Mrs. Henderson Presents

I really liked this film. The acting is great, storyline touching, and the music was great. Now I will be honest about in the middle there was a little bit of kind of a time displacement. You know time has passed you just really have no idea if is anything from a month to years because they don't really do anything to indicate that. I thought it would have had a little better of a flow had we of known how it was going. So all though I gave this 5 stars I rounded up from 4 1/2. The relationship with Dench and Hoskins is truly fantastic, and one that I'm sure will be remembered down the years. I give this film an A-.

http://www.mrshendersonthemovie.com/

http://www.mrshendersonpresentsmovie.co.uk/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413015/

Private Resort

Johnny Depp, Rob Morrow both very young and you can tell this is one of their first real acting ventures. This film being made in 1985 had that definite 80's feel all over it. For the most part I really liked it too. It had that light hearted, fun atmosphere that most of the 80's films had. However it also copied a big thing that was happening at that time in films that got a little tiring, the really unrealistic love screen montage, and the unrealistic caper of the story it self. It's cute every now and then, but for some reason most romantic comedies from the 80's end up having that, and it's kind of old. That is really the only thing that marks this film down for me. I give this film a B

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089839/

Hunchback of Notre Dame

I loved it. I just loved it. Everything from the subtle joke about the old guy getting freed during a parade to the things that are really obvious about humanity. I know you can say most films like this are about love but this one truly is. Not just about loving someone else for who they are, but loving your self for who you are as well. The music in this is also a lot of fun. I think this is a film great for the whole family to watch together and nobody will be bored. I give this film an A+.

http://disneyvideos.disney.go.com/moviefinder/products/2331503.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116583/

Brick

This is a young, bizarre, and new kind of film noir. You could say it has to do with a teenager trying to find out how an old girl friend of his died after a strange phone call. Personally I think it is about that and so much more. It is about looking at the same thing from many different perspectives, and simple words are not what they might be otherwise unless you know the alternate meanings. This stars Joseph Gordon Levitt which most people will recognize from 3rd Rock from the Sun, but he is a wonderful actor far beyond what he was allowed to do on the show, and stars Lukas Haas as a very different bad guy. I give this film an A.

http://www.brickmovie.net/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393109/

A Smile Like Yours

Having kind of a bad day to I thought talking about a comedy might help to lighten things a little.

A film about a young couple (Greg Kiner, Lauren Holly) trying to get pregnant. This is a very sweet film but very very predictable. Joan Cusack is by far the best part of this film. The one liners she gives about her and the guy she is dating are fantastic. In fact one is so funny that my friend and I were laughing so hard that we had to pause the film for about 5 minutes. It's not just her lines though it is really the way she delivers them. Sad to say however I give this film a C.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120151/

Cradle Will Rock

I just have to start off with saying I can't believe this cast half of the best of Hollywood is in this thing. OK having said that and getting it out of the way I'm sticking my neck out and saying I loved this film. I have seen comments from people on pages where they kind of put it middle of the road. I think it was much better then that. This film has to do with the governments control of theatre in the mid 1930's and In many ways it over flows in to other area's too. You see the importance of the theatre for people, hardship of the time, while seeing all the beauty, and innocence. There is also a lot of really interesting songs in this film. I give this film an A+.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150216/

Movies on Television vs Movies in the Theatre

Looking for opinions on this everyone. I have a lot of friends that refuse to go to the theatre because of prices, big crowds, noisy seat neighbors, can't pause the movie if you have to go to the bathroom, if you want to buy something to eat or drink you should be ready to take out a loan on your house, you know the list. Still me personally nothing beats the theatre experience. If you are watching an action movie, monster movie, horror, or even something that you know will be able to really pull you in you can't do any better. Still I am an avid Netflixer. I mean unless you have a lot of time, money, and no social life there is no way you are going to see every current movie, heck I'm still trying to catch up with a lot of them, and suggestions from friends. There is also the nice advantage of when you have a DVD don't pay per person that is watching it. I can definitely understand both sides of this argument but I'm wondering what everyone else out there thinks.

Elizabethtown

I thought this was a really sweet movie that wasn't nearly as predictable as I thought it was going to be. From the previews I saw it looked like boys father dies, boy meets girl, boy buries father, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl back. This film is really more then that. I is about the self discovery of one persons journey when he happens to fall for a woman on the way to take care of things for his father who had just passed away. The woman is played by Kirsten Dunst who is not the typical romantic comedy female but someone that can really walk away from the situation and make the new man in her life (Orlando Bloom) see things about him self. Most romantic comedies I find focus a lot on the couple and less of the individuals, however in this one because one of them is dealing with a death in the family they really at times seem to focus more on the abstract of the couple idea and much more on the individuals. I really thought this was well acted, directed, and written. There is time for laughing, crying, and shock in this film and it still has you leaving it feeling good. I give this film an A.

http://www.elizabethtown.com/home.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368709/

Max

A film I had seen before when it was in the theaters but forgot how much I liked. John Cusack stars in this film about Adolf Hitler the want to be artist post WWI pre WWII. John Cusack plays a Jewish art dealer that befriends Hitler. I'll tell you right now that if you know enjoy history, and want to see a really thought provoking movie see this film. This movie gets an A.
Happy film watching.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290210/

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

A very funny movie. There were a few times that I was laughing so hard during this that I was almost in tears. The acting is good, the storyline believable, and the ending was good but not sappy just nice. If you are looking for a good date film I would say this one would be great for that. Still it does have a few sexist jokes so that when the character changes you can really see some of them. I give this film an A.
I will say however that I have noticed Adam Sandler seems to have a specific formula for his comedies. They seem to start with him playing either a misunderstood guy, a jerk, or a bit of a loser. Often in the first little part you will have some fart jokes or something along that line. Then we have some issue that arises where his character feels the need to take care of it. Many times along the issue he meets a pretty woman he falls in love with, and will often fall for him. The end of the movie has a nice sweet ending.
Don't get me wrong I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this formula, not only does it work but most of his films are still clean enough for the whole family to see. After a while they do seem a little predictable though.
Anyone else have an opinion on this?

http://www.chuckandlarry.com/index.php

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762107/

50 First Dates

I have to say I really liked it. It's not my favorite Adam Sandler but really funny, and really touching at some moments. I have to say I do have a slight problem with a certain part of it, but I'm not going to ruin it for anyone that hasn't seen it. This film gets a B from me. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets I liked this as much as I like the first. Both of them are cute, scary, well edited, and acting is good. I have found what I feel to be kinda big flaws in both of them though. Well it's bigger in the 2nd one actually. I don't want to say specifically in case someone here hasn't seen it, feel free to email me if you want to know what I'm talking about though. Every time I point it out to people they end up agreeing with me. This Movie gets a B-.

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/50firstdates/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343660/

Fliting with Disaster

Ben Stiller searching for his birth parents with wife Patricia Arquette, and Tea` Leoni an adoption counselor. This is a cute, but predictable movie. To be honest I could see where some people might really like this film but it just wasn't my thing. I'll just say along they way the group of people on this journey increases, and they have misadventures. I personally kind of felt like I saw the ending of this about 25 min in. I give this film a C-.

I think because this film is from 1996 that the imdb is the only thing close to a site on this. Still if you want to check it out here is it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116324/

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (IMAX)

Yeah I know it's been a while. Sorry about that all. I have a new goal of trying to post no less then twice a week. This will enclude reviews mostly for movies I saw on DVD with a movie in the theatre about once every two weeks.
again don't forget I would love to hear feedback from anyone and everyone.

Once again IMAX does not disappoint. I had heard that this film was going to have the best 3D that had ever been put out in the theatres to date, and although I don't think it was the best I will say it was really good. Now putting the effects aside this was still a pretty good movie. The acting was wonderful, truly the best acting we have seen from any of the Harry Potter kids yet, and they weren't bad before. I really liked the story of this one too. I am not a Harry Potter reader, personally I just didn't care for the books and I have tried a few times to read them. The stories just don't flow right for me. It is really hard to describe so I'll just leave it to they just aren't for me. However I have liked the Potter movies except for Prisoner of Azakaban. This film did seem to have the same flow problem for me though. I liked it but it just seem to move from scene to scene in blocks not one in to the other. Main thing if you're going to see it in the theatre pay the extra IMAX fee. I give this film a B+.

http://www.harrypotterorderofthephoenix.com/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373889/

Birthday Girl

A film about a computer geek / banker that goes on to a web site called "from Russia with Love" where he orders a mail order bride. After a while some friends of hers show up but they are kind of on the shady side and cause problems. This is one that is really hard to talk about without giving anything away. However I can talk about the really good acting. Ben Chaplin, and Nicole Kidman were amazing. I'm not really a big time Nicole fan either so if I say she was good you know I'm not being bias. She has this accent for the film and I never heard her loose it. Now I don't speak Russian so I don't know that the words were right but I would guess it was. Ben Chaplin was also believable as the geeky guy that has a dark side. I don't remember the names of the actors that played the Russian friends but I will say they too were very good. This is a good drama with some action that I would suggest checking out. I give this film a B+.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0188453/
Yeah I know it's IMDB again but I'm thinking if you want more info it's right there for you.

April Fools Day

Yes this is a bit of an older film from 1986, it is still good though. It is a horror comedy film about a girl "Muffy" played by Deborah Foreman that invites her friends to her mountain cabin for the weekend. One by one they are killed off by an unknown killer among them. This is very much an 80's flick in the comedy and in the horror and is in many ways a high class B flick. If you want a good laugh while being grossed out make sure to check this one out. Also listen to the song that plays during the credits at the end. I can guarantee there isn't another song out there like it. I give this film a B+.

Again IMDB seems seems to be the closest thing to a site for this film.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090655/

Saved

A coming of age/comedy set in a Christian high school. I have to say I really liked this film. Mary the main character chooses to not longer just to be led without question but to ask questions, and discuss before judging people. Again I don't want to go in to a lot of detail for fear of ruining anything I will say however this is getting the highest mark from me today at an A-.

The only link I could find for this one is on IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332375/

Zodiac

Wow there were a lot of things I liked and didn't like about this film. I'll start of with the likes and move on from there. The setting of San Francisco was great. I didn't see one car, that was there before it's time, no cell phones, the clothes were realistic, just all of it was perfect. There were times I felt like I should have been looking for me and my dad walking in the background. The passing of time was also done really well in this, nothing ever really looked out of place. The acting in this was also top notch. Robert Downey Jr played his alcoholic, drug addict writer role so well there were times you would almost think he is using again. (no I'm not saying he is I'm just saying he acted this really well) Jake Gyllenhaal also did a wonderful job as Robert Graysmith. There are actually a lot of really good actors in this film like Mark Ruffalo, Anythony Edwards, and Brian Cox just to name a few. All of which I thought did a really good job of becoming that other person. Lastly being that this film is about the search for the zodiac killer I thought they did a really good job of not really making this an over bloody film. The horror angle could have really been played up because of that ; instead they really kept much more of the focus on the search, not the actual killing. Often films go for that extra gore because they can, just because you can doesn't mean you should and I think it was done really well in this one. I do have two little things that I didn't particularly like about this film. One would be that the aging of Jake Gyllenhaal's character never really seemed to happen. Everyone else in the film got a little grey, or some laugh lines on their face, something that showed that it had been a substantial amount of time. Also speaking of a substantial amount of time, jeez 2hours 35 minutes. Personally I felt there was a bit of a drag in the middle, I do have a friend that feels it could have been wrapped up better and faster at the end. Either way you look at it, it was just too long over all. I give this film a B.

A friend of mine suggested that I post the links to the IMDB site for the film I'm talking about here along with the movie site address if they have one so at the bottom of my reviews I'll be doing that now.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443706/

http://www.zodiacmovie.com/

United 93

In many ways this was a hard film for me to watch because when the whole September 11Th attacks happened I was still working as a PA for KTVU. The things I saw and heard from everything was really for lack of a better word surreal. Much of that time is still in a haze for me because of the working all the time, running scripts, and cataloging footage. Now years later I'm finding my self needing to take a step back and see things again. First step in doing this was to see United 93. This is story is told in real time from when they first think one plane might be hijacked until united 93 crashes in Pennsylvania. The talking that is in this is very low, and to be honest at first I thought there was something wrong with my speakers until there was one of the explosions and that was very loud. So this film is really about looking at the actions that everyone takes, and the ripple effect that every action causes. This was a well acted film nothing fantastic, but then again it didn't really have any big names in it either. I'm not really sure why there wasn't any big names in this film but I do like that there isn't. This movie is really about focusing on the people and the facts that occurred. Technically this was a fine movie, I will say however I don't really see this as a film with a lot of people would be interested in. Even more because for most of the film you hear talking but it's not really loud enough to understand most of it, that also becomes distracting. I give this film a C+.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475276/

Interesting talk about life and things

Hey everyone.
I have a few things going on so I thought I'd separate the blogs in case anyone would like to comment on anything. Hint hint hint.
One of my good friends also has a blog going on where he gives really good advice, talks about buy and selling houses, and just general life stuff. He's a pretty smart, and nice guy. Actually he has also reviewed a few films on his page. So I just thought I'd give you guys a link to see if you would like to check it out.
http://fuery.com/2007/03/01/blogging-for-dollars-2/

Still workinng on things here

Hello all I just wanted to leave a quick update to say I am still working on this. There are some things I wanted to put on the page that I've been have some problems with really it's still a work in progress. Still for the things that I have here already I would love to hear your feedback. Let me know if you want me to put in more or less information in my reviews. Ask me questions about things (an no I'm not pretentious enough to think I know everything about making movies or anything like that) if you ask me something I don't know (definitely probable) I will do my best to get the information.
Last little note I do believe I am going to a movie in the theatre Monday. First time in months for me. Come Tuesday there should be a new review of a movie that just came out this Friday.
Happy weekend all.