Ninja Assassin

I love karate action movies and the trailer looked good. Unfortunately, most times they show all the good stuff in the previews. This particular movie did not. It actually looked good and the movie itself was a great action movie.

With most karate movies, there isn't really much of a plot. The action for me anyways determines whether it was worth my time or not. This particular movie had a decent plot and great effects in the action scenes. Not quite like Kill Bill but just as fun.

So grab some popcorn and get ready for action. This is one of those movies you can walk in on and start watching anytime. You just enjoy it for what it is.

Ninja Assassin - For more of the funniest videos, click here

Big Fan

You may have noticed I watch a lot of movies of all sorts. I especially like foreign and independent movies. They usually have awards from Sundance or some other indie movie recognition.

This movie Big Fan actually did well at Sundance and most of the user reviews were extremely positive. The characters were well developed, the story line is complete from beginning to end, and there are a couple of actors I recognized.

So, I should have liked this movie. The problem is I didn't like this movie at all despite those reasons. In most movies there is a character in it that you like. Sometimes, it is the hero, the underdog, or a person who you can relate to. This movie had no one that was likable. Kind of hard to believe, but there it is. I lost interest because everyone was depicted as a loser, hater, or just unhappy.

It is difficult to watch those types of movies where everyone sucks. There is nothing in the story that redeems anyone. Would I recommend this movie? I would say hell no, not because it was bad, but it just wasn't entertaining to me. This was suppose to be a comedy or black comedy, but honestly I found very little to laugh at.

On a side note Patton Oswalt is the voice of Ratatouille which you will enjoy much more than this movie.

Netflix summary:

Parking attendant and New York Giants fanatic Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) must reexamine his life after he's beaten up by his favorite player in this comedy written and directed by Robert D. Siegel, a former editor-in-chief of "fake news" paper The Onion. Also starring Kevin Corrigan as Sal, Michael Rapaport as Philadelphia Phil and Marcia Jean Kurtz as Theresa, the film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

L'annulaire aka The Ring Finger

This was another French foreign movie that I thought would be good. The movie was actually engaging from beginning to end. The acting was fine and the story line was well paced. Not too fast and not too slow.

The problem is there are too many questions left unanswered. There is a picture of the conservator that Iris (the main character) finds from many years ago, but he has not aged since that picture was taken. All the other ladies in the picture have grown old. Is this a conservator trick? Why hasn't he aged? Is he the devil, a spirit, or even a real person? Who is the little boy ghost who keeps peeking out? Why do they even have the sailor character in the movie? Why does it take her a day and half to pick up the broken mahjong set?

They hook up during the movie, and the way they go about it is really awkward. Even the first love scene was surreal. One thrust and it was over. And they start to converse. No kissing, no hugging, nothing. Pretty hard to believe that particular scene.

In the end, there are too many metaphors to determine what happens and why it happens in the end. It isn't a David Lynch type of movie where enough clues allow you to speculate what happens next. It just leaves you with an unsatisfied feeling. It had all the elements of being a great movie, but for me fails in the way it ends.

The music in the movie by Beth Gibbons (of Portishead) was quite nice. My wife found the mp3 for it online. It wasn't one of the 3 songs in the credits.

I would not watch the movie again and so I can't recommend you watching it either.




Netflix summary:

After losing part of her finger in an industrial accident, gorgeous Iris (Olga Kurylenko) takes a job as an assistant to a man (Marc Barbé) running a lab where people bring keepsakes to be preserved -- and enters his strange, slightly disturbing reality. As she becomes ensconced in an odd, sensuous world of fetishes, ghosts and hauntingly silent unclaimed mementos, Iris falls into a steamy, bizarre affair with her boss in this erotic drama.

La Finestra di Fronte aka Facing Windows

You must know that I love foreign films. Especially when they are put together well. This Italian movie is a romance and drama, but doesn't feel that way. It seems to have two main characters that is the center of the movie. An unhappy wife who works in a chicken factory and an old Holocaust survivor who temporarily loses his memory.

I liked the movie from beginning to end. It comes together as it tells the stories of the past and present. Another thing I liked about the movie is the language and the passion they seem to all have in their voices. Yeah, I know it is just appears they speak mad all the time, but I think the people come across passionate too.

The preview video definitely made me want to watch the film. Check it out below.



I wound up eating cake with my coffee after the show. Lol.

Netflix summary:

Feeling overwhelmed and stuck in a dull marriage, Giovanna begins refocusing her attention (or repressing her emotions) by caring for the Jewish Holocaust survivor her husband brings home one day. As Giovanna reflects on her life, she turns to the man who lives across from her and whose window faces hers. Stars Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Massimo Girotti, Raoul Bova, Filippo Nigro and Serra Yilmaz. Directed by Verzan Ozpetek.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

I like horror movies in general. I especially enjoy Vampire films. Even so, I always put my expectations lower because of the type of film it is.

I thought the first movie was good. After watching half way through this movie, I was irritated. They made the main character weak, whiny, and stupid. And they continued to develop her character that way. It was very disappointing.

I would not recommend watching this movie because you would be mad at me and I persoanlly could not sit through it again. The director sucked this time, the actors were decent, and the storyline was predictably stupid with a retarded ending. Which leads into the third story movie.



Netflix summary:

In this sequel to Twilight directed by Chris Weitz (American Pie), Forks, Wash., resident Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is reeling from the departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and finds comfort in her friendship with Jacob Black, a werewolf (Taylor Lautner). But before she knows it, she's thrust into a centuries-old conflict, and her desire to be with Edward at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks.

Thirteen Days

This political movie based on actual events looked boring in the trailer to me. However, I was always curious about the details of the events during the Kennedy years.

This movie is well directed, scripted and casted. I think all the actors did an amazing job and were believable in their roles. They definitely captured the sense of pressure during these times where we almost went into WW III. I didn't realize how serious it was until watching this.

The movie is quite long, but the pace is fast so it doesn't drag at all. The characters are well developed so you get a good sense of what type of people these were. One thing I didn't like were the military people at the highest levels. They reminded me of Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Wolfowitz during the invasion of Iraq.

Watch the movie because you will enjoy it.





Netflix Summary:

When a nuclear missile presence escalates in Cuba, President John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) attempts to curb the threat with help from his aides, his generals and his younger brother, Bobby (Stephen Culp), then the U.S. attorney general. After assessing the situation, they quickly realize the Soviets could launch offensive warheads, leaving the fate of the world hanging by a thread. Kevin Costner co-stars in this drama based on actual events.

Breaking Away

I usually don't watch too many old movies unless they are exceptional. Even movies that I watched as a kid thinking they were great were a disappointment when I saw them as an adult. Movies like the classic Star Wars.

Anyways, Breaking Away is a movie I heard was good, the preview looked OK, and they had some big stars before they had become big in it. As usual, I am not going to talk about the plot. I will talk about how I feel about this movie.

First of all, the acting was good and the storyline was great. It definitely catches the times they lived in. Quite frankly, I was entertained from beginning to end. So if you want to watch an oldie but a goodie, this is one of those. Also, on a side note, it sure is weird seeing some of these familiar faces in their youth.



Netflix Summary:

After graduating from high school, Dave Stohler (Dennis Christopher) dreams of becoming a champion bicyclist. Posing as an exchange student to mask his working-class roots, he frustrates his parents (Paul Dooley and Barbara Barrie) and charms a local college girl (Robyn Douglass). Peter Yates's Oscar-winning coming-of-age drama culminates when Dave gets a chance to leave his past behind and race against the Italian riders he worships.

Le Silence de Lorna aka Lorna's Silence

Another foreign flick because I love watching them. This particular movie had high reviews from Netflix users who are supposedly similar to me. How accurate does it come? Well, it's hard to say but lately I think they have been completely off.

I had high expectations of this movie. It had great acting, an interesting storyline (at least by the trailer), and great reviews from the netflix community. Quite honestly it starts off interesting with our main character Lorna talking to Claudy the drug addict she married for money. As the story goes she starts to become more attracted with him. For me I never saw the connection of why they were physically or sexually attracted to each other. He seemed to be an annoyance to her most of the time.

Even if you give that part of the story the benefit of the doubt, the ending is awful. It is there, but a few questions remain unanswered for me. Why does she think she is pregnant when the hospital tells her the results are negative? Then why does she lose her common sense in the end? I don't think the director intends her to become insane at the end, but that is almost the only thing you can conclude base on her actions. I expected the story to go a bit further, but just like some other French movies I have seen, it seems like they end the movie as soon as they run out of funds. Does the whole story make sense? It doesn't matter...The End


Lorna's Silence (2008) Movie Trailer - Click here for funny video clips

Netflix summary:

While saving up to open her own snack bar in the Belgian city of Liège, Albanian immigrant Lorna (Arta Dobroshi) is given a shot at citizenship when local mobster Fabio (Fabrizio Rongione) arranges a sham marriage to drug addict Claudy (Jérémie Renier). But when Fabio plots to kill Claudy, Lorna gets dragged into the mobster's sordid plan in this gripping drama from the acclaimed Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.

Notorious

This is a movie about the life of a rap star Notorious B.I.G. I am not a big fan but I do like some of his music. I don't know how accurate the facts are, but the movie itself is well directed and the actors play the characters very well.

If you like rap music, then I think you will get insight to this rapper's background, motivation, and inspiration. If you don't like rap music, you probably won't appreciate this film.

Personally, I would recommend watching it if you want a better understanding from the perspective of Notorious B.I.G or Biggie Smalls.





Netflix Summary:

Based on the story of Christopher Wallace -- better known as gangsta rapper Notorious B.I.G. (played by Jamal Woolard) -- this insightful biopic chronicles his troubled life as a drug dealer, his artistic success and his unresolved murder at age 24. The film also delves into his close friendship with Sean Combs (Derek Luke) and the famous feud with hip-hop rival Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie). Angela Bassett portrays Biggie's mother.

Good Dick

This was actually a good Indie movie with a pretty good but different type of plot. It starts out great and you can see the potential of the movie. The character are developed quite well and even the director/star does a great job overall.

You do like the quirky characters and the story line develops well, but then all of a sudden Tom Arnold appears in a cameo father appearance. Then the movie sinks from that point. The main character gains her independence and overcomes her fears, but the explanation is lacking at how she achieved this. The movie music kicks in and you kind of wish there was a better explanation than just her missing this homeless video clerk.

This could have been a movie I wanted to recommend but just can't. Interesting beginning, good middle, but a let down in the end.



Netflix Summary:

Habitually isolated in her quiet apartment, a vulnerable girl (Marianna Palka) with a penchant for soft-core porn ventures out to a local video store, where she meets a store clerk (Jason Ritter) who vows to break down her emotional walls and win her affections. But as he pursues her in bizarre fashion, it's clear that their budding relationship will be anything but conventional. Lead actress and screenwriter Palka makes her directorial debut.

Wuthering Heights

I like watching British movies and enjoy BBC productions. This update or remake of Wuthering Heights is not what I remembered from the first movie.

For some reason, this novel adaptation does not depict the characters in a good light. Most of the characters are not likable which is weird because I did like the first movie. The acting is good but still doesn't make the movie any better to me.

After watching this movie, I can't say I like it or hate it. But I definitely can't recommend watching it. For some reason, I didn't feel entertained by this version. On top of that it was much longer.

I couldn't find a movie trailer to embed. They all had singing in them that seemed to make the movie more appealing even thought those songs were not part of the movie at all. I think this clip will give you a better idea of the movie's feel.





The netflix viewers gave this movie high ratings, but like I said the previous versions I have seen were better.

Netflix summary:

Emily Brontë's sweeping tale of romance set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors gets the "Masterpiece" treatment in this lush made-for-television adaptation starring Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy. Cathy (Riley) eventually fell in love with Heathcliff (Hardy), the young Gypsy boy her father brought home years ago. But now that they're adults, another man (Tom Payne) is offering her his affections -- and a far more comfortable life.

Surveillance

This was a movie that had potential to be a good movie. It has big actors in it although a bit past their prime. The movie was produced by David Lynch and directed by his daughter Jennifer Lynch.

I think it is a gamble when you watch David Lynch movies. You either hate them or like them. You either get them or you don't. I think the preview looked pretty interesting.

This movie doesn't make the cut. It is cohesive and even coherent, but I think there needs to be a more specific reason why they kill other than they are psychopathic. In the end, I don't really feel satisfied with what I watched nor entertained. Save your popcorn for another movie.






Netflix Summary:

Revealing the stunning truth behind a horrific string of homicides near Santa Fe, a young girl (Ryan Simpkins), police officer (Kent Harper) and drug addict (Pell James) spill their wildly different witness accounts to FBI agents Elizabeth Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Sam Hallaway (Bill Pullman). Jennifer Chambers Lynch (Boxing Helena) directs this thriller that co-stars Michael Ironside, Cheri Oteri and French Stewart.

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.