Beverly Hills Cop (1984) - 8/10

Decided to go for some old school comedy this morning so I watched Beverly Hills Cop with commentary by director Martin Brest. Eddie Murphy became a star in this great blend of action and comedy where he gets paired up with a couple of cops and ignores every law in the book to take down the bad guys. I love the scenes where he uses the race card to his advantage and the way he can change his attitude and tone to smooth talk almost everyone in the movie. Commentary was interesting to talk about the car stunts that went wrong, the soundtrack, casting of Judge Reinhold and others.

Moon (2009) (Theatrical) - 9/10

A truly fascinating and original Sci-Fi movie that has me thinking way after i've left the theatre. Sam Rockwell is fantastic as the lone worker on the lunar station on the Moon where he harnesses solar energy to be sent back to earth in the near future.

Confessions of A Shopaholic (2009) (Blu Ray) - 6/10

I figured this movie would be dumb but with Jerry Bruckeheimer's name attached I thought I would give it a shot to at least research the extras for work. Although Isla Fisher is pretty hot, in this movie I had no emotional connection to her at all and couldn't identify with any of her "shopaholic" tendencies. There were way too many cliches in this movie and unnecessary secondary characters that never show up towardst he latter half of the film which confused me, not to mention the humorous way they portrayed people as addicts of shopping instead of treating it like a serious disease like alcoholism or other things. A scene where she tries to dance is unintentionally funny, but in the end this was a cheap knockoff of Devil Wears Prada and didn't have enough hotties to keep me interested. Oh well...

Che Part 2 (2009) - 8/10

Che Part 2 picks up a year after the great battle scene of the first movie and instead see the landscape change to Bolivia where he fights against another army in some really cool senes.

Che Part 1 (2009) - 8/10

I've been waiting to watch Soderbergh's opus on Che Guevera for a while now and was excited to get into this great biopic starring Benicio Del Toro. This first movie immediately brought me into his world and onto the emotional triumph as he battled Batista's army in Cuba for his friend Fidel Castro.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) (3D Theatrical) - 8/10

After rewatching the first two Ice Age movies, I was ready for this new one in beautiful 3D and state of the art animation. At first I was worried by the clunky dialogue and jump right into it plot continuation but by the time Buck the weasel played by Simon Pegg shows up and the action starts right about the half way mark, I was hooked. For some reason, this movie saves all it's steam for when they actually get into the realm of the dinosaurs so the first half of the movie drags and preaches about raising kids and being a responsible parent. But once the danger starts in the 3D really kicks into high gear with huge aerial fighting scenes and some great camera work within the environment to give a sense of danger and space that I thought the first 2 movies lacked. The jokes are more physically oriented then pop culture punchline which was nice, yet there is the scent of a kid's movie throughout that you just can't get rid of. I love animated movies though and it was refreshing to see these characters in full 3D this time. Overall, better than I expected but still has some slow parts that preach to make sure you check your adult brain at the door.

Year One (2009) (Theatrical) - 5/10

Easily one of the worst movies of the year, I was excited to see this stupid comedy by Harold Ramis for Jack Black and Michael Cera's pairing but alas the script and story were way too dumb to even let these guys thrive. To me the worst part of the movie was how it had to play on the edge of PG-13 so it wanted to be dirty but couldn't b/c they thought an R Rated comedy wouldnt' do well. Hangover, cough, Hangover. Either way, the story is ridiculous and the jokes are so far between that I actually was looking forward to the next movie of the day, Ice Age 3D. While I did laugh a couple times just at Jack Black's forced facial expressions, Michael Cera seems to play the same character in every movie and the girls they lust over were not even that hot. Over the top acting and parody of biblical stories just isn't my cup of tea. Life of Brian did it way better back in the day.

Spaceballs (1987) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

Watched the new Blu Ray release of Spaceballs this morning and not only does it look great, but the commentary by Mel Brooks really helped appreciate this classic comedy like never before. There's something about the way this movie makes fun of Star Wars, Aliens, and other sci fi movies that makes it so hilarious, from the huge helmet Rick Moranis wears to the ludacrous speed joke.

Inkheart (2008) (Blu Ray) - 6/10

Wow, Inkeart was even worse that I thought it'd be and that's saying a lot. Not knowing exactly what genre it wants to be, the movie is like a bad Harry Potter mixed with Dungeons and Dragons to create something so boring and far fetched that I actually didn't even care what was going on which almost never happens. For some reason, Brenden Frasier thinks being in a kids movie with a lot of special FX automatically gives him a reason to act like a bumblig idiot but this movie takes the cake. With a supporting cast of Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent and Andy Serkis, this movie could have been a Princess Bride type of thing where what you read in the book comes to life but instead it was all about him and his daughter trying to find their Mom who got sent into the book when he read something out of it. By trying to incorporate shitty CGI of every imaginable create in a book like flying monkeys, unicorns, minotaurs, etc, the movie never can keep up with making them seem realistic when the characters are constantly moving on to the next scenario. I didn't care for the villians or even the plot about finding the Inkheart book to send his friend back into it so much that I was hoping they'd all die by the end. A huge flop and a movie that has so many pacing issues and bad dialogue that I couldn't even remember one action scene after it was done. Be glad you didn't see this yet.

Hamlet 2 (2008) - 5/10

Hamlet 2 is definitely one of the worst movies I've seen in a while with it's cliche racism and call-out references to Dangerous Minds. Steve Coogan was funny in Tropic Thunder but is just surrounded by a bunch of immature high schoolers here as he tries to put on a play so offensive that the media comes to protect his first amendment right as the drama program is being shut down. This movie was beyond bad and I almost turned it off if it wasn't for the over the top climax where they actually perform the play that has Jesus, jumping cars, and rock n roll all rolled into one. The stage performance and over the top acting was actually alright towards the end and I have to give the filmmakers credit for putting their entire budget towards what the movie is essentially about, but the first 3/4 of this movie has such bad pacing and dialogue that by the time you actually watch the play you're wondering why the rest of the movie wasn't this good. Avoid this one at all costs.

Scream (1996) - 10/10

Scream is by far my favorite horror movie of all time and I can still remember the anticipation I had when I first tried to watch it back in Montana when I was just figuring out my love for film and postmodern cinema. I wanted to watch this again to listen to the commentary by Director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson who have a great deal of intersting info to say about the casting, locations, and battles with the MPAA over the violence. What really impresses me about Scream is how Wes Craven talks about not only putting the rules of scary movies and references throughtout but then turns it on it's head to reinvent the genre by doing the opposite the audience expects. Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, David Arquette, Rose McGowen, Liev Schrieber, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, the cast is just so realistic and each character has their money line to really bring this sort of twisted comedy into the setting of this serial killer. Craven and Williamson talk about little hidden messages throughout like the use of cell phones, knives and showing you the killer so obviously that it makes you think it can't possibly be him. I love the way they got to keep a lot of the gore in the movie yet also kept it full of jokes about other horror movies and even go so far to say, this isn't a movie, this is real life. Overall, the structure and surprise ending of the movie proves that this story was in a genre of it's own, creating a self relflexive horror movie that brought every trick in the book and then pulled the rug out from under you to expose the terrific writing and unconventional aspect of how all horror movies should be. I love and respect this movie for thinking outside the box and becoming something that knows what it is and then is the better for it.

Wedding Crashers (2005) - 7/10

For some fun this morning I decided to pop in Wedding Crashers and listen to the commentary by stars Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn to get some background on their experience of the movie. First off, I think this movie was one of the first great groups of R Rated niche comedies that took a certain idea we all wanted to do and ran with it. The chemistry b/w these guys is great on and off screen and they discuss everything from meeting their coworkers Christopher Walken and Rachel McAdams to all the food they got to eat and footballs they threw around on set. What I found interesting is the different locations they used to make it seem like they were all in the same place and the way that the director had to cut out a lot of scenes for pacing reasons. They pretty much got to party on set and make out with half naked women the first half of the movie, only to get beat up and have stunt doubles for the second half. The only problem I have with this movie is that these guys almost think they're too cool, using this type of reverse psychology on each other that makes it seem they're so much better at this than anyone could be. I didn't really identify with them as much as current films like Pineapple Express and Knocked Up which bring a more modern and realistic pop culture references to light. Overall, a fun movie that makes you want to go to wedddings but nothing more.

500 Days of Summer (2009) (Theatrical) - 9/10

Saw 500 Days of Summer at a sneak preview tonight and I was not prepared for how original and close to home this movie hit, a real breakthrough indie that tells you right away that it's "not a love story". There are numerous reasons why this movie surprised me but first off Joseph Gordon Levitt and Zoey Deschanel are just fantastic as the weird outsiders who work for a greeting card company who slowly become friends yet don't want to put a "label" on things. I absolutely loved the way the movie used the counter of days he's been with Summer and didn't start at the beginning but instead jumps all over the place to show the happy, sad, and miserable parts. There were really creative uses of taking the characters outside reality by putting them in old movies to reflect their current feelings or have him break into a huge song and dance scene after he sleeps with her for the first time. I guess for me this movie is exactly what happened to me so I identified with Tom's character more than anyone I've ever seen in a romantic comedy. The seconday buddies were fantastic in calling him out like all friends do and the way that we see their relationship mature with little details that pop up later to haunt him really was well played. One example would be showing a joke farther down that falls flat only to cut a few minutes later to earlier when they actually created it and had it work next. Overall, this movie is fantastic, a crowd pleaser that delivers on everything from life meanings to moving on from those relationships that you thought would last forever. This idea that looking back you only choose to see the good things rings true as the person who I thought was the one turned out not to be and as I look back, I'm better for realizing it now because of this terrific film.

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006) - 8/10

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown is every bit as funny as the first movie and delivers on it's own plot with the flood and melting of the environment with great new characters and an even better subplot of Sid becoming a God that makes me laugh every time. The commentary this time around was with almost 12 animators, producers, and directors who go into all the detail of how the technology has changed since the first film and the challenges of creating a realistic water environment that these characters could interact with. I thought the idea of elminating all the little details in the background during some scenes to help them focus on the hair and face details more helped them in such a rushed time frame. From the new scary seas monsters and vultures to the great meerkat sidekicks, this sequel really steps up the physical jokes and has a more frantic pace then the first one which was needed. The way the animators talk about the pre-viz process and the hard time they had doing the pirahna fighting scene was fun to listen to as it sounds like they really had a fun time doing this movie. I just hope the new one is even better.

Ice Age (2002) - 8/10

Watched the first Ice Age movie this morning with commentary by the director and animators and enjoyed the laid back humor this brings to get me caught up before the new Ice Age 3D comes out. The look of the film is obviously outdated compared to Pixar but I always loved Scrat and Sid the Sloth so this movie was great to revisit, especially hearing all the little details the director put in and the obstacles the animators had lighting and creating the environment. What makes this movie work is that it doesn't use the constant pop culture references but instead uses the parody of the anti-migration group of misfits and the funny situations they get in with the baby. The director talks about going against the grain of normal kids films by making the animals somewhat organic in their environment, allowing them to talk to eachother but then not let the humans speak at all, showing that it is from the creatures point of view. The voice work is great with Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, and others who bring the characters to life without too many gross out jokes. For some reason these Ice Age movies still make me smile and the commentary was great to just chill out with.

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

Defiance is a weird movie that captures the true event very well but didn't have enough engaging characters and action to be memorable. Ed Zwick was kinda boring on his commentary track where he goes into detail of filming on location vs on set, real vs. fake snow, and the true accounts he researched to get the details of this band of Jews living in a forest who had to survive against the German and Russian forces.

Tears of the Sun (2003) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Watched Tears of the Sun with commentary by director Antoine Fuqua today and liked the great picture quality on it and enjoyed some of the discussion he has about the casting, production, and personal meaning of the sadness this type of real life incident presents.

Public Enemies (2009) (Theatrical) - 8/10

Public Enemies was a terrific period piece with great acting by Johnny Depp and Christian Bale that really got to show off Michael Mann's HD handheld camera work and great gunfights.

Miami Vice (2006) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Since I just figured out this morning I would be going to see Michael Mann's new movie Public Enemies, I decided to go back and watch his most recent Miami Vice movie with commentary to get some info on his shooting style and decision to use HD cameras. Miami Vice isn't a bad movie but I think that Mann is almost too focused on the cool factor of Colin Farrel and Jamie Foxx and Miami itself than an actual coherent plot. I like the colors and real looking actors he employs but the commentary seemed a little flat to me and not that exciting. Mann does go into detail of how he used real plane shots and built the speed boats for the opening of the film, taking them in speeds of over 150 mph to get the overhead shots by helicopter. The relationship in the film b/w Crocket and Tubbs is mirrored from the show but updated for today's culture so Mann wanted to give them authentic firepower and locations in Cuba to really give the film this almost documentary look. I like some of the gun scenes and how he explains he used dummies and a green screen in one instance but overall the movie is all everywhere and nowhere all at once which kind of gets confusing. I like Mann's gritty style but feel this is his weakest film by far.

Friday the 13th (2009) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Watched the new Friday the 13th movie on Blu Ray tonight and while it is just another remake in this long line of horror movies coming out, I still enjoyed parts of it for the atmosphere it created and hot girls throughout. While in no ways a good film, the movie does kind of use the genre to it's advantage by doing two separate stories where the kids all look good getting killed and Jason has a big enough presence that he's scary.