Cinemania!

Space Cowboys

2025-03-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Released :August 1st 2000

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland

Plot: Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner star as a group of pilots whose time has come to serve their country and fulfill their dream of going to space. In 1958, the members of Team Daedalus, a group of top Air Force test pilots, were ready to serve their country as the first Americans in space. When NASA replaced the Air Force for outer atmospheric testing, they were pushed aside for a chimpanzee. The team retired, but the dream of going into space never died.

I can see why people were mixed on the story this film is trying to tell. On one hand it is kinda cool to see these old school pilots taking on the challenges of a more modern space program. On the other was it really more efficient and plausible to send up an older crew to solve the problem of this Russian satellite falling out of orbit instead of training a newer younger team to do so? I know most of the story was pushed by the fact that this team wanted to go into space. It was a dream they were robbed of many years ago. That said I feel like the story was a good one that had me hooked from start to finish and it was interesting seeing how these characters and their stories progressed.

The acting in the film is great. From the top to bottom of the cast it was all great stuff. James Cromwell as the antagonist played well off of Eastwood. I really felt like there was a genuine animosity between the two which I hope isn't the case as they're both fine outstanding actors. Tommy Lee Jones as well was great playing his usual cynical yet hilarious self.I also loved that James Garner and Donald Sutherland got to be the comedic relief of sorts and both were outstanding in their parts as well.

If I had one negative thing to say about the movie at the beginning the footage of the characters as their younger selves felt off.I'm not sure if it was technical limitations at the time or what but it just felt awkward for some reason. Other than that it was a fun film to watch.

overall: If you're interested in a fun film about astronauts that doesn't take itself too incredibly serious I highly recommend Space Cowboys.

DragonHeart (1996)

2023-09-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

There's nothing that I love more than a good fantasy film. The epic scale, the stories of valor I love every aspect about them. That said there have been a few series that I have missed over the last few years so I'm trying to catch up on them. So recently I started doing just that and where better to start than the star studded Dragonheart starring Dennis Quaid, Sean Connery and directed by Rob Cohen.

Plot: Disillusioned knight Bowen (Dennis Quaid) befriends Draco (Sean Connery), the last of the dragons, and the two begin scamming village folk as Bowen repeatedly "kills" Draco for money. Bowen soon learns that Draco is the same dragon who once saved his former student, now King Einon (David Thewlis), from death by giving him a piece of his heart. Einon is now a merciless tyrant, and Bowen is compelled to stop him -- but the bond between king and dragon means if one dies, the other does as well.

The story was interesting. The film seems to be set after the golden age of knights as it makes reference to the long dead King Arthur. This is where the "old code" the film talks about comes from in. It isn't an overly complex story or anything but it is a good one. The tie between Draco and the king being that they share a heart is interesting and does lead to an emotional climax.

The acting in the film was great. I loved the cynical edge that Quaid brought to the character of Bowen. A warrior who lost his purpose and is now simply trying to make the world work for him. I felt there was a chemistry between he and Connery's Draco which is funny since they likely never met face to face but that is the mark of great actors. Pete Postlethwaite in a more comedic role was interesting, but he never took it to the over the top range.

Is it kind of hokey? Sure it is, but if you take into account that this movie was made in a time where fantasy films really weren't taken seriously I feel its not that bad. I enjoyed it and feel it holds up very well for a 27 year old movie. I definitely recommend it..

Shazam 2: Fury Of The Gods

2023-08-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Comic book fans are a curious bunch, arent they? They are very opinionated and will vocalize it when they can. So when the DCEU movies were rolling out and they were darker and grittier, they voiced the opinion that they wanted serious movies yes, but more in line with the marvel movies where there was some comedy and light heartedness thrown in. So here comes the first Shazam film and the reception was great. So when it came time to make a sequel surely it would be as fun as the first?

Plot: Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Shazam and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

So this film did a good job with the plot considering one major problem in the DCEU: Dwayne Johnson. He apparently wanted to stay as far away from Shazam as he could and I think it hurts this series Seeing him in this film would have taken it up a notch and boosted both characters stocks. That said having our protagonist's biggest adversary not want to be in a film with him was dealt with in a fine way. I feel like having the Daughters of Atlas as the antagonist here was a decent story point and lead to a very enjoyable tale being laid out on film IMO.

The acting in this film was great. Zachary Levi was his usual likeable self bringing a combination of high energy and goofball charm. Lucy Liu, Helen Mirren and Rachel Zegler play the Daughters of Atlas and play well off one another. The loveable family of Billy Batson return as well, and added to the comedic moments without going too over the top.

This was an entertaining movie for me. I feel bad that this film landed at an unfortunate point in history after Black Adam and before the flash. This came at a point where I don't know if its from superhero burn out or people just not being excited about going to the movies anymore and deciding to wait for streaming. Unfortunately this film flopped and I don't understand the hate it gets.

If you get a chance to watch it, I recommend it. It's got the fun that people have been saying the DC films have lacked for years and is an enjoyable mix of heroics and magic that make for a good time.

Trailer:

Dungeons & Dragons : Honor Among Thieves

2023-05-23T06:39:00.003-07:00

Last year when I found out there was going to be another Dungeons and Dragons movie I was excited to say the least. I've been a fan of the game and fantasy films in general for as long as I can remember. while I was excited, I still had reservations. Then I saw the trailer and any doubts I had were erased. It looked like it was going to be a good film, and most importantly it looked like a FUN movie. So how did it turn out?

Plot Summary: A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic, but their charming adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

So the story despite being done before in many other movies and games, still felt fresh because of how it was presented. It had a great pacing too it and never felt like it was dragging along at any point. It also has some twists that while predictable were still entertaining.

The acting was as good as the story. Somehow the actors not only managed to take the project serious, but at the same time they kept it fun and injected just enough comedy into their performances without going too far with it. Chris Pine was his usual charming charismatic self, as was Hugh Grant. Michelle Rodriguez was my favorite part of the film by far as Holga, she had a few great scenes throughout. I do have to say that I feel the entire cast had chemistry and played well off of one another.

All in all I think this movie was a success. It stuck close enough to the source material to be a faithful adaptation while being strong enough to stand on its own without the D&D branding. It's not only a great game based movie, its a great movie period and is a ton of fun to watch. I highly recommend it

Weekly Recommendations (November 26th 2022)

2022-11-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

The Middle- Peacock

This series follows your average modern day American family and does it better than any sitcom has since the days of Rosanne. The humor here is much more subtle though which in my opinion actually makes it funnier. Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn have a ton of on screen chemistry as well as the other actors in the series. We watch this show quite frequently in our house and I can honestly say that there isn't a single bad episode.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of The Ooze- Netflix.

While more comedic than the original film, I feel that it was more in line with the cartoon series. This is the perfect Saturday night movie if you're looking for a trip back to the earlier 90's to a more light hearted and goofier time of super hero movies.

Thor love and Thunder - Disney plus

Speaking of goofier super hero movies that perfectly describe the newest Thor movie. Where the previous entry, Thor Ragnarök was the perfect blend of comedy and action this movie goes full on comedy. Most people think it hurt the film, I 100% disagree. The more comedic take on things really enhances the fact, which most people seem to forget, that this story is being told by Korg. Things are over the top and outlandish as this is treated like a tall tale. I enjoyed the hell out of it and think its worth a look.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

2022-11-25T10:41:00.003-08:00

I remember the first time I watched "A Christmas Story" way back in 1996. It was a Friday night and came as a recommendation from my mother. Sure it was the edited for tv version but I thought it was a pretty good movie by Holiday film standards. I even joyed its first sequel which I also found years after it's release. I've seen it listed under two different titles: "It Runs In The Family" and "My Summer Story". Again I enjoyed it for what it was and both were considered cult classics.....that's before the dark times....before the marathon.

Back in I want to say it was 1998 or 1999 Turner broadcasting decided to play the movie for 24 hours straight and the movies popularity really took off. It was funny at first, being able to just leave it playing in the background but honestly I got sick of the movie after the first year of the marathon. Flash forward all these years and I find out they were making a sequel set in the 70's with a now grown up Ralph. I was optimistic and decided to give it a watch.

Plot: Ralphie returns to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child. Long-awaited follow-up to holiday classic A Christmas Story starring Peter Billingsley.

The story is simple, yet relatable. Everyone wants to recreate the perfect Christmas that we had as kids. It also has enough nostalgic moments for the viewer to keep you remembering "hey we had a guy like that in our town!" or "I remember doing that as kids too". For a sequel built on mostly the nostalgia factor it was able to keep me entertained and not go too far that it's just a carbon copy of the first film.

The acting was decent for what it was. I have to say everyone played there parts well, but one actor stood out to me above all else : Zack Ward. He played the bully turned Officer Scut Farkus. Seeing the character that was this horrible childhood bully turned into a matured adult with obvious regrets of how he treated Ralph as a kid translated well on screen and I feel like there was genuine emotion there.

Is it the perfect holiday film? no, not by any means. It is however a very good one that taps into the Nostalgia we all have for that magical time we had at Christmas as children. It's for that very reason why I suggest you check it out.

Dungeons and Dragons Trailer thoughts

2022-07-28T12:45:00.001-07:00

As someone who is well versed in role playing games, I'm almost ashamed to say I've never played Dungeons and dragons. I'm familiar with it since a few of the games I have played are based on the its rules and have the same character types. I remember back in 2000 there was a film released that bombed. That said we are in a new age where believe it or not video game movies are taken a little more seriously. Despite that fact it still took me by surprise that they're giving it another go.

My first impression is that this movie isn't taking itself too seriously, but its also not going into parody territory. To me it feels like the fun and adventure one would get from playing a table top rpg with friends. That is exactly the kind of feeling a movie like this should have. There are times when the serious tone works though, like with Lord of The Rings. Then there are times it doesn't as was the case with the Warcraft movie which i feel was too strict and serious

It looks like they brought in a good cast for this film as well including Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant. This is a good sign in my opinion. While yes there have been cases where a cast can't save a film, this one feels like it has a diverse enough group of personalities and character actors to where it will have the FEEL of playing a game, table top or otherwise.

I have to say I am really looking forward to seeing this movie. I love a good fantasy film and from what I see this certainly looks to be one. Can't wait to watch this one in theaters as it looks like it will be extremely fun to see on the big screen.

Jurassic World: Dominion

2022-07-07T09:53:00.004-07:00

For almost thirty years the Jurassic Park movies and books have thrilled and entertained me. They might not all be on the same level, but honestly I see some good in any of the films in the series. From the moment I heard the premise for the newest entry when it began development I was interested in the possibilities. I finally got the opportunity to see it and just wanted to share my thoughts.

The overall story wasn't bad and had more than a few nostalgia nuggets thrown in. That's not to say that this story didn't have its problems though. It continues the story of a clone trying to figure out her place in the world and the morality of simply creating life using DNA in a lab. This subplot was fine because it tied in other characters and was wrapped up neatly. On the other hand we also have the story of genetically modified locusts destroying farmers crops. In my eyes this could have been cut since it really only served the purpose of bringing in the original trio of Malcom, Alan and Ellie. Surely they could have simply been brought into the story with something like maybe all the dinosaurs roaming the earth.

The acting was good for the most part. Returning actors were still in fine form, though Jeff Goldblum has seemingly turned into a living meme of himself. That's not a bad thing though since that's why most people love him. Some of the villain characters felt like they were wooden and had no substance.

Overall I will say that this film is good. It's not a highlight in the series to be honest, but it is far from the worst entry. I would put it somewhere between The Lost World and the original Jurassic World. I don't know if I would go out of my way to see it again but if it happened to be on streaming I would give it a watch.

R.I.P. Richard Donner (1930-2021)

2021-07-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

As a child of the 80's, I grew up knowing the films of Richard Donner very well. Most saw him as a director, but I viewed him as much more. He was not only the father of the modern day superhero blockbuster, he also refined the buddy cop comedy into what I consider its most perfect form with Lethal Weapon. As a child, he made me believe a man could fly with Superman in 1977. He took us all on a grand adventure with the Goonies in 1985. I grew up loving his films and still enjoy them to this very day.

Hearing that Mr. Donner had passed away today made me sad, but it also reminded me of all the joy that his films brought me. For that I have to say thank you, and I hope you rest in peace.

Rambo: Last Blood

2020-10-19T11:00:00.003-07:00

When I left the theater after seeing Rambo in 2008, I felt the character had a satisfying send off. Apparently someone did not and that's what brought about the idea of another film in the series. I actually thought it was a joke at first, yet here we are. was it good? was it bad? well it was both in my opinion.

The story is really thin here, as it was in most of the other films. Here Rambo is living the quiet life on a ranch helping to raise his niece when she goes to track down her father in Mexico. This leads to a string of events where she is abducted by a sex trafficking ring which then sees Rambo go and rescue her. Then he must deal with the traffickers themselves in a bloody fight for revenge.

The story is odd for a Rambo film. In the past there was always some link to Rambo's military background. In part one it was dealing with how Vietnam vets were treated when they returned home, part two was focused on P.O.Ws and so on. with this one it just didn't feel like a Rambo movie. This honestly felt like a rejected plot from one of the taken films, and I can see why it feels that way. It's disjointed and all over the place.

At the end of the day for an action movie the story has almost no consequence since most people go in expecting to turn off their brains and see things explode and bad guys get shot. This film delivered in this aspect. The action towards the end got a little sloppy with the quick cuts and all but overall it wasnt terrible. If anything I would say the action along with Stallone is the only redeeming quality of this movie.

If you're looking for a shut off your brain and don't try to make sense of it action film, this would fit the bill. If you're hoping for something more along the lines of the older Rambo films with more to it than explosions, look somewhere else.

Angel Has Fallen (2019)

2020-10-06T17:37:00.002-07:00

When Olympus has fallen came out, I heard it was just "Die Hard in the white house". To an extent it was true. Then London has fallen came out and it was once again compared to Die Hard. Not necessarily a bad thing in my book, but people still said it. So after watching the trailer for Angel Has Fallen, I got a different feel to it. It still looked like Die Hard but also had elements of The Fugitive. So how far off was this assessment? Not far at all but for all the right reasons.

Plot: Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is framed for the attempted assassination of the President and must evade his own agency and the FBI as he tries to uncover the real threat.

The story was a different direction for the series, and one that I enjoyed. We saw the character fight through the terrorists in the white house, and evade baddies in London, but this was a change and breath of life into the series instead of the same old song and dance that we had become accustomed to. Were several of the plot points predictable from a mile away? Yes, but there's only so many ways to surprise an audience and I feel they have all been exhausted at this point. The story in the film is solid and enjoyable and never has a slow point where it feels like it drags on.

I loved the acting in this one. Say what you will but I love the way Gerard Butler portrays this character! He can keep making these films as long as they can and I would still watch them. I feel he plays it as a mix of John McClane and James Bond, but it works. Morgan Freeman took a little step back in this one, having maybe 15 minutes total of screen time, but still gave a solid performance. The actor that truly stood out was Nick Nolte. This feels like the role he has been long destined for as a traumatized former soldier and father to our lead character. The scenes that they shared together were good and I felt they had good chemistry and played well off one another.

The action in the film was solid and fast paced but never over used. It wasn't action for the sake of action but helped balance out the story driven segments of the film. Unlike other film series I feel like the action was in line with the other films, and no ridiculous things were done like say taking a helicopter down with a car.

Overall I found this to be an incredibly enjoyable film. It has a well paced story as well as being a good action show. It introduced new characters and scenarios which set it apart from the others, and managed to continue the story set up from prior films and keep it interesting.

Ghostbusters Resurrected

2019-01-17T06:05:00.000-08:00

Well this certainly came out of nowhere, and I doubt anyone saw it coming either. I woke up late at night to the news that Jason Reitman was directing a new Ghostbusters film. Being a director in his own right, but also being the son of Ivan Reitman who directed the original films as well as other landmark films gets me more interested in the possibilities.

Now one would think "so it was announced, that doesn't mean much" and normally you'd be right. Except the very next day a teaser was released! This movie is far enough in the development stages to already have a teaser out. It's short, its simple and it's everything you would want it to be. It also raises so many questions to get you thinking. where is this? who's working on the proton pack? why is the Ecto 1 there?

Reitman also did an interview with EW on the subject, with more details on the project here

I was optimistic when 2016's reboot was announced, but when it failed at the box office I think most fans believed the franchise was done. Clearly this was not the case as the Ghost Corps division at Sony was working in secret which is rare in the days of internet leaks etc.

I'm excited to see where this leads, it seems like the franchise will be resurrected with the respect that it deserves and will be in the right hands with this director. what are your thoughts on it? feel free to leave comments on it below!

Warcraft: The Beginning (2016) Review

2018-04-27T06:25:00.001-07:00

As a gamer and self professed nerd, I was excited when the news broke that a Warcraft film was finally moving ahead past the script stage. After some time the news of who was involved came out and the interest started to grow in the film. It seemed like it had all the right players in place in terms of production and actors, but could they pull off what had been set in motion nearly a decade earlier?

Director: Duncan Jones

Starring: Douglas Fimmel, Paula Patton, Dominic Cooper,Ben Foster, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer

Released: June 10th 2016

Plot Summary: As an Orc horde invades the planet Azeroth using a magic portal, a few human heroes and dissenting Orcs must attempt to stop the true evil behind this war.

As far as the story goes, while it holds true to what happened in the games and story of Warcraft, it really did feel like standard fare for a fantasy movie. There were so many other stories that they could have adapted into a film due to the rich lore that the universe has, but in the end this was an decent plot for a film. Clearly they were starting at this point with the hopes of turning it into a franchise, but due to box office numbers that may not happen. The story did hold my attention and made me interested in seeing where they went with it.

The acting, in my opinion at least, was top notch. It was obvious to me that everyone actually cared about their part and didn't just see this as an easy paycheck, Actors that really stood out for me were Douglas Fimmel and Dominic Cooper. They carried their parts so well and made you buy into them as these characters. Douglas as the heroic Anduin Lothar and Dominic Cooper as king Llane Wrynn are what I picture now when someone mentions those characters, instead of their video game counterparts. I was really happy that the acting didn't go too far to the point that it was cheesy as a ton of fantasy films have in the past.

If there is one complaint I have with the film, its that the live action and cgi elements just didn't blend well in my eyes. Not for lack of trying, I thought it looked great on its own, but when its combined with a human on screen, I just feel that it wasn't quite as polished as it could have been. It certainly didn't ruin my enjoyment of the film, but it did become blatantly obvious during heavy action scenes.

Does Warcraft hit all the marks that it needed to be a hit? No. Does it make for an enjoyable film when you're in the mood for some fantasy? Yes. While it's not perfect, for a film based on a video game it is miles ahead of every other game based movie. It was a fun film, and I enjoyed seeing the characters from the game series brought to life in a way that did justice to the franchise.

Verdict: Fun fantasy film with only a few minor issues.

"Seventh Son" Review

2015-06-20T19:12:00.002-07:00

It was around two years ago when I first heard of the film "Seventh Son". At the time I had no idea what the hell it could be about, especially with a name like that. Over time I actually forgot about the film and then late last year it popped back up on my radar. While I didn't get the chance to see it in theaters, I finally managed to see it now that it has been released on DVD and Blu ray, so here's my take on it.

Plot: Centuries ago, a supernatural champion named Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) defeated Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), a malevolent witch. Now, she has escaped imprisonment and thirsts for vengeance. She summons her followers and prepares to unleash her wrath on humanity. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory. Gregory takes Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) as his new apprentice, but he has only until the next full moon to teach Tom what usually takes years: how to prevail against dark magic.

The film seems like a standard fantasy story of revenge and destiny...and it is. Now that's not a bad thing in some cases, but here I think it could have used a little more drive behind the story and without ruining some aspects of the tale I will say that some bits felt really under developed. It was overall an enjoyable story, but it felt bland at points leaving me with a feeling of "that's it?"

The acting in the film, unlike the story was spot on. Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore were outstanding in their performances. I love when actors take roles that you aren't used to seeing them in and with Bridges doing more fantasy and science fiction films earlier in his career this felt like him getting back to his roots. Ben Barnes is actually an actor I hadn't heard of until this point, but for a first impression I think he did pretty well. He seems to be able to handle a wide array of styles from comedy, to drama and action.

Speaking of action The fight scenes in the film were good, but suffer from the frequent Hollywood issue of being a little too fast paced. You can't see what’s going on and in a film like this I feel it hurts the enjoyment a little. This wasn't the case with every fight, but it was still there.

Overall I thought this movie was an enjoyable distraction, but it did have its glaring faults. The most obvious area was the final half of the film. Things felt so rushed that most of it didn't seem to even be fully developed. Had the film been just a little longer to allow more time for a more satisfying ending, I think this would have helped it greatly.

Final Verdict: A decent film with so much untapped potential.

Arachnophobia

2015-03-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

To say I have a fear of spiders would be an understatement. Unlike some though my fear isn't paralyzing, I just want to see the little things dead. So needless to say when I saw that Arachnophobia was on Netflix, I was a little hesitant to give it a watch. I have seen bits and pieces of the film before, but never the entire thing in one sitting. I decided to give it a go and see how far I could make it.

Plot: A large spider from the jungles of South America is accidentally transported in a crate with a dead body to America where it mates with a local spider. Soon after, the residents of a small California town begin to die as the result of spider bites from the deadly spider offspring. It's up to a couple of doctors with the help of an insect exterminator to annihilate these eight legged freaks before they take over the entire town.

The plot is as ridiculous as it sounds, but its so over the top that it works. In the same way that “Jaws” made us afraid to go into the ocean, Arachnophobia taps into the common fear of spiders for its scares. While the film is more in the vein of “Gremlins”, with its thrills being mixed with humor, it's still a scary tale at heart. I can honestly say though, while this film did feature spiders, they are featured in a way that really doesn't make them all that terrifying. It's a classic man vs nature story that was done well in the early 90's, before it became the common route to go with B movies

The acting here is the real bright spot of the film. Not only do you have the always outstanding Jeff Daniels, but you also have the consistently great John Goodman. Both men were perfect for their roles, and brought more life into the film. My only gripe with Goodman's performance was that he seemed to be channeling Bill Murray's character from “Caddyshack” a little too much. Other actors in this film include the underrated Julian Sands, Harley Jane Kozak and Stuart Pankin.

So you may say “how could someone with a fear of spiders watch a movie about spiders? “ well that's one of the funny things about this movie. It has jump scares and plenty of scary scenes, but the acting and comedy offsets it to the point where the spiders aren't so frightening. As I said, this film is in the same vein as Gremlins, where it's supposed to be scary but because of how its pulled off it's more fun than frightening. It's a rare thing when you can see something you don't like being the central focus of a film, but due to the nature of the film find yourself not even being bothered by it.

So all in all, I can say that I found this film to be enjoyable. Sure it dealt with a creepy crawly antagonist, but it was done in such a way that it more makes you feel glad to be alive at the end. Really, isn't that why we watch horror films in the first place? The rush of adrenaline from the danger and then the ultimate feeling of being alive at the end is what makes these films fun.

Verdict: 4 spider jump scares out of 5

Pulp Fiction

2015-03-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

Alright, I'll admit it, until this past weekend I had never seen Pulp Fiction. It was on my list of movies to watch, but I never got around to it. I had heard so much about the film in discussions with friends and others on the internet that I finally decided to set aside a few hours and watch it. Was it as groundbreaking of a film to me in 2015 as it was to cinema viewers in 1994? Lets take a look.

Plot Summary: Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega are two hitmen who are out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace. Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia out a few days later when Wallace himself will be out of town. Butch Coolidge is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his next fight. The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are woven together comprising of a series of funny, bizarre and uncalled-for incidents.

When I read the summary, I thought I knew what to expect. What I got was not only some of the best storytelling I've seen in a movie, but also took me on a roller coaster of laughs, shocking moments and wondering what the hell was going on. This is the kind of story that has loosely connected segments in that you could have all of the scenes be separate shorts and still work, but are woven together so neatly that it enhances the enjoyment when viewed in the film.

The acting here is great all around. I'm usually not a fan of John Travolta, but here he worked well, especially with Samuel L Jackson. The other actors in the film include Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth and even the films director Quentin Tarantino. I can safely say that I enjoyed every performance, and it didn't matter if the actor was on screen for one minute or 30, they all delivered. This is one of the few films that I have seen that had no wasted screen time with the performances.

One of my favorite parts about watching this film is that while it has very grim situations, it's never too dark. It's the kind of movie you can put on after a long day and have it lift your spirits. It has situations where they are so tense, but seconds later you cant help but laugh.

Overall I can say this is a great film, one that makes me feel sad that I didn't watch it sooner. This is a film that has so many moments that standout and too many quotable lines to count. Everything about this film was enjoyable, from the scenery, the actions on screen and even the conversations between characters.

Verdict: Must see movie.

Thoughts on the all female Ghostbusters reboot

2015-02-03T17:45:00.001-08:00

Over the past few months, there has been one topic that comes up from time to time that I've had more than a few debates on and that's the possibility of an all female Ghostbusters reboot. It's a subject that has divided fans of the first 2 films as well as movie fans in general. I'm sure you've seen or heard about it somewhere, but I just wanted to share my thoughts.

First I want to say that I'm not against the idea of rebooting the series and doing a gender swap on the characters. Hell over the course of time there were female Ghostbusters on "The Real Ghostbusters" and "Extreme Ghostbusters", so this is nothing new. Doing this isn't going to somehow ruin my enjoyment of the original film or its sequel.

What I am against is that they are ignoring those movies and just doing a straight reboot instead of a continuation with a different story. Doing so makes it feel like this is some kind of stunt simply to appeal to the ladies and say "hey! look! we made the ghostbusters all women!" in order to draw them to theaters.

My second concern is getting a cast of females that can click and work well together. If the reported casting lineup is true, them I am mostly optimistic.
Kristen Wiig is funny in almost all of her roles, she has a personality that suits her perfectly for comedy. Two of the actresses, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon, I've never heard or seen until now since I haven't watched a episode of SNL in some time. I did however find some clips on youtube and will say I think they can do an alright job with it.

My main issue with the casting though is Melissa McCarthy. While she has had some funny moments in movies, most of her comedy feels forced to me. Unless she has someone strong backing her up, like a Jason Bateman, Sandra Bullock or her on screen husband from "Mike and Molly" Billy Gardell, she just doesn't come across as funny to me.

While I'm still questioning if I would watch this in theaters or not, I'm going to hold off answering until I see a trailer at the very least. I may be in the minority in that I'm not screaming and yelling about how this is ruining my childhood, but I'm far from backing this idea 100%. Who knows, the whole thing may fall apart as it has with other movies in the early stages of production.

Netflix Recommendations (January 16th 2014)

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Looking for something to watch this weekend? Heres a few things that I've enjoyed watching recently on Netflix!

The Rocketeer - Pilot Cliff Secord finds a jet pack stashed in his plane, and decides to use it to make some money in a stunt show. Cliff doesn't know that there are people looking for it with more sinister plans in mind. A fun action adventure film from the early 90's which had everything you look for in an exciting movie: thrills, drama and a great story. Adapted from the comics of the same name, it was released to modest success but only recently has it attained classic status. Definitely a film well worth the time spent watching it.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure- When high school underachievers Bill and Ted are told they will either ace their year end presentation or flunk out, they are given the aid of a time traveling phone booth. While the 80's had already given us "Back To The Future", this film stands apart for not being too serious. It has laughs as well as it's share of stupid moments, but it's entertaining all the way through.

The Wolf of Wallstreet- The story of the rise and fall of stock broker Jordan Belfort and his company Stratton Oakmont over the course of the late 80's and early 90's. It's a story thats been done before many times, but Leonardo DiCaprio brings a ton of charm and humor to his character that makes this one fun to watch. It may not be for everyone, but if you want something like a cross between "Wallstreet" and "American Psycho" you may want to check this out.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker- Often referred to as the father of the "X Files", this series follows reporter Carl Kolchak as he investigates many supernatural and mysterious crimes involving everything from zombies to Jack The Ripper. It's an unusual series that despite only lasting one season, has had a ton of impact and staying power.

The Living Daylights- Timothy Dalton stars as James Bond in a film where Bond must protect a defecting Soviet general from a beautiful sniper. This was one of the first Bond film's I saw and it's also my favorite. It took a tired out old series that had become joke and revitalized it for a new generation. With great performances and thrills, The Living Daylights delivers on all levels.

Netflix Recommendations (12-15-14)

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Knights Of Badassdom (2013) - an odd little movie that had its release date pushed back a few times to the point where most people never expected it to see the light of day, Knights Of Badassdom was quite the surprise for me. It's a movie about a group of friends who are live action role players, who soon find themselves fighting for their lives when they summon a demon. Sure some of the jokes did feel a little too cheesy, but really it fit the film. It's a great film to watch if you're looking for something off the wall and fun

Olympus Has Fallen (2013) - A disgraced secret service agent must come to the rescue when Korean terrorists descend on the White House and take the president hostage. I wont lie, this movie is exactly what it appears to be: Die Hard with Gerard Butler, but in reality thats all it needed to be. With great acting from Butler and fun action sequences, you may want to check out Olympus Has Fallen if you want a little excitement.

Lilyhammer- After turning state's evidence against a powerful Mafia boss, former gangster Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano trades the mean streets of New York for the icy fjords of Norway. The relative calm suits him at first. But it's not long before Frank's ruthless methods resurface, stirring the suspicions of his next-door neighbor, the chief of police. It's a quirky little show with great actors and a good story. With the newest season just recently released, it's a great time to check out Lilyhammer.

Galaxy Quest(1999)- Decades after the success of a sci-fi series, the show's washed-up stars are recruited by actual aliens to pull off an intergalactic rescue mission. One of the films that I rarely hear people mention, Galaxy Quest is a fun sci fi comedy that pokes fun at not only the actors of cult tv shows, but the fans as well. The story is predictable, but still entertaining. The cast works like a well oiled machine and they play off one another really well, especially Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver. If you're looking for a hilarious adventure, check out Galaxy Quest.

Red Dawn (1984)- Made towards the end of the Cold War, Red Dawn is a film about a group of teenagers who survive Soviet and Cuban paratroopers descending on their small Colorado town and systematically setting off World War III. It stars then up and coming stars Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey. The story may seem ridiculous now, and the effects may be dated, but if you're looking for some action, you can do a lot worse than Red Dawn.

Fright Night (1985)

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Fright Night

Released: 1985

Director: Tom Holland

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Amanda Bearse, Roddy McDowall

Plot (taken from IMDB): For young Charlie Brewster, nothing could be better than an old horror movie late at night. Two men move in next door, and for Charlie with his horror movie experience, there can be no doubt that their strange behavior is explained by the fact that they are a vampire and his undead day guardian. The only one who can help him hunt them down is a washed-up actor, Peter Vincent, who hosts Charlie's favorite TV show, Fright Night. Vincent doesn't really believe that vampires exist, but does it for the money...

Story wise, Fright Night is damn near perfect. It came out at a time when, as the Peter Vincent character put it, people "prefer a movie where a masked loony kills virgins". At the time this was true, with movies like "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" dominating the box office. This story knew what it had to be, and it capitalized on its strengths. It has a good story flow as well, there were no dull points, and there was always something happening on screen.

The cast of the film is as great as its plot. An actor like Chris Sarandon playing a vampire was perfect. He could be charming one minute, and intimidating the next. William Ragsdale did a great job as teenager Charley Brewster and Roddy McDowall brought an old school Hollywood feel to the Peter Vincent character, which made it feel authentic and added quite a bit to the film. My one complaint with the cast was Amanda Bearse, at times her performance felt forced and it hurt a few scenes in my opinion.

For its time, Fright Night also had some great effects. They didn't look too cheesy and were well done. Also it's interesting to note that the prosthetics used for Amy's vampire form were originally going to be used for the library ghost in Ghostbusters, but was decided against as it wouldn't fit the tone of the film.

Fright Night is my favorite vampire film of all time. I would go so far as to say that it's the best vampire film of the 80's, with "The Lost Boys" coming in at a close second. It's the best kind of horror film, because it's fun even when its scary. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

Final Verdict: king of 80's vampire films

Trailer:

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011)

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Released: April 28th 2011
Director: Kevin Munroe
Starring: Brandon Routh, Sam Huntington, Anita Briem, Taye Diggs

Plot: Supernatural detective Dylan Dog is called out of retirement to track down a valuable artifact before vampires get a hold of it and unleash its power.

The story of "Dead of Night" is actually pretty interesting and has several elements that make it fun to watch. The idea that theres a single person that was hired to keep peace between the zombies, vampires and werewolves is a pretty cool idea for a story. I can't compare it to the comic books as I have never read a single page of it, but from a film viewers standpoint I feel this film hit the points it was aiming for story wise.

This film also has a solid cast from a performance point of view. When he is brought up, Brandon Routh is always looked at as a "boring actor" but in my eyes he is anything but. He has a great chemistry with all of the actors in the film, especially Sam Huntington who plays his sidekick. The entire cast worked like a well oiled machine I can't think of a single performance from this film that I thought was bad.

One big highlight from the film was the creature effects on the various vampires, zombies and werewolves. All of the effects were great, but the one that really stood out to me was the effects on the zombies. The effects range from subtle with hazed eyes and decaying skin, to the more extreme "hulked up" zombies.

I'll admit, when I bought this film a few years ago I was skeptical about it. Once I watched it though I had a fun time with it. It's a shame this film didn't perform so well at the box office, I would have loved to have seen where the story could have gone with a sequel. It's not a perfect film, but the fun aspects of the film made it really easy to overlook its negative points. If you overlooked this one, or didn't even know it existed, you should check it out if you're looking for a good horror/ buddy comedy.

Final Verdict: Enjoyable horror comedy

Trailer:

Fright Nights: Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

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Fright Nights: Dracula 2000

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Fright Nights: Dead Alive

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Fright Nights: The Craft

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