Mrs. Robinson, You're Trying to Seduce Me

LIMELIGHT: Hayao Miyazaki

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:13:00 +0000

Nicknamed, “the Japanese Walt Disney,” Hayao Miyazaki is a talented animation director from Japan. Though, I have yet to have the pleasure of travelling to his distant homeland, I feel each of his movies bring me closer. It is one of the reasons why he is praised. His films are magical.

Miyazaki’s new film “Ponyo” hits limited theaters on August 14^th, although the movie released in Japan over a year ago. The tag line, “Welcome to a World Where Anything Is Possible,” hints at the similarities between Hayao Miyazaki’s work and Walt Disney’s dreams.

Take a break from whatever it is you may possibly be doing, and go rent one of Hayao Miyazaki’s films. You will then witness his unmistakable talent for creating compelling characters, captivating stories, and stunning animation. Call it “moving artwork” if you like. Below is a list of his movies (I personally like) I’ve compiled just for you.

Your Personal Hayao Miyazaki Movie Guide:

Ponyo (August 14^th release, check your local theater for showtimes)
Howl's Moving Castle (novel by Diana Wynne Jones, I suggest you read the book as well)
Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke
Kiki's Delivery Service

2009 SUMMER MOVIE GUIDE

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:01:00 +0000

With the weather in the fritz, I myself endured a freak hail/snow storm this past week, the clichéd summer activities are at an abnormal standstill. However, our most tried-and-true pastime is still dependable, the summer movie.

If you have not already started checking movies off your “To See” list or if you have yet to create one, well, I am here to help you. Take a peak below at the movies set to release this summer.

JUNE 5th
Land of the Lost – See Will Ferrell in an alternate universe where dinosaurs rule again
Away We Go (limited release) - Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski trek across the U.S. in search of the perfect place to raise their first child.
The Hangover – Bachelor Party in Vegas = alcohol, a tiger, Mike Tyson and a baby [See Mrs. Robinson, You’re Trying to Seduce Me’s movie review)
My Life in Ruins – My Big Fat Greek Wedding in Greece

JUNE 12th
The Taking of Pelham 123 – Villain, John Travolta hijacks train. Hero, Denzel Washington attempts to save the day.
Imagine That – Eddie Murphy looks to his daughter’s imaginary friends for financial advice

JUNE 19th
Year One – Comedians Jack Black and Michael Cera go primitive, cave man primitive.
The Proposal – Love at the office and sexual harassment meet Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds

JUNE 24th
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – Robot aliens from space, hot bodies from Earth (Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox), and explosions

JUNE 26th
My Sister's Keeper - Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) was born to save her sister’s life
Chéri - Michelle Pfeiffer is a Parisian cougar in the 1920s Paris

JULY 1st
Public Enemies - Christian Bale is a Top FBI agent and Johnny Depp is a notorious gangster.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – Same old friends (Sid, Manny, Ellie and Diego) in a new adventure minus the ice.

JULY 10th
Brüno – a flamboyant version of Borat (Sasha Baron Cohen), only this time he is an Austrian fashion reporter
I Love You, Beth Cooper – Love the cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere) and get best night of your geeky life.

JULY 15th
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – The boy-who-lived delves deeper into the past of He-who-must-not-be-named and befriends the unknown Half-Blood Prince. (Bias Opinion Alert: Your jaw will drop in the end, and you will grasp at the edge of your seat.)

JULY 17th
(500) Days of Summer (limited release) – An offbeat, indie summer romance between a romantic and a non-believer.

JULY 24th
G-Force – Talking guinea pigs with attitudes and a license to kick a$$
Orphan (limited release) – A couple picks the wrong little girl to adopt. Her arrival is plagued with strange events.
The Ugly Truth - Gerard Butler helps Katherine Heigl with her love life, but will they fall for each other during the coaching?

JULY 31st
Funny People - Adam Sandler is a dying comedian, and Seth Rogen plays his protégé
Aliens in the Attic - Can the Pearson kids save the family from an alien invasion?

AUGUST 7th
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity vs. Cobra
Julie & Julia - Secretary Julie Powell attempts to cook all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

AUGUST 14th
District 9 – Aliens are refugees in South Africa.
Bandslam - Vanessa Hudgens adapts her H.S. Musical pipes for a H.S. battle of the bands competition
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard – The Piv (Jeremy Piven) goes from selling actors in Entourage to selling cars in this summer comedy

AUGUST 21st
Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino brings us Jewish-American soldiers who scalp and brutally kill Nazis
Post Grad – A recent college grad (Alexis Bledel) can't land a good job, because the economy is crap. The punishment, she moves back in with her oddball family. (Bias Opinion Alert: This is my current situation. How quick Hollywood makes a movie out of it haha)

AUGUST 28th
H2: Halloween 2 – A gruesome and modern remake of the classic horror flick
The Final Destination – The fourth installment in the series, and this time it’s in 3D. (Note: Each Final Destination movie is released three years a part)

IN REMEMBRANCE: Michael Jackson (1958 – 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Mrs. Robinson, You’re Trying to Seduce Me celebrates Michael Jackson’s contributions to the entertainment world. He changed the face of music, and was an innovative artist. He found a way to blend the allure of movies with the sounds of music. And I am not referencing musicals.

In fact, I am talking about Michael Jackson’s groundbreaking music videos. He took them to a whole new level. “Thriller” (1983), “Bad” (1987), “Smooth Criminal/Moonwalker” (1988), and “Ghosts” (1997) burst onto the television screen and awed audiences. It was nothing they ever saw before, and surely something they would never forget.

"I'm alive and I'm here forever" - Michael Jackson

RIP

Michael Jackson

1958 - 2009

RETAKE: Nicolas Cage’s Career

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:55:00 +0000

I recently watched the commercial for the dvd release of Nicolas Cage’s movie “Knowing” (2009), and it made me start to think about his career. Cage has gone forgotten for some time now. His movies are not big blockbusters anymore. He is not appearing in magazine and tabloid celebrity sightseeings, in photoshoots or for any endorsement deals. When was the last time he had a major hit or was even a part of a “good” movie?

It seems, many of Cage’s movies are mediocre, not deserving of much praise or accolades. He is just riding on the steam of his “National Treasure” movies lately. Surely, we can all admit that his performance in the remake of “The Wicker Man” (2006) was abysmal. I think we are all just waiting for Nicolas Cage to rise up again, and to stick with action/adventure movies (it suits him).

What’s your opinion on Nicolas Cage? Am I alone with his retake?

LIMELIGHT: Michael Cera

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:24:00 +0000

Chances are you have heard the name, Michael Cera before. If not, then clearly you need to remove yourself from whatever hole or rock you are hiding in. This awkwardly funny Canadian is starring in comedy after comedy, and there is no slowing down for him.

Cera’s new movie “Year One,” a Harold Ramis’ film, just released over the weekend, but it was Greg Mottola’s “Superbad” (2007) that launched this young actor’s career into hyper drive. Audiences are enthralled by Michael Cera’s dry humor. It is gut-splitting funny. We almost miss some of the jokes, because of the ease and calmness in which he delivers them.

Surely, Michael Cera is no comedian giant or legend yet, but he has a promising career to look forward to. If you don’t believe me, witness his “accidental” comedy for yourself by watching “Superbad” (2007), “Juno” (2007) or “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” (2008) for starters. Then work your way to "Arrested Development." And just to leave you with a little taste of Cera's talent, here’s a line from Nick and Norah:

“I think we both said some things we didn't mean, like... when you broke up with me... on my b-day.”

Ha, great. Awkward!

FILM REVIEW: Todd Phillips’s The Hangover

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:35:00 +0000

Picture “Superbad” (2007), but with an older Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and Christopher Mintz-Plasse playing the parts. Yes, that is right. I am comparing “The Hangover” (2009) to the uber popular “Superbad.” The Hangover is outrageously funny, offensive and at times, slightly disturbing.

From the very beginning, you are hooked to the question, What the hell happened last night? Almost reminds you of another movie centered on a forgotten memory, “Dude Where’s My Car?” (2000). Difference is the plot in “The Hangover” is far gone from being cheesy or stupid. Instead, the plot brings back nostalgic memories (or future memories inspired by this movie) of the reckless fun times you have had with your best buds.

And what makes this plot even sweeter is the clinger. Writers Jon Lucas and Scott Moore constantly feed the audience clues to what happened the night before, but with each clue, the night looks more and more bizarre and ridiculous. Only people with a sickly hilarious mind could concoct such shenanigans.

AND, praises must shower over the leading men who brought the scripted drunken misadventures to the big screen. Bradley Cooper plays the sexy and cool guy who encourages everyone to break loose in Vegas. Ed Helms (totally favors Christopher Mintz-Plasse aka Fogell) is the conservative square who bends to the laws of Vegas. And, we can’t forget the fat and somewhat off (not all his marbles are there) Zach Galifianakis who plays the black sheep character, Alan.

“The Hangover” is the perfect movie for you and your friends, or as the pre-game for your raucous trip with those best buds. It gets you in the mood to create a ton of memories, even if you may not remember them the next day (your pictures will).

Rating: 5 Roll-on-the-floor-Laughing out of 5

Excuse my Absence

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:08:00 +0000

Attention Readers:

Sorry for my absence. It's almost been a year! Not to worry though. I am back and in full force. Expect a new post soon on "The Hangover" (2009). And some updates on the page (layout, widgets, etc.)

Thank you for your patience.

FILM REVIEW: D.J. Caruso’s “Eagle Eye”

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:44:00 +0000

Oh no, the computer’s wires crossed again! Thought this movie reminded you of anything? Maybe it was HAL from Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968) or could it have been Joshua from John Badham’s “War Games” (1983)? Who knows? What I do know is “Eagle Eye” may have been a déjà vu for some, but the plot and acting was so much fun to watch. A thriller, mystery and conspiracy theory jammed packed into one movie.

Teeth clenched, knuckles white, sitting on the edge of the seat, and eyes glued to Shia LaBeouf, I mean really, this movie was hot (in more ways than one). Shia as a twin doubled the hotness factor. Call me bias, I love the former “Even Stevens” star turned action hero. He was totally convincing in his role as Jerry Shaw. The sarcasm, the laid-back dude with no real aspirations, I get it and it worked. He even managed to sneak in some comedic lines (nice break from all the fast paced, blood pumping scenes). The audience (female, anyway) also couldn’t help feeling bad for Jerry Shaw. He just didn’t seem to be getting the love he deserved, and he was constantly fighting to get out of his brother’s looming shadow.

Shia’s co-star, Michelle Monaghan was praiseworthy as well. Forgettable at times, but she pulled her own weight. I felt her character was a little too dependent on Jerry Shaw, and she could have been just a bit more heroic for the sake of her son. Like hello, your son’s train could be derailed, grow some chest hair and save him. And we can’t forget the lovely Rosario Dawson or Angelina’s ex-beau. Though I must say, Dawson did not get enough air time to show off her action skills. But the little she did get, she made the most of it. No worries, I won’t spoil anything.

And did I mention, the creepy kid from “Mirrors” was in this movie. Yeah, little Cameron Boyce played the son of Monaghan’s character. Much different from his role as the boy talking to his reflection, this time around he had a more cheery disposition and stayed away from creepers.

I highly recommend this movie for anyone in the mood to be entertained. You can see this movie with anyone. So, get up and go see it already.

Rating: 5 Gasps out of 5

FILM REVIEW: Mathieu Kassovitz’s “Babylon A.D.”

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:25:00 +0000

Think the “Fifth Element” (1997) and “Children of Men” (2006) on steroids. It is set in the future, all of life lay in the hands of a random woman and we need a man "angry at the world" with a hot bod to save us. Woooo for clichés, are there no original screenplays out there?

“Babylon A.D.” is a sci-fi flick mixed with some action offering up numerous awkward moments between Vin Diesel and his co-star Mélanie Thierry. I am not saying the movie is not worth your money. What I am saying is do not expect too much from it. I went to the midnight showing thinking the theater would be packed, and lo and behold, it was not. Sorry Vin, I guess the trailer was not convincing enough. We will have to wait until Sunday to see how much money the movie will make.

Besides all the negativity, “Babylon A.D.” has its good points, the action mainly. Diesel and Michelle Yeoh (and sometimes even Thierry) are amazing. Diesel brings the muscle “kick your ass” fighting style and Yeoh is more graceful with her martial arts. There are some explosions, gun shots (actually quite a few) and everything else you can expect from an action flick.

The one thing I am surprised about is the lack of sex in the movie. I mean hello. Vin is hot and Frenchie Theirry is gorgeous, it seems inevitable. However, we do get a taste of some passion. But, that is all it is, a taste. More like a tease if you will.

Overall, a cool flick to see during the Labor Day weekend before going back to school or work.

Rating: 3 Punches out of 5

FILM REVIEW: Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder”

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:04:00 +0000

Thank You! Ben Stiller for this piss-in-my-pants comedy. This is what I am taking about when I beg for a good summer comedy. The cast, the plot, the script, the chemistry … the stars must have been aligned during production. It’s been seven years since Ben Stiller last sat in a director’s chair (“Zoolander”) and by all means if he needed that recess time to find this Holy Grail, then kudos to him.

First, let me point out the “fake” movie trailers featuring the characters from “Tropic Thunder.” The trailers played right after the coming attractions and right before the movie (“Death Proof” and “Planet Terror” flashback, anyone?). It was like an appetizer, and it gave a good pre-taste of what the audience was in for. Especially Robert Downey Jr.’s (as Kirk Lazarus) “Brokeback Mountain” meets Friar Tuck trailer, haha too funny.

Next, the acting … the acting, the acting, the acting … am I stressing it enough? The spoofs, the innuendos, the stereotyping and the self-defacing jokes just made a complete package. I won’t talk too much about it, simply because I don’t want to ruin any of the jokes by retelling them wrong or hyping it up only for it not to deliver in the movies for you. So with that, let me just applaud, no, give a standing ovation for Stiller, Downey Jr., Black, Baruchel and Jackson.

Oh, and might I add, Baruchel is a hottie-in-the-making, especially if you are attracted to the whole nerd thing (think Henry from "Ugly Betty"). However, Downey Jr. was way hotter in "Iron Man" with his divine physique, sex appeal and oooo the facial hair.

Just know, you will leave the theater quoting this movie and reliving every moment of it.
Great movie experience, I suggest go with some friends or your family (no one younger than 16 though or you might find yourself having to explain certain jokes … talk about awkward).

Rating: 5 Fall-on-the-Floor Laughs out of 5

FILM REVIEW: Alexandre Aja’s “Mirrors”

noreply@blogger.com (M.E.) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:18:00 +0000

A decent summer flick, however, the ending put me in the dark. I mean, can anyone tell me what it was about? I honestly thought I had a good understanding of the movie until the end. I don’t want to spoil the ending or anything, so I won’t push the topic any further.

Oh well, moving on.

The ending was a hit-and-miss with me; point established … the acting was pretty believable. For a moment during the movie, I thought Kiefer Sutherland’s character Ben Carson was a reincarnation of Amityville’s demon possessed dad. Luckily it wasn’t or this movie would have taken a turn for the worse.

Praise to Cameron Boyce’s performance. This kid was chills-down-my-spine disturbing with the potential to give you nightmares. Those big dark eyes and spattered freckles … his cuteness lured you in by making you feel safe and then WHAM, fear me.

As for Paula Patton, I am still up in the air about her. In the beginning of the movie, her acting was weak. She did way better in “Déjà Vu” and “Idle Wild.” Nevertheless, toward the end of the movie once the jumping and the screaming began, I saw more life and credibility in her acting. Maybe she is falling into the Halle Berry category of being “too pretty” to convince the audience that she is afraid or in pain. Let’s cross our fingers and hope she isn’t.

Rating: 2 ½ Screams out of 5