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!