Reviews Update

As you have noticed my avid readers I have been writing reviews of movies as I go along since #428. Well I have decided to begin watching some of the movies that I enjoyed over again. So from #1-#427 every time I watch one of these again I will write a review of that film and post what number film it is and tell you when I saw it.

#573 - Borat

Borat is a mockumentary by Sasha Baron Cohen as a man from Kazakhstan who is working on a documentary about America for his country. The main problem I had with this film was that after it came out in theaters every single person on Earth was mimicking Cohen's character. That being the case all of the humor that could have been involved in this film was completely and totally destroyed. The plot slightly works and the acting by Cohen, an English comic, works perfectly in an accent completely different from his own. I give the film 3/5 stars.

#572 - Soylent Green

Soylent Green is a classic sci-fi film from 1973. the film stars Charlton Heston and takes place in the year 2022 where the new and now needed food commodity. The film has an interesting plot and I think the major twist would have been more surprising if the line would not have been massively popular. The acting is quite good but certain things involved in the plot would have been described a little bit more. The story is in nice detail and everything else works it is just more detail. It needed more intrigue and less about the love story. I give the film 3/5 stars.

#571 - Cyrus

Cyrus is an independent film starring John C Reilly, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei. The film is quite interesting and the way it was put together was excellent. So to put the plot into a nice small bubble the film is a romantic comedy but with an Oedipus complex involved in one of the major characters. The film does not go straight forward and tell you that the character has the complex but from the actions of the character it comes out. Now as I said before the film was shot in a very interesting manner that makes the film even better. What i mean is thqt according to the film's director the entire film was made into a mini-treatment by the screenwriter and then each of the actor's was given free reign over the words that came out of their mouths as long as the plot went how it was supposed to. This works perfectly for the actors and it makes everything that happens a little more believable. Overall the film is good, I wasn't thrilled with the complex added in but I give the film 4/5 stars.

#570 - Zelig

Zelig is a mockumentary by Woody Allen about a man who is a human chameleon during the 1920s and the 1930s. The film is decent but it is not at all funny and there is a very high level of need for your suspension of disbelief. The film is really short as well and all of the sudden miraculously he is cured of this ailment of sorts. Everything else is just not in it to be a fully amazing mockumentary like This is Spinal Tap. I give the film 2.5/5 stars.

#569 - Back to School

Back to School is a 80s comedy starring Rodney Dangerfield as a business man whose son is having trouble in school so he goes back to support him. The film is funny and Dangerfield adds in his own touch of comedy in his lines. The plot moves at a nice even pace and it does do a nice job of making you think that this could take place at any point in the standard college year. There is not much else to say about the film. I give the film 4 out of 5 Lindys.

#568 - Reservior Dogs

Reservior Dogs was the first film, ever made by director Quentin Tarantino about a failed heist and the aftermath in minds of those who meet up right afterwards. The film stars Tim Roth, Harvey Kietel, Michael Madsen, and Steve Buscemi as some of the thieves. The film is interesting and good but not a 100% amazing work. What is nice is that the film uses pretty much only one setting for the majority of the action the rest is only in flashbacks. The acting is also quite good. I believe this was actually Tim Roth's breakout role and I have to say that this works perfectly as a start off point for his career and as usual Buscemi and Kietel are both incredible as Misters Pink and White. Overall the film is good but it could use some improvement on other points that I con't think of them. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#567 - The Doors

The Doors is a biopic by Oliver Stone about Jim Morrison the lead singer of the band of the same name. The film stars Val Kilmer as Morrison and Meg Ryan as Morrison's late wife. The film is OK but it could use some serious improvement. The acting is OK but it seems forced by some of the supporting actors of the cast. The plot seems rushed and the film could have used some more expansion and perhaps have made the film a little longer. The one thing that I would have done different is focus more on the band that made Morrison famous instead of focusing on his home life. I give the film 3/5 stars.

TV Suggestions

I know that you all know that this blog is dedicated mostly to movies but it is always good to change things up a little so with Comic Con tomorrow and the networks promoting the next TV season I am going to give the list of suggestions of what to watch next season or during the summer. So here goes:

1. Fox's Animation Domination:
Seth MacFarlane's three shows all have their ups and downs but 85 % of the time they are quite funny and MacFarlane has begun to change up his standard methods which have worked to lessen the humor but work more on some dram. The Simpsons on the other hand is the longest running animated show in history and it should be watched.

2. Chuck:
The show that is the king of action comedies right now with even bigger guest stars coming forth then last season. First off Drago from Rocky IV and Olivia Munn are both going to show up in the premiere for the new season this is a must watch for all members of nerdom.

3. House M.D.:
The six season veteran on FOX has become one of the biggest dramas out there now that ABC's LOST is off the air. Hugh Laurie is one of the best actors out there and all of the supporting cast is just as good. This season promises to be good especially with the addition of a romance for the cranky doc.

4. How I Met Your Mother:
Even though the CBS comedy is continuing to slip down the drain slowly the series is reaching its full and complete climax of the story that the show has been building up to culmination of the series and hopefuly it will be reaching that climax soon.

5. Lie to Me:
The Tim Roth drama on FOX has all the makings of a great series. To the great plotlines and the intriguing plotlines this is a show that all must watch.

6. Psych:
USA's senior show being a comedy crime procedural is building up to an amazing ending coming this season especially when star James Roday says that the season finale will close the book of the Yin-Yang Killer saga with an epic bang.

7. NBC's Comedy Done Right Thursday:
NBC's four main comedies, The Office, 30 Rock, Community, & Parks and Recreation all have their plus sides and the freshman comedy Community does not disappoint. The two long running series work amazing after all those. For the other one you might as well stick around for. Did I mention this was Steve Carell's last season as well.

8. C.S.I: Crime Scene Investigation:
The long running and original CSI series is in its tenth season and with not only Laurence Fishbourne in the cast and most likely a new serial killer in the mix this season is sure to spice things up. Plus how you say no to this face:
9. Smallville:
In my opinion The CW's only respectable show is entering its last season and rumor has it that this season's major villain is going to be someone APOCALYPTIC. Also with major guest appearnaces before the 200th episode it is going to be major.

10. Saturday Night Live:
The greatest sketch comedy show in history in season 36. Need I say more.

11. Burn Notice:
The USA espionage show with the amazing Bruce Campbell is a blast (hehe). The plot this season and the addition of Coby Bell as a spy Michael Weston burned makes the interactions between actors priceless.

12. Leverage:
TNT's modern day robin hoods make for an interesting story and you learn a thing or two about being a thief what could be better.

13. Mad Men:
AMC's Emmy winning drama with John Hamm is one of the best series out there and season four premiering Sunday at 10 pm has a lot of new things in store. That's including a new advertising firm, a single Don, and more new things in store.

14. The Venture Brothers:
The Adult Swim animated comedy is one of the best comedies out there and the second half of its fourth season should be amazing and after last season's epic season finale I can't wait to see what is in store for us this time.

#566 - Cocktail

Cocktail is a romantic comedy from 1988 starring Tom Cruise and Elisabeth Shue. The film focuses on an army vet who comes home and during his college studies finds his calling as a bartender and meets a girl when he moves to Jamaica. The film has its funny moments but it lacks certain points of the story that would have been essential to fully understand the plot. When it comes down to a romance portion it works well and it seems at points that Shue and Cruise have a perfect chemistry. As to be expected with a romantic comedy the acting is not incredible by any party. I give the film 3/5 stars.

#565 - Inception

Inception is the latest masterpiece by director Christopher Nolan. It seems that in order to understand the film's plot you need a doctorate from Harvard and an IQ in the 98th percentile. For some odd reason that's the thing that I love about it. Every aspect of the film is deeply intense and it is the type of film that you need to pay attention to every single detail of the plot and the actions of the film in order to know what is actually going on. The acting is superb by everyone. The main thing that most all reviewers will be saying is that the ending is the most essential part of this film and I agree the ending makes this film so intriguing that the entire drive home from the theater. I will not give away any of the details to the plot but all i suggest is that you pay attention don't talk and keep side blinders on your self and keep focus on the screen. I give the film 4.5/5 stars.

#564 - The Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen is a war film from 1967 dealing with the days leading up to D-Day. The film is directed by Robert Aldrich who also directed The Longest Yard from 1974. The movie stars Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, and Donald Sutherland as many of the different soldiers appearing throughout the film. The story works well and the acting by all of the cast. The main thing is and I only blame the way it was typical for this to be acted was that when the members of the Dirty Dozen end up dying the some of the deatsh seem to overplayed by some of the actors. Otherwise this film is good and I give the film 4/5 stars.

#563 - 2012

2012 is one of the most epic disaster movies to date being that the film as the title implies deals with the Mayan prediction that the world will end in 2012. Now with a film of this nature there are certain things that are necessary for it to work and the film does all but one. They are that (1) good special effects, (2) emotional death scenes, (3) good acting. Now for point 1 the special effects are incredible. Every point in the disaster is marked by an effect that looks and even is made to feel completely believable. With point 2 there are scenes with emotion and death specifically when the massive tidal wave hits India and Washington Dc, I was almost in tears. Finally with point 3 the acting at points is good by specific actors but otherwise very poor. Specifically Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet, and Chiwetel Ejiofor have some of the best moments to use their acting chops and perform perfectly. Overall the film is good but lacks acting depth. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#562 - The Color of Money

The Color of Money is the sequel to movie number 534, The Hustler. Unlike the first film though this film has Eddie as more of a respectable man who decides to try and train a new kid to be a great pool shark. Now Paul Newman returned for this movie as Eddie but we have the addition of Tom Cruise as the mentored pool player which works as a good dynamic. As with my main compliant with The Hustler the whole film focuses on pool and to me pool is not that exciting of a game. The acting is great as always with Newman but it would have been nice if the film had a different focus. The one thing that surprised me though was that about halfway through the film Forest Whitaker shows up and as usual swept me off my feet with his style and classiness. It was nice to see him even for such a small part. Otherwise I give the film 3/5 stars because it was pool.

#561 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy is a remake of the classic British television miniseries and stars Zooey Deschanel, Mos Def, and Sam Rockwell. The film's plot like the miniseries is about an Earth-man who gets a trip across the galaxy after the Earth is destroyed. The film is meant to be a comedy and a science-fiction film but it only comes across as a sci-fi film and the comedy aspect doesn't exactly go along well. The plot goes along well but certain points seem to jump ahead and I know it was part of the traveling system of the ship but it just seemed entirely rushed. The rest of the plot and such work well though. Being that my system can't give a 42 I have to give the film 3/5 stars.

#560 - Despicable Me

Despicable Me is a comedy from a subsidiary company of Unviersal Studios. The film stars Steve Carell, Jason Segel, and Russell Brand and focuses on Carell as Gru a high ranking super villain intent on stealing the moon. Unfortunately for the film's comedy aspect a large majority of the films humor seems to have been given away in the trailers and commercials for the film. This totals to about 60% of the humor and the other 40% does do a good job but it is not what sells the film. The film is not fully a comedy but it is also a change of heart story with Gru. As the film progresses it does a good of keeping parts of it from us. I did enjoy the film though but the promotions campaign should have been lighter. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#559 - Mission: Impossible

Mission: Impossible is a film from 1996 that stars Tom Cruise and is a film adaptation of the classic television series starring the late Peter Graves. The film is an all out action film that has a small portion of the film dedicated to the thriller aspect that this sort of film should have. The problem is that the film tries to show us everything that we need to know but we are able to piece together the major twist at the very beginning of the film. The acting is decent but the all out action film needs a boost of a better and less obvious story. I give the film 3/5 stars.

#558 - The Patriot

The Patriot is a epic war film about the Revolutionary War starring Mel Gibson. The film is not historically accurate according to my sources on Wikipedia. The film has a solid plot though and works in well the very important characters that are required in a film about the freedom and creation of the United States. I am an American citizen and before reading that it was not fully accurate I was in complete belief everything was true. The acting is phenomenal and that is not just because all of the actors are great actors in their own right. Also I am well aware of Gibson's recent troubles but this film (made in 2000) is great but it needed some improvement though, perhaos more of historical accuracy. I give the film 4.5 stars.

#557 - Seven Samurai

Seven Samurai is a Japanese epic from the mind of Akira Kurosawa and takes place during the period of the Warring States of Japan. The film centers around a small mountain village who has a problem with bandits. They decide to hire a small band of samurai in order to fight back the bandits and keep their village intact. The film has a very good plot and it is easily made into a simple war film. The film does seem to drag on a bit but it all works out in the end and it allows us to learn more about the characters. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#556 - Street Kings

Street Kings is a thriller from 2008 starring Keanu Reeves as a cop who ends up being framed for murder. The film also stars Hugh Laurie and Forest Whitaker as Reeves superiors from internal affairs and the cops on the street respectively. The plot is well formed and the acting by everyone but Reeves is amazing. The problem is that Reeves has no facial expressions at all to convey any emotions. Being that Reeves is the main protagonist it ruined the movie for me I could not at all care about the character cause I could not understand what he was feeling. Everything else in the film is amazing though if they had cast someone else as the main character it would have been awesome. I have to give the film 3/5 stars for this.

#555 - Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny

Jack Black and Kyle Gass, the members of the band Tenacious D came out with a movie in 2006 called The Pick of Destiny. The film is basically a dramatization of the creation of their band and is meant to be a complete comedy. The movie is very funny and there are some nice cameos by famous rockers. First we have Meatloaf and the late Dio of Black Sabbath and then various other actors like Tim Robbins appear as well. The music by Black and Gass is amazing and I like that the music synced up perfectly to the action. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#554 - The Wedding Singer

The Wedding Singer is a classic Adam Sandler romantic comedy with him as the title role of the wedding singer. Now normally I don't say this about a romantic comedy but this film is heartwarming and the music is awesome. I have to admit I had the song Sandler writes for Barrymore stuck in my head for a bit and even was looking up it on a youtube video. The acting is good and the film is overall funny at points. I have to admit it is actually more sincere then funny though. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#553 - SLC Punk

SLC Punk is a film from 1998 which deals with the era of punk-rock and two dedicated punks from Salt Lake City. The plot is very poorly done. We are never told how old our main character is at the start then all of the sudden he becomes eighteen and then we are never given any sense of time during the film. Plus the acting is not great either the only thing that makes this film any good is that it utilizes one of my favorite film techniques the breaking of the fourth wall. I give the film 3/5 stars.

#552 - The Taking of Pelham 123

The Taking of Pelham 123 is a remake of a film from the 70s and the remake stars Denzel Washington and John Travolta in the leading roles. The film is pretty good but it isn't the greatest film I had ever seen. The acting is pretty good but for an action thriller the film is acting is superb. The action of the film is decent but the thriller portion was pretty huge throughout. There isn't much else to say about the film and everything I have said is neutral between both good and bad. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#551 - The Last Airbender

The Last Airbender is a film by M. Night Shyamalan based off the Nickelodeon series of the same name. I had watched the series before and the film slightly does the series justice. Shyamalan does the entire first season of the series and he omits some things in the script that down the road might bite him in the ass. For instance there is no mention of King Bumi of Omashu, The Warriors of Kyoshi, or Joeng Joeng (Aang's first firebending teacher) who all have importnat parts near the end of the series. My one other complaint about the film is that the dialogue and script seem very poorly written. There is way too much exposition in the show and we should have had more showing then telling. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#550 - What's Eating Gilbert Grapes

Film #550 or What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a film that I had previous seen portions of in a class in high school and I decided to finally see the entire film. The film stars Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio as Gilbert and his younger brother respectively. The acting in the film is great by both actors and this film just show Depp's ability to act in a role. The plot is brilliant as well and each of the subplots work but could have been built into a little more. For instance the Crispin Glover and John C Reilly roles could been brought out more and the plot involving Burger Barn should have been more and why exactly was Reilly so happy with that. The film was a little depressing though which ruined it for me. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#549 - The Times of Harvey Milk

The Times of Harvey Milk is an Oscar winning documentary about the career of the first gay councilman in San Francisco. The film was actually the basis for the Oscar nominated film Milk (which is #53 on the list). The documentary was interesting and if I hadn't seen the film based off this film I would have been a little more intrigued. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#548 - Men of Honor

Men of Honor is a drama starring Cuba Gooding Jr and Robert DeNiro involving the first black diver. The film is quite a interesting look at the historic incident and also the plot moves forward nicely. The acting is incredible by both actors and all of the supporting actors. The film has a very satisfying conclusion and it was nice to see that the film was based on a true story. Otherwise there was not much else either wrong with it except that only parts of the film seemed rushed. I would have explained how at that point DeNiro was in custody through more then just a small mention of it. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#547 - Dune

Dune is a sci-fi film from the 1980s involving a futuristic society that lives off a specific orange spice. The film is pretty good and unlike most sci-fi films from the 80s the dialogue is actually believable. The film's special effects are good and the acting is also quite great. There are some missing points in the plot and history that it would have been nice to know. For instance why was Paul able to use the 'witch' powers of his mother all of the sudden and where did is sister come from? Was she in his mother's womb the whole time? Maybe we should have had a little more exposition in the film. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#546 - Drunken Master

Drunken Master is one of the quintessential Jackie Chan kung fu movies that had at least one sequel to it. Unlike it's sequel this film is not that amazing. It has some funny moments but it seems to be more of an origin story for Freddy Wong. Also what disappointed me was that not until very deep into the film do we even see Chan learning Drunken Fist kung fu or even learn about the major conflict between Mr. Wong and Mr. Lee over Wong's land. It is a good movie though. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#545 - The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal is a film from the mind of Jim Henson and Frank Oz. The film is okay but there are countless problems with the film. For one the two main characters of Kiera and Gen (probably spelling them wrong) don't have movable mouths and thay have the most lines out of all of the characters it really does not keep me in the film. Also a large percentage of the things int he film are never fully explained. For instance how did those spirit beings split themselves and what other abilities do Gen and Keira's people have. other then that the film has a decent plot but there are just too many holes for me. I give the film 3/5 stars for the plot.

#544 - Reign Over Me

Reign Over Me is a film made in 2007 and it revolves around a post 9/11 world with a man's quest to get over the loss of his wife and family in the World Trade Center incident. The film stars Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle and the film is good. Unlike most of Sandler's films the film is not a full comedic film but it does have some slight comedic aspects to it. The great thing is that Sandler is able to fully act in this very dramatic role of the widower trying to come to terms with the death of his wife and children. The supporting roles by Donald Sutherland and the women who plays Sandler's mother-in-law are also superb but still Sandler takes the cake in this role. I'll admit that there is some comedy in his acting but that's his style but when he needs to be dramatic he is. There are very few problems I picked up on but there may have been some. I give the film 3.5/5 stars.

#543 - Chaplin

Chaplin is a biopic based off the life of the famous silent movie actor Charlie Chaplin. It stars Robert Downey Jr in a very good performance that helps the film immensely. What was interesting about the film was that a lot of big name actors (Dan Aykroyd, Anthony Hopkins, etc.) took even small parts in the film in order to be in this movie. The plot is okay and the fact that it is all surrounded by Hopkins and Downey Jr talking about the actor's autobiography. Overall the film is amazing and the random appearances by big names makes the film even better. I give the film 4/5 stars.

#542 - Batman: The Movie

In 1966 they decided to do a film starring Adam West as Batman. The film has the Penguin, the Joker, the Riddler, and Catwoman and they have plotted to destroy Batman and destroy the United World Organization. As what most people say about the use of Adam West as Batman the film is quite ridiculous. To all of the bat named objects like the Bat-rope or Bat-wake and even to Robin (Burt Ward)'s crazy "Holy (insert words here)" statements. The plot as usual with Adam West is bizarre and the acting is not at all that good. It is a fun film though which saves it from being a 2 star film but it does take some punishment for its poorness I give the film 3/5 stars.

#541 - Babel

Babel is a drama that connects four completely different stories together across the world. The film is really cool and specifically it does some interesting things with the audio throughout the film. The reason why is that one of our central characters is a deaf-mute girl from Japan. The director and audio mixer seemed to have added in the fact that we should get a chance to hear from her perspective. They seem to use this a lot throughout the film and it makes the film into more auteuristic, may not be a word but it is now. My only complaints seem to be that we do not learn of two of the connections until very late into the film and it would have been nice for me to know that earlier but it was okay and I understand what they were doing. The acting is superb and it is nice that unlike all films with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett they don't overuse the actors at all. it is nice to see a selection of lesser known actors in the major roles. I give the film 4.5/5 stars.