Monday, March 23, 2009
What Lies Beneath
What Lies Beneath follows a family of Dr. Normal Spencer, played by Harrison Ford, and his wife Claire Spencer, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. A year ago Claire was in a horrible car accident where she hit a tree going eighty. Though it is said to have looked like she deliberately drove her car into the tree she could think of no reason why this would be. After living in their new home for over a year its time for their daughter to move to college; everyone is worried about Claire’s psyche as her daughter leaves because they have always been so close. Within days she is seeing things and convinced that their house is haunted but Norman doesn’t believe her escapades. As they become more frequent he beings to believe her. Little does she know that he might have something to do with the spirits lingering in the house. As the movie plays out we being to see what who may be haunting Claire and trying to exert their revenge on Norman after a year of his secret keeping.
Haven’t seen this movie? Check it! Seen it and liked it try watching The Haunting or Poltergeist they are similar. You might like them!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Baby Mama
It’s an hour and half of funny. I promise if you give it a chance it has great parts in it that are just hilarious. The plot follows Kate Holbrook, Tiny Fey, as she decides to have a baby but cannot conceive through any of the many methods she has tried. She is single and successful working woman so she seeks out surrogacy. Amy Poehler plays Angie the South Philadelphia woman chosen to be the surrogate mother. Kate’s a planner and needs to keep track of Angie through the pregnancy but she didn’t think she’d have Angie show up at her door after breaking up with her boyfriend.
The two live together for several months through Angie’s pregnancy sharing many comedic moments including birthing class, night out on the town, and sharing Kate’s pristine apartment. Of course there is a turn at the end of the movie no one is ready for but what movie isn’t going to have a twist at the end.
A great part of the movie is the door man played by Romany Malco who has been in movies such as Blades of Glory, The Love Guru, and starred in the show Weeds. He adds more comedic relief to the already funny cast.
If you are looking for a funny movie to watch with the girls or a good lighthearted comedy for a date night try this one out!
Taken
The movie begins with Neeson’s character Bryan Mills trying to be more involved in his 17-year-old daughter’s life. After being absent for most of her childhood because of his secret government job which she couldn’t understand at the time he makes a point of trying to be more involved in her life. He divorced from his wife while their daughter was young and she has since remarried a very wealthy man who can give Kim, Mills’ daughter anything she wants.
When Kim approaches Mills to have his permission to head to Paris for her break he’s very apprehensive about letting her go because of his knowledge on the world. Kim and her mother, Lenore, live a sheltered life surrounded by money and Mills has a strong head on his shoulders knowing more than they do about the threats beyond their sheltered life. With motive to please his daughter and taking precautions he thinks will help her on her trip and keep her safe he agrees to let her go. Amanda, Kim’s friend she’s traveling with, has family in Paris they intend to stay with. When they get to Paris Amanda informs Kim that her family is out of town and they have the place all to themselves. After making friends with a boy at the airport the girls are taken. Luckily Kim is on the phone with her father when this happens and he tries to get as much information as he can out of her before they are disconnected. The rest of the film follows Mill’s knowledge and expertise as he makes his way to Paris to find his daughter.
Neeson is great and the whole film is entertaining. I would definitely recommend watching this movie. It’s probably going to leave theaters soon so make sure to check it out when it comes out on DVD.
Movies Coming Out 3.24
A Mighty Heart is not a new release it is now being released on Blu-ray. The film stars Angelina Jolie and Dan Futterman. A journalist is killed and the process that his wife, played by Anglina Jolie, goes through to try to find him. Amazon.com’s readers rated the movie 3.5/5 stars.
Gardens of the Night is about the kidnapping of two eight year old children by two men. After seven years of captivity they are abandoned and must navigate their way through the streets of San Diego with no one but each other and constant reminders of their terrible pasts.
Ready? OK! Is a movie about a young boy obsessed with dresses and dolls is convinced by his mother to join the school’s wresting team when all he really wants to do is be a cheerleader. Seeking the help of her gay neighbor the single mother works to find a good role model for her son.
Yes another great installment of the James Bond films. Daniel Craig stars again as the infamous James Bond. Quantum of Solace is a follow up from the previous Casino Royale since bond is trying to gain revenge from the previous movie. Loyal Bond fans seem to be torn over how much they like the series and how this movie fell short of the previous marks.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Runaway Jury and Just Married
After getting back from spring break in Florida this year I was surprised when I got in the car by a nice little gift from my parents. 2 DVD’s!! What great parents, I mean they come pick me up from the airport and while killing time before they had to come get me they pick me up some DVD’s. Best Buy has been doing a good job marking down their movies pretty quickly and their $5 movie section keeps on growing! Love it! My parents picked up Runaway Jury which stars Nicholas Cage and Just Married which stars Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy.
I think that Runaway Jury is such a great movie. It gives the audience an inside look into how a jury deliberates and the process of going through jury selection. At the same time they introduce the element of Jury for Sale and how one person can influence the thoughts of other jury members. It makes you think do people really do this? Especially on such big cases like the one in the movie; a man was killed by a shooter at his office in the city. His wife then brings the gun company who manufactured the gun to court. Although Cage and his costar have a vendetta they are pursuing throughout the movie they prove to the audience that nothing is impossible and with a simple slide of hand… or persuasive speech people should be willing to hear everyone else. It’s amazing to watch Cage as his character uses his persuasion techniques to influence his fellow jury members while remaining under the radar. Definitely rent this one if you haven’t seen it!
Although I’m not a huge fan of comedies they are always good to have in your movie collection. Just Married is light hearted and a great no thought movie when I’m looking to just relax.
Monday, March 16, 2009
DVD Releases This Week
Twilight is based on the book on the #1 New York Times best-selling novel by Stephenie Meyer. The book was popular among her young readers but after the new of release of a movie the series became very popular for many across all ages. The movie follows the life of Bella Swan played by Kristen Stewart, who acted along side Jodie Foster in Panic Room, who moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father. She unexpectedly falls for a handsome classmate Edward Cullen, played by Robert Patterson from Harry Potter. Once secrets are revealed everything is against their relationship and they must fight to have one another. Twilight is only the first installment of the series, there are going to four in all.
Bolt is an animated film from Disney starring voices such as John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Mark Walton, and Susie Essman. Bolt is the star of the biggest show in Hollywood but is convinced its real life. Due to certain circumstances Bolt is left on his won and must find his way back to Hollywood from New York City. His adventures on the streets making his way home prove to him that he doesn’t need super powers to be a hero. All he needs is a little help from his new found friends.
Another movie that came out this week is Walled In a relatively unknown movie about an engineer supervising the demolition of a mysterious building. She soon finds out the secrets about bodies entombed in the walls during the construction of the building. As she gets closer to determining the motives behind these murders she gets to close and potentially become the next victim.
DVD Releases This Past Week
Rachel Getting Married stars Anne Hathaway, known for her role in Princess Diaries. In this role Hathaway drops her comedic persona for a more serious role. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. Hathaway plays Kym a woman battling tragedy in her past heads out of town for a wedding bringing drama with her to what should be a joyful weekend. Although she didn’t win the Golden Globe critics rave about her performance in the film.
Role Models is the only of these films I’ve seen so far. The movie is hilarious and sometimes completely out of line. Two coworkers faced with the choice of 150 hours of community service or jail after their stint with a tow truck while at work choose to enter into a mentorship program. Their work with the two boys they are placed with proves the audience with an hour and a half or entertainment.
Cadillac Records stars Adrien Brody, Beyonce Knowles, Mos Def, Tim Bellow, and Tony Bently about the record company in the 1950’s. Milk was nominated and won many awards. The film stars Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Alison Pill, and Diego Luna. One of the movies that really peaks my interest is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas stars Sheila Hancock, David Thewlis, David Hayman, Jim Norton, and Vera Farmiga. The movie follows two eight year old boys who become friends one on each side of the walls of a Nazi Concentration Camp.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Finding Movies On TV
FX is one of the best channels to find something good on. I believe every week they have a different cycle of movies that they play. This week they have: X-Men: The Last Stand, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, The Marine, Zoom, Click, Superman Returns, and Anger Management. The thing I like about this channel is that they play many different genres of movies rather than just sticking to movies that are all the same.
TBS usually has good comedies on. They are known to be a channel revolving around comedy but they do occasionally have other films on too. They have two programs on that feature movies, they have dinner & a movie and also movie & a makeover. Every weekend they have weekend extra which includes a movie and a riotous romp stampeding through current events and pop culture. That’s according to their website about the show.
AMC (American Movie Channel) usually features old movies I haven’t seen which give me the opportunity to catch up on movies I wouldn’t think of renting. TNT and USA are also very good channels for finding movies of different genres.
Check out tvguide.com to find a movie you might be interested in!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
New releases for March 3rd
Let’s take a look at the movies we might have heard of.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua: Honestly I’ve never really been a fan of movies that mix animated animals (talking) with actual human actors. The movie features the voices of Drew Barrymore as the main Chihuahua Chloe. George Lopez is the voice over for Papi a Chihuahua crazy about Chloe who takes it upon himself to find Chloe when she gets lost in Mexico. Some of the stars that are actually seen in the movie are Jaime Lee Curtis and Piper Perado.
Personally this movie does not seem like something that Jaime Lee Curtis would be in.
Australia: This one I’d really like to see. It stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.
Awake: Awake stars Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, and Terrance Howard. It’s a psychological thriller that follows Christensen’s time experiencing “anesthetic awareness. This phenomenon is when the anesthesia on a patient fails and they are conscious but physically paralyzed. With a shocking twist leaving you in awe at the end of the movie.
Lake City: Sissy Spacek, Troy Garity, and Dave Matthews all star in a film about a mother and a son who are forced to come together to save their families home. Matthews plays a drug dealer looking to get revenge on Garity after his wife stole cocaine from him. While dealing with this life threatening drug issue he is trying to rebuild a relationship with his mother who he went separate ways from years ago following a family tragedy.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
My Articles
Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe: This article will be about the effect these two great actresses has on the industry during their time and how their success has helped shaped the industry into what it is today. Their role in history and film making has made them stars. Men loved to look at them and women wanted to be them their style was popular among women they continue to be figures of inspiration among women all over the world.
Pixar: Their merger in the early twenty first century opened new doors for animation and its popularity among children. Pixar has won many awards for their films they have produced together. Films Pixar are known for include: Toy Story in 1995, A Bug's Life in 1998, Toy Story 2 in 1999, Monsters, Inc. in 2001, Finding Nemo in 2003, which is, to date, the most commercially successful Pixar film ,grossing over $800 million worldwide, The Incredibles in 2004, Cars in 2006, Ratatouille in 2007 and WALL-E in 2008.
Jaws: The Jaws movies which started with the release of the original in 1975 have been very popular for many decades now. The innovation and technology they introduced in the films was a first of its time Steven Spielberg had great visions for the movies. Unfortunately, this past year Roy Scheider, famous for his role as Martin Brody in the films passed away. His face is recognizable from his work over the years with Jaws as Amity’s newest police chief. The Jaws movies have had many remakes and additions to the original trilogy but none can compete with these classic movies.
Waterworld and Speed
K this one is not as bad as Waterworld but the Waterworld guy’s roommate is obsessed with Speed. Just the original he’s not a fan of the sequel. Just like his roommate if you ever ask what movie he wants to put in it’s always Speed. Now Speed is a relatively good movie and has some pretty good quotable moments and a few big names in it. He was disappointed with the sequel and even pretends it never happened. He’s a pretty big movie buff and doesn’t appreciate when a cast is changed in a second installment. Replacing Keeanu Reeves in the sequel crushed him.
If you’re looking for a movie that wouldn’t normally come to mind when you’re thinking of what to watch check out one of these. I don’t mind watching either of them but not everyday as these boys suggest. Waterworld is relatively entertaining but can drag on a little bit, it’s pretty original with a few big names in it also.