Spenser Confidential (2020) R - 3½ Stars

While this is not your typical comedy, it does offer up enough sarcasm and wit to keep you entertained. Action packed with a touch of violence, Mark Wahlberg plays an ex-cop that's been in prison for attempting to take a dirty cop down. Once released hell take on the Boston Police dept to confirm his hunch regarding corrupt cops. He vows to make things right and bring down the bad guys.

The day Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) gets out of prison, he's already been warned about what's waiting on the outside for him. He's just done time for assault on a Boston police officer. As it turns out Spenser, also an ex-officer himself, is not liked by a small handful of Boston's finest. His only friend is his ex trainer, Henry (Alan Arkin), who gives him a ride and offers him a place to stay. Along with a another boxer in the house, Hawk (Winston Duke), Spenser vows to not let the cops get away with it again.

NETFLIX
Director: Peter Berg
Producers: Bill Bannerman,Eric Heffron,John Logan Pierson
Writers: Sean O'Keefe, Brian Helgeland

Hot Fuzz (2007) R - 3½ Stars

If you are in need a of British comedy, try this one by the makers of Shaun of the Dead. It's an action packed cute comedy drama that stimulates a few of your senses. While it ridicules plots found in big budget action films, Hot Fuzz is a delight.

A London cop, Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), is too good at what he does and he's making the other cops on the force look bad. He gets transferred to the small town of Sandford, Gloucestershire in hopes he can teach proper law technique here. His new partner Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), has fantasized about what it would be like to see action in his town. Danny has watched way too many action packed movies and would like to get in on that action. Be careful for what you wish for Danny as this quiet town starts to see way too much action that even Danny are ready.

StudioCanal Rogue Pictures Working Title Films
Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Natascha Wharton, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg
Producers: Tim Bevan, Nira Park, Eric Fellner

Be Cool (2005) PG13 - 2½ Stars

This is definitely not one of Travolta's best. Though performances are solid from Travolta and Thurman, I just didn't feel connected with them or that they were trying to do the right thing. I connected with Linda Moon the most as she was the innocent victim and really all that mattered.

When close mobster friend Tommy Athens (James Woods), is murdered by the Russian mafia, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) takes over his business at a record label company. Edie Athens (Uma Thurman), was Tommy's girlfriend and the quickly warms up to Chili. Edie knows the business and between the two, the take a serious look at Linda Moon (Christina Milian). This young pretty singer has a voice and even though she is under contract with another record company, Chili wants to have her. Raji (Vince Vaughn), the owner of the other label is not willing to let her go. That doesn't stop Chili and she starts to preform for his company. But now Chili has everyone after him trying to keep him out of the business.

MGM Distribution
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Peter Steinfeld
Producers: Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Danny DeVito

Mongol (2007) R - 4 Stars

I always grew up thinking Genghis Khan was an evil bad ruler of ancient Mongolia. Perhaps it was his name or my own lack of knowledge as to who he really was. He would go on to conquer Russia and good part of the world, in 1206. I'm not sure how much liberty the movie takes in actuality of events, but the film is visually stunning and captivating and why I am giving it such a high rating. It's also a great romantic epic. I don't think anyone can be completely accurate in recreating something from 1162, but perhaps it's changed my impression of how this ruler really was.

Filmed in China, Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan, the imagery is breathtaking. My only complaint of the movie is the way it cuts off and changes scenes and years so quickly before you realize what happened. Since the film is in Mongolian with English subtitles, at first it was hard for me to keep track of who was who. With all the horse back riding getaways, I almost wanted to label it a western. The acting is fantastic and it's based on the controversial writings of Russian historian Lev Gumilyov.

Born Chinggis Khaan in 1162, Temudgin was taken by his father to find a bride at age 9. Borte is a young girl of the village eyes Temudgin who will return to make her his bride at age 16. But life for Temudgin would be tragic when his father is killed in front of him and the Merkit's vow to return for Temudgin when he grows up. The family, now very poor, has no status in the valley and eventually they return for him.

Jamukha (Sun Hong-Lei), saves Temudgin from certain death and while he hides him, they two pledge with their blood to be brothers for ever. As the two grow older, they talk about becoming the next Khan of the people and both have different ideas of who that will be. Years later, Temudgin's (Esugei Tadanobu Asano), most important goal is to make his way back to the village to retrieve his bride Borte (Khulan Chuluun), who has been anxiously awaiting his arrival. The two return back to his village and mother, to be married.

Jamukha, now a Mongol chieftain and quickly obtaining the status of Khan will have to choose between his status, and his brother, while Temudgen quickly gains support of the Mongols who elevate him to greatness.

Picturehouse
Director: Sergei Bodrov
Writers: Sergei Bodrov, Arif Aliyev
Producers: Anton Melnik, Sergei Bodrov, Sergei Selyanov

Get Smart (2008) PG13 - 4 Stars

Having grown up in the 60's watching Get Smart, what can I say, I liked it. Silly and not really all that funny, but it did have it's moments. Hathaway, is perfectly cast for the role of Agent 99, while Carell, as Maxwell Smart, totally looks the part. I wish it would have had more secret Control gadgets like the old show and I can't say it will reach the shelves of my collection, but I did find it pretty entertaining especially towards the end.

Everyone knows that the old days of the U.S. spy agency Control are over, except the people that work there. Using secret entrances, the agents still are at their posts protecting America from KAOS and it's evil head, Siegfried (Terence Stamp). When it's reported that KASO has suddenly opened up shop again, making nuclear bombs to spread through out the world, the Chief (Alan Arkin), puts together his best team.

Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), a veteran agent of self defense in the field, and Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) who's wanted this chance forever, are sent to Russia to uncover the plant that houses the goods. But could there be a spy at Control?

Good looking macho Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson), thinks Smart will botch thinks up again and as the team races against the clock to save the president, and all of Los Angeles from the evil no-good doers, Smart will be put to the test of proving he's got the stuff it takes to be a great Control agent.

Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Peter Segal
Writers: Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember
Producers: Alex Gartner, Eric L. Gold, Michael Ewing

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

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

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

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

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

Das Boot - The Directors Cut (1981) R - 5 Stars

I've got to say this is one looooong ass movie but also one of the best submarine war epics I've ever seen and well worth the time spent watching. The acting is outstanding and it's great to hear the German dialect, with subtitles easy to read. You really get to experience what it's like being in the tight quarters of a submarine and your mission is war. Based on the true story of a World War II photographer Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, from the images he captured during the grooling days waiting for war. "Sometimes you're the prey and sometimes you're the hunter." One of those movies you have to see at least once and go for the directors cut.

Some of the actors include:
Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock - Der Alte - (Jürgen Prochnow)
Lt. Werner - Correspondent (Herbert Grönemeyer)
Chief Engineer Fritz Grade - Der Leitende-Der LI (Klaus Wennemann)
1st Lieutenant - Number One-1WO (Hubertus Bengsch)

Awards include:
1982 Bavarian Film Awards - Best Director - Wolfgang Petersen
1982 Bavarian Film Awards - Best Cinematography - Jost Vocano
1982 Munich Film Festival - Best Young Actor - Heinz Hoenig

Bavaria Film, Radiant Film GmbH, Süddeutscher Rundfunk (SDR)
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Writers: Wolfgang Petersen, Dean Riesner
Producers: Edward R. Pressman, Günter Rohrbach, John W. Hyde

I viewed 4/14

Red State (2011) R - 3 Stars

Here's a freaky one for you starring John Goodman. A religious group of gay haters congregants three young boys who were looking for sex on the Internet. This grandpa preacher thinks he can save their souls by killing them. For me it was sort of a small glimpse into religious Wacko fanaticism as you watch these believers defend their holy grounds along with their preacher and an arsenal of weapons. The ending is not what I had expected. Not great, but worth a watch if you have Netflix.

Three young teenagers Travis (Michael Angarano), Billy-Ray (Nicholas Braun), and Jarod (Kyle Gallner) make an online date with an older woman (Deborah Aquila) who after some lewd conversation agrees to take on all three boys. The excited boys show up at the woman's trailer and offered beer to drink to set the mood. The beer is tainted knocking all three teens out. When they awaken, the boys are tied up together in the hands of Pastor Abin Cooper (Michael Parks), who accuses the boys of homosexuality since they were willing to have sex together with this woman. Pastor Cooper and his daughter Sara (Melissa Leo), as well as the entire congregation are convinced the boys need to die to rid the Satan within them. Government agent Joseph Keenan (John Goodman), has to treat these religious fanatics have now become terrorists and must be eliminated.

Awards:
2012 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards - Best Supporting Actor Michael Parks
2011 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival - Best Actor - Michael Parks
2011 Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival - Best Film - Kevin Smith

Harvey Boys, SModcast Pictures

Director: Kevin Smith

Writer: Kevin Smith
Producer: Jonathan Gordon

I viewed 8/15

The Reef (2010) R - 3½ Stars

The suspense in this movie is pretty good. I could feel my blood pressure raise more than a few times. Based on a true story, the movie offers you a good thrill ride. Though I would have liked to have gotten more acquainted with the characters before they were thrown out to sea, you really begin to feel their fear yelling to yourself, "Swim, you fools swim!"

A brother and sister, plus their significant others, Luke (Damian Walshe-Howling), Kate (Zoe Naylor), Suzie (Adrienne Pickering), Matt (Gyton Grantley) and Warren (Kieran Darcy-Smith) head off to explore Australia's Great Barrier Reef. When the boat tears a hole in the bottom of its haul, it capsizes leaving it's five travelers in the water. Now,the group has to decide if  they stay with the boat hoping to be rescued or put themselves in shark infested waters,  to swim to a shore more than 12 miles away they can't even see?

Lightning Entertainment, Screen Australia, Image Entertainment
Director: Andrew Traucki
Writer: Andrew Traucki
Producers: Andrew Traucki, Michael Robertson

I viewed 7/12

The Expendables (2010) R - 3 Stars

Gosh, I usually love Lionsgate movies but for having such an all star cast, the movie is not only predictable but cheesy in oh so many ways. Though, if you like a good action movie to increase your testosterone levels, you'll probably love this one. I don't get how this macho Stallone, full of void and void of emotions, lets a woman he just met, get to him. For me, the best part of the movie is the massive gun Hale Caesar uses to blow everything away. Arnold Schwarzenegger even makes a brief cameo appearance.

Barney Ross, (Sylvester Stallone), is loyal to no one except his team of modern day warriors. When Church, (Bruce Willis), offers him an profitable assignment in Vilena, he quickly pulls together his team consisting of Lee Christmas, (Jason Statham), a former SAS who prefers knives to guns, Hale Caesar, (Terry Crews), weapon specialist, Gunner Jensen, (Dolph Lundgren), a precision sniper, Toll Road (Randy Couture), expert on blowing things up and the short guy, Ying Yang, (Jet Li). Their treacherous mission is to overthrow American Vilena dictator General Gaza,(David Zayas). In doing so, they will learn who their real enemies are in James Munroe, (Eric Roberts), former CIA and his body guard Paine, (Steve Austin). As Church and Ross scout out the island, their contact Sandra, (Giselle Itie), a guerrilla fighter, refuses to leave her people behind and is captured instead. Non emotional Ross, can't seem to bare he failed getting Sandra off the island, so he returns with his merry mob determined to save this damsel in distress.

Lionsgate
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Writers: Sylvester Stallone, Dave Callaham
Producers: John Thompson, Kevin King-Templeton, Avi Lerner

I viewed 12/10

After (2006) NR - 1 Star

Rarely does a movie come along that makes one have the urge to shoot themselves but I've found it.

An extreme group of urban thrill seekers travel to Russia in search of Stalin's secret metro and Ivan the Terrible's torture chamber. The film is shot in a documentary style but trying to be creative, the camera jumps all over the place. I think the producer thought that added to the effects but for me at least, I really could not stand watching it. I felt like shooting myself for wasting my time and applauded that is was finally over.

I doubt you'll be seeing any awards for this one any time soon.
No photos to be found as well but trust me - no big loss.

After... Films LLC
Director: David L. Cunningham
Writers: Kevin Miller, David L. Cunningham
Producers: Penelope L. Foster, David L. Cunningham, Edwin L. Marshall

I viewed 1/08

Falling Down (1993) R - 4 Stars

Zola's pic for one you should see at least one time or own in your collection.

William Foster's (Michael Douglas) is not having a very good day. He's on the way to a job that he's been laid off from and it hasn't quite sunk in yet. Neither has the fact he is divorced and is suppose to stay clear of his daughter and ex-wife Beth (Barbara Hershey).

While day dreaming about his daughters birthday, he finds himself in the middle of traffic pile up on the 110. With so much annoying him, he abandons his car and just walks off. He needs to make a call to his daughter and when the Korean shop owner refuses to make change for him, his anger starts to mount. No one seems to be cooperating with him.

Obviously delusional, he stops to rest and gets lippy with a group of gangsters defending their turf. The punks later retaliate but wind up fighting for their lives. Foster becomes armed and though already mentally unsound, takes on the rest of the city. He snaps when the fast food restaurant refuses to make him breakfast at lunch time.

Meanwhile, with a wife constantly calling to remind him, officer Prendergast (Robert Duvall), counts down the hours of his last days on the job. Replaying his somewhat boring future in his head, Pendergast picks up on clues other detectives have missed. It's important to him to solve this last case. When Foster and Pendergast confront each other, both men have nothing to loose.

Warner Bros Pictures
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Ebbe Roe Smith
Producers: Herschel Weingrod, Timothy Harris, Mike Jackman

I viewed 1/08

Rampart (2011) R - 1½ Stars

I gotta say this movie is pretty bad and very boring and after watching it I couldn't care a less for the main character or not. Woody what were you thinking by taking this gig? It's not his acting that ruins the film while playing a dirty cop with a bad attitude. It's the horrible cinematography, the horrible musical score, and even Harrelson's dramatic performance isn't enough to save the day. The movie feels completely pointless and the ending doesn't explain any better. There is not one person in the entire movie that I cared two cents about. Here's the story...

A cop has two daughters and he'll do anything to protect them and his image in their eyes. The children are from different mothers who are sisters, therefore they are first cousins/step sisters. They all live together under one roof and Harrelson sleeps with both sisters as well as any other female he chooses. The oldest disrespects her father calling him "date rape" for short. This cop has everyone watching him because of his irratic behavior on duty and if they can pin their division scandal on him, there free and clear in the public eyes. But he continues to clear the streets of public scum, gaining no respect in his children's eyes. Hey wait, maybe that's the story! We're supposed to hate this overworked, under loved and unappreciated, dirty cop that is tarnishing the reputation of the L.A.P.D. Are there cops like this in the system? We'd like to think not but there are those who think that putting on the badge gives them the right to harass and take down bad guys by any means. I guess this movie is trying to show one in particular that worked at Rampart Division. I walked away with nothing from this movie except a quick review for my blog.

Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson), is being watched by his Rampart Division of the L.A.P.D.. He has allegedly killed a serial date rape which in his eyes is part of doing his job. Internal affairs Joan Confrey (Sigourney Weaver), goes after Brown while Kyle Timkins (Ice Cube), investigates him after video shows Brown brutally injuring a black unarmed civilian. Brown's cash flow begins to run low so he dips his hand in the bad guys cookie jar once last time. You decide the ending.

Lightstream Pictures, Waypoint Entertainment, Amalgam Features, The Third Mind Pictures
Director: Oren Moverman
Writers: James Ellroy, Oren Moverman
Producers: Clark Peterson, Ben Foster, Ken Kao

I viewed 8/12

Drive (2011) R - 2 Stars

I feel this movie had potential to be really great but not executed well at all. Gosling gives a almost wordless yet dramatic performance as a stuntman, mechanic and nice guy but we never learn his name. He's Driver and the best at what he does. When he's not working for the studios, he moon lights for thief's and other criminals that need a get-a-way driver. After moving into a new apartment, he gets involved with a heist gone bad, people are killed, and with a million dollars at stake. Now every one's looking for him.

Hollywood stunt driver (Ryan Gosling), spends his free time playing get-a-way driver for anyone who can afford his skills. He moves into a new apartment and meets Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son Benicio (Kaden Leos). Irene has been forced to become a single mom while her husband Standard (Oscar Isaac), awaits his release from jail. When Standard gets out, he decides he wants out of the business but has to pull off one last job to release his ties from criminal life. The Driver offers his services as he's become attached to Irene and Benicio and wants to protect them from Standard's questionable business arrangements. The robbery goes awry and Standard is killed, leaving a million dollar haul behind in Driver's car. Turns out New York crime boss Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks), and his partner Nino (Ron Perlman), want their money back and this Driver must come up with a plan that protects them all.

Bold Films, Odd Lot Entertainment, Marc Platt Productions, Motel Movies Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writer: Hossein Amini
Producers: Gary Michael Walters, Marc E. Platt, John Palermo

I viewed 8/12

Skyline (2010) PG 13 - 2 Stars

This movie almost makes me mad for wasting my time as I had such high anticipation of it being a great movie. It's nothing more then a good concept with bad execution. Though it has decent special effects, with a teeny bit of suspense, it does nothing with character development making the viewer not care whether the people are taken or not. The dialog doesn't explain anything and when you factor in the cheesy acting with direction leading all over the place, it's really is a huge waste of time. It looks as if the story was built around the CGI animation instead of a solid foundation to support it. Truly disappointing to me and just plain cheesy from start to finish.

Jarrod (Eric Balfour), and his girlfriend Elaine (Scottie Thompson), have come to Los Angeles to help celebrate Jarrod's best friend Terry's (Donald Faison), birthday. But as soon as they arrive, invaders come to take over the planet.

Rogue, Hydraulx Entertainment, Rat Entertainment, Transmission Pictures
Directors: Greg Strause, Colin Strause
Writers: Liam O'Donnell, Joshua Cordes
Producers: Kristian James Andresen, Liam O'Donnell, Colin Strause

I viewed 10/11