Mini Review: "Thor"

Best way to make a so-so film big is to make sure your leads are having so much fun its contagious. Thats EXACTLY what Thor does well.

B

Mini Review: "Hack!"

Winnie Cooper as a glasses wearing, hopeless nerd? Keith from Scrubs as an arrogant pretty boy jock? Every stereotype imaginable piled on top of pop culture references?

Filmed failure on an almost unheard of scale. Danica, if you need a meal call me, I'll take you to dinner...don't lower yourself to this crap.

F

Coming soon: Friends With Benefits, Thor, Cowboys and Aliens, Bereavement and Red State

An updated look at 2011s top movie picks and a sneak into 2012

Battle:Los Angeles: B+

Paul: B-

Sucker Punch: D

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules: C

Bridesmaids: A+

Priest: C

X-Men: First Class: A

Super 8: B+

Green Lantern: F

Bad Teacher: C

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2: (Out Now)

Cowboys & Aliens: (Seen, need to write the review)

Apollo 18: SEPT. 2

Contagion: SEPT. 9

Archie's Final Project: SEPT. 23

Paranormal Activity 3: OCT. 21

Martha Marcy May Marlene: OCT 21 (limited)

Red State: OCT. 21

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas in 3D: NOV. 4

The Muppets: NOV. 23

Piranha 3DD: NOV. 23

The Darkest Hour: DEC 23 (moved from 8-5)

And for 2012:

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters: MAR. 2

American Reunion: APR. 6

Men In Black III: MAY 25

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter: JUN. 22

Resident Evil: Retribution: SEPT. 14

Mini Review: "The Perfect Host"

Not so unique idea (bank robber comes to mans home, pretends to be a friend of a friend to lay low) made wonderful with a great performance from David Hyde-Pierce.

B

Movie Review: "Beautiful Boy"

Beautiful Boy, 2010. Starring Maria Bello, Michael Sheen, Kyle Gallner and Bruce French. Running time 100 minutes. Rated R. Directed by Shawn Ku.

Many films over the years have explored the subject matter this film deals with. From the ridiculously overrated (elephant), to the criminally unknown (the brilliant Home Room), mass school shootings are a staple of dramatic filmmakers. Sadly, most of these films deal with the sensational event itself, rather than the lasting effects to those left behind. Beautiful Boy explores new territory, and does so in a relatively pure and heartfelt manner.

Plotline is this: a troubled married couple (Bello and Sheen) are merely going through the motions, trying to hold a marriage together while looking for ways out. Their 18 year old son Sam (Gallner) is a freshman at a nearby college, who seems overly distant and quiet. One night, Sam returns his mothers phone calls...the family half heartedly discusses vacation plans and dad goes to bed after barely participating. The next morning, their world explodes as news of a mass fatality shooting has occured at Sam's college. Then, as mom and dad wait for news, the doorbell rings. Not only has Sam died, they learn, but he's the one responsible for the horror that day.

The couple then fights not only the outside world and its impressions of them, but their own demons and the demons Sam has left behind.

Maria Bello is the glue holding this film together. Her portrayal of a mom who wonders where she went wrong is painful and heart wrenching. You ache for her character not only as her marriage threatens to crumble, but as she learns and comes to grips with what happened. Michael Sheen compliments her brilliantly as the father who thinks he's in touch with his family but really wants out. There's a devastating scene in a hotel that sums up the frailty of the relationship as they're trying to put the pieces back together.

Director Ku may not have much of a resume so far (this is his third film), but he captured the heart and soul of a story not seen in this style of film before. You never see the parents of the shooters and how they deal (for that matter, till Home Room and April Showers, you never deal with the victims reactions) with not only the loss of their beloved child, but the fact that other peoples children are dead from his hand.

While not immune from the occasional obvious twist in the story, Beautiful Boy is an honest and powerful look at the way families rise and fall....to rise again.

A-

Mini Review: "The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane"

Im a huge fan of slow burn thrillers, but you can clearly tell that Jodie Foster's heart isnt in this one, and it reflects on the entirety.

C-

Super Hero mini-reviews!

Captain America: The First Avenger: The movie I had the least expectations of turned out to be pretty decent. The ending was so last second and weak to be obviously conceived in about 5 minutes on the day of shooting. B

Green Lantern: If this movie sucked any harder, we wouldnt need vacuum cleaners. F

Coming soon to this site: The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane, Cowboys and Aliens and Beautiful Boy.

Mini Review: "Space Battleship Yamato"

The original animated series (known and slightly modified in the US as Star Blazers) was loads of fun, but this film just couldnt seem to hold my interest.

C-

Another look at 2011 so far

I'm all moved in now friends, so expect more reviews coming very soon. Thanks for your understanding.

Battle:Los Angeles: B+

Paul: B-

Sucker Punch: D

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules: C

Bridesmaids: A+

Priest: C

X-Men: First Class: A

Super 8: B+

Green Lantern: (Passed till DVD)

Bad Teacher: C

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2: (Out Now)

Cowboys & Aliens: (Seeing in the next 48 hours)

Apollo 18: SEPT. 2

Contagion: SEPT. 9

The Darkest Hour: DEC 23 (moved from 8-5)