Lords of Dogtown

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Heath Ledger, & John Robinson
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Lords of Dogtown is a film about the legendary Z-Boys, who are credited with the creation of modern day skateboarding. The film chronicles the height of their success in the late 70's and their struggles in creating and rising to the top of a whole new industry. The story is terrific, written by one of the actual Z-Boys, but the way it was filmed was problematic. The beginning of the film is very choppy and confusing, honestly it's difficult to know who is who and what's going on until about the half way point of the film. The Z-Boys are the basis and stars of the film, but it's Heath Ledger who steals the show. He really had a gift for picking up on every mannerism and movement a person makes. People who know his character, Skip, say it's scary how much like him Ledger was. He was a truly gifted actor who would have been a legend. As for the film, it was interesting and a lot of information about a sport I always liked but never really thought much about. It's a bit confusing and shot in a weird style, but overall it really was pretty good.

In The Valley of Elah

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones & Charlize Theron
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In The Valley of Elah is a true story, that follows the disappearance and murder of a solider, recently returning home from Iraq. Tommy Lee Jones plays that soldiers father, a retired Military Police Officer, who launches his own investigation, and he continues to be the best actor I've ever seen. Jones rightfully received an Academy Award Nomination for this role and really should have won. No matter the film, no matter if it's good or bad, Jones simply steals the show and makes it work. Charlize Theron was also terrific as the Detective who wanted to solve the case that nobody else wanted. In most things I've seen her in, I didn't like her, but here her performance actually rivals Jones's. This film is extremely well written and very methodical. If The Valley of Elah can't keep your attention and have you on the edge of seat, talking to the screen, than nothing else will. This is honestly one of the best written, acted, and important films I've seen in a very long time. This one's going on the must see list and you will defiantly not be disappointed!

Coming Soon...

Seriously... I can't wait! Generally I hate super hero movies, but I've always loved Batman!

The Day After Tomorrow

Starring: Dennis Quaid & Jake Gyllenhaal
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

In The Day After Tomorrow, the writers take a real life theory and magnify it by a billion, turning it into a apocalyptic special effects thrill ride. Something that is supposed to happen in thousands of years, happens in a couple days, with Jack and Sam Hall caught in the middle. While one is trapped in hard hit New York City, the other must track across the country to save him. Okay, it's a little cheesy and the acting isn't the best, but the special effects are some of the best I've ever seen. I like that it's based on fact and a look into a possible future, well beyond my lifetime and overall it was extremely entertaining. Many of my fellow reviews considered the film to be a warning on global warming, but that's really crazy. Unless you're Al Gore, you should see this movie for what it is. A bunch of smart writers having fun with a scientific theory that may or may not come true one day.

In Time

Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, & Cillian Murphy
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Time is money and money is time in Andrew Niccol's epic, In Time. In this film, human beings are genetically engineered. At the age of twenty-five, your clock starts ticking and your goal is to work in order to survive. The wealthy are immortal, while the poor die at a young age. The story is refreshingly unique and the film is done very well. Justin Timberlake stars, and shows that he's come a long way in a short time. When I heard he was starring in this film, I thought it would be another great idea destroyed by a cast of good looking people who can't act, but I was wrong. Timberlake shows he's got definite potential to be a big action star and that his n'suck days are way behind him. Cillian Murphy is also terrific as the timekeeper. What I love about Murphy is even when he's a good guy, he's still the guy you're rooting against. His personality makes him the perfect adversary in just about everything he does. In Time, is original, unique, fast moving, and intense. In a Hollywood full of re-makes, sequels, and uninspiring ideas that mimic one another, In Time is a breath of fresh air and was one of the most enjoyable and original films I've seen all year.

The Hunger Games

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, & Alexander Ludwig
Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Hunger Games was everything I expected, but not more than that. I am a huge fan of the series, having read all the books months ago, but I've avoided the movie until all the hype died down, so that I could give an honest opinion, and here it is. The film was terrific, one of the best adaptation of a book I've read. Jennifer Lawrence was absolutely perfect as Katniss and if she doesn't get a ton of awards for the role, there is no justice in Hollywood. That's the good news, however the movie was far from perfect. Friends who went with me and had never read the books, found it to be slow, and didn't understand certain things. At times, I could see their point. Several major things were rushed or just left out of the film. This led to some confusion, and then there's Peeta. I love Josh Hutcherson and thought he was terrific, but the portrayal of Peeta wasn't accurate. He was nowhere near as likeable as he is in the books and he comes off looking like kind of a pussy. The end of the games was also problematic, as they changed a key point that I thought was pivotal going into Catching Fire. It will be interesting to see what they do to fix that before the next film. Overall I loved the movie and thought it was awesome, but if you didn't read the books, you might be a little confused by parts of it and see it as slow. Parts of the film that dragged on were explained through thoughts in Katniss's head during the book. Without knowing what was going on at those points, I could see how some audience members may have been bored with it. The movie and especially the books live up to all the hype and are well worth your time, The Hunger Games is something you are not going to want to miss.

Bang Bang You're Dead

Starring: Ben Foster & Tom Cavanagh
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bang Bang You're Dead is a film based on the high school production by the same name and it is easily one of the most powerful and life-changing movies I've ever seen. This film is 11 years old and talks about bullying in schools, how it's a huge problem instead of harmless fun, and how it changes students lives forever. Some students become withdrawn, others depressed, some suicidal, and in the rare cases homicidal. This film follows a bullied student, named Trevor, who is on the edge of becoming all four when his drama teachers asks him to be in the play, Bang Bang You're Dead. It is a play inspired by Columbine, that takes place inside the mind of a school shooter, who is haunted by those he killed. This leads to the main point of this film, will the teacher and play save Trevor or push him over the edge? On a personal note, I was pretty small and got bullied at school, until I hit puberty. This is the first film that was actually able to express all the emotions I've had inside of me for so long. Trevor expresses every feeling and emotion that comes along with being a victim and feeling helpless. By the end of this film, I was crying like a baby. It is honestly one of the most powerful and important films I've ever seen and I only wish that someone would have shown it to me when I was in school.