Hancock (2008) PG13 - 3½ Stars

I was a bit disappointed in the concept of this movie. Not like "Superman" or "Spiderman" seems like reality to me, however this idea was borderline silly. I just loved Will Smith, in his powerful performance in "I Am Legend" but to me this was plain silly. To me, it's more of a comedy than a believable drama but still a decent rental.

Hancock (Will Smith), is not your average superhero. He wants to do good, but the fact that he is an alcoholic, clouds his judgement when it comes to properly addressing a problem. He's sarcastic, crude and doesn't really care much what the public thinks of him. As he saves the life of Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), from being hit by an oncoming train, it costs the tax payers of Los Angeles plenty from all the damage he causes, trying to protect. The people have finally had enough of his shenanigans and Ray, feeling indebted to the Superhero, takes on the mission of giving Hancock a new public image.

Public Realtions is Ray's job and he is sure he can change Hancock's perception by the public. On the other hand, Ray's wife Mary (Charlize Theron) is not pleased when Ray is brought home and literally dropped off, with his car, in the front yard. But there's a close bond between them all that put's Hancock back on track, to becoming the greatest Superhero the world has ever seen.

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures
Director: Peter Berg
Writers: Vy Vincent Ngo, Vince Gilligan
Producers: Will Smith, James Lassiter, Akiva Goldsman

I viewed 11/08

1408 (2007) PG13 - 3½ Stars

Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is writing a book "Ten Nights in Haunted Hotel Rooms." He mostly writes about disproving paranormal events. If he can't see it for himself, he'll let his audience know. Room 1408 at the Dolphin hotel is he next challenge to take on. The hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), insists the room is not available but Mike finds a convincing argument to allow him to stay in 1408. Things just keep getting stranger till Mike is actually getting scared. He thinks to himself if he can last the night, he will finally have something to write about sending his book to the top of the best seller list.

In the room he can no longer escape from he's being driven mad from and angry crowd of "dead" beats. Even when he finally thinks he has survived the night and escaped the room, he wakes up finding himself still there.

Dimension Films/MGM
Director: Mikael Håfström
Writers: Larry Karaszewski, Scott Alexander, Matt Greenberg
Producer: Lorenzo Di Bonaventura

I viewed 11/07

Gates of Heaven (1978) NR - 3 Stars

Roger Ebert placed this documentary, by filmmaker Errol Morris, on his Top Ten Movies of All Time list. I thought it was an honest look at a sensitive subject regarding the pet cementary business. Since I work at an animal hospital, I have to deal with people who have lost their pets and for some it can't be any worse then if they had lost their child. I had never heard of "rendering a pet" before I worked at the hospital. Now, I could never consider dispoing of my pet in this way. However, I am not sure why this movie made Ebert's top ten list? While I found it informative and compassionate, it's just a decent documentary, made in the 70's, and I didn't walk away with some moment in awe that would find it on my top ten.

Foothill Memorial Gardens pet cemetery, located north of San Francisco, was started when the owner lost his own dog and could not stand the though of his pet being "rendered" rather than having a nice place to rest. And the need was great, as many animal lovers were eager to give their trusted friends some dignity after they've left this earth. But when the cemetery was forced to shut down, Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park, in Petaluma, California, was where 450 pets needed to be moved to. The documentary focuses on with the families who have dedicated their lives and time to the preservation of the beloved family pet. The sons have joined with their mother and father and one, a rock guitar player, stands on the hill top playing to the pets below. The family has focused on death which has brought new life within them all.

Cremation is big at my hospital as no one wants to see their beloved pet, end up as a rendered pet. I don't want to gross you out but, many of you might have never given a thought to what they do with dead animal bodies. Every part of the animal is used for something including cement, lip stick and even pet food. Here are a few places to have a peek at if you really want to know. Corpse disposal is one place as well as sign a petition to Stop Rendering Our Pets Into Pet Foods and from Wikipedia.

New Yorker Films
Director: Errol Morris
Producer: Errol Morris

I viewed 7/08

RV (2006) PG - 3½ Stars

Bob Munro (Robin Williams) is married to Jamie (Cheryl Hines) and they have two children Cassie (Joanna 'Jojo' Levesque) 15 and Carl (Josh Hutcherson) 12. The family is scheduled to go to Hawaii for a vacation till Bob gets in his mind a road trip in an RV that will really help the family bond and spend some quality time together.

The kids are not into this trip and had their hearts set on Hawaii, but Bob convinces everyone this trip is just what the family needs. One thing Bob forgets to tell everyone is his job depends upon it. He's needed in Colorado for a business meeting he neglects to mention.

Along the way they meet the Gornicke family, a gun-ho happy camping family of well trained RVer's. But it seems everywhere they go, the keep running into the Gornicke's. The family has a high, wet and bumpy ride to their destination but find their way back to each other.

Sony Pictures
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Writer: Geoff Rodkey
Producers: Lucy Fisher, Doug Wick, Matthias Deyle

I viewed 9/06

Randy and the Mob (2007) PG - 2 Stars

I've seen worse movies and I have to admit this movie did have me laugh a couple of times but seriously folks, I think you can pass this one up. The plot is predictable with a loan shark demanding his money and the character development is weak as people just sort of show up to complicate the story line. Maybe I missed some inside humor somewhere as other reviews I read depict a funnier scenario. The quaintness of a small Georgia town separates it from your other mob movies, but I was hoping for more laughs.

Randy Pearson (Ray McKinnon), is your typical middle class American guy living the American dream. He lives with his depressed wife Charlotte (Lisa Blount) who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome as she teaches baton class. Randy's into just about every business in town but most of them aren't making any money. He soon finds himself faced with Italian mobster Franco (Paul Ben-Victor), demanding he makes good on his loan. Randy must turn to his wife and estranged gay twin brother Cecil (Ray McKinnon), for help. Now that he's in over his head with the Franco, Tino Armani (Walton Goggins), finds a way to start producing profits.

Capricorn Pictures, Ginny Mule Pictures, Timbergrove Entertainment
Director: Ray McKinnon
Writer: Ray McKinnon
Producers: David Koplan, Walton Goggins, Lisa Blount

I viewed 8/11

Particles of Truth (2004) NR - 3½ Stars

The story of a germ freak and a dysfunctional girl who become good friends and help each other out of their funk. The movie takes a little while to get going and the kids seem to put all the blame of their dysfunctionality on their parents, but eventually it all comes into place. Decent movie once you see where it's going.

(Jennifer Elster), wrote, directed and stars in this film as Lilli. (That's gotta be tough) but she pulls it off fairly well. An artist, living in New York City, she's pretty negative about most everything in life. She has issues with her drug addicted parents as her father (Alan Samulski) is dying now and it doesn't seem to trouble her, on the surface, at all. Her mother (Susan Floyd), is a psycho who tells herself he's left town a long time ago. It's all too much for her to deal with and has effected her self esteem and just dealing with life. Even given the opportunity to show her work at the opening at a major gallery, has her questioning if art is even something she wants to pursue.

Morrison (Gale Harold), is sitting in his car when he sees Lilli walking by. The two sort of start a conversation but Morrison is too obsessed with germs to get out of his car and approach her. Eventually she enters the car with him and the two talk about their problems with each other. Both extremely attracted to each other, it's going to take a lot of work for these two to have any kind of a moderately healthy relationship together. "In 48 hours, some fall apart, some piece themselves together."

Matter Productions LLC
Director: Jennifer Elster
Writer: Jennifer Elster
Producer: Jennifer Elster

I Viewed 11/07

Winter's Bone (2010) R - 3½ Stars

I love Lionsgate films especially when they use a cast of unknowns. Jennifer Lawrence is one hell of a young actor. She's cast perfectly as Ree and she totally sales the role as does everyone. You really get that "Deliverance" type of feeling peeking into the lives of "white trash" living deep in the Ozark woods. Lawrence touches your heart in her desperate situation to take care of her family.

Sheriff Baskin (Garret Dillahunt), just told 17 year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) , that her house is about to be taken away. Apparently her father put the house up against a bails bond and now he's skipped out on a court date. Ree's grown up in this extremely poor part of the Ozark woods and has no idea where her strung out mom Victoria (Cinnamon Schultz), younger brother Sonny (Isaiah Stone), and little sister Ashlee (Ashlee Thompson), will end up. She determined to track her drug addicted father down before they take away the land.

Others living in the Ozark woods, including kin, are not pleased with Ree coming around asking questions. You know they know something but they aren't going to tell. None of them including Gail (Lauren Sweetser), Merab (Dale Dickey) and Sonya (Shelley Waggener), want to have her snooping around. Ree takes a beating and the only reason she's not dead, is she's family. Uncle Teardop (John Hawkes), comes to her rescue and tires to convince Ree her father's blown up in a one of the many methamphetamine labs in the woods. Ree doesn't want to accept that answer and needs to learn her own truth.

Awards include:
2010 - L.A. Film Critics Association - Best Actress - Runner-up
2010 - National Board of Review - Breakthrough Performance

Roadside Attractions
Director: Debra Granik
Writers: Anne Rosellini, Debra Granik
Producers: Anne Rosellini, Alix Madigan-Yorkin

I viewed 12/10

The Syrian Bride (2004) NR - 3 Stars

Living my whole life in the United States and growing up with traditional American customs, it always enlightens me to watch movies that take me out of my comfort zone. The Syrian Bride is a reality check on my traditional values of what marriage means to me. The thought of an arranged marriage to someone you've never met, I just can't see how that is done. But here, it happens all the time. The problem for this Syrian bride is once she crosses the border to wed her husband, politics will never allow her to return home to her family. Her small village of Majdial Shame, has been under Israelie occupation since the 60's and the border is highly protected. Good movie at giving one an insight into living in the Middle East.

Hammed (Makram J. Khoury) is a leading political figure in the small Palestinian town of Majdal Shams. A while back, he arranged the marriage of his daughter Mona (Clara Khoury), to the now famous actor, Tallel (Derar Sliman), from Syria. The family is getting together to tend to Mona's needs. Hammed's youngest son Marwan (Ashraf Barhoum), works in Italy and is visiting for the wedding, Hammed's oldest son, Hattem (Eyad Sheety), has come from Russia with his Russian wife and son but has been out casted by his father for leaving his home land and marrying out of the culture. Another daughter Amal (Hiam Abbass), helps Mona prepare for her big day. Marwan dates a woman named Jeanne (Julie-Anne Roth), who works for the American United Nations and will help with the passport arrangement between the countries to transport Mona across the border. But much red tape comes along with this simple task and Mona is not allowed to cross over to her matrimonial destination unless the countries can reach some sort of agreement.

Arte France Cinéma, Eran Riklis Productions (ERP)
Director: Eran Riklis
Writers: Suha Arraf, Eran Riklis
Producers: Bettina Brokemper, Michael Eckelt, Eran Riklis

I viewed 7/11

Man of the Year (2006) PG 13 - 3½ Stars

I do feel that Robin Williams is one of the funniest comedians around. I have never heard anyone who can just ad lib for hours on end and still be funny. Maybe that is why I see most of his movies and find them entertaining. Live he is outstanding and this movie got laughs out of me.

Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) is a popular talk show host speaking his mind about how messed up the nation is. While broadcasting his show, he boasts that he'd make a better president than who's in charge of the White House now. After receiving a warm welcome to his comments, Tom takes the idea to the extreme and along with his following of fans, form a grassroots movement to get his name on the ballot. They rally behind Tom as he speaks whats on his mind. He laughs at the beuaracy swarming around the elected officials and the people find it enlightening to laugh with him, instead of at him. He's giving the people a voice.

Tom doesn't expect to win but a computer voting glitch, gives him the victory. But his first order and most important order of business is to discover if he wants to go back to his microphone, where he is safe and comfortable or stay on the course for the White House.

Universal Pictures
Director: Barry Levinson
Writer: Barry Levinson
Producers:Barry Levinson, David C. Robinson, James G. Robinson

I viewed 3/07

State of Play (2009) PG13 - 4 Stars

Really enjoyed this intense suspenseful drama with great performances by Crowe, Affleck, McAdams and Mirren. For me, it's one of Crowe's best performances and I also thought Affleck was cast perfectly as Congressman Collins. The story takes many twists and just when you think you have it solved, there's more. It's a "hold-onto-the-edge-of-your-seat" thriller. Crowe gets answers where others can't and the movie does a good job defining the corruption steamed from power, and greed in both corporate and government.

Cal McAffrey, (Russell Crowe), is a journalist for the Washington Globe. He's working on a murder of a homeless man. He arrives on the scene of the crime with coffee in hand in hopes of insider information from detective Donald Bell, (Harry Lennix). Cal has a way of obtaining information that the police aren't even able to find.

U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins, (Ben Affleck), is rising up the corporate ladder very quickly. He's the chairman of a committee that oversees spending habits of the Department of Defense. Sonia Baker, (Maria Thayer), is Collins aide and mistress, and on her way to work falls in front of an oncoming train and is killed. Collins learns of her death just minutes before he's to speak to the committee about his findings of corruption against military contractor, Point Corp. Instead, he tearfully breaks down leading most to believe there is more between these two co-workers.

Junior reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), shows up athe the Globe trying to get information from Cal about Collins. She has learned that the two go way back to college days and figures he can give her the dirt for her blog on the congressman. Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren), editor of the Globe tries to get Cal to make nice with Della but he's insulted by her tabloid intent and refuses.

While Cal is working on the murder story of the night before, Collins shows up with no where else to go. He has to dodge a bullet in the media after Sonia's death as now it looks like a suicide implying killing herself because Collins wouldn't leave his wife. Watching his grand career about to take a dump, Collins asks for advice from a friend from a media point of view.

As Cal looks farther into Sonia's death, he decides to use Della's services and sends her out on tough assignments to prove her worthy of reporting. Together they start to unravel more information that directly connects Senator Fergus (Jeff Daniels), to the corruption at Point Corp as they obtains photos that prove Sonia was pushed onto the tracks in a cover-up.

Awards:
2009 - Australian Film Institute - Best Actor - Russell Crowe

Working Title Films, Universal Pictures
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writers: Matthew Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray
Producers: Andrew Hauptman, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner

Captivity (2007) R - 2½ Stars

This movie had the potential, maybe, of being better. I sort of liked the end result of the plot but it just didn't have it going on. It also has a lot of gross parts which don't turn me on.

A psycho stalks and captures model Jennifer Tree (Elisha Cuthbert), but instead of killing her, he physically and emotionally tortures her. As she's beginning to think there's no way out, she hears someone in the room next to her. It ends up being a man Gary (Daniel Gillies) who seems to be in the same predicament as she is. When the two are able to communicate, and eventually put together, she no longer feels so alone. Little does she know he is in on the game.

Freestyle Releasing, After Dark Films
Director: Roland Joffé
Writers: Larry Cohen, Joseph Tura
Producers: Mark Damon, Gary Mehlman, Sergei Konov

I viewed 11/18

He Was a Quiet Man (2006) NR - 3½ Stars

I've never seen Chirstian Slater take on this type of a role before but he's great in it. Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) works for a real asshole boss. His picked on and made fun for some of his quirky ways, though most employees have never heard of him. There is one girl in the office, Vanessa (Elisha Cuthbert), who makes his day every morning with her wonderful smile but other than her, he'd like to see everyone else dead.

He's really loosing it at home as he speaks with his goldfish, who answers him back. That little evil fish inside of him keeps driving him to pull off, what he's till now only imagined, killing his bosses at work. The next morning he takes a gun to work and as he's ready to do it, he drops a bullet and some other asshole in the company, beats him to his plan. Bob pulls out his gun and kills the man but not until after he has taken quit a few people out. Bob's the hero of the day for stopping the bad guy.

Now Bob has a new set of problems. Vanessa wants to die. She could be paralized for the rest of her life and wants him to help end her life. Bob's heorism causes him to be even more unsettled until he comes apart at the seams.

Quiet Man Productions
Director: Frank Cappello
Writer: Frank Cappello
Producers: Michael Leahy, Frank Cappello

I viewed 1/08

The Departed (2006) R - 4 Stars

Yet another movie I saw on the big screen when it first came out. This was a great gangster movie with some scenes at the end I was not expecting. That's always a good thing.

The Irish mafia is trying to take over South Boston. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young cop working with chief detective Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Queenan sends Billy in to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Costello (Jack Nicholson).

Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is a young criminal who has infiltrated the police department. When Colin finds out about Billy's being inside the mob and Billy learns about Collin, they both are rushed to rat each other out and protect their identies. While each hides in each others worlds, will they be able to come back.

Awards are numerous and include:

2006 - The Departed - Academy - Best Picture
2006 - The Departed - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Director
2006 - The Departed - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Picture

Warner Bros Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: William Monahan
Producers: Martin Scorsese, Brad Pitt, Graham King

I viewed 10/06

Blades of Glory (2007) PG13 - 3 Stars

Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) have been rival men's figure skaters since their youth. Chazz is a macho skater that tears up the ice while women line up with shrieking screams of support. Jimmy also attracts a crowd and is famous for executing triple lutzes. It's the World Championship and both men want the title.

When the men tie for first place, and are both awarded gold medals, it's more than either can bare. They break out into a street brawl fight that takes out the mascot and embarasses the entire sport. After going before the skating commission board, they are both stripped of their medals and banned from competing in the men's figure skating for life. A pretty hard blow for both of them to take.

Three years later, the men discover a loophole that could allow the two to skate again this time as men's pairs. Now if they can just loose their anger towards each other, the two can becomes stars of the ice again.

Paramount Pictures
Directors: Will Speck, Josh Gordon
Writers: Dave Krinsky, Jeff Cox, Craig Cox
Producers: Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller, John L. Jacobs

I viewed 9/07

Eastern Promises (2007) R - 3 Stars

A Russian sex trafficking ring has illegal girls held hostage and rapes them for sex toys. After one teenage girl becomes pregnant and about to go into labor, Anna Khitrova (Naomi Watts) a midwife at North London's hospital, delivers the baby but the mother dies. Anna finds the mothers diary and tries to trace the baby's relatives. The diary is written in Russian and Anna's Russian-born uncle Stepan (Jerzy Skolimowski) warns Anna she might not know what she is getting into.

When Anna finds a business card for a local restaurant inside the diary, she takes it to the restaurant in search of clues. There she meets Semyon (Armin Mueller-Stahl), who agrees to translate the diary for her. Semyon tells her the diary contains information about his son Kirill (Vincent Cassell). After Kirill threatens Anna, she doesn't know who she can trust anymore but realizes the child's life may be in danger.

Nikolai Luzhin (Viggo Mortensen) is a driver for the Vory V Zakone criminal brotherhood. After learning of the child's fate, Nikolai has to decide to help either help Anna or keep his loyalty to the Vory.

2007 - Eastern Promises - Toronto Film Critics Association - Best Actor.

Focus Features
Director: David Cronenberg
Writer: Steve Knight
Producers: Robert Lantos, Paul Webster

I viewed 1/18

Equilibrium (2002) R - 3½ Stars

When this movie first started, I was thinking, oh man this is going to suck as I didn't understand what was going on. But I stuck with it and actually it ended up having a decent story line. If you like a good action Matrix type - kick ass movie, then you'll like this one.

It's the beginning of the 21st Century and WWIII has erupted and from it a new nation is born called Libria. This nation is run by Dupont (Angus MacFadyen) under "Father's" law of complete conformity. The belief is that all wars are based on people's emotions of jealousy and rage so by making everyone equal there is no competition. This new society of equilibrium is insured when citizens must inject themselves daily with a dose of Prozia II to eliminate any chance of feeling emotional. Any form of creativity or any objects that trigger vanity and emotion are outlawed and immediately destroyed. Citizens caught with such items or showing any form of emotion, are immediately subject to death by incineration.

Cleric John Preston (Christian Bale) is a Grammaton, a real bad ass when it comes to fighting, and his job is to track down and punish these "sense offenders." Four years prior his wife was taken from his family of two children, and burned for showing feelings of emotion with them.

When John was washing his face one morning, his dose of Prozia II was breaks when it hit the floor. Not being able to get another dose right away, he starts to look at the world in a new light. When the Grammaton raid a commune of sense offenders, a small puppy licks him and triggers a whole array of feelings. In the raid, Mary O'Brian (Emily Watson) is taken prioner and he becomes completly fascinated with her. After meeting with her a few times, Mary tells him what type of life is worth living if there is nothing to be felt. He begins hiding his doses of the drug and eventually awakens his feelings that had lay dormant for so long. Now with these senses hightened, he joins up with the underground refugees that refuse to take their meds and together it gives them the passion to fight for freedom.

Dimension Films/MGM
Director: Kurt Wimmer
Writer: Kurt Wimmer
Producer: Lucas Foster, Jan de Bont

I viewed 4/18

The Good Life (2006) R - 3 Stars

Written partially about the director / writer's experiences in real life, the movie really makes you think of the sadness and loneliness some people try to cover up. It's not the most exciting movie but it sends out a loud message of friendship, betrayal, innocence, love and compassion. I'm not sure I totally get the ending though.

Taking place in the late 1970's, in a small town in Lincoln, Nebraska where football is the king, Jason Prayer (Mark Webber), is a quirky teenage boy, born with an affliction of loosing his hair. He wears a hat and covers his head a lot so people won't notice or stare. His father committed suicide and leaving Jason with the responsibility of taking care of his mother (Deborah Rush). Having not been close with his father, he is afraid to open a package that is given to him after his father's death. Jason works at the local gas station and gets harassed a lot by the local jocks due to his condition.

Gus (Harry Dean Stanton) runs the local movie house, that only shows old movies, as he feels they are the best. But his mind isn't what it once was with the onset of Alzheimer's disease he needs Jason to help him out setting up reels and reminding him to make the popcorn.

Frances (Zooey Deschanel) befriends Jason after the local bad boy football jock Tad (Chris Klein), takes a beating to his face. She's sees more into Jason for who he is, not how he looks but doesn't tell the whole truth while she claims Judy Garland's lines as her own. Though everyone seems alone in their own misery, they find temporary comfort in each other.

TGL Productions LLC, Image Entertainment
Directors: Steve Berra
Writers: Steve Berra
Producers: Patrick Markey, Lance Sloane, Devin Sloane, Bill Paxton, Phyllis Laing

I viewed 12/08

The Hamburg Cell (2004) NR - 3 Stars

This movie gave me a pretty good realism into what I would think the people responsible for 9/11 were like. Somewhat normally behaving people amongst themselves but empty inside with non emotions. I plan on watching a lot of these type of films in order to get a better understanding of the minds of people who hate the U.S. and their religious devotion.

Meet the pilots behind the September 11, 2001 attacks. Ziad Jarrah (Karim Saleh) member of the Al Qaeda cell would force America to stand up and take a good look at terrorism. The film is about the cell of Al Qaeda members living in Hamburg Germany. It gives the viewer a first hand look at this group of religious extremists as they prepare to take planes as hostages in America.

Channel 4 Television
Director: Antonia Bird
Writers: Alice Perman, Ronan Bennett
Producer: Finola Dwyer

I viewed 12/06

Capturing the Friedmans (2002) NR - 2½ Stars

I'm sure the true life story of the Friedman's was more interesting then the documentary. The way the film is put together, I didn't find that it really made everything clear. Did they or did they not abuse the children? Dad looks like he could have for sure but mom doesn't look the type.

In 1987, the prominent family of Arnold and Elaine Friedman and their three sons , Jesse, Seth, and David turns dysfunctional when it's found out that Arnold and Jesse are abusing and sodomizing the children in Arnolds class. Through their home videos this is the true story of the Friedmans struggle to keep their family together after being accused of molestation. The cameras are given to the family to record and document life at home.

Awards include:

2003 - Capturing the Friedmans - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best New Filmmaker
2003 - Capturing the Friedmans - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Documentary (Runner-up)
2003 - Capturing the Friedmans - Sundance Film Festival - Documentary Grand Jury Prize.

Magnolia Pictures
Director: Andrew Jarecki
Producers: Andrew Jarecki, Mark Smerling

I viewed 11/17

28 Weeks Later (2007) R - 2½ Stars

The rage virus in London destroys the entire town but there are survivors. Don Harris (Robert Carlyle) and his wife survive the zombie like creatures only later to become one and the outbreak begins again. Will the entire town be nuked to put an end to the virus once and for all.

Not very scary and not real exciting to me.

20th Century Fox Distribution
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Writers: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Alex Garland, E.L. Lavigne
Producers: Alex Garland, Allon Reich, Andrew Macdonald

I viewed 10/17

Collateral (2004) R - 4 Stars

Here is another one of the real head game movies I love so much. Zola's pic for one you should see at least one time or own in your collection.

Max (Jamie Foxx) has been driving a cab for 12 years hoping someday to own limo company. He starts out his night picking up Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith). She's an attorney and Max thinks maybe hell get lucky later when she hands him her business card along with the fare. Then he picks up Vincent (Tom Cruise). Vincent offers Max several hundred dollars to drive him around and wait for him at each stop. Max just figures he has a lot of errands to run and gladly excepts. What he doesn't realize, till a body lands on the his car, is that Vincent is a hired hit man on a mission to take out key witnesses who will be testifying for a federal grand jury. Max is just trying to stay alive when he realizes one of the next people to kill on Vincent's list is Annie the girl he met earlier.

Awards include:

2004 - Collateral - American Film Institute - Best Picture
2004 - Collateral - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Cinematography

DreamWorks
Director: Michael Mann
Writer: Stuart Beattie
Producers: Julie Richardson, Michael Mann

I viewed 10/06

The Other Guys (2010) PG13 - 2 Stars

Oh brother! What can I say about throwing a bunch of named stars together and making a piece of crap. The only reason I am given it 2 stars is I still love Will Ferrell. But the days of his off beat innocence on "Saturday Night Live" and movies like "A Night at the Roxbury" are over. Will, why do you keep doing these mindless comedies - it's boggling to me. Reading some of the reviews that say how funny it is well to me it's stupid, not funny. The best part of the movie is Samuel L. Jackson and the "Rock" Dwane Johnson at the beginning and even then it wasn't funny to me. I think this is one you can miss completely.

Detective Allen Gamble, (Will Ferrell), and Detective Terry Hoitz, (Mark Wahlberg), have been doing their time in the office instead of out on the streets where the action is. Detective P.K. Highsmith, (Samuel L. Jackson), and Detective Christopher Danson, (Dwayne Johnson), were the macho heroes on the street until they jumped to their death going after once last bust. Now Captain Gene Mauch, (Michael Keaton), needs someone to step up to the plate and take their place. Gamble and Hoitz are the two least likely to succeed but rise to the occasion where the other guys could not.

Mosaic, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Adam McKay, Chris Henchy
Producers: Adam McKay, Jimmy Miller, Will Ferrell

I viewed 12/10

Catfish (2010) PG13 - 2½ Stars

Social networking can be a positive experience for those unable to communicate properly or in a normal fashion. But stuff like this goes on all the time. Who are you really chatting with and think you know? Some people live in a virtual world built solely on fantasy and this story is about one woman who paints a portrait of Nev Sculman, mails it to him and concocts a fantasy world around it. This film documents what he thinks may be the beginning of a love affair. Myself, I didn't feel the documentary was totally true. It gives me the impression that it's made up though I wouldn't accuse anyone of that. But it does go to show you, the influence of social networking has on today's society.

Nev Schulman is a photographer in New York City. He receives an email from Abby, an eight year old girl in Michigan, that wants to paint a portrait of him after she has seen him in the newspaper. Nev develops an on going conversation with this young girl until his painting arrives in the mail. The art work is amazing and he is very intrigued how such a young girl can paint so masterfully. In future conversations, Nev is introduced to more members of the family including Abby's sister, Megan whom Nev finds attractive. They speak on the phone and develop a romantic bond. But as his friends Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, begin to document this love story, things don't add up. The three young men decide to pay a surprise visit to the family to get behind the mystery of who is who.

Rogue Pictures, Focus Features
Directors: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost
Producers: Andrew Jarecki, Henry Joost, Marc Smerling

I viewed 1/11

Manufacturing Dissent (2007) R - 2½ Stars

I believe we are spoon fed so much B.S. watching T.V., listening to the news, reading the newspaper, listening to the radio and now even the Internet, that it's hard to make an intelligent choice without getting all the facts. I feel most people, including myself at times, just go along with the flow and allow the media to dictate what we eat and buy, how we vote, feel, live our lives and even react to situations. And heck, if we get out of hand, there's always some new pharmaceutical drug we can take to comply with society.

Michael Moore is one of those controversial film makers you either love or hate. I didn't use to think too much of him until I started watching some of his documentaries. The one thing I ABSOLUTELY LOVE about Michael Moore is he gets under your skin causing a twitching reaction. Even though you can see his dramatics in his films, I still think they make a point and cause awarness. Too often we sit back and just allow someone else to solve the problems instead of wanting to be involved. Michael Moore makes me what to have a voice and has done a great job of getting people motivated to stand up for what the believe.

Now having said that, a Canadian team of film makers, Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine, made this documentary to show that you can't believe everything you see - read - hear, even if it's from Michael Moore - the supposed truth speaker. It gives you an in dept look on how Michael has used a lot of footage for his documentaries, manipulating the context to his advantage. He's claimed, on more than one film, he can't get interviews with people he's going after. Here, with the tables turned, the film makers can't get Michael Moore to speak with them for more than 4 minutes. They're banned from plugging into the audio feed, they're cameras are not allowed at certain events and just lots of off limit areas for someone wanting to make a documentary of one of the master of documentaries.

The film shows another side to Moore. It implies he's making films just for his own ego and the money he can bring in. But after viewing the film, I still feel sparking controversy and reaction into people is the only way to bring about change. Remember, the first part of solving a problem, is admitting there is one.

Liberation Entertainment
Directors: Debbie Melnyk, Rick Caine
Writers: Debbie Melnyk, Rick Caine
Producers: Rick Caine, Debbie Melnyk

I viewed 5/08