Scream 4 (2011)

New decade, new rules.

Directed by Wes Craven

Written by Kevin Williamson

Starring Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panatierre, Rory Culkin, Nico Tortorella, Marley Shelton, Adam Brody, Anthony Anderson, Mary McDonnell

11 years after the events of Scream 3, Sidney Prescott (Campbell) returns to her hometown of Woodsboro. There, she reunites with old friends Dewey (Arquette) and Gale (Cox). Her arrival also coincides with the return of a certain Ghostfaced killer.

This has to be the most fun I've had in the theatre all year. I saw it in a theatre packed with die hard Scream fans who have been chomping at the bit for a new installment for the past 10 years. Not unlike myself. Scream 3 was both the first horror, and first R rated movie I'd seen in the theatre. The story was excellent. I loved seeing how these characters that I'd practically grown up with in the first 3 movies had grown in the past decade, and once it got scary, I was on the edge of my seat until the ending credits rolled.

And unless you've been tipped off, you will NEVER guess the identity of Ghostface. My mom, uncle and I were each whispering our guesses to each other, and once that mask came off, you could hear our jaws drop. Best reveal in the whole series.

9/10

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language, and some teen drinking.

Note to parents: There is a LOT of greusome violence in this movie. Two characters are practically gutted. Stab wounds are shown in their full bloody glory, and the whole movie is just intense. Language is frequent, considering the F bomb is Courteney Cox's favorite word in this one. I'd say it's safe for those over 17.

Not on DVD yet, but should be by August.

Black Swan (2010

Embrace your dark side.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John J. McLaughlin

Starring: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winnona Ryder

Nina's (Portman) life is consumed by ballet. Her mother (Hershey) is a former ballerina who wants to live her life through her daughter on stage. When her company's director Tomas (Cassel) casts Nina over veteran ballerina Beth (Ryder), and brings in new dancer Lilly (Kunis), Nina finds her life, and sanity unravel as she embraces both the angelic role of the White Swan, and the devilish role of the Black Swan.

This is one of the best movies I've seen all year. Natalie Portman loses herself in her role. The script is both beautiful and disturbing at the same time, and Aronofsky presents everything on screen with an artful eye. Everybody in the film played their parts awesomely. I sat down wanting to see Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis together in a movie, but honestly, I couldn't see the actors. Only their characters. This is one of the best psycho-sexual thrillers to come about since Fatal Attraction or Basic Instinct, and one I will soon never forget.

10/10

Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use.

No, this is NOT for children. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone under 18. The violence, when presented is gruesome and graphic. (In one scene a woman stabs herself repeatedly in the face with a nail file.) The sex is also up front and graphic. Especially an extended scene where 2 women make love. No nudity is involved, but you can see all that they do to each other. There is also quite a bit of foul language, and a scene involving drug use. 18+

The DVD contains a 4 part making of featurette and previews of other Fox releases. The Blu Ray (Which I hope to own one day) contains the making of and other featurettes about the costuming and interviews with the stars.

The Wedding Date (2004)

Love doesn't come cheap.

Directed by Claire Kilner

Written by Dana Fox

Starring Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney, Amy Adams

Kat's (Messing) sister (Adams) is getting married in London, and the best man in the wedding is her ex-boyfriend. In order to show the ex that she's moved on, she's hired Nick (Mulroney); a professional escort, to be her date.

While this isn't the best romantic comedy around, it certainly is entertaining. Funny, believable characters, and a charming story make this one of my new favorites. Debra Messing proves that she's more than capable of playing a character that isn't Grace, and Dermot Mulroney basically plays the same kind of character he did in My Best Friend's Wedding, only this time, he's the main love interest.

Perfect for a rainy day or just when you're in the mood to escape reality for a couple hours.

8/10

Rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue.

Not much wrong with this one. There are some sexual jokes and innuendo, and a bit of language and a glimpse of male nudity. 14+

The DVD contains a commentary by Debra Messing, a making of featurette, and a few deleted scenes.