The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that played with Fire then Kicked a Hornet's Nest

In another great voting pool, "When Tron Legacy Comes out, Will you go see it?", we had a three way tie for second place, 1 person will be at the midnight showing, 1 person is gonna wait for a few weeks and 1 person thinks it's dumb or isn't there cup of tea. However, 3 of us are going to see it opening weekend, hope I see some of you there. I don't think you need to see the original, btw, to get the drift of the second one. I'm only guessing there though.

This week I'm doing a 2 part review, and the first movie is

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The movie tells the fictional story of a journalist, Mikael Blomkvist played by Michael Nyqvist, who's damn good at his job. He's at a rocky patch in his career and in his life. He is tried in court for libel and found guilty, but before he serves his sentence he's asked to solve a 40 year old "disappearing" case. While trying to solve the case he runs into a computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander played by Noomi Rapace (due to play in the Sherlock Holmes sequel and the Aliens prequel) who is a computer hacker and is a bit socially strange. The unlikely team uncover something way more then just a disappearing child case, they find out about 5-6 murders all linked starting from the 1940's to the present. Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll ensue.

The first thing that was very refreshing was that it was a step outside of the realm I'm used to...The United States. The picture was filmed throughout a few of the Scandanavian countries and Germany. Beautiful. To see different architecture and cities (that aren't Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago) was refreshing. The environments were beautiful fillers in between the craziness of the story. The story is based on Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy, which he wrote, then died without having seen them become popular. The story is sort of your run of the mill, who done it, follow the clues to the next clue type of movie, very Sevenish. Regardless of that fact you still want to find the connections to the clues and figure out who done it along with the characters.

The characters, namely Lisbeth, are very intriguing. Lisbeth is the girl refereed to in all three of the tittles The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and she isn't entirely the main character but the one you want to see the most of. As soon as you see her on the screen you just want to know about her, but you don't get much. Just her attitude, and her social ostracism. You can tell she's been through a lot, through the way she interacts with people, how she dresses and how she reacts to the "bad" guys and the "good" guys. There's a great dynamic between Lisbeth and the dominant male character, where he's the soft, sensitive, caring one and she's the cold hearted, don't take no shit, tough one.

Violent, twisted, demented...Lisbeth still comes out alive. Oh did I mention its in Swedish, with English subtitles?

The Girl Who Played with Fire

This film played off the first one great. The story however starts to get a little bit convoluted. We start learning about these Secret Agencies and government officials in cahoots within this sexual trafficking ring and how they all tie in together with Lisbeth.

I feel like this movie and the last movie don't translate into films as well as the last one. Either that or whoever translated them (not language to language but medium to medium) didn't do a very good job. The story keeps the same twisted type feel and action but started to loose me at parts in the middle. Still a great follow up to the first flick.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The third installment and end of the story tells the conclusion of Lisbeth Sander and her involvement with a twisted government who is locked up in conspiracy and sexual perversion. Now, don't get me wrong the movie is good, but it's definitely not great. The movie is a huge exhibition and detective case which sets up the court case to finally put these sick perverts in their rightful place. Blomkvsit sets out to take down these sick government leaders who think they can do whatever they want. The exhibition might be to involved which, as i said before, may not have translated that great into a movie. The first 2 movies had the right amount of violence and action mixed in with a sick and twisted story line. I think the third movie relies on this idea of the first two, to take it to the last 20 mins of the story/conclusion. I wasn't bored by the detective talk and investigating and the rehab, but I was expecting something different.

I really liked the first one, enjoyed the second one and watched and liked the third one because it was the conclusion. The first one seems to be a separate story from the last two. The third movie uses some elements from the first but it didn't do it for me.

All in all I enjoyed the Millennium trilogy, but I really liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, enjoyed the The Girl who Played with Fire, and watched The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest to see the conclusion.

I thought of a random movie quote, see if you can guess where they're from...

1) "SUCK BRICK KID!"

2) "Lotta sap in here! Mmmm... Looks great! Little full, lotta sap."

3) "I think so but I'd have to get pretty high" "I bet you would Panama Red"

4) "You're what the French call les incompetents."

5) "Buddy the Elf whats your favorite color"

6) "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Netflix Instant Watch of the Week: Almost Heroes. This has to be on of Farley's most underrated films that most people haven't seen. Everyone's seen and Tommy Boy and Black Sheep but most people haven't seen this. Trying to beat Lewis and Clarke across the young U.S. the antics they he and Matthew Perry get into are hysterical. So many "I'm crying cause I'm laughing" moments and very easily quoted.


Netflix DVD of the week: Doubt. A very thought provoking movie with some STUNNING acting via Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams (who was a slightly a new comer). At the end you will be amazed by the acting and you'll be scratching your head asking what really happened.



a little bit of movie news...

The AFI's top 10 Movies of 2010
http://www.slashfilm.com/afis-top-10-films-tv-shows-2010/#more-94017

The AV Club.com's top 15 Movies of 2010
http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-best-films-of-2010,49101/

Happy Holidays folks!

Leslie Nielsens Conviction

I LOVE IT!!! I seem to be getting a lot of hits/views on the blog, which is so amazing, I love watching the number go up. This means 1) People are just being nice and just go on my blog and keep hitting the review button or 2) People are actually reading...Thank you greatly either way.

For those of you who are visiting why not vote on the movie poll on the right there, or add a comment. Maybe you've seen the movie(s) I'm talking about or recommended or you want to let us (or me) know. Maybe you want to cry out about some of the movie news, even if you want to say I'm an idiot....I'll take it

To recap the movie poll, Out of the AFI (American Film Institute) top 5 movies of all time, which one would you like to see (or if you've seen them is your favorite)...We got a total of 3 votes (kinda weak but I'll take it) and all three of those votes were allocated to 3 different selections. It was a 3 way tie between Citizen Kane, Casablanca (My pick), and The God Father....do your part, ROCK THE VOTE!!

now for the movie review...

Conviction

Conviction is the story of a brother and sister, Betty Anne and Kenny Waters, played by Hillary Swank (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby) and Sam Rockwell (Safe Men, Moon, Iron Man 2), that are an inseparable duo, from rambunctious childhood to a much more complicated adulthood. Kenny is a low life, trouble maker with a little daughter and Betty Anne is a "try to do good" mother of 2 boys. Both are from a small suburban town outside of Boston. Based on a true story, a murder was committed and Kenny was pinned with the heinous act but swears up and down he's innocent. Betty Anne can't just sit around and let this injustice go on, she decides to enroll into law school and become a lawyer no matter if it tears her, her family, and even her and Kenny apart. Sibling love ensues.

Conviction, directed by first time big screener Tony Goldwyn ("Dexter", "Damages", "Justified) is based on a true events and is a big time character based movie. Acting drives the film from one scene to the next, along with the story line and dialogue, but mainly by the acting. I wanted to see this film because I'm a big fan of Sam Rockwell. He reminds me of Jeremy Piven ("Entourage", PCU, Smokin Aces) in the sense of his mannerisms and nonvocal communication. Not as jerky, abrupt or grand as Pivens, but so precise and seemingless. He nails his character, so cool but yet a bad ass, who loves himself, his sister and his daughter. His transformation throughout the film is remarkable, you watch him grow up and become a man. Hillary Swank I didn't buy at first. I feel like everyone's now trying to get into a movie where they can try to show off their "Bahstan" accent. I didn't buy hers at first, but she grew on me. She has some intense sad scenes which I felt like she may have over done, but still great. The one who stole it for me though was Juliette Lewis. (National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation, Natural Born Killers, Old School) She played an ex-girlfriend of Kenny's who testified against him at the trial. Later on they talk to her again, strung out on drugs and alcohol and the guilt of putting Kenny to jail. The 5 min scene she had revisiting the court case, mixed with a cigarette, a never ending glass of wine and whatever drugs she was on stuck with me after it was done.

The dynamic of the brother and sister, when younger and older, was captivating as well. I have a younger sister so it resonated with me pretty strongly. The play on the relationship was a key factor in the movie for me. They, being the actor/actress, the writers and director made it feel real, that this sister would spend 20 years of her life fighting for her brother. Not one of her parents, or a lover/husband, her brother and they made it believable.

A slow movie you have to committed to to get the payoff at the end. Keep a close eye on the actors/actresses and it will help.

A Tribute to Leslie Nielsen

I remember the first Nielsen movies I saw was Naked Gun 33 1/3 and it was right up my alley. Stupid, dry, simple humor, crude jokes and vulgar happenings. Leslie Nielsen will be remembered as a funny man. His characters were never to bright, but they always knew how to deliver a punch line. He passed away November 28th 2010 and left behind some of the funniest movies of all time. Ask the AFI, who voted Airplane the #10 funniest movie of all time. I'm sure Leslie Nielsen had a hand in making that movie as funny as it was, even if that hand was on a busty women's breast by accident, someone's crotch, or on his gun. Starting on a string of tv shows starting around 1950, he had rolls in some comedies some dramas, with a roll in one episode on the famed "Bonanza". He then scored a roll as the Captain in the original The Posideon Adventure, followed by a roll in one episode of the hit tv show, turned movie "M.A.S.H." After scoring a roll in a couple of episodes of both "Kung Fu" and "S.W.A.T' he made it into his first "hit" movie in The Kentucky Fried Movie which was what made him become famous. Airplane hit in 1980 which will be Nielsen's big start and his corner stone. Followed by a bunch of movies and tv shows I've never heard of, The Naked Gun series started in 1988. It was followed by a sequel in 1991 and a final chapter in 1994. His movies all had a spoof theme, and he followed that all the way to his death. His humor will be missed, but u can always pop in a VHS to feel it again.

Netflix Instant Watch of the Week: Army of Darkness. A mash up of horror and comedy, but all "its so terrible its good". Bruce Campbell is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home. When he finds the Necronomicon its hilarious, the whole movie is hilarious.

Netflix DVD of the Week: Airplane. Leslsie Nielsen's cornerstone and the #10 funniest movie of all time according to the AFI. If you're looking for silly humor and really good one liners, spoofs out the rear end and some crude jokes this movie is for you.



now some movie news...

Tis the season....for villains
Great list of the top 5 movie villains of all time. The list comes from Metro.co.uk http://www.metro.co.uk/film/849692-the-best-christmas-movie-villains

The director from Tron 2 started doing commercials
The new director for Tron, Jospeh Kosinski, is a rookie. He hasn't done anything big screen yet but this commercials is speculated to have gotten him the spot. The commercials is very simple but you can see where producers would pull this guy in. See the commercial at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/watch-joseph-kosinskis-fake-iphone-commercial/#more-93694


Thanks to errbody, and my editor-in-assistant-chief Amy

You wouldn't cut your arm off...

Hello to all, I have returned. The creative juices are flowing and the film watching has gotten back up to its normal pace of "as often as possible." Not gonna lie, I fell into a little movie drought and lost motivation but I'm back at it. Watched Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, which is part of my quest to see the AFI top 100 movies of all time (42-100). I also had the pleasure to see the hit documentary Waiting for Superman at the Colonial Theater. If you live in or around Phoenixville get your behind into a seat for a film there.

To recap, the last Movie Poll was Matt Damon's Best Film(s). It was a tie with two votes each for The Bourne Trilogy and The Departed, both stellar films, and Rounders getting one tally (that would be my vote). Do your part and vote!

Now for what you've all really been waiting for...

127 Hours

Directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later, Trainspotting, The Beach) the movie tells the story (based on true events) of Aron Ralston, played by James Franco (Pineapple Express, Spider-Man), a man who lives for adventure and is off spending a weekend hiking in Utah. One misstep changes his entire vacation as he falls into a gorge and has a boulder pin his arm down and has him trapped. With food rations depreciating and water diminishing, he looks back on his life and tries to figure out how, and if, he'll ever get out. Cringing ensues.

I enjoyed thoroughly what Danny Boyle did with the camera, and what the editor created as well. The first part of the film was a great little montage of life and our protagonist getting ready to embark on what he didn't know was going to be a brush with fate. There was one stunning shot of James Franco on this giant boulder and a 360 degree spin, allowing the audience to engulf the setting of vast, dry, rolling land. It spins to Franco and has him set to the left of the screen. Something about the way that was filmed stood out for me, like we were getting a sense that it was not just the character we need to be thinking about but also what's around him.

As the story goes, similar to that of Titanic, it's not a spoiler to tell you that he cuts his arm off. The movie is just the anticipation of this ridiculously flabbergasting event, making you think what is it going to take for a person to cut his own arm off. He imagines different scenes of his life, family, friends, past events... some happy, some sad. He also video tapes himself, again, sometimes almost drawing tears, but also drawing laughter. The idea of films based on true events always have me guessing what was added to the story to dramatize it and what in fact truly happened.

The scene of Franco cutting his own arm off is so cringe worthy and intense, highly intense. You know this scene is coming, so you are just wondering how he's going to pull it off. In the almost 15 minute scene, my muscles were tensed, teeth were clenched and my heart was racing. The sound effects used to help the audience feel what the pain may have felt like are so powerful. The acting of course is so believable I almost thought Franco may be actually cutting his arm off. I have a weak stomach as well when it comes to blood and gore, so I may have gagged a little. The scene pulled off what is so hard to do, making the audience feel a physical reaction as well as an emotional reaction.

127 Hours from what I've heard is going to get a nomination, but may not have what it takes to be best picture. With the one man show Franco put on I also won't be surprised if he gets a nod for best actor.

Netflix Instant Watch of the Week: Banlieue 13. I've always been an advocate for mindless action movies with great one liners. This sort of falls into that realm. Great mindless action. This film has some of the greatest action ever, lots of great choreographed hand to hand fighting. No good one liners, well because it's all in French. Still great action flick.

Netflix DVD of the Week: Little Miss Sunshine. A great quirky movie, with that small indie feel. A great cast telling a bizarre story. The movie is about a families journey to get their daughter Olive to a talent/beauty pageant. The father is a motivational speaker struggling to provide for his family, all the while trying to teach them of his theories. The mother seems normal and rational, minus the fact that she and her husband are constantly fighting. The son has taken a vow of silence until he hears of his acceptance into the Air Force. The uncle is recently discharged from the hospital for a suicide attempt after the man he loved ran off with someone else. The grandfather is a heroin addict, and little Olive is the glue that keeps the family together. Yea its crazy, but it's feel good.

Now a little movie news...

Spider-Man...On Broadway??? You know it!
Spider-Man "Keep the Dark out" is in fact the name of the new Broadway play that is about a year late. The play was supposed to go into production about a year ago, but it ran out of money. Julie Taymore (Across the Universe, Frida) is helmed to direct it. The "play", if that's what it can be called, is set to the original soundtrack of Bono and his U2 buddy The Edge. I really dislike U2, but I'd definitely go to check this out. I'm not even kidding you, 60 Minutes did a great little 15 minute piece on the show that is set to start in the next few weeks after it had its first live dress rehearsal. The video from 60 Minutes at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/60-minutes-musical-spectacle-spiderman-turn-dark/#more-93217

The Hosts for the 83rd Academy Awards are...
This years Academy Awards will be hosted by two people. The first is the main star of our reviewed film above, James Franco. The second, and the one I'm much more interested in is the one, the only, Anne Hathaway. I have a huge crush on her ever since I accidentally turned on Ella Enchanted in my basement at about 4 a.m. I think they could both very much carry the Awards, but not as great as Billy Crystal. The choice between these two must be to try to draw a younger crowd. Check out the full article at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/james-franco-anne-hathaway-host-83rd-academy-awards-oscars/#more-93242


Thanks to everyone for the support and to my editor Amy!

Random Quotes on a Train Ride Home

Hey now everyone. Hope you had a good Halloween weekend (and watched lots of movies - I'm guessing horror, I didn't partake in that genre), ate lots and lots of candy, dressed up (or dressed someone else up) in great conceived costumes, and howled at the moon.

In our movie poll, your favorite Halloween themed movie, I got a lot of guff. I wasn't talking horror movies, I was talking Halloween themed: Halloween ideas, Halloween happenings, etc., which is why E.T. made the cut. The movie surrounds that time of year and the characters even go trick-or-treating, so that's why it made it. We got a total of six votes, a small drop off from last week. The winner was... well it was a three-way tie between Halloween, The Adam's Family and E.T. Make a difference, rock the vote!

Now to our movie review....

The Last Train Home

This movie is a documentary about a Chinese family and their struggle to make it home from the city where they work during the busiest time of the year in China: the Chinese New Year. Some people will know that I'm biased because I lived for a year in the country and experienced this migration. When I found out about this movie I knew I had to see it because I can relate to it. While others may not be able to relate to the film for that reason, it is still a great story.

The parents in the documentary are migrant workers who make clothing in a factory in the city of Guangzhou (which I have visited) about 2000 km southwest from their home town where their children, parents, and friends live. Their home town is a little village in the Sichuan Province of China (a province I've visited) where their children go to school and work on the farm. The documentary depicts how the parents migrate from Guangzhou to the Sichuan Province and how their daughter deals with living as a migrant worker while going to school.

Just because I've lived in China doesn't mean that someone who hasn't won't enjoy this story. It's a strong story about a family trying to deal with hardship and their falling apart. It becomes clear in the movie that the daughter resents her parents for leaving her and her younger brother at such a young age to make money for the family. At the same time, the parents found it extremely disrespectful that their daughter didn't acknowledge that what they were doing was for her benefit.

The director of the film, Lixin Fan, followed this family from 2006-2008 and filmed it beautifully. From my experience in the country, she showed the real China and the real people. There were no voice overs and very few moments where music influenced the way we were meant to feel. The real life characters and the natural story itself evoked all of the emotions we needed. Beautiful scenes of the countryside are scattered in between shots of the rough lifestyle of the migrant workers and the overcrowded, dirty cities.

"The largest human migration on the planet" is what Fan captured, and the main selling point of this film. She weaves the camera into the massive stampedes of people rushing to pile onto inadequately spaced trains. Some people wait five hours to get onto a train, others five days. Once on board, some travel six hours to get to their places of origin, others suffer weeks. Think Christmas on heroin. The scenes make you feel helpless and claustrophobic, not because of walls closing in on you, but because of humans shoulder-to-shoulder in every direction.

This heart wrenching story will make a poignant poke at your emotions. You want this family to work, but in reality, not Hollywood, things don't always go as we the audience want it too.

Guess the random movie quote that I picked straight from my mind...

1) "Somebody's poisoned the water hole"

2) "I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."

3) "Get that corn outta my face! "

4) "Remember, Sully, when I promised to kill you last?" "That's right, Matrix! You did!" "I lied."
5) "I can't, Billy... you already cut me too deep. I think I'm dying here, man!"

*Good luck, have fun. Don't hurt your brain to much...



Netflix Instant Watch of the week: Cool World. Okay, so I'm a sucker for cartoons. One of my favorite movies, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, mixes cartoons and people. Cool World is the same way, except these cartoons are a little more risque then Roger and his friends. Brad Pitt plays a detective in the cartoon world and tries to send back a cartoonist who thinks he created this Cool World. The movie's animation is great but it definitely doesn't mesh well with the humans. However, like I said, I'm a sucker for cartoons.

Netflix DVD of the week: The Fall. Now this movie can be played instantly or on DVD. I've found it's hard to find movies that are JUST DVD. The Fall is about a stuntman who gets hurt and has become suicidal while in the hospital. He meets a little quirky girl who connects with him as he tells her a story that she creatively imagines. This movie is beautiful to behold. I believe it is first art, movie second because of its great shots, color combinations, set pieces and costumes. It is adventurous and the ending is well worth the wait. Check this little guy out.



Now some movie news.

True Grit, new release date
If some of you haven't seen a Coen brother's movie, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND DO IT. They have so many great ones (Fargo, A Serious Man, No Country For Old Men, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where 'Art Though, Raising Arizona, I didn't like Burn Notice though) and they've made another called True Grit. The movie is already making Oscar buzz and no one has even seen it yet. It stars Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, Iron Man, Tron), Matt Damon (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Departed, The Bourne Trilogy) and Josh Brolin (The Goonies, Milk, No Country for Old Men). I'm super pumped for it and can't get enough news, images, and trailers. The movie has now been moved from Christmas to December 22nd, CHYEA! Check out the trailer




The Dark Knight Rises, rumors on female leads
I'm also very excited for the new Batman movie, now dubbed The Dark Knight Rises. Rumors have come about that Charlize Theron (Monster, Hancock, Mighty Joe Young), Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Running Scared, Up in the Air), and Kaci Thomas are all sparking interest. Each actress has seemed to be pinned to specific characters, so who knows how strong this rumor is. I honestly don't think I'd like to see Charlize Theron. Her face and style are too recognizable, as the other two ladies aren't embedded in my brain as, "Oh that was the girl in..." and "I only see her as that..." Check out the rest of the article on Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/11/02/batman-rumors/

Thanks everyone, happy reading...Thanks to the editor- and vice-chief Amy.

Down by the Bayou

Again another delay. I'm trying to get back into the movie swing of things, but events keep stealing my time. Again thanks for all the support, we're almost at 500 hits!!! Who woulda thunked it?

THE VOTE!

We keep upping the vote tallys...I LOVE IT!!! I'm not a huge fan of Jessica Alba (although she is a very attractive woman) so we decided to go with her worst movie. We got 8 total votes this time around and the worst Jessica Alba movie is (drum roll please)...Honey!!!! Man I feel bad for all of you who have actually seen it and can tell us it's her worst. To bad Miss Alba. I'm sure she won't be on this blog anytime soon.

A little bit of sad movie news...My companion and myself ventured to the Plymouth Meeting Mall this past Friday to catch the re-mastered 25th anniversary of Back to the Future. Yes Back to the Future is 25 years old, which spans my entire life (give or take a few months). We were so pumped!!! We got there early, got good seats, got popcorn and a hot dog, and played a few video games in the arcade. As we saw the crowd flowing in we moseyed on back to our seats and got comfy. 3...2...1...MOVIE START!...movie start? NOOOO, the movie was upside down and not in focus. Ok easy fix, so you'd think. After two visits from the manager and a few unsuccsceful tries later, we were being told of the cancellation of the event. We got a free pass to that same AMC theatre in Plymouth Meeting (like I'll ever go there again), an AMC 25th anniversary poster and a pat on the rear... how upsetting. But we did get to meet these people and see their DeLorean.

One more little tidbit...

Lunchmeat!

A friend of mine by the name of Mike Zebert is doing something I envy. He's writing for a movie magazine with a few (I'm guessing) of his friends. The Magazine is called Lunchmeat. (I believe this is the website http://www.moviemags.com/main.php?title=LUNCHMEAT if its not...Zebes let me know). I got a chance to read through the magazine, or 'fanzine. The guys who write for this 'fanzine, embark on a journey few would take. They watch old horror films that can only be viewed via VHS... some of our younger readers may not even know what that is. Even though I don't do horror, Zebes reassured me that these movies usually fall into the category "so bad they are funny." The writings are highly amusing, as the 4-5 guys go on to describe how badly awesome these movies are. There are some great articles with interviews from horror movie poster artists, to movie composers most may have never heard of. These guys put a lot of work into this magazine and it shows. There is a lot of great content, you won't be able to sit down and read it in one fell swoop. I believe this is a quarterly magainze so you have time to indulge in all the VHS horror madness. Good luck guys and keep up the good work. "Re-animate your VCR" LUNCHMEAT!



Now to our review...

The Princess and the Frog

I choose a movie on a late Sunday night that would be easy to follow and not ask a lot of me. I have a very big soft spot for Disney movies (Aladdin being on my top 10-15 list) and I wanted to stay up to date. So I decided on The Princess and the Frog.

Based on the story of a Prince, cursed to roam the earth as a slimey frog until he can be kissed by a real Princess to break the spell. Disney took this idea and spun it a little. Set in the Bayou of New Orleans during the jazz era, Tiana, played by Anika Noni Rose (From Justin to Kelly, Dream Girls), is a hard working waitress trying to save up for a dream she and her father had when she was little. The dream is to set up a top tier restaurant that is all her own. Prince Naveen, Bruno Campos (Mimic 2, "E.R.","Nip/Tuck") ventures into New Orleans from out of town looking for a rich princess to marry because his rich parents cut him off by the wallet. A voodoo man, known as the Dark Man, Kieth David (Platoon, Armageddon, Pitch Black), sees a way to trick the prince and become King of New Orleans. Disney insanity ensues.

You can't deny that Disney always, always produces a quality film. I've never seen a bad Disney animated movie, and this one did not disappoint. The animation was spectacular, this being the first hand-drawn Disney animated film since Home on the Range in 2004. I'm so happy they "reverted" to this style of animation because it is just breathtaking and you can't help but be glued to the screen. The choice of New Orleans in the jazz era was such a refreshing and bold look for Disney. They nailed the jazzy/bayou/cajun feel. I felt like I've now been to New Orleans during the jazz era because of this film. There's a scene in particular that struck me. The Dark Man sends out these "shadows" to try to capture froggy Prince Nuveen. As the shadows rush into the bayou woods, the camera stays on the trees and we see the numerous, detailed and different shadows rushing by the tree ling, I think i rewound the movie three times to re-watch it.

The characters that were contrived were so on point. The alligator that wants to play jazz, the bayou lightening bug, the dark man, the bayou voodoo women, the southern belle - they were done so well. If a trumpet playing alligator from the bayou during the jazz era was talking to a back woods, yokel, lightening bug from the bayou, I imagine that their conversation would go similar to the one in the movie. The characters, though fictional and animated, felt so right. They fit perfectly.

Music is always a huge part of Disney movies. This movie was nominated for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song for two songs. However, it didn't win an Oscar. The songs were as you would expect from Disney - catchy and fitting. They were a fusion of Disney, New Orleans, jazz, and the bayou that almost got me out of my bed dancing at midnight on a Sunday. My favorite was the one sung by The Voodoo lady in the bayou but I can't recall its name, it really swings.

Other great voice-overs in the movie - Oprah as Momma Eudora (a.k.a. voodoo women), Terrance Howard (Crash, Iron Man, Idlewild) as the mother of Tiana, and John Godman (Raising Arizona, The Big Lebowski, The Flinstones) as the mayor of New Orleans.

Overall I had a great time watching this movie. the story is a little smashed together in the beginning. You get your heroin, your hero, your villain and the problem within the first twenty minutes. It doesn't feel as well planned or set up as some of the older Disney movies. It doesn't exactly match up with them, but it still has the essence of a Beauty and the Beast, Lion King or Little Mermaid.

The Invisibles Answers

1) American Psycho
2) The Karate Kid
3) The Fast Times at Ridgemont High
4) Office Space
5) Pretty in Pink
6) The Piano
7) The Others
8) Mystic Pizza

If you got them all, shoot you beat me. I only got 5. Who got more than 5? Well, you win!

Netflix Instant Watch of the Week: Boondock Saints. I hesitate to put this on here as I feel most people have seen this movie. This is more of a cult film, as it did terrible in the box office, and only recently (last 5-6 years) has become really popular. Two Irish brothers decide to take justice into their own hands, "Whattya need tha foocking rope fer?"

Netflix DVD of the week: Natural Born Killers. Talk about a twisted movie. It's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas meets House of a Thousand Corpses. Ok that might be a little over the top, but its a crazy movie. I can't sum it up so here is the synopsis from IMDB.com: "Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media." Featuring Woody Harrelson, ("Cheers", White Men Can't Jump, The Thin Red Line) Juliette Lewis (The Other Sister, Old Sschool, National Lampoon's: Christmas Vacation) and Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, U.S. Marshals, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) among others.



Some movies news....

Batman 3 gets a name and no 3d?
Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Prestiege, Inception) has finally started talking about Batman 3, and I know I'm pumped. Batman Begins was an amazing piece of filming followed by The Dark Knight which bested its previous title. The upcoming Batman movie, Batman 3, finally has a title: The Dark Knight Rises. Simple, classy, to the point. I think I like it, but who knows, the movie hasn't even started shooting yet. Christopher Nolan has spoken out saying he doesn't really get 3d and would not like to use it. IMAX however is a different story. Nolan says that he wants to keep everything consistent, he wants to "carry on with that look and feel specifically with respect to the large canvas and operatic sweep.” I'm sold. Also in a previous article I read, Nolan said that The Riddler will not be the new villian. Who would you like to see? What would you call the new Batman title? Do you like the title? Check out the rest of the article at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/27/christopher-nolan-offers-detail-skipping-3d-the-dark-knight-rises/#more-91439

Which movie best represents which state
Subtonix (and I don't know who or what they are, I'm to lazy to research it) came up with a map in which a movie is designated to represent each state. Some of these are really good, Idaho = Napolean Dynamite, Oklahoma = Twister, Oregon = The Goonies. There are 3 that I was curious about. California = Fast Times at Ridgemont High, New York = Taxi Drive and Pennsylvania = Groundhog's Day. What do you think, do those movies represent said states?Especially PA? I like Groundhog's Day for PA but I think I would have went with Rocky. Biased? Perhaps. Here's a link to the map, via Slashfilm.com http://bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/ZZ2736560A.jpg

Happy Halloween everyone, trick-or-treat responsibly!! Watch a lot of horror movies, and one for me, cause I don't watch them because they scare me, immensely.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MY NEW EDITOR...THANKS AMY!

Black Swan Early Showing

So sorry for the delay my loyal subjects (all 4 or 5 of you). It has been a week since our last meeting of cinephilic awesomeness. Sine I last left you I've seen 3 movies, 2 of which will get reviewed today. I did see (500) Days of Summer which I really enjoyed but when you read why I'm not reviewing that one and reviewing this other one you'll know why.

Also on our poll we got our most hits, an all time high so to speak, with a total of 6. I was born in 1985 and there were some great Comedies. Weird Science took the crown with 2 votes (one being me). Keep looking for new polls.

Now onto our review...

Black Swan

So, some of you may or may not know this, but, Black Swan does not come out until December, however I got to witness this masterpiece 2 months before it opens world wide. How did I manage that you say? Well the 19th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival (http://www.filmadelphia.org/) is under way. It started last Thursday with Black Swan being its opening and I jump in it (direct tv commercial reference). Not only did I get to see Black Swan before it's world wide release, Darren Aronofksy (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler) was at the showing. He introduced the film and then did a Q&A. It would be an understatement to say I was geeking out with a giant cheesing smile glued to my face. Great stuff!

Black Swan is about a ballerina/dancer who yearns to be the lead in Swan Lake. However a new face appears among the dancers who may or may not be trying to steal her role. In her preparation for the big night, the role starts to break her down.

When someone asked me what this movie was about, ballet wasn't really my main thought. This movie is about innocence, evil, obsession, perfection, destruction, its sexual and scary. It has it all. Aronofsky has a very specific style of filming, as he did in the Wrestler, he kept the camera very close to the actors, which helped me get inside, and feel what the character was feeling. Aranofsky puts you in this world where you aren't sure if its real, it's not concrete, almost like a dream. He takes you there and then nails you to your seat with suspense. The story unfolded so well, I was always second guessing myself on what I thought I knew was going on. When it all came together at the end I was still smiling.

Natalie Portman was PHENOMENAL, I almost didn't know it was her. For me if an actor/actress can make me forget who they are, that's doing your job well. I didn't see her as Natalie Portman in Garden State or V for Vandetta or from the SNL short, I saw her as Nina. I hope (and I'm almost sure) she will get a Best Actress nomination this year, and she deserves it. Vincent Cassel (Oceans 12-13, Derailed) plays her director, who is trying to urge the role out of her, trying to get her to express her sexuality and femininity with more passion. Almost seems like he may be the antagonist but that's up for debate. Nina's mother, played by Barbara Hershey (Hoosiers, The Natural), an old washed up dancer who wishes she would have had more, but sacrificed it for her daughter, plays an excellent role as an overbearing, slightly psychotic mother. Also up for debate if she's the antagonist. I dislike Mila Kunis (Family Guy, Max Payne, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) I just see her as Meg from Family Guy. She didn't blow me away in this film but did an adequate job.

The feeling of the movie is hard to pin piont, Aronofsky said his movie is part, horror/thriller/drama/dance, and he's write its hard to say what kind of movie this really is. I tell you for sure that it is an amazing film. It takes the energy and the ups and the downs of ballet and utilizes those elements to blow you away. The music, the set, the acting, the drama all come together so well that when you leave the theatre (in December) your jaw will be on the floor.

Now for my second review...

jackass 3d

hahahahahahahahahahaha, ew thats gross, oh shit, hahahahahahahahaha, these guys are idiots, hahahahahahaha, (take a deep breath), oooooooo, ugh thats gross, hahahahahahahahahah
do yourself a favor and go see this.

Invisibles part duex:

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Netflix Instant Watch of the Week: Just Friends. This movie seemed to fly under the radar when it came out, but its hilarious. More com, then rom, Ryan Reynolds has this chemestry with his brother, played by Chris Marquette (The Education of Charlie Banks, Alpha Dog, The Girl Next Door) that is so good. Chris Klein (American Pie, Election, Rollerball) is Dusty Dinkleman and he's Jersey, he ski's in his jeans.

Netflix DVD of the Week: Leaving Las Vegas. Probably one of Nicholas Cage's (maybe it is his best) best roles. He was at the top of his game in this one. Cage moves to Las Vegas to literally drink himselt to death. Its a wild ride, you're in for a treat.

Now for some movie news...

NC-17 Rating
So a movie has just surfaced called Blue Valentine. It's about a man and women and there deteriorating modern day marraige. In the movie you have Ryan Gosling (Stay, The Notebook, Remember the Titans) and Michelle Williams (Species, But I'm a Cheerleader, Brokeback Mountain) playing said couple going through these terrible times. Apperently there is a scene after a sexual scene that is so awkward that they just can't show it. "The disgusting thing about the ruling is that the NC-17 seems to have been delivered in response to a scene that isn’t dangerous, unusual or pornographic" I'm intrigued now and want to see what this film is all about. You can check it out at the Philadelphia Film Festival this week (http://www.filmadelphia.org/). The rest of the article is at /Film, http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/14/the-weinstein-company-to-appeal-blue-valentines-nc_17-rating/

Oz The Great and Powerful
As we all know everything is getting revamped, and rebooted, and sequelized. So why not the Wizard of Oz. Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Spiderman 1-3) is helming the film which seems to be a sexualized, darker prequel about about Oz got to the magical land. I'm not sure how I feel about taking a classic and turning it into something else. I did enjoy "The Tin Man" which was a re-imagined, modernized sci-fi mini series from the Scyfy channel, but this sounds kind of nuts. I don't know if I like this or not. Here's the rest of the article at /Film, http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/15/plot-details-surface-for-sam-raimis-oz-the-great-and-powerful/

Free viewing of Paranormal Activity 2
I'm not a horror fan at all, I won't see the first one and I won't see a lot of other scary movies, but hey, who doesn't like a free film. I still am not going. Go to the link http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/18/see-paranormal-activity-2-for-free-this-week/ then follow the link near the bottom inside the story. Fill in your info and hopefully you brave people will enjoy!


Thanks again everyone, happy filming

Poke!

After last weeks poll, Favorite Movies with Sky Diving in it, we got a grand total of, 5 votes, The Incredibles and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie inched in with 1 vote each, where the Champion of all sky diving movies Pointe Break got a whopping 3 votes! OH YEA!...Goddamn! You are one radical son of a bitch!

Now for our review...

The Social Network

I don't think I need to tell anyone what this movie is about. The creation of facebook, the creator of facebook and how he gets accused of stealing the idea, and turning on his friends.

This movie has been gettin rave reviews, and high academy acclaim since it hit festivals earlier this year. I remember when I first heard about this, "A movie about facebook" PAAAAAAlease. I laughed and snidely turned my nose. But now...wow! This movie is a hit everywhere.

The movie was directed by the highly acclaimed David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, Alien 3) and written by the talented Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing, Charlie Wilson's War). These guys are the cream of the crop. David Fincher is brilliant with a camera, and a direction and he does what he does best. There is a scene that had my eyes glued to the screen by sheer beauty. Two boats in a Crew match (?), (the whole movie scored by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails which was also amazing)race to the end in amazing fashion. I was blown away, my favorite scene of the whole movie. Ironically enough it had nothing to do with the actual story. Aaron Sorkin's dialoge was so poignant and spot on to that "culture" and "time frame". There are so many great lines that I know will be quoted for the next 10 years.

The acting is top notch, I felt like each character was so real and so easy to watch and understand (the dialogue helped). Jesse Eisenberg (Soliatary Man, Zombieland, Adventureland), who I still think is the poor mans Micheal Cera, did a great job playing Mark Zuckerberg ("founder" of Facebook). Very condescending but only to those who deserve it, kinda of a cold soul, who is only interested in being the next big thing. Justin Timberlake (who I have a man crush on) (The Love Guru, Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan) played Sean Parker, founder of Napster who loves to be loved, loves to be awesome, loves to be the main event with the spotlight on him, but can't seem to keep it together. He killed this role, phenomenal. My favorite character in the movie. Andrew Garlfield (Red Riding Trilogy, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Never Let Me Go.) plays Zuckerbergs best, and only friend and "co-founder" of Facebook. I thought he had an amazing role, he plays a preppy rich kid, but the one with the morals, the emotions, the one who doesn't hide anything inside because he wants to make sure it's said. I really liked this guy in Imaginarium and now he's the new Spider-Man. I also loved the two Crew rowers, they were so douchey, and so "bro" it was amazing. "I'm 6'4" 250...and there's 2 of me." Great stuff all around.

I however didn't think the movie was as great as it was hyped up to be. This will be a great film over time because it will really take hold with my generation because we lived it. It missed for me in the very beginning. I feel like it tried to rush into the film, and for awhile I was a little lost. Some might not have been lost and found it to be a great start, but I couldn't follow 100%. Maybe on a second viewing.

I feel like the movie strives in its dialogue, and its acting and directing. However, I felt like the movie was very pompous, "This is the facebook movie, so you should know what is already happening" and pretentious in the fact that it was forcing us to accept it in the very beginning without having seen anything. Like, if before the movie was even viewed by anyone, it knew it was going to be amazing.

However a minor feeling I had that may or may not be removed after I watch it a few more times.

So no quiz tonight but I wanted to try something new. Choose the best performance by an actor/actress. First Up

Christian Slater

So I didn't know who to pick, and for some reason Christian Slater popped into my head. Maybe thats saying something? Christian has had one of those hit then miss, then sorta hit, then fall off kinda careers. He started off as a young man, gettin his first apperance in the film The Legend of Billie Jean to now being on the "hit???" tv show "The Forgotten". Well he did have one film that for me stands out. True Romance. Written by Quentin Tarantino and Directed by Tony Scott (Days of Thunder, Enemy of the State, Man on Fire). It tells the story of Clearance (Slater) who is sort of a loser/loner who loves comic books, movies, pie, and the simple things in life. He gets set up with a call girl, Alabama (Patricia Arquette) who falls in love with him. Clearance wants her to come with him and get married but not before gettin her stuff from her pimp Drexel (played by Gary Oldman), where Clearance ends up killing him and taking the wrong suitcase, the one filled with about a bagillion pounds of coke.

Christian Slater is so cool in this movie, "You're so cool". He loves movies, and who shouldn't, he loves pie, comic books, and Elvis. He's so laid back until someone messes with his "damsel in distress", he turns into a raged filled modern "knight in shining armor" who won't stand for the mistreatment of women. He has conversations with his idle, The King, to guide him and advise him, and if the King thinks you're cool, you must be. He doesn't use drugs, but he'll sell them to big movie producers, he also loves roller coasters and beautiful blondes with asses that taste like french vanilla ice cream. This is my favorite Christian Slater roll.

What's your favorite Slater roll?

Netflix In stant Watch of the Week: Starship Troopers. I'm a sucker for movies so good they are bad, especially if they are sci-fi and have giant alien bugs trying to destroy the earth. Plus Neil Patrick Harris is in this movie, which I swear was his come-back roll after Doogie Howser. Check out this over the top sci-fi romp.

Netflix DVD of the Week: 12 Angry Men. Filmed in 1957, Awarded the Academy award for, Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Writing adapted from a Screenplay and ranked #88 on the AFI top 100 of all time. The movie tells the story of 12 men partaking in jury duty. In the very beginning everyone seems to know for sure that the plaintiff is guilty. Well they get to talking and we find out more about every single man, and about how we shouldn't take things for face value. The movie is filmed in one room, 2 hours, 12 men. It's unreal how entertaining this movie is for that reason.

Now a little movie news...

The Hangover 2

So, yes, The Hangover will have a sequal. We just recently found out that the movie will for sure take place in Thailand. Which is a great idea, because I've been to Asia, not Thailand, but I've heard some AMAZING stories about that country. Storie that I feel like could make up its own movie, so the idea that the guys who created the first one will have this muse. Very exciting stuff. Some of the plot details have finally come out. Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, The A-team, Wet Hot American Summer), Zack Galifianakis (Bubble Boy,Youth in Revolt, Dinner for Schmucks) and Ed Helms (The Colbert Report, The Office) will all be returning for a fun filled romp into this foreign country. The only thing we know is that Stu is gonna have sex with a Thai Tranny and the guys try to figure out what happened. Well I don't really care how it happens I'm just excited for it. Here's the whole article at Slashfilm.com http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/04/plot-details-of-the-hangover-2-finally-revealed/

Oscar Buzz
Wanna be part of the Oscar Buzz, but everytime you hear the nominees your like, "What I've never even heard of that one". Well Cinemablend.com is helping you keep up with the Oscar Buzz. They have their "Mortal Locks", "Likely Contenders", "Still in the Running" and "Outside Chances". They seem to update it every few days, and giving reasons why they think some fall off, or some rise above. They look at the big ones, Best Picutre, Best Director, Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress. I def haven't heard of some of the movies and def haven't seen them so don't feel to bad. Here's the full article at CinemaBlend.com http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Oscar-Eye-Predicting-Another-Year-s-Best-Picture-Chances-And-More-Social-Network-Buzz-21002.html

True Grit Trailer
The Cohen Brothers always ALWAYS put out gem movies. Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Though, No Country for Old Men and so on and so forth. There new movie hasn't been seen by anyone who is capable of writing a review, and its still already getting high Oscar Buzz. Here's the trailer at Slashfilm.com and have your mind blown. http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/04/movie-trailer-full-theatrical-trailer-arrives-for-true-grit/

Thanks again to all the beloved movie followers.