Year One

If you like nerds, geeks, or awkward funny guys, then you will enjoy this movie called Year One. It stars Jack Black and Michael Cera in 1 AD dealing with religious characters from the bible. Don't worry, this is not a comedy spoof of the bible, just the time period.

Yes, it is corny and slapstick humor in the movie, but it is still funny. If you are in a for a good laugh and a bucket of popcorn, then this movie will please you. Watch it and enjoy.





Netflix Summary:

Banished from their primitive village after the tribe elders deem them too lazy, Zed (Jack Black) and Oh (Michael Cera) leave everything they've ever known behind and embark upon an adventure-filled journey through the ancient world. Co-starring Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt, Olivia Wilde and David Cross, this epic-sized laffer is a collaborative effort from comedy giants Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day) and Judd Apatow (Knocked Up).

Man on Fire

I think I have mentioned it before that I am a fan of Denzel Washington's movies. Especially his earlier stuff. This movie Man on Fire was not as good as his other action movies, but it was entertaining.

There are a lot of famous actors in this one. Netflix Summary:

Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she's kidnapped he's consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life. Tony Scott directs this thriller about a demoralized soul whose sense of purpose is reawakened by a human connection. Christopher Walken and Mickey Rourke co-star.

The plot was actually straight forward. My wife again guessed the surprise ending and who the bad guy was upon his appearance. LOL. He always seems to play the bad guy.

There is a twist at the end, but I saw it coming. You might too. Again, the movie was entertaining but I probably can't recommend watching the movie. I would try to catch a different Denzel movie you haven't seen.

The two issues I had with this movie was the way it was shot at times. It has the Blair Witch Project or Clover effect of handheld cameras trying to make you yak. The other issue I had was the movie was long. And I mean really long. Just when you think it is over, the movie goes for another 45 minute stretch. Sheesh. They could of reduced that ending to 3 minutes and had the same effect without losing the viewer's attention.

London to Brighton

This movie was actually a great Indie movie. The acting was very good and the characters come off real. This is one of those movie environments that is difficult to watch, but exist everywhere in the world.

I watched this on Netflix streaming so I didn't have the subtitles option. Yes, it is in English but everyone has the British accent, and for me it is sometimes hard to decipher what they are saying. Again, I didn't care for the subject matter, but the movie is still good and worth watching. It is a bit depressing, but it does have a happy Hollywood ending.

Spoiler: I did know the two guys digging the graves were going to die, but I also thought the two girls were going to die too. I still don't understand the reasoning of letting them go. I know it has something to do with the bad guy not liking his father growing up, but it doesn't completely make it logical. I know this comment will only make sense after watching the movie.




Netflix Summary:

Employing a nonlinear flashback structure, writer-director Paul Andrew Williams delivers a BAFTA-nominated feature debut that incorporates five main characters into 24 hours and one riveting plot. The action unfolds as two girls (Lorraine Stanley and Georgia Groome) burst into a public bathroom with visible, unexplained injuries, and another man lies bleeding to death. How they got that way forms the basis for this tense and tangled thriller.

The Haunting in Connecticut

I love horror movies of all sorts. This story is based on true events which kind of makes it more scary. I will be upfront and say I have lower expectations on horror, gore, and scary movies in general. I just expect them to do one thing and that is to scare me.

This movie went beyond my expectations. It had good acting, a storyline, and scared me at times. I don't know how much of it is true and what is made up for movie purposes, but it definitely entertained. I recommend watching it if you get a chance.





Netflix Summary:

In this supernatural thriller, the Campbell family's move to Connecticut takes a mysteriously dark turn when a series of shocking paranormal events reveals that their inviting new home is a former mortuary with a sordid past. Based on a true story, this terrifying tale stars Virginia Madsen and Martin Donovan as the well-meaning Campbell parents, Kyle Gallner as their cancer-stricken son and Elias Koteas as the enigmatic Rev. Nicholas Popescu.

Angels & Demons (2009)

What can I say, I like Tom Hank movies. I thought the Davinci Code was a good movie. This Angels & Demons (2009) was not as good, but it still delivers entertainment. My wife figured out in the first 15 minutes who the bad guy was.

I had to watch the whole thing to see if she was right. She recognized the bad buy was cast by a big star, thus he was the bad guy. Don't worry, I won't give it away here.

If you are a fan of Tom Hank movies, then you will enjoy this. Get some popcorn and enjoy!

The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)

My wife and I tend to watch foreign language films and usually try to watch the movies that have won awards or recognition. This particular movie The Baader Meinhof Complex was a long movie and is based on actual events.

It is good to see histories of other countries. It gives you insight into that culture. This movie definitely did that. Yet, I can't say I enjoyed the movie. I don't know if it was the subject matter or the way the portrayed the people. They were definitely terrorists, but the movie painted everyone as a bad person.



The trailer looks interesting. For me, the movie just doesn't deliver and I would not recommend watching it.

The Baader Meinhof Complex - uk Trailer
Uploaded by gsides. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

Most of the reviews on Netflix were good, but I guess everyone has different tastes.

Netflix summary:

Uli Edel directs this Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee charting the birth of West Germany's Red Army Faction, a radical left-wing terrorist group formed in the late 1960s amid a climate of revolution and a fallen generation. Staging a series of bombings, kidnappings and assassinations, the RAF waged a war against fascism with a direct assault against the powers of American imperialism and the fledgling German democracy.

Gran Torino

This movie was produced, directed, and stars Clint Eastwood. I personally like all his movies so I go in this with some bias. I think judging by the previews, this movie turns out much differently than you would expect. I know it was surprising for me.

The plot is straight forward and Eastwood really plays his character extremely well. I think as his character develops in the story, you start to like the character more. He is very unlikable in the beginning. His constant disapproving grunting made me laugh.

Anyways, I think if you like most of his movies, this one won't disappoint. If you don't like most of his movies, then I think this one will win you over.



Netflix:

Curmudgeonly Korean War veteran Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood, who also directs) must confront his Hmong immigrant neighbors -- and his own long-held prejudices -- when the family's teenage son, Thao (Bee Vang), tries to steal Walt's beloved 1972 Gran Torino. Walt soon assumes the unlikely role of guardian angel to young Thao and his sister Sue (Ahney Her), both of whom are vulnerable to local gang influences.

Sunshine Cleaning

This was an Indie movie my wife picked. It had some big stars in it that I recognized Amy Adams, Steve Zahn, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin. These actors are very good and I wonder if the movie would have been just as good without them. I get the feeling that this movie may have suffered without the strong cast.

I liked the movie a lot because it deals with everyday lives of people, their relationships, and the struggles they deal with in real life. It is definitely something everyone can relate to in this story. The characters are well developed and likable too.



Sunshine Cleaning

Netflix summary:

Financially on shaky ground yet determined to send her son to a top private school, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) teams up with her unreliable sister, Norah (Emily Blunt), to start a new company that specializes in biohazard removal and crime scene cleanup. Tired of doing all of the work for other people, whether in her job cleaning homes or in her failed relationships, Rose is finally ready to use her entrepreneurial spirit to tidy up her own life.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

This was a documentary about steroids and drugs. I have been wanting to watch it for awhile since my friend mentioned it to me.

Truly, I was impressed by the information and perception of steroids in the professional athletic field. The person who created this video also has used steroids, so I think he has the best point of view on the whole matter. He also has brothers who used it.




I highly recommend this documentary. It goes at a good pace and doesn't get boring. It may even give you a new perspective on not just steroids but drugs in general.

Dakota Skye

This was actually a very small independent movie or at least it looked like it. The acting was very good with all these new actors. It kind of reminded me a little bit like that TV series Dawson Creek. I didn't really like the main character in this movie but she does redeem herself in the end.




I guess sex in high school is extremely common in today's environment. So is drinking and doing drugs. That is depicted in this movie but not in a funny or humorous way in typical teen movies. Here it is shown more as regular life which is real and sad at the same time.

The premise of the movie is good. I like the doogie howser type voice overs even though it is very common practice nowadays.

Netflix summary:

Superpowers rarely come without a price, and for 17-year-old Dakota Skye (Eileen Boylan), the price is cynicism that stems from spotting the truth in every lie. Disengaged, she watches life go by from the sidelines … until she meets the unfailingly honest Jonah (Ian Nelson). Problem is, Jonah is her beau's best friend -- which leaves Dakota navigating the treacherous waters between friendship and romance in this well-crafted indie drama.

Overall, it was both entertaining and enjoyable to watch. I would recommend seeing it.

Public Enemies

I usually enjoy Johnny Depp movies in every genre. He is a great actor and always picks unusual movies. I still remember him from his days on 21 Jumpstreet. This movie is a nice gangster movie based in the Depression era 1930's. It actually has a lot of great stars and even an mma fighter I recognized in a bit part role.

I actually enjoyed this movie more than I expected. I don't always like these old movies unless they are done really well. This movie was put together well and reminded me of the other old movie The Untouchables that I had seen along time ago.

I was afraid that with all the good reviews I heard about it, that it would live up to the hype. I think the Director Michael Mann did a great job.

Netflix Summary:

n the shadow of the Great Depression, criminal minds are thriving -- notorious men like John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), "Baby Face" Nelson (Stephen Graham) and "Pretty Boy" Floyd (Channing Tatum) -- and it's up to J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and the FBI to bring them down. Michael Mann directs this gritty crime drama based on the book by Bryan Burrough. Christian Bale, Giovanni Ribisi and Leelee Sobieski co-star.

Fireworks

Happy New Year!

All About Steve

This is one of the movies I had low expectations for based on the video. Surprisingly, it was a good comedy movie that I enjoyed. Sandra Bullock plays her annoying character very well, as does Bradley Cooper of Alias fame. At least that is where I first saw him.

The plot is pretty straight forward. From Netflix:

While Steve (Bradley Cooper) would have to disagree, socially inept Mary (Sandra Bullock) thinks he's her true love and shamelessly pursues him around the country, egged on by Steve's wingman, the sexist and mean Hartman (Thomas Haden Church). But the two men start feeling guilty for their callousness when they realize there's more to Mary than her outrageous boots and wacky statements. Phil Traill directs this comedic tale, which also stars Ken Jeong.

I think the acting helps make this movie better than it is. Everyone is believable in their role. This is not a movie that you will stay with you for very long, but if you want to watch an enjoyable movie where you can sit back and let Hollywood entertain you this will do the trick.



I recommend this movie and hope you enjoy it.

Lost in Beijing

Yes, I have been watching a lot of foreign films lately. I like most of them. They don't have the big Hollywood budgets or famous movie stars, so the directors tend to be more creative. Lost in Beijing has been out for awhile, but it just became available on the immediate play in the netflix streaming movies.
Honestly, the previews did not look that interesting, but it does take place in Beijing and sometimes for me being able to see movies in these different locations is a plus. Kind of being able to travel on film without going to the tourist traps.
From Netflix:

From one of China's most celebrated female directors, Yu Li's provocative drama, set against the hustle and bustle of the country's booming capital, explores the complicated relationship between three women and two men, all entangled in a web of sex, desire, jealousy and revenge. Distinguished by stellar performances, the darkly comic film stars Tony Leung Ka Fai, Bingbing Fan, Elaine Jin and Dawei Tong.

I am not sure, but I think this movie was banned in China. This is definitely an "adult" oriented film that has profanity and nudity. As for the storyline, it involves adultery, revenge, promiscuity, and other things that happen in real life.




This movie was a bit on the long side for me, but overall I would recommend seeing it. I think it captures the differences and similarities that exist in both our cultures.

Man, Woman and the Wall

Yes, another foreign movie that I watched on netflix streaming. Quite honestly, the availability of foreign movies is getting better on netflix for its on demand feature. This next movie Man, Woman and the Wall was a surprise. Be forewarned that this movie does contain adult material involving sex and nudity, but if you are beyond being a prude, you might enjoy it for what it is.

The plot is strange but it does come together. It is about a neighbor (Ryu) who becomes a sound voyeur of a girl who lives next door. The girl has a boyfriend who seems nice but is actually a pervert and makes harrassing phone calls to her using modern technology. For some reason, his threats to her turns him on. The girl winds up calling the boyfriend on his other cell phone, where she requests for him to come over and he comes over as the hero and they sleep together.

The neighbor imagines what is going on based on what he hears and the movie shows images of what he thinks they (neighbor and boyfriend) look like as well as what her apartment looks like. Eventually, Ryu becomes more of just a voyeur but a full blown stalker. He becomes very obsessed with this girl and his whole life starts to revolve learning everything about her.



The story takes a twist when he learns that the harassing phone caller is one and the same as the boyfriend. This is not your normal story, but does have a Hollywood happy ending.

Netflix describes the movie:

After moving into a new apartment, geeky reporter Ryo (Keita Ohno) quickly develops an obsession with his sexy next-door neighbor Satsuki (Aoi Sola). Ryo's eavesdropping and explicit fantasies surprisingly lead to a potential relationship with his dream girl. Meanwhile, throughout the course of this highly provocative Japanese movie, Satsuki becomes increasingly panic-stricken over obscene phone calls she's receiving from an unknown pervert.

Lila Says "Lila dit ca" good foreign movie to watch

This was a French movie that I really enjoyed. The subject matter is more of a young love or first love story set in a lower class part of the city. There is also the subject of racism and shows how a person deals with it among his friends and peers.

From Netflix:

Based on a controversial French novel, Lila Says tells the story of a quiet young poet named Chimo (Mohammed Khouas) who develops a crush on the pretty, blond Lila (Vahina Giocante), a girl who recently moved into his Arab ghetto with her aunt. When the leader of a rival gang also falls for Lila, the ensuing love triangle initiates a journey of sexual discovery -- and sets off a chain of devastating events.

Lila Says

stardotstar™ | MySpace Music Videos


I used this particular video because it has the subtitles in English below. All the other ones on youtube seemed to lack them. Of course this doesn't matter if you speak French, but unfortunately I don't. I really wish I could have used a different clip, but beggars can't be choosey.

Bottom line, I enjoyed the film and would recommend it if you enjoy a good French romantic movie that doesn't have a typical Hollywood ending.

Julie & Julia gets an A+

I had low expectations of this movie based on the preview. I know it had some big talent such as Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Stanley Tucci. They are all great actors. However, there are many movies with great talent that end up disappointing. This movie did not only deliver but surprised me.

This is the netflix summary:

Amy Adams stars in this truth-inspired tale as Julie Powell, a disenchanted government secretary who decides to enliven her uneventful life by cooking all 524 recipes outlined in Julia Child's culinary classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Based on Powell's book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, director Nora Ephron's heartwarming dramedy also stars Meryl Streep as legendary chef Child.

It is very accurate in its description, but the execution of the movie was great. The characters are well developed and likable. The storyline has the time frames switching back and forth from the 1940s to the 2000s (after the 9/11 tragedy) which kept the pace of the movie at a good rate and engaging.

The images of France are beautiful and learning about Julia Child was actually quite interesting. I have never seen her cooking shows and knew very little about her. I do like the historic reference to the McCarthyism days in America where everyone was being accused of being a communist.

The images of New York are more closer to reality of present day America. I think it even provides a glimpse of the daily struggles most Americans are experiencing today. This is based on a true story of a new blogger becoming successful at writing.

Overall, I recommend watching this movie. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Both trailers are the same below, but the first one loads up slow. The second one loads up faster but doesn't play outside of America for some reason.

Cheers!

More about this movie

"The Class" gets a D minus

The Class (Entre les murs) is a foreign French movie that had many great raving reviews on Netflix. I watched this movie with high expectations and when I finished I have to be honest and say it was stupid. I know those are harsh words but really it was very annoying.



The school is suppose to be one of those poor ghetto areas where everyone lives a hard life. They used real students and the real teacher this was based on. Well, you don't like the students and the teacher is even worse. No one is likable in this movie. That's a problem.

Then there is the storyline. The teacher character as a teacher sucks. From what they show in the movie, he kind of just rambles on most of the time. He has no structure in the class, and the students are all portrayed as idiots. The teacher offers no motivation to learn, no structure to follow, and constantly belittles the kids as well as call some of them as "skanks" in the movie.

Seriously, for the people who liked this movie, you must have seen something I didn't see. The premise sounded good, but execution and storyline were miserable. I would not recommend this movie even to fall asleep to. That is how bad it is. Yes, I have seen worse movies, but this had potential.

If you want to see a similar movie that is better made, then I recommend you watch the old "Stand and Deliver" with Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips. It is based on a true story and very inspiring.

Dracula 2000

I love vampire movies even if most of them are bad. I am glad they are more popular now than ever before. This oldie but goodie had many stars that have become big names now. Dracula was played by Gerard Butler of 300 fame. I must say he looked extremely young and at first I don't think I would recognize him right away.

The rest of the cast included Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Jennifer Esposito, and Omar Epps. I have seen many of these actors in other movies.





Now, I can't say there are a lot of good old vampire movies. I am a fan of True Blood, Interview with a Vampire, and Twilight, but I don't expect the older stuff to be as entertaining. This movie was a bit more original in its explanation of silver, crosses, holy water, etc and why Dracula dislikes them. You learn about that at the end of the movie. If you are Christian, you might be offended by the movie and bible tie ins, but I thought it was original and well done.

Anyways, I don't summarize the plot of the movie and give it away. I just want you to know it was enjoyable to watch and would recommend you seeing it. This is definitely worth renting and eating a bucket of popcorn with it.

Run Fatboy Run

I wasn't actually looking for this movie and it wasn't in my netflix queue. I actually had seen the commercials a long time ago, and just thought it would be corny. In fact it was corny, but surprisingly enjoyable.

This is a predictable comedy with some actors I recognized like Simon Pegg of Hot Fuzz fame, Thandie Newton, and Hank Azaria who play the voices of many Simpsons characters.









Like I said, it is corny but funny. I caught it on cable and liked it. Hope you like it too. Cheers!