JANUARY 2011 SUMMARY

Jenny

1st Time Watches: 61
Re-sees: 4
TOTAL: 65

Elisabeth
1st Time Watches: 36
Re-sees: 7
TOTAL: 43

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2010)

RATING: 5/5

I thought this movie was remarkable. Yes, it wasn't as fast-paced as the others in the series, but it had the perfect mix of mystery and intrigue and action. It was the perfect ending to an already great series of movies. The acting was above par, and the writing superb. You knew the end, but it was still exciting to watch it all unravel. I will be owning this on blu-ray when it comes out in February, and I will definitely be excited to see the American version of this series. If anyone can do it justice, David Fincher can.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

RATING: 3.5/5

Although the movie was not as good as the first, we still enjoyed the movie and were pretty engaged most of the time. We did find it interesting that compared to before, the ways to take done a person and their money and power are very different. Things that were illegal then, may not necessarily be illegal now. I liked all the cameos that were thrown in, Charlie Sheen rocked it.

The Last Exorcism (2010)

RATING: 3/5

Blair Witch screwed up a whole generation of film makers. You don't need to make a mockumentary in order for a movie to be good. The back story was good and you didn't need to the fake film making to make it good. It could have been awesome if you would have gotten into the whole cult issue and not the satanism, but then it would not have been an exorcism. The movie lost it at the end.

Hellboy (2004)

RATING: 4.5/5
Hellboy is one of our favorite series in this house. Don't know if it is Selma Blair, Guillermo Del Toro or just the movies in general. It is one of the best comic book adaptation done. We watched this with my nephew, who was watching for the first time, and his wife, who had only seen this on telemundo. LOL. It also was the first movie watched in our new movie room with new speakers, etc... It was an awesome test movie. Wooo.

Anastasia (1997)

RATING: 4/5
Honestly, I enjoyed this movie much better than I thought I would. The good characters were good, but the evil characters were so dang evil it was almost scary. The music wasn't overly poppy or catchy but weren't cheesy that you hated it. Very sweet and good story.

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

RATING: 3/5
While I did not find it that funny, it wasn't too bad of a movie. My main issue is and always will be Matthew Perry. He has one character and they all revolve around him having the same personality as Chandler from Friends. The movie was interesting with the twists and turns to see who was working with who, but it wasn't the greatest mob/comedy around. The supporting cast was a tad weak, but Bruce Willis was fun.

True Romance (1993)

RATING: 4/5
After some recommendations, I decided to watch True Romance today (the unrated director's cut on laserdisc). Far more impressed with the movie than I expected to me. There was a good down time/action ratio which kept me from getting bored. High quality cast and good story made this afternoon movie every enjoyable.

Corvette Summer (1978)

RATING: 2/5
Catching this before it went off netflix instant, I found myself bored and wondering how Mark Hamill every even made it in the movies. He's lack of emotion made me not care if he got the car back or not. The corvette and camaro were the highlights of the movie. Continuity errors made the movie more funny, than the late night "comedy" angle that netflix classified it as.

Iron Eagle (1986)

RATING: 2.5/5
Many, many times I wanted to grab the remote and turn off this movie, but I held on to see the predictable ending. I don't think the 80s knew how to have a action thrill ride without a happy ending and overly in your face soundtrack of top 40 hits to annoy you with. Weak acting, not so suspensive action sequences made Iron Eagle mediocre in my book, and I wanted to join the Air Force when I was 16. Go figure.

Krull (1983)

RATING: 3/5
A mix between sci-fi and fantasy, Krull was really good for its time. The special effects were good and cgi was not bad. The acting I found to be mediocre and the story well... I guess I might not have understood. According to description of the the movie was about "...Krull has arranged the marriage of a Prince and Princes who are to join his alliance." but what I got from it was aliens came down, stole a girl and this guy was hunting the alien down to get the girl back. Beyond that, I didn't follow any other major plot. It was entertaining, I will give it that.

Pocahontas (1995)

RATING: 1.5/5
What the hell is this about... you are gonna tell me that this Disney "princess" story does not end with a happily ever after. WTF. How can this be?

I guess it is because the music sucked, the vocal casting was so off, and the accuracy in history is totally wrong; I guess Disney decided at the last minute to just give up and say they did not care about giving the native Americans a happy ending. This is the time when I want to say SCREW YOU DISNEY!!!
Both Elisabeth and I were totally disappointed in this movie from song number one and it never pick up. So sad...

Edgeplay: A Story About the Runaways (2004)

RATING 4/5

My only wish for this documentary from one of the Runaways about the Runaways was for Joan Jett to actually care enough about where she came from to participate in this film. It was really interesting to hear about how they fell apart and what happened during the tours from them directly. Yeah, it was a little like VH1 Behind the Music at times, but what documentary about a band doesn't? I do love the Runaways though, so I definitely wasn't hindered by that at all. Overall good documentary and I am glad they did it.

The Town (2010)

RATING 3.5/5

This was a pretty decent movie. I wish I had paid more attention to it because it seemed really intense, but to be honest, I was kind of bored in the middle of it all and it just didn't pick back up for me. Ben definitely is an amazing writer and director and I am glad he has taken this path in his career, because only great things will come of it. The casts' acting was above-par and if I hadn't gotten bored with it, it would have definitely gotten a better rating. I will chock it up to the fact that I just wasn't in the mood for it, but should probably revisit it at a later date.

Mean Girls 2 (2011)

RATING: 3/5
So I am a total fan of Jennifer Stone from Wizards of Waverly Place from the Disney Channel and when I saw that she was going to be in Mean Girls 2, a made for ABC Family movie, I just had to watch it. This is just another teen/family movie. There is nothing of major importance in this movie but it was not horrible. Jennifer Stone is perfect in comedy, she is made for it. As for the rest of the cast, no one seemed to stand out from another.

Boot Camp (2008)

RATING: 3/5
A fictionalized "true" story about what happens in tough love boot camps, this movie was saved and upgraded to a 3 star by the hotness of Mila Kunis. It was an okay story, barely acceptable acting by supporting cast, and lots of mud and wetness. Decent movie to watch while you are waiting for your next DVDs to come from Netflix.

The Cars That Ate Paris (1974)

RATING: 2/5
This movie had such promise... the trailer was good, the concept of the movie was decent, but the execution was boring, boring, boring. Not until the last 20 minutes did the cars come down and destroy the town. There did not seem to be a plot to this little 70's flick, so it seemed to be a waste of 1.5hrs. Where was the blood, where was the eating?

It (1990)

RATING: 4/5
Who knew I would have to flip my DVD to watch a movie on DVD, I thought that was a laserdisc issue. LOL. Okay, so we spent last night watching it. I had never seen it but had been told it was creepy, so why not give it a try. While I did not find it creepy, I also did not find it corny. It was a pretty decent movie, long, but decent. There was a lot of down time, but more of a build up and understanding of the characters. Good cast, and Elisabeth, who has read the book, said it is pretty darn close to the book.

The Cove (2009)

RATING: 5/5

Wow...just wow. Sometimes you see a documentary that makes you feel ashamed to be a human. This is one of those times. So sad...so very sad, but enlightening.

Buried (2010)

RATING: 1/5
Awful awful movie. We only could stand about 45 minutes of this one. I didn't care if he made it out of the box or not. Maybe if there was some back story or something else, it might have been better. I am not one who needs lots of explanation in my movies, but this one definitely needed more than what was given. Ryan Reynolds was not the best choice for a one-man movie...in my opinion.

Zzyzx (2006)

RATING: 1/5
Had such promise, but after watching a third of it and not much happening other than one guy being a complete douche...had to turn it off. Sucked on a very major scale with no likeable characters and a very thin plot.

North by Northwest (1959)

RATING 3.5/5

One of Hitchock's more well-known movies, but far from the best. We both liked this movie, and while it wasn't boring, it definitely had a slow pace to it. Jenny thought this movie could have been better, i.e. no giveaway in the middle of the movie. Maybe if it were more suspenseful, she would have liked it more. As for me, I think it is a true classic in the truest sense of an Alfred Hitchcock film. Watching this, Jenny has figured out that Cary Grant is awesome. Not too many actors of that generation could pull off such savoire fair and panache in even the most boring scenes.

Assassination of A High School President (2008)

RATING: 3.5/5
I must have been as oblivious as the high school reporter as I did not see what was going on just as he didn't and once the crime was solved, I still did not see where it all came together. While the movie was decent, storyline had potential, and characters were good, I just felt like I was let down at the end and thought it was to be more and I was actually waiting for the president to be killed.

The Princess Bride (1987)

RATING: (J) 3/5 - (E) 4/5
This is one movie we disagree on. While Elisabeth really likes this movie and can holler out the lines as they are happening, I can't even remember I have seen the movie until it starts playing. Elisabeth laughs, where I say ugh. We do own this on blu-ray and we watched for the first time since getting the copy. This movie just doesn't seem to be my thing, but remains a favorite of Elisabeth's.

Body Parts (1991)

RATING: 3/5
A classic story about an inmate on death row that instead of getting executed, is taken apart and his body parts (arms, legs, torso and head) are transplanted on other people. The parts become possessed because the "head" wants his body back and is after all the people to get what is his. CLASSIC!!! Many many times we yelled at the screen at the campyness of it all; but in the end, it was pretty good. Thanks for the good time.

A View to a Kill (1985)

RATING: 3.5/5
A little slower pace than I hoped for, but nonetheless it was a very descent Bond flick, even my nephew enjoyed it as first James Bond movie. I would have like to have seen more car chases, but we had lots of explosions instead.

Lord of the Flies (1990)

RATING: 5/5
This has to be one of my top movies of all time. Wasn't on my plan to watch movie list today, but my nephew came over to watch movies with me and he wanted to see this one. It is always intense and I see something new each time I watch it. I don't really have many bad things to say about this movie, it is just incredible.

Ils (Them) (2006)

RATING: 4/5
Based on the netflix description, we thought this would be more of a supernatural movie, but as we found out... it wasn't. I felt a tad disappointed at that point because I thought it was a tad creepy, but Elisabeth liked it still. We agreed that you can make a movie where someone doesn't have to survive and still be good. I will admit it was pretty decent for horror. It was low budget, but the way the movie was shot just made gave it a good effect for a pretty scary flick.

Battle for Terra (2009)

RATING: 3.5/5
We both pretty much liked this one. It seemed a little like Avatar in places (not that we have seen it, but can guess). Humans suck...aliens good...human saves alien species...aliens figure out a way for everyone to live happily ever after...blah blah blah. Overall, not bad, and really action-packed throughout.

Kangaroo Jack (2003)

RATING: 3.5/5
Thinking this movie was going to corny and stupid, I watched it anyways and I was delighted to find that it wasn't all that corny. This was a little adventure in the outback that just happened to have a kangaroo that is at the center of a mafia plot. Yeah, there were moments where the kangaroo was a little too animated but over all it was a great ride and perfect for a day of movie watching at work.

The Funhouse (1981)

RATING: 2/5
I waited and waited, then flipped to the second side of the disc and waited a little more, and then 30 minutes before the end all hell broke loose. It was a very long and boring wait to get to killings and scares to begin. Once they came, it did seem like went by so fast. After the movie, the laserdisc had the original trailer and I have to say that if you have seen that then you have pretty much seen all the good stuff. Wished this could have been more campy instead of trying to be so serious.

Renaissance Man (1994)

RATING: 3.5/5
An Army flick of wayward kids who need learn to think on their own in order to stay in the service is almost like a not so serious Stand and Deliver, be all that you can be... in the army. Not so funny, but a sincere movie that pulled at the heart strings just a bit at the end. Nothing great, but worth the watch.

Gossip (2000)

RATING: 4/5
This movie had all the things that I like in a movie... sex... murder... gossip... Kate Hudson (in order, LOL) A good story and cast that had a some intrigue of what was going on and how it was all going to play out. I love James Marsden as an actor, he just seems to have it all together for his roles. Good movie.

Spartan (2004)

RATING: 3/5
Better than expected, Spartan was a nice crime kidnapping flick that seemed straight forward for through us for a twist or two throughout. Good story, decent cast, and a nice pace to it. A solid good film.

Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)

RATING: 3.5/5
This movie left us with two questions: 1) Where were Jessica's parents? and 2) Why was she left with a grandfather who liked to touch her boobs every chance he could?

Sometimes the 70's just get it right with a vampire movie... a groovy soundtrack, fairly decent special effects, and victim who was proud of her bosom. Although at times it could be a tad boring, the last 20 minutes were spot on with awesome retro Dracula fun.

Gypsy 83 (2001)

RATING:3/5
This has been sitting in our instant queue on Netflix for months now. We have been meaning to get to it, but something better always came along. Well, since it was expiring, we figured we better watch it, so we did. Overall, it was a decent movie...kind of depressing, but was okay and not hideously bad. The soundtrack was pretty cool, and that was probably the best part about this movie. Overall moral of the story...you have to figure out who you really are to know where you need to be...blah blah blah.

Piranha (2010)

RATING: 5/5
I know what you must be thinking in order for us to give this movie 5 whole stars. We could rate the movie for storyline, special effects, acting, and all the other things to make Oscar history, but we just can't. This movie has to be rated for pure entertainment and enjoyableness of the big ball of cheese that this movie is. Starting from opening scene, this movie made us laugh, jump and had us yelling at the screen which gave us total fun for an hour and a half and that is what makes a movie good. It definitely was not a film to be taken seriously... the cgi sucked, the gore factor was over the top, but you know... it was a hell of a good time.

Despicable Me (2010)

RATING: 4/5

We both thought the movie was funny, as there were lots of times we found ourselves laughing out loud. I thought the storyline was pretty original and the writing was excellent. I really liked the fact that it was a cartoon, but one that could reach all ages. Pretty awesome movie, and maybe this means someone can do a cartoon as well as Pixar. We need more cartoons like this that doesn't take itself so seriously.

The Other Guys (2010)

RATING: 3/5
We both felt equally that while this movie was good for the first 20-30 minutes and had promise, it failed with a lack of a good crime story and for repetitious on jokes. How many times can you do the same joke and it remain funny in one movie. Mark Wahlberg was very entertaining in a comical role but Will Farrell's mundane personality made his "boring" cop just that, boring. Kudos to Samuel L Jackson and The Rock for their stellar performances in the first part, which is probably why the movie was better then. Overall, fun but could have been better...

Starman (1984)

RATING: 4/5
This worktime movie of Starman really was an enjoyment. I loved the story, the romance, the characters and how believable they made it. It wasn't the same ol cheesy sci-fi, actually is almost did not seem sci-fi at all. And for 1984, the Starman's spaceship was realistic special effects. I don't really have any complaints on the movie its self.

Death To Smoochy (2002)

RATING: 4/5
This is one of those movies that I kept seeing on Netflix or at the video store and thought that just by the name alone I would never watch. What was I thinking? This is was a very unexpected joy of a movie that I laughed my ass off watching. Normally Robin Williams will annoy me, but in this character he didn't annoy me but I hated him for being such a bad ass. It was nice to see Edward Norton do something that wasn't so serious too. Although this wasn't a movie to win awards, it was a gem that needs to be recognized. I loved it and can definitely see adding this movie to my collection. Good job Smoochy!

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

RATING: 3.5/5
Tonights "Animation Tuesday" movie was Disney's first completely computer animated feature the sequel to The Rescuers. Quite entertaining and at times a bit suspenseful, this movie was filled with good humor and a nice storyline. We both agreed that it was much better than the original.

Favorite lines: "I didn't make it all the way through the third grade for nothing" and "Home, home on the range where the critters are tied up with chains".
Enjoyable from beginning to end but it wouldn't make my top Disney animated films.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

RATING: 2.5/5
So many people I know are Buffy fans, including my girlfriends, and I have tried to watch the TV show but there is just something about it that makes me not like it. Tonight I was bored and wanted to watch a movie on laserdisc but I have the hardest time picking one out and this one just kept calling me so I decided to give it a chance. I was doing fine and thought that I might actually like movie until... SENIOR DANCE. From that moment on, the movie got stupid that was way beyond campy cheesy fun, though it was fun to see Hilary Swank get knocked out at the end. WOOO.

GoldenEye (1995)

RATING: 4/5
Though I have not seen even 25% of the Bond films, I am slowly becoming a Bond fan. Goldeneye was not shy on explosions, fight scenes, car chases, cleaver one liners, and hot chicks. My only issue with this compared to the more recent film is that as much as Bond got his ass kicked, he lacked damage only coming out with a small scratch making it not so believable but it was still totally enjoyable.

AVPR: Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)

RATING: 4/5
Nothing serious about this one...standard formula for the series so far. My only major gripe is why do they insist on introducing new characters at the very end of the movie? It just makes it random unless theymake another movie in the series. Geez. Overall, quite enjoyable from beginning to end.

The Land Before Time (1988)

RATING: 3.5/5
I almost thought this movie was gonna leave me with an unsatisfied without these little guys finding the "great valley", but spoiler... they do. I really enjoyed the characteristics and personalities that they gave each of the little baby dinos. They embraced the bonds of friendship between "races" which is a good moral to any kids movie. Better than I expected it to be.

Ned Kelly (2003)

RATING: 3/5
Not a bad movie. Always interesting to see movies that are semi-true and based on real people. I wish Geoffrey Rush had more of a part in this though. I do enjoy seeing the odd roles he takes on with such a fervor.

Robin Hood (2010)

RATING: (E) 4/5 (J) 3.5/5

I thought it was good, but maybe that is because I am a sucker for that time period and Ridley Scott himself. The pacing was kept throughout and the writing was good, not to mention the acting. I don't know why this movie was so poorly received, as it was a new take on the same old story that no one ever dealt with (the beginning of Robin Hood). Jenny thought it was a lot too long and had way too many characters and storylines to keep up with.

Frozen (2010)

RATING 3/5
I know I (we) are are gonna get flamed for this, but I am not sure why this movie made so many Top 10 lists for 2010. Basically all this movie is about is waiting for them to die. We all knew it was inevitable that some or all will be gone by the time the movie was. Yes, there were some stressful tense scenes and you had to keep watching to find out HOW they and who got down if any.
My personal issue in with this movie was Shawn Ashmore. I vow to NEVER go on vacation with him cause he is like Jessica Fletcher with someone dying when she comes to dinner. With him, all his friends get stranded and picked off one by one (ie The Ruins). LOL. Okay, just kidding.
Over all, it wasn't bad but it did not make any Top Lists of ours.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

RATING: 4/5 
So the funny thing is... Elisabeth totally did not want to watch this movie. I was "forcing" her to watch and then she gives it 4 stars. Go figure. This movie kept us laughing till the end and my desire for them to get back to the tub was an adventure all its own. Yeah there were some dumb jokes, but they weren't overly retarded. Clever, funny and entertaining makes for a really good comedy.

Night Train (2009)

RATING: 3/5
Had the promise of being a good solid 4 stars but...
The movie had a great cast that did an excellent job, although the CGI of the train from the outside sucked.
There was fast pace and steady too, not much down time in this, but it lead us up and up to a big giant let down at the end and that is what dropped it down to a 3. I felt so unfulfilled, like it jumped the shark the last 20 minutes of the movie. So, good but will not own this puppy.

powered by Blogger | WordPress by Newwpthemes | Converted by BloggerTheme