Made Of Honor

Todd Says:

1 STAR

This is the story about a guy whose best friend asks him to be her Maid of Honor in her wedding, and what do you know, he decides that he actually loves her and would rather be the Groom. Of course, instead of saying so, he goes ahead and accepts the position of Maid of Honor and tries to win her over before the Big Day.

This movie couldn't get any more predictable if you've already seen it, twice. With every new scene my desire to turn it off grew stronger, but I managed to plow through so that I could get this review up and hopefully save some of you from suffering through this one.

The awkward mix of cliched slapstick antics and pathetically predictable endearing moments will leave you either nauseous, or sleeping. Unless you are a thirteen year old girl, or a, well maybe only if you're a thirteen year old girl, I can't see this movie doing much for you. I recommend you find something else to waste 90 minutes of your time on.

Eagle Eye

Todd Says:

3.5 STARS

This one actually surprised me, I really expected to not enjoy it at all. I guess that just proves that Movie Trailers don't always give you the right impression. The movie actually flows better than you might think, and the story is not nearly as unoriginal as one might think.

As usual Shia LaBeouf gives a good performance, as do Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie, Michael Chiklis, and even (surprisingly) Billy Bob Thorton. The movie is extremely fast paced, which is good because it doesn't leave you a lot of time to ponder the far-fetched plot premise.

This is a great choice for anyone who like action movies.

The Reader

Todd Says:

3 STARS

The Reader is an interesting enough movie. The characters are a little hard to connect with, I found their motivations to be hard to relate to. The acting is good, and the cinematography is good. As a matter of fact everything is GOOD, it's just not great.

I know that this one was an award winner, but I'm not sure why. It's definitely worth watching, but don't go getting all excited about it.

Gran Torino

Todd Says:

4 STARS

Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this harsh story about life in ethnic neighborhoods. He plays a racist war veteran who slowly, over the course of the movie, builds a relationship with his Asian neighbors.

The dialogue is harsh at times, and if you are easily offended by racial slurs you may want to avoid this one. (I think every racial slur ever uttered to any ethnicity finds it's way into the script.) The acting is dead-on, capturing a wide range of human emotions, and dragging you into this desperate neighborhood with the characters.

I think that Eastwood is on a roll as a director, the likes of which we haven't seen since Harry Callahan.

Ghost Town

(2008)

Sue says:

5 Stars

I loved this one! Ricky Gervais and Greg Kinnear were hilarious.

Bertram (Gervais) is a guy who doesn't really like anyone and doesn't mind if they know it. When he goes in to the hospital for what should be a simple proceedure and ends up dying for a few minutes he gains the annoying ablility to see and talk to dead people.

It's not an original story, but they've done a great job making it funny this time.

Todd Says:

3.5 STARS

This movie was enjoyable, but I found it to be too unoriginal to really love it. It was full of funny and clever dialogue, but at the same time a lot of the scenes seemed to be a little contrived. If you're just looking for a non-thinking little romantic comedy to pass a couple of hours, or if you've got a date whose not into thinking much, then this would be the perfect movie for the occasion.

Cool Hand Luke

(1967)

Todd Says:

4 STARS

This is one of those movies that will make you wonder what happened to Hollywood, and leave you wondering why nobody makes good movies anymore. Paul Newman shines as a man without direction, trying to survive in a world with too many rules.

It has aged pretty well, though some younger viewers may have a hard time relating to most of the characters, the scenes and situations do a good job at transcending the decades. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has never seen it. And if it's been years since you've seen it, it's worth revisiting.

Revolver

Todd Says:

2 STARS

Being a fan of Guy Ritchie's movies Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, I was expecting this movie to be a lot better than it was. I was greatly disappointed.

First of all, the story was supposed to be suspenseful and mysterious, but quite early on it became painfully obvious what was happening. So obvious that I thought it was too obvious, and for 70% of the movie I was convinced that Ritchie had been clever enough to misdirect me, sadly I was wrong. The plot was just that transparent.

So, mix a weak story with some really bad acting (I'm talking to you Ray Liotta), and you end up with a movie that's really not wasting your time on.

I Could Never Be Your Woman

Todd Says:

2 STARS

I'm not a big fan of the Romantic Comedy genre to begin with, but this one left me feeling a bit more frustrated than usual. Weak story, bad dialogue, and bad over acting leave this silly little tale about a vain woman and her boy toy greatly lacking.

I think that you could find a better movie to invest your time in.

The Way of War

Todd Says:

1/2 STAR

This movie was terrible. Terrible. The Plot, Acting, and Scene Structure are easily among some of the worst I have ever seen. I felt embarrassed for Cuba Gooding Jr for being in this movie. The only thing that kept me watching this movie through to the end was the hope that something would happen to at least make it make a little sense. It didn't.

The story is full of characters that never feel real, doing things that don't make any sense for them to be doing. There were times in this movie where the characters did extremely unusual things with no apparent motivation. The main character's motivation is never clearly developed, and when his apparent enemy reveals that he is sacrificing himself to save the hero at the end of the movie, with no explanation, I have to speculate that the 'villain' was just as tired of being in this movie as I was of watching it.

Even if you can't find anything else to watch, I don't recommend this film. Just turn the TV off and stare at the black screen for 90 minutes. Same effect.

The Day The Earth Stood Still

(2008)

Todd Says:

1.5 STARS

Try as he might, Keanu Reeves can not make this movie worth watching. We're going to categorize this one with the Re-makes that shouldn't have been Re-made.

The special effects team did a good job re-inventing the robot that would destroy our world, the problem is that I wanted our world to be destroyed after watching this movie. As a fan of Sci-Fi films, I was especially disappointed with this movie. Not that I was expecting a masterpiece, I just hoped that it would have been better.

I can't strongly recommend this movie to anyone, I'm sure some people will like it just fine, but most of you are going to feel like you wasted your time.

O Brother Where Are Thou?

Sue Says:

5 Stars

This movie is so much fun to watch. The Coen Brothers give us the tale of the Odyssey in the form of three escaped convicts traveling through the South during the Depression. Ulysses, Pete, and Delmar are on a quest to retrieve a hidden treasure. Along the symbolism lined path they encounter one obstacle after another, beginning with a family betrayal and ending with the Devil himself. George Clooney is his usual clever self and the rest of the cast is perfect as well.

If you've never seen this I recommend you buy (not rent) it today. You won't regret it.

Todd Says:

4.5 STARS

This is definitely a film that I have to classify as a modern classic. This movie is so good that I doubt we even need to review because everyone should have already seen it. But since we're here, I think that this might just be the best that the Coen Brothers have ever done. Unless you don't like your comedies to be witty and clever then you can't go wrong.

This is definitely a laugh out loud comedy. I highly recommend this film.

Primer

(2004)

Todd Says:

4 STARS

I stumbled across this little indie gem totally by accident, but it turned out to be one of the best most thought provoking movies I've seen in a long time. Primer was Written, Directed, and Featured Shane Carruth, who until now was totally unknown to me.

It's about a couple of friends who accidentally build a time machine, and the ethical issues that arise in their lives due to this discovery. It is basically a morality tale, about trust and greed and ambition.

This film is put together wonderfully, the characters seem real enough to be people you may know, and the story is told at a natural feeling pace. I highly recommend this movie.

Southland Tales

(2006)

Todd Says:

2 STARS

It seems to me that director Richard Kelly may have fallen victim to his own cult success. After the following that his first movie Donnie Darko gathered, he may have been under the impression that people just want to be confused and befuddled by a movie. The fact is, however, the only thing that I found confusing about this movie was directors intent.

Kelly attempts to trip you up with a rapid succession of partially fleshed out characters double crossing each other faster than the plot can support, all the way through a weak Sci-Fi laden secret agent plot. Top that with a generous portion of real world political partisanship, and two servings of bad dialogue, and the merits of this movie quickly dissolve into the background.

In contrast with the other reviews you'll find here, I didn't find this movie incomprehensible, only convoluted and strained. In short, this one left me feeling like I'd just read the rough draft of a potentially good story.

Alexis says:

1 Star

I am not sure if I should really be permitted to review this movie when I in fact allowed myself to drift off for a few minutes about halfway through. But this movie has left me so disturbed that I just must comment.

After analyzing the movie myself, discussing it with others whom have seen it and reading other reviews on IMDB I have come to this revelation. This movie is too confusing to enjoy. On top of what I find to be some rather bad acting (who knew Dwayne Johnson could act so well until put in a movie with some of Saturday Night Live's most annoying) this movie is so complicated that I have considered if even the writer himself (as mentioned below, Donnie Darko's Richard Kelly writes and directs) understands it.

When I wasn't totally confused I found myself just watching the clock and hoping that the movie didn't seem so slow, hence the desire to fall asleep. When the film began and there was twenty minutes of explaining this post apocalyptic world I thought I might be in for an interesting movie, but honestly it just seemed to fall apart from there. What some have called 'art' when referring to this movie I find to be more of a good vision gone sour.

One cannot just praise movie for trying to be different, for creating something original. That original idea must be good to deserve praise. And where as having Justin Timberlake lip-syncing The Killers in a drug induced state is possibly original, I can't say it was all that enjoyable. There were aspects of this movie that were original and could have led somewhere but most of it was perplexing and some of it all too reminiscent (isn't that the same eye make-up from a certain 2001 movie?)

Perhaps this movie needed a little more fine tuning before Kelly used his Donnie Darko notoriety to make the film. Maybe there are a lot of people who enjoy only being able to understand 20% of a film, but for me this movie just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Chris says:

2.75 Stars

Ok, I have to start off by saying that I'm not always right. I know that may come as a shock, but yours truly sometimes convinces his wife that they will absolutely love a movie based on some very loose criteria.

Case in point: Southland Tales

As the long-overdue second movie from Richard Kelly (you know, the guy whose first movie was a little flick called Donnie Darko) this movie had a lot of expectations from fans and critics alike. Featuring one of those I-recognize-everyone casts including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Stifler, Buffy, Justin Timberlake, The Highlander, Vizzini from The Princess Bride, Tangina from Poltergeist, Dan from Night Court, and more Saturday Night Live alumni than a Wayne's World movie, the film fails to find any sort of identity as the plot is about as confusing as anything I have ever seen.

Set primarily in the not-so-distant future of southern California in July 2008, Kelly uses the setting of a politically charged society in an election year as the backdrop to weave together this "ensemble" film. What Kelly does do well and carries over from Donnie Darko is his use of certain camera angles, slow-motion, and great music to really create a rather unique audio/visual experience.

I could not even begin to explain any more about this movie without going into a lot of confusing detail, so my endorsement is as follows: If you enjoyed Donnie Darko and were able to get past certain elements that never really made any sense, then you may appreciate and enjoy Southland Tales. At 2 1/2 hours long, it's a lot to digest in the style it's presented in, but I did find myself wanting to watch it again soon to see if things made more sense the second time around. So for now, I'm sticking with the 2.75 stars.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Todd Says:

1 STAR

Several people told me that this movie was going to be better than I expected. They were all wrong. As you probably can imagine, this movie is about two people who decide to make a Porno, to pay the bills. It is also supposed to be a love story, a touching tale of two friends who realize after many years of living together that they are meant to be together. Sigh.

I don't know about you, but I prefer my touching tales of meaningful love to not be riddled with oral, annal, and gay sex gags. Some dialogue that includes at least one sentence without the words ****, ****, *****, or ****, would also be a nice touch.

Basically, I found this movie to be extremely juvenile and just all around tasteless.

The Ice Pirates

(1984)

Todd Says:

2 STARS

Unless you are a fan of campy Sci-Fi spoofs then this movie doesn't have a lot to offer. The story is like an uninspired Mel Brooks rip off. The imagery, well lets just say that it hasn't aged well and leave it at that.

I feel like there are better movies for you to spend your time on, but if bizarre Sci-Fi send ups are your thing then you might want to give Ice Pirates a shot.

Star Trek

(2009)

Todd Says:

4 Stars

So I wasn't expecting much from this movie. I'm kind of getting tired of all of the remake movies, don't you think that it seems like Hollywood has run out of ideas. And I'm not a huge Star Trek fan, and by no means a purest, but I was a little worried when I saw Spock kicking Kirk's butt in the trailer.

This movie definately overcame my low expectations, and by the end of the film I was actually enjoying it. I think that they did a good job of re-inventing a rusty old franchise, and I'm sure that they'll do thier best to run it right back into the ground. But for now, Star Trek was a good solid action Sci-Fi adventure film, and if that's the kind of thing that you're into then I think that you'll enjoy this one.

Traitor

(2008)

Sue says:

4 Stars

I don’t know how I missed this when it was in the theater. I had never heard of it until I saw it in the video store. Don Cheadle was great. There is a good balance of action and intrigue. The only problem I had with it was Jeff Daniels. It’s hard to imagine “Dumber” having an important government job.

Todd Says:

4.5 Stars

This is a great movie. It's smart, relevant, intense, and captivating. Don Cheadle is, as usual, superb, and the story is terribly well-written and thought provoking. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it.

Ironman

Sue Says:

5 Stars

Ironman was great. Robert Downey Jr. was great, the effects were great, Jeff Bridges, great. Gwyneth was okay, I say, they rest of my family says she was hot. It’s a matter of personal preference I guess.

I’m not a comic book fan, so I don’t know the “real” story of how Ironman came to be, but this worked for me. It was exciting and funny and over the top.

In short the whole family loved it. If you like action movies or comic book movies or Robert Downey Jr, movies, go, run like the wind. What are you waiting for?

Todd Says:

4 STARS

I think that Ironman is a very well done movie. As far as action movies, or comic book movies go it's as good as I've seen. However, I can't bring myself to grade on a curve, so I can't give it 5 Stars. I will say though, that I think almost everyone will like this movie.

The cast all does a great job with this well written script, and the direction and the special effects bring it all together. In the end we have a fast paced, witty, action movie which is fun to watch. Go see it.

The Maltese Falcon

Todd Says:

4 STARS

Somehow I've made through life, up to last night, without ever seeing an entire Humphrey Bogart movie. Sure I've seen scenes from Casablanca, but that doesn't really count. Well, now I want to see more.

The Maltese Falcon is the story of a detective hired to find someone, by someone shady. It turns out that our hero Sam Spade, can't trust anyone involved in this caper to obtain the Maltese Falcon, and has to figure everything out on his own. Which he does in a manner that isn't so blatant that you know what is happening or who is lying before you need to. (Pretty much everyone in the movie is lying to him.)

Sam Spade plays it cool, and drags you along through an entertaining refreshingly un-Hollywood story (by today's standards anyway). I highly recommend this movie to anyone who doesn't mind black and white films, and who can get by with zero explosions.

Gone Baby Gone

(2007)









Todd Says:

4.5 STARS

Gone Baby Gone is one of those gritty realistic crime dramas that leaves you feeling unsure at the end. It is brutally honest in it's portrayal of real people doing real-life things. The picture painted isn't a pretty one, but I think that that makes it even more poignant.

I highly recommend this movie. Especially if you like dark crime dramas.


Alexis says:

4.75 STARS, OK what the heck, 5 STARS


So it's been a little while but I have finally seen a movie that is worthy of the little time it takes to write a review. Gone Baby Gone has been on my 'to view' list for sometime now but the cost never came down on the DVD at Target, then earlier this week a friend of mine sent us two weeks of Netflix for free and this was the first movie we watched streamed instantly to our television by way of the XBox 360.

I want to begin by saying that I think Casey Affleck is a very talented actor who doesn't get enough roles. He is good in about anything he does, with this film being no exception, but he was far and away the best thing about The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, if you haven't seen that film, I highly recommend it on Affleck's performance alone.

This film being Ben Affleck's first directing of a full length motion picture (apparently there was some short back in 1993, but I'm not sure if that 16 minute film counts) I was intrigued. I liked Ben Affleck (and his brother and just about everything else) in Good Will Hunting, but I don't think he is that great of an actor, but this film, in which he also co-wrote, seemed to get a lot of good press upon it's release.

And after viewing it, I am not surprised. The film feels so real, the shots of the streets of Boston, the people in the film were rough and truly represented the harsh real lives they'd led. Even Harris and Freeman were, if anything, made to look less attractive, less healthy, less lively, than their normal roles. Affleck, who is a private investigator, is hired by the family of a missing 4 year old child and what unfolds in the next 2 hours is weaved so tightly that I didn't want to leave my seat worried I would miss the next turn. Affleck's character as well as other's in the film, are shown to you in subtleties that keep the viewer on their feet to truly understand the moral dilemma facing each of them.

This movie was surprising in just how much I enjoyed it, how I cheered for the protagonist to do the right thing and yet felt his pain in making a difficult 'right' choice. This film is the best film I have seen in a long time for many reasons but the thing I found most pleasing about it was the honesty in the characters, the setting and the storyline. This is a definite must see.

Wanted

Todd Says:
1 STAR

This is a movie about a group of the world's most elite assassins who recruit this guy, just because his father was one of them, because they need him to kill a rouge member. If you can overcome the unneccissarily unrealistic action scenes and the hollow not-well-thought-out plot, then this is a fine movie. James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman are actually pretty good actors, they just didn't have a lot to work with here.
If you are just looking for some mindless entertainment, then this is the fast-paced shooting bullets in circles, kill-em-all movie for you. Enjoy.

The Invasion

(2008)

Sue says:

.5 Stars

This movie was awful. I don't even know how they were able to persuade Nicole Kidman or Daniel Craig to be in it.

Stalking Santa

(2006)

Sue Says:

5 Stars

This is a great movie. Filmed as a "documentary", the researchers are trying to prove the exsistence of Santa Claus. They search for evidence, follow possible elves and set traps trying to prove their point. Our kids loved it. Some who had been on the fence about Santa were completely won over by the facts presented in this movie.

Quantum of Solace

(2008)

Sue says:

4 stars

Quantum of Solace picks up where Casino Royale left off, with James still stinging from the loss of Vespa . Once again James Bond seems to have traded unrealistic gadgets for unrealistic action sequences. It makes sense, if you keep in mind that we are returning to the beginning of his career. James hasn’t had time yet to become the controlled and suave agent we are used to. If you don’t mind that, this is a great movie.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

(2008)

Sue says:

4 Stars

This is a sad story set in WWII Germany. It is told from the perspective of an 8 year old boy, the son of a German officer, who becomes friends with a Jewish boy who is being held in a consentration camp near his home. Bruno is naive and confused about the camp and what his father's job really is.

Mama Mia!

Todd Says:

0 STARS

Unless you're a big fan of ABBA, bad singing, worse choreography, and stupid plot, then this is not the movie for you.

This movie is obviously the Hollywood version of the Hit Broadway play, but if the play is anything like the movie then it's a mystery to me how it ever became a hit. I don't mind musicals, I don't love them, but I don't mind them. (See Sweeny Todd review) But this movie really didn't have any redeeming points, at least that I could find.

The story is weakly constructed around ABBA songs that are just as bad today as they were 30 years ago, even if Pierce Brosnan is singing them shirtless. Mama Mia is almost as bad as Sex In The City.

Sex In The City

Todd Says:


0 STARS

This may be the worst movie that I have ever seen. If I could, I would like to give it a negative rating. I watched this movie because my wife wanted to, I expected it to be bad (or at least not good), but it was way worse than just bad. This movie insults your intelligence with it's blatant disregard for decency.



All of the main characters in the film are disgustingly self-absorbed egotistical snobs whose only interests seem to be designer clothes (which were hideous) and sex. I know that the movie is called Sex In The City, but I expected a Chick-Flick and it was more like porn. There was more graphic sex scenes in this movie than there was intelligent dialog. I guarantee that they pushed the limits of the R rating on this one.



The Plot, and I'm being generous calling it that, was about as shallow and pointless as any I've seen, and I've seen a lot of bad movies. It's uncommon for me to hate a movie, but this is one of those rare exceptions. I don't see what anyone (other than maybe some 13 year old boys) could find interesting about this movie.

Ghostbusters

(1984)

Alexis says:

3 STARS

Ghostbusters isn't scary (unless you're 10 or younger) but it is a funny movie to be enjoyed this holiday season with the whole family. It is funny, action packed and a little frightening (Weaver's make-up, I had to hide my face).

You should definitely add this to your must see Halloween List.

Todd Says:

3.5 STARS

Ghostbusters is a classic. It's one of those refreshing comedies that comes out every so often that isn't just a variation on a theme. The acting, direction, and writing are all great, the one thing that did not survive the trip from the eighties so well is the special effects, but even they aren't horrible. And at the time they were awesome, I remember I was like 10 or something and those ghosts were pretty scary stuff.

This is a great movie to watch for Halloween if you have kids, it'll be scarier to them than to you, but you can all enjoy it together. I definitely recommend this movie.

Saw II

(2005)

Alexis says:

1 STAR

So remember I said I finally saw Saw after all these years? Well, I liked it so much that we immediately viewed Saw II (picked up after Thanksgiving for $3 last year). And what can I say but ...yuck?

Really I can say a lot more than that. It is so obvious that Saw did so well and made so much money that now they are just going to keep spitting them out until no one goes to see them and people will still probably go and see them because most people like horror movies no matter how bad they suck, the more blood the better. But I thought this movie was everything I dislike about the genre, overly gorey, too much blood and unnecessary violence, lacking plot and bad acting. Where as the first film had an intriguing thought out plot this movie was obviously made with little or no worry for a storyline. The box says "Yes, there will be blood." And there is, a lot of it. Too much to keep me interested in seeing any more Saw movies.

And I don't want to spoil the film for you but I feel that they took a good plot and ruined it with this film. I would recommend that they stop hurting the first film but I am a little too late as they are already up to the fifth installment. I don't recommend this film to anyone. I would, I suppose recommend it to people who like lots of blood and annoying, unintelligent characters that you almost cheer on their imminent demise.

Todd Says (reluctantly):

1 STAR

Saw II is alot like Friday the 13th 2 where they take a good scary story with a believable villain, and do their best to recycle it. The thing is, it works at the box-office. People would still be lining up to see Jason killing campers in interesting and provocative ways if they hadn't run out of ideas and sent him to space and then to hell. The secret to selling tickets to these movies is blood, the more the better. I've actually got this idea for a movie where I'm just going to set up a camera in a slaughter house, edit it for 90 minutes of the best blood spurting-dismemberment I can catch on film, and get someone with a deep creepy voice to narrate a story over it. What do you think?

But really, this movie wasn't very good. I mean lets face it (SPOILER ALERT) how many times have we seen a group of not very smart people trapped in a situation where they slowly get killed off one by one. The only thing about this movie that doesn't totally wreak of lameness is that it keeps to its own invention, and the people are killed by booby-traps and not a masked phsyco. But at least if there was a masked phsyco you might be able to feel sorry for these people, but come on when you stick your hands into a box visibly lined with sharp blades, or crawl into a furnace at the urging of a creepy voice on a tape I can't feel very sorry for you. That is simply Darwin's theory of Natural Selection in action.

So unless you are a die-hard fan of gore for the sake of gore, I DO NOT recommend this movie.

Saw

(2004)

Alexis says:

3.75 STARS

I am not a fan of blood and gore, so most horror movies aren't on my must list. Saw was one of those films for the longest time, a friend even bought me the DVD for Christmas, three years ago, and I wouldn't watch it. Finally, for Halloween here on Cinemaphiles I agreed to view it. And you know what? It wasn't half bad.

Unlike most horror movies I have seen and disliked this film had an interesting story, gripping and terrifying but there was a good crime story with twists and turns. There was some blood and gore but it wasn't over the top, it was just enough to scare you to pieces.

I am not sure that I will ever be able to say that I loved a horror movie, it's just not in me I suppose, but this film broke the barrier to one I could say I really liked. I am sure I am the last person to see this film, what with the fifth one coming out this month, but I would definitely recommend it if you haven't seen it.

Todd Says:

2 STARS

Saw, I assume, was supposed to be something new. It was however much of the same, just repackaged for a new generation, as is evidenced by the upcoming release of SAW V just before Halloween. It fits right in there with the Classic Horror Franchises of the 1980's like Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween. With those three titles we got almost 30 movies, some of which were no doubt delivered to us on Halloween Day.

Now I'm not saying that Saw was all that bad of a movie, it just wasn't all that great. The acting, especially by the known actors (Cary Elwes, Danny Glover) was mediocre, bordering on bad. The story was interesting, but not as original as the masses like to think. I don't know if the darkened scenes contributed, but I felt like I was watching a low budget version of Se7en sometimes.

But, for a horror movie it wasn't half bad. If I just had to rate this movie against fiends from it's home genre I could probably bring myself to give it 4 STARS, I can't, however, do that in good conscience, it wouldn't be fair to films like Se7en. So, if you like gore this would be a good movie, and I recommend watching with all the lights in the house turned off.

Donnie Darko

(2001)

Alexis says:

4.5 STARS

I am not sure how this film made it into out Halloween stack or if it really belongs, but I'm sure it has something to do with how much I really enjoy this film.

The first time I was a little skeptical because of the description of a demonic bunny rabbit named Frank but the story is actually quite interesting and well thought out, there aren't lots of wholes and the film makes you think.

I really wish everyone would see this movie, I think it is that good and interesting.

Todd Says:

3.75 STARS

This is one of those movies that kind of surprises you with how interesting it actually gets. The story gets a little convoluted, with the whole time travelling-demonic bunny-seeing the future thing going on, but it is still an enjoyable film. A little on the dark and depressing side, but the title should have prepared you for that already.

The characters are great and surprisingly well developed, and the actors do a good job with their parts. The director does such a good job that it is hard to distinguish what is and is not reality anymore, and the story lends itself to a few possible interpretations, which we wont go into here because of spoilers.

All in all, this is a movie that is worth your time. You're guaranteed to be thinking about it the next day.

Fallen

(1998)

Alexis says:

4 STARS

If you can watch Fallen without being even slightly creeped out, good for you, because I cannot. Fallen is so powerfully convincing and clever that I have a hard time sleeping after each viewing, so why do I keep watching it? Because it's just that good.

Fallen is the tale of a homicide detective, John Hobbes, who is being pursued by what seems like an immortal villain. It is bonechillingly good. I don't want to spoil the film, but I will say that it is best the first time but very good with subsequent viewings.

Everything about Fallen is great. The twists and turns, the acting, the story, the scenes. Do yourself a favor and watch this one.

Todd Says:

4.5 STARS

Fallen is one of the greatest suspense movies ever made. The story is excellent, gripping and unsettling at the same time. The cast is superb, Washington and Goodman are totally believable. And the direction is dead on (no pun intended).

I highly recommend Fallen to anyone who hasn't seen it before.

Hocus Pocus

(1993)

Sue says:

3.75 Stars

This is a great movie. Especially this time of year. It's not cinematic genius, it's just a fun spooky Halloween movie. It's fairly predictable, but it's also pretty funny.

The witches are a hoot, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, they are so "witchy". They cackle wickedly, make potions, and cast spells. They also fly around on vacuum cleaners.

Years ago these witches were put to death, for being witches, but before their demise a spell was cast. Now they have been brought back to life, but only for one night, Halloween. Of course that's not enough, they want to stay alive. Forever. Naturally a sacrifice is needed, teenagers are involved, and hijinxs ensue.

Hocus Pocus is a Disney movie, so it's not too frightening, but I wouldn't let anyone younger than 5 watch, unless you know they don't scare easily.

Flatliners

(1990)


Todd Says:

3.5 STARS

Flatliners is ER meets The Sixth Sense. It is a really good supernatural thriller, and a mediocre medical drama. But I know that the medical drama is only a peripheral part of the story so I think that we can let that slide.

Flatliners is about a group of medical school students who decide to kill themselves in a controlled environment and then trust their friends to bring them back to life, all in hopes of discovering what the afterlife is all about. Well, they do and they do. The movie is dark an somewhat unsettling, and the bad guys aren't what you'd expect.







This is a great movie for a Halloween movie marathon, it even has a wild 80's Halloween party as the backdrop for the most dramatic scene of all.





Alexis says:

3.5 STARS

Flatliners is a gripping story of five medical students who are interested in flatlining to see what is out there after life as an experiment. The stories are well written and interweaved with the exception of Baldwin's camera crazed sex addict.

The movie is dark, the scenes are dark and so are the characters and their stories. The plot is creepy and makes you wonder what is out there, or at least made me wonder. The acting is all a little sub par but the film overall is surprisingly good despite the less than phenomenal performances.

Time and time again this film spooks me out, I would recommend it for you Halloween Movie Marathon, you are having one of those right?

Bram Stoker's Dracula

(1992)



Todd Says:


3.75 STARS

Following Bram Stoker's original Dracula story, this movie is different then most vampire movies. Dracula is portrayed as a conflicted and suffering soul, very powerful and almost fragile at the same time. At it's essence, the story is really a love story, both sensual and horrible, where Dracula vies for the affection of his soul mate.

I found a few scenes to be a bit over the top, more gore than was really fitting, but all in all the movie is put together really well. Oldman is spectacular as the villain, sometimes frightening and other time pitiable. Everyone else does well too, except for a few of Anthony Hopkins' scenes that seem unnecessarily frantic.

All in all though this is an excellent choice for Halloween night or any other.

Alexis says:



3 STARS

Let me begin with the good. The acting is for the most part pretty good, especially Oldman as Dracula. Both his costumes and his performance were chilling, just the right feel for Dracula to have. The costumes, with the exception of Reeves' dyed hair, were very well done for a time peice.

I have never read Bram Stoker's Dracula but I wonder if all of the unneccessary blood in the film was in the books. There were several scenes where rooms just exploded into blood baths, I am not sure the point of it, but it distracted from the film.

All in all, the film wasn't bad and Dracula is a great choice for Halloween.

The Mummy Returns

(2001)

Todd Says:

2.75 STARS

This is the model lack-luster sequel. The movie is good, well, it's alright anyway, but it draws it's life solely from the themes and success of it's predecessor. I guess what I am saying is originality is not it's strong point, but then again that seems to be a major theme in Hollywood these days.

Like the first Mummy movie, the action is non-stop and the characters are fun (or evil if that's their thing), but the stunts are a little more unbelievable, and the Rock is quite frankly ridiculous as the Scorpion King.

What it comes down to for me is momentum. Being a follow-up movie to a pretty good movie I expected better. Perhaps if this was a stand alone film I'd have thought more of it, but we may never know.

Alexis says:

2 STARS

This film is far inferior to its predecessor, The Mummy. I can only imagine that the first film did so well that the green light was given to The Mummy Returns without little concern over whether the film was going to be any good. The best thing I can really say about this film is that all of the actors from the first film are back to reprise their roles which I always think is important for sequels.

This film isn't all bad it just isn't all that good either. The movie wasn't all that creative and at times I just rolled my eyes and checked the time, never a good sign for a movie. Everything good had already been presented in the first film. The Mummy was good and it's sequel deserved better.

The Mummy

(1999)

Todd Says:

4 STARS

More of an Indiana Jones Style action adventure than a true horror movie, The Mummy still delivers it's share of scares and gore. I think that the cast and and story are both great in this film, and the scenery, wow. Egypt is a beautiful place.

The action is nearly non-stop, and the dialogue is quick and witty, creating a fast paced thrill ride that will keep your attention focused. This movie is fun to watch, and although I wouldn't really call it Historical, it may help to spark some interest in your kids about the ancient past.

I highly recommend that you and your family watch The Mummy as one of your Halloween Monster Movie Treats this year.

Alexis says:

4 STARS

If you've ever watched a Brendan Fraser movie and asked yourself, why is he in movie if he isn't any good, then you probably have never seen the Mummy, possibly Fraser's best performance to date.

The story is well written, tangling mythology, acheology and suspense into a wonderful action film. Some of the acting is a little sub par (perhaps another reason why Fraser shines) but Fraser and Weisz' performances carry the film well enough that the overall film isn't effected. The action sequences and special effects are done well for this genre of film and are quite entertaining.

The Mummy isn't really scary, not for adults, but it could make the kid in you or at least those watching along with you, jump at times. It is a funny, entertaining film that should be on your list of films to watch with the family.

An American Werewolf In London

(1981)

Todd Says:

3.75 STARS

I thought that, aside from the super-spectacular transformation special effects, An American Werewolf In London aged rather nicely. Like an immortal creature of the night you might say. The story is all about the struggle of a young man bitten by a werewolf trying to come to grips with his new reality. John Landis, who wrote and directed, blends witty dialogue, suspense, and gore very well, and the outcome is an enjoyable film about bodily dismemberment.

The suspense scenes are still chilling, and most of the gore is still convincing. If you are willing to overlook the few aspects of this movie that didn't age well, then I think that you are in for a bone-chillingly good time.

Alexis says:

3.75 STARS

This is a rather well done film, especially for the time (1981) and possibly the best writing John Landis ever did (with the exception of Clue a few years later). The actors were unknown, yet do a very good job, especially Griffin Dunne who plays Jack, the friend who reaches an early demise, went on to have a nice career in acting.

For a 27 year old film the special effects are better than I thought they would be. A special DVD feature shows some of the moldings being made for the werewolf transformation. Though touching on cheesy on occasion, the film is still frightening and entertaining despite it's age.

Little Shop Of Horrors

(1986)



Alexis says:

4 STARS


This is the best science-fiction, horror movie about an alien plant that feeds only off of human blood, especially that of demented dentists while singing tunes sung by Levi Stubbs from the Four Tops that I have ever seen.





But seriously, this film has made me laugh and smile since I was a kid. The story is cute, yet dark and original and the characters both detestable and sweet. But what makes and has always made this film is the music. The songs are well written and performed and make this musical one of the best I've ever seen.











Todd Says:



4 STARS




It's like I always say: "If you can't mix your Comedy with your Horror with you Musicals with your Herbological Themes then what's the point?" But seriously folks, Little Shop Of Horrors is a genius of a comedy. Dark, emotional, sensual, educational, mystical, oral hygienical, cosmic, and even uplifting at times.



As a real testament to the bizarreness of this movie, I think that as a comedy without the musical aspect this movie would have been terrible. The songs are great. Really. This was a Broadway musical after all. But, the movie is funny. Really. The cast does a great job with both the singing and the acting.




As far as re-makes of Broadway plays that were inspired by older low-budget movies go, I think that this is a film for the whole family. So when you get done trick-or-treating, gather up the youngsters with their fresh sugar-buzzes, and crowd around the television for this Horrific Gem.

Defending Your Life

(1991)

Alexis says:

2.5 STARS

Albert Brooks wrote, directed and starred in this romantic comedy about the afterlife where you have to defend your life while eating all you want to. It was a cute and clever comedy, I can't really say anything all that negative about it except that I just wasn't really impressed. The film was creative and clever in the made to make you feel at home afterlife but the story was a little to predictable and formulaic for my taste.

This film is cute enough to sit through, just don't go in with too high of expectations. If you want a funny take on the afterlife with a little bit of a love story mixed in, this film isn't all that bad.

Todd Says:

2 STARS

I found this movie to be a bit on the dull side. It was, I think, supposed to be a 'feel-good' movie, but the only thing to feel good about is that you can eat as much as you want after you die. Who knew that the afterlife would be one big all-you-can-eat buffet?

Anyway, the main character is on trail in the afterlife for living with too much fear. Disappointingly, those in charge don't seem to care that the guys life was shallow and dedicated to making money. I also found it a bit of a stretch the way the guy reaches his personal salvation.

Basically, this movie is interesting only in that it is a new spin on afterlife mythology, but as far as presentation goes it was a little blah. You may or may not like this film, but the chances are just as good that you may be offended by the whole premise.

Rocky

(1976)

Alexis says:

3.5 STARS

This film came from Target packaged with Raging Bull. Rocky, in my opinion is a far better boxing/sports film even if it isn't based on a real boxers life story.

Rocky is an inspiring tale of an underdog getting a chance at the big time. I usually loathe Stallone movies but Rocky is so good in both it's writing (Stallone) and the acting that I really have to give this film credit for really exceeding my expectations.

One thing I really enjoyed about this film was the love story that evolves between Rocky and Adrian (Talia Shire). The film felt very real and the love story was no exception to this.

In all, Rocky is a good sports film that has really held up over the years.

Todd Says:

3.5 STARS

Rocky is a classic for a reason. It is an intense story about a guy who is basically a loser, but gets a chance to prove that he has heart. It's also a nice story about two misfits that find each other.

I would recommend Rocky to anyone, wether you are looking for a good action, drama, or even a feel good movie. Rocky covers all the bases.

Rushmore

(1998)







Alexis says:





3.5 STARS

Rushmore is a charming tale written and directed by Wes Anderson who can be either hit or miss in my opinion. I found Rushmore to be on the hit side.

Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is a 10th grader at Rushmore, an elite academy where he is the founder of most things and the head of everything else in the extracurricular department, where he falls in love with a teacher and life slowly begins to crumble under him in a funny, touching manner. Schwartcman is maybe the best I have ever seen him, he doesn't get on my nerves like he usually does and he pulls off the 10th grade genius wonderfully.

Rushmore is a good comedy, but it is also slightly dramatic, when Cat Stevens 'The Wind' started I thought I might even shed a tear. It is definitely worth your time.

Todd Says:

3.5 STARS

Rushmore is one of those off-beat quirky little comedies that isn't going to be for everybody's tastes. Sometimes the jokes are almost to subtle to catch, but when they do they work well.
I enjoyed watching as the 10th grade mastermind's entire world unravels as he fights for the love of an older woman. The comedy of this film is based on people's ability to be completely oblivious when it suits them. Which, unfortunately, is a fairly accurate representation of modern society.

Anyway, Rushmore is worth watching. You should find plenty about this movie funny.

Harlem Nights

(1989)

Todd Says:

3.5 STARS

A gangster spoof that doesn't forget that a spoof is still a movie and therefore requires a plot. Eddie Murphy writes and directs this movie about a nightclub owner in Harlem who is being muscled out by the big Italian Mob. Equal parts comedy/action/crime drama, Harlem Nights is one of those over the top kind of movies that works.

The story and acting are great, which in itself sets this apart from most comedies. Eddie Murphy, as Eddie Murphy basically with his signature laugh/snort, stars as the nightclub owners son and psuedo-thug Quick. Honestly, this was just an alright performance by Murphy and by far the worst in the film. If Eddie had done half as good acting as he did writing and directing, this would have been a much better movie.

All in all though, this is a good fun comedy that is worth seeing.

Alexis says:

3 STARS

Harlem Nights was way funnier than I thought it was going to be, but then again Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor are about the funnies comedians of their time. Murphy does a great job writing and directing and his acting is about where it always is but he is still a funny guy. (are we really supposed to believe that Harlem Nights was made because Murphy wanted to star in a period piece or is that just another one of his jokes?).

The film is all around funny and well written, they don't jeopardize the film by failing to come up with a good, sturdy plot. Other than the f- word being thrown around a bit much this is one hilarious film. But then I would probably rather see a film making fun of gangsters than see another film about gangsters.

Raging Bull

(1980)

Todd Says:







1 STARS







Raging Bull may just be one of those movies that you either love or hate, without much possibility of middle ground. I'm not one of those diehard Scorsese fans who love everything he does. On the contrary, I think that his movies are overly similiar in both style and context. Raging Bull proved to be no exception for me.







This movie being very early on in both De Niro's and Pesci's careers, I still see the same old tough-guy gangster performance from both of them in almost every scene. The story is about an emotionally unstable boxer whose life slowly unravels due to his temper and paranoia. I found it hard to feel any real sympathy for the guy, as Scorsese doesn't really round him out very well.







If you like sports movies, this really isn't one. The fights are so abridged to make room for the out of the ring violence that you never really find yourself caring about the boxer's career. If you are a true Scorsese or De Niro fan than this is probably worth a watch for you, but mostly, I'm just tired of the same old same old from these guys.


Alexis says:

1 STAR

Often movies come out that are 'based' on real events or real people and sometimes even based on personal memoirs, such as Raging Bull, which was based on boxer Jake LaMotto's book. However, the screen play was rewritten and rewritten and eventually (and supposedly) the final draft was written by De Niro and Scorsese. So when I say that I don't like this film I believe I am being more critical of the director and the direction he took this story in than I am being critical of LaMotta's life.

I didn't care for the jagged filming with short fight scenes, this is a movie about a boxer right? I am not surprised that this movie got mixed reviews, but am surprised at it's now cult-like status. De Niro and Pesci aren't bad, but they aren't great either. It's impressive that De Niro got in such great shape to play the younger LaMotta and then gained sixty pounds to play the older LaMotto, but that isn't enough to make this a 5 star performance in my opinion.

I just wanted it to be over, I kept hoping for a point and checking the time. I couldn't feel sorry for LaMotta and his bad choices and selfish behavior and I didn't really care for the scene sequencing or the lack of fighting in a supposed boxing movie. I am still having a hard time seeing what all the fuss is about and wondering if I just don't get Scorsese.

The Illusionist

(2006)

Todd Says:

3.75 STARS

This, unfortunately, is one of those movies that you can't watch too often. It is a true mystery, and once you've seen it the first time you find yourself picking up the clues too easily on the second viewing. However, the first time you watch it the mystery falls together seemlessly, and even on a second viewing I could not find any major holes in the story.

Ed Norton and Paul Giamatti and great as usual, but even Jessica Biel does a good job in this one. The Illusionist is a movie about a magician, but it is also a movie about perception of reality. A love story and a mystery and a thriller all cleverly rolled together.

I enjoyed this movie very much, and I think that you should too.

Alexis says:

3.5 STARS

This film came out about the same time as The Prestige, which we saw first. Seeing this one second after thoroughly unenjoying The Prestige, I really enjoyed it. The story came together well and I rather enjoyed the somewhat surprise that came after all was revealed. All of the acting was rather good, I am becoming a Giamati fan with every movie he makes.

This is a good film worth your viewing. However, I must add that the film did lose a bit of it's luster after the first viewing.