Iron Man 2

Jessie's thoughts:
4 1/2 pops

First of all, you should know that Iron Man is my favorite superhero and the first Iron Man movie is one of my all time favorite movies. That being said, I had very high expectations for this sequel and I have to say - they were definitely met. Iron Man 2 had everything that I expected of it. It was funny, it had the action, it had the little "inside jokes" that only the comic book fans would understand and it was just flat out entertaining. Robert Downey Jr. was awesome, as always, Gywneth Paltrow was just as charming as in the original and Scarlett Johanssen was wonderful. I really don't have anything bad to say about the movie except that there were just a few scenes that kind of dragged a little bit. It wasn't quite as good as the first one, but it was damn close. I just loved it and I think that everyone should go see it. It was exactly what I expected it to be and even a little bit more. It's definitely one you're gonna want to see in the theaters and you can even take the kiddos as this is for sure one movie that everyone can and will enjoy.

Adam's thoughts:
4 1/2 pops

I’m not going to write a long thing about this movie because I feel that you should all trust it when I say this movie was freak’n awesome. If you haven’t been to the movies to see this yet, or you're still on the fence, get your butt in gear and go and see it. Like the first one, it rocked from the moment it was on screen to the moment after the credits were done rolling. Robert did his best in this movie giving true life to the character Tony Stark. Comic book fans will drool over this movie with every small easter egg they drop. I about went into a twitching comatose state, foaming at the mouth, when I saw the shield. I know, I’m a geek and I have a bad addiction but for someone who can’t get enough this movie satisfied much of my hunger. The new characters who were introduced did wonderful and Scarlet Johanssen gave me a new school boy hard-on for the Black Widow. I’ve heard some critics hit this movie because it didn’t have enough action, and I’m here to tell you that it did go hard on the plot but when the action was rolling it was a rollercoaster. It's like they waited to the very end to pack in all the action you could ever want. They did a good job too, the ending scene had me on the edge of my seat. Very few movies get me this worked up and this one did a great job. The only thing keeping it from the 5 is that at some points when they showed the plot it went a bit slow. Like Jessie, I felt that a high octane movie like this should have not had any slow points. Now I’m not saying it was slow enough to keep you from going to see it, I’m just saying it kept it from getting the A+ that the first one got but it's still an A anyway you look at it and your parents are still gonna be proud. Now, if you haven’t gotten off your ass to go see this movie after reading all this then you might as well never go see an action movie again. GO AND SEE IT! NOW! All I can say is if you do go see it, at the end stay until the credits are gone for a bit of a treat. No Johanssen doesn’t take her shirt off but its almost as good. HAMMER TIME!

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Jessie's thoughts:
2 1/2 pops

This was definitely a re-make that I was super excited about but in all honestly, it just wasn't that great. The original Nightmare on Elm Street is one of my favorite slasher movies and this one just didn't add up. It definitely had the same cheesy, 80's horror movie feel to it which was nice but it was lacking in a major way. Even if you hadn't seen the original so you didn't have that to compare it to, it just wasn't that good. It really wasn't very scary and the "twists" that they added will really just piss off any true Nightmare/Kreuger fans.
The one good point to this movie was Jackie Earle Haley. Although I would have preferred the original Freddy Kreuger, Robert Englund, Haley did do a very good job at portraying Kreuger. He was creepy and just disturbing enough to really make it work. However, he was the only good thing about this movie. As A Nightmare on Elm Street fan I really, really wanted to like this movie but it just didn't measure up and they just completely ruined a classic slasher flick. The only reason that this is getting 2 1/2 pops from me is because Jackie Earle Haley did an awesome job and the imagery was really cool. But whether you are a fan or not of the original, just skip this one and save your money for Iron Man 2 coming out May 7. I'm sure it'll be a lot more entertaining!

Adam's thoughts:
1 1/2 pops

I agree with Jess; about the only thing going for this movie was Jackie Early Harley or whatever his name is. The guy brought The Watchmen voice which was needed for this film and he made an alright Freddy.
Now, I only saw the original once back in the day and I remember that it was decently scary and held its own but I DON'T remember it being THIS cheesy. The acting was 80’s acting but even then it was flavored for the time. This film had some cheesy acting which made you wonder if they did it on purpose to match the original but mostly it just made it comical. If there is ONE thing I remember from the original film, it was not all laughs.
There is a twist in this movie that separates it from the original film but I’m not going to be a tattle tale and tell you here. Just know that it painted Freddy in a different light and I’m not entirely sure they should have done that. I like Freddy to be an evil son of a hoot, but there are just some lines that I don’t even think Freddy would have crossed… well, maybe. My idea of what Freddy was is probably different than others. As a kid, creatures like Freddy and Jason were on my list of favorite characters right along with Spiderman and Superman. So seeing him painted in certain ways definitely put a damper on this film.
I would have given this movie a one even with Harley in it if it wasn’t for one more thing. What boosted it halfway to two was the way the first scene played out. It was ruined later and never followed up on but there is a part where the character in a diner transcends from being awake to being in a dream. The way the diner itself shifted from being what it looked like when he was ‘awake’ to what it looked like in a nightmare was very interesting. The kitchen became a place of hell with roasting pigs and dark pipes. I wish they would have touched on that more throughout the rest of the film but it was the only time I really felt like this might be a good movie... then I watched the rest of it.

Save your cash, go see Iron Man.

The Losers

Adam's thoughts:
3 pops

For an action packed movie to set off all the rest of the summer, it doesn’t surprise me that it would start out alright. The Losers was an ‘okay’ film. It seems to me that with action films you get two kinds. You get one that is full of special effects and no plot line. Or you get one that has a particular ‘style’. The storyline’s are not that complex these days because they don’t have to be. Bad guy did this. Good guy wants him dead. Go. Easy enough for a child to understand. This film had a style. One that everyone could enjoy. The actors were wonderful and carefully played out. The bad guy was definitely bad. The good guys were not so good.
I haven’t seen Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a lot of films. The guy did well though as his character Clay. He brought the ‘cool’ element to the film. Chris Evans did the comedy side kick thing rather well. I was impressed at least with these two actors in the film even if their roles were not very complex. The storyline, as with most action films, was simple and easy to follow. There were enough action scenes for sure.
For me, though, nothing really stood out strongly in this film. Its good enough to rent in my book but I wouldn’t waste the money to go see it in theater unless you really like seeing the explosions. I will say this, however, when we went to see it the theater was only showing it in DLP. I think that stands for digital link something something. I don’t know if I’ve seen any other films in this format and if I had I didn’t pay as much attention as I did this time. I think instead of showing a ‘film’ they had a digital file you watched. Kind of like when you're watching TV or your computer. It was very clear and crisp. No film lines or grimy texture. I liked it like that, even though I think some films deserve this attention. I don’t want to see Star Wars without a bit of grimy film work.
If an action movie is what you’re craving - go see this. OR save yourself like a school girl on prom night and get ready for the A-Team that comes out in not too long. Now THAT movie I’m more ready to see than a red neck on family reunion day.

Jessie's thoughts:
4 pops

Unlike my colleague, here, I LOVED this movie! It was everything that I could ask for in an action comedy. The story line was interesting, the acting was amazing, the special effects were great and it was actually funny. I haven't seen a movie in quite a while that actually met all of that criteria.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is one of my favorite actors and it was great to see him in a film where he got to play to the best of his abilities as an action guy. Zoe Saldana is one of my favorite actresses and it was cool to see her in an action role as well. I was a little skeptical at first, but she was great in this. Chris Evans was hilarious and it doesn't hurt that he's just freakin hot. Overall, I thought all of the actors did a great job but these three were the ones that stood out the most to me.
I actually even think this is one that you could take the kiddos to see. There's obviously some violence, but nothing compared to some of the other movies out there. Cough, cough, Kick-Ass. And it's actually really, really funny which has been greatly lacking in the action movies as of late.
I was very pleasantly surprised by how good this movie was and by how entertained it kept me through the whole film and I would recommend anyone going and seeing it. In all honesty, I'll most likely end up buying this movie when it comes out on DVD. I definitely wouldn't mind seeing it a few more times.

Kick-Ass

Jessie's thoughts:
3 pops

Ok, so, this movie was interesting for sure. I really thought the story line was very unique and I definitely liked how realistic it was in some ways. Because, let’s face it, if there were real super heroes in the world, they’d have to be a little bit crazy in order to mentally handle all the things they would have to do. However, I believe that the trailers for this movie were very misleading. I thought that it was supposed to be a comedy and that there would be a lot of laughing involved in this and there really wasn’t. It was not the light-hearted comedy that I expected at all. Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some funny parts, but overall it was actually a fairly dark and disturbing movie.
I loved the acting, of course, I would expect no less from this cast. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Red Mist, is one of my all time favorite actors and it was interesting to see him in a role that wasn’t his normal geeky-funny guy part. Aaron Johnson did a wonderful job as the lead character, Kick-Ass. He definitely portrayed the normal-guy-that-wants-to-be-a-superhero-but-then-realizes-it-might-not-be-all-it’s-cracked-up-to-be part incredibly well. And, obviously, Nicholas Cage is just awesome so that’s enough said there.
All in all, I did enjoy this movie but just be prepared that it’s not the comedy that it seems. It’s got a very unique underlying feel and there are definitely some parts that are more than a little disturbing. This is not one that I would take the kids to see, especially if you have an 11 year old girl that thinks knives are cool. But, it was definitely worth seeing and I was very impressed with how unique and different it was than anything else that I’ve seen in a very, very, very long time.

Adam's thoughts:
4.5 pops

Okay folks you all know how I am about superheroes. I’m one of the biggest geeks most people come across. I love the comic books, I love the movies and I watch the shows. Hell, if I had the money I’d even collect the toys. The fact that this movie's plot rode on the concept of real people trying to be super heroic was a good message. Granted, by the time the action started picking up it was more on the un-realistic side. But then again this movie is about super heroes.
When I watch movies I tend to look for the concept I can relate to. The main character who is played famously by Aaron Johnson was an every day school kid who was tired of the indifference of good men. I love movies with the every day Joe being thrust into extraordinary circumstances and coming out as the hero. To me that is a wonderful plot line and I love seeing it represented. Aaron Johnson is not someone I've seen in a whole bunch of movies but he did a wonderful job as the main character.
The movie took you through a bunch of different roller casters and I loved that. One moment it was a comedy, the next a romance, at one point an action flick, and in the end a message for all of us not to stand by and just watch when evil happens. To me the message is what meant the most and the way it was brought out in the middle of the movie was good. The more I write here about the movie the more I realize there were even more messages implanted in this movie for the every day man. All of them are good codes to live by.
I STRONGLY recommend anyone who enjoys action and comedy to go see this movie. In the end you’ll get an epic feel despite the laughs and the explosions. The Epic feel is what is planted beneath the flash and glamour and I think that is a wonderful way to do it. I applaud Matthew Vaughn in doing what he could to make this movie happen, even when the other big companies wouldn’t pick him up.
Now I just got my ordered wet suit and hockey mask. Time to go out their and KICK SOME ASS! – (warning: If you know me or have my phone number please attempt to stop me from this stupid act, thank you.)

Hot Tub Time Machine

Jessie's thoughts:
2 pops

While this movie had its funny moments and was fairly entertaining, it was definitely not something that I think needs to be seen. It's one of those movies that, if you want a quick laugh and there's really nothing else playing, it would be good to see it. I definitely can't say anything bad about any of the actors in it. They were all pretty great and the story line was interesting. I mean, yeah, it was entertaining but it was not a movie that's gonna stick with you. To tell you the truth, we just watched it last night and I've already forgotten a lot of what happened just because it wasn't different or funny enough to really stick in my head.
However, it would be incredibly awesome if you could get into a hot tub, drink a whole lot, and suddenly be transported to 1986. However, it just wasn't one of those groundbreaking comedies. It was just ok and, yeah, that's pretty much all I can say about it.

She's Out of My League

Jessie's thoughts:

3 pops

You know, this movie was actually quite a bit more entertaining then I expected it to be. It was incredibly predictable in some ways, but that’s to be expected with this type of movie I think. It was very funny in an extremely-awkward-make-you-squirm-in-your-seat type of way and it had me laughing through pretty much the entire movie.Jay Baruchel, Kirk, was perfect as the awkward geeky guy with the hot girl. You actually could almost believe that he could get a girl as gorgeous as Alice Eve, Molly. And T.J. Miller was hilarious as Stainer, Kirk’s best friend. He actually pretty much stole the show for me. Every scene that he was in I was just laughing the entire time. I don’t remember ever seeing him in anything before this, but he really needs to be in more movies.Overall, I think this was a great disposable comedy. It’s one of those movies that if you’re in the mood for a good laugh without a lot of deep, convoluted story-lines then it’s absolutely perfect. It was definitely entertaining and, although I probably wouldn’t see this one a second time, it was worth watching.

Adam's thoughts:

3 pops

So this movie was alright, especially if you like those romantic comedies. Be warned it’s a little raunchy, but if your girl doesn’t mind that and has a sense of humor that works with that then this movie is perfect for date night. I found myself laughing through the whole movie. A good sign. I’ve watched some funnier movies but this one held its own. The actors were perfect, and it really touched the hearts of those guys out there that are the "average joes” There were some new faces, like T.J. Miller who played a guy named Stainer. The dude was almost the funniest one of the bunch and I was glad to see some other comedians making their light. Jay Baruchel did a wonderful job in the spotlight and Alice Eve is just plain hot. I was impressed with both of them even if the film wasn’t everything.
What I didn’t like about the movie was you never had the usual structure. Usually a movie goes: guy meets girl, guy falls for girl, problem happens and guy and girl can’t be together, guy chases girl down. This one went through a bunch of hoops and several problems happened. And there was more then just the guy chasing the girl down. Now that isn’t so bad but I felt like the ending was rushed. It was too quick and chaotic to really be believable. I don’t usually watch movies to believe them but when you have the concept of the average joe getting with Miss Beautiful you tend to want something closer to realistic. Overall, though, if this is the only thing I can say bad about the movie then it wasn’t that bad at all.
Go see it, you'll laugh.
Now to go find MY hot girlfriend. I wonder if Alice Eve is available...

Top 5: Comedy

Jessie's thoughts:

5. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – I absolutely love this movie. I don’t know for sure that the exact classification is a comedy, but every time I watch this movie I laugh through like the whole thing. It’s got just the right amount of stupidity and cleverness to make it truly funny and enjoyable. Plus, Kristy Swanson was just awesome as Buffy.

4. Billy Madison – Adam Sandler as a spoiled rich kid that has to go back through each year of grade school. Need I say anything else? Adam Sandler is one of the most talented comedians ever. He’s amazing and I have yet to see a movie of his that I haven’t found hilarious, but this is for sure my favorite of his.

3. Superbad – This movie brought back so many memories of how high school should have been… except for the whole geeky boys that are incredibly awkward thing. But anyway, this movie was hilarious. I had to pause it at parts because I was laughing so hard that I was missing stuff. It definitely brought back the feel of high school and how you wish you could have ended things. Plus, who doesn’t love a 25 year old organ donor from Hawaii named McLovin? I mean, that’s just awesome.

2. The Hangover – Ok, this one is actually more of a tie with my number one. I couldn’t decide whether this or the other should be number one so I just kind tossed a coin and this is where this landed. I can’t even explain to you how bad my stomach hurt after I watched this. I laughed non-stop throughout the entire thing. And then, after it came out on video, I watched it again and laughed even harder because I knew what scenes were coming up. Awesome, awesome movie. Especially because all of us have had, or should have at some point, one of those nights where you wake up the next morning and think, “What the hell happened last night?”

1. Pineapple Express – If you have not seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for? This movie was the reason that James Franco and Seth Rogen are now my favorite actors. Who knew James Franco could be funny? Him and Rogen were just incredible in this. They had such good chemistry with each other and they just played off of each other so well. Such a great comedy, you really need to go rent it. Just be prepared to laugh for the entire two hours.

Alice in Wonderland

Jessie's thoughts:
5 pops

What can I say about this really? Tim Burton is a freakin genius and I absolutely love all of his work and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There are two of my favorite books so it’s no surprise that I loved this movie. It was exactly what I would expect from a Tim Burton version of this classic tale. It was a little bit creepy, had beautiful imagery, a little bit innocent and an incredibly unique take on a story that was not necessarily meant to be a fairy tale. The way that Lewis Carroll describes Wonderland was not the utopian version that you see in Disney’s first Alice in Wonderland movie. Tim Burton actually got it a little closer to the book with his darker, yet still beautiful, portrayal.

In addition to the beautiful imagery, the acting was incredible. I mean, yeah, it was just amazing. Mia Wasikowska was absolutely perfect as Alice. She had the innocent, somewhat naïve, but still strong thing absolutely down pat. Johnny Depp, of course, was incredible as the Mad Hatter. He is one of the very few actors that are actually able to become his character and not just play a part. However, I think he was for once given a run for his money by someone else in the movie. Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen was perfect. I mean, she was just amazing and I don’t really know how else to describe it. Anne Hathaway, though I doubted her at first, was also great as the White Queen. The casting was just incredible. They definitely had the perfect actors for this movie and the casting was a lot of what made this movie so wonderful.

I definitely think this is a must-see for everyone. I think that adults will enjoy it just as much, if not more, than kids. It is absolutely perfect for all ages. Even if you aren’t a huge Alice in Wonderland fan, I still think that you’ll like this movie simply because of the incredible imagery and acting in it. I do agree with Adam, however, on the fact that you don't necessarily have to see it in 3D. The 3D thing didn't really make too much of a difference to me and ultimately just gave me a headache. But, it was a great movie and will definitely be one that I add to my DVD collection as soon as it’s available.

Adam's thoughts:
4 pops

Okay the above score is 'interesting’ because we ended up seeing this movie in 3D and I’m not sure if the score should be adjusted based on if you see it in 3D or not. Burton did a fantastic job, as he always does, in turning a kid’s cute story and twisting it into something a bit more dramatic. It’s the classic story we all remember but far more interesting than before. The 3D was cool, but I don’t think you have to see this movie in 3D. Not like Avatar where 50% of the reason you watched it was for the 3D environment. No, Wonderland could be seen on the regular screen and you would get just as much enjoyment out of it. Depp was excellent as the Mad Hatter and he alone might be the biggest reason to see this movie. The man has an ability of playing multiple roles and in this he needed that skill. The special effects were well blended with the real actors making it seamless. The story still held on to its classic roots but was much more in depth allowing you to really feel like you were seeing it for the first time. All in all this movie is a must see and forking over the extra money to see it in the theater is definitely worth it. As far as whether or not you see it in 3D is up to you. I think movie companies these days stick the 3D tag on a movie just to earn a few extra bucks when in reality you don’t need it at all.

If anything you could always keep those big 3D Imax goggles and scare your neighbors when you get home.

Classic Movie Review: The Boondock Saints (1999)

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of The Boondock Saints, there are a few theaters across the country that are having a special screening of the original movie on March 11th. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you really need to go buy your tickets now! Even if you have already seen it, this is an incredible opportunity to see this amazing movie on the big screen once again so go get your tickets. Also, the sequel, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, will be out on DVD March 9th.

Jessie's thoughts:
5 pops

The first time that I watched The Boondock Saints, I was astounded. This was one of the best movies that I had ever seen and yet it had been out for 5 years and I’d never heard of it before. It was such a well-done, unique movie and yet it was not a hit at the box office at all. In fact, it was not even on the box office radar. It wasn’t until after this movie came to video that it became such a big success purely through word of mouth.
Now, I have to say, one of the reasons that I love this movie as much as I do is because the acting is just incredible. This movie was such a low-budget film and yet you really wouldn’t know that from watching it. Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery play Murphy and Connor McManus and the first time that I watched this, I actually thought that the actors were Irish. They do the accents so well and you really, truly can believe that they’re brothers except that they don’t really look anything alike. Willem Dafoe, David Della Rocco and Billy Connelly are also big players in the movie and they’re amazing. I honestly don’t think there’s one person in this film that did not do an incredible job.
Plus, the movie really has everything that you could want in a film. It is definitely an action flick, but there is just the right amount of comedy in there as well. It’s funny enough that at times you will for sure be laughing out loud, but there’s not so much that it takes away from the more serious plot line. I definitely think that there’s something in this movie for everyone.
But, even though I absolutely love this movie, there are a couple of things that I didn’t really like but they are so insignificant that they really just don’t matter that much. I just feel like I have to throw them out there to be fair to this review. First of all, what two brothers do you know that dress identically all the time? I get that they probably did that so you would know that they are twins since it doesn’t ever actually say that in the movie, but it really is a little weird and it kind of got on my nerves just a little. And, as a friend of mine pointed out to me, it’s not super realistic on the way that it portrays the Catholic church. That really isn’t a huge deal to me since I’m not Catholic and I don’t really know that much about the religion, but you may want to keep that in mind if you are.
Other than those little things, though, this movie is amazing. It’s a definite must-see for everyone, I believe. Although, you might want to let the kids sit out on this one since there’s a lot of violence and a lot of language. It is for sure a cult classic that has made it’s way on to my favorites list and will be there pretty much forever.

Adam's thoughts:
5 pops

What can I say? This is my all time favorite movie. You all know I have nothing but praise for it. If any of you have been a friend of mine you’ll know how much I like this movie by how often I recommend it. It is a must see for anyone who has never seen it. The movie went back to how movies used to be done. Not a whole lot of special effects just plain good acting and an awesome story. The acting was well done by the two main characters. There was chemistry there that you could see and feel. Besides Willem Dafoe is in this movie as a gay cop. That’s just awesome!

Troy Duffy wrote and directed this movie and you could tell he went for a style unlike anyone else’s. I agree with my cohort that it doesn’t portray the Catholic Church correctly. It doesn’t portray it at all! There is maybe ONE scene where they are in a catholic church and then the rest of the movie is about the two on there quest to rid the world of evil as God's hand. Who cares if it didn’t get the religion correct? It wasn’t about that. It was about good men fighting evil men because they should. The fact that they were Irish only gave it style. True, the brothers dressed a lot alike but I think this fact only unified their coolness. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m kind of a closet geek and if me and my little brother went on a mob hunt with automatic weapons I’d INSIST on wearing identical clothing and sunglasses. We’d also have to smoke.. That’s a must.

So this movie had its cultish quirks but I think it gave the movie the needed style to set it apart. Not to mention that the story and the acting make this movie top notch. The comedy comes in as realistic as possible. Think about it, you're out with some friends at a house, your drinking…. A LOT! There is semi-automatic weapons on the table in front of you, an annoying cat is licking up some mess on the table nearby, your pissed for being underappreciated at your job, you slam your hands on the table pissed off and oops one of the guns go off and the cat is dead. I could SOO see that happening in real life. All the comedy is well placed.

I really don’t have anything bad to say about this movie. No negatives at all. Go see it and if you don’t then you’re a dummy. Really… who wants to be a dummy these days.

Now I’m off to go buy a matching jumpsuit and sunglasses with my brother, Jake.

The Crazies

Adam's thoughts:
3 pops

I know that 3 out of 5 seems a bit average, but this movie was not that bad. It has some very good qualities. Especially if you like that survivor horror movie you get from most zombie flicks. But, that’s the problem. When looking at this movie I can not find any unique aspects to it. Granted, we’re not dealing with zombies which was a nice change but it still had that feel of the end of the world and people dieing and turning. There were still plots of a survivor being infected and the small group getting taken out one at a time. Now that doesn’t mean this movie wasn’t good. If you enjoy these types of gory movies then you’ll enjoy this one as well. The acting wasn’t bad and there were some heart pounding moments as far as a scary movie is concerned. I just felt when looking back at all the other movies of this genre that I wasn’t really seeing anything that wasn’t already done by another movie. Maybe I’m just spent on this kind of film. So in my opinion you don’t have to go to the theater to see this. But if it’s a rainy Saturday night with your loved one and you want to see a flick, this one is the one to rent. It's gory, it's action packed and it’s not slow at all. The movie takes on a pace that gets it right into the end of the world very quickly. The only other thing that disappointed me was it bought into that similar gimmick all movies fall into these days, a cliffhanger for a sequel. I don’t mind sequels but I also don’t think every single movie needs to be put in a series. I think that’s just a way for the movie producers to keep making money off the franchise. What happened to the good old classic movies that were one in the same? Also I’m tired of seeing re-makes. That isn’t a slam against this movie, though, because although it’s a re-make the, original is so damn old no one knows what it is and when it was made the budget was so low that the movie just wouldn’t be that enjoyable today. This one was a good choice to re-make. Well I think my rant for this one is over. Now time to go rock myself back and forth in a corner and paint my face with a crayon.

Jessie's thoughts:
4 pops

I loved this movie and I’m so not even going to pretend like I didn’t. It was very suspenseful, very creepy, fairly unique and incredibly entertaining. There was not one moment that I was bored at all. There were a few parts that were definitely cheesy and kind of stereotypical, but whatever, it was still good. And I just have to say that the use of the music was amazing and I loved that it wasn’t the typical thriller music that you’re used to. There were actually scenes that gave me goosebumps because the music just fit so well with what was going on.
Now, I’ve never seen the original of this movie so I don’t know how to compare this re-make with it, but I can definitely say that this was very, very well-made. For all of the zombie movie lovers out there, you’ll definitely want to see this one. The people aren’t actually zombies but they’re close enough. I think that this was definitely a good pick for a re-make. Unlike Adam, I love it when they re-make old scary movies as long as they improve upon the original and don’t make it seem like a spoof.
I think that if you enjoy the survivor, zombie-ish, almost post-apocalypse type of genre then you should definitely see this one and I really don’t think that you’ll be disappointed. If you’re not so into the gory blood and guts type of thing, though, this one probably is one you should skip. Alright, I’m off to go take the crayon away from Adam and slap him back into reality... again.

Classic Movie Review: Night of the Living Dead (1990)

Adam's thoughts:
4 pops

For me this set the standard for traditional Zombie movies. It was low budget and yet you felt like you were watching a truly good cinema. Now don’t get me wrong, at this point in the present movies made back in 1990 can seem cheesy, especially the horror movies. Director Tom Savini did an alright job and writers John A. Russo and George A. Romero were a great team. Actress Patricia Tallman was about the only really good thing to see in this movie. Tony Todds acting was a bit over played and dramatic but you still ended up liking his character. The movie zombies were the best. The classic moaning and slow walking undead you expect. They looked dead too and for a movie that doesn’t have any cgi or crap in it, that is a major accomplishment.

About the only thing I can say badly about this movie was the damn screaming! Katie Finneran is in this movie playing a character named Judy Rose and the chick screams every 5 seconds! It gets to the point where you are wincing and holding your ears. That's about the only bad thing I can say about this movie. The rest of it is just plain classic. If you’ve never seen this movie and you enjoy the classics, go see it. It’s not overly scary but it has its moments. Mostly it’s just a good old zombie flick.

Jessie's thoughts:
3 pops

So... this was pretty classic, I'm not gonna lie. I agree with Adam that the zombies were amazing. They looked so real and were actually what you think of when you think of zombies - the walking dead. I'm so sick of how people now-a-days try to explain why the zombies are the way they are - there was an infection that got loose, some sort of chemical warfare, no one knows exactly but we think it's because of blah, blah, blah. Zombies are supposed to be the walking dead, does there really have to be a reason that they've come back to eat people? I think not! In that sense, this movie was awesome. Nobody knew why there were zombies that were trying to eat people, they just knew that they had to kill the zombies before the zombies could kill them.
However there were a couple of things that I didn't like, but I think that's mostly because this was made in 1990 and I'm just used to movies now. The first thing was what Adam said - the screaming. I mean, come on chick, there are flesh eating zombies everywhere and you're gonna scream every two seconds so you can attract even more of them to you? Really? You're an idiot. The second thing I didn't like was that at first all the women were portrayed in the stereotypical, early 90's way of being helpless and only being good for screaming and running. But, that later turned to something that I liked with one of the women because she became pretty badass as the movie went on. The movie was also very low budget and it shows. But, I think that knowing that this was an independent, low-budget film made in 1990 actually made me appreciate it a little bit more because you can see how much they were able to do with the little that they had.
Overall, I definitely think this is a classic horror movie that you must see if you like horror movies at all. It began the whole zombie craze, and who doesn't love zombies? I mean, really, zombies make the best villains. So, on one of those nights when you really don't have anything to do and you're in the mood for a cheesy, classic horror movie, you should for sure watch this one.

Shutter Island

Jessie's thoughts:
4 pops

You know, this movie was pretty “wow”. It was appropriately creepy at times but it was more suspenseful than an actual horror. It was definitely the type of movie that will get into your head and really make you think about it after you watch it.
What I really liked and enjoyed about it was that I thought I knew exactly what was going on and what was gonna happen and then at the end I realized that I was totally wrong. Part of it was somewhat predictable but the details are what threw me. I actually would love to go see this movie a second time now that I know what happens. It’s one of those movies that you kind of have to see twice, I think, to completely appreciate all the subtle hints and imagery.
Now, even though this was a very psychologically thrilling movie, there were some parts that were kind of slow. Don’t get me wrong, 95% of the time I was totally into the movie and really, really enjoyed it, but it was that other 5% that kept this from getting 5 pops from me. There were just a few places that kind of lagged. But that’s really the only bad thing I can say about it, and that’s really not too big of a deal. Leonardo DiCaprio was wonderful as usual, Mark Ruffalo was equally impressive, and the storyline was very unique and entertaining. This is a definite must see.

Adam's thoughts:
4 pops

I was very impressed with this movie. I find myself pleasantly surprised when I watch a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio in it. He is a brilliant actor and I think sometimes he is overlooked. The movie itself was a surprise, I found myself enjoying this movie when I did not have very high expectations. It took you on a compelling ride of the mind. One moment you believe you know what is going on and then the next they reveal a loop. I thought I had figured the movie out in the beginning but there were definitely some twists I did not see coming. Director Martin Scorsese did a wonderful job in capturing the theme in this film. You wanted to know what would happen next, something a lot of films are messing up these days.

The film could have used a little bit of a pick up. The only bad thing I can say about it was that it was slow. You spent a lot of time in his dreams and a lot of time in the man's head before anything revealing happened. Of course, most of it was to hint at the twist at the end but maybe in its delivery it could have been done differently. But even in this negative statement I still don’t find it that bad of a quality. It wasn’t as slow as some other movies and still kept me entertained.

I highly recommend you see this movie, I don’t know if you have to see it in theaters but I think on the big screen it was more enjoyable. The theme and the actors managed to come across better at least in my mind. If you don’t want to push the dough to see it in theaters then you have to rent this one. It's worth watching.

Top 5: Horror

Adam's Top 5:

5. Shaun of the Dead - Now I know some of you are thinking wait… that’s not a horror film. I don’t care its being placed in this category. It has a couple of scary moments and plenty of zombies therefore it fits. Simon Pegg and his co-star Nick Frost did a wonderful job. There were a lot of laughs in this movie and if you haven’t seen it you need to. You know you and your friends have talked about what you would do in a zombie apocalypse. I bet none of you had the bright idea of holding up in a bar. These two did and that gives them bonus points. Zombies and Beer. Hello heaven.

4. The Blair Witch Project - Okay so I know the camera work was shitty and the acting wasn’t all that great. Who wants to stare up that chick’s nose for 40 minutes while she cries. I swear that part had me dry vomiting. But all that aside, it was re-inventing. The fact that the group managed to get a lot of people psyched and believing that this crap was real before the movie even came out was brilliant. The movie itself even had is scary moments and although it caused some people motion sickness, it had a way of putting you ‘there’. If anyone’s ever been on a camping trip and been scared out of their mind then this movie will hit home. It’s at least worth watching ‘once’ in your life.

3. Halloween (The Rob Zombie re-make) - So the classic in itself is good, but Mr. Zombie did an excellent job remaking it in his own image. He was able to still keep it in it's classic style but put enough modern twist to it that it brought the ‘scare’ back into Halloween. Even the music was brought back and can now re-install terror into the minds of people who didn’t have the chance to be scared by the first one. For that and his way of recapturing the old film, Mr. Zombie gets placed on the number 3 list.

2. The Grudge - This movie I know didn’t scare many. But it hit home with me. One, it was a classic Japanese horror story brought to life in the real world. It was one of the better movies Sarah Michelle Gellar was in. I think what made it for me was that it was ‘different’ than some of the horror movies that had been out at the time. True supernatural terror. Those little kids were scary as hell and kept me up for weeks. One of my friends had managed to mimic that low crawl throat noise one of the monsters did and he scared me for hours by creeping up behind me and doing that. Now, I’m no little girl when it comes to scary movies but for some reason this one struck home with me. Once again as far as horror movies go this one you need to go see at least once. For some people it wont be scary at all, for others it will be a one time watch and then a week of no sleep.

1. Paranormal Activity - HOLY CRAP. Okay so if the damn Grudge was scary this one was terrifying! This group of college kids who put this movie out knew EXACTLY what to do. The whole movie is filmed on low budget equipment and had a cast of about 5 people. Didn’t matter. I’m telling you kids, keep an eye on Oren Pili. The guy is going to make some excellent horror films in the future. This movie started with a low creep up your spine until you were about ready to wet yourself. The ending wasn’t exactly what you expect but it was enough of a hit that it left you shaking. I’m STILL having nightmares about that movie and it’s been out for a while now. If you haven’t seen it, it is a must rent! The movie is out now on DVD and from what I understand it has an alternate ending that you can watch. I might rent it to see the alternate ending but I’m still not sure if I’m over how scary it was. This hits home on my number 1 list just because of how scared it made me. If a movie can freak me out that bad it deserves this spot in my horror movie collection.

Jessie's Top 5:

So, before I start this list, I think you should know that my absolute favorite genre is horror. I love anything even remotely categorized as scary and it was incredibly difficult to pick just 5 top horror movies and I’m sure that I’m forgetting some that I absolutely love and just can’t think of right now. I decided to base my list on the top 5 movies that scared me the most. These are all movies that gave me nightmares and still to this day will sometimes pop into my head at night and creep me out.


5. The Skeleton Key – This had the most unique story line and it was definitely creepy. I think this one was more of a psychologically scary movie but it for sure got into my head and really freaked me out. And the twist at the end was just amazing. I did not see that one coming at all and it’s because of that twist that this movie made it on to my list.


4. Quarantine – This genuinely scared the crap out of me. It was so well done with the whole feel-like-you’re-there thing, but it wasn’t the shaky make-you-feel-nauseous camera work like The Blair Witch Project. The story line made sense, it even made sense why there was someone filming the entire thing, and it was truly creepy. It was also a very unique horror movie which you really don’t see too many of these days.


3. The Grudge – Alright, now I know a lot of people thought this movie was stupid but it gave me nightmares for like two weeks. Not even kidding. I still sometimes think that creepy little kid/cat thing is gonna be looking at me from the edge of my bed when I wake up. I wouldn’t even let my sister mention this movie for 3 or 4 months after I saw it, and I still won’t watch it for a second time. Once was enough, thank you very much. Even writing about it is giving me the heebie jeebies.


2. Halloween (the original) – How could you have a top 5 horror movie list and not include the original Halloween? This is my all time favorite scary movie. I think this was the second scary movie that I ever watched (Scream being the first) and it totally got me hooked on this genre. It’s just the ultimate scary movie and it was the first of it’s kind which in and of itself makes it incredible. I mean, what else can I say, it’s Halloween!


1. Paranormal Activity – This was the most original, most freaky movie that I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s definitely true that what you don’t see is a lot creepier than what you do. This movie was done so realistically and it just was incredible. There were actually parts in this movie that I couldn’t watch because the suspense was too great. That’s never happened to me before. There have been movies that I’ve looked away from because the scene was just too gross to watch, but I’ve never had to look away from a movie because I was too scared to see what came next until this one. This was definitely the scariest movie that I’ve ever seen in my life and I think that everyone should see this movie. Well, only if you’re willing to sleep with a light on for the next two weeks…



We know that this is a little different than our usual reviews, but there just wasn't anything playing this weekend that either of us really wanted to watch. Let us know in the comments if you like this type of blog and if you want us to do more like these, or if you'd rather just read the regular reviews.

Edge of Darkness

Jessie's Thoughts:
2 pops

Oh, this was so sad. I was so incredibly excited to see Mel Gibson in another action movie where he played a cop, and I had high expectations for this movie but it just didn’t deliver. Sure, there was Mel Gibson. And come on, he’s like the best actor ever, but even he was not enough to carry this movie. From the previews, it was supposed to be a high action movie where a cop was trying to avenge his daughter’s death. In actuality, it was an incredibly slow, boring movie that I almost fell asleep in a couple of times. In fact, the only reason that I’m giving this movie 2 pops instead of 1 is because Mel Gibson was in it and the rest of the actors did an amazing job. The storyline should have been really cool and interesting, but the delivery was horrible. It literally just crawled along and I just kept hoping that it was over but it never seemed to end!
Mel Gibson was amazing, as always, and the little girl that played his young daughter, Gabrielle Popa, was incredible. Like I said before, it had an awesome, very unique storyline to it as well, but they just totally screwed it up with the delivery. I honestly don’t know what else to say about it. I was extremely disappointed and I really hope that the next movie Mel Gibson does is executed better. This movie was just not good enough for him and it made me sad to watch it. I would not suggest seeing this movie at all unless you’re a Gibson fan, and even then I’m not sure I would suggest seeing it. If you’re not a fan of his, then it’s just not worth the time.

Adam's Thoughts:
2 Pops

So this one wasn’t so good. Don’t get me wrong its worth watching if someone rents it or you see it on HBO. Don’t bother paying the 10 bucks or whatever it costs to see it in theaters. The plotline is ‘alright’ but the only thing this movie has going for it is Mel. The dude is still a superb actor despite the “crazy” parts of his personality. The plotline could have been great if the delivery of it was better. It was overly complex and yet delivered slow. The beat never picked up. The few times action erupted in the movie, it was over quick and there wasn’t enough to really spark this movie as an "action" flick. Not that I think it was intended to be but when the most exciting part of the movie is when Mel shoots his gun and that’s all anyone wants to see? Then you can’t call this movie anything else.

Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t shake my head at anyone if they still end up going to see it. Mel is a good actor and I’m a long time fan so if you feel like spending the cash go see it. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

When In Rome

Jessie's Thoughts:
3 pops

When In Rome… well… it was good. I mean, if you like romantic comedies then you will love this movie. It had a fairly unique love story (as unique as you can get with a romantic comedy) and it was definitely entertaining. I was literally cracking up at a lot of different parts and I was not bored at any time. Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel are both wonderful actors and they definitely had some chemistry which made it interesting to watch. There’s nothing worse than watching a romantic comedy and being able to tell that the actors can’t stand each other in real life. There were also some other amazing actors in this that definitely did not get enough press. Danny Devito, John Heder and Dax Shepard were amazing in this. They were hilarious and I did not know that any of them were in this movie except Dax Shepard. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to see Danny Devito pop up in this movie especially since I haven’t seen him in anything in so long!
Overall, I think this movie was very enjoyable. It was funny but it still had the romantic thing going on and they couldn’t have gotten better actors for any of the characters. There were some unique aspects to the movie which you just don’t get a lot in romantic comedies. I for sure think that this movie is worth seeing, but you could skip seeing it in the theater. It was funny and very cute, but unless you just absolutely love romantic comedies you can rent this one and still get the same effects.

Adam's Thoughts:
3 Pops

Yes I gave it 3. No I’m not gay. Yes I can like romantic comedies and I don’t need to just say that to get in good with a chick. This thing wasn’t bad. I laughed. I was entertained. You can’t want more from a chick flick like this one. The concept was alright and more appealing then the standard "guy meets girl". Of course it was predictable, what romantic comedy isn’t? But it wasn’t so standard that you lose track or dislike it. I, with my co-reviewer here, agreed that the fact that Devito was in it was a pleasant surprise to me. (No I don’t usually look at the cast listing prior to seeing the movie, I mostly just watch previews like the rest of you do). Strictly from a guys perspective, Kristen Bell is F’n hot. She should be reason enough for a guy to go see this. Just ‘pretend’ your not staring at her when the girl you brought on a date glances at you. If she asks if you think she’s pretty just respond in the safest way imaginable, “Not as pretty as you.” (Insert your smile here). Granted, that might not be the best way to respond but your not reading this for my dating advice. In conclusion for you guys, if you have to take your chick to see something this weekend and she’s screaming it's her pick, this movie isn’t a bad choice; you’ll at least be entertained. Heck, surprise her and offer this as your pick and she might just reward you for being such a nice guy.

Legion

Jessie's thoughts:
3½ pops

Now, when I first saw the trailer for Legion I thought that it was going to be a bad combination of Constantine and Terminator. However, the more I watched the trailer the better it looked and the more excited I got for this movie. After watching it this weekend, I gotta say that this movie is exactly what I thought it was going to be. They totally combined the story lines of Constantine and Terminator and ended up with Legion. Unlike my original opinion, though, I don’t think that it was necessarily a bad combination. In fact, I kind of loved this movie. Now, in order to understand why I liked this movie as much as I did, you should probably know that I love action/horror movies and Legion was right up that alley. Also, Constantine and Terminator are two of my all time favorite movies so of course I’d love a movie that combined the two!

The action scenes were incredible and there were plenty of them so I was definitely entertained throughout the movie. There were a couple of parts that the dialogue seemed to be getting a little long-winded, but then someone would kill something and I’d be all interested again. I loved the way that Paul Bettany portrayed his character, Michael. He did a fantastic job of bridging the line between soldier of God and just being downright crazy and actually made Michael seem very realistic which I don’t consider to be a very easy task. I also thought that Dennis Quaid and Tyrese Gibson were amazing but come on, it’s Dennis Quaid and Tyrese Gibson. I’ve never seen a movie that they weren’t incredible in. However, I was very disappointed in the actors that played Jeep and Charlie. Jeep was played by Lucas Black who I’ve seen be so great in other things. In this, though, they totally could have changed actors and I would not have even noticed let alone cared. I don’t understand what went wrong there! Charlie, Adrianne Palicki, should have been the main focus of this movie and she should have been someone that you felt for and wanted to root for. But… I really couldn’t force myself to care too much about her. Instead, I was blown away by Paul Bettany and found myself really empathizing with his character and wanting him to survive more than Charlie. I also thought the chemistry between Charlie and Jeep was so incredibly forced and almost painful to watch. It seemed to me like they just threw in this almost love story between the two characters just because they could. This should have been an action movie through and through and in order to do that, they should have just left out most of the scenes between Charlie and Jeep.

However, the action scenes were definitely great and I did really like the almost zombie apocalypse but for a reason thing they had going on in the movie. I also think that a lot of the reason that I liked this movie so much was because I agree with the way they portrayed the angels as being soldiers and not cute little cherubic babies that are just so darn sweet. However, if you are not a big fan of seeing angels in a fierce and almost horrific light then this movie is probably not one you would want to see. It’s also a very stereo-typical action movie. It’s kind of corny and the entire movie really rests on the action sequences and a few of the actors’ shoulders. If you like typical, blow-everything-up-and-kill-everyone action movies like I do, then you definitely will like this movie and should for sure see it in the theater. If not, this is probably one that you should wait to rent or just skip all together.

Adam's thoughts:
3 pops

This movie was exactly what I wanted. Don’t get me wrong, you’d think I’d give a movie that I "wanted" to see 5 pops or I’d expect that kind of performance. Not here. I really believed that this movie was going to be about a 3 and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m a huge fan of Dennis Quaid and although he has been "in" disappointing movies, he himself rarely disappoints. Now I wouldn’t say this movie was a disappointment at all. Come on, angels coming from heaven and killing people and Michael cutting off his own wings and letting loose with multiple automatic weaponry... it’s what you expect from an action film with angels in it.

I agree with Jessie that this movie definitely has a ring to Constantine and Terminator. That is SO not a bad thing. Those movies were awesome. This one was good too but it just couldn’t carry the torch. I agree that the acting was a little rough between the characters of Jeep and Charlie (not to mention who names their kid Jeep?) but the actors who played them could have been anyone. Neither of the actors flared on the screen. Luckily, there are two things in this world with the initials DQ that you can always count on... Dairy Queen and Dennis Quaid. And Dennis Quaid was about the only reason to go to see this movie if you ask me. Well him and the explosions and Angels in full wing fighting with there Wing Fu. (Yes I said Wing Fu)

Overall if you’re into seeing some alright special effects and you like seeing them on the big screen then this is definitely one you’ll want to hit the theaters for. If you don’t mind watching such things on your home entertainment system then definitely at least rent this movie. It is a ‘should’ see not a ‘must’ see. Now… on to my Wing Fu lesson.

The Book of Eli

Jessie's thoughts:

I gotta say, I really liked this movie and enjoyed it a lot. I think that sometimes, the whole post-apocalypse movie thing can be very cliché if you’re not careful, and even though this movie had a little cliché-ness going on, it still managed to be unique. It actually was a lot different then I expected it to be and I liked it even more then I thought I would.
The first thing that I loved was that they didn’t dwell on how the world “used to be.” They kind of quickly explained what happened just to throw that in there, but the movie was a post-apocalypse setting and I really liked that they remembered that and didn’t try to do the whole memory flashback to how it all used to be.
I also thought the cinematography was incredible. The way they shot these scenes were just beautiful. You’re looking at this very desolate, deserted place but they still managed to portray it in a kind of heart-breakingly beautiful way. It was a very different portrayal then the normal depressing, everything’s-horrible-even-the landscape type of way that most post-apocalypse, well, anything is usually portrayed in.
The acting was incredible. Denzel Washington and Mila Kunis were amazing and I don’t think that they could have chosen two better actors for these roles. The story line was interesting, unique and very straight-forward which you don’t normally see in these types of movies.
Now on to the not-so-enjoyable parts, which there were very few of. The first thing that I didn’t really like was that the movie was a little slow. I expected this movie to be a lot of action and a little plot, and it turned out to be a lot of plot and average action. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but there were a few parts that were kind of slow-moving and almost boring. On a personal level, I also had a little bit of an issue with the story but I’m trying to keep this as unbiased as possible so I’m not going to delve too far into that. Let’s just say that if you are not too into the Christian religion thing, you may have a little bit of an issue with the message that this movie gives off. But, all in all I think that this is a definite must see. If you aren’t in to the whole post-apocalypse/sci-fi thing, though, you may want to wait till this one is available to rent. It wasn’t too science fiction-y but it was definitely enough that if you really don’t like that genre, you may not want to waste the time or money to go see this one in the theater. Overall, I give this movie 4 pops.


Adam's thoughts:

So, yeah, it’s a post apocalypse world, but its not what you expect. For instance, the world is beautifully portrayed. The shots were almost artistic in capturing that beauty that you would not expect from a world destroyed by atomic destruction. Washington kicked capital A, one of his best roles in my opinion.. He played the heroic selfless action star that only he could. You felt for this guy when he was in his darkest hour and you cheered when he messed some bad dudes up.

I felt the plot line was simple, The main character Eli had this book that he didn’t want in the bad guys hands. As easy to follow as that story is they managed to make it complex enough that it kept you intrigued all the way to the end. The bad guy was evil but they didn’t spend a nasty time developing why. He was evil the moment he was on screen and you didn’t need to know why. He was the kind of bad guy you enjoy watching on screen and Gary Oldman played him very well.

There is a plot twist in the end of the movie and I am not going to give it away here, but it did catch me off guard. I’m one who usually is able to predict the plot twists but I didn’t see it coming. It was the kind of plot twist that you didn’t see at all and when you look back at the movie you only realize then that they gave you tons of hints. Very well done, now I want to go back and watch it again just to see all the hints that I missed!

The bad with it and the thing keeping it from 5 pops is what Jessie said. It’s a little long winded when it comes to some of the shots. What I did see that I didn’t feel was negative as Jessie did was that it did have some religious overtones. Now I’m not as opinionated as some people might be about religion but I do feel that this message that the movie overall attempted to state wasn’t religious in its own right. The message was one we all can relate to no matter our religious beliefs or upbringing. I did feel that the movie was slow at points and made me wonder when the next moment was. With breath taking action in this movie I’d like to have seen a bit more of an upbeat to the over all plot delivery.

Over all this movie is rich in plotline, character and cinematic beauty. It’s a must see and kicks off the start of this year rather well. I think it is a must go to the theater and I wouldn’t miss it. Have fun kids… but uh don’t bring your kids. (kind of gory.)