Sand's Movies

Movie 3 of 2011: Iron Man

2011-01-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

Movie 2 of 2011: Club Dread

2011-01-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

Movie 1 of 2011: Jenifer (Masters of Horror)

2011-01-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

Movie 13 of 2010: Mulberry St.

2010-04-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

If you're desperate for a horror flick... feel free to give Mulberry St. a try. However, I wouldn't recommend it. People are being turned into rats and if they bite other people then they are also infected and start turning into rats. Very slow build-up, yet there was no chance to really "get to know" the characters during that part... and then it just turned into a rat infestation. The ending leaved a lot to be desired as well. Not sure why this was in the "8 Films To Die For" series unless the series means something more along the lines of the movie being so bad it kills you.

Here's the trailer if you're still interested at this point...

Movie 12 of 2010: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

2010-03-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

Loved it as much as always! I never get tired of Captain Jack. :)

Movie 11 of 2010: Blood: The Last Vampire

2010-03-06T21:38:00.000-08:00

Truly enjoyed watching this movie! Some of the martial arts and stuff was a bit over-the-top, but it made it fun rather than overly cheesy. A slightly different take on vampires from what I've seen... especially the most powerful looking vamps in the movie. Great plot all throughout. I was slightly confused by the very end, but it still didn't deter from making the movie great. I highly recommend this to all horror and vampire fans. (well, maybe not the "Twilight crowd" as I'm not sure they could handle all the blood!) Now I need to locate the anime version of this movie to see how it is in comparison. Pretty cool that they turned the anime into a live-action movie!

vs.

Movie 10 of 2010: Alice In Wonderland

2010-03-05T20:10:00.000-08:00

So... I've been waiting for about a year for this movie to come out and have been prepping for it for the last couple of months. I read the original Alice In Wonderland/Through the Looking Class as well as a few spin-off "parodies". I rushed out and pre-ordered the Almost Alice CD as soon as I heard about it and have listened to it in the car daily since I picked it up three days prior to the movie release. As you can see, I was REALLY pumped for this movie!

With that said... I think I got my hopes up TOO high.

Yes, I really enjoyed the movie. Yes, Johnny was great as usual. But... it just wasn't as good as I had hoped.

I hate to admit it, but my favorite character in the movie was actually the Cheshire Cat rather than the Mad Hatter, though the Mad Hatter was probably my second. The cat just cracked me up every time he came on screen. The Mad Hatter character was very creepy at times and hilarious at others. Definitely a great role for Johnny, but not one of his best I don't think. I much prefer him pretending to be Charlie Chaplin in Benny & Joon, Captain Jack in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, or... for a more bizarre role... Willy Wonka in Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. This character just wasn't AS PERFECT for him as some of the others I mentioned.

The storyline for the movie was great though and I enjoyed the specific references that were made back to the original story by Lewis Carroll. The movie was around two hours long, but it didn't feel long at all. It was fast-paced and full of action from the start.

The girl playing Alice did a fabulous role in the movie as well. And as far as the Caterpillar goes... well, Alan Rickman always does a great job, though every movie I hear his voice in I picture Professor Snape still. LOL!

So all in all... a great movie! Though not sure it matters whether you see it in 3D or not because I didn't see where the 3D side of it was "all that". One of the trailers shown in 3D I thought was cooler when it came to the 3D effects. For fans of Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton, or Johnny Depp... this is still a must-see film. I will also buy the DVD once it comes out. It just wasn't as good as I'd hoped.

On a side note, for those curious about taking their little ones to see it.... There are some somewhat scary scenes for young kids. I think if the kid(s) in question don't mind a few "scary monsters" or some slightly gory scenes (gory may not be the word I'm looking for here, but "cringe-worthy" anyway...) then they'll be fine with the movie. (And Laura... I think Gwynn may handle the movie better than you *grin*)

Now I'm just waiting for the next Burton/Depp movie... DARK SHADOWS!!!

There ya have it... my opinion... and spoiler free! :)

Movie 9 of 2010: Crazy Eights

2010-02-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

Extremely creepy and disturbing movie. Unfortunately I didn't quite comprehend the final scene of the movie. Wish it had been more clear as I'm left feeling like I missed something of major importance, yet can't figure out what. Definitely worth watching though and maybe other viewers can help me figure out what happened at the very end.

Movie 8 of 2010: It's Alive

2010-02-14T23:35:00.000-08:00

Decent movie... though very strange. Definitely shows how attached a mother can get to a newborn baby quickly and everything she is willing to do for it. Some of the scenes were quite disturbing as I couldn't believe the baby was actually doing some of the stuff it was doing. The ending also seemed a bit rushed and abrupt and left me wondering what was going to happen to one of the characters. Was creepy though and I jumped a couple times because I wasn't expecting stuff to happen. Worth watching at least once for horror fans.

The trailer appears to show some cut snippets from the movie as well so it must've been intended to be longer initially.

Movie 7 of 2010: Trailer Park of Terror

2010-02-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

A little slow at points and quite a bit gory in other scenes. I had a hard time stomaching a couple of parts where the skin was being ripped and peeled from people's bodies. (Amazing how I can read about this stuff all day long, but seeing it is a whole 'nother ball game!) Overall this was a fun movie. I thought it was going to be a bit more humorous than it was, but the only thing I really found that funny was the soundtrack at times. The music was fun and the lyrics at times made me laugh. Worth checking out if you aren't expecting the new bestselling horror flick and just want something that is a bit of fun. I mean... can you truly go wrong with a bunch of redneck "zombies"?

Movie 6 of 2010: Zombieland

2010-02-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

Enjoyed this one quite a bit, but I was actually expecting it to be even funnier than it was by all the hype it got. I guess that always makes me expect more from a movie and a lot of times leaves me at least slightly disappointed. Definitely had some funny moments though. And scary, for me anyway, with the disturbing zombie clown side I am scared of clowns. *shudder* Of course, if I had been in the movie instead of Woody I would've just stuck with the Snowballs instead of feeling I had to go in search of a Twinkie... I'm not a fan! ;) Definitely fun for the comic horror movie fans though and worth seeing.

Movie 5 of 2010: The Proposal

2010-02-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

Yet another fun romantic comedy featuring Sandra Bullock. She never disappoints me. I would recommend this movie to anyone that enjoys this genre of movies. The ending is pretty predictable, but I think that's the case for pretty much all romantic comedies out there. There are some surprises within though and lots of laughs.

Movie 4 of 2010: Shutter

2010-01-31T10:23:00.000-08:00

Creepy, yet fun. Wasn't sure what to expect with this movie going in, but turned out to be pretty good. I wouldn't necessarily say it was "scary", but definitely had a creepy and weird factor in parts of it. Definitely worth checking out at least once if you enjoy horror movies.

Movie 3 of 2010: Night of the Demons

2010-01-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is an old 80s horror movie that I had never seen, but was suggested to me. It was a bit cheesy, but I actually enjoy cheesy movies so it was quite fun. Comic horror at its finest! I highly recommend this to people who love the sub-genre. It has some very weird scenes in it and also some intense moments. For a movie done in the 80s it was actually VERY well made I thought. I may actually re-watch this one again not too far down the road 'cause I enjoyed it that much! I also need to search out the sequel to the movie as I want to see what it's like & I've also heard there is a re-make of this one coming out so should be interesting to see what they do with it. Hopefully they don't ruin the original!

Movie 2 of 2010: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2010-01-09T20:19:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVED this movie!!! I wished there had been a bit more Johnny Depp, but Heath Ledger looked so much like Johnny throughout that it kinda felt like he was in it more. Was a fabulous cast though and I will definitely be buying the DVD once it comes out. A shame this movie is on such a limited release as I assume not as many people will get to view it in the theater as the movie is deserving of. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen as it's a gorgeous film!

Movie 1 of 2010: The Boogeyman

2010-01-08T20:59:00.001-08:00

Still trying to catch up on some of the "classic horror". This one was actually pretty good. I will get around to watching the sequel one of these days soon I'm sure as well. :)

2009 - A Year In Movies

2010-01-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

So my movie blog didn't get kept up to date this year after February *blush*, but I did watch movies after that, granted not nearly as many as books I read. I'm just not a big movie watcher. Anyway... was just thinking back on what movies I really enjoyed this year and came up with my top 10. I'll try to do better with keeping my blog up-to-date next year. :)

1. Drag Me To Hell (this is the first horror movie to really creep me out since I was a little kid therefore it deserves the #1 spot in my opinion... though it seems to be a love it or hate it movie based on the opinions I've been seeing around by my friends)

2. Orphan

3. Coraline (not sure how close it follows the book since I read the book several years back, but it's a gorgeous movie!)

4. The Orphanage

5. Severance

6. Vacancy

7. My Bloody Valentine 3-D (never saw the original so can't compare it to that one... I know there have been complaints about it being crappy in comparison)

8. Tideland

9. Public Enemies (you didn't seriously think I'd make it through a top 10 movie list WITHOUT a Johnny movie, did you?!?!? *grin*)

10. Fright Night

Movie 11 of 2009: Dirty Dancing

2009-02-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 romance film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach. The story details the moment of time that a teenaged girl crosses over into womanhood both physically and emotionally, through a relationship with a dance instructor during a family summer vacation. Around a third of the movie involves dancing scenes choreographed by Kenny Ortega (later famous for High School Musical), and the finale has been described as "the most goosebump-inducing dance scene in movie history".

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This is probably the bazillionith time I have watched this movie, but it never gets old an I ALWAYS cry at the same spot in the movie (during the song "She's Like The Wind" when Johnny is leaving). I watch this movie a lot when I'm upset, which was the case this time as well. It is kind of a "comfort" movie for me... kind of like spaghetti is a comfort food for me. There are just certain things a girl needs I guess. Some girls go for chocolate... I go for DIRTY DANCING.

Movie 10 of 2009: Autumn In New York

2009-02-28T15:47:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

A May-December romance. He's 48, on the cover of New York magazine, an upscale restaurateur, and a womanizer who rejects ideas of love. She's 22, living with her grandmother, artistic, facing a tumor that's life-threatening, which she tells him about the morning after their first night, when he tells her not to expect permanence from him. Will finds Charlotte unprecedented and unpredictable, and experiences feelings of love, but she packs him off when he's casually unfaithful. He's stung, and he's also flummoxed by the appearance of a young woman from his past. Can he convince Charlotte to take him back, and can he help her through her illness and change his irresponsible ways?

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Sweet movie, but not quite what I was expecting. Glad I finally watched this as I enjoy most movies that star Winona Ryder and this one was enjoyable... but not one of her best. I doubt I'd watch this one again anytime soon, but it was a bit sad and I found myself crying near the end, though that was only partially due to the movie and partially due to the fact I was having a really bad day.

Movie 9 of 2009: Vacancy

2009-02-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

When David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox's (Kate Beckinsale) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to spend the night at the only motel around, with only the TV to entertain them... until they discover that the low-budget slasher movies they're watching were all filmed in the very room they're sitting in. With hidden cameras now aimed at them... trapping them in rooms, crawlspaces, underground tunnels... and filming their every move, David and Amy must struggle to get out alive before whomever is watching them can finish their latest masterpiece.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I was sitting on the edge of my seat through most of this wondering if David & Amy were going to make it out alive of not. I can't imagine anyone actually being sick enough to make "snuff films" like the jerk-offs in this film, but I'm sure there are some people like this somewhere out there in the world... or have been in the past anyway. This is one intense film and I highly recommend it to fans of horror and thriller movies.

Movie 8 of 2009: A Virgin Among the Living Dead

2009-02-20T21:55:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Pretty Christina (Christina von Blanc) encounters ghostly apparitions when she travels to a mansion in Honduras for the reading of her father's will. Thinking that she is going mad, Christina investigates further and discovers some horrible family secrets which could consume her. This witty erotic horror effort from cult director Jesus Franco is a perfect example of the re-editing and butchering of European films, which became common practice in the 1970s. At least 10 different versions exist, some with completely different plots than others. A 1974 re-release contained softcore sexual inserts featuring Marie-France Broquet, Waldemar Wohlfaart, and other performers not present in the original version. In the 1980s, French director Jean Rollin was hired by the Eurocine studio (by far the most common offender in the area of "cut-and-paste filmmaking") to shoot additional scenes. Rollin's footage consists of approximately 15 minutes of gory, uninspired zombie attacks, meant to capitalize on a then-popular subgenre initiated by Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2. Yet another version contained scenes from a Rollin-directed vampire film and was advertised with a picture of Vincent Price, who does not appear in any known version of this film. Further complicating matters is the fact that most of these alternate versions exist in varying lengths, reducing a rather interesting film to an incomprehensible mess. Britt Nichols, Paul Muller, Howard Vernon, and Anne Libert co-star, and Franco appears in a cameo role excised from some prints.

Movie Trailer:

Not Available!

My Opinion:

This was a bit better than the last Franco film I watched, Female Vampire, but I still wasn't overly impressed. Definitely more plot to this one however, so more enjoyable in that sense. Franco does have a way of picking attractive females for his movies, I'll give him that at least. Beyond that... I'm not sure how impressed I am overall with his moving making. I'd give him a few more tries I guess, but I really don't know if he'll improve or not.

Movie 7 of 2009: Twilight

2009-02-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Isabella Swan moves to gloomy Forks to live with her father. As she
starts her junior year in high school she becomes fascinated by Edward
Cullen who holds a dark secret which is only known by his family.
Edward falls in love with Bella as well but knows the further they
progress in their relationship the more he is putting Bella and those
close to her at risk. Edward warns Bella that she should leave him but
she refuses to listen and to understand why he is saying this. Bella
learns his secret. He is a vampire, however she is not afraid of his
blood-thirsty needs and the fact he could kill her at any moment. Bella
is afraid of losing him, the love of her life. The thrill begins when a
new vampire finds it a challenge to hunt Bella down for her
irresistible blood. The game is on and James will not stop until she is
killed.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I had VERY low expectations of this movie going into it as I had heard that if you had read the book that the movie really sucked. And typically I hate movies once I've read the book. I read the book a couple of months ago so I figured this wouldn't be an exception to that rule, but I promised my niece I'd take her to see it and I was curious to see just how bad it was. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I didn't hate it. I actually quite enjoyed it. It followed along with the book a lot better than I thought. Granted, maybe it helped that I didn't LOVE the book. I enjoyed the book, but wasn't overly impressed with it so maybe that made all the difference. I am curious to see what happens next in the series so I will carry on with both reading the rest of the books and watching the movies and after having watched the movie I will probably bump the books up sooner than I had originally intended. I guess I need to continue with my rule of not listening to what others say about movies 'cause in most instances, I don't agree with a lot of people on what they do or don't like. I just need to form my own opinion.

Movie 6 of 2009: Female Vampire aka The Bare Breasted Countess

2009-02-15T18:31:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Female Vampire or The Bare Breasted Countess is a 1973 French erotic horror film by Jesus Franco. The plot revolves around Countess Irina von Karstein (played by Lina Romay), a mute woman who needs sex like a vampire needs blood in order to stay alive forever. She sucks the life essence out of her (both male & female) victims while performing oral sex on them.

The movie's shooting title was La comtesse noire (The Dark Countess), but it has been released under several different titles, including Bare Breasted Countess, Erotikill, Female Vampire and Les Avaleuses ("The Swallowers") with running times ranging from just over 70 to over 100 minutes. Some versions focus on the horror aspect while some focus on the erotic aspect, some even including hardcore pornographic inserts.

Movie Trailer:

Not available

My Opinion:

Okay, so I'm not sure if there was truly a plot to this movie, but... I still enjoyed it in some ways. It was another good movie to make fun of and it was definitely an arty movie in some senses. Lots of nudity (depending on which version you pick up). You could definitely tell the girl was Italian from the fact that she was a bit... ummm... furry. The whole basis of the movie was the Countess killing people while giving them oral sex and there was no blood involved, which is obviously weird for a vampire. But... like I said... there was truly no plot involved. So... basically just a lot of nudity and oral sex. It was enjoyable, but not if you wanted a plot. And no... this is definitely not a porno for those reading and think of it as such. It is a European horror flick with quite a bit of skin and bad acting. LOL!

Movie 5 of 2009: Candy Stripers

2009-02-14T18:31:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

A group of small town college students find themselves trapped in a
hospital overrun by beautiful candy stripers whose bodies have been
taken over by aliens hell-bent on breeding & leaving a bloody trail
of carnage.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Please take my advice and do NOT watch this movie! Oh my god this was horrible!!! I enjoyed making fun of it, but that was about the only enjoyment I got out of this movie. There was never an explanation of what kind of "alien" or whatever had infected the candy stripers and the "solution" of how to kill them was the STUPIDEST things I ever heard of as I really argued the reasoning behind it! DUMB... DUMB... DUMB MOVIE!!! I'm sure glad I got this one for only like $2-3 'cause if I'd spent anymore than that I'd be REALLY pissed! Hell... THAT was more than it was worth!

Movie 4 of 2009: My Bloody Valentine 3-D

2009-02-12T18:30:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Tom returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine's
night massacre that claimed the lives of 22 people. Instead of a
homecoming, however, Tom finds himself suspected of committing the
murders, and it seems like his old flame is the only one will believes
he's innocent.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Very cool movie! Definitely needs to be seen in 3-D though so go see it in the theater while it's still there. I haven't seen the original movie of this one and I know a lot of people say that remakes sucks, but... I had nothing to compare it to. I thought it was a great movie, despite the sucky FX in the first huge murder scene. After that the FX picked up and it didn't look like health class dummies lying around. LOL!!! The movie kept twisting around and had me confused as to who the actual killer was up until the end so they did a really good job with the storyline. I will probably pick this one up on DVD when it comes out, even though I still think it is much better in 3-D than it will be in regular format.

Movie 3 of 2009: The Orphanage

2009-02-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

The former orphan Laura raises her adopted son Simón with her husband
Carlos in an old house and former orphanage where she was raised. Simón
is HIV positive and tells Laura that he has five invisible friends, and
she believes they are fruit of his imagination. Laura decides to reopen
an orphanage for handicapped children in the location and during the
opening party, Simón calls her to show the little cabin of his friend
Tomás. The busy Laura does not gives much attention to her son; then
she sees a mysterious masked boy and Simón vanishes. Laura feels the
presence of other persons in the house and months later, the desperate
Laura invites a team of parapsychologists to try to unravel the mystery.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I really, really liked this movie!!! I didn't really find it scary, but it definitly was extremely intense and deep. I could see where some people could find some creep factors to it though and some people that don't handle horror movies well might find it scary as well. I highly recommend this movie though. It is in Spanish so you have to read subtitles throughout, but definitely not a huge deal IMO. Check it out!

Movie 2 of 2009: Doomsday

2009-01-30T18:28:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

A lethal virus spreads throughout the British isles,infecting millions
and killing hundreds of thousands. To contain the threat, acting
authorities brutally quarantine the country as it succumbs to fear and
chaos. The quarantine is successful. Three decades later, the Reaper
virus violently resurfaces in a major city. An elite group of
specialists, including Eden Sinclair, is urgently dispatched into the
still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary.
Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a
landscape that has become a waking nightmare.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This wasn't really my kind of movie, yet I still enjoyed it. There were some cool action scenes and a couple fun chase scenes, especially the one towards the end. I think the best parts of the movie, IMO, were the ones when the punks were in the movie. The rest seemed a bit more slow to me. Worth checking out if you enjoy action flicks for sure.

Movie 1 of 2009: The Strangers

2009-01-24T08:55:00.001-08:00

Movie Description:

The horrifying events that took place in
the Hoyt family's vacation home at 1801 Clark Road on February 11,
2005, are still not entirely known. Champagne. Rose petals.
Candlelight. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Kristen
McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman). But after leaving a
friend's wedding reception and returning to the house, everything had
collapsed for the happy couple. Then came a 4 a.m. knock on the door
and a haunting voice.

Is Tamara here?

Writer/director Bryan Bertino explores our most universal fears in The
Strangers, a terrifying suspense thriller about a couple whose remote
getaway becomes a place of terror when masked strangers invade. The
confrontation forces Kristen and James to go far beyond what they
thought themselves capable of if they hope to survive.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Overall this was a really good movie. It kept me tense through a lot of it waiting to see where the bad guys were going to pop up next. The whole movie had a "creepy" feel to it and the strange compilation of music throughout the movie was disturbing at times.

I did laugh at a few things about the movie though and cracked some jokes throughout so it could've been taken light-hearted at times... or it could just be the fact that these movies never seem to scare me. (despite the fact I think I jumped 3 times throughout the movie... LOL!!!)

There was one thing that really bugged me about the movie. Early on the lead female put on a dress/nightgown type outfit... then she changed into jeans and a shirt a while later, but at the end... somehow she magically was back into the dress/nightgown again. I guess it was a bit of a goof-up when the movie was made, but it seemed like a rather large mistake.

All in all I do recommend this movie to others as it did keep me interested throughout and there were a few mildly scary moments (hence me jumping!).

Movie 42 of 2008: Silent Night, Deadly Night

2008-12-26T17:48:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Traumatized by his parents' Christmas eve rape and murder, little Billy Chapman is brutalized by sadistic orphanage nus. When a grown-up Billy is forced to dress as jolly St. Nick, he goes on a yuletide rampage to punish the naughty. Santa Claus is coming to town... and this time he's got an axe! Robert Brian Wilson an Linnea Quigley star in this jaw-dropping horror hit that a nation of angry mothers still can't stop!

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This movie may have to be a new Christmas tradition for me!!! I had never seen this before and watched it Christmas night. What a fun Christmas horror film! It wasn't too gory, but definitely made you think twice about Santa Claus. I always knew he was one creepy dude. Of course, I s'pose if Santa really DID punish the naughty I'd have been killed loooooooong ago! LOL!!! For any horror fans that are looking for a fun Christmas flick, definitely give this one a watch. It might be a bit campy, but it's fun!

Movie 41 of 2008: Love Actually

2008-12-26T17:47:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Everywhere you look, love is causing chaos. From the bachelor Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who, on his first day at 10 Downing Street, falls in love with the girl who brings him his tea, to a hopeless sandwich delivery guy who doesn't think he has a chance with the girls in the U.K., so he heads for Wisconsin. From aging rock stars, to a stony headmistress, to a monolingual Portuguese housemaid--love arrives in many forms, shapes and sizes. Here, ten separate--but intertwining--stories of love all lead up to a big climax on Christmas Eve, proving that love is the driving force in all of these people's lives.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Time and time again I've been told that I NEED to see this movie, so... I finally gave in and bought it and watched it. It definitely wasn't my favorite movie of all time, but was a great movie and one I'd watch again. It also was the tearjerker that I was warned about. I related to several of the characters in various ways throughout the film as I've been there, done that throughout past relationships as I'm sure many people have. It was a good (or bad) Christmas film to watch depending on how you look at it. I was already feeling kinda down Christmas Eve night when I watched it and this probably pushed me a bit more over the edge, but I'm not sorry that I watched it. I recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good romantic comedy film. There are some laughs in the film as well as all the romance so it's not JUST a "chick flick".

Movie 40 of 2008: High Tension

2008-12-07T19:23:00.001-08:00

Movie Description:

French college students, Marie and Alex, head to Alex's secluded farmhouse in hopes of studying for their exams without distractions. While settling in, a man breaks into the home and brutally murders Alex's family while Marie tries to hide herself from the killer. When the killer binds and kidnaps Alex, Marie follows him, attempting saving her friend and, along the way, running into some dangerous obstacles.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Intense movie!!! This movie had me sitting on the edge of my seat almost from the get-go. It has been a long time since I was able to stay focussed on a movie throughout almost the entire movie, but this movie did it. (It also managed to creep me out!!!) I was intent on finding out what was going to happen next and to see if the girls were going to be able to make an escape when it was all said and done. The movie really has you biting your nails up until like 10 minutes before the end... then things start winding down. The ending wasn't quite what I expected and I'm still not sure I'm thrilled with how it ended or can truly say I made sense of the ending, but... the movie itself was awesome just because it was SO suspenseful throughout. I definitely recommend it for those that enjoy a good horror flick.

Movie 39 of 2008: Zombie Love

2008-11-24T17:47:00.001-08:00

Movie Description:

The musical Zombie Love tells the story of Dante, a 200 year old zombie, who falls in love with Claudia, a mortal girl, after he saves her from an attack by two grave robbers. Thinking that a zombie could never win her love, he changes his flesh-eating ways in order to win the girl of his dreams. The closer Dante gets to his desired love, the harder he finds it to maintain the facade, especially when his zombie friends encourage him to eat a teenage girl they have captured. What Dante doesn't know, however, is that Claudia is already in love with the zombie that saved her from the robbers and desperately tries to find him. This musical extravaganza, filled with singing, dancing, blood and gore, will have you laughing all the way to your grave!

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion

This is a must-see for fans of zombie and humor flicks as it meshes the two genres together very well. It's a very short movie and is full of catch/funny tunes that carry throughout the film as the "love story" progresses between zombie and mortal girl. Yes, I did say zombie and MORTAL girl!!! This is a weir little flick... check it out!!! And in the end... I dare you not to have the theme song to the movie stuck in your head like I did.

Movie 38 of 2008: You Don’t Mess With the Zohan

2008-11-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film, directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Adam Sandler. The film is about Zohan Dvir (Hebrew : זוהאן דביר), Israel's hero and their greatest counter-terrorism army commando who, after growing tired of his Israeli post-draft's standing service, fakes his own death in order to pursue his dream: becoming a hairstylist in New York City. The story was written by Sandler, Judd Apatow, and Robert Smigel. Sandler's production company, Happy Madison, produced the film, while it was distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was released on June 6, 2008.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I saw the trailer for this movie way back when at the theater... I think when I saw 21... and I laughed my ass off at it. I had really looked forward to seeing it and had high hopes for it, so... in finally getting to watch it, I was left a bit disappointed. It did have funny moments in it, but where I thought it started off really funny, I thought it kinda dwindled throughout the movie. I will admit to multi-tasking throughout the movie which I'm sure took away from the movie some, but I still don't think I would've found it all that fantastic. Oh well... definitely not Sandler's finest... though I don't think he'll ever out do his role in THE WEDDING SINGER.

Movie 37 of 2008: Quantum of Solace

2008-11-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

'Quantum of Solace' continues the high octane adventures of James Bond from 'Casino Royale'. Picking up literally hours after the previous film left off, after being betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Having captured Mr. White, and in pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and 'M' interrogate Mr. White who reveals the organization which blackmailed Vesper to steal Bond's casino winnings is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.

Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille, a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene, a ruthless businessman and major force within the mysterious criminal organization known only as 'Quantum'.

On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano. Using his associates in the organization, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in Bolivia, giving General Medrano control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land which is, however, a main source of the South American water supply. In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists, and even 'M' herself, to unravel Greene's sinister plan and stop Quantum from getting its way.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Went and saw this with my dad on an "early birthday date" tonight as we had free passes to see it. I haven't seen a Bond movie in many, many years!!! I wasn't really sure how I was going to like it or IF I was going to like it, but I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. There were a LOT of action scenes and they were all very well done. I think my favorite one was one near the beginning in the water with all the boats. I thought there were also several humorous moments/comments in the movie as well. I didn't recall older Bond movies being quite as humorous, but that could just be my memory. *shrugs* One thing that DID seem to be less in this movie from older Bond movies was sex! Sure... there were definitely the "Bond girls", but there wasn't the one big sex scene that I recall from the previous movies. I didn't see where it was needed, but it was kind of funny that it wasn't there when I was kind of expecting it. At any rate, I do recommend this movie to pretty much anyone that likes a good action flick as it's definitely a fun watch.

Movie 36 of 2008 (Special Halloween Marathon): Halloween

2008-10-31T20:05:00.001-07:00

Movie Description:

The year is 1963, the night; Halloween. Police are called to 43 Lampkin Ln. only to discover that a 17 year Judith Myers had been stabbed to death, by her 6 year-old brother... After being institutionalized for 15 years, Myers breaks out just days before Halloween. No one knows nor would wish to find out what would happen on October 31st 1978, besides Myer's physciatrist Dr. Loomis. He knows Michael is coming back to Haddonfield, but by the time the town realizes it, it'll be to late for many people...

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Yet another movie that I probably should've seen many years ago, but didn't. I actually DID get a bit creeped out during this movie, which surprised me. I was kinda starting to think that horror movies just didn't scare me anymore, but I guess some do still depending on the content. I enjoyed this one a lot more so then some of the older horror movies I've been watching. Definitely better than the Romero movies... LOL!!! Not sure if I'll bother watching the rest of this series or not. (Chris... should I bother???)

Movie 35 of 2008 (Special Halloween Marathon): Suspiria

2008-10-31T18:41:00.001-07:00

Movie Description:

A candy-colored nightmare from Italian terror maestro Dario Argento, Suspiria weaves a menacing tale of witchcraft as a fairy tale gone horribly awry. From the moment she arrives in Freiberg, Germany, to attend the prestigious Tans Academy, American ballet-dancer Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper) senses that something horribly evil lurks within the walls of the age-old institution. Ill at ease as the result of her fellow student's peculiar behavior and increasingly terrified following a series of gruesome and spectacular murders, Suzy slowly begins to unravel the dark history of the academy. Convinced that the occult roots of the school and the horrific tale of its founding mother may hold an unthinkable secret, she begins a hallucinatory journey into the black heart of one of the most powerful witches ever known to exist. As Suzy edges ever closer to a secret that may hold the answers to all of her nightmares, the coven's grip on her soul begins to tighten until there is seemingly no escape. Will Suzy solve the mystery of the cursed academy before the fearsome Black Queen consumes her, or will she finally reveal the secret that has forever haunted the lavish corridors of the academy and bring an end to the Black Queen's terrifying reign?

Movie Trailer:

US Trailer:

International Trailer

My Opinion:

Wow! This movie was absolutely gorgeous!!! The color choices made by Dario Argento in this movie were spectacular and really made this movie. Also, I really felt that the soundtrack made you "feel" the movie. Granted... one of the songs was played quite frequently throughout the movie, but I felt like it went well with the movie and didn't seem too repetitive to me even so. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, though I don't think I picked up on everything going on as there seemed to be a lot to take in. I am looking forward to re-watching this at a later time as well as watching the other 2 movies in the trilogy, INFERNO & THE MOTHER OF TEARS.

Movie 34 of 2008 (Special Halloween Marathon): Dawn of the Dead

2008-10-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Following the events of Night of the Living Dead (1968), we follow the exploits of four survivors of the expanding zombie apocalypse as they take refuge in an abandoned shopping mall following a horrific SWAT evacuation of an apartment complex. Taking stock of their surroundings, they arm themselves, lock down the mall, and destroy the zombies inside so they can eke out a living--at least for a while. Tensions begin to build as months go on, however, when they come to realize that they've fallen prey to consumerism. Soon afterward, they have even heavier problems to worry about, as a large gang of bikers discovers the mall and invades it, ruining the survivors' best-laid plans and forcing them to fight off both lethal bandits and flesh-eating zombies.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

*yawn* Oh... sorry... is the movie over? Yeah... I didn't like this one much more than I did NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (sorry Nick & Chris!) I mean, it was a little better as I enjoyed watching the zombies stumble around and such, but I just didn't see much plot to the story. *shrugs* I guess I'm just not mean to be a Romero groupie.

Movie 33 of 2008 (Special Halloween Marathon): Psycho

2008-10-31T12:23:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Phoenix officeworker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Okay... Yes, I know it's sad that I'm just now seeing this movie for the first time in my life, but... it made for a great afternoon Halloween movie today. I had a very hectic month this month and decided to take today off to stay home and watch horror movies all day and just "veg out". So... since I am way behind on watching the "classic" horror movies, I asked a couple of my horror author friends for their top recommendations (Thanks John Everson & Nick Cato !!!) and this blog along with the next few you see pop up today and/or tomorrow will be movies they suggested to me. :)

Alrighty... as I said, PSYCHO was great for an afternoon Halloween flick. I had an idea what this movie was about based on stuff I had heard over the years, but I really had no idea what to expect at the end of the movie and I really liked the twist that came out of the story! Great Alfred Hitchcock flick!!!

Movie 32 of 2008: The Simpsons Movie

2008-10-31T10:46:00.001-07:00

Movie Description:

After eighteen seasons, four hundred episodes, and innumerable awards and honors (including a Peabody, 23 Emmys(R) and a designation from Time magazine as the "best television show of the twentieth century"), "The Simpsons" has become a feature-length motion picture. And it's a good thing, too, because it takes a wide screen to fully capture Homer Simpson's epic stupidity.

In the eagerly-awaited film based on the hit television series, Homer must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created. It all begins with Homer, his new pet pig, and a leaky silo full of droppings - a combination that triggers a disaster the likes of which Springfield has never experienced. As Marge is outraged by Homer's monumental blunder, a vengeful mob descends on the Simpson household. The family makes a narrow escape, but is soon divided by both location and conflict.

The Springfield citizenry has every reason to be out for Simpson blood. The calamity triggered by Homer has drawn the attention of U.S. President Arnold Schwarzenegger (voiced by Harry Shearer) and Environmental Protection Agency head Russ Cargill (voiced by Albert Brooks). "You know sir," Cargill tells the president, "when you made me head of the EPA, you were applauded for appointing one of the most successful men in America to the least successful agency in government. And why did I take the job? Because I'm a rich man who wanted to give something back. Not the money, but something." That "something" is a devil's plan to contain the disaster.

As the fates of Springfield and the world hang in the balance, Homer embarks on a personal odyssey of redemption - seeking forgiveness from Marge, the reunion of his splintered family, and the salvation of his hometown.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I haven't seen any Simpsons episodes in quite a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Thought it was a lot of fun for an evening movie. The "Spider-Pig" song that I had already been familiar with was quite cute and it was fun to see how it tied into the movie... hee hee! I just really had a good time watching this movie. So... any new or old fans to the Simpsons should enjoy this movie. One thing about this show as you can jump in at any time and not have to knokw the history of the characters as you're not really missing much at any point... you just fall right into place.

Movie 31 of 2008: Hancock

2008-10-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

There are heroes... there are superheroes... and then there's Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility - everyone knows that - everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock's well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough - as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve this guy. Hancock isn't the kind of man who cares what other people think - until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey, and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. Facing that will be Hancock's greatest challenge yet - and a task that may prove impossible as Ray's wife, Mary, insists that he's a lost cause.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

So I tried watching this twice... the first time I fell asleep... the 2nd time I kept doing other stuff as I watched it, so I guess you could say I wasn't all that impressed. I got the overall gist of the movie, but I just didn't think it was anything all that exciting. It had some funny moments... just wasn't anything spectacular.

Movie 30 of 2008: Student Bodies

2008-10-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Director Mickey Rose's zany send-up of teen slasher flicks features a maniacal psycho known as the Breather (played by Richard Belzer), who stalks -- and murders -- promiscuous students at a suburban high school. The fanatical killer's unusual weapons include paper clips, blackboard erasers and eggplants. Kristen Riter, Matthew Goldsby, Joe Flood, Kevin Mannis and Sara Eckhardt head the cast.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Clips from STUDENT BODIES were shown on one of the LAIR OF THE YAK episodes over on either BlogStar or Operator11 and I was completely cracking up at "The Breather" character from the movie. So... when I saw this movie getting released on DVD I had to snatch it up. As I watched it I started remembering various scenes from the movie so I think I must've seen it when I was a lot younger, but I honestly don't recall watching it. I thought it was a great example of horror comedy and I enjoyed the silly humor that was included in the movie. Definitely a great view for those that enjoy spoofs, horror, and/or comedy.

Movie 29 of 2008: Pink Flamingos

2008-08-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Incest, drug trafficking, bestiality and an egg fetish are merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg in this ultra-black comedy from renegade filmmaker John Waters. With the title of "Filthiest Person Alive" at stake, Babs Johnson (Divine), her degenerate son and dim-bulb mother face stiff competition from the vile Marble clan (David Lochary and Mink Stole) in an unbridled assault on every taboo in the book. Edith Massey and Danny Mills co-star.

Movie Trailer:

Original 70's Trailer:

Trailer w/ actual movie scenes:

My Opinion:

Okay... outside of CRY-BABY this is my first dive into the world of John Waters. This was one CRAZY movie and I loved every minute of it though it is quite disturbing in many ways. Those with a weak stomach or who are offended by much of anything gross or sexual definitely should NOT watch this movie. For those that like things weird and twisted... check this flick out!!!

Special thanks goes to Chris Ramone for hooking me up with this DVD!!!

Movie 28 of 2008: Fatal Attraction

2008-07-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Happily married New York lawyer Dan Callagher has an affair with his colleague Alex, and the two enjoy a love weekend while Dan's wife and kid are away. But Alex will not let go of him, and she will stop at nothing to have him for herself. Just how far will she go to get what she wants?

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I'm still out old "classics" that I've never seen. I figured after having watched BASIC INSTINCT the other night that FATAL ATTRACTION was a good follow-up movie. Now maybe I'll watch the spoof I bought today called FATAL INSTINCT. LOL!!! I enjoyed FA quite a bit, but nothing like I did BI the other night. Basically this is just a movie about betrayal, jealousy, and revenge. I'm glad I saw it, but I can honestly say I'd probably never watch this movie again unless someone just really wanted me to.

Movie 27 of 2008: Wall-E

2008-07-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

What if mankind had to leave Earth, and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL*E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets an adventure into motion. Joining WALL*E on his journey across the universe is a cast of characters including a pet cockroach and a heroic team of malfunctioning misfit robots.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I honestly haven't liked Disney movies in quite some time OTHER than for Pixar films. Wall-E is yet another that I've enjoyed. I don't think it compares up to the movie ROBOTS, which was released in 2005 from Blue Sky Studios story-wise, but graphically it is gorgeous!!! The movie had appeal for all ages, a decent plot, and was heartfelt (IMO... as I even got a bit sad at one point when I thought things weren't going the way I hoped they would). There was also one scene where I about choked on my Skittles as they used computer mice to represent real mice. Yeah, this has been done many times before, but I wasn't expecting it at the moment and it was funny! LOL!!! Anyway, if for nothing else, I recomment his movie to those who appreciate graphic art as this movie looks fabulous!!!

Movie 26 of 2008: Basic Instinct

2008-07-05T19:10:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

The take-no-prisoners sex thriller from 1992 now stands as a milestone in the career of screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, but in the hands of director Paul Verhoeven Basic Instinct is an undeniably stylish and provocative study of obsession. In the role that made her a star (and showed the audience a little more skin than she intended), Sharon Stone plays the cleverly manipulative novelist Catherine Tramell who snares San Francisco detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) with her insatiable sexual appetite during the investigation of her boyfriend's murder. Tramell is the prime suspect, but the plot twists and turns until Curran is trapped in a dangerous cycle of dead ends and unsolved murders, never sure if Tramell is committing the crimes or if it is some other, unknown suspect. With a plot that keeps viewers guessing, Basic Instinct is the work of a director who is clearly in his element.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I can't believe I had not seen this movie before last night. WOW!!! This was actually one of the first DVDs I ever bought because I had heard it would be something I would like, but I just never got around to watching it. Eric mentioned it last week and I said I had never seen it so we pulled it out to watch and I was thoroughly absorbed in this flick. I have been trying to recover from being sick all week so I have been pretty tired and run down and even starting this movie late at night and having not had a nap all day... I stayed awake through the ENTIRE movie without batting an eye. I even forced myself to not get up to go to the restroom during the movie... I was THAT into the movie!!! Yeah, I know, there's a pause button on the DVD player, but I just wanted to see what happened next. I will most likely be watching this movie again soon to see if I missed anything as I already pointed something out to Eric that he didn't catch onto that I thought I saw. I need to check to see if I was right. LOL!!! Loved the 80s club scene as well in this movie... classic!!! I definitely need to check out more 80s films because I seem to really dig the essence of them.

Movie 25 of 2008: Juno

2008-06-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

When a teenage girl is faced with an unexpected pregnancy, she enlists the aid of her best friend in finding the unborn child a suitable home in this coming-of-age comedy drama from Thank You for Smoking director Jason Reitman. Juno (Ellen Page) may seem wise beyond her years, but after sleeping with classmate Bleeker (Michael Cera), the pregnant teen quickly realizes how little she really knows about life. Thankfully, Juno has been blessed with parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) who trust their daughter's judgment, and a best friend named Leah (Olivia Thirlby), who's always willing to help out in a pinch. With a little help from Leah, Juno soon comes into contact with Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) -- an affluent suburban couple who have been unable to conceive a child of their own. Mark and Vanessa seem like they would make great parents, and are eager to adopt Juno's unborn child. Now, as adolescent Juno is faced with a series of very adult decisions, she will draw on the support of her family and friends in order to discover who she truly is, and discover that one bad choice can have a lifetime of consequences.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I wasn't sure whether I'd like this movie or not. I thought it might just be another silly teen movie, but I ended up enjoying it quite a lot. There were a few things I would've like to have seen wrapped up a bit more at the end, but I guess they weren't all that important to the movie. I mainly was just curious to see what happened with Jason Bateman's character.

One major highlight of the movie for me was the soundtrack. This movie had a hilarious soundtrack. The lyrics to the songs had both me and my date cracking up. I recommend checking out this movie for the soundtrack if nothing else.

Movie 24 of 2008: The Eye

2008-06-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Sydney, a young, blind violinist is given the chance to see for the first time since childhood through a miraculous corneal transplant. As Sydney adjusts to a dizzying new world of colors and shapes, she is haunted by frightening visions of death itself capturing the doomed and dragging them away from the world of the living. Terrorized and on the brink of insanity, Sydney must discover whose eyes she has inherited, and what secret visions they have held.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This wasn't one of my favorite movies for sure, but I did enjoy it. Unfortunately, I watched this at like 1:00 in the morning so I dozed off a few times throughout for short periods of time so I'm sure I missed bits and pieces here and there. It was a decent flick though and some of the scary graphics were pretty cool. The concept of the story was neat, but I think I'd rather have read a book about it, though I'm not sure that there was one made. I'll have to look into that.

Movie 23 of 2008: The Number 23

2008-05-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Walter Sparrow is a family-man married with Agatha Sparrow, and works catching dogs in the Department of Animal Control and has a teenager son very close to his wife and him. On the day of his birthday, he is bitten by a dog and comes late to meet Agatha. While waiting for him, Agatha buys a detective book with a novel about the mystery around the number 23 in a bookstore as a gift to Walther. He becomes captivated with the story and obsessed with the number 23, finding many coincidences with his own life, and he decides to find the author, believing the story is about him. His further investigation discloses a mysterious situation that makes Walther paranoid.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I kind of had mixed opinions on this movie. I typically do not like Jim Carrey, but his serious movies aren't so bad so I watch them. I do think he did a great job in THE NUMBER 23! I found the storyline quite fascinating, but I'm not sure that I liked the ending of the story. I definitely think I would've found the book he was reading in the movie interesting and need to see if that has been released as it wouldn't surprise me. So... I really can't decide whether I fully liked this movie or not. I'd be willing to watch it again at some point because it did keep my attention for the most part. (though I was really tired and dozed off for about 15 minutes or so... LOL!) I also think it's definitely worth a watch for those who like suspenseful movies for sure.

Movie 22 of 2008: Donny Brasco

2008-04-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

In the late 1970s, FBI agent Joe Pistone (Depp) is assigned to infiltrate a New York City mafia family. Calling himself Donnie Brasco, and posing as a diamond expert, he befriends Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino), a low-level mob hit man whose personal life is in tatters, and Dominick Napolitano (Michael Madsen). Lefty can't seem to make any money, his son is a junkie, and he is continually passed over for promotion to a higher position within the Family. He continually reminds Brasco of his growing disillusionment about having spent 30 years in the mafia (and killing 26 people), with little to show for it. In Donnie, however, Lefty sees a young protégé who might be able to succeed where he had failed. He takes Donnie under his wing, and under Lefty's tutelage Donnie quickly becomes accepted by the other Family members, although he is never elevated above the rank of "associate" member (the lowest mafia rank). But the longer Pistone plays the role of a gangster, the more he finds himself actually becoming Donnie Brasco during his rare off duty hours. His change in personality drives a wedge between him and his wife (played by Anne Heche) and three children. Over time, Pistone comes to realize that the slightest mistake in his performance as a mobster could result in the death of him and his family. In addition, Joe Pistone has come to regard Lefty as a close and trusted friend. He knows that when the day finally comes that the FBI arrests his mob associates, he will be ending Lefty's life as surely as if he himself had killed him.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This was one of the few Johnny Depp movies I hadn't seen yet, but I now have. It's definitely not one of my fave Depp movies, but I did enjoy it. Al Pacino is also a fabulous actor (especially in THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE) so that helped make the movie a winner as well. I'll probably re-watch this one someday though as I was kinda drifting in and out towards the end.

Movie 21 of 2008: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

2008-04-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Sweeney Todd is a villain/anti-hero appearing in various English language works starting in the mid-19th century as a barber and an early example of a serial killer. His weapon is a cut-throat razor (or "straight razor" in American English), with which he slits his victims' throats. In some versions of the story, Mrs. Lovett, who is his partner in crime and variously his friend or lover (and whose first name is variously Marjorie, Sarah, Nellie, Shirley or Claudette) hides the crimes by butchering the corpses of Todd's victims, baking their flesh into meat pies, and selling them to unknowing customers. His wife, Lucy Barker, is a woman so contested that it caused him to be exiled for life and fuel his vengeance. He is also assisted by an unwitting apprentice lad named Tobias Ragg, who later aids in unmasking his crimes. In most recent versions of the story, Sweeney either helps or hinders (sometimes both) the love affair of a young woman, Johanna Barker, and a sailor named Mark Ingesterie or more commonly known as Anthony Hope. In the musical stage production and 2007 film, Johanna is Todd's daughter Johanna Barker.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This was actually my 2nd viewing of this movie as I originally saw this at the theater back in December the week it came out. I enjoyed this movie a lot! Granted... I'm a bit biased as I'm a fairly huge fan of both Johnny Depp and Tim Burton and when they work together on a film the outcome is always amazing! The songs in this movie are fabulous and I ended up ordering the soundtrack the day after I saw this movie the first time. I don't know if I should've laughed so much during this movie considering the theme, but I found several things about the movie to be quite amusing... even the way the blood splattered. LOL!!! Maybe I'm a bit sick & twisted... who knows!

Movie 20 of 2008: L.A. Confidential

2008-04-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

L.A. Confidential is a 1997 feature film based on the 1990 crime fiction novel of the same title by James Ellroy, the third in his L.A. Quartet novel cycle. Both book and film tell the story about a group of Los Angeles police in the 1950s, and police corruption bumping up against Hollywood celebrity. The film adaptation was produced and directed by Curtis Hanson and co-written by Brian Helgeland and Hanson. At the time, both Australian actors Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce were relative unknowns in North America and one of the film’s backers, Arnon Milchan was worried about the lack of movie stars in the lead roles. However, he supported Hanson’s casting decisions and this gave the director the confidence to approach Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito and Kevin Spacey. When Hanson gave Spacey the script, he told him to think of Dean Martin while in the role.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I honestly didn’t focus on this movie as much as I probably should’ve when watching it so I can’t give a full opinion of this. I did enjoy it, but I didn’t keep up with the movie enough to get a true idea of what all happened in it. LOL!!! Maybe I’ll watch it again one day.

Movie 19 of 2008: 21

2008-03-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Movie Description:

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is an MIT student who – needing to pay school tuition – finds answers in counting cards. In his non-linear equations class, he amazes his professor, Mickey Rosa, by correctly understanding variable change and correctly solving the Monty Hall Problem. As a superior math and statistics student, he is recruited to join a group of mathematically-gifted students that heads to Las Vegas every weekend with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. Unorthodox math professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leads the way. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signs and signals, the team can beat the casinos. Drawn by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and his teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn’t illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casinos’ menacing enforcer, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne).

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I went to see this not realizing until it started that this movie is based on the book, BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE by Ben Mezrich. (see below for cover art of original book) I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and thought that all of the actors/actresses did a fabulous job. The plotline was extremely interesting with the whole "counting cards" thing as I was finding myself trying to remember all the methods that they were using. Ha ha!!! I’ve never played BlackJack in a casino, nor will I ever most likely, but it still was intriguing to me. Typically I won’t read a book once I’ve seen the movie of it as it kind of ruins it for me, but I am curious to see how much more there was to the book considering how much I enjoyed the movie. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a comedy/action movie.

Movie 18 of 2008: The Break-Up

2008-03-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

In Chicago, the art dealer Brooke Meyers feels not appreciated and neglected by her immature husband Gary Grobowski, who is partner of his two brothers in a tourism business, and decides to break-up with him to make Gary misses her. Gary misunderstands her true intention, both follows the wrong advices of family members and friends, beginning a war of sexes with no winner.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

I just stumbled across this movie at the rental store and since I typically like Vince Vaughn I decided to rent it. Unfortunately, I didn't care much for the movie. It had some funny moments, but overall the movie was fairly boring. If you really want a romantic comedy to watch, check it out, but if you're wanting lots of romance or lots of comedy... this isn't going to be either of those. It's mild in both categories, but I don't know what else to classify it as besides a romantic comedy because it's not quite serious enough to be labelled a "drama".

Movie 17 of 2008: Beetle Juice

2008-03-02T18:38:00.001-08:00

Movie Description:

Beetlejuice: Thanks to the carelessness of a cute little dog, newlyweds Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are killed in a freak auto accident. Upon arriving in the outer offices of Heaven, the couple finds that, thanks to a century's worth of bureaucratic red tape, they're on a long celestial waiting list. Before they can earn their wings, Davis and Baldwin must occupy their old house as ghosts for the next fifty years. Alas, the house is now owned by insufferable yuppies Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones. Horrified at the prospect of sharing space with these obnoxious interlopers, Davis and Baldwin do their best to scare O'Hara and Jones away, but their house-haunting skills are pathetic at best. In desperation, the ghostly couple engage the services of a veteran scaremeister: a yellow-haired, snaggle-toothed, profane, flatulent "gonzo" spirit named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). The problem: Beetlejuice cannot be trusted-especially when he falls in love with O'Hara and Jones' gloomy, black-clad teenaged daughter Winona Ryder. Beetlejuice producer David Geffen, director Tim Burton, and composer Danny Elfman were also involved in an animated TV-series spin-off.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This actually wasn't my first viewing of Beetle Juice. I remember going to the theater with my friend, Missy, to see this when it first came out back in '88. I believe this was the night I stayed overnight and we didn't go to bed at all, but I remember the movie creeping me out back then so that could be part of the reason I didn't sleep. LOL!!! Re-watching this movie was a blast from the past and I really enjoyed it. As I said in my post earlier today about Ed Wood, I really love Tim Burton's movies. I have a feeling I'm going to be watching and/or re-watching some of his other movies again very soon. Beetle Juice is definitely not a scary movie, but I can see why I was freaked out a bit at a much younger age. I think my favorite scene from the movie is the scene at the dinner table where Adam & Barbara make everyone dance/sing to IKO IKO! Of course, I also have always loved that song so it makes it that much better. (I even knew a dance to it way back when...) Definitely a movie worth checking out if you haven't done so already, but I'm sure most people have seen it.

Movie 16 of 2008: Ed Wood

2008-03-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

From Tim Burton, acclaimed director of BIG FISH, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, and BATMAN, and the producer of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, comes the hilarious, true-life story of the wackiest filmmaker in Hollywood history, Ed Wood! Johnny Depp (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, CHOCOLAT, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS) stars as the high-spirited movieman who refuses to let unfinished scenes, terrible reviews, and hostile studio executives derail his big-screen dreams. With an oddball collection of showbiz misfits, Ed takes the art of bad moviemaking to an all-time low! The all-star cast features Bill Murray (LOST IN TRANSLATION, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS), Sarah Jessica Parker (TV's SEX AND THE CITY), Patricia Arquette (STIGMATA, LITTLE NICKY), and an Academy Award(R)-winning performance by Martin Landau (Best Supporting Actor, 1994) as Bela Lugosi. Hailed by critics everywhere, this laugh-packed comedy hit is sure to entertain everyone!

Movie Trailer:

Interview with Johnny Depp about Ed Wood:

(Note: I can't believe they spelled Johnny's name wrong at the 0:33 mark!!!)

My Opinion:

First off... to those surprised I haven't seen EVERY Johnny Depp movie, well... I haven't! LOL!!! (though I have seen the majority of 'em!) Anyway, Ed Wood was a really great movie! I wouldn't put it in my top 5 Johnny movies, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. This movie was done completely in black and white, which made for a bit of a different viewing than most movies today. Tim Burton always picks the best cast of characters and ED WOOD is no exception. Burton is probably my favorite director (granted it helps that he knows to cast Johnny in a lot of roles - 7 of his movies feature Johnny, 3 of which he plays a character named Ed). I recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it as it's a really good movie!

Movie 15 of 2008: Jaws

2008-02-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Steven Spielberg's film is generally considered one of the scariest movies ever made. The frightfest is based on the book by Peter Benchley, son of author Nathaniel and grandson of author Robert Benchley. The plot is simple: The tourist season of a resort island is devoured by a great white shark. The ensuing "fishing trip" to catch the monstrous man-eater is filmed with power and suspense and plenty of scares that has had audiences jumping out of their seats for decades--and staying out of the water.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

Okay, so I gave in and watched Jaws as I was getting tormented for having never seen it. Twenty minutes into the movie I was questioning why it was considered such a great movie, but I kept on watching. I can't say that I loved the movie by any means, but it did improve and the way they ended up killing the shark was pretty cool. When the shark had his "last meal", I thought the close-up of the shark made him quite fake looking. (though not nearly as bad as the homemade plant we had in Jr. High for our production of Little Shop of Horrors... LOL!!!) I doubt I'll go on to watch Jaws 2 or 3, but I'm glad that I at least gave this one a try. I guess I'm just not the movie fanatic like a lot of people are. Had I read Peter Benchley's book I probably would've enjoyed it better than I did the movie, but having seen the movie now... I'll probably never bother with the movie. (which reminds me, I should probably get rid of the Lord of the Rings books since I ended up watching those movies last year. ha ha!!!)

Movie 14 of 2008: The Girl Next Door

2008-02-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

In a quiet suburban town in the summer of 1958, two recently orphaned sisters are placed in the care of their mentally unstable Aunt Ruth (Emmy winner Blanche Baker of HOLOCAUST). But Ruth's depraved sense of discipline will soon lead to unspeakable acts of abuse and torture that involve her young sons, the neighborhood children, and one 12-year-old boy whose life will be changed forever. William Atherton (DIE HARD), Catherine Mary Stewart (NIGHT OF THE COMET) and Grant Show (MELROSE PLACE) co-star in this devastating drama adapted from the controversial best seller by Jack Ketchum that Rue Morgue Magazine called "one of te most disturbing reads in the history of horror literature."

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

While I was reading Jack Ketchum's THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, I was informed that their was a movie adaptation of the book just coming out on DVD. I was doubtful that the movie would be very good just because I usually hate move adaptions of books (with the exception of BIG FISH where the movie is sooooooo much better than the book!!!). After watching THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, I have to say, I was impressed. When it first started I was recognizing the dialogue straight from the book and was happy that it seemed the movie was going to follow along with the book well. When Meg first came on the screen, however, her voice just really grated on me for some reason. It just didn't seem like what I was expecting of her. Of course, this isn't too big a deal considering the majority of the movie she is gagged and can't be heard speaking anyway so it didn't really take away from the movie. My next complaint was how choppy the movie seemed. It was following along with the book quite well, but the scenes just didn't seem to transition. It was like they just jumped from one thing to the next with no tie-ins. There were also many scenes cut out, though not anything majorly important from what I recall, but that's to be expected in order to cut the story short enough to squeeze into the movie. The latter part of the movie, when the torture scenes took over, seemed to flow a lot smoother and the scenes blended together well. My one big complaint about the movie was the ending. I was very disappointed that they didn't follow closer to the book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the chain of events here did not flow the same as the book and the "final battle" seemed to be cut way too short. Also, when the story goes back to the adult version of David I was unhappy that they had cut out the part about what his mom had written on a newspaper article... and even the newspaper article for that matter. That scene seemed very powerful to me when I read it and even gave me the chills. With the movie being only 90 minutes long, I just think they could've taken the time with the ending to follow closer to the novel.

I don't watch the "extras" on DVDs all that often, but I was curious about the making of this movie so I watched the 20 or so minute segment in order to learn more about how things were done and hope that maybe it explained some of their reasonings on why they did some of the things I have complained about above, but instead it just made me realize something else that I think should've been done differently... for at least part of the movie anyway. The actress who played Aunt Ruth said that her and the director had the same idea about how Ruth should be played. They thought her character should be stern and talk normally rather than sounding like a lunatic, but in the book as things progressed, Ketchum described her character as having started to go crazy and such... I thought that should have been depicted in the movie myself. *shrugs*

Anyway, overall I thought this movie was done very well. My complaints above are more because I had just recently read the book and am picking it apart quite a bit, plus I'm very biased and prefer books over movies. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone that isn't feint of heart because it is a great story (as well as inspired by a true story), however, I also recommend that the book should be read first as to not spoil the wonderful book Ketchum has created. As my profile on here says...

Movie 13 of 2008: Ratatouille

2008-02-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great French chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the sewers of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau. Despite the apparent dangers of being an unlikely - and certainly unwanted - visitor in the kitchen of a fine French restaurant, Remy's passion for cooking soon sets into motion a hilarious and exciting rat race that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

Movie Trailer:

My Opinion:

This was a really cute movie. I can't say I liked it as well as Pixar's other works, but it was rather cute. Hmmm... that's the second time I said cute, huh? LOL!!! Well... that's the best word for it. I thought Pixar did a good job with the animation and the storyline was creative. I mean... c'mon... would you expect a kitchen full of mice to cook YOU dinner? HA HA!!! Anyway, I recommend it as a good family movie or one to keep the kids occupied. :)

Movie 12 of 2008: Ju-on: The Grudge

2008-02-02T18:30:00.000-08:00

Movie Description:

Directed by Takashi Shimizu, The Grudge follows volunteer homecare worker Rika Nishida (Megumi Okina), whose altruism leads her to Chiharu (Yui Ichikawa), a catatonic old woman slowly dying in a home filled with years worth of accumulated filth. Rika's suspicion is aroused when, during the course of her volunteer duties, she can't help but sense an overwhelming feeling of dread. Eventually, Rika opens an old wardrobe only to discover a malevolent boy who introduces himself as Toshio (Yuya Ozeki). It seems as though the house was formerly occupied by a young couple -- Katsuya (Kanji Tsuda), Chiharu's son, and his wife, Kazumi (Risa Matsuda). Sadly, Kazumi was killed thanks to Toshio shortly after moving in, and it wasn't long before Katsuya met a similar fate. When one of Rika's colleagues alerts the local authorities, an investigation turns the house inside out and exposes an ancient and deadly history.

Trailer:

My opinion:

I typically enjoy Asian horror movies, but honestly... this one didn't do much for me. There were some moments of the movie I enjoyed and due to watching it with a friend who hated it even more and made bad jokes throughout, I was laughing a lot. I just didn't think it was very creepy. Granted, the kid and other ghosts in the movie were freaky looking, but there weren't really any "jump" moments as I'd call 'em and it just wasn't good. LOL! A lot of the Asian movies (whether horror or not) are VERY hard to comprehend and this one did follow somewhat with that pattern as you had to try really hard to keep track of what all was going on in the movie and who was connected/related to whom. Maybe J-Horror movies just aren't meant to scare me. I mean, everyone told me how THE RING was the SCARIEST movie. I thought it was poorly done. I had read THE RING by Koji Suzuki and I then wathched the American movie. And for those that HAVE seen THE RING... there are NO horsese in the book... not a one!!! I have NO idea where that came from. I then went on to watch the Japanese version of the movie, RINGU... it was better and followed closer to the book, but at the end when they told about how the girl got in the well, well... let's just say, it was a different person in the book that put her there. I'm not sure why they switched it for the movie. *shrugs* Anyway, I recommend the books by Suzuki... just skip the movies! LOL!!! Anyway, back to Ju-on... I definitely won't be renting the sequels to this one and I don't really recommend watching it. I also don't plan on watching THE GRUDGE (the American version of this movie) because after THE RING fiasco, I won't bother with American re-makes.

Movie 11 of 2008: Knocked Up

2008-01-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

I had been wanting to see KNOCKED UP even before it came out. I loved the trailer for the movie, but just now got the chance to see it. I watched the TV show UNDECLARED when it was on (though very short-lived... 17 episodes) and was disappointed to see it go off the air. So... it was refreshing to see both Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel in a movie together. The movie was just as funny as I expected rather than being one of those comedies where all of the funny moments appear in the trailer. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good comedy and doesn't mind some college humor to go along with it.

And for Cindi/Laura... I rate it 3 snorts!

Movie 10 of 2008: Cloverfield

2008-01-24T18:27:00.000-08:00

This blog should've been done almost a week ago as I saw this last Friday night, but... I haven't had time, so here it is!

If you have not seen this movie yet... GO! It was awesome! (albeit very short... only like an hour if you don't count trailers and credits... the credits were like 15-20 minutes in themselves and with a crappy song playing... though that was the only part of the movie I didn't like!) The movie was intense and had you on the edge of your seat wondering what was to come next, who would survive, what would be left (if anything) of the city, etc... VERY action-packed! There actually weren't a lot of visuals of the monster within the movie, but... I think that made it that much more "scary" (for lack of a better word). I believe I jumped once or twice in the movie, but the movie itself wasn't scary... just suspenseful... and sometimes that gets me worse than so-called scary movies.

A lot of people were concerned about whether or not this movie would cause motion sickness. I don't typically get sick in a car unless I'm trying to read or if I get overly warm, but... I honestly don't think this movie was bad in that sense. Yeah... the camera was shaky a lot of the time (I honestly feel that in some scenes it should've been shakier, but I'm sure they were trying to limit that out some) but it needed to be based on what was going on. As for the guy carrying the camera around everywhere... good god he had some balls! If I'd been in his predicament, I would've lost the camera way in the beginning of that movie!!! But again... it's what needed to be done.

At any rate, this movie (so far) is my favorite of what I've seen this year. I'm sure that there will be others that rate as highly or almost as highly, but this was a REALLY good flick. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspenseful movies and/or movies that are filmed a bit differently from the norm.

Movie 9 of 2008: The Exorcist

2008-01-18T18:27:00.000-08:00

As many people know, I'm trying to go back and watch a bunch of horror movies that I missed out on, including many "classics". I ended up picking up The Exorcist after a discussion in The LAIR about why people actually laughed during this movie. I had to see if I'd be another one to laugh or not... ha ha! So... I watched... and I enjoyed! I didn't like laugh out loud or anything, but I was amused at some of the antics of Raven and also because I kept spotting scenes that had been spoofed in SCARY MOVIE (peeing on the floor, spitting the pea soup, etc...). At any rate, I am glad I finally watched this film and am excited about continuing my movie journey. I want to thank everyone yet again for all of the recommendations... NICK YAK, CHRIS RAMONE, BETH, TOM PICCARILLI, DAELITH!!! Keep 'em coming!

Movie 8 of 2008: A Tale of Two Sisters

2008-01-15T18:26:00.000-08:00

Okay, I heard many good things about this movie and I enjoyed it while I watched it, but... I had no clue what was going on!!! There was a scene that made me "jump" so that always makes for an interesting movie. Ha ha! Anyway, back to the plot... since Tom Piccirilli was one of the people that highly recommended this to me I had to message him and find out if he could explain it to me, which he did... in quite detail I might add. I can't believe how much I missed about what was going on within this flick. Of course, I think my multi-tasking and lack of complete focus might've had something to do with it... though most asian films tend to be along the weird & bizarre side and hard to follow a lot of the time. I'm definitely going to re-watch this movie to see if I can grasp a better understanding of it though because the movie is extremely interesting and now that I've had it explained a bit I think I can try to follow it quite a bit better. Thanks Tom!!!

Movie 7 of 2008: Dead & Breakfast

2008-01-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

Upon Beth's recommendation and also the video clip she posted on her blog, I HAD to rent DEAD & BREAKFAST. I was right... this movie was frickin' hilarious!!! I absolutely loved the soundtrack (and thank you Chris for correcting the fact that I was told originally that there was no soundtrack made for this film... I MUST get it!!!) There was a bit more blood-shed in this movie than I wanted to see, but even the scene where the guy had the chainsaw stuck in his head was cracking me up. I am going to have to re-watch this movie because I have a feeling that I probably missed some stuff due to laughing so much.

Below are 2 videos about the movie... the first being the trailer and the latter being the clip Beth posted that I was laughing so hard at...

Movie 6 of 2008: Rock Star

2008-01-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED this movie!!! I didn't realize that Mark Wahlberg or Jennifer Aniston had even done any movies early on, but this movied kicked ass! The soundtrack to the movie was kickin' and the whole cast was really cool. (I'm starting to see that the guy who played Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter movies actually is doing a lot of other stuff as he was both in this movie and Sweeney Tood) I absolutely loved the scene where Jennifer pierced Mark's nipple and also the scene where he was practicing talking about how his vocals have improved from "eating pussy" (as he put it) and Jennifer was in the background asking him if he was going to talk about it all day or do it. HA HA!!! I'm so glad Chris suggested this movie as well because I loved every minute of it!!!

Movie 5 of 2008: The Fog

2008-01-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

After re-renting this movie because I had the remake rather than the originally I finally got the chance to watch this movie to see what all of Chris Ramone's hype was all about. I have to agree with him though, THE FOG was a great movie! It was very different from other movies I have seen. I was very happy that they didn't show all of the gory details of each killing, though, because I have a feeling that I would've been sick from seeing all of the murders done with that hook the main bad guy was carrying around. I'm looking forward to checking out more of John Carpenter's works. Thanks for introducing me to his stuff Chris!

Movie 4 of 2008: Phone

2008-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching PHONE. I have to praise the young little girl that played Young-ju, Seo-woo Eun, beyond words. WOW!!! Her acting in this movie was awesome!!! If you don't mind Asian films, definitely give this one a watch... if nothing else, to watch Seo-woo. Her facial expressions alone in this movie made the movie for me. She would have the sweetest little angelic face one second and the next she would have the most horrific, evil look you can imagine. I think her best scene was right before she fell down the stares. I don't have any idea how young this little girl was in the movie, but she is going to be a great little actress if she keeps this up!

As for the movie itself, I thought it was quite suspensful and entertaining. No, it didn't really scare me, but then again... I don't think I'm as scared easily nowadays. I did find the movie quite creepy an had the soundtrack been more creepy and less classical it's quite possible the movie would've seemed a lot scarier to me. I believe this is my first Korean film I've ever scene, but I thought it was very well done and I plan to check out some other Korean films in the near future. I think I'll be trying to track down A TALE OF TWO SISTERS based on strong recommendations from both the following horror authors... Nick Cato & Tom Piccirilli.

Movie 3 of 2008: The Station Agent

2008-01-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

Still working my way through the DVDs I picked up at Hollywood Video Friday night. Last night I watched THE STATION AGENT upon Nick's recommendation. I have to agree that this was a great flick! I probably would've enjoyed it even more so had I not been trying to multi-task at the time, but I still really liked it. I was more focussed on it than the work I took home to take care of at the same time. LOL! Peter Dinklage, as well as the rest of the cast, put forth an astounding performance. The story behind this movie was unique and very heartfelt in my opinion. If anyone else has seen this movie, I'd love to hear your opinions. If you haven't seen it, I recommend checking it out.

For more info on this movie, check out the movie's site.

Tonight's movie... either HALLOWEEN or PHONE!

Movie 2 of 2008: Kamikaze Girls

2008-01-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

Just finished watching my 2nd movie of the new year and I have to say I enjoyed it much more than the first one. However, I'm really not sure how to explain the movie. LOL!!! I think that Japanese movies/shows/etc... are something one has to aquire a taste for as the Japanese have a tendency to create extremely weird and bizarre things. This movie started off completely weird and had a lot of oddities in it. There was a major story line in it about two completely opposite girls becoming friends and all, but I just loved the outfits and the weird stuff in the movie. LOL!!! I definitely am interested in rewatching it as there is a special mode on the DVD called "Sideways Mode" that supposedly gives an extra look into the Kamikaze Girls throughout the movie. It's just a really interesting film. For those that enjoy Japanese films and such, definitely check this one out. If you are someone who does not enjoy weird Japanese stuff, I don't recommend it because it is odd. I was laughing a lot during the movie though... especially the first half of it. Two thumbs up from me! :) Check out the trailer...

Now... off to try finish reading my first book of the New Year as I'm already falling behind on my 2 books a week goal... eep! I also need to get myself doing crunches tonight... that's an even more difficult goal to force myself into. Ugh!

Movie 1 of 2008: Night of the Living Dead

2008-01-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

So I watched my first movie of 2008 yesterday. After visiting the LAIR of the YAK so often I decided I needed to give horror movies a try again. When I was younger I used to get scared of them, but I've always been able to read the books so assumed it was just the music and visuals that got to me. So... I took some recommendations from Nick the Yak and Chris Ramone on what some good horror movies would be. Nick's first suggestion was NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD so I started there. I gotta admit, I realy didn't enjoy the movie. (sorry Nick!!!) Granted, this movie is from the 60s so I'm sure some of the cheesiness is from that because a lot of older movies are quite cheesy, but I just didn't think there was much to the movie. Maybe that's the way it was supposed to be though... if so, well, they did a great job. LOL! I will admit that I enjoy the chase scene at the beginning of the movie after the first zombie killed Barbra's brother. She did pretty good with her acting job in being numb after the death and with the occasional hysterical outbursts. At any rate, it was probably a good starter horror movie for me, but definitely not a scary movie. Last year I watched 1408 based on a short story by Stephen King... now THAT movie made me jump... granted, only once. But... 1408 was also more of a suspense/thriller rather than a monster movie. So... I'm wondering if it's just the monster movies that I'm not into, but I'll give some more a try and see. I currently have HALLOWEEN here to watch so that's coming up later this week. I'll try posting my opinions regarding all of the movies I've rented and hopefully Nick and Chris get to pop by and read what I had to think. If not, I'm sure we'll get to talk about it in the LAIR. (assuming Op11 finally get up and running properly again *sigh*)

Beth (or anyone else)... I know you're quite into the horror movie scene as well... any recommendations? I don't like a ton of gore in my movies though so please keep that in mind. I don't mind killings and some blood, but it can be too much and I really don't like seeing the insides ripped out of a person's body. Bleech!