The Factory

Starring: John Cusack, Jennifer Carpenter, & Dallas Roberts

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Crime dramas that are based on a true story are always the best kind of crime dramas, because it really is impossible to make up some of the bizzare fucked up things that go on inside the criminal mind. The Factory follows the investigation into the disappearance of prostitutes in Buffalo, New York, that takes a personal turn when one of the detectives daughters is abducted. John Cusack plays the lead detective and is terrific as always, this guy is so intense in everything that he does, from a dark crime drama like this to a comedy like Hot Tub Time Machine, Cusack always puts it all on the line and the viewers really do appreciate it. He's paired with a young, beautiful partner played by Jennifer Carpenter who feeds off the veteran actor to give a strong performance herself. This movie was a textbook crime drama, that followed both the investigation into the suspect, as well as the activities of the suspect. It was a tremendous story, but what I didn't like is that you knew exactly who the suspect was and where he worked right from the beginning of the film, there was no mystery too it, but the writer makes up for that with a twist in the end that I promise you won't see coming. The twist is jaw dropping and probably right from the true story, but for me, it kind of ruined the film. The Factory was great up until that point, and while I was shocked over what happened, it wasn't exactly what I wanted to see happen. Sometimes you don't know what's going to happen, but you have in your mind the way you want the story to end, and when the film all of a sudden goes in a completely different direction at the very end, you start to wonder if you didn't see it sooner, because it just wasn't written well enough. It's a very cool movie, albeit a little creepy. The Factory has some great performances and is definitely worth seeing, despite the fact that it leaves you craving something different.

The Commish

Starring: Michael Chiklis, Theresa Saldana, Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Geoffrey Nauffts, Jason Schombing, Melinda McGraw, Dayna Cornborough, & John Cygan

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Long before he was cracking skulls as Vic Mackey on The Shield, Michael Chiklis was Tony Scali, the Commissioner of the East Bridge Police Department. The show launched Chiklis's career and when you've seen both The Commish and The Shield, you really get the sense that this guy could play any role. Scali was the complete opposite of Mackey, whereas Mackey solved his problems through violence and intimidation, throwing the book out the window, Scali solved crime by using the book to his advantage. Scali would use his cleverness, his charm, and even his wit to get the answers he needed and was the true opposite of Vic Mackey in every sense of the word. The Commish was so much more than just a simple cop show, it was a family show, and during it's five year run on ABC it was way ahead of it's time. The show ran from 1991-1995 and even then was exploring such topics as bullying, gay marriage, the emergence of the internet, and in one first season episode, way back in 1991, Tony states that reality TV was the wave of the future! Scali wasn't just the clever cop who ran a large police department and solved crimes through extremely clever and unconventional methods, he was a family man. Much of the show intertwines his work with his family and he's just as clever, witty, and delightful at home as he is in the station. As I said earlier, this show launched the career of Michael Chiklis who now is a multiple Emmy Award winner and one of the best people you could have on board for a new series. Veteran actress, Theresa Saldana, plays his wife Rachel, and she's more than just a housewife. She's just as intuitive as her husband and is a working mom, another aspect of the show that was ahead of it's time. Their son David, was the first major role for Kaj-Erik Eriksen, who has seemingly been in everything. You may not recognize his name, but you'll definitely recognize his face from one thing or another. I have been watching the Commish regularly for about 3 months now and I can tell you honestly, this show never gets old. No two cases or personalities are the same, and you'd be hard pressed to find award winning novels that are better written. This is one of the most clever, fun, and heartwarming shows I have ever seen, and even though it's been off the air for nearly 20 years, it's still as relevant today as it was then and I can not possible recommend it enough.

Brotherhood (2010)

Starring: Trevor Morgan, Jon Foster, & Lou Taylor Pucci

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

When a fraternity decides to play a prank on several of their pledges, something goes wrong, leading to a chaotic night, but can they work together to fix their problems, or will they just make it worse? That is the question posed in Brotherhood, the debut film from Writer/Director, Will Cannon. This was a short, fast-paced film, that was quite enjoyable, if not somewhat less than believable. With this film, Cannon shows the power fraternities have and shows the importance of fitting in at college, while asking the question is it worth it no matter the cost? The cast was a fun one for me, as its made up almost entirely of former child actors. Trevor Morgan and Jon Foster are the leads and while they play the complete opposites of one another, they also manage to give performances that are complete opposites as well. Morgan was intense and really had you buying into the story, even the parts that were pure Hollywood. Foster on the other hand was as annoying as an actor could be, if I could have gotten off the couch and slapped him, I would have. Brotherhood isn't going to win any awards, but it's an entertaining story that is far from predictable, with a cast of people you're not used to seeing all grown up, drinking, and throwing the F bomb around. It's a short film that cuts through the bull shit and gets right to it's point, that part was a real change of pace, but personally I could have done without unbelievable Hollywood element that was added to it in certain places. This is a good film, with a clear message, which should have been as real as possible, but there is an element of Hollywood involved and it really does take away from an otherwise entertaining film.

Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, & Emma Watson

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I've never been the kind of person that buys into hype and to be honest, I hate most big budget films, So until this weekend, I've avoided everything Harry Potter. That being said, I have never met anyone who had anything bad to say about the Potter films, so I finally decided to give it a shot, and boy was I surprised! For those select few who don't know the story, Harry Potter is the son of two legendary wizards, who was hidden with distant relatives, in order to protect him. Until his eleventh birthday, he had no idea that he was famous or had the potential to be the most power wizard the world has ever known. Potter is invited to join the Hogwarts school of wizardry and that is when the adventure begins. British Actor, Daniel Radcliffe, plays Potter and is nothing short of spectacular. Before the Potter films, Radcliffe had very limited acting experience and many say, he got the part, because of his resemblance to Harry Potter on the cover of the book. That may be how he got the part, but he defiantly shows he has the talent to go along with the right look. His performance was terrific, but there is something to be said about having the right Director, and Christopher Columbus was the perfect choice. Columbus has a ton of experience working with young newcomers in films with high expectations. Overall, the story is extremely well written, the young cast was refreshing and full of energy, the direction was stellar, and the set, costumes, and effects were some of the best I've ever seen. I'm not going to go run out and join a quitage team, but I am going to see the rest of the series. Harry Potter is a huge budget franchise, but for once, a blockbuster film does live up to the hype, and earns the title of a must see movie!

11:59

Starring: Raymond Bailey, Megan Heffernan, & Samara Frame

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

11:59 is as indie as independent films get and from the very beginning you could tell, this was not a film that had any kind of budget. The film is yet another take on Groundhog Day, as a man wakes up in a field, missing 24 hours. He goes about his day trying to figure out what happened, when miraculously he winds up back in the missing day and continues to re-live it. Being that this film had no budget, it was up to the cast to make it believable and worthwhile, unfortunately they fail miserably at it. I get that they were all newcomers, looking for their big break, but the performances here are beyond awful. The lead is played by Raymond Bailey, who has no personality. He actually had long scenes where he wonders around aimlessly, without saying a word, and just doesn't know what to do with himself. The rest of the cast was also terrible, ranging from boring to completely over the top. I've seen a lot of a bad movies and most didn't have the story to work with, that 11:59 did. I can honestly say never have I seen a cast of people who were less qualified to be on the screen. The low budget meant no special effects and no big named actors, but in order to make the film work, they had to give us something, but didn't! When I wasn't in shock over how bad the acting was, I was bored out of my mind, this movie was nothing but a huge waste of time!

Black Snake Moan

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, & Justin Timberlake

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Samuel L. Jackson is legendary and he has the unique ability to turn even a strange movie like this, into something that is worth watching. Black Snake Moan is a really ridiculous story, full of odd symbolism that just really doesn't make any sense. Jackson plays Lazarus, a loner who lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere. He's a deeply religious man, whose wife just left him for his brother. Lazarus responded to this by locking himself away and putting all he has into his farm. One morning he finds a badly beaten girl, with a reputation, laying in the road and decides to help her, but he soon comes to believe that this girl is possessed and that God sent her too him for help. Not knowing what to do, Lazarus takes this sex crazed, drug addict and chains her to the wall of his house. Throughout this film, there are all kinds of symbols that don't make any sense. There are scenes featuring an old blues singer talking nonsense, scenes of the town that we almost never see, and perhaps strangest of all, there are moles added to Jackson's face, something you don't see except it cases of a biography. As for the performances, they were terrific, This is the best performance I've ever seen Christina Ricci give and she really gave Jackson a run for his money. Jackson, was also great, giving what you expect to see from him, albeit with less swearing than usual. The performances were really the only thing this film did have going for it as the events that take place just don't make any sense. The film jumps around, leaving things unfinished, and personalities seem to change as often as the wind blows. It's a pet peeve of mine, but I really hate when great performances are wasted on a film that is so poorly written, that it's almost unwatchable. Black Snake Moan is sloppy, jumps around without finishing things, and at times just doesn't make sense. It was an interesting idea with a terrific cast, but the people behind it were clearly in way over their head and just didn't really seem to know where they were going or even what they were doing.