Valerie Atherton's Playground and Intellectual Dept.

Movie Review: Avengers

Valerie Atherton — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:41:28 +0000

Watching Avengers is like getting invited to a party by someone you don’t really know and you’re not totally sure you wanna go, but you feel like you should go, so you do and you see people you recognize and it becomes super fun. Unless you pay super close attention to the movie poster or [...]

Movie Review: John Carter

Valerie Atherton — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:47:20 +0000

With the president of the US elections coming this year, there is tons of interest of interest in older presidents. Not “older” as in Hillary Clinton’s husband who was president, but older as in, “Whoa, that was a long time ago and the clothes were kinda lame.” The only thing I knew about Abraham [...]

Movie Review: The Thing

Valerie Atherton — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:19:16 +0000

Some horror movies make you go, “OMG, that was so scary, I had to watch it with my eyes closed. I am so gonna have bad dreams, tonight!” while other horror movies make you go, “The killer just killed that naked girl with a giant maxchete! Does the human body really have that much blood?” [...]

Movie Review: Green Lantern

Valerie Atherton — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:48:07 +0000

The color green can mean a lot of things in movies. Sometimes green is meant to be money, sometimes green is meant as clean energy like solar-powered windmills or cars that create electricity, but other times the word ‘green’ means drugs (i.e. pot, weeds, marijuana, lcd, etc.) Some people say drugs should be legal, while [...]

A Comic Strip I Did

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:00:41 +0000

This is my first attempt* at a comic strip with superheroes. I thought it would be more interesting to show them as real people with real problems, instead of superpeople with superpeople problems. This stars Hulk and Captain American, a new character coming out this summer. Feel free to print it out and hang [...]

Movie Review: Thor

Valerie Atherton — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:02:51 +0000

Whether you are a Christian, Muslamic person (they’re the ones on the news with beards like hippies used to wear) or even Antagonist, I think we can agree that it’s pretty much a given that Jesus is going to come back someday. When he does, he’ll give all of the good people mansions in heaven, [...]

Movie Review: Tron Legacy

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:57:53 +0000

The Internet has it’s share of good things going for it: there’s email, funny videos, movies and even movie reviewer writers. There are bad things on the flipped side, too: people having naked sex, certain people in certain movie forums are jerks (Orchid4Jay, WlvrneBA), men my dad’s age who go on Facebook and pretend [...]

Best Motion Picture Oscar Nominees — Part 2

Valerie Atherton — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:00:04 +0000

I challenge you to look it up or find some old tickets in your purse, because I guarantee that there were more than 10 movies that came out last year. Hmm, Avatar? Um…Xman? Any of those ring your bell? I suppose it’s just a way of movie people saying, ‘Oh, we liked your movie, but [...]

Best Motion Picture Oscar Nominees – Part 1

Valerie Atherton — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 18:35:59 +0000

There are awards for country music, but the only people that watch those are people my parents’ age who are unemployed and hate President Obama. There are awards for plays on Broadway, which, I guess, is okay because it promotes literacy and singing, but I don’t find the awards very interesting. Nope, for me the [...]

Movie Review: Precious

Valerie Atherton — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:20:18 +0000

The following transcribed review was taken from a February 2010 podcast and is being reprinted with cooperation and permission of James Sinclair, The Sinclair Report and Cultured Media, LLC. The Sinclair Report, Ep. 24 Welcome to the 24th episode of The Sinclair Report, a series that features famed critic James Sinclair and guests as they discuss [...]

Movie Review: Moon

Valerie Atherton — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 23:18:53 +0000

The following transcribed review was taken from a February 2010 podcast and is being reprinted with cooperation and permission of James Sinclair, The Sinclair Report and Cultured Media, LLC. The Sinclair Report, Ep. 23 Welcome to the 23rd episode of The Sinclair Report, a series that features famed critic James Sinclair and guests as they discuss [...]

Movie Review: Let Me In

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 22:13:34 +0000

Usually, when someone says, “Let me in,” it’s because they’re standing outside and it’s raining or cold or they’re afraid of a dog. Now, kids and teenagers are saying it because they want to see the movie Let Me In. Unfortunately, it’s rated R and it’s not like they’re going to ask their parents to [...]

Reality Shows That Would Be Good Reality Movies

Valerie Atherton — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:25:32 +0000

This summer, I actually started watching documentaries. Documentaries are movies that are about real stuff and are usually shot on hand-held cameras by people called narrators. Netflix has a whole section on Instant Watch for documentaries, so you don’t even have to feel bad about falling asleep because it’s free. What I learned from watching [...]

Movie Review: Predators

Valerie Atherton — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:37:56 +0000

Q: How on Earth do you stop hunters from hunting? A: Another planet, that’s how! If you’re like me, you are a strict vegetarian eater who loves animals and only eats meat on holidays (Thanksgiving, Halloween, etc.) and even then only meat from stores because hunting causes a lot of suffering to animals. If you’re [...]

Movie Review: Iron Man 2

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 12 May 2010 03:58:41 +0000

One of the great things about living in North America is that we get to see movies before anyone else in the world (unless they are foreign films and then foreign countries are first, then us and then Mexican countries), so it was incredibly super exciting for me and my friend Sarah (Hi, Sarah!) to [...]

Movie Review: Kick Ass

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:33:10 +0000

This review is kind of late, so I apologize to everyone who waiting to read this before deciding whether or not to see the movie Kick Ass. Sorry, guys. Anyway, so I went and saw Kick Ass over the weekend (this past weekend, not the one coming up) with my nephew Aidan who is 5 [...]

Movie Review: Clash of the Titans

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:36:35 +0000

As I’m sure you know, I’ve been rooting for Sam Worthington to be famous because he’s from another country and came to Northern America to become an actor. I think that anyone who comes to a foreign country and becomes a successful actor or sports person or even President is an inspiration to everyone in [...]

Movie Review: Alice In Wonderland (2)

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:51:38 +0000

A trilogy to the Disney cartoon movie on video and DVD, Alice in Wonderland (2) might be different than what you might be expecting because a lot of things are different in this movie than the original. For one, Alice is a little older, 12 or 13. For two, it isn’t entirely a cartoon movie [...]

Movie Review: The Shutter Island

Valerie Atherton — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:40:27 +0000

When something creepy or gross happens, it makes you want to shutter. Well, imagine a whole island of things that will make you shutter! Beginning with a scene of Leonardo throwing up, the movie jumps right into the suspension. Why is he throwing up? Is he hungover or is he really nervous? Well, these are just [...]

Movie Review: The Wolfman

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:51:38 +0000

How-w-w-w-w-w-w-l at the moo-o-o-o-o-o-n that is fu-u-u-u-u-u-l-l-l. It seems as though werewolf people, like Kmart and the principal at my elementary school, have been around fore-v-e-r, but nobody paid much attention because they weren’t that interesting. There’s this guy and he turns into a wolf! Oh yeah? And what else happens? Um, well, that’s sort [...]

My Oscar Movie Awards Picks

Valerie Atherton — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:03:02 +0000

There are lots of movie awards during the year, but there is one that Hollywood people like most because they get to vote on themselves and their friends, kind of like a beauty pageant where only the models get to vote. These are the Oscar Movie Awards. Every year for the past four or five [...]

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes

Valerie Atherton — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 00:55:55 +0000

Ah, Paris. Even if they’ve never actually been, I think most people love Paris just because…it’s Paris. Paris is the home of pretty much everything we take for grants, today. France people created fancy cooking (thank god or else we’d all just be eating that weird casserole with hot dogs on it that my mom’s [...]

Holiday Movie Review: A Wonderful Life

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:32:27 +0000

Looking for movies to watch at Christmas can be pretty overwhelming. Kind of like how singers and music people make cd’s with Christmas songs, it seems like actors from every country in the world have made a Christmas movie. Unfortunately, a certain movie rental place in Woodland Hills that rhymes with Vollywood Hideo barely doesn’t even [...]

One Book – A Thousand Trilogies

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:47:59 +0000

I was at the local Borders Books with my friend Sarah (Hi, Sarah!) because we were looking for cheap gifts for certain relatives who are impossible to buy for, so you just end up getting them books. So, while we were there, we noticed a book version(*) of Transformers 2. I was like, “OMG, someone [...]

Team Jacob or Team Edward?

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:09:35 +0000

I remember a couple months ago when everyone in America was trying to figure out, ‘Am I a Democrat or a Christian?’ because you had to vote for President Bush or President Obama. Well, these days are even more complicated with pretty much everyone in America and countries that understand American movies trying to figure [...]

Happy Anniversary To Disney’s Muppets

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:48:33 +0000

Unless you’ve been living in a cave or jail, you probably love Muppets as much as everyone else in the world. Muppetry has changed movies and television from just having people in them to having Muppets…eventually, even together on the same screen. This year is the anniversary of the Muppets. You’ve probably seen it written [...]

Final Petition For My Petition For Sam Worthington

Valerie Atherton — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:06:22 +0000

If you signed my petition, please download the pdf version below and keep a copy for your records because you might need it for taxes, but I’m not sure. Thanks to everyone that signed! You’re all amazing! xo Valerie

World, Meet 3D

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:26:25 +0000

Earlier this year, I went to see an animated cartoon at the movie theater and when I got there, there was a hugantic line for it. I asked the ticket person why there were so many people and he said because the movie was in 3D. The theater already had something like 14 screens, so [...]

Movie Review: Avatar (plus Petition)

Valerie Atherton — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:37:48 +0000

Before movies come out, Hollywood people do what is called a test screening or a sneak preview to gauge audience reactions and whatever. This way, if a bunch of people are all, “Oh, I wish there were less boobs in that one scene” or “That one actor was awful in that part he played in [...]

Movie Review: Inglorious Bastards

Valerie Atherton — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:22:57 +0000

Bang, Bang, Ouch!, Awww Typically, this is my reaction to historical war movies. I am a fan of yummy Brad Pitt, though, so it was a toss up whether to see this war movie. Seeing people shooting guns and other people getting shot or stabbed with bullets has never been my favorite things to watch, but [...]

Movie Review: Transformers 2

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:11:46 +0000

Everyone knows, summer wouldn’t be summer without an action-packed blockbuster that kicks butt. Well, you don’t have to worry anymore because this summer is now officially a real summer thanks to Shia LaBeouf’s new movie blockbuster, Transformers 2. Transformers 2 is actually a trilogy to the movie Transformers that came out in 2007. What I [...]

Best Romantic Movie Couples of All Time

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:52:37 +0000

Summer is fast approaching and I, for one, am super excited. No matter where you live, summer means one thing: going to the beach. Some of my friends (hi, Dianne B!) actually go to the beach and surf, but I’m not that bold or that cool. I prefer to lie in the sun, read a [...]

Movie Review: Terminator Salvation

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:40:26 +0000

To some, California is the Golden State. To others, it’s the state that is cool and has famous people. To the robots and people of Terminator Salvation, though, it’s a gigantic battlefield. Terminator Salvation takes place in California in the near distant future. Before anyone gets excited about seeing the beaches or the [...]

Movie Review: Star Trek

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:38:47 +0000

All across the internet, all of the online movie sites have been buzzing about the release of the blockbustered movie Star Trek. Personally, I didn’t have a ton of interest. I thought, “Oh, a space movie. I don’t have a ton of interest in that.” Everyone said it would be an adventure, but I pointed out that [...]

Movie Review: Xman – Wolverine

Valerie Atherton — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:05:37 +0000

I would like to introduce you to a man, but he is no ordinary man… He has claws in his fist (like a cat), the ability to heal (like Jesus) and he has a beard that doesn’t grow all the way (kind of like Christian Bale). He is Xman and is the title character of [...]

Movie Review: The Pretty Woman

Valerie Atherton — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:30:34 +0000

Since there’s nothing out right now that I feel like reviewing and because my birthday is coming up, I thought it would be cool to rent and review whatever the top movie was that was playing on my birthday (May 11, 1990). I looked it up and it was a Julia Roberts movie called The [...]

Movies That Should Be Remade Into Remakes

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:16:18 +0000

Never before in the decades Hollywood’s been around has there been such an exciting time as now. Think about it, even though movie ticket prices keep going up and up, movies keep having record-breaking premier weekends. I can’t even wrap my head around that! One of the reasons for this is Hollywood’s almost psychic-like [...]

The Many Lives Of Shia LaBeouf

Valerie Atherton — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:53:41 +0000

I was talking with my friend Sarah (hi, Sarah!) and we started talking about Shia, of course. We talked about movies he’s made, then about upcoming movies he’s making that haven’t come out, yet. Eventually, we eventually started talking about movies we would love to see Shia make, if we had a choice in [...]

Movie Review: The Watchmen

Valerie Atherton — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:43:11 +0000

Sometimes a movie comes along that only has non-famous actors in it and it becomes a huge success, regardless. Juno was like that and it went on to be nominated for something. Well, this year’s unlikely hit is based on a book and called The Watchmen. The Watchmen are a group of superheroes who [...]

Movie Review: The Curious Benjamin Button Case

Valerie Atherton — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:05:36 +0000

It is obvious that one of the biggest movies of this movie season has been Brad Pitt’s The Curious Benjamin Button Case. With the exception of maybe those weird guys that always wore black in school and liked horror movies, most moviegoers found this movie to be incredibly endearing. Who knows? Maybe some of [...]

Holiday Movie Review: Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:33:28 +0000

OMG, I love Christmas. Christmas is one of the few universal things everyone can relate to. No matter how much money you have or what religion you are or country you’re from, Christmas is that time when everyone puts down their differences and comes together to decorate trees and hang stockings. So, I thought it [...]

Movie Review: Quantum of Solace

Valerie Atherton — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:52:36 +0000

I guess I never paid enough attention before, but the one thing Hollywood seems to like to do is create a series of movies (a trilogy) out of all of their successful characters. Batman’s a trilogy, Iron Man’s going to be one and now James Bond. But this isn’t the first time someone’s attempted [...]

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk

Valerie Atherton — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:40:39 +0000

He’s big, he’s kind of angry and, for some reason, he’s green. That is pretty much all you need to know before seeing Edward Norton’s The Incredible Hulk. My dad rented it and so we watched it together, over the weekend. Thanks, dad! We first meet Edward Norton as Bruce Banner in a Mexico [...]

Movie Review: Iron Man DVD

Valerie Atherton — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:48:00 +0000

A lot of male moviegoers were excited about the recent release of Iron Man DVD. I had not seen it when it was in the theaters, but thought I should check it out and see what the commotion was all about. Turns out, Iron Man DVD is pretty fun. Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony [...]

Shia LaBeouf’s Image Stolen by Brand O Toys

Valerie Atherton — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:43:16 +0000

So, this is not a review, but a rant. I am kind of upset by this thing my friend showed me. I swear, I hope Shia LaBeouf has a good lawyer and that that lawyer can sue these thiefs for millions! When I wrote a review of Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal [...]