Running With Scissors

Starring: Joseph Cross, Annette Bening, & Brian Cox
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Running With Scissors is the true story of Augusten Burroughs childhood, one that he himself admits is so far out there, that no one will believe it. He's right, the story is way out there, and it's very hard to believe that all this went on for years unnoticed. Augusten's mom is mentally ill and eventually signs his custody over to her psychologist. He and his wife live in a mess of a house, with 3 other kids, none of whom are their own, and all of whom are mentally ill. The ironic part to the whole thing is that the doctor who is supposed to help everyone seems to be more ill than anyone else. Joseph Cross is great as Augusten, and Brian Cox is hilarious as Dr. Finch. It seems as thou Cox is in everything, and he always gets those hysterical random lines. Annette Bening however steals the show. The movie was weird, the story is weird, and outside of the funny and psychotic parts, I was kind of bored. This movie wasn't great, Bening however was amazing. It's too bad this movie was so far out there and so far under the radar, because I truly believe she was Oscar worthy in this role. The story is unique, the movie isn't very good, but the acting is top notch. Running With Scissors is worth seeing if for nothing else but the outstanding performances of its cast.

The Da Vinci Code

Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, & Ian McKellen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

As I said in my review of Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code was great, but it was ruined for me by having just seen National Treasure. They may have been searching for different things and in different situations, but to me the movies are far too similar. I honestly felt like The Da Vinci Code, was a slower, less interesting version of National Treasure. Tom Hanks was amazing as always, but in general the movie was slower and far less interesting to me. It's unfair to compare it to something else, but based on its own merits, it was very entertaining, well acted, and well written, but it was also very slow at times, wordy, and somewhat confusing. Overall it's very good, if you plan on seeing it, don't watch National Treasure first!

Angels & Demons

Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewen McGregor, & Ayelet Zurer
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Angels & Demons is the sequel to the Da Vinci Code, and while it's generally said that Da Vinci Code was better, I disagree. When Da Vinci Code came out, I had just seen National Treasure, and there were so many similarities, that I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. Angels & Demons does what every sequel aspires to do. It takes the characters we like and puts them in a similar but different story. Tom Hanks is once again terrific, bringing an intensity that few others can match. Following the clues lost in time and the twists and turns thrown in by writer, Dan Brown, Angels & Demons is most defiantly a sequel that lives up to the first one and also gives you something to talk about. What else could you ask for?

The River King

Starring: Edward Burns, Jennifer Ehle, & Thomas Gibson
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Based on a novel by the same name, The River King is about a cop who finds a body in the river and sees more than the explanation given. Edward Burns is great as Abel Gray, leading a young, unknown cast, with his emotionless persona. He makes the perfect cop, because of this stiff, focused personality. The story was strong, often throwing you off the track you are on, and using flashbacks to tell the background story. The music, montages, and flashbacks throughout the movie help to tell the story of the school, people, and town, almost as much the dialogue does. A pictures says 1000 words, in The River King, many obscure actions and random things have their own words and that helps make it unique.

The Arrival

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Teri Polo, & Ron Silver
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is one of those direct-to-video gems that every b-movie fan hopes to find. There was virtually no advertising or information about this film when it first came out. It just showed up on the shelves at blockbuster and people had to take a chance on it. I'm glad I did, because it is one of the best original science fiction films of the 90s. Charlie Sheen was terrific as the nerdy scientist Zane. Zane works for NASA and when he brings some strange readings to his bosses they ignore it and fire him. Unwilling to let it go, Zane travels to Mexico to uncover the truth, and you won't believe what he finds. It's a strong cast and a great story that is full of surprises. If you enjoy sci-fi, than this should be on the must see list!

Monsters (2010)

Starring: Scoot McNairy & Whitney Able
Rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

So, the monsters are giant, walking, glowing, octopus, from outer space, and towards the end of the film you get to see them fuck. Oh no, I am not kidding. Despite its original title and awful special effects, Monsters, is not a bad story. It is however another example of a writer, using science fiction, to promote his own agenda and bigotry. The infected zone is Mexico and you're safe once you get to America. How about the largest man made structure in the world? A wall to keep the aliens out of the USA. As for the acting, it was two newcomers who actually were pretty good, but whom are easily overlooked. It's because Monsters is one of those movies, where you keep waiting for something to happen and it never does. It had good potential, but was just painfully boring...unless of course you enjoy octopus fucking.

Update!

Hey guys! I just wanted to fill you in on what's been going on this month! Since I got such a great response to my last update, I am considering making this a regular monthly feature.

...So what's going on?

- Twitter following continues to rise

- .. but people aren't liking us on Facebook. I'm not sure what to do in order to get more followers, so please tell your friends and re-post what you like, and let's see if we can break that illusive 100 followers!

- The blog has officially passed 5000 hits!

- ...and because of your nominations on Flixster, I am now officially a Super Reviewer! This means people on the site will see my reviews right on the top of the page! I hope I can live up to the expectations and help them decide what to watch!

That's about it, if you have any suggestions for the blog, movies I should watch, or anything else please click the link under my profile and let me know!

8MM

Staring: Nicholas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, & James Gandolfini
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

This is one of the darkest, grittiest, and scariest films I have ever seen. The reason? It's simple, this shit could actually happen! This probably has happened before! Tom Welles (Nicholas Cage) is hired by an elderly woman who finds a snuff film among her late husband's possessions. She wants to know if it's real and if it is wants to pay the family for her husband's mistakes. The investigation takes Welles down a deep dark road that few travel and even less know about. The story is just so dark and creepy that some of you might actually be freaked out by it! Cage is amazing as always, leading a terrific cast, that includes Joaquin Phoenix and Tony Soprano himself, James Gandolfini. It's a very strong story that will chill you to the bone. It's defiantly not for everyone, but it was right up my alley!

Charmed



Staring: Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Allyssa Milano, Rose McGowan, & Brian Krause

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

On the surface, Charmed looks to be just another WB teen show. After all, the cast is loaded with former teen idols. Looks however can be deceiving! Charmed is a very solid mix of comedy and science fiction that leaves the fan craving more. I could sit and watch episodes of this show for hours!

Three sisters reunite for the funeral of the grandmother that raised them. After the funeral, they are going through the house and find a lot of things that lead them to believe their grandmother was into witch craft. After being attacked, investigating more, and being visited by some ghosts, the sisters learn that they are the decedents of a very powerful family of magicians. They are in fact legendary witches known as the charmed ones, who for thousands of years have been prophesized as the ones who finally tip the balance between good and evil to our side!

The show starts with them learning about their powers and ends with them trying to fulfill their destinies. Holly Marie Combes plays older sister Piper and while never the big name star of the show, she is by far the most interesting and entertaining character. Eventually the show comes to center around her and her family within the show. Personally, I think this is what saved the show after the early departure of one of its stars.

Charmed is eight seasons of magic, action, comedy, love, tragedy, and just plain fun. Being that it has a cast of all former teen idols, with low rating, on what is nowhere near a major network, the show didn't get the recognition that it deserved, but it is a terrific show! You can currently catch re-runs early mornings on TNT and of course watch it online. If you've got some time, I'd defiantly suggest checking it out!

Dude, Where's My Car?

Staring: Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, & Jennifer Garner
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Ok, ok, we all know about my affinity for Ashton Kutcher, however I don't give all his movies 5 stars. Dude, is absolutely ridiculous, stupid, pointless, basically, a classic stoner comedy. While it has no real point to it, it does have some pretty funny lines and that's what earns it 2 stars. In my opinion, the movie is nowhere near as raunchy as it has to be. Movies like this are based on cheap laughs, and when it's PG-13 without a single boob or F bomb, it's just nothing special. By the end the film, it was just totally out of control. I should have just turned it off, but I suffered through to the end. Basically this movie was the foundation for Harold & Kumar. It was ok, but just wasn't funny enough.

Skyline

Staring: Eric Balfour, Donald Faison, & Scottie Thompson
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Skyline was the worst reviewed movie of 2010 and not without cause. Basically it's a different version of War of The Worlds, with less of a storyline, and a ridiculous ending. The sad part of this whole thing is that the movie started out really good. After the event, I was on the edge of my seat, and then it all goes downhill from there. Eric Balfour is such a good actor, but he's constantly being cast in these subpar movies. I don't understand why nobody wants to offer him a role in a major motion picture. Once again he's very good and engaging in a movie that just crashes and burns. The special effects were cool, the acting wasn't bad, but the story stinks and the further into it you get, the more you keep asking yourself, why am I still watching this?

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Staring: Nicholas Cage, Jay Baruchel, & Alfred Molina
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a great story that is absolutely destroyed by Disney. When a movie starts out with swords and wizards in the 8th century, and then all of a sudden jumps to a kid on the school bus with Jimmy Eat World playing in the background, you know you're in for some trouble. This story is about a Sorcerer, looking for his mythological apprentice, to fight an evil that could destroy the world. The film stars action veteran Nicholas Cage. It's got a huge budget for lots of cool special effects...and Disney turns into a kids movie with a farting dog, a fantasiaesq cleaning scene, and of course a nerd who becomes a hero. It had such potential, but turned out to be such a Disney Cliché that I wanted to fucking vomit. Sorcerer's Apprentice is another great story completely destroyed by over the top effects and garbage from the money hungry giant known as Disney!

The Stupids

Staring: Tom Arnold, Jessica Lundy, & Bug Hall
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

This is one of those movies that is so ridiculously stupid that you can't help but laugh. Tom Arnold knows he has a reputation of being an idiot and he so plays into it. The Stupids make Harry & Lloyd look like Einstein! While the movie has no real plot and is just about really dumb people, I have to admit that I laughed until I cried! When Tom Arnold writes that song about being his own grandpa, I almost lost it. This is one of those movies that has nothing to say and no real plot, it's simply about laughing at the stupidity of others and it sure is fun!

Unstoppable (2010)

Staring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, & Rosario Dawson
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In Tony Scott's third straight feature starring Denzel Washington, he takes a look at an incident that occurred 3 years prior in Ohio. The event was nowhere near the magnitude seen in Unstoppable, but it defiantly put lives at risk, and put people to the test. The story follows an incident with a runaway train and the two men who risk everything to save lives from it's dangerous cargo. Washington is terrific as always, thriving in these unsung hero roles. Chris Pine, the virtual newcomer who  plays the rookie, on his first day of work, is also really good and shows the potential for a strong film career. While it's not going to surprise or shock anyone, Unstoppable was fast paced, visually impactful, and very entertaining.

A Perfect World

Staring: Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, & T.J. Lowther
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A Perfect World should have been called "IN" A Perfect World, due to the fact that the world we are seeing is far from perfect. This film takes a look at the nature of violence and compassion through the eyes of a child and a hardened criminal. In one of the first films directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner gives one of the best performances of his career. As Butch Haynes, he is seemingly a hardcore criminal who only cares about himself until a kidnapping victim starts to change who he is. Haynes sees this boy comes from the same situation he did, but he doesn't want to see him turn out the same way. While, newcomer T.J. Lowther is the focus of the film, he only does an adequate job in his role, showing little emotion and not quite speak clearly enough. To me, Eastwood himself steals the show as the sheriff chasing Haynes. It's his typical strong, cold, silent character that still chills you to the bone. Overall it's a very strong, well written film, with a great cast, and I highly recommend it!

Venom

Staring: Agnes Bruckner & Jonathan Jackson
Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

How bad was Venom? It was so bad, that they couldn't even get things to jump out and scare you at the right time! It absolutely kills me! The story is fairly original with definite potential, the cast is fairly well known, and the movie was just awful! Why? Take your pick between bad writing, cheap special effects, no character development, and a really stupid ending. I like the whole Louisiana Creole background and the mysterious voodoo religion, that no one believe in anymore, but they just didn't take it anywhere. It's 15 minutes of interesting and an hour and 15 minutes of cheesy slasher bull shit, with typical lines, no eye candy, no comedy, nothing! It was quite boring and the ending just... wow! I don't know if it was rushed or if they just didn't care, but it was so fucking stupid!! Venom could have been a lot more, but it wasn't anything worthwhile.

Village of The Damned (1995)

Staring: Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, & Mark Hamill
Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

John Carpenter remakes yet another classic horror movie and again it just doesn't work. When you take a movie based on one that is 35 years old, coming from a book that's even older than that, and you try to adapt it to modern day life, something is going to be off. If it had been set in the time it was written, it would have made more sense, but would still have been a pretty weak story. A massive blackout impregnates the town woman with alien children who can see your thoughts and force you to do what they wish. It's not the best story to begin with. Add to that a group of actors who are passed their prime and really don't want to be doing this film and you get another shit movie that is basically a waste of time.

Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget

Staring: Bob Saget, John Stamos, & Greg Giraldo
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

These Comedy Central Roasts are always hysterical, but the problem is they are much too long! Ok, how many times can you make jokes about Bob being a dork and fucking the Olson twins. They try to break up the monotony by having the guests rip on each other first, but like ripping on the host it gets old fast! Every guest is ripped on at least 7-8 times!? Many of the jokes are the same and by the end you're just like enough already. I realize the ratings are high and it's a chance to promote your other talent, but it really should be 3-5 close friends of the guest giving each other shit, and it's shouldn't ever be more than 45 minutes with commercials.

The Hangover: Part II

Staring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, & Zach Galifinakis
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Hangover Part II tries so hard to be exactly like the first that it leaves nothing to the imagination and has no surprises what so ever! Don't get me wrong, the movie is great, it still has all its laugh out loud one liners, and of course Alan. What Part II doesn't have is originality. With a sequel, we want to see the same characters we love, in a similar, but different story. This movie parallels the original to the point where they are uttering the same lines in the same situation, just in another city. If you saw the first one, while watching this one, you're going to know where they go and what happens next. They have a great thing here with a ton of chemistry between the actors, but what they need to do is take it to the next level. I hear they have hired a screenwriter for a third chapter, let's hope they keep the laughter and change the story!

Update!

Hey fellow movie lovers! I wanted to post a quick note to let everyone know what's been going on with the blog. I haven't felt well lately, so I haven't been online to post reviews. The good news is, I have been watching a ton of movies and I plan on reviewing every single one for ya!

In Other Blog News...

- We have reached 4500 visitors!
- 18 of you decided to follow the blog regularly during our second month on Facebook or Twitter!
- My reviews are now included on Rotten Tomatoes as well as Netflix & Flixster.
- I have had TWO celebrity comments based on reviews of their films! Jonathan Tucker & Spencer List!
- We had two facebook polls and the results are in!
          1) What is the worst movie you've ever seen? - 96 Votes
                      Most Popular Answer: Lost In Translation
          2) What is your favorite movie genre? - 115 Votes
                      Most Popular Answer: Horror

If you have any ideas for future poll questions, let me know! Until then, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, or Flixster, tell your friends about us, share links and tweets on your walls, and get ready for a ton of new reviews!