance even stronger but, she just isn't capable of them. I've never found her to be particuarly expressive in the face and eyes which I think hurt this character a bit.

Jane Fonda was great. Kind of wished she'd have been in it a little more. I also kept hoping for some big huge blow out argument between her and either of the other female leads. I really liked her character. It wasn't a character that I would normally like, being so strict and seemingly unloving. However, there was something about the way she played it that instantly made you like her. Perhaps it was the bit of comedy that was laced into the dialogue and the directing that made the character a bit more likeable. A testament to her acting ability.

And yet again Lindsay showed just how good she is. I don't care what people think of her private life when the girl steps in front of a camera she's a total professional and delivers every time. I have yet to see her phone it in, even for a second. She proved again that she can hold her own against anyone in the business and trust me that is not easy. All to often I go to movies and can see the intimidation in an actor or actress when they are working opposite an award winning (or just nominated) veteran but, not this girl. She's one of the few that really believes she belongs on screen with anyone and she isn't going to let them steal a scene or a movie out from under her.

I liked seeing Cary Elwes in this movie. I always like seeing him get work as I've been a big fan since The Princess Bride. Although seeing him did emphasize the double standard when it comes to weight in Hollywood. He has put on quite a bit of weight in recent years. If a woman did that the press would have a field day with her and she'd never work again until she lost the weight. Yet there's Cary all fattened up getting to play the succesful lawyer with his pretty, thin wife. Sure the character was a big creep but, that's not the point.

Spoilers Ahead:


As previously stated the movie dealt with some very serious subject matter and was much more of a drama than a comedy. Those two subject matters were incest and alcholism. It was much more about the incest though and I felt it did a very good job of showing how it can be very hard to tell whose telling the truth in these situations.

As much as I believed Rachel (Lindsay Lohan) when she said her stepfather molested her I also at times found myself wondering if it was true. Of course her character kept going back and forth on it but, that is often how people are at times when the truth comes out. They'd rather be seen as a liar than have people know the truth and the shame they carry even though it isn't their fault.

I really liked the impact they showed it to have on Rachel. It was different than how movies usually have characters turn out after being molested. Often they are portrayed as angry and/or introverted. Rachel on the other hand was very extroverted and an almost compulsive liar. Interesting twist was that she was very aware of her lies and admitted to doing it. She was also very sexual (as can happen to such victims) but, it was different with this character. There were times when I wondered if she was as sexual as she wanted people to believe she was or if she just portrayed herself as such to keep people away and protect herself. She definitely used her sexual presence to stay in control.

One scene I found very telling was the scene in the boat with Harlan. She was practically holding a sign up that said "screw me" with her actions but, when he touched her leg she clamped her legs shut and became the physical aggressor in the situation. Very telling of her need for control.

It was interesting to see the different reactions from Georgia (Jane Fonda) and Lilly (Felicity Huffman). Georgia looked at Rachel and basically said I'll know if you're lying or not. While Lilly came to comfront her daughter and find out why she was lying but, you just knew that deep down she knew it was true. That she was desperately hoping it was a lie. Her internal struggle was a very real portrayal of what someone in her situation would go through.



I really liked the movie and it was worth full price to me. If you go in looking for a nice drama it might be worth full price. Mostly it's probably a good discount theater or video movie. Matinee price is probably okay but, the subject matter may be a little to heavy for most people to do a matinee. It could kind of kill the rest of your day.

Rather Behind

I have not been doing such a great job of keeping up with this blog. Probably shouldn't have said I'd be doing a better job of keeping up with it just as I was getting ready to move across the country. Hopefully I will do be able to do a post the next time I go to the movie.

Where Did The Princess Go

I haven't done a post about anything I picked up at the video store. I'm bored at the moment and figured what the hell. This particular gem I actually saw like a year ago. (Side note I liked it so much I now own it.)

The movie I'm talking about is called Havoc and stars Anne Hathaway in a role that goes opposite everything she's ever done. It's an amazing performance that really did leave me asking, where did the princess go? That is a good thing to be asking though. Don't get me wrong I love The Princess Diaries and it's sequel, The Devil Wears Prada was fantastic, and Anne was good in Brokeback Mountain however I've been waiting for that one role that would really stand out. The one that would show there was more there than another pretty romantic comedy lead. The one that says she can lead a dramatic cast, and I certainly found it.

This is not an easy movie to stomach at times. It's one of those movies that makes me ask how people become so disconnected with the world around them. It's interesting how in The Princess Diaries Anne plays an outsider character looking to fit in and belong. In Havoc she plays a character who fits in, in everyway and is looking to be part of the outsider world to an extreme degree.

If you're a real fan and you're looking to see what Anne is really capable off check out Havoc. If you're on the fence about her talent then check it out too. Just remember this is not a fun family film. It's a heavy drama that features sex, drugs, and alcohol among other things.

Notes On A Scandal

My boyfriend and I went on a date last night and he let me pick the movie. Since Notes on a Scandal went wide and both Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett had just received Oscar nominations I had to pick it.

It was rather interesting. It's definitely not for everyone. I enjoyed the story. It's odd to not be completely repulsed by Cate's character I mean she was having and affair with a 15 year old boy. The loneliness of Judi's character is extremely heartbreaking. I still don't know how I feel about her character. Their performances were very good and deserving of nominations. If I were voting I'm not positive I would have nominated Judi but, I'm not opposed to her having gotten the nomination. Cate completely deserved her nomination. Academy voters do love a good tantrum by a woman so she has a good shot at the win.

This is one of those dramas that I always have trouble talking about. You really just have to see it.

Saw it for full price and it was worth it however, I think most people would be more satisfied having only paid matinee price for it.

The Hitcher

January is always such and interesting time for movies. It is a dumping ground for a lot of bad stuff especially horror. Which is pretty much what I thought this was. But, as a big Sophia Bush fan I wanted to see this movie and the previews actually looked quite good. (I have never seen the original.)

I must say the previews did not overdue it. The movie was really good. It was very well put together. Very few of those cheesy horror movie moments where you just want to smack the heroes. And there was only one gory moment which was a nice change from most horror films of late. It did scare me a couple times so that was good too.

The whole cast was great. I was extremely impressed with Sean Bean's ability to play the villian without overplaying it. He never once went into that place where you want to laugh at the bad guy for being hokey. And my number one reason for seeing this movie did not disappoint. Sophia Bush again was great. She was a strong kickass heroine. Best of all was that she wasn't strong and kick ass at first. She wasn't weak and annoying either. She was scared and just wanting to get out of the situation and she had a very defined point of no return when she was ready to do whatever she had to, to save her own life. That is not something you see a lot of lately either.

One of the problems with horror films of late as been the undifined heroine. They like to get away from one or two strong females and instead go with a whole bunch of them. Never really making one of them the strong lead rather just picking them off one by one until there's only one left who seems to have survived by luck rather than fight. I was really glad that was not the case with this movie.

I actually went to a matinee of this but, it would have been worth full price.

Freedom Writers

Yes to some this movie might look like a knock off of Dangerous Minds however, it really isn't. First it is a true story and second this story is actually quite different than the one that inspired Dangerous Minds. The lead characters are very different and came to the teaching profession in quite different ways. So if you do see this movie go in with an open mind.

Freedom Writers is a fantastic movie. It is very moving and inspirational. It also makes you want to scream at how awful our education system can be. Yes there are some bad examples of teachers in this movie. Yet, I know teachers aren't made that way they become that way thanks to a broken system. A lot of people go in with such high hopes of helping kids but, without the proper tools they can't and eventually they become jaded and either leave the profession or stay and just babysit rather than teach. This movie gives you hope that maybe there are more people out there that can find away to reach the kids.

I am always interested in anything Hilary Swank does and she again gives a top notch performance. (And you can not call yourself a true Hilary Swank fan if you don't know what movie she says, "Get out of my facial in.") The actors who make up her class are quite amazing as well.

The only real downside to this movie is that it has three places where it feels like it's the end of the movie. This kills the pacing and makes the movie drag a bit. Other than that it is a great movie and well worth the full price I paid to see it.

Black Christmas

On New Year's Day my good buddy Liz Taylor's House and I saw Black Christmas. It is a bit of a tradition for us that when we get together during the end of the year holiday season we see a horror film. We're just crazy like that.

I really wasn't expecting much from this movie since it was a remake and Liz Taylor's House said the original wasn't that great. However, we both agreed that this movie was actually quite good. We both jumped a couple times. It was put together well with the right amount of humor mixed in with the scares. Horror movies these days do have a tendancy to leave out the humor, this is always a mistake. That humor relaxes the audience and enhances the scares. And those who don't laugh at horror films are boring.

I was not that familiar with most of the cast but, they were all decent. However, I felt Oliver Hudson totally sucked. Talk about phoning it in. He never should have taken this role. Loved Lacey Chabert as always and as a huge fan of Mean Girls I absolutely loved her plastic moment. She also had probably the best one-liner of the whole movie.

Unfortunately it did have a not so great ending. They drug it out so they could do the whole leaving it open for a sequel thing. Not good at all with this one and unfortunately I just know we will probablly be getting a straight to dvd sequel in the next year. (Does anyone else remember when it was straight to video rather than straight to dvd?)

Paid full price for this movie and it was totally 100% worth the money. If you're lucky and it is still playing at a theater near you, you should check it out. If not be sure to pick it up on dvd.

A New Year

It's a new year and I'm starting fresh with a new layout as you can see. I hope you like it.

I slacked off a bit towards the end of the year. As you can tell there were no entries about the new television season. My goal is to be better all around and be more consistant with my posting.