Blue Valentine

I didn't know really what to expect with Blue Valentine. I heard some wonderful things about the performances but wasn't sure if the movie itself was going to be any good. Was it going to be just a performance film or was it going to be something more.

It was something more.

A modern version of Revolutionary Road that will probably speak more to my generation than the Sam Mendes film which happens to be a very good movie also anchored by two great performances. Blue Valentine is a film that grips you emotionally right from the beginning. The movie is skillfully told by director Derek Cianfrance who handles the material just right to get the perfect balance that is mesmerizing but also devastating. The movie is so real you forget that it's just a movie. It has a feeling of something more.

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams own this movie from beginning to end. While the film is expertly crafted, it's the two actors that bring the heart to the film. These actors reminded me of early 70's films that feature Pacino, Hoffman, Duvall and De Niro. Watching those films you get these unbelievable fearless performances that are raw and real. Gosling and Williams have the same fearlessness and it brings this film to a whole new level.

This film stuck with me for a few days and it's not always the most pleasant thing to watch but it's hard to take your eyes off the screen.

Here's a good way to explain Blue Valentine - Krista and I went out to a nice dinner, had a bottle of wine and then we went to the movies telling jokes and having a nice date night. After the movie, we didn't really speak to each other and we ended up fighting later on. So, not a date movie but a good one.

National Film Registry inducts new films!

Every year the NFR adds 25 films to it's national archives...here is the list of the new films inducted!

1) AIRPLANE! (1980)

2) ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)

3) BARGAIN, THE (1914)

4) CRY OF JAZZ (1959)

5) ELECTRONIC LABYRINTH: THX 1138 4EB (1967)

6) EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, THE (1980)

7) EXORCIST, THE (1973)

8) FRONT PAGE, THE (1931)

9) GREY GARDENS (1976)

10) I AM JOAQUIN (1969)

11) IT'S A GIFT (1934)

12) LET THERE BE LIGHT (1946)

13) LONESOME (1928)

14) MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW (1937)

15) MALCOLM X (1992)

16) MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER (1971)

17) NEWARK ATHLETE (1891)

18) OUR LADY OF THE SPHERE (1969)

19) THE PINK PANTHER (1964)

20) PRESERVATION OF THE SIGN LANGUAGE (1913)

21) SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977)

22) STUDY OF A RIVER (1996)

23) TARANTELLA (1940)

24) TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, A (1945)

25) TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET, A (1906)

Movies Of The Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: Night of the Hunter

Foreign Film Of The Week: Le Samourai

Unheard Film Of The Week: Four Lions

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: True Grit

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: The American

Chick Flick Reviews!

Easy A - is one of the smartest high school comedies to come out in years. It's Mean Girl's meets Superbad meets A John Hughes Movie. Emma Stone is a star and Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci steal the movie. While it sometimes falls into traps the movie is so quick-witted and sharp that it never falls behind. I didn't think i was going to enjoy this one and ended up having a good time.

Love and Other Drugs - It starts off as a fresh adult romantic comedy that hollywood hasn't seen since the mid 90's but it falters with it's many subplots and it's rushed ending. It wants to be taken more seriously but it can never find the right tone. The movie is enjoyable though for the most part with really good performances from the two leads. Anne Hathaway (not her biggest fan) is excellent. It's worth a rental

Rabbit Hole (Not really a chick flick but whatever) - A very good adaptation of one of my favorite plays of all time. Nicole Kidman is fantastic, proving that she is super talented. John Cameron Mitchell expertly handles the story with crisp but subtle direction. The story never wallows in it's subject matter which makes the film very effective at the end. One of the best of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Best Unheard Movies of 2010

Check out these films that slipped under the radar.

1. Frozen

2. The Ghost Writer*

3. Greenberg

4. Mother

5. Exit Through The Gift Shop*

6. Get Low*

7. MicMacs

8. Holy Rollers

9. Vincere

10. Please Give

11. Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work

12. Winter's Bone*

13. I love you Phillip Morris

14. Restrepo

15. Never Let Me Go*

16. Four Lions

17. The Wildest Dream

18. Farewell

19. Another Year*

20. Tiny Furniture

21.Animal Kingdom*

* In my top twenty

Worst Films of 2010

2010 wasn't the best year for film. Alot of mediocre were released but these are the top ten films that i thought were disappointing, forgettable or just plain bad.

10. Shutter Island - The Biggest Disappointment of the Year. Scorsese is obviously a master but this film is predictable and about 30 minutes too long.
10. Cop Out - Kevin Smith should stick to just writing. This film could of worked but a sloppy script and poor direction made this one a disappointment
9.Prince Of Persia - Just plain Boring.
8.Predators - One of the worst scripts of the year.
7.Clash of The Titans - One of the most forgettable films of the year.
6. Robin Hood - Should of been called Gladiator 2: This time with Bow and Arrows!
5. Repo Men - A Interesting Idea. A very bad movie
4.Alice In Wonderland - A huge Tim Burton Fail
3. The Tempest - A Huge Taymor Fail.
2. Film Socialisme - Just because It's Jean-Luc Godard doesn't mean it's a good movie. This film is clips of random shots and loud music.
1. DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS - Painful. Just Painful. Love the people involved but i wanted to kill my self during this one.

Movies Of The Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: The Big Country

Foreign Film Of The Week: Let The Right One In

Unheard Film Of The Week: Frozen

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: The Social Network

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: Iron Man 2

Transformers 3

The title of the the new film is called Transformers: The Dark Of The Moon.

Better be better than the 2nd film!

True Grit!

This film looks incredible. Roger Deakins is a genius....

Please check this trailer out!

TRAILER 1

Know check this

TRAILER 2

can't wait!.

Reviews Coming

The Social Network and Another Year (Mike Leigh's New Film) reviews are coming...but i will say

The Social Network is one of the best film's of the year and Another Year is also pretty great. Been a decent couple weeks for film which is good cause the summer sucked!

Reviews!

Let Me In - "Let the Right One In" was not only one of the best vampire films of all time, it was one of the best of 2008 and was one of the coldest, atmospheric films to come out in a very long time. Of course because it was a Swedish film and had subtitles, it has been remade only two years later. However, this is a remake that is a very-well made film that for the most part kept the tone of the original. Everything here is well done. The acting, direction, the script (which is almost word for word of the originals script). It just was unnecessary. I didn't get anything out of this remake that i didn't get out of the original. I didn't see why they had to remake this story so soon. Some remakes like The Departed and The Others maintain the originals story but were able to become it's own film. Let Me in stays to close to the original and because of that doesn't find it's own voice. If you've seen the original, check this out because i think it focuses a little more on the background of these character which is interesting but if you hadn't seen the original, do that before you see this!

Never Let Me Go - This film surprise me. It is an excellent film that i need to see again for me to really analyze it. The film is done by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) and instead of focusing on the sci-fi element of the story, he is more interested in the emotional journey three friends go on during their short lives. It's a small , quiet picture but deep, emotional one that is a film you should seek out! I recommend knowing very little before watching this film. So don't watch the trailer, just go see it.

Catfish - If true, the film is a very thought provoking non-fiction film about living your life online and the cautions of social networking. That's all i want to really say bout it because this is also a film that should be viewed without any knowledge of the story beforehand. While sometimes the film takes too long with the story it's telling and It's still a intriguing, weird, sad film that is def. worth checking out if ya can.

NYFF: FILM SOCIALISME

Film Socialisme - Jean-Luc Godard had a film playing at the New York Film Festival. I had to go. He is a legend. I could not pass up the premiere of a legend's new film. I passed up on many other films to see this. The best part of all this is that i had a pretty good feeling that it was going to be terrible. I was right.

Godard changed cinema. Breathless is a classic. The birth of modern cinema started with Breathless. Throughout his career, he made films that challenge what film was about. He asked the question of what meaning can images capture when put together. But sometimes, His pretentiousness got in the way. He doesn't care. He puts whatever he wants up on screen. And with Film Socialisme, he puts anything on screen. I can't review this film because to me, it's not a movie. It's just a collage of images that might ask questions or provoke some minds but to me it was a bore. A egotistical masturbation of pretentious film making. At first i thought it was way over my head but when three film scholars who specialize with Godard couldn't really describe or defend the film, I realized that it wasn't over my head, it was just a bad movie.

Reviews!

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - It's a mix bag of a a film. A mildly entertaining sequel. What i liked about the film is that it does work as it's own film as much as it does as a sequel. While the first film was about the greed and manipulation of the Wall Street life style, this film is more about trying to stay alive and keep your dignity during a financial crisis. It has the normal Oliver Stone flair, which can get repetitive and annoying. Shia LeBeouf is OK as Jacob Moore, a young hot shot who is trying to balance a relationship and trying to get ahead in his career. Michael Douglass doesn't miss a beat with the character that made him an Icon. Josh Brolin is also very good. The film is too long and doesn't hold interest during the last hour. I say rent this one on video.

Buried. - This is a film about a trucker working in Iraq who is attacked and buried alive. And the film solely takes place inside the coffin for the whole 90 minutes. It doesn't once go above ground during the film. Ryan Reynolds stars as the Trucker. On paper, this film sounds horrible. There is no way this film should work but it does. It works so well that it's one of the best thrillers of the year. Director Rodrigo Cortes and screenwriter Chris Sparling create a tense thriller that doesn't let you go during the 90 minutes you are stuck in the coffin with Ryan Reynolds. The film does create a claustrophobic atmosphere but it never goes to far to make you feel suffocated. Ryan Reynolds has little room to work with but he is excellent as the man stuck in the coffin. It's a wonderful showcase for his talents. Please check this one out!

The Town Review

The Town

Starring Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall and Jon Hamm

Directed By Ben Affleck

Running Time: 2 hrs 3 mins

Runpee

Trailer

Gone Baby Gone was a flick that upon the first viewing, It thought was a very solid first film from new director Ben Affleck. However, the film stuck with me. Affleck didn't just want to tell a missing person's mystery. He wanted to go deeper than than just an episode of Without a Trace. The story has many layers and asks many difficult questions about the rights and wrongs about child care. He trusted the story enough to focus more on the characters and the environment the story was being told in. This added a rough authenticity to the story that made it one of the more compelling film mysteries that gets better with each viewing.

With his second feature "The Town" he does this again. And it works. Just not as well. The story he is telling is more of an old fashioned Bank robbery film and isn't as deep as his first feature. Gone Baby Gone used it's setting and the community in that setting to really flesh out the suspense and add another thick layer to it's premise. The Town does that with the community of Charlestown but this film is more character driven than Gone Baby Gone is and so sometimes what works in Gone Baby Gone doesn't quite work as well as in the Town.

That being said, This is one hell of a good film. It's a solid film that's very tense and gets you involved from the very beginning. The movie never slows down and film is very well executed that even some of the cliches this film has feel fresh. Every performance is terrific. Affleck gives one of his best performances to date. I really enjoyed him in this. Jeremy Renner takes a role we've seen in almost every crime film, the troubled hot-headed childhood friend and adds a something that's new. Something is so unstable about him but it never feels over the top. Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall and Blake Lively also deliver top-notch performances that add so much to the story.

The film looks beautiful and is shot with gripping detail. The film is a very effective thriller that works almost on every level. The action is tense and very well executed.

What I liked about Affleck is that he cares deeply about the story he is telling. He tackles everything with exquisite care but never pushes. He knows what works and how to execute the story to it's best advantage. Maybe that's why he does film's that take place in his hometown Boston. He doesn't just know it, he loves it. He knows it's strengths and knows it's flaws. And that's what makes this film work. It's not the best film of the year but it's not trying to be. It's a crime-thriller that is handled by a pro who knows how to tell a story. Is it as deep as it wants to be? No. But yet again. It doesn't need to be. The script was good but it did fall into some traps. I think maybe with a stronger script this could of been one of the best films of the year but that really doesn't matter. This is a film i want to revisit and had a blast watching, and in the end that's what matters.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Review!

Starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans and Jason Schwartzman

Directed By Edgar Wright

Running Time: 1hr and 50 min

Scott Pilgrim is a live-action video game just like Roger Rabbit was a live-action cartoon. From the opening credits, the film immediately sets up its goofy tone and doesn't stop until the credits roll. The movie is infectious fun from the very beginning. This could have been a terrible film but the film passes all the tests and when the film falls into a cliche of some kind, it embraces it rather than ignores it. Its visual flair is something to admire and the script tells the boy meets girl story but re-invents it into a fun, speedy and new look at one of the oldest stories in the book.

The cast is young and perfect. Say what you will about Michael Cera but even if you hate him, he's perfect here. Having the most fun I've seen him have on screen, Cera knows the role to perfection and hits every right key. Trust Me, he's good in this. But so is the rest of the cast. Every character is memorable and has their own fun quirks, so when each character comes into the story you get excited like seeing an old friend.

But Edgar Wright (Director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) is the real star here. He sets up the world and the energy that is too hard to ignore. Wright's got a style, it's fast. Very fast. But it works to perfection in this film. The movie doesn't really slow down and just when you think it does the film warps speeds into another level. He not only knows the material, he is in love with it and it shows.

The music is also perfect for this movie.

Check this film out. I've seen it twice and i really enjoy it. It's a fun movie and who doesn't like those!

Grade B+

Quick Reviews!

Salt - I enjoyed this film. What made the movie work is that the story never let you get ahead of it and it made for a mildly fun, entertaining day at the movies. This is def. a film i won't be seeking a second viewing and the film's story does get a little over-the-top but the action is fun and Angelina Jolie proves that she is one hot bad-ass chick. B-

The Wildest Dream - What a Documentary! I didn't know anything about this film when i went to see it other than it was a Doc about Everest. The story is amazing and the visuals are breath-taking. I still can't get over that this story hasn't been made into a big hollywood blockbuster. B+

Check this trailer out and if you see this movie playing in a theatre near you...GO SEE IT!

TRAILER

The Other Guys - Funny but lacking the real punch Anchorman had. Some jokes work, some don't and when they don't they really don't. This is the best thing Will Ferrell has done in a while but that doesn't really mean a lot. Def. work checking out but maybe on video. C+

Farewell - This french film about the cold war is engaging and extremely well-made spy movie. The cast is fantastic and the script draws you into the world and the character's emotions. I really enjoyed this film and it's one to seek out. B+

Animal Kingdom - This film from australia is being hailed as one of the best of the year. I don't think it's that good but this slow-paced crime movie about a family of bank robbers on the brink of self-destruction is so well acted and new filmmaker David Michod shows some real talent behind the camera. The film shows a family's demise like a greek tragedy and the film slow burns it's way under your skin. The film does get a little slow and repetitive at times but the cast is perfect and the script is sharp and doesn't fall into many of the crime drama traps. Check this bad buy out because you will be hearing about it. B+/B

Inception! (Really Late but Whatever)

Whenever a movie makes you want to go back and see it again immediately after your first viewing, something was done right. When a movie makes you want to go back a see it again immediately after the SECOND time you see it, something special is happening. I was going to write a "review" on the film but when i sat down to write it, i realized this isn't a film i wanted to "review". The movie is all about perception. It's a mind-puzzle. Each viewer will have there own take on what the story is and what the movie is all about. The movie plays like a dream on screen. This idea was kinda touched by Michel Gondry with "The Science Of Sleep" a few years ago and that movies is a perfect example of how trying to film a movie about the dream state is not impossible but bloody difficult. If you break down the movie into one theme, you could call this a "heist" movie and on that level, the movie succeeds. However, the movie is so much more than that. The movie is being compared to The Matrix and Blade Runner but to me, It's Nolan's 8 1/2 (DiCaprio said in an interview that this film reminds him of 8 1/2, and the more i think about it, he's absolutely right!)

Look, even as I am writing and trying to figure out what to say about the film, i am realizing that it is nearly impossible. However, Not to totally waste this article, Here's some things I loved about the film.

• Wally Pfister's cinematography proves yet again, he's one of the best in the game. I would love to see him work with another director (even though he's amazing with Nolan)
• The acting is top-notch. While it's not a film about the acting, the actors add something to both the physical and emotional levels of the film.
• I love that Leo based his character off of Nolan. (It adds to the Fellini Element.
• Any movie that satisfies on one viewing is great but when a movie adds something to each viewing, the movie is a masterpiece.
• The movie gets audiences to think, argue, debate, etc. Things films haven't done in a long time.
• The first time i didn't like the soundtrack. The second time I loved it.
• The film has people talking, thinking and coming up with their own ideas of what the film is about. It's been a while that a film has done this.

And that's it. All i can I can say is see this movie now. See it in theaters. See It Twice in theaters. Then one more time!

Movies Of The Week! Lots Of Awesome Trailers

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: The Circus

Foreign Film Of The Week: Irreversible

Unheard Film Of The Week: Mystery Team

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: Inception

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: Greenberg

TRAILERS!

Due Date - New Movie From The Hangover Director, starring Robert Downey and Zach Galifinakis

The Social Network - Full Length Trailer, Looks great!

The Town - Ben Affleck continues to prove his worth behind the camera!

Machete - Grindhouse Fake Trailer becomes Real Movie starring Robert DeNiro: Awesome!

Valhalla Rising - Looks Visually Epic!

FREE MOVIE TICKETS!!!!!!!

I got Two Free Movie Tickets to See Dinner For Schmucks on Wednesday the 21ST AT 7PM at Lincoln Center!

The first person to get this question right gets tickets!

Who was originally suppose to star in Dinner For Schmucks as the Steve Carrell Character?

Comment the answer below!

Top Ten Movies Of 2010!!!! So Far....

This years has been a pretty weak year for film. That is why i waited a couple more weeks to do my mid-year top ten because i felt like i needed more movies and sure enought 3 of those movies are on this list. So without further ado....the top ten so far...

1. Inception

2. Winter's Bone

3. Toy Story 3

4. Kick-Ass

5. The Kid's Are Alright

6. Exit Through the Gift Shop

7. MicMacs

8. Mother

9. How To Train Your Dragon

10. Greenberg

Movies YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THIS WEEK!

Lots of good films out this week!

July 9th

The Kids are All Right - 95 %

Despicable Me - 81 % GOOD REVIEWS

Winnebago Man - 93%

Predators - Suppose to be a blast, it has 72% good reviews

The Last Ten Movies I've Watched!

1. The Box

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

3. Dinner For Schmucks

4. Memento

5. When You're Strange

6. Big Fish

7. The Crazies

8. The Descent 2

9. Animal House

10. Knight and Day

Inception!

This film is being hailed as a masterpiece by many critics! I can't wait to see this one! My guess for Sullivan-Gooley Best Film of the Year!

Reviews!

Check out these really cool advertisements for the film!

Early Review! Dinner For Schmucks!

Dinner For Schmucks

Starring Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell and Zach Galifinakis (he's in 2 scenes)

Directed by Jay Roach

Rated pG-13

The trailers had me thinking either two things: this film is going to be hilarious or god-awful. I was really hoping for the first one because i thought this the premise (which is based of a french film) was a really original idea that could of been one of the strangest, weirdest comedies in years.

Well, instead it was one of the worst comedies I've seen in a while. Now, the movie had funny parts and could of been hilarious but every character was painfully annoying and stupid that when the comedy came it wasn't funny, it was arrogant and stupid. Paul Rudd just doesn't try and Steve Carrell was funny but needed a better movie. And Zach Galifinakis is funny but only in the movie for like 10 minutes so it's forgettable. But my biggest problem with the movie was the dinner was only about 20 minutes of the film which is sad because it was the best part about the film. The movie fails on almost every level and I wanted to leave like halfway through because this movie was just painful and stupid. And don't get me wrong, I love stupid comedies but not when the characters literally have no redeeming or likable qualities. Please skip this movie!

P.S People were laughing in the theatre and it did get applause at the end, so maybe I was the wrong audience but I'm pretty sure every one in that audience was stupid and had no taste.

Reviews!

Winter's Bone - One of the best films of the year so far. This small, indie film starts a little slow but when the story kicks in about 10 minutes in, the film doesn't let you go. This films is extremely well-made with some of the best performances of the year. Newcomer Jennifer Lawrence is captivating and gives an incredible performance. John Hawkes plays her uncle Teardrop, and gives an unbelievable performance as one of the most unpredictable characters that i've seen in the last 10 years. Every actor is so real, it's hard to tell if anyone is really acting but that's what this movie does; It throws you into this world and doesn't let you go until the credits roll. Please check out this incredible raw, intense film if it comes to your town!

Trailer

Grown Ups - Is it a good film? No. Did i enjoy it? Yes! It's an Adam Sandler Movie. If you like his films, you will enjoy his movies but if you don't, you could hate it. I liked it. It has problems even for and Adam Sandler film but i laughed.

Knight and Day - This is a fun but forgettable movie. Tom Cruise brings a fun, manic energy that makes this movie interesting but i always felt something was missing and the story dies about 20 minutes before the movies ends. Cameron Diaz was miscast and just off of her game in this one. I recommend this as a rental or a nothing better to do matinee. I enjoyed A-Team more than this one.

Toy Story 3 - I wanted to write a long review for this but i procrastinated so here's a quick one. Everything you expect from a Pixar film; tons of heart and lots of laughs. I grew up on these films and remember seeing each one like it was yesterday. This was a fitting end to a wonderful series and pixar continues the best movie streak of all time!

Movies Of The Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: The Exorcist

Foreign Film Of The Week: The Piano Teacher

Unheard Film Of The Week: When You're Strange

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: Winter's Bone

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: The White Ribbon

TRAILERS!

The Social Network! - David Fincer's new movie written by Aaron Sorkin about FACEBOOK!

Winnebago Man - Looks like an fun documentary!

Rango - Looks Strange; But I'm There!

Life During Wartime - Saw this AT NYFF: Wasn't a huge fan but it is a semi-sequal to Happiness.

Movies Of The Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: Animal House

Foreign Film Of The Week: Micmacs

Unheard Film Of The Week: American Splendor

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: Toy Story 3

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: Green Zone

TRAILERS!

THE GREEN HORNET! Seth Rogen In a Michel Gondry Directed Action Superhero Movie...Call me intrigued! Plus, Christoph Waltz is the bad guy!

Red - This Looks like a blast!

Cyrus!

I am a big fan of the Duplass Brothers. They are part of the Mumble-Core scene of Indie films but this week is the debut of their first studio film and it's suppose to be great. Check out this trailer and this great NY Times article!

Cyrus!

NYTIMES

Movies Of The Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: Metropolis

Foreign Film Of The Week: Breathless

Unheard Film Of The Week: The Killer Inside Me

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: A-Team

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: Youth In Revolt, The Wolfman

TRAILERS!

Somewhere

Never Let Me Go

Lebanon - Saw this at NYFF. Very interesting.

Quick Reviews!

Movies To See Now

A-Team - Is it stupid? Yes. Is it Pointless? Maybe. Is it fun? Hell Yeah. This is one of the first movies of the summer that really lives up to the name of "Summer Film". The actors are having a blast. The action is over the top but awesome. It's mindless fun but def. something i recommend if you want to go and have a fun time at the movies!

Exit Through The Gift Shop - This "Documentary" about Street Art is made by the infamous Street Artist Banksy, so it's hard to tell if this film is real or an elaborate hoax. However, that doesn't matter because the film is fascinating and one of the best documentary's I've seen in a long time. It is suspected that the whole film is an elaborate hoax engineered by Banksy to satirize the commodification of art. If so, it’s a brilliant one. Check this one out if you can find it!

TRAILER

MACGRUBER - So stupid but it get's enough dumb laughs to recommend. It def. will be a film that people will enjoy or just find incredibly stupid. I found it to be both.

The Killer Inside Me - Brutal. A Mid-West "American Psycho" that takes place in the 60's. This violent, cold film is a interesting character study that sometimes is too distant from it's main character. The film is full of good performances and Casey Affleck proves that he is one hell of an actor. I liked a lot about this film but something was missing. I do still recommend it because it def. had me to the very end. The film is extremely violent and hard to watch sometimes.

MicMACS - Pure Jeunet! Wildly imaginative, outrageously funny, daring, delightfully twisted! Charlie Chaplin Meets Ocean's 11. If you like Jeunet's films, this is one you have to check out!

Movies To Not See

Prince Of Persia - Stupid. Jake is miscast. I wanted a fun summer flick and i got a boring-wannabe summer flick. Just not worth it.

Splice- Yeah, this is one strange, weird, F'd up Sci-Fi film but it's also extremely boring and I lost interest mid-way through. I do want to see it again because people seem to enjoy it but I didn't.

Robin Hood - It's just not a Robin Hood Movie and the third act gets ridiculous!

Tribeca Film Festival Reviews. Part 1

This is Sam Gooley Reporting From Tribeca Film Festival. I was out of town last week when the festival started, so i had to fit the whole festival in one week. So in 7 days, I've seen 9 films. The fest was great! Most the films I saw were ranged from good to great ( I really only disliked one film!) Some of the highlights for me was being able to watch one of my favorite filmmakers Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Director Of Amelie and The City Of Lost Children). Anyway, here is a list of what i saw and the first of three parts of reviews of the films.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed - B-

Please Give - B

Gerrymandering - C+

Ondine - B-

Micmacs - B+

My Trip to Al-Qaeda - B+

Get Low - B

Monogamy - C-

The Two Escobars - B+

The Disappearance Of Alice Creed, a british thriller that had me on the edge of my seat until the middle where a unexpected twist turns the movie from a highly entertaining realistic thriller to a entertaining ludicrous thriller. The twist took me out of the film because it changed the point of view of all the characters for the worst. However, even though the movie got ridiculous, it was still entertaining until the end. The film has only three actors in it and each one was fantastic. If it wasn't for the performances, this film would not have worked. So I give it an B-.

The next was

Please Give from Nicole Holofcener (i think that's how you spell it). She's the filmmaker that uses in all of her films as her alter-ego. She's made Friends with Money, Lovely and Amazing and Some other film. I really liked this character comedy of upscale New Yorkers all dealing with different types of guilt. It was a pleasant surprise. It's low key but very funny. Reminded of late 80's Allen. Husband and Wives and Crimes and Misdemeanors. Plus, the whole cast and director came out and did a q & a and talked alot about the dialogue and how she's very good at not just the dialogue that's written for the characters but what she doesn't write and is in the way the characters react that makes her writing sharp and observant which i thought was very interesting and a good lesson in writing.

Gerrymandering is a documentary about the process of Gerrymanders in city districts and it's was like watching a film in history class. Not a boring one but one that actually is kinda interesting to watch but the point was made about half way through and got very redundant. Informative but not a very tight documentary.

PART 2 COMING SOON!

Spike Jonze "I'm Here"

Check this amazing short film by Spike Jonze (Director of Where the Wild things are, Adaptation and Being John Malkovich)

I'm Here

Quick Reviews!

Ok, So I've Seen a lot in the last couple months...so here is a quick update of movies I've seen and what i thought!

Alice in Wonderland - Visually stunning but utterly boring. Frantic and not controlled. Tim Burton loves his visuals but not his story. It's not awful just boring and disappointing. Could of been so much More!

Greenberg - A film that I wasn't sure that i liked it until I really thought about it. Dark and extremely different character study. Ben Stiller is great and the film begs to be viewed more than once. Much darker than any film Noah Baumbach has made. It's methodic and takes it's time but at the end, you not only know the character but you deeply care for him.

She's Out Of My League - A fun, cute little movie that def. get's some laughs. I really enjoyed this movie. The ending gets a little ridiculous but it's still a good time at the movies

Hot Tub Time Machine - Exactly what "Hot Tub Time Machine" should be. Extremely stupid but really funny. A little forgettable but you will still laugh. alot.

Waking Sleeping Beauty - A Doc. about the comeback of disney animation in the 80's. Not hard-hitting or a true expose of Disney but a fun, interesting look behind the scenes. If you love Disney Animation, you will enjoy this movie.

Clash Of The Titans - More like Clash of the boring. More Like Clash of the Miss oppurtunity. More Like Rent this On Blu-Ray.

How To Train Your Dragon- I love this film. Funny and touching film that is one of the best so far this year. The movie is also beautiful exp. in 3D. I enjoyed this one and it's def. an animated film for everyone!

Date Night - Not the best but def. enjoyable movie that is worth seeing just for Carrell and Fey.

Movies of the Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: Almost Famous

Foreign Film Of The Week: Vincere

Unheard Film Of The Week: American Splendor

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: How To Train Your Dragon

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: The Great Mouse Detective

TRAILERS!

The Other Guys (I have hope for this!)

The Kids Are Alright (Looks great, played at sundance to rave reviews!)

The Disappearance of Alice Creed (Seeing this at Tribeca, looks awesome)

I'm Back! I Promise!

I'm sorry I'm not doing to well with keeping consistent blogs, It's been a crazy month but i PROMISE I will try to update at least once a week! I see Kick Ass Tonight and a review will be up as soon as possible! So stay tuned!

Movies of the Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: Alice in Wonderland (1951 disney)

Foreign Film Of The Week: Pan's Labyrinth

Unheard Film Of The Week: Waking Sleeping Beauty

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: Hot Tub Time Machine

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Movies of the Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: The Graduate

Foreign Film Of The Week: Jules and Jim

Unheard Film Of The Week: The Puffy Chair

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: Green Zone

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: Up In The Air

Iron MAN 2 TRAILER

Yup. this is going to be bad ass.

Iron Man 2

Sullivan-Gooley Awards Announced!

Sometimes one award will do...

Saving its only win for the end, The Hurt Locker upset heavily-nominated Inglourious Basterds and Avatar for Best Picture of 2009 at this year's Sullivan-Gooley Awards. While it may not be as technically brilliant as Avatar, (which took home 5 technical awards and Best Director), or insanely clever as Inglourious Bastards(chosen by you, the readers, as the Viewer's Choice Award for Best Picture of 2009), its tense premise and edge-of-your-seat execution proved worthy of the year's top honor.

The SG Awards, which only agreed on 6 Oscar winners this year, chose to share three of the most prestigous honors with the Academy. Along with picking The Hurt Locker for Best Picture, SG tipped the hat to Jeff Bridges as Best Actor, who delivered the performance of a lifetime in Crazy Heart, and Christof Waltz as Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Jew-hunting Nazi inInglourious Basterds.

Below is a recap of all nominees, with the winner in italics.

Top 10 Films of the Year
1. The Hurt Locker
2. The White Ribbon
3. Up
4. Inglourious Basterds
5. Up in the Air
6. (500) Days of Summer
7. Avatar
8. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
9. A Single Man
10. Where the Wild Things Are

Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Sam Rockwell - Moon

Actress
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Melanie Lauron - Inglourious Basterds
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carrie Mulligan - An Education
Gabriele Sabide - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Supporting Actor
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Jonathan Mackey - The Hurt Locker
Brad Pitt - Inglourious Basterds
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Christof Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Diane Kruger - Inglourious Basterds
Mo'Nique - Precious
Julianne Moore - A Single Man

Director
Katheryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon
Spike Jonze - Where the Wild Things Are
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up

Adapted Screenplay
Crazy Heart
District 9
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up in the Air
Where the Wild Things Are

Animated Feature
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up

Art Direction
Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
The White Ribbon

Cinematography
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Single Man
The White Ribbon

Costume
Inglourious Basterds
Sherlock Holmes
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
The White Ribbon

Film Editing
(500) Days of Summer
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds

Makeup
Avatar
District 9
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Star Trek
Zombieland

Score
Coraline
The Informant
Up
A Single Man
Where the Wild Things Are

Sound Mixing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Up
Star Trek

Sound Effects Editing
Avatar
District 9
Up

Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Best Foreign Film
A Prophet

Lebanon

The White Ribbon

Best Documentary

This Is It

The Cove

Not Quite Hollywood

Tyson

It might Get Loud

Every Little Step

Viewers Choice
1. Inglourious Basterds
2. The Hangover
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Up
5. Up in the Air

EARLY REVIEWS: Green Zone and Get Him to The Greek!

Green Zone

Starring: Matt Damon, Amy Ryan, Greg Kinnear, and Brenden Gleeson

Directed By Paul Greengrass

Running Time: 1hr 40 Min

Rated R

Green Zone is a fun, entertaining adult action movie that sometimes gets off balanced with trying to preach a message. I didn't think i was going to enjoy Green Zone mainly because the trailers do an awful job with what this movie is about. This is not a Bourne Film. It's a Paul Greengrass film. The POV camera work and quick editing are still in effect but this is very much in the vain of his first film Bloody Sunday and United 93 (which you could even call a companion film to Green Zone). The film starts with balancing suspenseful action with a interesting story but near the end the film starts to lose it's edge by playing more with the action-super soldier side than keeping up with the realistic setting the movie started with.

The film starts out during the beginning of the Iraqi war with Captain Roy Miller (Matt Damon) dealing with a rapidly deteriorating situation: he's got to search a potential WMD site that is in mid-looting with a sniper somewhere on the site. Frustrated with the Intel, he goes off reservation and starts asking questions, employing the help of a CIA guy (Brendan Gleeson) and journalist (Amy Ryan), who made the case for the war in her articles based on Intel that even she can't ignore anymore. There's a little more story to it than that, but ultimately it comes down to three sides, those who used the false Intel now want to cover their own asses, Damon just wants answers before they are snuffed out, and the former Iraqi military forces who think if things get bad enough they'll get an offer to run/control things (assuming they survive long enough).

Matt Damon is excellent in the film proving that once again he can do action just as well as...well anything else. The supporting cast is well-rounded and the film never gets boring. The main problem with the movie is that it has a hard time with what type of film this is. Is it a war-message movie or is it a mindless-action film. The film tries to be as thrilling as the Bourne films but as intelligent as Syriana and it never finds the perfect balance. That being said, I recommend this fun, entertaining film!

Grade B

Get Him To The Greek

Starring Jonah Hill, Russell Brand and Sean (P. Diddy) Combs

Directed By Nicholas Stoller

This film doesn't come out for another 3 months and still has time to fix some thing but this spin-off of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, needs to fix ALOT of things to make this a good film. The movie has an awesome premise. The movie follows Jonah Hill, playing a different character than in "Sarah Marshall", as a ambitious 23-year-old record company intern (Hill) who is hired to accompany out-of-control British rock star Aldous Snow (Brand) to a concert at L.A.'s Greek Theater. This has all the set-up to be a hilarious, out of control film but the movie never really takes off. The film has some funny parts but it just doesn't ever work. Russell Brand worked so well as a supporting character in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" but as a lead, the act gets old quickly. Jonah Hill is playing Michael Cera and is just miscast. P. Diddy is the funniest person in this film if that goes to say anything.

The trailer was released and half of the trailer wasn't in the film, so maybe the version i saw was a film trying out different scenes. So...maybe and the film does have three months before it is released and the version I saw was supposedly a very early cut of the film but a lot needs to be done to make this an enjoyable film.

P.S. While the film is a spin-off, The film doesn’t follow the timeline of Forgetting Sarah Marshall at all…it takes place at least 7 years after Sarah Marshall but it’s set in 2010.

Also…Jason Segal does not make a cameo.

Grade - C

Cop Out

I saw Cop Out this weekend and was disappointed. The film was bashed by critics but I know this isn't a film made for critics, it's a film that is suppose to be a mindless, fun cop comedy and while it was def. mindless and never awful, the film was never that much fun. It also proved the point Kevin Smith should stick to writing and directing smaller films. The film was sloppy, poorly edited and not focused at all. Also, most of the best parts were in either the regular trailer or the Red Band Trailer. So my recommendation is to watch both of the trailers and then wait for video.

My Best of 2009!

Here's MY top twenty films of 2009!

1. Up

2. Inglorious Basterds

3. The White Ribbon

4. The Hurt Locker

5. Avatar

6. A Serious Man

7. Up In The Air

8. 500 Days of Summer

9. Where the Wild Things Are

10. District 9

11. A Single Man

12. Fantastic Mr. Fox

13. Star Trek

14. Coraline

15. Mary and Max

16. Bad Lieutenant

17. Crazy Heart

18. Hunger

19. The Hangover

20. Goodbye Solo

Sullivan-Gooley Nominees!!!!

It's that time again! For ten years, Mike and I have been making our own nominees of the years best pictures because...well...the Oscars usually suck (Blind Side!!! Best Picture!?!?!?!).

Leading the way is Inglourious Basterds, which garnered 11 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, and 4 nods for acting. Closely following the Basterds are Avatar and The Hurt Locker, each nominated for 9 awards.

Below is a list of all nominees - if anything looks left out, don't hesitate to comment or send an email my way! All nominees are listed alphabetically; winners will be announced on Oscar night.

Best Picture

(500) Days of Summer
Avatar
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Single Man
Up
Up in the Air
Where the Wild Things Are
The White Ribbon

Actor
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Sam Rockwell - Moon

Actress
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Melanie Laurent - Inglourious Basterds
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sibide - Precious
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Supporting Actor
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker
Brad Pitt - Inglourious Basterds
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Diane Kruger - Inglourious Basterds
Mo'Nique - Precious
Julianne Moore - A Single Man

Director
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Michael Haneke - The White Ribbon
Spike Jonze - Where the Wild Things Are
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up

Adapted Screenplay
Crazy Heart
District 9
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up in the Air
Where the Wild Things Are

Animated Feature
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Up

Art Direction
Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
The White Ribbon

Cinematography
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Single Man
The White Ribbon

Costume Design
Inglourious Basterds
Sherlock Holmes
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
The White Ribbon

Film Editing
(500) Days of Summer
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds

Makeup
District 9
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Star Trek

Score
Coraline
The Informant
A Single man
Up
Where the Wild Things Are

Sound
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up

Sound Editing
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up

Visual Effects
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

Movies of the Week!

Movies You Should Check Out

Classic Of The Week: Close Encounters of the third Kind

Foreign Film Of The Week: The White Ribbon

Unheard Film Of The Week: Black Dynamite

Movie you should go see in theatres right now: The Wolfman

Movie that came out today on DVD to check out: The Informant!

Shutter Island Review!

Shutter Island

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle William

Directed By Martin Scorsese

Running Time 2hrs. 15 Mins

TRAILER

RUN PEE

Ok, It's Scorsese. It's visually breathtaking. Scorsese is a master of knowing how to perfectly mix sound and visuals to

create an the atmosphere of the story he is telling. He is also a film buff and historian and knows his cinema and this could be called his personal love letter to 1940's noir. He draws heavily on filmmakers like Hitchcock and Jacques Tourneur, who both perfectly captured characters psychological confusion while still crafting a mystery that would have audiences on the edge of their seat. And that's where I feel the movie fails. From the very beginning, we are thrown in to the mind of Teddy (Leo DiCaprio), a detective who along with his partner (Mark Ruffalo), are investigating a disappearance at a Mental Hospital for the CRIMINALLY INSANE! But something isn't quite right with Teddy. When he enters the island, he starts taking pills that the Doctors are giving him to help his migraine and he starts having a hard time telling what's real and what's in his mind. Up to this point, the film is fascinating but this is where the movie comes to a halt. The movie’s central dramatic problem, whats real and what Teddy thinks is real, becomes less interesting as the story continues. And when the answers start to come to light, the movie should accelerate but it slows down. The tension slowly is let go and by the end, It feels like it should of wrapped up 30 minutes before. The film never gets too scary but maintains a creepiness throughout the film. But while the creepiness is there , sustained suspense is not . I guess i should also note that I predicted the films ending within the first 10 minutes.

Leonardo DiCaprio gives a pretty good performance with not the best Boston accent but he does do a decent job with the role. The supporting cast is fantastic with great performances by Ben Kingsley, Patrica Clarkson (who is only in one scene but it's the best in the film), Michelle Willams and Jackie Earle Haley. The music, which is a collection of different composers, is brilliant and Robert Richardson's ( Inglorious Basterds, JFK) cinematography is, once again, incredible!

I really wanted to like this film and while I did loved some aspects of it, the film was a very mixed bag for me. However, I can see where a lot of people will disagree with me and will like this movie. Also, I do want to watch it again. I could be wrong about this film but I do have a feeling i will be left with the same feeling i had the first time. Scorsese is a pro and knows how to make a film but this exercise in B-movie horror just never fully reaches what makes those classic films work.

Quick Reviews!

The Wolfman - A fun movie that is a nice little homage to the classic universal horror films of the 1940's. It's moody, violent, dark and a fun ride! The Cast brings the film to a higher level than it should have. The make-up was reminiscent of old Hollywood and the score by Danny Elfman brought the same tone he did for Sleepy Hollow that creates a perfect mood for the film. I really had fun with this movie!

Youth In Revolt - Funny and forgettable. Rent this one if you like Michael Cera

Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassius - I loved this movie. It was one hell of a fantasy and a great return to form by Terry Gilliam!

IM BACK!

Ok. So I know it's been forever but i promise that I am back! And to prove it here is the list of every film i saw that was released in 2009. I've been making a list like this since 2004 but never shown anybody it because i thought it was too dorky but here it is .

1. My Bloody Valentine 3-D – D+

2. Coraline – A-

3. Taken – C-

4. Observe and Report – B-

5. Friday the 13^th – C+

6. Fanboys – C-

7. Two Lovers – B+

8. Confessions of a Shopaholic – D+

9. Watchmen – B

10. Hunger – B+

11. I Love You, Man – B-

12. Duplicity – B-

13. Monsters Vs. Aliens – C

14. Goodbye Solo – B+

15. Adventureland – B+

16. Harmony and Me – C-

17. State of Play – B

18. In The Loop – B-

19. Moon – B

20. Wolverine – C-

21. Every Little Step – B

22. Star Trek – B+

23. Tyson – B

24. Terminator Salvation – C+

25. The Brothers Bloom - B

26. Night at The Museum 2 – D+

27. Drag Me To Hell – B

28. Up – A

29. The Hangover – B

30. Away We Go - B

31. Land of the Lost – C

32. 500 Days of Summer – A-

33. Summer Hours – B

34. Whatever Works – C+

35. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen – D+

36. The Taking Of Pelham 123 – C

37. Public Enemies – B

38. The Hurt Locker – A-

39. Year One – D-

40. Bruno – C+

41. Harry Potter – B

42. Surveillance – B

43. Humpday – B

44. Funny People – B

45. The Cove – B

46. Not Quite Hollywood – B-

47. Thirst – C+

48. The Ugly Truth – C-

49. Cold Souls – C+

50. World’s Greatest Dad – B+

51. Lorna’s Silence – B-

52. District 9 – B+

53. Julie and Julia – B-

54. Adam – B-

55. Paper Heart – B-

56. It Might Get Loud – B

57. The Last House On The Left – C-

58. Gigantic – C –

59. Inglorious Basterds – A-

60. Taking Woodstock - C

61. The Final Destination – D+

62. Big Fan – B

63. Passing Strange – B+

64. Extract – C+

65. The Informant! – B+

66. Paris – C+

67. Jennifer’s Body – B-

68. Lymelife – C+

69. Easy Virtue – C+

70. Girlfriend Experience – B-

71. Lebanon – B

72. A Serious Man – A-

73. Zombieland – B

74. The White Ribbon – A-

75. Life During Wartime – B-

76. The Damned United – B+

77. Where The Wild Things Are – B+

78. Trick R’ Treat – B-

79. Mary And Max – A-

80. Whip It – B-

81. Antichrist – C-

82. An Education – B

83. Outrage – B-

84. Paranormal Activity – B-

85. Men Who Stare At Goats – C+

86. Precious – B

87. Fantastic Mr. Fox – B+

88. Broken Embraces – B-

89. Bad Lieutenant – B+

90. Up In The Air – A-

91. Brothers – B

92. Invictus - B

93. The Messenger - B

94. Princess and The Frog – B+

95. A Christmas Carol – B-

96. Crazy Heart – B+

97. Avatar – A

98. Nine – C+

99. The Blind Side – B-

100. Sherlock Holmes – B-

101. It’s Complicated – C+

102. A Single Man – A-

103. Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus – B+

104. The Last Station – B

105. The Lovely Bones – D+

106. Law Abiding Citizen – C+

107. This Is It – B-

108. Black Dynamite – B

109. Couples Retreat – C-