Stone

As parole officer Jack Mabry (De Niro) counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Norton), in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both. Stone skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin. Set against the quiet desperation of an economically ravaged community and the stifling brutality of a maximum security prison, this tale of passion, betrayal and corruption examines the fractured lives of two volatile men breaking from their troubled pasts to face uncertain futures.


This movie had two phenomenal actors in it (with a truly horrible actress). It had a pretty simple storyline. It could have been a decent watch. Unfortunately, the director fell in love with really lame single camera dramatic shots where we are shown a ton of deep in thought shots of the characters. I'm guessing we were supposed to be really deeply involved in what they were thinking and what not. I wasn't. I couldn't have cared less about any of these characters. There was no hook whatsoever. And this made the overdramatic camera work beyond annoying.


I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering to see this. I felt like I pretty much wasted away 2 hours of my life that I can never get back.

Paranormal Activity 2

Made for about $15,000, Paranormal Activity became a box office sensation as it earned $194 million worldwide.

The first movie was one of the creepiest movie going experiences ever. It stuck with me for awhile. When I heard about the sequel I figured it would be total garbage a la The Blair Witch Project 2. How would they remotely be able to recapture that psychological creepiness? Shockingly, they did. The answer is involve a toddler and SPOILER ALERT . . . . . have this movie take place side by side the first one with the two characters from the first one in this as well. The timeline of this movie takes place before, during and after the first one. It's got the same freaky build up, the same scanning the screen feeling for things going wrong and the same quick scene frak outs as the first one. The only knock that I can make on this movie is that they cast someone that I have seen in acting roles before as the mom. It took away from the whole "did this really happen feeling".

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the first one. You will surprisingly not be disappointed.

Hereafter

Hereafter tells the story of three people who are touched by death in different ways. George (Matt Damon) is a blue-collar American who has a special connection to the afterlife. On the other side of the world, Marie (Cecile De France), a French journalist, has a near-death experience that shakes her reality. And when Marcus, a London schoolboy, loses the person closest to him, he desperately needs answers. Each on a path in search of the truth, their lives will intersect, forever changed by what they believe might--or must--exist in the hereafter.

I'm not sure if it was that I had low expectations for this or not, but I ended up really liking it. I liked how there were three completely seperated stories that came together. I liked the rotating through them during the whole movie making the paths crossing that much more enjoyable. I liked the three very believable performances from Matt Damon, the french woman and the kid. I really liked the tsunami effects in the opening scene. That was some amazing stuff.

I would definitely recommend people checking this out. I feel that every other Clint Eastwood movie is good. Mystic River was amazing. Changeling not so much. Gran Torino was awesome. Invictus not so much. Ecen though this movie isn't remotely as good as Mystic River or Gran Torino, this movie is one of Clint's better efforts.

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger

Just as the characters seem to be drawing towards resolutions of their problems, they learn there are no easy ways out. In fact, amid all their disappointments, it may only have been their fantasies that have kept them going. Through the stories of the characters in "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" Woody Allen explores the human need to elude life's adversities by nurturing illusions.

I gave this movie the 20 minute lithmus test and I didn't even make it to 15 minutes. This is yet another of the whiny, too much going on Woody Allen movies. I didn't care about any of the characters or their problems and will never bother watching the rest of this. I really wish that Woody Allen could find it in himself to go back to doing comedies. Outside of maybe one or two movies in the last 10-15 years of his follow this same template of annoyance and too much across the board.

I wouldn't recommend anyone checking this out . . . . . . unless you are a fan of Woody Allen's movies like this. If that's the case - go right ahead and enjoy.

Red

Frank (Bruce Willis), Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich) and Victoria (Helen Mirren) used to be the CIA's top agents – but the secrets they know just made them the Agency's top targets. Now framed for assassination, they must use all of their collective cunning, experience and teamwork to stay one step ahead of their deadly pursuers and stay alive. To stop the operation, the team embarks on an impossible, cross-country mission to break into the top-secret CIA headquarters, where they will uncover one of the biggest conspiracies and cover-ups in government history.

This movie was fun. Lots of great action scenes and tongue in cheek dialogue. The premise is entertaining and the cast sells it very well. I just felt like that they held back too much. It could have had more action. It could have been more tongue in cheek. And the pace could have been much better. This movie really shouldn't have felt as long as it did.

I'd lukewarmly recommend this movie. It's a fun watch but just could have been better.

Jackass 3D

Johnny Knoxville and his buddies are up to their daredevil comic antics again. And this time they're coming at ya' in 3D.

This movie is just like the others and the tv show. When it is the funny gags, there are few things that make me laugh harder. The high five, jet stream, midget bar fight and electric avenue bits made me belly laugh. Tears were streaming down my face. Unfortunately, the other half is filled with some of the grossest stuff I've ever seen. The shitting, peeing, sweat drinking and penis play are things that I would love to not have in my memory forever. Especially with the 3D and the slow motion. Some of that stuff is life scarring. A perfect example of the clash is the porta potty bungee bit. Hilarious stunt and priceless watching the look on the dude's face is more than funny enough. Then you find out that it's filled with feces and it starts flying all over the place.

Regardless, I fully recommend this to those of you who have enjoyed the others. The rest of you should stay as far away as possible.

Never Let Me Go

Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Keira Knightley) live in a world and a time that feel familiar to us, but are not quite like anything we know. They spend their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. When they leave the shelter of the school and the terrible truth of their fate is revealed to them, they must also confront the deep feelings of love, jealousy and betrayal that threaten to pull them apart.

I am shocked at how much I enjoyed this movie! I'm sure that thinking I was seeing one of those pride & prejudice type movies. I had no clue that this powerful character drama has a sci-fi premise in a old english like setting. It was like that movie The Island taking place in that movie The Village with awesome performances. Put that all together and I was so unexplainably intrigued from beginning to end. I had every intention of giving this bad boy the 20 minute test and it not passing. Instead, I spent the rest of my day making sure I saw the whole movie.

I would definitely recommend you checking this out if you have the chance. I could see this getting a lot of recognition come award time.

Waiting For Superman

For a nation that proudly declared it would leave no child behind, America continues to do so at alarming rates. Despite increased spending and politicians' promises, our buckling public—education system, once the best in the world, routinely forsakes the education of millions of children. Oscar®—winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") reminds us that education "statistics" have names: Anthony, Francisco, Bianca, Daisy, and Emily, whose stories make up the engrossing foundation of "Waiting for 'Superman.'" As he follows a handful of promising kids through a system that inhibits, rather than encourages, academic growth, Guggenheim undertakes an exhaustive review of public education, surveying "drop—out factories" and "academic sinkholes," methodically dissecting the system and its seemingly intractable problems. However, embracing the belief that good teachers make good schools, Guggenheim offers hope by exploring innovative approaches taken by education reformers and charter schools that have—in reshaping the culture—refused to leave their students behind.

This documentary on how screwed up the public school system is exactly what you would expect. It's not something I would recommend watching if you are already questioning your child's education. When they went in to detail about the system and union flaws, I was very happy to have thrown in the towel in regards to teaching.

I would recommend people checking this out if they were interested in it. It's a decent watch for a documentary and is definitely eye opening to anyone who is unaware of how screwed up the system is.

Secretariat

Based on the remarkable true story, "Secretariat" chronicles the spectacular journey of the 1973 Triple Crown winner. Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. Against all odds, Chenery--with the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich)--manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time.

This movie is exactly what you would expect. It's got the textbook build up with the textbook hurdles and successes. John Malkovich is very entertaining as the quirky trainer. It's a good sports underdog movie . . . . except it's about horse racing. There is really only so excited that I am able to get about horse racing.

I'd lukewarmly recommend this movie. If this were about most other sports I probably would have loved it. It's a good movie but just pretty dull subject matter.

The Social Network

On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history... but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications.

This was an amazing movie. The story telling was top notch with the back and forth between litigation and how they ended up there. The direction was great as always. David Fincher and Chris Nolan are easily the two most automatic directors in the business today. The acting was awesome. Jesse Eisenberg should be nominated for an oscar and I'm not excited for the Spider Man reboot after getting a look at Andrew Garfield. Even Justin Timberlake was great as an actor in this movie. Granted, there were numerous times where the talkling was too fast or too nerdy for me to fully follow what was happening, but I didn't care because I was so dialed in to the story. It really captures society as we know it today and made me that much prouder for NOT having a Facebook.

I would absolutely recommend everyone checking out this movie. It should end up getting nominated for a bunch of awards in a couple of months and looks to make my Top Ten list as well.

Life As We Know It

Holly Berenson (Katherine Heigl) is an up-and-coming caterer and Eric Messer (Josh Duhamel) is a promising network sports director. After a disastrous first date, the only thing they have in common is their dislike for each other and their love for their goddaughter, Sophie. But when they suddenly become all Sophie has in the world, Holly and Messer are forced to put their differences aside. Juggling career ambitions and competing social calendars, they'll have to find some common ground while living under one roof.

This movie is one of those definition of formula movies. You saw the trailer . . . . . .well then you know every step that this movie is going to take. That being said, I still really enjoyed the movie. The chemistry was legit and you bought in to the life changes that were put on them. And its very hard for me to say this because I tend to find Katherine Heigl beyond annoying. She essentially plays the same role that she has played in every movie.

I would actually recommend people checking this one out. Its not a must see and is totally predictable in every way but I still liked it and didn't feel like I was wasting my time at all.

My Soul To Take

In the sleepy town of Riverton, legend tells of a serial killer who swore he would return to murder the seven children born the night he died. Now, 16 years later, people are disappearing again. Has the psychopath been reincarnated as one of the seven teens, or did he survive the night he was left for dead? Only one of the kids knows the answer. Adam "Bug" Heller (Max Thieriot) was supposed to die on the bloody night his father went insane. Unaware of his dad's terrifying crimes, he has been plagued by nightmares since he was a baby. But if Bug hopes to save his friends from the monster that's returned, he must face an evil that won't rest... until it finishes the job it began the day he was born.

This movie was a total waste. Good looking serial killer. Old school kill sequences. However, they didn't spend a single second building a story. They just kind of blurted it out and ran around killing people for a while. With the slightest ounce of substance this movie could have been a decent throwback to the serial killer movies of old. Unfortunately, they really didn't care enough to bother.


I really wouldn't recommend anyone waste their time watching this. It's not remotely worth it in any way whatsoever.

Case 39

In Case 39, family services social worker Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) thinks she has seen it all... until she meets 10-year old Lilith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland) and the child's cruel and dangerous parents. Her worst fears are confirmed when the parents try to harm Lily, their only daughter. Frightened for her life, Emily enlists the help of Detective Mike Barron (Ian McShane) and takes Lily in while she continues the search for the perfect foster family. Just as it seems as though Lily is on her way to a more loving home, under the guidance of Emily and psychiatrist (Bradley Cooper), dark forces surrounding this young girl come to light and, little do they know, their attempts to protect her will only bring on greater horror.

I'm really confused by how little fanfare this movie got. It seems like there is a crazily overmarketed horror/"thriller" coming out every other week. I see them all and maybe one out of five ends up being worth the time. Then there is this movie, which is barely advertised at all. I didn't even know about this movie until about a week before it opened. Even more shockingly, this movie was one of the rare "thrillers" that actually delivered. The kid is creepy. The story build up is good and there are LEGIT actors in this. How in the blue hell was this kept so on the down low?

I would definitely recommend that "thriller" fans check this out. Its one of the better offerings in that genre for a while.

Nowhere Boy

Imagine... John Lennon's childhood. Liverpool 1955: a smart and troubled fifteen year-old is hungry for experience. In a family full of secrets, two incredible women clash over John: Mimi, the buttoned-up Aunt who raised him, and Julia, the prodigal mother. Yearning for a normal family, John escapes into the new and exciting world of rock n' roll where his fledgling genius finds a kindred spirit in the teenage Paul McCartney. Just as John begins his new life, tragedy strikes. But a resilient young man finds his voice - and an icon explodes into the world.

This is another one of those just kind of there movies. There really is not much to write about it at all. Its not too good. Its not too bad. Its just there. There are a couple of cool connections shown on how the Beatles started and I had high hopes for the kid playing John Lennon after his turn in Kick-Ass, but there really wasn't much to the movie.

I wouldn't really recommend anyone bothering to check this out. Its really not worth the time or money. You'd probably be better off just waiting for it to randomly show up on cable.