Rounding First

Starring: Soren Fulton, Matthew Borish, & Sam Semenza

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am the biggest baseball fan on the planet. Baseball movies make up a whole section of my DVD collection, and based on the title and DVD cover of this film, I was led to believe that this was another baseball movie, it's not. What this movie is, is a terrific story, about three boys who break out of sleep away camp, to find out why their parents have been acting so strangely. These boys cross the state to get to the truth and what they find is really unexpected and made for one hell of a story. I really didn't figure out what was going on until the very end and once I did the rating for this film went way up, as it makes the story pure genius! You also wouldn't expect the acting in a movie centered around three kids to be as good as it was, but these boys were terrific. Soren Fulton plays Joe, the twelve year old leader of the group. Even at the rip old age of twenty-one, this kid has been in everything and had a ton of experience coming into this thing, so his strong performance wasn't so unexpected. What did surprise me was just how good Matthew Borish was. Aside from the TV show, Hack, Borish hasn't been in anything before this film, but he really made it exciting, playing the role of Tiger. Tiger is the small kid who always has to act tough and be crazy, not only to get respect, but to cover up how troubled his life is. Borish gives a performance that is both funny and heartbreaking, he did a truly incredible job. Rounding First will make you laugh, boost your curiosity, and give you something to watch that is out of the ordinary. I was disappointed once I figured out that this wasn't a baseball movie, but what I saw may have been even better.

Good Neighbors (2010)

Starring: Jay Baruchel, Scott Speedman, & Emily Hampshire

Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

On several movie site I visit, there had been a buzz about an independent Canadian murder mystery film, that was supposed to be quite a thriller with big twist at the end. It sounded like the perfect movie for me and I couldn't wait to see it! Good Neighbors is about an apartment building in Canada that is getting a new tenant named Victor (Jay Baruchel). Victor immediately sees that something isn't right about the new place and soon learns that everyone is on edge because of a serial killer on the loose. A serial killer that I was able to identify ten minutes into the movie. How in the world can anyone, much less a movie fan, call this a thriller with a twist in the end? The killer was obvious from the very beginning and I'm willing to bet the average fourth grader would agree. As for the notion that this is a thriller? Come on, a thriller is supposed to have you on the edge of your seat, not falling asleep in it! The story was slow, sloppy, and predictable, but what about the acting. I generally like Jay Baruchel, but he is a mess in this film. Baruchel is way out of his element here and would probably do best sticking to Apatow comedies. The only bright spot in the film is Emily Hampshire, she's been around a while, but has never been in anything big. Hampshire was terrific and is really the only interesting character in this film. Good Neighbors is a huge disappointment and anyone who tells you otherwise can't be as big a movie fan as they proclaim to be. I can deal with slow moving, I can live with some boring parts here and there, but a painfully predictable story with very below average performances is a recipe for disaster.

8213: Gacy House

Starring: Jim Lewis, Matthew Temple, & Diana Terranova

 Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Camcorder or "found footage" films are inherently lazy, but they're cheap to make, so a lot of filmmakers are making them in the hopes that they will be the next Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity. 8213: Gacy House is one of these films and at first glance it looks like it's got everything it needs to be a winner. A serial killer, the paranormal, and a young good looking cast are usually the recipe for a very successful movie, but not here. I don't care much for these types of films to begin with, the acting is usually shitty and the constant movement of the camera makes me nauseous, but those aren't the only reasons to dislike 8213. The story makes no sense whatsoever and before making something like this, you'd think the director would have watched at least a couple episodes of Ghost Hunters. What kind of paranormal investigator goes ghost hunting with a half dozen people and then leaves the lights on!? Besides that huge flaw in the film, they're always saying they can feel something, with no evidence or hint that there's anything wrong, and when they do feel something, that's usually when nothing happens! The acting is awful, the cinematography is nauseating, the story is ridiculously stupid, and the special effects are complete garbage. The bottom line, 8213: Gacy House is a waste of a rental.

Last.fm Presents: My Top Artists & Songs of 2012

As many of you already know, I am just as passionate about my music as I am about my movies. To keep track of my music, I use an amazing service called Last.fm

Last.fm uses an app, called the scrobbler, to not only track the artists, songs, and albums you listen to the most, but it also creates your own social media page with your own radio station! If you have a song on your device that is in the last.fm library, when you scrobble it, it gets added to your own radio station. People can then go to your page and listen to the music you listen to! Additionally, they let you know when your artists are playing in your area, when they release new material, and they'll even recommend similar artists you might really like, Last.fm really is a terrific service that is 100% free! You can check out my last.fm page and radio station by clicking the link in the links section.

So, check out my page, listen to my radio station, and create your own Last.fm page with your own radio station for free!

Todd's Top 30 Songs of 2012:

1) Shinedown - Adrenaline 

2) Puddle of Mudd - Abrasive 

3) Papa Roach - ...To Be Loved 

4) Shinedown - Diamond Eyes 

5) Stone Temple Pilots - Down 

6) Live - All Over You 

7) Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song

8) 3 Doors Down - Kryptonite

9) Live - Heropsychodreamer

10) Nirvana - Lithium

11) Foo Fighters - All My Life

12) Local H - Bound For The Floor

13) Live - Lakini's Juice

14) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Around The World

15) Stone Temple Pilots - Vasoline

16) Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench

17) Vains of Jenna - Californa Dreamin'

18) Shinedown - I Dare You

19) Buckcherry - Lawless & Lulu

20) Buckcherry - For The Movies

21) Sugarcult - Los Angeles

22) Cavo - Champagne

23) The Offspring - The Future Is Now

24) The Presidents of The USA - Lump

25) Green Day - Welcome To Paradise

26) Saliva - Survival of The Sickest

27) Local H - All The Kids Are Right

28) Linkin Park - Given Up

29) Hoobastank - My Turn

30) Tom Petty - Running Down A Dream

Todd's Top 100 Artists of 2012:

TOP 25:

1) Green Day

 2) The Offspring 

3) Local H 

4) Live 

5) Foo Fighters

 6) Papa Roach 

7) Shinedown 

8) Nirvana 

9) Stone Temple Pilots 

10) Buckcherry

 11) Puddle of Mudd 

12) Oasis 

13) Silverchair 

14) The Living End 

15) Collective Soul 

16) Red Hot Chili Peppers 

17) Nickelback 

18) Sugarcult 

19) Hoobastank 

20) Alice In Chains 

 21) The Smashing Pumpkins

 22) Goo Goo Dolls 

 23) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 

 24) Weezer 

 25) Marilyn Manson 

TOP 50:

26) Cavo 27) AC/DC 28) Three Days Grace 29) Everclear 30) Fuel 31) The Sound of Urchin 32) Incubus 33) Bowling For Soup 34) Unwritten Law 35) The Exies 36) Lifehouse 37) Pearl Jam 38) New Politics 39) Fountains of Wayne 40) The Rolling Stones 41) Creed 42) Our Lady Peace 43) Third Eye Blind 44) Goldfinger 45) Vains of Jenna 46) Lit 47) Drive A 48) Aerosmith 49) Eve 6 50) Oleander

TOP 100:

51) Saliva 52) MxPx 53) American Hi-Fi 54) Soundgarden 55) Linkin Park 56) Sublime 57) Sugar Ray 58) My Chemical Romance 59) Danko Jones 60) Maroon 5 61) Hinder 62) Rob Zombie 63) Inward Eye 64) The Pink Spiders 65) Sr-71 66) Audioslave 67) Billy Talent 68) Bush 69) 311 70) Ludo 71) Cage The Elephant 72) Wolfmother 73) Bon Jovi 74) Marvelous 3 75) Zebrahead 76) Daniel Tosh 77) All Time Low 78) Anti-Flag 79) In Flames 80) Feeder 81) Sum 41 82) Ultimate Fakebook 83) Rage Against The Machine 84) Silversun Pickups 85) The Beatles 86) No Doubt 87) Taking Back Sunday 88) George Carlin 89) Candelbox 90) Smash Mouth 91) Howard Stern 92) Justin Bieber 93) 3 Doors Down 94) Steel Panther 95) The Vines 96) Theory of a Deadman 97) Black Stone Cherry 98) Queens of The Stone Age 99) The Used 100) Gren

This Is 40

Starring: Paul Rudd & Leslie Mann

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Pete and Debbie, the loveable couple from Knocked Up, are back in the "sort of sequel" This Is 40. The couple are both turning 40, within days of each other, and decide that the number means it's time for a change, for them, as well as their family. They get new jobs and reconnect with family on their journey toward becoming a more mature couple, but it comes at a cost. Judd Apatow writes and directs this unique comedy, so I was expecting another hilarious winner, but they can't all be winners. The cast is fantastic and there are more than a few good laughs here, but this movie is extremely long and drawn out for a romantic comedy, and while it starts out strong, it starts to grow tiresome. There are many scenes between husband and wife that are boring and completely unnecessary. What I did like was how Apatow cast his daughters to be Pete and Debbie's daughters. They really are sisters and there was no pressure working for their dad, allowing them to really make it seem like this is a real family, and it's a good thing too, because for as good as both Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann are, they just didn't have much chemistry together. Both cast members were good in portraying their own characters, but when you put them together you see that something just isn't right about the pairing. I loved the concept and you will definitely laugh during this film, but it does lack a certain chemistry and is far too long for what it is.

V (2009)

Starring: Elizabeth Mitchell, Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch, Logan Huffman, Laura Vandervoort, Morena Baccarin, Scott Wolf, Christopher Shyer, Lourdes Benedicto, Mark Hildreth, Jane Badler, & Charles Mesure

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

V stands for Visitors and it is one of the best show that you've never watched. Most fans of the original series weren't happy when they learned that V (2009) would be a re-imagining of the franchise as opposed to a modern day re-creation of the show, but that didn't stop them from watching it. V was the highest rated premier of any new show on any network in 2009, but as usual, ABC managed to screw it up. The show premiered with 14 million viewers and kept it's audience over it's first four episodes. ABC, in their infinite stupidity, decided to keep the fans hungry for more, and decided to hold the next eight episodes until nearly four months later! By that time, more than half the audience was gone and the show was barely renewed for a second season, but thank God it was, because as good as the premiere season was, the second season was ten times better! It wasn't until almost a year later that ABC decided to air the second season of V and the numbers were decent, but not enough to motivate the network into renewing the expensive show. The fans launched a huge campaign to try and save the show and to ABC's credit, they did try to sell it to another network, but ultimately failed to do so and V became another Nielsen casualty. As for the show itself, it had some similarities, but was ultimately very different than the original 1983 version. On a random day, at a random time, 29 alien ships appear over major Earth cities. Shortly thereafter, a beautiful woman appears explaining that they are peaceful beings who are here to help us and give the people of Earth some amazing gifts, but as always there's a twist. We learn that Visitors or V's are actually highly aggressive, reptilian creatures, who have been on Earth, disguised as humans, for years. Many have kept their cover, while others have learned to experience human emotion. These emotions have led them to join up with the human and rebel against their queen. The star of the show is Elizabeth Mitchell, better known as Juliette from Lost. She plays an FBI agent who doesn't trust the visitors and wants to find out what they're really doing here and I can honestly say that she makes the show. If you thought she was good as Juliette, wait until you meet Erica, a smart, tough, fearless woman who will do whatever it takes to find the truth and protect her family. She is joined by an outspoken priest, a rebellious V, and a wanted terrorist, as together they form their own resistance cell. The leader of the V's is Anna (Morena Baccarin), and yes, she is the daughter of Diana from the original series, and that's how the two series are linked. Diana was a pretty tough character, but Anna is absolutely ruthless. She has no limits and is willing to do anything to achieve her goals. She trusts no one and won't let anyone get in her way, even the people she loves the most. The first season is really about discovering who the V's are and seeing how ruthless, cunning, and cold they can be. The second season is more about getting inside the resistance and seeing why they are fighting and what they are fighting for. As you all know, I am a huge science fiction fan and I have no problem saying that this may have been the best sci-fi show to come along in the last twenty years. The writing is just incredible and when you pair that with acting that is just utterly mind-blowing, it's a recipe for a show that can't be missed. V had the potential to be the show that changed the very face of TV Science Fiction forever. I am not exaggerating when I say this, because this show really was that good. It is so imaginative and exciting, like a soap opera and action movie combined with the unique and unusual genre that is the essence of science fiction. There wasn't a single episode of this series that I didn't love, the cast is as good as a cast can be, and the writing is the kind of creative stuff that Hugo and Saturn awards are made of. V was the heart and soul of a potential Sci-Fi return to the top of network television, but they made the mistake of putting it on ABC and for that V paid with it's life.

Dark House

Starring: Meghan Ory, Jeffery Combs, & Ryan Melanger

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The fourth time is the charm for the Fangoria Frightfest! The acclaimed horror festival has been a complete bust up until it's fourth film, Dark House. This is a highly imaginative film, with one hell of a twist in the end, and as all of my regular readers know, I love a good twist at the end! Dark House is Walston's newest haunted attraction, featuring state of the art technology, that promises to rattle even the most fearless of people. Aside from the new technology, the big draw for Dark House is that it is the actual house where a ghastly mass murder took place years earlier. Besides it's cool effects, what I really liked about this film was the strong background story that goes along with it. Yes, it does eventually become a gorefest, but it comes after you've been watching a really interesting story for quite some time. As for the gore, it's not what you usually see either, as it's done in a b-movie style. This was really interesting to me, as the attraction features state of the art technology, but the actual murder scenes look like something out of a cheesy 70s film. The stars of the film are mostly newcomers, and as expect some were great, while others need more school, but it's a fairly large cast, so those actors who aren't very good, didn't have much screen time. Dark House will make you jump, make you laugh, and shock you with it's surprise ending. There's a simple plot, that's easy to follow, and an interesting back story for those of us who like to think a little bit. It is really everything I look for in a Horror film and more.

Red State (2011)

Starring: Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, & Kyle Gallner

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Kevin Smith's latest film does not feature Jay or Silent Bob, and it's most defiantly not what you're used to seeing from the acclaimed director. Smith not only directed and wrote this film, but he also produced it independently, keeping it out of theaters, but how come? The answer is simple, it's Smith's unique personality and ability to show a film in a context that is as real as possible. Red State is a fictional type story that resembles and mocks the events in Waco. Three High School kids, from a small town, decide to use the internet to find a prostitute. They think they found a bargain, but when they arrived they quickly discovered that all their lives are now in danger. The woman who placed the add, belongs to a religious cult, who owns a compound, where they execute sinners. Michael Parks plays the leader of this group, Abin Copper, and in ever sense of the word he is nothing but brillient! As the pastor with two personalities, a public and private persona, Parks is able to really give us an inside look at what is really going on inside the minds of these people, it really was a great performance. The other standout from this cast is John Goodman, who plays the lead FBI agent in charge, who has to battle his conscious at the same time he's battling Cooper. Red State is a dark and extremely graphic depiction of what life is like in an ultra religious, super conservative environment. Some of the graphic speeches and violence can be hard to watch, but the acting is off the charts good, and you can't ask for a more creative or innovative writer than Kevin Smith. As usual, this film isn't for everyone, but I really loved it.

The Ultimate Movie Review's End of The Year Poll!

 The Ultimate Movie Review's End of The Year Poll!

Hey movie fans! First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their support, for following my blog, and for continuing to visit my little corner of the web. I am a movie fanatic and it's a pleasure to share with you what I watch every week and what I think you'll like as much as I did.

Another year has come on gone! This year was a difficult one between school, work, natural disasters, and computer failures, but I still managed to post 119 reviews bringing our total up to 386! In return, 17,000 of you have visited the site and I hope it helped you find something good to watch!

The Ultimate Movie Review has gotten pretty big! My reviews are featured on Netflix, GetGlue, and IMDB and I am a Super Reviewer on Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes! In addition many reviews have been picked up by other various sites and magazines! The blog has surpassed my every expectation, but it's still not enough for me!

I need your help to make this blog really explode and become a more popular destination for moviegoers! So...

I created a web poll so that you will be able to tell me what you like, what you don't, and what you think I can do better! Here's your chance to make The Ultimate Movie Review a huge success! Please take the poll, share the poll, and be as honest as possible!

The Ultimate Movie Review's End of The Year Poll! 

Blitz

Starring: Jason Statham, Aiden Gillen, & Zawe Ashton

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jason Statham has established himself as the premiere action star of generation X and he shows why in Blitz! Unlike many of Statham's films, this one isn't just about shooting people, it's actually a great thriller, about a serial killer in London, who is targeting the police. That being said, straight action films are supposed to be exciting and fast paced, but when it's more of a thriller, it needs to slow down a bit. I was impressed by Blitz, but I honestly felt like I was watching the film in fast forward. Statham's character is also a bit of a change from what his fans will be used to. Brant is a crude, tough cop, who doesn't follow any rules and is actually quite funny. I honestly never saw Statham as someone who could pull off a role that involved humor, but he was amazing in this movie. His performance as well as that of "the killers" really enhanced this film. I'm most definitely an action junkie and I've seen quite a few Jason Statham films, and I can honestly say that this is the best one I've seen. The action scenes are intense, the story is intriguing, and Statham's character is the kind of cop that audiences will fall in love with. Action is a very repetitive genre and it's truly refreshing when you find an action film with a big star and great story attached to it.

Paranormal Activity 3

Starring: Lauren Bittner, Chris Smith, Chloe Csengery, & Jessica Brown

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Paranormal Activity started the phenomenon of films that are shot on camcorder. At the time, it was considered to be revolutionary, but at this point it's getting a little old. How many of these camcorder films have actually been successful? ...and don't you get just the slightest bit nauseated by the constant movement of the camera? I guess that's for you to decide, back to the film. In the third installment of Paranormal Activity, we learn what happened to Katie and her sister when they were little. To be honest with you, I was pretty into this film until the last twenty minutes or so. Without spoiling it for ya, lets just say the story takes a dramatic turn away from the storyline. The result of this is that the overall story isn't as creepy and really doesn't make as much sense as it should. Paranormal Activity was never that scary to begin with, the film plays on the audience by having things suddenly jump out at them, but the story itself has gotten far less creepier as the series has gone on. Part 3 and 4 do have different writer/directors and that may be part of the problem. The first one freaked me out, the second one was a little slow, but also did the trick, and this one really didn't scare me. They relied much more on making the audience jump than they did on scaring them with the actual story. Number three didn't stick with me for days afterward, the way one and two did. As for the cast, they were all newcomers and the little girls were absolutely terrific! This series has a way of finding newcomers who seem like they've been acting for decades. Paranormal Activity 3 is good for a few cheap jumps and laughs, but the ending was really disappointing, leading me to think less of this film than I do of the other two.

Hunger (2009)

Starring: Lori Huering, Linden Ashby, & Joel Egender

Rating: 1 1/2 out of 5 stars

Fangoria Frightfest film number three is Hunger, which many people have compared to Saw. Yeah, this movie is Saw, if Saw had the people locked in an empty room, had no budget, and Jigsaw was a mute cannibal. Hunger is most defiantly a ten on the gross out scale, but besides that it has absolutely nothing going for it. Seldom have I seen a horror film that is as pointless or moves as slowly as Hunger did. The film is only one hundred minutes, but it felt as though I was watching it for days! The star of the film is veteran horror actress, Lori Huering, whose character is pretty well written, but is also unfortunately as dull as the rest of the cast. Most reviews for Hunger have been favorable and I can't understand that. Aside from the victims arguing with each other, there is hardly any dialogue. There is also zero character development, which is crucial in a film like this. If the audience doesn't give two shits about the victims or what happens to them, then what's the point? Hunger tries to shock you with it's level of gore, but more concerning is the lack of substance and the laziness of the film makers. Yes, the ripped off most of their ideas from Saw. Saw had a tremendous villain and a fascinating story that spawned six squeals, while this film is so lazy that after a month of isolation, the men's beards didn't even grow! Somehow, Hunger got to be part of a major horror festival, but it most defiantly represents the festivals lowest point.