Crazy Stupid Love

This movie is crazy, awesome fun. It is one of the best romantic comedies to come out in awhile with the same feel as When Harry Met Sally. It covers old love, new love, true love, disintegrating love, unrequited love, and plain ol' lust. There's something sweet about a wounded Steve Carell that makes me want to take care of him, so I fell even more in love Ryan Gosling when he does. Everyone in the film has great chemistry, created a wonderfully relatable cast. The best though is Steve Carell's son, a lovelorn 13 year old, convinced that his soul mate in his 17 year old babysitter. He's truly the heart of the film. A film that steals your heart and makes you laugh until you can't breathe.

Fright Night (2011)

This is one of those rare moments when a remake is better than the original. I liked everything about this movie from the actors and the characters they played to the story and dialogue. A perfect horror comedy filled with all the fun and chills expected from the hybrid genre thanks in large part to the incredible script by Marti Noxon. Colin Farrell plays the perfect dangerous, alluring and sexy vampire which contrasts well with Anton Yelchin's geeky boy next door. This was positively a truly entertaining film and worth watching and laughing at again and again.

Colombiana

Luc Besson has done it again. Another great film featuring a deadly female assassin just looking for some peace of mind. I love watching a chick kicking ass and Zoe Saldana was kicking it good. You don't want to fuck with Cataleya or get on her list, because she will fuck you up and mark you with the orchid she's named after.   

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Don't go in expecting to see a horror movie, because it isn't. It really is a gothic fairy tale with some creepy moments, but nothing classifying as true horror. It would be scary to a child, like a fairy tale would, with a moral to the story. As per usual for a Guillermo Del Torro film, the art direction was fantastic. The creepy old mansion was beautiful and magical just like all the environments in his films. It's one of those movies that are better to watch with little distractions so you can get sucked in and live in the world the film as created because it heavily relies on atmosphere. Quietly follow the whispers and let the dark wash over you.

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

Violence. Blood. Violence. Violence. Half-naked man. Violence. Half-naked women. Violence. Violence. Violence. Sex. Violence. Violence. Violence. If this sounds like fun to you, then see the movie. I had fun watching the most ridiculous and amoral film I have ever seen.

Final Destination 5

I remember watching the first Final Destination and thinking it was so cool and different. I remember watching the second hoping for the same. I remember reluctantly watching the third, but getting the same thrill in watching stupid teenagers die. I remember being excited to watch the fourth in 3D and enjoying the death scenes. I was excited to see the fifth and I was not let down. As usual with any horror sequel the plot comes second to the elaborate death scenes this franchise is known for, but who goes to a horror sequel for the plot anyway? The whole movie felt like a homage to the entire franchise, with beginning and ending montages featuring all the death scenes in every single installment and creating a full circle effect. This movie works because it embodies the theme of all the Final Destination films: what goes around comes around.

The Ward (DVD)

John Carpenter's name is synonymous with horror and it was sad to see his latest film have a limited theatrical release with just a quick hop to DVD. Though this isn't one of his great films, it is still better than most of the generic horror films released today. It's a mix of Girl Interrupted and Shutter Island with a cliché ending that needs to stop being used, but it was watchable because Carpenter knows what he's doing. He knows how to handle suspense.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

I remember watching bits and pieces of the endless marathons of all the Planet of the Apes movies on AMC when I was kid. The movies got stranger and stranger and I quickly lost interest. This film brings the interest back. A great origin story that could be believable. I was hesitant when I first heard about the film because who needs another Planet of the Apes film, especially one starring the over-hyped James Franco, but after the first trailers were released, I was interested. What really makes this film work are the nods to the other films in the series, giving it a nostalgic feel. So enjoyable on a hot August night.

Season of the Witch (DVD)

Another film that belongs in the Nicolas Cage subgenre. This time crazy Cage is a rogue Crusades soldier in charge of transporting a witch to some monks who will "take care of her". It's fun. It's campy. It's worth renting if you're in the right mood. Ron Perlman and Nic Cage have good chemistry and enjoyed working together. The fact that the movie doesn't take itself seriously, is what makes it work.

Cowboys and Aliens

Ingredients for a summer blockbuster: cowboys, aliens, James Bond, Harrison Ford, and a "hot" chick. Blend together and serve. This movie is exactly what you expect, a mixture of all five things creating a fun popcorn movie perfect for beating the heat in an air conditioned theater. I know it got bad reviews, but really, what were the critics expecting? It is what it is, just a fun, tongue-in-cheek, genre-bending blockbuster.

Horrible Bosses

Everyone in this movie is funny. The three main characters are funny and so are their rotten bosses. Not only does this film do a wonderful job portraying the insane dynamic between the working stiff and his crazy boss, but it also does a great job playing upon the fantasies of disgruntled employees. Who hasn't thought about murdering their evil superior? The best part was definitely Jennifer Aniston playing against type as the sex-crazed dentist. She should consider stepping outside of her Rachel comfort zone more often, because when she does, she's amazing.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

While waiting in line for 8+ hours for the midnight showing of the final Harry Potter film, memories filled my head. I remembered all the different friends and family I watched all the Potter films with and how much things have changed over the last 10 years. Friends coming and going, me growing up and changing, but there would always be a Harry Potter film, until now. Though I didn't become a fan until the fifth movie, I still saw every single film in theaters and I was excited and sad to watch the last. It was the best film in the series because of its emotional core. The writer, director, actors, etc. perfectly portrayed the last moments of Harry and his friends as they stand together and battle Voldemort. The final battle is epic filled with touching scenes giving each character a proper goodbye. I hope that some of the performances, such as Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, do get nominated for academy awards because they are truly deserving. A perfect ending to a decade.

Drive Angry (DVD)

Since National Treasure, I've tried to keep my distance from Nicolas Cage films because they tend to be a little, well, bad, with a few exceptions. This is one of those exceptions. Drive Angry works because it's suppose to be "bad" and it does it so well. It's a balls out B-movie and you love it for it. You want the badass motherfucker Nicolas Cage character to find the worse badass motherfucker villain and murder him good and bloody. It's fun and needs either popcorn or beer and nachos to accompany it to really bring out the awesome badness of it all.

The Adjustment Bureau (DVD)

Change the world or follow your heart? Career or true love? Can love survive the opposition of otherworldly forces messing with destiny? Yes, but do you want it to? These questions sum up the plot and my feelings about it. This movie could've been so much more, but it just wasn't. It should've played against clichés and it would've been amazing for doing so, however it did the opposite. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Wish Hollywood would take some risks. If you want to see a similar film, watch Dark City.

Bad Teacher

The trailer for this film is hilarious, unfortunately, it shows all the funny parts of the actual film. Though I laughed and loved watching Cameron Diaz be a cracked out middle-school teacher, it was lacking the risk that R-rated comedies need to stand out. This film didn't bring anything new to the table except it was a female being bad instead of the usual man-child with his frat boy mentality. The thing, Cameron's character could've been worse and it would've made the movie funnier.

Super 8

Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, and Aliens. Who didn't want to see this perfect summer blockbuster. Though the alien plays second fiddle to the coming-of-age and family melodrama, there's enough "what's going on" suspense to make any sci-fi fan happy. What really drives the film home is the nostalgic feeling surrounding the film. The audience is transported to the same time period when E.T. was king and it feels good. Super 8 is really J.J. Abrams love letter to the classic Spielberg and Lucas films that define the childhood of generations x and y.

Submarine

Sometimes the best way to spend a summer afternoon is at a small theater, watching an independent film with your fellow writers. This film truly captures the essence of youth that only teenagers know and adults try to forget. It was clever in putting in all the little awkward eccentricities that make up the naivety one feels when caught into the limbo between the being a child and becoming an adult.

X-Men: First Class

I would never call myself an X-Men fan, but I've been to every film and I would say that this was, by far, the absolute best. Though it was obviously an origin story, it was still fun and even made the exposition entertaining. There were delightful cameos and hilarious jabs at the past films. What made this film great was that it played with the time period it took place in, the 60's, and had fun with it, giving the film a James Bond film. Emma Frost, played by January Jones, would've been the perfect Bond villainess. While Kevin Bacon was an excellent super villain helping the soviets. An overall fun blockbuster to enjoy with some popcorn.

I Am Number 4 (DVD)

Evil aliens are hunting down nine good aliens in order while getting ready to colonize Earth. Alien three dies and now it's time for number four, who happens to be an incredibly handsome young man who has an infinity for a blonde manic-pixie-dream-girl. A film appealing to the Twi-hards and sci-fi action fans alike, and so obviously so. As soon as Number 6, an ass-kicking blonde chick, appeared, then the movie had a character I was interested in. I wish this film was call I am Number 6.

Water for Elephants

I was hesitant about seeing this film because I hate the way elephants, any animals for that matter, are treated at the circus. I personally have not been to a circus since I was a kid because of it. And due to my personal issues with that, I did have to walk out during a scene. The story was good. The acting was good, specifically from Christoph Waltz, but the cruelty to animals overshadowed everything for me.

The Hangover Part II

Though they tried to avoid another incident like Las Vegas, they failed. Let the high jinks prevail. It must have been easy for the screenwriter to create this film. All they did was take the same successful formula of the first film and put it in Thailand. Though it definitely had it's funny moments, it didn't make me want to see it again. I understand why movies like these are popular, but I'm sick of seeing men act like idiots.  

Priest

I would be hard to decipher this film from others which are just like it such as Legion, because they are basically the same film, except in this one Paul Bettany is fighting Vampires instead of Angels. While he was fighting these vampire, alien, beast, creature things I kept thinking, "would it be so terrible if they made it into the city where everyone seems miserable and oppressed by religion?" Any comic book or action movie that has me routing for the bad guy, isn't doing its job. This movie played out exactly how I expected, so if you saw the trailer and thought it looked cool, then you'd probably enjoy it.

No Strings Attached (DVD)

This year has two very similar films about friends using each other for sex in a comedic way, this was the first one and though it was mildly funny, I'm hoping the second one, Friends with Benefits, is much better. This film had an opportunity to be funny and raunchy, but just fell short and only filled with me with giggles. Of course, it could be the lack of chemistry between Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman that really left me cold. It is sad to see a good actor paired with a bad one because it just makes the latter seem even worse. I think this film would have been much better if it focused on Natalie Portman's friends because that's who got the most laughs.

Beastly

A modern day fairy tale is not hard to find these days, but a well-done modern fairy tale is. Though I know I am too old for the age group this film is geared towards, that does not excuse bad writing. Most of the major plot points seemed contrived and left a funny taste in my mouth. Though Alex Pettyfer was perfect as a self-absorbed, good-looking, jerk, I could not buy Vanessa Hudgens as a brainy, sweet girl. Honestly, the best part of the film was Mary-Kate Olsen because she just went balls out insane, and it worked. I'm glad I only paid $3 to see this film because otherwise it would have felt like a waste of money.

Bridesmaids

Finally something raunchy for the girls!!! I love to watch a good R-rated comedy, but was getting a little tired of the cliché man-child learning and lesson and have been dying to see woman be just as funny, or more so. This film was a dream come true and laughed from beginning to end. Annie, Kristen Wiig, is the perfect woman-child filled with awkward moments and surrounded by odd people. All the characters play nicely off each other and have a chemistry which has been lacking in a lot of female driven films. I laughed from start to finish and my cheeks hurt from smiling for 2 hours straight. I just hope this is a sign of more funny women to come.

Thor

Yes, another comic book movie, or is it? Though the trailer and talent attached to the film hinted to something good, it's hard to have high expectations for a teenage boy's fantasy. However, with this film, it is perfectly okay to have those high expectations because it meets them. This was a fun film which sets a high bar for all other comic book movies to come. You laugh, you cheer the good guy and boo the bad guy, you leave the theater smiling. It also adds new dimensions to the comic hero genre by having non-sexualized women. The women in the film are known for their skills and their personalities more than for their appearance and none of them wear skimpy/body-hugging outfits showing their bodies. Thor falls for Jane because of her brains and personality, it's wonderful! Filled with positive influences throughout the whole film, Thor is truly the perfect summer blockbuster.

Insidious

When I walked into this film I was expecting a cliché haunted house film with a few cheap scares. I was wrong. This was one of the scariest films I have seen in years. Though it obviously stole from other classic haunting films, it did in a fresh and new way. The lack of special effects also helped to create and eerie atmosphere that was not interrupted by obvious CGI. A fantastic frightfest!

Scream 4

When the first Scream came out it was a breath of fresh air and started a new era of self-aware horror films. The new slashers made way for the gore-porn of the Saw movies and then studios began to remake the classics like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th. The latest Scream points at the clichés found in today's horror market with astute accuracy. It was great commentary on how every is now over done and over bloody. And the moral of this film: nothing is as good as the original. As far as horror sequels go, this one is pretty good and incredible entertaining.

Sucker Punch

Like most chicks, I got excited about the idea of girls kicking some ass in a comic book type action flick. However, an air of disappointment filled the theater about 20 minutes into the film and stayed there, slowly thickening, throughout the remainder of the film. I just think the film needed some tweaking and I’m curious to know what the director’s cut holds because the film was edited from an R rating down to a more audience friendly PG-13. I wanted shorter action scenes with better transitions. I wanted the evil men to truly get theirs. We can’t always get what we want. The one thing that truly made the film bearable was the amazing soundtrack which I promptly bought the following day.

Paul

Paul is funny. Truly a comedy for the sci-fi geek set. It knew its audience and was very successful in catering to them. I laughed from beginning to end and found myself delightfully entertained by all the references and reasons for why Paul is culturally relevant. If you’re even remotely a fan of science fiction you will love this movie.

Battle: Los Angeles

The trailers for this movie were quite impressive; promising an epic war between aliens and humans, but only showed what they knew would bring audiences into the theater. The truth is the film was more about a small group of marines and their struggles set in the back drop of an alien invasion in Santa Monica. This movie was basically the Hurt Locker, but with aliens instead of bombs. This film didn’t know what it wanted to be. It couldn’t decide whether or not it wanted the audience to care about the characters or not. They were developed enough to annoy me, but not developed enough to make me care. I wanted more explosions, more fights, and less drama.

Red Riding Hood

This is the age of gothic love stories between confused young women and the beasts that love them and this film is no different. Though I don’t care for the Twilight series, I did enjoy this film. Maybe I liked it because of the better quality of acting from veterans like Gary Oldman and an ingénue like Amanda Seygfreid. But from the mist-covered, forest-filled mountain opening all the way to the rather weak ending, this just seems like a better Twilight.

The Roommate

A modern day revamp of the classic film Single White Female but without the thrills and replaced with cliches. Though Leighton Meester played an excellent artistic psycho, she didn’t have the right material to demonstrate her acting abilities. Every time something scary was supposed to happen I ended up having a giggle fit. If it were marketed as a comedy, it would’ve been successful. I didn’t care about the boring, one-dimensional main character. In fact, I wanted her crazy roommate to do her in. I wanted more from this, but it was nothing more than how the trailers portrayed it.

Love and Other Drugs

Do naked people make an otherwise dull and cliché romantic drama more interesting? Not so much. This movie could not decide what it wanted be, much like it's main character. It wavers between raunchy comedy and romantic drama in a completely disassociated way. I did very much enjoy the raunchy comedy and funny younger brother very much, but the Parkinson's drama was just trite and really got in the way of the sex; or for those of you who like the love story the sex distracts from it. I kept wanting the sex and drama to mix into a beautiful film, but I was left disappointed in a mist of unoriginality.

The Rite

There's one topic horror films can't get enough of lately, and it's possession. You've seen one person possessed by the devil, or demon, or whatever and you've seen them all. At the beginning of the film I found it's tongue and cheek sense of humor endearing. It gave the film a Scream-like sense of humor, yet still allowing it to belong in its own genre. I also enjoyed the fact that for the first three quarters of the film we were treated to an agnostic's point of view on the subject of exorcisms. Really, this film lost me at the end when the character has a change of heart in a completely cliché and uncharacteristic turn. But truly, regardless of everything I just said, the only reason to see this film is to see Anthony Hopkins possessed, which was a complete treat.

The Dilemma

This movie got horrible publicity when the trailer first debuted because of the use of the word “gay”. When actually watching the film, Vince Vaughn’s usual blabbering until he gets out of trouble demeanor works in this case too. Besides the misuse of language, this film had opportunities to be great with a high caliber cast, but completely fell short. There were plenty of laughs between Vince Vaughn and Kevin James and Vince Vaughn and Winona Ryder and Vince Vaughn and Channing Tatum, but what I really wanted to see were some great scenes between Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly. They are two amazing actress and I think it would’ve added to the movie if they got a couple scenes together bitching about the inept men in their lives. Oh well. This is just a luke warm comedy compliments of the dead month of January.

Blue Valentine

I wish I saw this film before making my top ten list of 2010 because it was magnificent. I have never seen such raw and authentic acting performances in my life. The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams is so real that I truly felt as though I was watching a true-to-life couple falling in and out of love with each other. Regarding the controversy about ratings surrounding the film, I can understand why the overly prudish MPAA would want to give it an NC-17 rating. However when examining the one particular scene that pushed the rating that high, I think the similar scene found in Black Swan was far more graphic and raunchier. It’s sweet and endearing in Blue Valentine. This movie is fucking fantastic and I’m glad it got its R rating.

My Top Ten

I will be the first to admit my taste in film is very different from other people’s which is why I chose to write this blog. A lot of people are going to disagree with my choice of top ten films of 2010, and I don’t care. Like with all art, film is subjective and truly depends on the viewer. Though you can learn about how to judge the quality of the cinematography, editing, directing, etc. it really depends on what is appealing and entertaining to the viewer. So here are my favorite ten films of the last year. 1) Black Swan: Some people might say that making this film my number one is a cop out, but I don’t think it is. It beautifully and tragically combines all the things I love: horror, mystery, psychosis, dance, and sex. It’s also one of the few movies that I was excited about that didn’t disappoint me. 2) Easy A: I have a soft spot of teen comedies and this one definitely exceeded my expectations. It was obvious the director had a love of the films to and Emma Stone truly showed her comedic strength and her ability to carry a film. I hope to see more quality films from her. 3) The Social Network: This film definitely represents the mentality of the millennial generation and coincidentally the entrepreneur mentality of America. Plus it has my favorite line of dialogue from 2010: “you’re going to go through life thinking girls don’t like you because you’re a nerd, but really, it’s because you’re an asshole.” 4) Morning Glory: This movie got a lot of terrible reviews comparing it to Network, but that was just stupid. This movie about a girl figuring out her life and career is more about the character, which was a realistic portrayal of a woman in transition, and not about a failing network. Of course they wouldn’t be similar. People need to look at the movies separately. 5) Eat Pray Love: Another brilliant tale about a woman on her journey, trying to figure out her life. It would’ve been better if her quest wasn’t tainted by the need and desire to find a man. 6) Tangled: Finally, finally, finally Disney has given their princess more substance! Why are the quitting when their ahead? I’ll never know. But if they decided to keep producing fairy tales, I would be very excited about where they were headed. 7) The Tempest: I will never understand why this got bad reviews, its Shakespeare straight up with a twist. I guess film audiences are too dumb now to appreciate the beauty that is Shakespeare and when a film wants to be a living piece of art. 8) Please Give: There was something about this film that really resonated with me, but I can’t quite pinpoint it. I did enjoy the representation of the different characters in different phases in their lives because I think everyone could relate to at least one of the people in this film. 9) The Runaways: I have a soft spot for chicks who want to rock and for a rock and roll lifestyle so I thought this movie rocked! Enough said. 10) Flipped: A classic tale of boy meets girl in grade school, boy thinks girl is weird, but eventually her falls her. A little cliché, I know, but the complex families the main characters belong to and the messages they portray make this a memorable movie worth watching.