Drag Me To Hell (2009) (Theatrical) - 9/10

Drag Me To Hell was a very enjoyable time at the movies that really blended the in your face scare tactics with humor that Raimi is so famous for in the Evil Dead movies and updated it to interact with the current mortgage crisis and technology we live in today. It's a good sign when I literally jumped out of my seat more than 5 times in this movie which really packs a punch on trying to be believable one minute, only to throw it out the window for something so ridiculous its funny the next. The plot is kept simple and the rules are thrown at you throughout yet I never felt it was getting confusing or too complicated to where you're trying to figure out what the curse actually is. It was pretty obvious from the title what was going to happen and I think they pulled it off differently than I pictured, another curveball that I appreciate they didn't dumb down for the audience. Another element that really stood out was the sound design, apparently the star Alison Lohman broke her leg during filming and allowed the team to have 3 months to fine tune the sound effects and design and man did they do an excellent job. Raimi is all about building up the suspense and terror with the music only to scare you at the least likely moment, an intentional tactic that kept you invested in the characters while also squirming at your seat at the gross out moments. Drag Me to Hell isn't a perfect horror film and not the revelation everyone is touting it to be, yet I think it is a respectable return to horror for Raimi and a movie that I can see myself watching again on a late dark night with some friends. Those familiar with the techniques of horror films will eat this up even more.

The Gift (2000) - 8/10

Checked out The Gift this afternoon so catch up on some of Sam Raimi's older horror movies in preparation for Drag Me to Hell tonight. I really like Cate Blanchett recently and along with Keanu Reeves, Giovanni Ribisi, Katie Holmes, and Greg Kinnear, this movie boasts an all star cast. The setting of the south really set the tone for this darkened tale of a small town whose shocked by a murder. Cate's gift of feeling or seeing things to solve the mystery was played well with almost dream like sequences that blended with her reality to really scare you and move the story forward at the same time. Raimi likes to slow down shots of water or other specific instances where he wants you to reflect on what the character's are feeling and I appreciated the development of the drama in the real lives of the people so it didn't get tossed over to the supernatural side too much. The ending is a little obvious but I think that the way that the movie is paced and little details are hinted at really make it an impact story about what it's like to live in a small town. The cast was very believable and made it just the right balance of suspense and horror that I am really looking forward to his new movie tonight. Check this one out.

My Blood Valentine 3D (2008) - 7/10

My Blood Valentine 3D is actually a pretty decent horror movie that knows exactly what it is and used 3D very well to enhance the gore and gags throughout.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas (2008) - 8/10

The Boy in The Striped Pajamas is a very interesting and emotional movie that explores the subject of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child which I found very effective in it's universal themes. This movie is set in 1940 Berlin where a Nazi family moves in next to a concentration camp and the young son Bruno wonders why the farmers next door look "weird". With James Horner's excellent score, I got caught up right away into the story as we see how each little fact that presents itself to Bruno is absorbed yet he never understands what's going on. Believing himself an explorer, he befriends a young boy through the fence named Shmuel who he slowly realizes is not in pajamas but caged like an animal and made to work. This movie is very sad but challenging as it made me see the costumes and how people during this time had different levels of understanding of what was going on and the research it took to find out what it would be like to be a family in the camp. From the great tracking shots to close ups of Bruno when he sees these atrocities happen to these people, you can't help but be absorbed into his imagination and feel sorry for his place in this horrible Nazi family. The ending is heart-wrenching but I think this is what makes this film so poweful where the hardship is turned around on them to make the family reflect the experience and horror this event caused. I found The Boy in The Striped Pajams very unique and appreciated that it took it's time to balance the relationship b/w the two boys which ultimately changes things forever.

Restraint (2008) - 7/10

The only reason I heard about this movie was that the new hollywood hottie Teresa Palmer gets naked in it and even though it's very low budget for the thriller/kidnap genre, it still succeeded in being enoyable for this reason.

Night At The Museum (2006) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Just like all the other releases this summer, I decided to get familiar with the Night at the Museum characters by watching the original on Blu Ray along with a cool trivia track that ran throughout. This movie is just plain fun but loses it's focus towards the end to make it a more familiar plot for audiences to accept. Ben Stiller is great here as the stumbling divorced dad who needs to win his son's love back by fighting all the exhibits that come to life at night. The special fx are great and the trivia track was cool to learn all about the history of the actors, production team as well as all the historical figures that appear. Even Alan Silvestri's score was refreshingly different from what he did in Long Kiss Goodnight earlier today and I liked all the high profile actors that show up to give a randomness and energy to these one sides characters. The subplot of Sacajawea is a little out of context as I think it could have focused more on Ben Stiller's love life but in the end this movie is harmless adventure that moves quickly with a variety of set pieces and gags that work in the context they're given. Overall, I actually enjoyed this trivia track and gorgeous look of the Blu Ray more than I thought I would after all this time and look forward to the new sequel in IMAX.

The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) - 8/10

Decided to watch The Long Kiss Goodnight this afternoon, a seemingly forgotten action film directed by Renny Harlin which along with an excellent score and gunfights actually has a cool plot to boot involving an assassin with amnesia who gets Samuel L Jackson as an ass kicking partner.

Thirteen Days (2000) - 8/10

Watched Thirteen Days with commentary by Director Roger Donaldson, Kevin Costner, and the technical advisors on the film and was satisfied to get the accounts of how they put together this great political thriller about how the Cuban Missle Crisis went down.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - 10/10

One of the funniest movies of all time, it was fun to watch this again with the cast and crew commentary to hear all the stories of locations, props, sets, and behind the scenes jokes.

Twelve Monkeys (1994) (HD DVD) - 9/10

12 Monkeys with commentary by Director Terry Gilliam was awesome.

Fanboys (2008) - 7/10

Fanboys is for hardcore geeks only.

Taken (2008) (Blu Ray) - 9/10

Taken is a very effective action flick that uses it's momentum and great screen presence by Liam Neeson to rise about the normal thriller and instead inject some energy into real life situations to open up people's eyes to the dangers of the world.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2008) (Blu Ray) - 5/10

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is pretty bad despite some good visual FX of the werewolves which is a shame b/c it doesn't even come close to the cool action of the first two movies.

Terminator Salvation (2009) (Theatrical) - 6/10

Teminator Salvation was a huge letdown, definitely the weakest movie of the series which is a shame since I was so exicted for this futuristic action film to suceed.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

I checked out T3: ROTM on Blu Ray this morning in anticipation for the new movie and to complete all the history of the franchise refreshed in my brain. This movie is actually much better than people make it out to be and a worthy part of the Terminator franchise even though it falls short of the great storytelling of the first two films. Arnold is still in prime form this time around and rebooted since his time with young John Connor.

The Mutant Chronicles (2008) - 7/10

I decided to check out Mutant Chronicles this afternoon and I was pleasantly surprised by the use of color and atmosphere in this huge special fx driven sci fi movie.

Stand By Me (1986) - 9/10

Stand By Me is a classic Stephen King adaptation that really made me think about my own childhood and the expeditions my buddies and I went on that shaped me to be the person I became today. Seeing young River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O Connel all is great as the chemistry b/w the cast is what makes this movie work so well. The swearing, teasing, and jokes about eachother's mothers are all in good fun as the journey is the fun of this movie, not the plot.

The Hangover (2009) (Theatrical) - 10/10

The Hangover was everything I wanted it to be and more, a comedy that will be as popular as Todd Phillip's other classic Old School and definitely will be a standard for which all bachelor parties will be compared to moving foward. Everything just worked perfectly in this movie as all the flashbacks and plot points tied together towards the end filling in the gaps that the audience had along with all the characters within the story. It was a refreshing and realistic interpretation of how everything that could possibly go wrong does but with hilarious results. I didn't know whether to cringe or just laugh my ass off in certain scenes, I real feat given that I've seen a lot and been to vegas multiple times before. The script is well written and full of pop culture references but the jokes don't distract from the story which flies by. This movie will make tons of money and be embraced by college students as well as adults alike. The Hangover surprised me and that's not easy, one of the best comedies I've seen in a while that didn't sink so low with it's humor but instead brought the fun in seeing the misery these 3 guys go through to find the groom before his wedding day. Highly recommended to see with your friends.

Elegy (2008) - 8/10

Elegy was actually better than I thought it would be, a really sad movie towards the end but otherwise it had believeable chemistry between Penelope Cruz and Ben Kingsly as well as great supporting cast of Dennis Hopper and Patricia Clarkson. There are just movies that try to represent reality a little too well and I thought that it's always good to see these troubled love stories for what they are instead of injecting your own life into it. I appreciated the nude scenes of Penelope as not overly erotic but instead just another part of why he fell in love with her. The little motifs of the poetry, piano playing and raquetball rolling away to signify the loss of characters was easy to understand and effective. The subtle voice overs of when Ben Kingsly was interacting with her but then also talking to himself about being so jealous and stupid was funny b/c I was saying the same thing then he would talk aloud in his head to confirm it. Displaying the hardships of marriage and the discovery of a mistress, Elegy is definitely more of an adult themed movie but accessible b/c of the brilliant yet sad performance by Kingsley who doesn't want a real relationship to make him tied down and less alive. In the end, there is a depressing subplot that brings them back together but for me it was the spontaneous relationship that occurs b/w Cruz as student and him as the teacher that is so different than other stuff I've seen recently. Not bad at all.

Outlander (2008) - 9/10

I'd been anticipating the release of Outlander for probably 6-8 months so it was a joy that I finally got to pop this in and experience all the crazy shit this movie has to offer. Seriously, the review on the back of the DVD says "Honestly. Best. Movie. Ever." And the front has the quote "Beowulf meets Predator". I couldn't put it any better thatn that. Outlander is like a mix between Brotherhood of the Wolf, 13th Warrior, Predator, and Beowulf which takes Jim Caviezel as this space traveler who crashes in the time of the Vikings and unknowingly unleashes this futuristic beast that starts killing everyone. Trust me, it's as awesome as it sounds. This movie was just plain fun, not perfect in any sense and there were some scenes that seemed cliched towards the beginning but nonetheless the CGI work on the creature is awesome and the secondary characters are all given enough weight and backstory to care about. I liked the flying helicopter shots of the village which showed off the far off mountain landscape as well as the production design and costumes to really make you feel like you were fighting an unknown enemy as a viking. Using some good editing techniques and use of darkness, the creature eats people like it's a buffet and has this cool red glow that comes from him whenever he uses his laser-like tail. Outlander definitely lived up to my expectations of what a monster movie should be, complete with all the plans on trapping it, and then the improvisation of going after it where it lives. Overall, great character development for everyone, a sweeping score that pumped me up during the action scenes, and a realistic monster that was really frightening when it actually recognized it's own name. Check this one out!

Romancing the Stone (1984) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

This movie didn't hold up as well as I'd hoped and I think it's the fact that it tries to balance comedy and action but never knows exactly what genre it wants to be. Robert Zemeckis in his early days still did a great job though, I just think it's outdated.

Doubt (2008) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

Doubt is a very good movie that I think works as a different experience for everyone because it makes you question who you think is right with such little information presented. Written and directed by John Patrick Shanley, Doubt is cemented by the four Oscar nominated performances of Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis who take an almost stage-like approach with the dialogue and pacing. What really works for me though is the way we are introduced the characters and the little details that try to prove one thing, then another minute change your mind. As we first see Meryl Streep's "dragon-like" principal, she is mean and quick with everyone, reinforcing this idea that she is the one that needs to change with the times in the school. But as the events unfold regarding the priest becoming too friendly with the only black student, we start to see things from her persective and believe she is right. Amy Adams is perfect as the almost-too-honest and naive young teacher who want to believe the priest but is caught b/w the two fighting sides. Viola Davis brings an emotional punch as the boys mother who just wants to see her son survive and not get involved. Doubt is a complex and sometimes slow movie that demands multiple viewings to get all the hidden little hints. I think this was one of the best movies last year not only for the great cinematography from Richard Deakins, but the subtle use of character development that lets the viewer decide what the truth is. By the final breakdown scene where Meryl says she has doubts, there's no question that everyone brought such presence to the screen we are torn who to connect with. One of the more thought-provoking films in recent memory.

Top Gun (1986) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

Watched Top Gun again with commentary by director Tony Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer, and the technical advisors on the film who talked about the authentity of the dogfighting scenes and explained the background for making it. Tom Cruise really came out of his shell in this movie as the confident movie star he is in what is still some of the best aerial battle scenes to date. I like the use of 80s music throughout the action scenes where Tony Scott explains he wanted them to dicate the pacing of the shots, not the editing. Whether it be paying to use an aircraft carrier for an hour out of his own pocket or using realistic call signs for the pilots, Tony Scott immersed himself in this Top Gun flight school to get all the manuerisms and cockiness of these "mig-killers". What I found so fascinating about the commentary this time around was how the described shooting some of the crashing scenes with models, then intercutting it with real footage they shot in the skies to make it seem like it was way more dangerous than it really was. From setting up the volleyball scenes just for the girls or trying to make the hot flight instructor seem "normal", Top Gun really captures the excitement and balls all these pilots had to try and bring a new era of fighters. They talk about why Top Gun was created in the first place to try and improve the kill-death ratio as well as the scenes that were completely unrealistic like Maverick leading his buddy in the beginning, the locker room scene, or the way they got their assignments. This movie is always fun to revisit just for the sheer energy it brings, one of the first movies to deptict realistic flying while also catipulting Tony Scott, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tom Cruise into stars with this blockbuster of 1986. "I feel the need, the need for speed!". Words to live life by, especially in a post Speed Racer world.

Fast Time at Ridgemont High (1982) - 7/10

Watched Fast Time at Ridgemont High with the commentary by screenwriter Cameron Crowe and enjoyed listening to all details of making this risque 80s classic. Sean Penn IS Jeff Spiccoli in this movie and the highlight of this almost comedy like representation of sexual explorations in high school and the trouble kids get into. The movie was criticized at the time for all the nudity and showing teenagers having fun for the wrong reasons but I always liked the laid back approach and randomness to it, not really showing the cool kids in school but the dorky ones who represent most of the population. From ordering pizza in class to telling your teacher off, I definitely connected with Spiccoli's frustration and need to just not take everything so seriously. The commentary goes into the details of casting, using a real school and mall for locations, as well as the problems in finding out Phoebe Cates was only 17 when she filmed her topless pool scene. Fast Time is not a perfect movie by any means but brings back that nostalgia of high school and all the pressures to fit in while convincing girls to hook up with you. You can tell this is Cameron Crowe's early work compared to films like Vanilla Sky and Almost Famous but there is still that realistic dialogue and showing of the stuff not in typical studio movies that make this a winner.

Touch of Evil (1958) - 8/10

Saw Touch of Evil in an outdoor theatre tonight and really appreciated all the techniques in this Orson Welles classic. I'll have to watch this a couple times to truly find all the hidden meanings and themes throughout, but nonetheless it's fun to watch some of these old classics where stars like Charleton Heston and Orson Welles face off against one another in a cat and mouse game of solving the case of rape of Heston's wife. Welle's is a big fellow here but has such presence as the corrupt detective that it's almost funny the way he thinks he's in charge of everything. Heston is great as the frantic fish out of water cop who keeps rubbing people the wrong way. I like the dark themes of corruption in this and the final scene of Heston running through the tunnels listening to the bug planted on Welles. I think i'll love this more once I see it again.

Up (3D) (2009) (Theatrical) - 10/10

Up is another Pixar masterpiece that makes subtle use of the 3D to really have a unique movie that should appeal to all age groups. Bringing a breath of fresh air to most of the mindless movies I've seen so far this year, Up was nothing like I'd ever seen before and a pinnacle for Pixar animation. They way they bring photorealism to imaginary worlds is amazing, but the fact that they have these truly interesting characters that are so detailed and hilarious makes it even better. The trailers don't even spoil any of the good parts of the movie which basically revolves around this old man who ties a bunch of baloons to his house and sails off for the jungle to move the house where his dead wife always wanted. But a overly anxious boy scout trying to get his last badge shows up and convinces the team to befriend a talking dog and extinct bird who must survive against the legendary explorer who has been lost there for decades. There's no way any description of this film can do it justice, it's just absolutely breaktaking in it's detail, the music by Michael Giacchino soars, and the humor comes one minute after another. This and Star Trek are way ahead as my favorite movies of the year so far and I just am continually impressed with the stories and characters Pixar creates. Even the short film "Party Cloudy" that plays before the movie almost had me peeing my pants it was so funny, showing the process of how storks get their babies from clouds. Just thinking about this movie puts a smile on my face, a rare almost perfect movie that blends the best animation to date with great characters and story to create something that is a highlight of my year so far. Can't wait to see this again!

Angels & Demons (2009) (Theatrical) - 7/10

Angels and Demons was a very faithful adaptation to Dan Brown's book but ultimately falls flat when becoming Tom Hanks talking to himself in a Mapquest commercial.

The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut (2006) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

Getting ready for Angels & Demons, I wanted to totally immerse myself in Ron Howard's almost too faithful adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code on Blu Ray.

Notorious (2008) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Notorious is exactly what you'd expect from a movie that shows the life of Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G. I thought it was much better than I expected yet not something to want to watch over and over again with your friends.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) (Blu Ray) - 9/10

This movie has amazing CGI work and production design but it doesn't have the type of conflict and excitement that would make it a masterpiece.

Splinter (2008) (Blu Ray) - 5/10

I am always down for a scary monster movie with special fx and heard Splinter was pretty good so I decided to check it out this afternoon. The concept is trademark horror where a couple who go camping have their car break down only to be bullied by a pair of criminals who take them hostage at a gas station. I appreciated the smaller budget look of the film and outdoor locations but I could tell from the start that this wasn't going to live up to my high standards. What seems like a virus that's taking over small animals is actually this Splinter creature who takes control of the host and grows huge black spikes out of everywhere turning it into a killing machine. As there are basically only 4 characters in the movie, it was frustrating to think that would be the only body count I would see. As the pace quickens and a person gets infected, it turns into a survival story inside the gas station trying to outsmart this weird splinter person attacking them. For me though, it seemed that i'd seen this scenario before and really didn't care enough for these characters to get invested in the story. With barely any special fx and a little bit of gore, the movie doesn't push any boundaries or have enough scares to continues throughout it's runtime. Even the couple befriending the serial killer to help kill this monster seemed contrived and by the end, I was just ready for it to be over. In the end, this movie is being marketed as a monster movie but really is just a lame excuse to show this contagion of splinters that take over humans and animals. Splinter wasn't nearly as good as I'd hoped.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) - 8/10

Probably the Star Trek film that I've seen the most, Wrath of Khan is a fun revenge flick and deserves the label of best of the old movies. There's not much to say about Star Trek II as I basically just wanted to revisit these older movies to get into the universe of these characters again. I really like the all out dedication that Khan has for plotting his revenge against Kirk and the simple plot of finding the Genesis device to start a new planet. The little monologues Khan spits out are refreshing to see this kind of hollywood dialogue where we are seeing into the character's inner demons rather than cheesy descriptions of photons, phasers, etc. Star Trek II works because of the simple story it represents, giving us more detail on the characters without trying to be too overly dramatic and scientific. By bringing a human factor into the equation, it ultimately turns out to be a battle of wits to anticipate what the other will do. By giving us a villian that we can symphathize with, it helped me understand the conflict Kirk must undergo to kill Khan. Wrath of Khan is a fun Star Trek flick that still holds up better than the rest.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) - 6/10

I wanted to check out the original Star Trek: The Motion Picture today to get into the history of these characters from the new movie. It's funny because this movie is pretty bad compared to the new one.

Star Trek (2009) - 10/10

Star Trek was mindblowingly awesome in IMAX tonight.

My Science Project (1985) - 8/10

My Science Project was one of my favorite 80s flicks growing up as a kid so it was great to watch this sci fi comedy again in all it's cheesy glory.

What Doesn't Kill You (2009) - 7/10

Another Boston based true story that has good acting by Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo but ultimately falls short of being engaging like The Departed.

Afro Samurai: Resurrection (2008) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Pretty interesting japanase animation that falls short on style of substance.

The Tale of Desperaux (2008) - 5/10

I usually love animated movies but this one just felt stupid.

Wolverine (2009) - 6/10

Wolverine is a disgrace to the character.

Seven Pounds (2008) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

After an amazing wedding filled weekend of fun, I was glad to be able to chill tonight and sit down to watch Seven Pounds which I'd been putting off until I could fully experience it in Blu Ray. Will Smith is clearly the main draw of this movie from a marketing standpoint and I actually liked the secrecy around the ending of this movie which I didn't think was that suprising at all but worth the emotion I invested in the story. What's interesting though is that this is another one of those that for all the criticism out there, I disagree and actually liked this movie more than I thought I would. What stood out for me was the complete investment that all the actors give to their character's looks and feelings to the point where they are not glamorized or overly dramatized to the point where you can realize they're not just going through the motions but really expose themselves to eachother. I found that by not giving away the plot, which is pretty obvious halfway through, it really made me think about all the ways it could go without losing interest in the love story and uncovering of the truth in this flashback that changed his life.

The overall theme of doing good for others and making your life mean something after you'd had a life changing experience is interesting and I think Will Smith plays this nice guy so well from his usual arrogant, loud mouthed Bad Boy type. Even by having the instrument of his death as a pet jellyfish was cool because it's in front of you for most of the movie even if you don't realize it and therefore is almost a symbol of this beauty in death. Getting little hints at donor papers and interactions with the people who will carry out his wishes helped pave the way for the huge payoff and sacrifice that Will's character knows he will do from the beginning. I thought that this idea of seeing the good in people was essential for this movie to work so that you know why he's so worried about making the right decisions. Overall, this movie has superb acting by everyone involved and really digs deep within Will Smith's acting ability to show how far someone will go to sacrifice himself for the benefit of others who deserve it. I like the subtle choices Seven Pounds makes to not try and hammer this idea home but for you to really appreciate the power of love that surrounds life and death but in a hopeful way. Much better than people are saying.