The Hunger Games- Gary Ross

 

The Hunger Games made a huge debut this past weekend. Surrounding all the hype the film manged to gross over $150 million. But after seeing this futuristic take on a societal collapse I was left with only half filled emotions. The semi original plot was intriguing but only really skimmed the surface. As usual, the novel is hyped up to be much better than the actual movie, and I found this must be the case for most people who enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The movie is more of a supplement to the book than an actual great film in its own right.

Since the novels are directed towards a more teenage audience Ross was limited in how he could depict such a disturbing premise of the plot line.  The actual hunger games in the movie had a reoccurring theme of being soft and anti climactic. As soon as something big was going to happen the innocence and stupidity of the teenagers came out. There was also a lot of corny moments in the relationship of the two representatives from district 12. In a very twilightesque teenage love affair it didn't quite do the film a justice. All the resources and ideas were there but they definitely could of ran a little farther with them. Overall, an okay film, probably better book.

Grade: C+ (78%) 

The Killers- Carlo Ortu

A black and white British film about a goof and a deranged  assassin who try to turn around their financial misfortune with a quick stab and go. As these two fellas sit and watch their target they become engulfed in meaningless ramble that  only distracts them from the more important task at hand. And in the end their lack of focus is the exact cause of their demise.

As a crime drama/ British comedy this film has a few laughs as well as some shock value at points. But overall it is a bit predictable and lacks any value beneath the surface. The opening minutes of bickering back and forth between the goof and the war vet is the main attraction of the movie. Towards the end they decide to move in for the kill and that's when things get serious and a little corny. It tries to fit the mold as a  film noir and it's a little too much of a push. It seems like Ortu is trying to fit the wrong piece into the puzzle. But ultimately a pretty good watch for a low key film production.

Grade: C- (70%)

Wish 143- Ian Barnes

If you had one wish that would be granted before you had a week to live what would it be? For Tim this wish is to lose his virginity. No matter what the make a wish foundation tells him he will stop at nothing to finally be able to sleep with a woman.

During his last week we are introduced to the daily routine that consumes him into a boring life with other dying children surrounding him. Reading boring books, having boring conversations, in boring rooms. But as he matures through adolescence and through life with a malignant tumor he matures at a very fast pace. He washes away his misery with a smile and crude jokes.

When it comes for him to fulfill his dream, he realizes everything he could possibly want has been right in front of him, in the warmth of others. Just a hug will do, or a day out on a hill side with his uncle. He realizes the greatest wish of all is to spend time to reflect what made him what he is, and how friends are the only thing he will ever miss.

This UK short film came out in 2009 and was nominated for an Oscar in 2011. It runs 24 minutes long and is an eye opening look at how one boy has found what matters most in the remaining hours of his life.


Grade: B+ (89%)

Some Boy's Don't Leave- Maggie Kiley

A short film starring Jesse Eisenberg as the boy who won't let his relationship slide away after his girlfriend/roommate decides to break up with him. Sitting in the hallway all day and all night he spends his time doing nothing but thinking about her. Throwing a tennis ball up and down, writing in his notebook, and doing some push ups here and there will not let his mind wander away from this girl.

Eisenberg is just a minor speed bump for his girlfriend, literally placed in the middle of the hallway on her way to the bathroom or exit. The girl (Eloise Mumford) couldn't care less about this pathetic curly headed loser she once dated. She constantly yells at him to leave and makes him feel even worse even though he is showing how much he actually cares about her. But one thing is for sure, the boy will never leave.

This comedic take on an unfortunate break up of hurtful exchanges is worth the 17 minutes of viewing. Eisenberg is at his best as the innocent boy that we all feel bad for, but don't mind laughing at for his misfortunes.

Grade: B (84%)

The Tree of Life- Terrence Malick

After seeing this film there were a series of images still left in my head. Images of space, and the creation of Earth as a product of the big bang. Molten lava and rock formations. Deep sea and the first organisms that inhabited this earth. During the film I was confused on what this meant.

In The Tree of Life there is an extensive amount of time spent on Malick's imagery of depicting the history of Earth as we know it today. This imagery showcased his poetic talent as he captured specific features of nature and related it to the lives of every human being. His timeline of Earth's history is slowed down with a set of images to capture the true beauty of our world through a transcendentalist point of view. As if we were looking at life through the eyes of Whitman or Emerson. By intertwining the reflection of a man's life it is not hard to see the relationship between humans and their natural environment. 

The main theme of the film is living life through nature or through grace. And in expressing this we have a family of three boys, a demanding father, and a peaceful mother. A father who wants nothing more in this world than to reap the benefits of the material world, and a mother who only wants her family to live in harmony. And a boy who is pitted against his father because of his harsh treatment and constant criticism. But through the reflection of the boy as a man around the age of 50 we see that in the end the answer to all the questions that life throws at us is happiness. Happiness through recognizing the true beautiful things we already have and should be thankful to have. Happiness found in grace and not material possessions. Because if your life is a constant struggle to increase individual status, then you will miss out on what really matters in family. And by the end the antagonist father (Brad Pitt) realizes this huge mistake and reveals to his son (Hunter McCracken) that he regrets not paying attention to the only thing he has to show for in his life. 

By the end of the film i had a complete sense of why every image Malick chose to portray was there. Every image of beauty and destruction in nature was perfectly compiled to fall in line with the overall theme of the balance in this world of melancholy and joy. A potential epiphany of how every human should live their lives in complete serenity.   

Grade: 90% (A-)

Rating: PG-13

Beginners- Mike Mills

Oliver (Ewan McGregor) has been flung into loneliness, pure sad faced boredom that has him talking to a dog that shares a similar story. His best friend Arthur, a beagle, has really grown on him ever since he lost his owner/ Oliver's father Hal (Christopher Plummer). This friendship between man and dog is the only connection either of them have with Hal, so it is hard for them to leave each other's side. The roller skating rink, in the office, at a party, there is no separating these lonely souls. Until one day Oliver meets the best thing that has ever happened to him. Something unfamiliar, but something worth getting used to.

The over arching theme of love is very complicated in Beginners. For the audience the entanglement of Oliver and Anna (Melanie Laurent) seems perfect. They are both lonely and suffering from family problems, but seem to muster up a smile when they are in each other's presence. But there is a blatant seperation between viewer and character in this film, and a clear separation from the ordinary romance genre. There is something more here, and it is often hard to see. Mills leaves it for the viewer to extract out the inner thoughts of each character, because sometimes it is hard to tell with their lack of expression. But Oliver and Anna seem to read each other's minds. Where the conflict arises is in the struggle they have within themselves in knowing what they want, but not feeling comfortable enough to commit. 

Narrated by Oliver this story takes a path through a reflection of his parents in the 40's all the way through his childhood to his current state of mind. His reoccurring historical references parallel nicely to his juxtaposition of his parents relationship and his newly formed fling with Anna. It's give a sense of his constant contemplation of what path his he is supposed to go down, and how looking to the past could maybe help him decide his future. 

Grade: 87% (B+)

Rating: R

The Trip- Michael Winterbottom

Steve Coogan and Robert Brydon star in a Curb Your Enthusiasm type comedy that takes two men on a journey through the North England countryside to indulge in some the best cuisines the country has to offer on a tour for the local newspaper.

Sitting down and watching this movie will take a lot of patience, because after all it is a story about two men touring six restaurants for a week. But where you will find the magic is in the chirpy dialogue during their meals, car rides, and walks around a beautiful dreary English landscape of rolling green hills and sculpted rock. Brydon offers an upbeat match for dull Coogan, who has been suffering from recent girlfriend/ family problems. Brydon has a self acclaimed talent in impressionistic voices that often come out at an excessive rate that is unbearable at times. For the price of Brydon we get Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, Al Pacino, Roger Moore, Sean Connery, and more.

In the end the film ties together as just a journey. It's lack of dramatic plot serves as a perfect British dry comedy that really gets you to focus on what is being said. Irony and sarcasm set a thick coat of like ability of these two characters. Sometimes the best way to get movie lovers attention is to dull down the script a bit. Forget all the conventional comedic film methods and just make something that will make you laugh, and make you believe what your watching is real. Because most of time people laugh when they are spending time with a friend, doing nothing but eating and observing. And that's the everyday life, so why not tell a story that captures boredom and makes it fun at the same time.

Grade: B- 80% 

X-Men: First Class- Matthew Vaughn

In 1962 the United States government is beginning to feel the hostility from the Soviet Union. The two countries are on the brink of starting World War III because of the threat that Russian Nuclear weapons are being sent to Cuba, just south of the Floridian border. And brilliantly mixed into this giant mess are the mutants. Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) has turned the Soviet Union into his puppet that will use any force necessary to start World War III. The benefit of a world war for Shaw and the rest of the mutants is that they will be able to harness the nuclear energy, becoming more powerful than ever, and their "enemies" of humans will become the inferior race.

Charles Xavier assembles a team of mutants to set out and destroy Shaw's team of Azazel, Riptide, Angel, and Emma Frost before they can pit the two world powers against each other. The "X-Men" involved in the first class of Xavier's school are Magneto, Raven, Beast, Havoc, Darwin, and Banshee. And in order to take down the powerful Shaw they must all work together and equally contribute to the task at hand. Even though most of the team are made up of kids, Xavier takes them under his wing and guides them in the direction he wants all mutants to take. His philosophy and dream is that mutants can live harmoniously with the humans. But Magneto has different plans that go against Xavier's wishes, and vows to act on his rage against the humans and their years of mistreatment of the mutants. Which in the end sets up perfectly for the X-Men series.

The story line was done really well for a prelude that was never created by Marvel Comics. Vaughn started at a point in history where the lives of Xavier and Magneto would be of interest, and made sense for the rest of the movies. And if anything it gave the fans more of an appreciation of the comic. By starting off at the very beginning we can have something to revert back to when we watch the other X-Men movies. We have a more detailed account of each mutants life and their place in the X-Men saga.

Grade: B (86%)
Rating: PG-13


Actors:


James McAvoy: Recent Work (Wanted, Chronicles of Narnia, The Conspirator) Future Work (Arthur Christmas, Welcome to the Punch, Filth, Trance) 

Michael Fassbender: Recent Work (Inglorious Bastards, 300, Jane Eyre) Future Work (Prometheus, Good Vibrations) 

Jennifer Lawrence: Recent Work (The Beaver, Like Crazy, Winter's Bone) Future Work (House at the End of the Street, The Hunger Games) 

Kevin Bacon: Recent Work (Frost/Nixon, Death Sentence, Mystic River ) Future Work (Jane Mansfield's Car, R.I.P.D.) 

Thor- Kenneth Branagh

Another Marvel Comics classic has come to life on the big screen. Chris Hemsworth stars as the God of thunder, Thor. A Norse god that is in line to inherit the crown of Asgard, which is a mythological realm in our universe. Wielding a giant sledge hammer and the thunder it harnesses, Thor ventures out with his team to Einherjar to defeat their rival, "the frost giants". Against his father's will Thor has stirred up enough trouble to put everyone in Asgard in grave danger. His father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) then casts him out to Earth and strips him of his powers. After spending a few days on Earth his team leaves the realm to try and get him back to Asgard. But when Thor's jealous brother Loki develops a plot to reign supreme over Asgard and demolish Thor, the hammer comes flying back into the fist of the thunder god.

Chris Hemsworth plays a perfect role as the arrogant hero, Thor. His character laughs at anyone willing to face him in battle, and yearns make his name be known in all the realms of the universe. Through his experience on Earth he learns why he deserved to be abolished from Asgard in the first place, and he puts his ego aside for others. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) plays the researcher that guides Thor in his struggles on Earth. And like any good hero movie, two beings of different lands fall in love.

This movie was well made and involved very convincing special effects. It was also a nice beginning to the Thor comic and prelude to the Avengers, as it revealed the origins of the legend. It also involved a scene where Clint Barton was posted up on a crane with his bow and arrow. Barton's character is played by Jeremy Renner and for all those comic book fans, that was the first look at Hawkeye, who will be in the 2012 Avengers film.  The Avengers will be the newest and best band of superheros to land on the big screen for the next few years. The team includes Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, The Hulk, Black Widow, and Nick Fury. An all star team of heroes, and an all star team of actors.


Grade: C+ 78%
Rating: PG-13

The Beaver- Jodie Foster

Mel Gibson has shown that he still can reign supreme as one of the best actors of our time. His role as Walter Black in the new movie The Beaver has given him a kick start in the right direction after a few years of being on hiatus. Walter was emotional, strange, funny, and an overall great character for this movie, a perfect fit for Foster's newest project that looks into the mind of a middle aged father plagued with depression.

On the brink of suicide balanced on the railing of his hotel rooms fifth floor balcony, Walter Black has a choice. He can either jump and end the misery of his depression that has sent his company toward bankruptcy and his family toward disgust. Or he can find help and try to beat this, for the sake of everyone who relies on him. Thankfully for Walter, he doesn't have to choose, because the beaver does that for him.

A small hand puppet found in the dumpster became a best friend for Walter. For once in a long time he felt motivated to do something with his life, and not just sleep the day away. He turned into a passionate lover to his wife, and a role model for his youngest son. Everyone employed under his company now had a direction, and a project that would lift Jerry Co.'s stock once again. But after a while everyone got sick of the beaver, and it was time for Walter to snap back to reality. Except he couldn't because he was consumed by the new personality that wiped the slate clean, that pulled him up out of the hole that he dug. There was no other option for him besides the beaver, but without Walter the beaver could not exist. Somehow he has to make a come back, and he can't do it by himself. His wife and two sons are all that he has left, the beaver is just a temporary reminder of how important they really are.

Grade: C+ (79%)
Rating: PG-13


Actors: 


Mel Gibson: Recent Work(The Patriot, We Were Soldiers, Ransom, Braveheart, Signs ) Future Work (How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Sleight of Hand ) 

Jodie Foster: Recent Work ( Silence of the Lambs, Panic Room, Inside Man) Future Work ( Carnage, Elysium )

Anton Yelchin: Recent Work ( Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, Charlie Bartlett, Alpha Dog) Future Work (Odd Thomas, The Winter Queen, Star Trek Sequel )

Hanna- Joe Wright

Hanna, a 16 year old machine that recites her knowledge like she is reading out of an encyclopedia, hunts and kills with deadly precision, and is always thinking on her feet, even when she is asleep. Trained by her father in a cabin in the Finnish woods she has matured into a teenager that has never seen the simple luxury of electricity, or ever heard music. Hanna has reached an age where curiosity compels her to leave everything she knows behind, to discover all this world has to offer. Before she can enjoy herself she must face those who will stop at nothing to kill her. The bounty on her head is far greater than she expected, and the truth about her existence will surface, but with a deadly price. 

Director Joe Wright has created a film where the story line is original and the camera work is aesthetically captivating. He has shown his talent in drawing out emotions from the viewer by way of camera movement and editing. In fast paced action scenes Wright utilized quick cuts to gain the full perspective of the movement of characters. His deductive and inductive editing between the general and specific really gave the film a more cultivated feel. There is also a lot of dynamic camera movement that would move quickly from low canted shots to aerial shots. And like any good film there is a lot of symbolism mixed in to augment the plot (deers, wolves, playgrounds)

The cast of movie came together very well and included Saoirse Ronan (Hanna), Eric Bana (Erik), and Cate Blanchett (Marissa).   Ronan gives us a cute and innocent girl with pretty blue eyes one minute, and a savage assassin the next. From this performance i believe she may be on her way to being the next Milla Jovovich. Eric Bana plays the normal family man/bad ass for his character as Hanna's father. A rouge agent running around Europe killing any C.I.A. agents in his way, very Jason Bournesque. And Blanchett stars as the C.I.A. agent that has sent off with her own hired assassins hunting for Erik and Hanna before they can reunite and vanish again. A cold hearted, trigger happy red head with no emotions, and no mercy. 

Overall a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. There is no over the top fighting sequences or an unrealistic story line. And also a great soundtrack compiled and produced by The Chemical Brothers, i recommend checking out some of their themes on Youtube. 

Grade: B (85%)

Rating- PG-13 

Actors:

Saoirse Ronan: Recent Work (Atonement, The Lovely Bones, The Way Back ) Future Work (Violent and Daisy, Anna Karenina) 

Eric Bana: Recent Work (Munich, Troy, Hulk, The Time Traveler's Wife ) Future Work (Blackbird, By Virtue Fall ) 

Cate Blanchett: Recent Work ( The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Lord of the Rings, Robin Hood) Future Work ( The Hobbit: There and Back Again, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) 

Priest- Scott Charles Stewart

Another Vampire installment of the 21st century, and yet another fail. Priest failed to capture my full attention for more than 15 minutes. Through all the ridiculous knife throwing and sporadic gun fire it was really hard to find a plot that made sense, or one that was interesting in the least bit. But like any movie that sits the Catholic church at the reigns of human civilization, it is doomed for an inevitable atrocious review. And that is exactly what i will give it.

Paul Bettany stars as the Main Priest who carries on God's miracle of being a lightning fast vampire killing machine. The Priests were a cult formed in defiance against the vampire hoards that tormented the human race since the beginning of time. After winning the war they assimilated back into society with the rest of the church's followers, only to be considered outcasts. Their discrimination is a little odd to me, aren't they war heroes? If it wasn't for them then all of society would be scavenging the wasteland in search of a corpse feed, ungrateful little pricks. Bettany's character is essentially the leader of the Priests that goes rogue after hearing about his daughters kidnapping by a gang of vampires. In a matter of hours without any breaks, him and his scrub cowboy side kick (Cam Gigandet) track down the gang of bandits, bust through every line of defense, and save the girl just in time. Great story. There is literally nothing left to say about this film, what you see is what you get. And what you get are fight sequences with slow spinning blades, monstrous vampires, an evil boss, and bad ass forehead tats. These are all the same things you can see in the trailer, so check that out if your interested. 

What i did enjoy most about this movie was the opening animations that told the story through a timeline. It was something that you don't see often in movies but it gave me more respect for the graphic novel. I just wish the director incorporated it more throughout the film, and really utilized this to create something more original. If Priest went back and forth between graphic novel animations, and real life footage with special effects then maybe Stewart could have saved it from being an absolute flop. At the end of the movie there did seem to be a transition that would set up for sequel. And if there is, God help us from those evil vampires, and God help us from having to bare sight of this terrible film. 

Grade: F (36%) 

Rating- PG-13

Actors: 

Paul Bettany: Recent Work ( Iron Man, Master and Commander, A Beautiful Mind ) Future Work (The Avengers) 

Karl Urban: Recent Work ( Star Trek, The Bourne Supremacy, Lord of the Rings ) Future Work (Dredd, Loft, Untitled Star Trek Sequel ) 

Cam Gigadent: Recent Work (The Roommate, Easy A, Never Back Down ) Future Work (Trespass, Making Change, Red Sky) 

Maggie Q: Recent Work (Live Free or Die Hard, Balls of Fury, Mission Impossible 3, Rush Hour 2 ) Future Work ( Nikita (TV)) 

Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil- Eli Craig

The two innocent hicks Tucker and Dale have never wanted anything more than a simple life fishing, hunting, and drinking a few beers while relaxing in their new vacation cabin. This cabin may look a little scary but what lies inside are two boneheads with a lack of vocabulary and lack of hygiene. And these couple days on vacations are quite the "doozie".

A group of 9 college kids start out on their school vacation by pitching tents in the woods and telling cliche ghost stories by the fire. And just like the stories these kids are plain dumb. They jump to conclusions, lack common sense, and fail to listen or communicate to what is actually reasonable. And going against the norm of teenage horror films of the last 30 years, they actually are quick to assume their lives are in danger, but this time they are completely wrong. And it goes to show that what we see in those movies is ridiculous and highly unlikely. These apparent college educated kids fail to recognize the genuine and helpful Tucker and Dale based upon their looks, and misinterpreted overheard conversations. And for most of the movie, it is quite funny how bad Tucker and Dale make themselves look out of context. Sometimes it is even safe to be sympathetic to these mislead kids. But even in the end when the hot blonde and aspiring therapist clears things up, one of the kids sends everything back into a spiral. Just when everything is cleared up again, the half witted Dale screws things up...again.

Eli Craig's newest film has hit on a new horror/comedy movie complexity similar to what Scary Movie did in 2000. He has made fun of the genre of horror movies and more specifically the sub genre of redneck slasher films (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Wrong Turn, Cabin Fever, House of 1000 Corpses). But this time, instead of making the characters completely oblivious to the dangers that lie ahead, he makes them a little too aware. These pretty boy, and hottie college kids are doing everything we try to tell them when we yell at the screen during a horror movie. "Dont go in their you idiot!", "Get the cops", or "Get up and run". During this movie you are saying to yourself, "What are you doing!, go in there and talk to them".  Craig has made a movie standing up for the simple redneck, showing us that we shouldn't be afraid of the flannel and chainsaw. Another moral of story is that sometimes a simple process of communication can take you a long way. But communication between these redneck idiots and college airheads seems pretty much impossible in any situation. But in the end everything works out, everyone got what they had coming to them. Except the cop that got involved, poor guy just trying to do his job.

Grade: B- (80%) 

Actors: 

Tyler Labine: Recent Work (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Mad Love (TV) )  Future Work (Lumpy, Sisters and Brothers, Rapturepalooza )

Alan Tudyk: Recent Work (3:10 to Yuma, V (TV), Knocked Up ) Future Work (Abraham Lincoln: The Vampire Hunter, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Good Vibes )  

Katrina Bowden: Recent Work (Sex Drive, 30 Rock (TV) ) Future Work (Piranha 3DD, The Last Film Festival, American Reunion) 

    

Sucker Punch- Zack Snyder

Sucker Punch is exactly what you think it is. A surprise hit that will send your head spinning. And this sucker punch will send you into a 110 minute coma, and will have you asking yourself at the end, What the hell just happened? and why didn't i shut this off within the first ten minutes. Oh I know, because of the five smoke shows that are dressed like hookers.

Sucker Punch is about how a girl is sent to a mental asylum for young hotties, and treated inhumanly. Upon entering this jail we then become a little confused on where the hell we actually are. We are about to witness the lobotomy of Baby doll (Emily Browning), but then we are shoved into a different story. One where the asylum is actually just a front for an underground gambling/ prostitution ring. In this story, every patient is dressed like its Halloween, and demanded to dance for the crowd of luxurious customers. When Baby Doll is forced to dance she is then thrown into a complete mind fuck of a different world where she has to fight twenty foot samurais, zombie germans, orks, fire breathing dragons, and lethal robots to gain her freedom. With the help of Sweet Pea, Rocket, Amber, and Blondie, they try to turn this pipe dream of escaping the institution into reality. But unfortunatly in the end, reality is still reality without dragons, and they are all long gone. Long gone into a vegetable state authorized by a crooked doctor. The idea behind the story is clever, but a little too wacked out to hold my attention for the whole time.

What Snyder was trying to do was tell a story where innocent young girls fight for their lives but are actually doomed no matter what they do. But the way they did it gave them enough satisfaction to deal with the mental stress the asylum put on them. In sort of a Ken Kesey Cuckoo's Nest kind of fashion, we are given a little history about the early to mid 20th century treatment of patients presumed to be insane. A truly sad story that would make for a good tale. But in this case, a fantasy world where babes can wield a katana, and pump a shotgun. Nice try, but not for me.

Starring in this movie is the beautiful lineup of Emily Browning (Baby Doll), Abbie Cornish (Sweet Pea), Jena Malone (Rocket), Vanessa Hudgens (Blondie), and Jaime Chung (Amber). A nice crew of kick ass hotties gone mental.

Grade: D- (60%)

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes- Rupert Wyatt

Oh Draco Malfoy why did you have to piss off the smart monkey?! But how was he supposed to know this doped up primate was going to trigger the fall of man kind. Just goes to show, sometimes you can't predict the repercussions of your actions. And for the poor Dodge Landon (Tom Felton a.k.a. Draco), waving the magic wand/ taser  ended up being the last time for a true movie asshole.

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes is what you expect it to be, except much better. There are massive apes jumping around and tormenting the city of San Francisco but the story line behind Caesar is what makes it. Most of the film is dedicated to the life of the maturing chimp. Caesar is James Franco's take home science experiment that will hopefully lead to the cure for Alzheimers, which his father has tragically been diagnosed with. In the race against time Franco rapidly tries to grasp the concept for the ultimate cure that will bring his father back to him. But in the mean time Caesar has been deemed the bully on the block and taken into a wildlife preserve, and that is where history begins.

The Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a movie that will have you interacting with the screen and the people around you. You will be laughing, maybe crying, and open mouthed during some scenes. And even though you may feel like you can predict what happens next (monkey see, monkey conquer) you won't. And right at the climax of the movie you will sink back in your seat and get a little chilly. You will know what i am talking about when you look down and see the goosebumps on your arms and Draco Malfoy shitting himself. Then all hell breaks loose and the amazement of how smart these "stupid monkeys"are will never end. The human made drug caused one ape to lead a revolt similar to William Wallace's in Braveheart. But these soldiers are a little huskier and more pissed off, and if there is a sequel Caesar will be Hollywood's new legendary war hero. With that cute chimp face we all have to admit that we wanted the Apes to rise over man kind. Which is strange, but another example of how persuasive Hollywood has become.

The ending of the film was a little abrupt for me, but nevertheless got where the director wanted it to go, and that is on to the next one. After the credits roll for a bit there is another scene that is crucial for where Rupert Wyatt is going to take the project. A perfect set up for the next stage in the ape revolution. In my opinion Wyatt saved a classic from being buried in the garbage for ever. He revived the story line with his own brand that is safe to say was pretty successful. And will be successful if he decides to continue the story line into the years to come.
Grade: A-           
Actors: 


James Franco: Recent Work (127 Hours, Pineapple Express, Milk ) Future Work ( Oz: The Great and Powerful, The Iceman, Sal )

Freida Pinto: Recent Work (Slumdog Millionaire, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger ) Future Work (Immortals, Trishna)

John Lithgow: Recent Work (Dexter (TV), Shrek, Orange County ) Future Work (Prohibition (TV), New Years Eve, This Is Forty )

Magic Trip- Allison Ellwood, Alex Gibney

History's famous bus ride across america and back has now been released in a documentary. It is the complete story from the beginning to end of the merry band of pranksters that spent weeks tripping on LSD while experiencing the freedom to explore the country. And what each of them found goes unexplained but remains a testament for all the wild and young people of the 60's, the flower children. The kids who found happiness in the hardest years in America by celebrating companionship, love, expedition, and the new chapter of life found in the hallucinogen experience.

In Magic Trip there is first hand footage recorded by Ken Kesey and his camera men. For those who are unfamiliar with Kesey, he was a writer whose claim to fame was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Sometimes A Great Notion. He coordinated the plan to organize a few odd people to come together on a school bus and drive from California all the way to New York. And with them they carried massive amounts of LSD, the drug that will make you see a new dimension. Kesey was always a straight edge athlete and college graduate, but after a scientific experiment in Stanford his way of thinking was forever changed. This experiment involved scientists ordered by the government to study the effects of LSD on humans. Kesey agreed to take part in the tests and was put in a room to be recorded for an extensive amount of time. He was paid 25 dollars a day and out came the birth of a new era. The reenactment of the tests were one of the most interesting parts of the documentary. The recording went on for about ten minutes, and Kesey talked about things that didn't make any sense at all, but in his head was pure genius and eye opening observations.

The entire journey included historical moments that we've never heard about, with historical figures to tell the tale. Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Timothy Leary, Jerry Garcia and The Grateful Dead all took part in this excursion through the unknown. There experiences may have seemed irresponsible and sickening at the time, but they opened the door up for the youth. A new society where the youth has a voice and can control the new trends that reflect their transgressive habits. The first separation of generations started with the flower children, rooted by the merry band of pranksters riding on the bus they called "further". Not going to a destination, but going beyond. A beyond that will strip you of what you think you know, and introduce you to what we struggle to explain.

This documentary is a must see for every American. A piece of history that will never be forgotten.

Grade: A-

Wilfred S1- Tony Rogers

The new show on FX Wilfred starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann has made a name for it self over the past month. A story of a lost soul on the brink of suicide that finds a new will to live confiding inside a neighbors dog. This big furry dog is no normal pup, well at least through the eyes of Ryan (Wood). Instead of seeing the mutt he sees a 40 year old scruffy man dressed in a dog suit. Jason Gann stars as the old dog named Wilfred who functions as a refreshing life saver to Ryan's inner being. Every episode these two learn a lot from each other in their conquest of doing what ever the hell they want. Ryan's failing career has left a lot of down time for him and his new pal Wilfred to smoke pot and drink a few brews in his dimly lit basement. But when Wilfred's nose leads him to stir up some trouble outside the house and inside of Ryan's head, that is when things become interesting.

This companionship has continued to mature throughout the first six episodes of the first season. But with the maturity of this friendship comes the immaturity of Ryan. Instead of finding a job he follows around a dog all day watching him for his extremely attractive neighbor. He drinks and smokes excessively without any sort of social life outside of Wilfred. And the best part is that he knows how pathetic it is. Wood plays a perfect character that always seems unsure of himself and lacks motivation to get the gears in motion. His worrisome attitude has gone from suicidal in the first episode and has taken a slow turn towards relaxation and satisfaction. That relaxation is all thanks to his new talking dog friend Wilfred. Maybe we all can learn from the character of Wilfred. Next time we have a little alone time with a dog just imagine what he/she is thinking. How could you connect with a loyal, energized, and care free animal that doesn't give a shit about anything that we find stressful. Maybe the dog could save us from being someone who cares too much and lacks the ability to enjoy life how it should be. Free and true to oneself.

There is still 7 more episodes left in this series, and the next episode entitled "Pride" will be airing Aug, 4th on FX at 10:00pm.


Grade: B


Actors: 


Jason Gann: Recent Work(The Wedge, Mark Loves Sharon, Wilfred (Australia) ) Future Work (Wilfred)



Elijah Wood: Recent Work (Lord of the Rings, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Green Street Hooligans) Future Work (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, Happy Feet 2, Tron: Uprising )



Fiona Gubelmann: Recent Work (Sex Talk: Based on a True Story, Closer, The Paul Reiser Show ) Future Work (Last Stop ) 

Weeds S1-S3, Jenji Kohan

A story about a widowed mother of 2 who struggles to make ends meet financially, and to be a reliable mother for her two boys. In a quick leap of desperation she decides to sell marijuana to her neighborhood kin. In being a beautiful young brunette mother her job as a saleswoman doesn't seem to get very difficult. That is until she runs into other pushers, police, the DEA, and her secret being unveiled. In any business there's always an urge to  grow bigger and rake in serious cash, and that is exactly what the hot mom tries to do. And that's when things start to get very interesting.

The series is as a satirical crime drama set in Suburban California. Each episode Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) gets caught up in ridiculous situations that she handles very comically and sometimes childish. The frequent F bombs in front of her ten year old son, Dismissing the fact she walked in on her 16 yr old son having sex, and having sex with another dealer to ward off his threats to name a few. Her wise ass attitude and big brown eyes make for the perfect TV character that everyone can fall in love with. But just when she has you laughing your ass off, she will add some drama and drop back down into her depression stemming from the recent death of her husband. This show makes for the perfect mix of comedy and drama, and it is a refreshing theme that provides an honest reality that makes us shed tears out of sadness and laughter.

Other actors include the very funny Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins, and Justin Kirk. Doug Wilson (Nealon) is the head of city council, an accountant, and a pothead. He is one of Nancy's loyal customers that she later becomes partners with in the drug game. Celia Hodes (Perkins) is one of Nancy's best friends that has a personality that is very aggravating but hilarious at the same time. Her arrogance and temper are the the cause for everyone in town to despise her, even her ten year old daughter and husband of 17 years. And later her own friend Nancy. But it is hard not to laugh at her drunken tantrums, and bitchy mood swings. Kirk stars as Nancy's brother in law that moves in after being away in Alaska for some time. His immaturity and yearning to  be a child again make him one of my favorite characters in the show. A typical laid back Cali dropout that is full of random knowledge, charm, and lack of motivation. But he can stay on the couch as long as he wants because he ties the kids and Nancy together when they seem to get a little far apart. He acts as the father figure that the house needs and the extra sibling to the boys. Sometimes causing trouble, but where would they be without him.

After watching the last 3 seasons i can say that this show is one of those shows that really leaves you hanging at the end of each season. Which is why i bought the 3rd season, and if you watch the 2nd season in its entirety you will realize what i am talking about. But a very good show that i will continue to watch. I laugh, i cry, i give it a good grade.

Grade: B+ 


Actors: 


Mary-Louise Parker: Recent Work (Howl, Red, The West Wing ), Future Work (Les Passages)


Kevin Nealon: Recent Work (Bucky Larsen: Born to Be a Star, Glory Days, Just Go With It ), Future Work (And They're Off )


Justin Kirk: Recent Work (Life Happens, Modern Family, Angels in America ), Future Work (Goats, Vamps, 30 Beats)


Elizabeth Perkins: Recent Work ( Big, Finding Nemo, Miracle on 34th Street, The Flintstones, My Sisters Keeper ), Future Work ( Hop, Vince uncensored )



Romany Malco: Recent Work ( 40 Year Old Virgin, Blades of Glory,  ), Future Work (Think Like a Man, Hot Dudes with Kittens)

Spartacus: Blood and Sand- Steven S. DeKnight

Spartacus, Blood and Sand is a Starz original series that tells the story of middle aged rouge soldier of the Roman army who is captured for desertion. He is then condemned to death inside the Gladiatorum against four bloodthirsty gladiators. With a heart full of vengeance against the Roman general who captured his wife, you can only imagine what happens next.

Andy Whitfield stars as the invincible Spartacus that wins the heart of every citizen of Capua by spilling every ounce of blood that his enemy has. This merciless figure has grown to be one of my favorite bad ass characters of all time. He starts off not being the best warrior in the arena but surely the most pissed off. And luckily for him that seems to go a long way in movies and TV series. Throats being slit, organs pouring out, heads decapitated, this show has it all. And if it wasn't as gory, well i would be disappointed. Because that's how this shit was in real life, and i like the truth. The only problem i have with the gore is that at points it really is way too fake. It is all computer generated but at some points in the movie i found myself turned off and disengaged from the story. To be more specific, in case you didn't quite catch it, the intestines falling out looked like something from a video game, and the bright red blood being spilled as soon as a cut is made. Everyone knows blood is actually blue and when initially exposed to oxygen it will be red, but at a much darker shade. Maybe that's just me being picky, but if the graphic animators spend that much time with all the fight sequences i am sure they can make a few tweaks to make it more believable. O ya, they should really scrap the whole blood squirting and covering the camera thing to, very corny, very fake.

I did enjoy the frequent aggressive sex that was on screen about every 30 seconds, and it was very real sex, no animations here. I would compare it to soft core porn in the 80's just a little sweatier with more thrusting. And the women in this show make the playboy bunnies look like transvestites. And if you haven't seen this series get to know Ilithyia, its a love hate relationship. The directors really don't hold anything back and that's why i kept watching this show. It's very easy to follow, there's violence, gore, and sex, boom, enough said. If you are a female then this may not be the show for you, but i couldn't see how any man on the face of the Earth could not be entertained by this.

As far as the story line goes i really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it because i enjoyed the movie Gladiator that came out ten years ago. A similar idea that I honestly will never get sick of. But like i say about every Series, the director has a lot more room to work so he can dive further into a story. Having more time to develop a story is what makes Spartacus such an original piece. But a show like this has a fast approaching expiration date because if he lives any longer than it would just be unreasonable. And after the last episode of this first season i can't see how they could continue off that. The second season only went backwards as a prelude (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena), and the third installment entitled Spartacus: Vengence is due to be aired in January of 2012. I am very interested to see where this will go since it seemed DeKnight pretty much wrapped up all loose ends. ( In case you haven't seen it, i wont include any spoilers.)

This is kind of like a very long movie. Definitely worth my time.

Grade: B+


Actors: 


Andy Whitfield: Recent Work (Gabriel, The Clinic )





John Hannah: Recent Work (The Mummy, Cold Blood, New Street Law ), Future Work (Woodland Cross, The Words )

Manu Bennett: Recent Work (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, The Condemned, 30 Days of Night ), Future Work (Sinbad and the Minotaur )

Viva Bianca: Recent Work ( Accidents Happen, Bad Bush) Future Work ( Panic at Rock Island, X)