Sanctum

  I hope the film industry does not think they can continue to fool the public by making sub-par films in 3D to draw the crowds into the theaters. with out the 3D label, I am positive many of these  “techno” films would gain half of their audience. I hope we get back to letting the actual film do the walking instead of the computer program used to create it.
I have to be honest. I fell asleep 1hr 15min into this film. I woke up and had no desire to go back to the point I fell asleep and finish the movie. So, I can only make comments on what I have seen. Seeing that I fell asleep, should tell you SOME feeling I have toward the film created by James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar) as the next 3D film to continue this new fad. The actors are all relatively unknown and Australian which makes it easier for us to accept them dying off in the caves of S. America.
Explorers go into the biggest unexplored caves in hopes of finding a route to the ocean. Missing the call for a storm leaves them struggling to escape rising tides, twisted turns, decompressing, and claustrophobia from the confined spaces. Due to the fact that they are underwater cave-diving, the need for oxygen plays a huge rule….will they make it out in time?!?! I actually don’t know. Like I said, I missed the last 25 minutes of the film…. who knows????
Elementary Grading Scale: Needs Improvement
1-10: 5

The Rite

I always get scared when I see a young woman act possessed. Fortunately, I have only seen this on the movie screen, I think. Bizarre languages, contortionist-like movements, and the hollow eyed, pale skinned, twitchy possessed woman leaves me frightened almost every time. I find myself watching movies with squinted eyes, hoping that having my eyes half open will allow me to close them faster at the scary moments. And lucky for me, I think movies are great when they can draw this type of fear from just a group of actors and film crew trying to portray what the writers were hoping would  scare us. The Rite does a great job creating as much realism as possible as to what an exorcism, an exorcist, and the possessed might really look like and deal with…. Viewers beware. 

Another demonic possession movie to keep me up at night…. Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs) and  Colin O’Donoghue (The Tudors) star as priests commissioned to exorcise the escalating amount of demons from unknowing people throughout Europe. Hopkins plays Father Lucas Trevant, a priest with years of experience freeing people from their demons. O’Donoghue stars as Michael Kovak, a priest still in school but considering leaving and walking away from his faith. He believes  that evil is “not real” and becomes oblivious to fear of the devil’s tricks. Considering all the demonic happenings are psychological issues needing a therapist allows him to assist in the exorcisms without the fear that so many other priests were avoiding. Lo and Behold, Father Lucas (Hopkins) becomes the possessed and Hopkins does what he does best…..scaring the crap out of us…..

Elementary Grading Scale: Progressing Satisfactorily

1-10: 7

The Way Back

A true story starring Jim Sturgess (21), Ed Harris (The Abyss, Apollo 13), and Colin Farrell (In Bruges, Miami Vice, Minority Report) taking place in a Siberian Gulag during World War 2. After being sent to the prison camp in  wintery, desolate Siberia, a group of prisoners make their way out of captivity into a whole new dangerous world filled with blizzards, never-ending forests, and a terrain void of food. Picking up a poor homeless girl along the way, the struggle for survival intensifies as they attempt to evade capture, find food, and push each other forward to safety. In the attempt to escape the Communist Bloc, they head south trying to get to China, only to find that the Chinese were under a Commie Regime as well. Next stop….. India.

Peter Weir (Master & Commander) directs the incredible story of survival, The Way Back shows what men are truly capable of when pushed to the limit. The escape through Russia, Mongolia, Tibet and then India was eye-catching to say the least. National Geographic backed this film and their expertise at finding great shots of landscapes and nature SHINES through. Extremes of hot and cold along with epic landscapes added to the story to really give the viewer a sense of what these men were going through.

Elementary Grading Scale: Exceeding Expectations

1-10: 7.5

Black Swan

Not much to say. This one was a little too much for me in all aspects. I don’t know what to call it…. too “artsy”, “risqué”, “bold” for my tastes.
I like Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta The Professional, Star Wars, Garden State), USUALLY. I like Vincent Cassel (Oceans 12, Shrek), USUALLY. However, I cannot say Darren Aronofsky ( Pi, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) went far off kilter from his styling as a director. I did not expect it to be so explicit, however. Mila Kunis does a “good” job of playing Portman’s nemesis/alter-ego. It took me 20 minutes of pondering after the film to decide what to say about the movie and I am still at a loss…
The twists were great and I can now say I have had a look into the competitive, visceral underworld  of NYC ballet…but the scenes that you pray you never have to sit through with your family (awkward moments) don’t really ADD to the film…. read the book instead (probably better) as books usually are….
Elementary Grading Scale: Progressing Satisfactorily
1-10: 6??

My Soul to Take

In general, I like Wes Craven (The Hills Have Eyes, Nightmare on Elm Street I, II, III, IV, V, VI…….) Sad to say that the best thing about THIS film, was that it was less than 2 hours long. 1 hr 47 min, take away the intro and ending credits and its nearly 1 hr 40 min, but not a  GOOD 1hr 40 min.  I felt as though this was a movie I had JUST watched, Chain Letters, but it had its own twist. Instead of “anti-technology” this film had the returning soul of serial killer bent on killing the children born on the day of his death….  The film was made for 3-D viewing so some of the gory murders were made a little bit gorier and when you were at the theaters, blood spatter seemed a tidbit “splatterier” (New word).

    Nothing new. Classic stupid kids thinking “it won’t happen to me” and the following murder soon after. Don’t waste your money. Not much to say about this. Sorry Wes.

Elementary Grading Scale: Needs Improvement

1-10: 4

The Mechanic

Simon West directed a film which tried to capture the vibe of some of Guy Ritchies best films, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. This was a re-make of a Charles Bronson film from the 70’s  which did not need redone… it was good how it was. Unfortunately, I felt some of the intense and supposedly “cool” moments seemed to be a little “forced”. Jason Statham, Ben Foster, and Donald Sutherland star in a film dealing with assassins with feelings.

Though emotions are supposed to be withheld in the world of taking people out anonymously; when it comes to the life of a dear friend, killers cant help but have some feeling. Arthur Bishop (Statham) gets the secret order from his boss to kill Harry McKenna (Sutherland) who was his mentor and also the Father of Steve McKenna (Foster) who Bishop must now take in himself and mentor. Steve, Harry’s Son, does not know that Arthur killed his father and it tears at Arthur until the end as how and when to tell him that he killed his dad…… Teaching Steve the way of the assassin leads to many unique ways to kill people in the world “deserving” death.

An okay film filled with cliché assassination plots, much like The Specialist, The Assassin, and The Shooter.

Elementary Grading Scale: Needs Improvement

1-10: 5

It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Craig (Keir Gilchrist) is your everyday high school teen. He thinks that he is the only one with problems, fortunately, most are simply magnified in his mind. Crushing on his best friends girl, pressure from Dad to find a college, and dealing with the emotions that go along with being young and growing up. After being overwhelmed with his “suicidal” thoughts he checks himself into 3 North, the local psych ward, where he realizes that things are not as bad as they seem. There are many more people that suffer worse circumstances than his own. He soon befriends Bobby (Zach Galifianakis) and Noelle (Emma Roberts) who teach him that there is much more to live for and appreciate in life than following your father’s dreams and worrying about the unchangeable.

Galifianakis plays a great supporting role to Gilchrist and there is some well written and clever screenwriting. A very entertaining movie with some obvious life-lessons, as well as some good reminders about what really matters in our daily grind. BTW, there is a great soundtrack to accompany the film.

Elementary Grading Scale: Progressing Satisfactorily

1-10: 7

Chain Letter

A maniac kills teens when they refuse to forward a chain letter. When a mysterious chain mail gets sent out through a high school, some students see it like everyone in their right mind do, as something pointless and a time-waste. Shame on them. They were being stalked by a strange serial killer who was using cell phone chain texts as a way to track victims to kill. Lots of gory deaths ensue all involving chains....like real chains, to represent the chain mail............

This movie received a 5.4 from IMDB raters. I strongly disagree. It also received some reviews as a "classic 80's-like horror film". I strongly disagree. Its not scary. Its gory. People, don't confuse being scared with being grossed out. It's easy to get you to cover your eyes and shriek when you see people torn in half by a pair of cars, chains connect to arms and legs and mufflers of cars leaving for different places at the same time (Sorry for THAT death spoiler). There are plenty of deaths as the man, who has an alterior motive which all comes to light at the end, goes about selecting teens to murder. Because we all know teens are the problem with the world today..... Fast forward to the last murder about 20 minutes before the end....you'll get the story, skip all the "Saw-like" murders AND get to see the plot twist at the end.......

Elementary Grading Scale: Needs Improvement

1-10: 3.5

The King’s Speech

Never have I rooted for the King of England so adamantly. This was by far the best movie I have seen in a couple years and I think it deserves every nomination it received. I would classify this film into the typical style of film that's ALWAYS getting the acclaim, come Oscar time. However, everything the film had was on point. Cast, Crew, and Screenplay combine into 2 hours that make you feel like you are with King George VI himself. I wanted nothing more than to see the King succeed. Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) and Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) play unbelievable supporting roles and Collin Firth plays a humble Duke questioning whether or not he has the courage to fight his speech impediment and take control as the peoples leader during a time in England that no one was sure of. As Hitler was rising in Germany, King George VI was staking his own claim after his father died and his brother was unfit to rule. Battling with insecurities from childhood, Logue helps King George VI find his power.

Below you will find a list of the films Oscar nominations but I just wanted to point out the cinematography (which it was nominated for) is terrific. Huge settings that allow you to feel the time period and situation, along with shots filmed in a way that make you feel like you are there. A great film which has all the pieces all together. Congrats to all who were part of this one. Thanks to my friend Darius for prodding me to see this one too. I never thought a movie about a dude’s stammer would be so amazing!

Elementary Grading Scale: Exceeding Expectations

1-10: 10 (my first 10 given out)

-Best Achievement in Art Direction
-Best Achievement in Cinematography
-Best Achievement in Costume Design
-Best Achievement in Directing
-Best Achievement in Editing
-Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
-Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
-Best Motion Picture of the Year
-Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
-Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
-Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
-Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

83rd Academy Award Nominations

                            

Actor in a Leading Role

• Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
• Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
• Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
• Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”
• James Franco in “127 Hours”

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
• John Hawkes in “Winter's Bone”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
• Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
• Geoffrey Rush in “The King's Speech”

Actress in a Leading Role

• Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
• Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
• Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
• Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
• Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
• Helena Bonham Carter in “The King's Speech”
• Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
• Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
• Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Animated Feature Film

• “How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
• “The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
• “Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich

Art Direction

• “Alice in Wonderland”
  Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
  Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• “Inception”
  Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
• “The King's Speech”
  Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
• “True Grit”
  Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

Cinematography

• “Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
• “Inception” Wally Pfister
• “The King's Speech” Danny Cohen
• “The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
• “True Grit” Roger Deakins

Costume Design

• “Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
• “I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
• “The King's Speech” Jenny Beavan
• “The Tempest” Sandy Powell
• “True Grit” Mary Zophres

Directing

• “Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
• “The Fighter” David O. Russell
• “The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
• “The Social Network” David Fincher
• “True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Documentary (Feature)

• “Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
• “Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
• “Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
• “Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
• “Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Documentary (Short Subject)

• “Killing in the Name” Nominees to be determined
• “Poster Girl” Nominees to be determined
• “Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
• “Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
• “The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

Film Editing

• “Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
• “The Fighter” Pamela Martin
• “The King's Speech” Tariq Anwar
• “127 Hours” Jon Harris
• “The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Foreign Language Film

• “Biutiful” Mexico
• “Dogtooth” Greece
• “In a Better World” Denmark
• “Incendies” Canada
• “Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria

Makeup

• “Barney's Version” Adrien Morot
• “The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
• “The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Music (Original Score)

• “How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
• “Inception” Hans Zimmer
• “The King's Speech” Alexandre Desplat
• “127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
• “The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song)

• “Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
• “I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
• “If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
• “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best Picture

• “Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
• “The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
• “Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
• “The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
• “The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
• “127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
• “The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
• “Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
• “True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
• “Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

• “Day & Night” Teddy Newton
• “The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
• “Let's Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
• “The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
• “Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois

Short Film (Live Action)

• “The Confession” Tanel Toom
• “The Crush” Michael Creagh
• “God of Love” Luke Matheny
• “Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
• “Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Sound Editing

• “Inception” Richard King
• “Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
• “Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
• “True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
• “Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger

Sound Mixing

• “Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “The King's Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
• “Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
• “The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
• “True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Visual Effects

• “Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
• “Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
• “Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
• “Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
• “The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
• “Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
• “True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
• “Winter's Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
• “The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;
  Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
• “Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
• “The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
• “The King's Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler

Mean Girls 2

Unplanned sequels are usually an upset when it comes to movies nowadays. Throw in a brand new cast of actors and an identical storyline and you have a failure on the screen. Here we have the perfect storm of all three of these poor situations for a movie. Not that I am a LiLo fan (except to see what a mess she makes of her own personal life) but it would be nice to see her come back to fend off more “Plastics” as they roam the schools bullying the less fortunate. I think Tim Meadows is the only returnee who I could have used a lot more of during the film.

I admit, I was a fan of the first Mean Girls. Lindsay Lohan (Drug Addict), Rachel McAdams (The Notebook), Tina Fey (SNL, also the writer of the screenplay), Amy Poehler (SNL), Lacey Chabert (Party of Five), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia), Tim Meadows (SNL “Ladies Man”) and Ana Gasteyer (SNL) ALL graced the first Mean Girls…. If you couldn’t find something to laugh at from ONE of those actors, you have no sense of humor. It is unfortunate to say that this movie lacked the talent and the writing that was in its forefather film….. Skip it!

Elementary Grading Scale: Needs Improvement

1-10: 5

Just a Reminder

The Matt Marinchick Trio has released its first full-length Live album on iTunes. Get yours for $9.99 (12 tracks)

Click here to view at iTunes

Gulliver’s Travels

Sometimes I feel like I am Gulliver and I have been sent to Lilliput to save the island. Being 6’10” gives me some idea of what its like to be among “the land of the little people”.

As the saying goes, “the book is always better than the movie.” I can tell you with certainty, this movie stunk. Beside the special effects, rendering Black as a giant in the land of Lilliput, there was no meat to this story at all. Cheesy one liners, an overly predictable (not because I’ve read the book) corny plotline made this film something to be forgotten about and stored away. Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt and Jason Segel should have avoided every talk show and publicity stunt to hype this film up. If it weren't for the CGI crew for this film, I would consider this unwatchable. If you want a good Jack Black Film, watch School of Rock.

Lemuel Gulliver is the mail room manager at a Newspaper company . Settling for mediocrity, Lemuel finds himself being surpassed by the new guy in the mail room, leaving Lemuel (Jack Black) moving down the chain of command. Gulliver talks big talk to everyone but in reality, has nothing going for him, but when he says a little too much to his crush in the office, Darcy (Peet), he ends up trying his had at being a writer for the paper for a travel piece in the Bermuda Triangle. Next think you know, Gulliver is in the land of the Lilliputians. He helps them, while leading them on to think he is the biggest thing (no pun intended) to come out of New York, in fighting off the attacking intruders with his new friend, Horatio (Segel), who is desperately trying to win the heart of his love, Princess Mary (Blunt). 

Elementary Grading Scale: Needs Improvement

1-10: 4

Morning Glory

The movie started out with 2 bonus points in my book of bonus points so I was already a growing fan to begin with. First, I like Rachel McAdams, who plays Becky the young Morning Show Producer. I would consider it a small crush. It’s funny for me to think about how we as movie-goers can create a personality of our favorite celebs simply based on an accumulation of movie roles we have seen. That being said, McAdams SEEMS to be a pretty legit actress with a good head on her shoulders. Secondly, one of the first songs played in the movies was a song by Colin Hay (former lead singer of 80’s Aussie Rock band, Men at Work) named ‘Waiting for My Real Life to Begin’. One of my personal favorite songs AND musicians (Check him out on YouTube when you get the opportunity). Ok, so now we have a great start to a movie. Throw in Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton, and Jeff Goldblum and you have a great movie in the making. A great film showing that people will support you if you work hard and that dreams can always be chased no matter how old you are.

After being fired from her first morning TV show, Becky (McAdams) is desperately searching for a new job and gets picked up by New Jersey’s WORST rated morning TV show. Picking up Mike Pomeroy (Ford), America’s most proclaimed reporter, in a hope to bring up the ratings, only leads to more power struggles between Ford and Keaton. Lots of power struggles because of Becky’s young age, arrogant anchors, and a crumbling show lead the movie through a series of comical sequences sure to entertain even the most skeptical viewer.

Ty Burrell had a VERY brief role which I wish they could have expanded on. For those of you who’ve never heard of Burrell, check him out on Modern Family. He plays the father, Phil Dunphy and it’s a truly hilarious show which he headlines.

Elementary Grading Scale: Exceeding Expectations

1-10: 8.5

Tangled

Here is my thing. Long hair is not THAT attractive to me…but hair that goes over 50 feet is just plain NASTY! Who would ever date/marry a girl with hair that wen from room to room, wrapping around everything and dragging across EVERYTHING she walked by…. I'm not even going to get into what it must be like to unclog her shower drains. No wonder Rapunzel wasn’t allowed out of her tower, the thought of what she would be dragging her hair through in the medieval forests would make anyone cringe. All that animal poo in her hair…..sick!

Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel so I am not gonna get too detailed with the storyline. A few new Disney-esque humorous twists to the story ( a pet chameleon for example) thrown into the mix and It’s another children’s classic right there with The Princess and the Frog, Toy Story 3 and G-Force (not the best, and not the worst) I don’t like cartoons anymore so I forced myself to watch this just for the sake of being the “complete” movie critic……

Elementary Grading Scale: Needs Improvement

1-10: 5

127 Hours

Anyone who has ever fallen down a crevice and had to cut their arm off to escape will relate to this film…….

The true story of  climber Aron Ralston's unbelievable situation as he tries to save himself after he gets trapped by a fallen boulder crashing on his arm and trapping  him in a canyon in Utah, ALL ALONE. Stuck for  five days, Ralston experiences a different kind of life, to put it nicely, and fights his own hallucinations, pain, and the desert climate to finally build the courage to remove himself from his “jam”, climb a 65 ft wall, and hike over eight miles to salvation. In his mind he sees friends, lovers, family, and the two hikers he met before stumbling down a deep crevice. They all help him in different ways to keep him going.  An unbelievable story of perseverance….

This film does a great job of showing the insanity of the situation. I could never imagine the actual feeling of being stuck like Ralston was. I truly felt for him and now can really see just how great a feat he accomplished by enduring and overcoming that unbelievable situation! You gotta see it to believe it. Though 90% of this film is set in one single, tight location I never felt bored from seeing one spot. The flashbacks do a nice job separating the monotony. James Franco did a wonderful job portraying Ralston and he gets my “Best Male Lead” award….

Elemetary Grading Scale: Exceeding Expectations

1-10: 8.5

Season of the Witch

A Crusader (Nicolas Cage) returns  home but it has  been devastated by the Plague. A withering church, claiming witchcraft is the culprit, commands two knights to transport a witch to a remote abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in hopes of putting an end to the spreading disease. A priest, a grieving knight, a disgraced traveler and a stubborn youth hoping to be a knight someday join forces on a mission troubled by demonic and other scary ghosts, goblins, and ghouls all the while debating over what to do with the girl. Upon arrival to the abbey, a horrific moment of discovery questions the knight's pledge to ensure the girl fair treatment, and huge battle of  destructive force begins.

If you are not a fan of Nic Cage, skip this movie because it is CLASSIC Cage…. Intensity in both his glares and his acting in general. Just YouTube his name for a taste of some hilarious Clips of him going at it on film. Witch movies and movies about the devil always trip me out. I can want any other type of scary movie and be fine, but when it comes to the occult and things of that nature, I turn into a weenie. I watched this movie with all the lights on, the doors open, my closet open, my window shades drawn, and that is how I get through movies like that…. sorry to get personal, but now you know. To some, it might not be that scary….but as Levar Burton says on Reading Rainbow, “You don’t have to take MY word for it….”

Elementary Grading Scale: Progressing Satisfactorily

1-10: 7

Love & Other Drugs

Maggie (Anne Hathaway) is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down because of a problem that she has been facing her whole life. Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal), is a ladies man whose charm serves him well in the competitive world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's feelings take them both by surprise at different phases in their life as they find themselves in love and wondering why…. and how.

Fast Forward until 45 minutes of this film have gone by and you will bypass a lot of what makes this film an “R” rated movie….after that, its your everyday Romantic Comedy. A little less comedy than romance and there is a lot more drama to fill in those funny moments. I think any significant other who is dealing with chronic illness in their relationship in some manner would appreciate this film. However, like I said, the first 45 minutes are a little too gratuitous for my small town conservative tastes…..

Elementary Grading Scale: Progressing Satisfactorily

1-10: 5.5

The Green Hornet

The “man-version” of Paris Hilton, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) becomes the new publisher "The Daily Sentinel" after his  father dies of a mysterious bee sting. Britt's carefree lifestyle changes when he and his father’s mechanic/barista (and kung fu expert), Kato (Jay Chou), stop an assault on two innocent bystanders. With the help of Kato, Britt starts a new career of fighting crime as the masked superhero "The Green Hornet" as they go through L.A. kicking criminal derriere…

When I think of superhero, Seth Rogen is not the actor that comes to mind to play them. He must have dropped a good 25 pounds for this role and I guess that helped the role. I grew  up watching re-runs of The Green Hornet so I had a foundation to base all of the film on. I don’t think that anyone watching SHOULD do that, however. I think people should go into this film not knowing anything about the former Green Hornet…Kato is NO Bruce Lee and the “old” Green Hornet is much more serious than Rogen’s Version. Keep in mind that this film is a comedy and you will enjoy it. Oh yeah, Cameron Diaz is in this movie too….

Elementary Grading Scale: Progressing Satisfactorily

1-10: 6.5

TRON: Legacy

Before the Matrix, there was the Grid....and this one is a TRUE story set in present day Earth......psyche.... This is a great sci-fi flick which outdid its father-film Tron(1982). The 1982 version could not allow for all the visual effects that make "the Grid" so interesting and to see a more visually pleasing picture of what that world may look like made the movie more fun to watch. I have NOT seen it in 3D so I believe there is even more eye catching moments in store for those viewers. With todays technology, Tron: Legacy was a great decision for a sequel. I usually hate long overdue sequels due to a change in actors or a choppy storyline, but I felt the director, Joseph Kosinski, and writers, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, completed the task successfully.

After the dissaperance of his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) as a kid, son Sam Flynn (Garret Hedlund) decides to go back to his father's business, Encom, and look for him. Digging deeper, Sam finds himself in "The Grid". He finds his father who has been living there for 2 decades and is trapped by Clu, Flynn's arch-nemesis, and escaping becomes difficult as they encounter Clu's tyrannical powerful ways. All the disc throwing, motorcycling, neon-light-fighting action make it hard for Sam, Kevin, and Kevin's apprentice (Olivia WIlde) to remain unscathed.....

Elementary Grading Scale: Progressing Satisfactorily

1-10: 7.5/8

The Fighter

To all who have ever felt like they were fighting an uphill battle, for everyone who loves the feeling of redemption, anyone who has ever wanted to give up when things got tough enough for most to give up... The Fighter is the film to watch. I have been reading all the hype via Facebook, IMDB, Fellow Movie Bloggers, and other websites and I finally have given the film its shot. The fact that I was impressed is to say the least. As an American, we LOVE stories of underdogs and redemption. I don't see why other cultures do not feel this way as much as we do. Its heart warming and encouraging to see people come from behind, or out of nowhere, and be victorious. Being that this is a true story, only makes the story more compelling and motivational.

Mark Wahlberg plays "Irish" Micky Ward, a welterweight boxer from a small town in Massachusetts who wants to be the world champ. Family issues with his controlling mother, drug-addict brother (who is played tremendously by Christian Bale), an ex-wife keeping his daughter from him, and thankfully supportive girlfriend (Amy Adams) all culminate into a story that shows just what a person can do once they decide, FOR THEMSELVES, that it can be done. Great cinematography and a great cast of actors, both lead and back-up, create a film for all fans of Rocky, Karate Kid, Rudy and all the like to enjoy. See this one as soon as you possibly can!

My elementary Grading Scale: Exceeding Expectations

1-10: 9.5