Homecoming (2009)

A girl never forgets her first love...

Directed by: Morgan J. Freeman

Written by: Katie L. Fetting

Starring: Mischa Barton, Matt Long, Jessica Stroup, Michael Landes

Shelby (Barton) and Mike (Long) were the high school golden couple. When he dumps her to go off to college, she is so devistated that she thinks the relationship is still going on. When he brings his new girlfriend Elizabeth (Stroup) to the high school's homecoming game, Shelby devises a plan to get rid of her so she can have Mike all to herself.

This was a pretty fun little thriller. Mischa Barton (Whom I've crushed on since her Marissa Cooper days) is sublimely over the top in her role as the Kathy Bates like villian, taking sadistic glee in torturing Jessica Stroup in greusome ways. I'm drawing comparisons from the film Misery because the film is basically that one with a younger cast. Where Annie Wilkes had a sledgehammer and needle, Shelby has a syrup bottle and garden clippers. If you're a fan of the crazy bitch" genre (Fatal Attraction, Swimfan, Obsessed), then you'll love this one.

8/10

Rated R for some violence and language.

This film contains some quite graphic violence. Some of this is obscured, but there are 2 particularly greusome scenes that show the violence in full vivid light and color. One involves my biggest ick, the ankle twisting. Language is quite frequent. About 20 or so F words and numerous other swears. Shelby tries to seduce Mike by wearing nothing but a jacket and skimpy underwear. 16+

The DVD includes some deleted scenes and trailers.

Obsessed (2009)

All's fair when love is war.

Directed by Stephen Brill

Written by David Loughry

Starring Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter, Idris Elba, Jerry O'Connell, Christine Lahti

Sharon (Knowles) and Derek (Elba) are happily married with a young son. One day, Derek finds that he has a new temp assistant named Lisa (Larter). What he doesn't realize is that Lisa always gets what she wants. And what she wants now is Derek. But she won't get him without a fight from Sharon.

I LOVE this movie. Ali Larter can get her crazy on with the best of them. Her fight with Beyonce at the end (It's not a spoiler. All the ads were centered around the Larter/Knowles brawl.) is one of the most well choreographed, and at times brutal fights I've seen in a movie. I believe that this will soon be my new guilty pleasure.

8/10

Rated PG-13 for sexual material including some suggestive dialogue, some violence, and thematic content.

There are some things to worry about with this film. The fight is pretty brutal. There is some language, and quite a bit of sexual material. 15+

The DVD contians trailers for other Sony releases, and a featurette about the fight scene.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)

Life is Precious

Directed by: Lee Daniels
Written by: Geoffrey Fletcher
Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz

Precious (Sidibe) is 16, overweight, illiterate, and pregnant with her
second child by her father. Her mother (Mo'Nique) abuses and belittles
her every chance she gets. When Precious is sent to an alternative
school, she meets Ms. Rain (Patton), who teaches her that everybody is
worth something in the world, contrary to what her mother says.

This is quite possibly my new favorite movie of 2009. Very gritty,
realistic, and extremely hard to watch at times. Mo'Nique's
transformation to become Precious' mother has become one of my
favorite film performances. She earned that Oscar, and I'm glad she
won it. If you need a good cry, or just plain curious about the film
(like I was), check it out.

10/10

Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language.

This is NOT for children. The language is very
rough and graphic, Precious is abused physically, emotionally, and
sexually. This film deals with heavy subject matter such as rape,
incest, and child abuse. 18+

Commentary by the director and writer, featurettes, a
deleted scene, and the trailers for this, and other films from studio
Lionsgate.

The Blind Side (2009)

Based on the extraordinary true story.

Written and directed by John Lee Hancock

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates

Michael Oher (Aaron) is a homeless black teen in Memphis. One rainy night, he is taken in by Leigh Anne Touhy (Bullock). Little did either know they would both change each other's lives forever.

Not only is this my second favorite movie of last year, it is my favorite of Sandra Bullock's performances. When I watch it, I don't see Sandra. She becomes Leigh Anne. The same goes for the rest of the cast. I had no idea that country singer Tim McGraw played her husband until I saw his name in the ending credits. He was virtually unrecognizable in the film.

The story is wonderful, and the fact that it really happened makes it all the more better. By the ending credits each time I watched it, I was thinking about the journey each of the characters went on to become who they are now, and was in tears of happiness.

If you want a good cry one afternoon, you couldn't go wrong with this inspirational story.

10/10

Rated PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references.

This movie is perfect for the older members of the family. While it does contain some strong language, it's realistically used. The brief violence is a fist fight where one of those involved pulls a handgun. Michael's biological mother is a crack addict. I'd say about 13+

The DVD contains 4 deleted scenes and trailers for other Warner Bros releases.

Identity (2003)

Identity is a mystery. Identity is a secret. Identity is a killer.

Directed by James Mangold

Written by: Michael Cooney

Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, Jake Busey, Rebecca DeMornay

On a stretch of desert road, there is a motel. This motel becomes the meeting point for 10 strangers stranded by a rainstorm. Ed (Cusack) is a limo driver, escourting the diva TV star Caroline (DeMornay). Paris (Peet) is a prostitute running away from her former life. Rhodes (Liotta) is a cop escourting a convicted killer (Busey) to prison. They and 5 others seek shelter from the storm as one by one, they start to be mysterously, and brutally murdered.

This is one of my favorite murder mysteries. I fell in love with it in my senior year of high school and a friend of mine showed it to me. But I noticed something odd. During the final 15 minutes, he kept watching me instead of the movie. He said that he wanted to see my reaction to the twist. Now whenever I show it to them, I do the same. This is one of those OMFG, that did not just happen movies, where you will never guess the next thing that is going to happen.

I also found that even knowing what happens, the film holds up to repeat viewings. I've seen it about 7 times now, and each time, it gets a better. Everybody in it is perfectly cast. Even Amanda Peet. This is one of the few times I've enjoyed her in a film. Rebecca DeMornay is perfect in her role as a bitchy, has-been Diva who still thinks her 15 minutes haven't ended. And Clea DuVall, one of my favorite actresses, while tragically given little to do but cry and scream, still shines. Although that opinion is based on the fact that I'd watch her read a phone book for 2 hours.

If on a rainy day, you're looking for a good thriller with a great story, you should check this out.

9/10

Rated R for strong violence and language.

The film goes the Se7en route of violence. It doesn't show many of the murders themselves, but rather the aftermath. There is quite a bit of blood. And it contains frequent strong language. 15+

The DVD includes a lot of features, including making of documentaries, deleted scenes, and an extended version with 1 minute of extra footage that adds a bit to the story.

Ten Inch Hero (2007)

Stop in, grab a sandwich, fall in love.

Written by: Betsy Moris

Directed by: David McKay

Starring: Elizabeth Harnois, Danneel Harris, Jensen Ackles, Clea DuVall, Sean Patrick Flannery, Alice Krige, John Doe

At Beach City Gril in Santa Cruz, California, the employees are 4 very close friends. Piper (Harnois) is an artist with a secret who is falling for single father Noah (Flannery); Tish (Harris) is a wild child at heart who's conquests number in the high double digits; Jen (DuVall) is a shy wallflower who has found possible companionship with a mysterious online buddy; and Priestly (Ackles) is the funky haired guy who dishes advice to everyone else. These 4 friends will find love in the most unexpected ways and places.

This is my favorite movie ever. Everything about it is perfect, from the cast, to the writing. Everyone who watches this can find a character to relate to. I can't figure out a reason why it took so long for this film to get released. I've shown it to many of my friends, and they all agree that it is a whole lot better than most of the crap that is released theatrically (see my review for Armored).

The movie has the right balance of funny, sweet, and dramatic. By the end, you will have run through every one of your emotions. I watch it on rainy days, or whenever I need a happy, pick me up cry.

10/10

While the film isn't rated, I'd say it would be a strong candidate for an R. There is infrequent strong language, 2 quite graphic sex scenes with full frontal nudity, and sexual references all around. (Like a scene where Piper and Tish teach Jen about "self satisfaction") 17+

The DVD includes a featurette on the music, a making of documentary, commentary, deleted scenes that could've easily been in the film, and the trailer. You can only get it at Blockbuter, but if you want to own it, it's quite cheap.

TRAILER ALERT!!! Sex and the City 2 (2010)

Carrie On



Written and Directed by Michael Patrick King

Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis, Chris Noth

A peek into the lives of Carrie (Parker), Samantha (Cattrall), Charlotte (Davis), and Miranda (Nix0n) 2 years after the events of the first Sex and the City film.


I can not freaking wait for this movie. I have been a huge fan of SATC since 2008 when a few friends started talking about it. I then saw the trailer for the first film before Juno. I was immediately hooked. I started watching reruns on TBS and renting the DVDs. I now own all 6 seasons on DVD and am currently marathoning them in preperation for the sequel. You can bet I'll be there opening weekend.


Pros:
Retains all of the humor of the series.

Charlotte: How are you going to swallow all of those?
(Points to Samantha's handful of pills)
Samantha: Have we met?

Looks like it will have some great drama (AIDEN?!!!)
The trip to Moracco will be a great plot device.

Cons:
The use of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' song New York State of Mind. I HATE THAT SONG!


Sex and the City 2 is most likely going to be rated R and will be in theatres on May 27th.

Watch the trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5-aOpznm44

The Fourth Kind (2009)

In the end, what you believe is yours to decide.

Written and Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Will Patton, and Elias Koteas

A dramatization of events in Nome, Alaska taking place between October 1st and 9th of 2000, focusing on Dr. Abbey Tyler (Jovovich), a psychologist who believes the town's high rate of missing persons is due to alien abductions.

This film had a pretty cool way to tell the story. Instead of a straightforward dramitzation, it's actually filmed footage of Jovovich and the other actors alonside the "real" footage of the "real" people involved. The reason I put "real" in quotation marks is because Universal Pictures has come out and said outright that the movie is fiction. Simple research can prove that it was all made up, but you forget about that once you really get sucked up into the movie.

Most of what is displayed is very disturbing. There are some scenes that I had to look away from and fast forward through because they were too scary. Trust me, this one will be in my DVD collection.

7/10

Rated PG-13 for violent/disturbing images, some terror, thematic elements and brief sexuality.

Despite the PG-13 rating, I wouldn't recommend this to anybody under 16. It is very scary, and will most likely result in nightmares.

The only feature on the DVD is deleted scenes and trailers for Smokin' Aces 2 and Pirate Radio.

Armored (2009)

They have a plan to catch EVERYBODY off guard.

Directed by Nimrod Antal

Written by: James V. Simpson

Starring: Matt Dillon, Lawrence Fishbourne, Columbus Short, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich, Milo Ventimiglia

A newbie armored truck guard is coerced by the veterans on the squad into robbing the truck he's driving.

Are you fucking kidding me? Nothing in the film makes any sense, from the motive (Hey, let's just rob the truck we're driving!), to the acting (You can practically hear Fishbourne thinking "I don't need this crap. CBS is signing all my paychecks from now on!"), to the writing (Does it really take 30 minutes for a man to knock the hinges off of a truck door? In real time?). Do yourself a favor. Skip it. This is 88 minutes I wish I had back.

Really, what happened to these actors? They all used to do such strong roles in great movies. Dillon had Crash, Fishbourne was awesome as Ike Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It? I guess they all had their rent come due at the same time.

4/10

I didn't even watch any of the special features, so I can't tell what was on it.

I hope Antal does a better job at directing Predators this fall.

The Boondock Saints (1999)

Before the MacManus Brothers get to Heaven, they're gonna raise a little hell.


Written and directed by Troy Duffy
Starring: Sean Patrick Flannery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe, Billy Connolly, David Della Rocco

Fraternal twins Connor (Flannery) and Murphy MacManus (Reedus) get into a bit of a scuffle one St. Patrick's Day, which they survive on pure dumb luck. (A falling toilet gets most of the credit) This causes them to belive that they're on a mission from God to kill the whole of the Boston underground mafia. Hot on their trail is Agent Paul Smecker (Dafoe) who has his own wild theories about how everything goes down.

This is one of my favorite action movies. Everything that happens is so outrageous that you have to love it. The characters are all larger than life, and the dialogue is great. There isn't much I can say without giving it all away.

If you do watch this, you have to see the unrated director's cut. The film was meant to be released in May 1999, but was held back and had all of the violence cut out because of the Columbine attacks in April of 99. Finally, after the film had gained a sizable cult following was Troy Duffy allowed to release his true version.

A few warnings about the film: There is nonstop bad language in it. The word "fuck" is used at least 250 times. The violence in the unrated cut is substantial. Many of the death scenes are super bloody. 17+

The Unrated DVD contains bloopers, deleted scenes, the original trailer, and a printable script.

If you can, you should check this one out. It's so much fun.

10/10

Welcome!

If you know me, you know I love movies. I love action, comedy, horror, drama, and everything in between. I used to review movies over on the IMDb message boards, but my posts kept getting deleted. I figured a Blog would be the best way to get back into the game. Whenever I watch a movie either for the first time, or revisit a favorite, I'll post a review.

I hope you guys enjoy it, and stay with me for quite a while.