The Collection (2012)

Starring: Josh Stewart, Emma Fitzpatrick, & Lee Tergesen

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Collection starts off right where 2009's The Collector leaves off. The former was such a popular direct-to-video rental, that it's sequel actually wound up on the big screen, and how it avoided an NC-17 rating is beyond me. I've seen a ton of Horror movies, it's one of my favorite genres, so I can say, without hesitation that The Collection is one of the creepiest, goriest, and most clever Horror films I have ever seen. This crazed man in a mask is looking to collect certain types of people and if they pass his test, they can join his collection. If they fail, they become experiments in human suffering. In the first film, we see career criminal, Arkin O'Brien, fighting for his life. In the sequel, we see Arkin escape and lead a band of mercenaries back to the Collectors hideout, in order to rescue a captured rich girl. Of course once they get there, they find a maze of terror that rivals any film you've ever seen. I thought some of the machines in the Saw films were clever, but until you see this film, you haven't seen anything yet! How people come up with these things is beyond rational thought. Of all the ways to torture people, to come up with machines and techniques that exceed everything we've seen before is just sick...sick and very cool. The cast is the same as in every Horror movies, a bunch of dumb, no named actors, following a couple of smart people in order to stay alive as long as they can. What's special here is the story, the affects, and the level of depravity. The Collection is one of the most violent and gruesome Horror films to come along in years. It's the first step in the evolution of Horror that fans have been waiting for for years.

21 Jump Street

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, & Dave Franco

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

I used to watch the TV show 21 Jump Street, and while it was clever, I didn't think it was anything special. When I heard they were making a movie, it peeked my interest, but the previews made it look like it would be God awful, in one of the worst marketing campaigns for a film I've ever seen. After hearing some good things from friends and being that it had a good cast, I decided to give the film a shot and it far exceeded my expectations. Two of the dumbest and most immature cops on the force are sent on an undercover mission to infiltrate a local High School and find out where a new designer drug is coming from. Right from the start you could tell the film would lean more to the comedic side as opposed to the show, which was more dramatic. Going the comedic way, especially with the cast they had, was the right way to go, but much of the film was still unbelievable. Anyone who believes that either Jonah Hill or Channing Tatum could even come close to passing for High School student are completely out of their minds. Also, the speed in which these two idiots went from being the worst cops on the force to celebrated heroes was ridiculous. It would have been far more enjoyable if these guys just sorta stumbled into solving the crime, rather than all of a sudden becoming great cops. As for the cast, Jonah Hill continues to be the most underrated comedic actor in Hollywood. I have yet to see this guy do a bad movie. Channing Tatum was pretty good too, he's known more for his looks than his talent, but he fit his role extremely well. It was probably written specifically for his persona, similar to his role in Magic Mike, but he still is very good. Finally, the cast is rounded out by Dave Franco, the younger and better looking brother of James Franco, who for the very first time shows that he is more than just a kid, getting work because of his brother. He was very solid and perhaps the most believable and likeable character in this film. 21 Jump Street is nothing new, it's another cop movie that blends comedy and action, like almost every other Lethal Weapon wannabe. The story isn't better than the rest, but it is funnier than most of the other films and it has some terrific cameos.

Men In Black 3

Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, & Josh Brolin

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

The formula for trilogies is simple, the first one is amazing, the second one is terrible, and the third one is pretty good. Almost all trilogies seem to follow this format, but Men In Black has always played by a different set of rules and as it turns out, the third film was far and away the best of the trilogy. In this installment of MIB, the notorious Boris The Animals escapes from his prison on the Moon. This is significant, because putting Boris away is what made Agent K's career and cost Boris an arm. Boris, determined to change things, goes back in the past to kill K. Once he does, everything descends into chaos and the Earth is at risk, so Agent J, goes back in time to stop him. Once in 1969, J enters into a strange new world where he sees that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Josh Brolin plays the younger K and is absolutely terrific, it was amazing and hysterical how he captures and mimics every single one of Tommy Lee Jones mannerisms to a tee. Will Smith is his usual self, with his quick one liners and terrific actions scenes, he hasn't missed a beat, even all these years later. For as good as the acting in this film was, the story is even better. Watching this film it's hard to believe the story is based on a comic book, because the writing really was tremendous. They took a step back and show what MIB and it's agents were like 40 years ago, at the very beginning and it was really interesting to see. Men In Black 3 is far and away the best of the trilogy and one of Will Smith's best films in years. Science Fiction is usual a narrow genre, that isn't for everyone, but this film does have something for everyone and for that it gets the label of a can't miss movie.

Nothing To Lose

Starring: Tim Robbins, Martin Lawrence, & Kelly Preston

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Before Hollywood got it's hands on him, Martin Lawrence was an outrageous and hilarious stand-up comedian. In recent years, he was been toned down, in an effort to turn him into another Will Smith, but back in the day, there were few who were as funny or extreme as Martin Lawrence. Nothing To Lose is a great example of just how good, Lawrence was during his prime. The story follows Nick Beam, (Tim Robbins) a man who has seen something that no man should ever see. Devastated and downtrodden, Beam drops everything and goes for a drive, when a street thug named T, (Martin Lawrence) puts a gun in his face and tries to take his car. Beam's responds by laughing and saying, "Boy did you pick the wrong guy on the wrong day," and then he floors it, taking us into an improbably, but terrific adventure. Ever since his portrayal of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, Tim Robbins has been tight-cased into these high profile dramatic roles, making it hard to remember that he actually got his start doing comedy. The lanky, loveable, anger-crazed man he plays in this film is absolutely hysterical. The chemistry between Robbins and Lawrence is what makes this film work. They both have a distinct form of comedy that you wouldn't expect to work as well as it does, but I can say without hesitation that this under the radar comedy is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a very long time.

Blow (2001)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, & Paul Reubens

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I have always believed, with an exception here and there, that Johnny Depp was extremely overrated as an actor. His good looks, combined with his outlandish characters, often earn him more credit than he deserves. Having watched the film, Blow, for the first time this weekend, It was very easy to see that Depp does in fact have a lot of talent, and can play more than just a Disney character with too much make-up. I though Depp was good in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, but he gives, by far, his best performance to date in Blow. For those unfamiliar with this true story, Depp plays George Jung, an American who worked for the Median Cartel and was responsible for bringing in an estimated 80% of all the cocaine in The United States, during the 70s and 80s. The story starts with his suburban upbringing and follows his rise to power and finally his fall from grace. Blow was very reminiscent of the kind of film you usually see from Leonard DiCaprio, and while he would have done a nice job in the lead, even he would be hard pressed to top the performance given by Johnny Depp. In the performance of a lifetime, Depp takes you through every aspect of this mans life with ease and really gave us a rare, inside look into Pablo Escobar's operation. He's paired with the lovely Penelope Cruz, who was a disaster playing Jung's wife. Her performance was nominated for a Razzie, as the worst female performance of the year, with good reason. Throughout the film, She's hard to understand and often times screaming like a lunatic. Her character was a very important part of Jung's life and they couldn't have done a worse job of casting. They needed a good looking Latin American woman to portray the part and Cruz was the top name at the time, but her sloppy performance really takes away from an interesting film. I found Blow to be a fascinating look into the other side of the war on drugs. Often times we only hear about what the FBI is doing, but not about the trade itself. Blow is original, cutting edge, and really a terrific film that shouldn't be missed.

Black Irish

Starring: Michael Angarano, Brenden Gleeson, & Melissa Leo

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

This is not an original story, it seems that in recent years we have been flooded with stories that are very similar to this. It was very well done though, with an all-star cast, and a few twists in the story. Black Irish is another story about an Irish family living in Boston. Dad's an alcoholic, Mom is as strict as they come, the older brother is into crime, the older sister is facing a life changing decision, and Cole McKay (Michael Angarano) is stuck in the middle. The story chronicles a year in the life of the McKay family and features many changes that oddly happen all at once. The story wasn't anything special, but it was done in a way that wasn't as predictable as some of the other Boston family films, none of the characters are cops, and there is even some humor thrown in here and there. Being a lifelong baseball fan, that angle of Cole's life was the one I really related to and it helped the film to stand out even a little more. Oscar winner, Melissa Leo, does an amazing job and really puts the emotions into context. Everyone in the McKay family is a tough guy, they don't feel anything, and while she appears to be the strictest one of all, she's the one who really expresses the emotions that everyone must have felt. Angarano wasn't bad either, but I've seen him in things before and as usual, he lacks any kind of expression, he just always seems to go with the flow and do an adequate job, but nothing else. The big surprise of this film was seeing Tom Guiry, A.K.A. Smalls from the Sandlot as a tough, Boston-area, criminal. Seeing the sweet, innocent, kid I grew up know as Scotty Smalls, turn into a fowl mouthed, tough ass, drug dealer was pretty funny. Overall, Black Irish isn't a bad film, it's entertaining and it's unpredictable. There are a lot of different angles and the film moves quickly through the story, but the performances were a mixed bag, and a lot of aspects seemed to mirror similar films. If you don't watch a lot of movies, you'll love this film, but if you're a fanatic and you watch this, you'll probably be able to easily list a dozen films that are very similar.

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

Starring: Julianna Moore, Woody Harrelson, & Ellary Porterfield

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

After seeing this film, I knew it had to be a true story, and sure enough it was. The story of The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is a terrific one, that you just couldn't make up. The book was written by one of a families ten children, about their mother and how she raised their entire family by winning sweepstakes, which were extremely popular in the 50's and 60's. The Ryan family was your typical suburban family, Kelly (Woody Harrelson) worked in a mill and spends most of his paycheck on alcohol. That leaves Evelyn (Julianna Moore) to raise 10 kids on almost no money. Evelyn was in advertising before she became a housewife and had a knack for writing slogans and jingles. As a result of her circumstances, she entered every contest she could find and surprisingly won a large number of them, despite the odds. She won the house they live in, as well as most of the appliances, and even a few cars they sold. The story was truly fantastic and a wonderful tribute to a woman, who in some ways could be considered a modern day working mother. Evelyn was played by Julianna Moore, who gives the performance of her life. Once again, an independent film is overlooked by the Academy, but had this been a major release, there is no doubt in my mind that Moore would have won the Oscar, she is really that good. A good portion of the story is focused on this extraordinary woman, but we do meet her husband and we see her kids at various ages and walks of live. It seems like a movie that could quickly fizzle out, but life is never slow or boring in the Kelly household. On a side note, the author of the book, Evelyn's oldest daughter really made a name for herself with this book and made a cameo at the end of the film. Unfortunately, her career was short lived, as she passed away shortly after the films release. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is the kind of tribute we'd all love to give our parents, but most of our parents didn't do the extraordinary things Evelyn Ryan did. It's a heartwarming story that shows no matter how bad things get, there is always a way, and that's a message we can all relate to.

Warm Bodies

Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, & John Malkovich

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Love comes into play in almost every feature film you will ever see. It comes in many forms and often times, entire movies are centered on it. Those are basically the film that I loath, but Warm Bodies was different for the simple fact that it has everything! From love and romance to apocalyptic Science Fiction, this film has something for everyone! In this world, a virus has spread and left the world in ruins. Several human settlements still exist, but they are the food source and they are surrounded. The film begins with a group of teenagers traveling into the danger zone in order to find medicine for their settlement, when they are attacked. It looks like they're all done for, when a zombie named R sees one of the girls and decides to save her instead of eat her. For some reason this girl evoked emotion in R, which led to memories. Soon the other zombies in R's group start having memories and decide to convince the humans that they are changing. Are they really changing though or is it a ploy? Love is the cure is kind of a hoke concept, but it is our most powerful emotion and it seemed plausible that this feeling could evoke memories. Nicholas Hoult (forever known as that kid from About A Boy) stars as R and is terrific. It might not take a lot of talent to play a zombie, but to play one that is learning to be human again is no easy task. Hoult plays the part perfectly and is the reason this film is believable. John Malkovich is also in Warm Bodies and while he's not playing a hilarious bad guy, he still adds a different dynamic to the film, getting involved in much of the action sequences. Warm Bodies is a refreshingly unique story that will appeal to a large audience. The Walking Dead it's not, but it still has enough bite to keep the audience that's not into all the classic romantic stuff. To be honest, I thought it might be good for a few laughs, but I never thought this film would be as good as it was. It has a message and makes an impact, while being a funny, edge of your seat thriller. This was really not something I would usually go for, but my recent Walking Dead inspired zombie craze put it on my radar and it was an amazing ride.

Observe and Report

Starring: Seth Rogan, Anna Faris, & Ray Liotta

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Observe and Report is a great film, if you're 12 years old and find the obsessive use of the 'F' word funny. I usually love Seth Rogan, I think he's one of the best comedic actors out there, but unfortunately every actor is going to have a few misses. Observe and Report is one of those films that just doesn't cut it. In the film, Seth Rogan plays Ronnie Barnhardt, who is the equivalent of Paul Blart on a bad trip. He's a mall cop, who is obsessed with his job and with the hot girl who works the make-up counter at the local department store. Literally the only funny part of this movie is the flasher, that Ronnie is trying to catch. It's simplistic humor, but a man running around a mall, flashing his penis at people, and making dirty comments is funny! The rest of this film is not, as it's one big racist, childish, romp, through a world of sex, drugs, and the abuse of power. Rogan is terrific, but his character was a rambling, confused, uneducated guy, that just wears on every last nerve. Observe and Report is a film that has been done, many times and in many different ways. The producers hoped that an all-star cast would help the film, but sadly it doesn't. The film plays as though it was written by a teenager, and all that's missing is the fart jokes. I'm a big Seth Rogan fan, but I was sadly disappointed by this film.

Thelma & Louise

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, & Brad Pitt

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Nearly twenty-five years after it's release, Thelma & Louise is still heralded as a classic, and is on most critics best films list. For years I'd heard about how outrageous and empowering this film is, but I'd never seen it in it's entirety. I've seen bits and pieces on cable and seen parodies of it, but I really never saw anything that made me want to watch it. The story is an interesting one about these two ladies who go on a weekend vacation. The ladies go drinking and partying, which gets them into some trouble and leads to them going on the run. This is one of those films that has those classic moments that really shine over the rest of the film. I found Thelma & Louise to be quite forgettable, but it's those particular scenes that will stay with me. The cast was in class all it's own and I think that's why the critics loved this film so much. Thelma & Louise may have been revolutionary for 1992, but in 2013, it's really not all that extreme, and in the years since, there have been so many copycats, that it's hard to differentiate it from all the similar stories that came after it. Geena Davis is just unbelievably good as Thelma. I love Geena Davis, I think she's extremely underrated, and it's her performance that makes this film work. How she doesn't win the Oscar for her portrayal of Thelma is beyond me. Susan Sarandon wasn't bad either, she's not really known for comedy and too me, she'll always be the one who prevented Bull Durham from being THE ultimate baseball film, but she was impressive. The cast member that was most interesting to me, was the young drifter, played by a good looking newcomer named Brad Pitt. In his first major film, Brad Pitt was so much different from the man we know today, it really showed the age of this film and just how much things can change in a relatively short period of time. It's hard to believe, but it was almost exactly five years after this films release that he starred in Se7en. As I said previously, this film is considered to be one of the best films of all time and it's gain that reputation because of it's performances and stand out scenes. Thelma & Louise have their moments on their little adventure, but in the end, it's familiar, predictable, and forgettable.

YellowBrickRoad

Starring: Clark Freeman, Cassidy Freeman, & Anessa Ramsey

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

The only thing disturbing about this movie is that someone actually agreed to make it. I understand that it's an independent film, written, directed, and starring first timers, but anyone who read this script had to have known it just wouldn't work! Don't get me wrong, the story they had was extremely solid, and they could have taken it in a million different directions, any other direction than the one they took. The story starts 70 years ago, when an entire town randomly decides to follow a path into the woods and are never heard from again. The FBI investigated, covered up whatever they found, and kept the whole area off limits, until a random group of people decide to investigate for themselves and write a book about their experiences. First of all, this group of people have no connection to the town, people, or even each other, so why do this? Second, for 70 years the FBI has kept the area off limits to everyone, so what makes this group so special? These idiots march into the woods and the only thing they find is music playing, music that gets progressively louder until it drives them insane. The music is from the Wizard of Oz, but the producers were too cheap to buy the rights to the music from the Wizard of Oz, so it's very similar melodies with different words that nearly drove me to insanity. These idiots romp through the woods makes the Blair Witch Project look like an Oscar worthy film by comparison. It's a lot of talking, and crying, and yelling, that leads to an ending that is by far one of the dumbest fucking things I have ever seen. The ending is the strangest part of all, in that it builds up and plays like it's some huge twist, which maybe it would have been had it made any sense at all. The acting was terrible, the direction was all over the place, and the film destroys the story worst than Paula Deen destroyed her career. This is one film you should absolutely avoid!

State's Evidence

Starring: Douglas Smith, Kris Lemche, & Alexa Vega

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

State's Evidence is a twisted, independent film, with a weird story, and an unbelievable ending. This film moves from one extreme to the other and really threw me for a curve, but the ending is so spectacular that it truly makes the whole movie worth while. Scott Byers (Douglas Smith) plays a young man who has decided to kill himself and if that wasn't bad enough he wants to do it on video for the world to see. Byers tells his friends of his plan and claims that once you know your fate, you are truly free to be yourself and do whatever your heart really desires. Not only does his group of introverted friends buy it hook, line, and sinker, but they ultimately decide to join him. The story eventually takes an ominous turn, when one of his friends darkest desires emerge, putting the whole group at serious risk. This film had a very low budget, so low in fact, that half of the film is shot by the actors themselves, on camcorder. It was a little stranger, but made for some interesting scenes. The cast is made up mostly of young actors who have little to no big screen experience, but you would never know it, because they were terrific. Movies like this can sometimes be a bit unpredictable and the solid performances given by the cast will really have you buying into ever emotion and situation their characters are feeling. Unfortunately, it's not all good news for State's Evidence, because while the beginning was intriguing and the ending was fantastic, the middle of the movie is very slow and seems to drag on, making it a challenge to even make it to the terrific ending. Most of this film chronicles a day in the life of a group of High School rejects and it most definitely has it moments. State's Evidence features a great young cast and an ending that will blow your mind, but parts of it drag on and the film felt a lot longer than it actually was and that's never a good sign.