200+ Word Reviews: Rear Window

Rear Window

“What do you think?”

Grace Kelly In Rear Window

I think that this is by far one of the most brilliant written and directed movies of all time.

In Rear Window we meet L.B. "Jeff" Jefferies (James Stewart) a photographer confined to a wheel chair. L.B. when he's not busy wining and dining with his would be girlfriend Lisa Carol Fremont (Grace Kelly) he's busy watching/spying on his apartment dwelling neighbors. One of whom he believes has committed a murder. Hitchcock in Rear Window went and created a tiny world with in a much larger world and from the very beginning to the very end the viewer is drawn into this world and the memorable characters within it.

Other then that basic setup there's little more I can say about this movie to truly do it justice. Rear Window 5 out of 4 stars and three thumbs up a timeless classic. So if you’re a movie lover or a movie nerd and have not seen Rear Window do yourself a big favor and instead of adding it to your to see list add it to the top of your next to see list and make sure to take a look at it through a pair of binoculars or a photo camera with a ver…ok that’s a bit much just see it!

150+ Word Reviews: My Bloody Valentine 3-D

My Bloody Valentine

This was the first ever 3D movie that I ever watched. All in all it was very disappointing the story was so predictable even when it tried to throw the viewers off it failed miserably and I knew who was doing the killing the whole time I mean it wasn't hard not to for the first twenty minutes or so. The actors were all very much forgettable and the killer felt like a very very poor man's version of a cross between Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees circa the New Blood (that would be part 7 in case you were wondering).

As for the 3D while there was some decent depth to the picture in some shots all in all it didn't really feel like stuff was leaping out at me from the screen when something was thrown or point directly at the viewer. So all and all a pretty unmemorable experience for my first 3D experience but I'm sure I'll have more because 3D is all the rage again.

400+ Words Review: Year One

Year One

I had heard a lot of good things about "Year One" from my new co-workers at Blockbuster so I figured I would check it out. Well what I got was a decent movie but the really funny parts were few and far between.

In “Year One” we meet two misfit cavemen Zed (Jack Black) and Oh (Michael Cera) who end up being banished from their tribal village. For the next hour and a half they go off on an adventure set in what we are to believe is year one although I tend to doubt historical accuracy. In their adventures we get some good cameos from David Cross (His is more of a running bit throughout the movie that I enjoyed), Harold Ramis, and Oliver Platt (His cameo is pretty hysterical so I won’t ruin it). Hank Azaria has a cameo that I just didn’t find all that funny and I’ve always found him to be funny due to his many roles on The Simpsons. The kid from "Superbad" McLovin is in this and I was told he had the funniest line (I must have missed it) in the movie but it felt like he was just rehashing McLovin only set in biblical times.

Then you have Michael Cera I’m more then likely not the first person to comment on him and I’m sure I won’t be the last to comment on him. The guy needs to play a role other then the awkward whinny little emo kid that he’s played in like every movie that he’s been in but I fear that it may be to late for him at this point seeing how he’s back at it apparently in "Youth In Revolt". But in this movie aside from a couple moments his performance for me was very hard to watch because I’ve freaking seen it before. Although in a way I suppose I should be impressed that he was able to pull off the whole whiny awkward emo kid bit in what’s suppose to be year one but that would probably giving him to much credit.

So all in all "Year One" is a decent movie with a few good moments here and there and one running bit that I really enjoyed involving David Cross because I’ve always been a fan of writing that involves a running bits. The problem with "Year One" is that it just doesn’t have enough moments in it to make it be a truly memorable comedy.

500+ Word Reviews: Batman Returns

Batman Returns


It is my opinion that the first Batman of the Batman series was only half the movie that Batman Returns is. In the first Batman by Tim Burton we had only Batman and The Joker both played wonderfully by Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson.

In Batman Returns we have what I feel is the most perfectly cast Batman movie (yes even better then Dark Knight). Keaton returns as Batman and is perfect in the role never going to far overtop with the character of Batman, which is perfect in this film when it comes to the two villains that he’s up against. First you have Danny DeVito who is delightfully insane as the Penguin. Then you have Michelle Pfeiffer as Cat-Woman, who I dare to say is one of the most interesting and complex villains in the Batman movies. I feel this way about Pfeiffer because of the way she becomes the Cat-Woman she starts off as the rather pathetic mousey Selena Kyle and then truly dives into the dark side of her mind and what you get is a brilliant performance of a woman who goes from trying to be a hero to a villain and then I suppose back to a hero in the end. Also in this amazing cast you have the evil businessman Max Schreck played by the amazing and legendary Christopher Walken. While in a supporting role there’s something about this role that I love and maybe it’s the look of Schreck in the film that makes his performance all the better then it already is.

Story wise I have to say that Batman Returns has so much more going on this time around as opposed to the first Batman. Part of the reason I loved this story so much is the fact that Burton dared to go in a much more darker and twisted direction as opposed to Nicholson’s over the top antics. You have the story on the Penguin and how he tries to deceive the people of Gotham into making him the new hero and mayor of the city. Then you have Cat-Woman and her struggle to decide just who she really is and what she should do with her new persona. When it comes to Batman I feel that in this one he’s more the ring leader that holds the two stories together but of course kicking ass at the same time.

Cinematography was the film is dark and atmospheric just like the story that’s taking place within it. Gotham City never looked as good as it does on Blu-Ray and HD so if you have the chance to see it this way then by all means do because it truly adds to the overall experience of Batman Returns.

So all in I truly feel that of all the Batman movies Batman Returns believe it or not tops the Dark Knight for me because while I enjoyed that movie for Heath Ledger’s amazing performance as the Joker I felt that the movie was lacking something. Batman Returns lacks nothing, so if you want to see an amazing film with what I feel is a perfect cast then this is the Batman to light the Bat signal for.

350+ Word Reviews: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy With The Chance Of Meatballs

Well I traded in some DVDs I had only watched a few times and with the money I gained from that I went off to see Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs is the story of Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) an inventor who has yet to invent a successful invention. All this changes when his invention that goes haywire at a big event in the island town of Chew and Swallow causes it to rain any kind of food that a person could think of. This also brings weather girl Sam Sparks (Anna Farris) to Chew and Swallow to cover the raining food. We also are treated to great voice performances from the following people: James Caan as the father and voice reason to Flint, Mr. T as the town’s only policeman and Bruce Campbell in an hilarious role as the town’s mayor. As the food begins to fall the story becomes a tiny bit predictable but the writing is brilliant with lots of bits that tie up nicely by the end of the film and the ending I related to somewhat and nearly had a tear in my eye because of it.

Animation wise Cloudy is amazing and I really think it’ll help in giving it a shot to “Upset” “Up!” this year at the academy awards. I’ve read in a couple other reviews that the 3D version of Cloudy is even more amazing animation wise so if you have a theater with 3D projection defiantly check out Cloudy in 3D.

All in all I have to say I enjoyed Cloudy a lot and while I didn’t give it a full 10 out of 10 or 4 out of 4 stars on IMDB.Com and FlimCrave.com I still think that it has a really good chance to upset Pixar’s run of Academy Awards for best animated film based mainly on two simple facts: Great story with lots of brilliantly written bits and amazing animation that I look forward to watching on Blu-Ray when it’s released. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs a very filling movie appetite wise.

A few words on yesterday...

"We're willing to extend a hand if you're willing to unclench your fist."
President Barrack Obama

Only in America could a day like yesterday have happened. Yesterday we came together from all corners of the country and every far corner of the world to see history made with the inauguration of the first African American president Barrack Hussein Obama. I watched history and by the days end I truly felt that something had changed. Last year I went through a lot, I lost friends, my full time job and I went to a bad place mentally. I learned that I suffer from social anxiety depression and possibly A.D.D. or Dyslexia. Currently I’ve gotten the help needed and I’m learning to cope with it every waking day. In November with the election of Barrack Obama (an election I wish dearly now that I had voted in) that’s where things started to change for me. I saw in this man the inspiration and hope that I believe now I had been searching for deep down inside of me. Also I found the guiding voice in making a difference in the world. I believe now in Barrack Obama and that he will lead this country to take the much needed steps in the right direction. But Barrack Obama has stated many a time that he alone can only do so much. It’s up to us as a people to come together united to do our part in the rebuilding of this country. I already have begun to do my part. I volunteered my time (just like our President) on Martin Luther King Day to help AmeriCorps in renovating a homeless shelter in my town. I plan to do more volunteer work hopefully once I’m working full time again I plan to save my money to go down to New Orleans to help in the rebuilding effort down there.

So that is what has changed in me. Once again I’m excited when it comes to politics. I am ready to finally find my way in the world. I plan to do my part for I feel that I owe it now to the President who I know now I would have voted for. Yes change certainly for me has come.

Where's Kelly?

Where’s Kelly?


Norah Johnson pulled into the parking lot behind the movie theater at Mashpee Commons. She slowly got out of her gold Saturn Ion because her body hurt all over. She may have looked like she was in her 30’s but she defiantly felt 40. Plus it was getting to be that time of the month, so that wouldn’t help her at all. A light winter rain was falling as Norah made her way past Siena restaurant where she had been trying to have her husband take her for the last month and a half. Arriving at the movie theater she went inside expecting her daughter Kelly to be waiting for her in the lobby. Only Kelly was not in the lobby, the only person in the lobby that Norah saw was a young male floor staff member of the theater sweeping up the lobby. Norah checked the time on her blackberry and saw that it was 7:05. Kelly said the movie got out at 7 didn’t she? Norah though to herself. Norah approached the ticket booth where a guy and a girl in their early 20’s were chatting.
“Excuse me?” Norah asked.
“Yes ma’am?” Said the young lady.
“What time does Yes Man get out?”
“It should be getting out any moment ma’am” Informed the young lady to Norah.
“Thank you.” Norah said making her way towards the hallway where the different theaters were. Norah checked her blackberry again which read 7:08. Any minute now Norah thought trying not to get nervous. A few minutes later after the crowd from “Yes Man” had come out and Kelly was not among them Norah began to get nervous. Well Norah thought maybe she’s in the bathroom, and I hope it’s her time of the month as well as mine. Norah made her way down a hallway to the right of the theaters to the ladies room. Norah noticed the oddly the door to the ladies room was propped up as she made her way in and called out.
“Kelly it’s mom are you in here?” No answer because in her growing nervousness Norah had not noticed that the stalls were empty. Norah did not wait for the silence to finish answering because she quickly made her way out of the ladies room and back to the lobby. Norah made her way into the hallway of theaters to theater #3 where “Yes Man” had been showing. She walked in and looked around the now empty theater only that was a lie on my part because Norah found Kelly’s jacket in one of the rows of seats. Now Norah really began to worry as she franticly called Kelly on her blackberry. She got only the voicemail and left a nervous message asking Kelly “Where are you young lady!?!?” and to “Call me or meet me where you were suppose to!!!!” Picking up her daughter’s jacket Norah made her way back out to the lobby and to the ticket booth.
“Can I help you ma’am?” Asked the same young lady from earlier.
“Yes I’m trying to find my daughter.” Norah asked franticly.
“What does she look like?” Asked the same young man that had been chatting with the young lady. In her nervousness Norah had not even noticed him standing off to the side, but no one ever seemed to noticed him is what he thought at times.
“She’s tall, slender, with brown hair in kind of a butch hair cut and glasses.” Norah said quickly but at the same time noticing a certain kind of shyness in this tall young man with brown hair and thick black rim glasses.
“No Ma’am I’m sorry I haven’t seen her, have you Heather?”
“No I haven’t either.” Heather said with a look of concern on her face.
“I found her jacket in the theater, would you mind if I checked the other theaters for her? I tried calling her but her phone is off.” Norah asked the nervousness really showing in her voice.
“Sure I can have one of the staff escort you with a flashlight. Hey Jack can you go with this nice lady, she’s trying to find her daughter.” Heather called to a young brown haired teenager in the concession area of the lobby.
“Sure.” Said Jack picking up a flashlight from behind the concession counter and making his way out to the lobby to help the lady check for her daughter.
“Well that’s kind odd don’t you think Justin?” Heather asked after the lady and Jack had gone down the hallway.
“Yeah very strange indeed.” Justin said.
About ten minutes later Jack and Norah after having no luck in the other theaters came back out to the lobby.
“I just can’t believe this, this is not like her at all!” Norah said almost yelling now. It was clear to Heather and Justin that this lady was very upset, but being the manager Heather was the one to handle it as she made her way from the ticket booth she said the following.
“Ma’am if you like I could call security to look for your daughter?” Only it would not be necessary because the door to the theater opened and Justin looked up and saw a girl with glasses and brown hair in a butch hair cut.
It was Kelly.
“Kelly!” Norah yelled making her way over to her daughter angry but at the same time somewhat relieved.
“Hi mom…” Was all Kelly could get out.
“Don’t hi me young lady you never leave the theater! Now where were you?” Norah said in a stern angry voice as Justin thought oh boy this lady is going to cause a scene. But Norah handed Kelly her jacket and took her by the arm leading her out of the theater.

Kelly would make up a story claiming that she was outside of the theater because she was on the phone and didn’t want to disturb the other people in the theater. The truth though is that Kelly is a lesbian and was meeting her girlfriend Filly on a secret rendezvous because Kelly has learned the truth that Norah and her husband Joe are homophobes. They believed that Prop 8 was a good thing to vote for and they would be ashamed if their child was gay.