Day 31: Rocky

Director- John G. Avildsen

Written By- Slyvester Stallone

Starring- Slyvester Stallone. Burgess Meredith, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers

Critics Review- "A great example of underdog sports cinema." "Film4"

Out of a possible 5 stars- 5 stars

My Review-

I have seen almost all the Rocky films except for this one. I'am glad that I finally did, we have all seen movies about the "underdog" they're mostly sports movies but this one here takes the cake. Written and starring Stallone, he plays a boxer who only fights in clubs, then out of the blue he gets a shot at the heavy weight title fighting Apollo Creed played wonderfully by Carl Weathers. This movie was famous for a lot of things; him running up the steps and just training in general. But this whole entire movie you are rooting for him from start to finish, in climatic fight against Apollo Creed you may find yourself on the edge of your seat waiting to see what will happen next, as if it were an actual boxing match on pay-per-view. This movie spawned five sequels some of which were not as good as the next one, but I can see why this one is the most beloved one out of all six Rocky movies. This movie was made to a be a feel good movie almost like anything is possible for somebody; and that somebody happened to be Rocky Balboa. The supporting cast also made this movie what is was; with out Meredith as his boxing manager who had given up on him after all those years, Shire as the the girl who used to work at the pet shop and was always shy around him who in actually liked him, Young his best friend and brother to Adrian the girl who he wanted to be with, who was also a drunk. Lastly we have Carl Weathers, the Champion who gives Rocky his shot at the title who only wants to do it for publicity unknowingly is going to have to fight to keep his heavy weight title. This movie would not have been as amazing as it was. I can see why this movie won Best Picture, in my opinion even though I did like Rocky Balboa, this movie should have stayed at one movie to preserve this story about an underdog finally getting his shot at a title fight.

Day 30: Vanishing Point (1971)

Director- Richard C. Saraifan

Written By- Guillermo Cain

Starring- Barry Newman, Cleavon Little

Critics Review- "The last quarter of Grindhouse was a little more than a love note to this flick's towering excellence."- Brett Register "Orlando Weekly"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 3 1/2 stars

My Review-

I first saw this movie in my film class last year, but never got around to finish so I decide to put it on my list because i wanted to finish watching it. For what this movie was, what seemed like one big long car chase it was pretty cool, because back then for movies like this one that was a big hit; car chases an this delivered in that area. At times I hoped that there would be a little more than car chases and more on the cops going after Newman's character rather than brief moments with them. Another thing that I found enjoyable was the radio DJ that was helping him out every so often whether he wanted it or not. The music was another thing I liked about this movie, well because it was set in the 1970s. When I read that a remake was made I was kind of disappointed because this movie was fine the way it was and did not need a remake.

Day 29: Best Worst Movie

Director- Michael Stephenson

Starring- Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Darren Ewing, Jason Steadman, Jason F. Wright, Claudio Fragsso

Critics Review- "A documentary so enthusiastic, good-natured and sweet about such an abject disaster that it almost makes Troll 2 worthwhile.

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 4 1/2

My Review-

Troll 2, where do you began with this movie? I watched Troll 2 a last year and it was possibly the worst film I have ever watched, yet now it has become a cult phenomenon. In this documentary, it's lead actor Michael Stephenson takes a look back at the movie and its actors to see how and why it has become a cult classic, with people having Troll 2 parties and annual showings. Stephenson follows Hardy and his other co-stars as they go to showing after showing of Troll 2 to its adoring fans who genuinely love the movie. We meet the director of Troll 2 Claudio Fragsso, who things he made a really good movie when it is actually really bad. Also hear stories from the set of the movie that was not made nearly 23 years ago and how they felt about making the movie and how it changed their lives forever. One of the actresses Margo Prey; who made Stephenson and Hardy really uncomfortable during her interview is actually very weird now. Another thing is that the director Fragsso seems like a jackass who keeps saying his movie is good and the rest of the people do not know what they are talking about. This documentary shows how a group of people who thought they were making a good horror movie back in 1989, which turned out to be really bad, and how they dealt with it; to how they felt about showing the movie to different people and the people that love the movie for all its glory.

Day 28: The Mechanic (2011)

Director- Simon West

Written By- Lewis John Carlino, Richard Wenk

Starring- Jason Statham, Ben Foster

Critics Review- "The interplay between dry Arthur and crazy, caustic Steve is what makes the movie fun."- Mary F. Pols "Time Magazine"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 2 1/2 stars

My Review-

I have never seen the original of this movie, so going into I did not expect a lot since it is a remake and I was right. It seems that with movie previews they make the movie look really good, when it turns out it really isn't this is one of those cases. The movie had a predictable ending and Statham is almost always the same type of character in all his movies; macho no holds bar badass, which he isn't in this movie. The only thing that really worked about this movie was the supporting character played by Ben Foster, who has been in some really good movies and then some that aren't too good but as established himself as an actor that can work in anything that he does, it's just the movie that cannot really show that. The thing is with this movie at times Foster is a better actor than Statham, and Statham is the main character. Another thing that was wrong with this movie that the plot or synopsis for this movie is very misleading, and if you watch the movie you will see why. At times the movie was good, mostly the action scenes, but other than that even with out seeing the original one that had Charles Bronson in the leading role it did not need to be re-made. The plot was weak, and could have been different and the ending was too predictable, and you'd be able to figure it out when there is about 15 mins left in the movie.

Day 27: Bronson

Director- Nicolas Winding Refn

Written By- Brock Norman Brock, Nicolas Winding Refn

Starring- Tom Hardy

Critics Review- "Hardy chomps down on his once-in-a-career role with stunning ferocity and never lets go. He is extraordinary." Gary Goldstein "Los Angeles Times"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 4 1/2

My Review-

Tom Hardy is becoming a very popular actor these days. However this seems to be the movie that got him really noticed and I can see why, Based on the true story of London's most famous prisoner Hardy plays Michael Peterson (a.k.a Charles Bronson). I have only seen a few movies with Tom Hardy in them and those movies I thought he did a really good job as a supporting character, but here as the main character he got his chance to shine and show us what he could really do. There were a lot of things that were really good about this movie; and by that I mean how crazy of a person that the Bronson guy actually was and how well Tom Hardy played him. the most interesting scenes were where he was in front of an audience telling them about the story of his life in great detail and how he loved prison. When he would do these scenes, you could tell that he thought it was hilarious and he meant everything that he did was for a reason and how he wanted to stay there. This is one of those movies where you cannot stop watching it, because you are just waiting to see what happens next. I already recommended this movie to my mom, and i recommend this movie to be watched by others as well, to see how well of job Tom Hardy can do as a lead actor. Now I just can't wait to see him has Bane in the last Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises".

Day 26: Beauty and the Beast 3D

Director(s)- Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Writer- Linda Woolverton; Based on "La Belle et la Bete" By Jeanne-Marie Le Prince

Starring- Paige O'Hara, Robbey Benson, Richard White

Critics Review- "Beauty and the Beast is just as enchanting 20 years after its initial release."- Annlee Ellington "Paste Magazine"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 5 stars

My Review-

First off how can you not like this movie, its a classic. So when I saw that it would be in 3D just as 'Lion King' was I wanted to watch it to see how it would look, and it was pretty good in 3D. Also since I'm older I can understand the story a little more, and get the little jokes and how they were talking to each other. I also was able to pay attention to the score of the movie more this time than when I watched it before, and was able to enjoy the songs, and musical score more than usual. Being able to see it on the big screen, rather than VHS which was the last time I watched was on VHS, was pretty damn awesome. I really have nothing else to say about this movie since I have always liked it ever since I was a kid, and that it was really amazing to see it in theaters rather than on TV or VHS like I normally did, so the next time Disney comes out with one of their movie in 3D I will go the theater and watch it.

Day 25: 50/50

Director- Jonathan Levine

Written By- Will Reiser

Starring- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard

Critics Review ""50/50" is a low key, authentic, warm-hearted film; the cast is one of the best of the year." Richard Roeper "Richard Roeper.com"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 4 1/2 stars

My Review-

In this movie loosely based on the true story of writer Will Reiser, how he found out he had cancer, and what he, his family and his best friend went through. Joesph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam Lerner who discovers that he has cancer, and how he deals it with his family and best friend played by Seth Rogen. This one of those films that will hit close to the heart, it's funny and sad at the same time, and you are genuinely into the characters. Levitt and Rogen has amazing chemistry as best friends and it work really well since Rogen went through that with his friend Reiser who is also the writer of the film. This movie was well written and acted, and Levitt deserves the Golden Globe Nomination that he received. Another actress that did really well was Anna Kendrick who did an amazing job, even possibly better than "Up in The Air" where she was nominated for an Oscar. This is one movie I would like to own on Blu Ray very soon.

Day 24: Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

Director- Constance Marks

Written By- Phillip Shane, Justin Weinstein

Starring- Whoopi Goldberg (narrator)

Critics Review- "You'd have to be a true grouch not to be moved"- Sara Stewart "New York Post"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 5 stars

My Review-

When I was little I would always watch Sesame Street when it came on TV and had my favorite characters from the show, and Elmo was one of them. In this Documentary we learn about the man behind Elmo, Kevin Clash and what drew him into being a puppeteer, and how he got to become the now beloved character Elmo. We also get a look at the behind the scenes of Sesame street, Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth all made by the man who is known as the greatest puppeteer, Jim Henson. Without Henson, Kevin Clash would have never found his calling to become a puppeteer and even work with Captain Kangaroo. This is a feel good documentary, I was really interested in it from beginning to end, and when it showed how the characters came to life on Sesame Street, I'm not going to lie I had the biggest smile on my face; like I did when I watched The Muppets. Then you realize how much this puppet means to kids everywhere, and that this man is not just somebody who does the voice and the movements of a character, be he has created something more. We also learn that Elmo is nothing but a loving puppet; and the reason is because of Kevin Clash, and how he explains why he made Elmo that way. Without Kevin Clash Elmo would not be the same, and or maybe not as popular as he is today. This is probably one of the best documentaries that I have watched in a long time. Kevin Clash even got to work with his idol Jim Henson; and the way he talks about him and how he got to work with him, hits you where that you wish you could meet your idol and work them and were able to see how they did what they did. I 100% agree with the critic mentioned above "You'd have to be a true grouch not to be moved" by this documentary. Whoopi Goldberg said it best about Elmo "The thing that people love about Elmo is he needs them, and that's why little kids love him, because he needs them too." without Kevin Clash Elmo wouldn't be who he is today, and how much he means to children everywhere. I highly recommend this documentary and hopefully it will put a smile on your face too.

Day 23: Escape from New York

Director- John Carpenter

Written By- John Carpenter, Nick Castle

Starring- Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Issac Hayes

Critics Review- "A solidly satisfying actioner"- Variety Staff "Variety"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 2 1/2 stars

My Review-

I was a fan of John Carpenter's first film "Halloween" which wasn't my favorite horror film when I was young. However now it is one of my favorite horror films of all time. So I went into this having never seen this film; but watching some of the sequel to see how good this film was. It holds an 84% on rotten tomatoes. For me i thought it was a little too slow at first, and then when it picked up it was good. The action was well paced but that is about it, I did like Kurt Russell in role as "Snake" the criminal that is sent in to save the president played by the Donald  Pleasence from Halloween. that is another reason why i wanted to watch it was because of him. Then when I saw that Issac Hayes was in the film that was pretty cool. He played "The Duke" pretty well. I did like the action in the movie and it ended well, so in my opinion it did not need a sequel if it so bad when it came out. In some parts I found myself falling a sleep a little but when it picked up I was alert and was into the movie until the very end. 

Day 22: Haywire

Director- Steven Soderbergh

Written By- Lem Dobbs

Starring- Antonio, Banderas, Gina Carano, Micahel Douglas,  Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum

Critics Review- "Hey Hollwood here's, your Wonder Woman!" -Scott Nash "Three Movie Buffs"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 2 1/2

My Review-

I really do not know where to begin with this film, the previews made it look really good but when it comes down to it, it's not. The movie was really slow; a little more slow for Soderbergh than usual. The best parts of the film were the fight scenes which were really well choreographed, which worked well because Carano was a professional MMA fighter who can actually fight and most likely did her own stunts for this movie. Gina Carano should have stuck to MMA she's really not that good of actress what saved it was the supporting cast which was really well casted those actors made the movie watchable. However the plot of the movie wasn't too well it was all over the place at the times. At times I found myself checking the score to the game, it was kind of boring. This one movie I should have waited for DVD for this movie, or gone to see another movie instead.

Day 21: Zodiac

Director- David Fincher

Written By- James Vanderbilt; Based on the Book "Zodiac" By Robert Graysmith

Starring- Jake Gyllenhall, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr.

Critics Review- "Make no mistake, you will be hooked and creeped out big time." Peter Travers "Rolling Stones"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 5 Stars

My Review-

The Zodiac Killer, remain unidentified to this day. In this film directed by David Fincher gives us a look at the start of the Zodiac murders and the cops and journalists that dealt with it through the point-of-view of a cartoonist by the name of Robert Graysmith, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal. This film will keep you right along with the police and journalists trying to figure who is this person who is calling himself  "The Zodiac". You have the evidence and letters like the police do, the way that Fincher did this is like you as an audience member are trying to solve this mystery. The reason I had chosen this movie is that I had started it a few years back and never finished watching it, but I was always wanting to know about this mystery of the zodiac murders. With this film for me it was well written and well acted by the actors in the film, that had an amazing cast that seemed like nobody else could play that parts better than they could. From start to finish this movie had me hooked, and for being 15 mins short of three hours that's pretty good for a movie that is like this. Each actor played their character perfectly, and without missing a beat especially RDJ, who seemed like his normal smart ass self that he usually portrays in his movies, and some actors that were surprisingly good in this type of film. What kept me more interested is that the mystery of one person of interest that kept coming up and you would second guess yourself or along with the characters in the film were hoping that it would be this person, who matches all the evidence that has turned up and then your like okay lets go back and review what happened on these certain dates that match this piece of evidence and this other piece of evidence. It's these times of movies that are not being made anymore now a days and that we need more of, movies that can make us think and try to solve the mystery as well. This movie kept me thinking the whole way and when it was over, I actually wanted it to go a little longer. This one film that I file next to my favorite David Fincher films, This movie was almost like Fincher's second film Se7en, kept you trying to solve the mystery of who was the murderer, but unlike Se7en the creepy thing is that Zodiac is a true story, and  "The Zodiac" killer was never caught and the case remains unsolved to this day.

Day 20: The Golden Child

Director- Michael Ritchie

Written By- Dennis Feldman

Starring- Eddie Murphy, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis, Victor Wong, James Hong

Critics Review- "This film -- insignificant and lightweight and monumentally silly -- is entertaining from beginning to end"- Roger Ebert "Chicago Sun-Times"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 2 1/2 Stars

My Review-

Well I never really watched a lot of Eddie Murphy movies from the 80s, but I kept hearing and reading this where Eddie Murphy was at his funniest. Which is true, however the plot of the movie was kind of out there I also saw that two actors from this movie were also from another movie I watched, which was yesterdays film "Big Trouble in Little China." It seemed like this movie was the start of the two movies with similar stories competing against each other; "Armageddon and Deep Impact" etc. Big Trouble in Little China won this one, the only good thing about this movie was Eddie Murphy's smart ass mouth and his comebacks, which he seems to be good at. Other than that at some points I found myself to be bored with the movie, along with Murphy, the little boy was also good those scenes were the most interesting. I will also admit I did enjoy the cheesy special effects in the movie, and the weird 80s music showing up every now and then when it wasn't need it. i think the only that saved this movie for me was Eddie Murphy, maybe this why I chose to watch this in the first place, I should have thought about this more.

Day 19: Big Trouble in Little China

Director- John Carpenter

Written by- Gary Goldman, David Z. Weinstein

Starring- Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong

Critics Review- "A film to embody the Eighties, and justify them."- Fernando F. Croce

Out of a possible of 5 Stars- 3 1/2 stars

My Review-

I remember watching this movie years ago, when I was little, so I chose to re-watch so I can remember what the movie was about.  John Carpenter is known for his horror films; Halloween, The Thing, The Fog, just name a few. In the film, Big Trouble in Little China, Carpenter does something different a martial arts comedy.  I read it was something that he always wanted to do, and I enjoyed it. Kurt Russell plays a truck driver who helps his friend save his fiance from an underground gang beneath Chinatown. The actors in the movie were chosen well, even though I only knew who four of them were. But Kurt Russell is able to play parts like this since in the 80s he was able to do that time of role, the role of the 'macho man' and Kim Cattrall was really good looking in the 80s, now you look at her ask "what the hell happened to her?" Even though at times it was over the top, it was done well because it was meant to be a little cheesy. There is one think I thought it could have used more of the villain James Hong. For me if he was the villain of the film he should have been in it a lot more, and the last fight scene between Russell and Hong could have been a little longer. Aside from that I enjoyed watching this film, and the first comedy from John Carpenter.

Day 18: Blade Runner (Final Cut)

Director- Ridley Scott

Writers- Hampton Fancher, David Peoples

Starring- Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos Sean Young

Critics Review- "Ridley Scott created a triumph of retro-futuristic design over narrative or character richness"- Michael Phillips "Chicago Tribune"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 4 1/2

My Review-

Harrison Ford was one badass actor in the 80s; Han Solo, Indiana Jones, and now for me Rick Deckard. I have never seen this movie up until today, but I have kept hearing so many good things about it, and that there are many different versions of the film as well. So I chose with the help of a friend to watch "Blade Runner: The Final Cut." Once again without seen any other version of this film, I really enjoyed it. I like science fiction movies like this that are set in the future, This one of those films from director Ridley Scott that I have always wanted to watch but never got the chance to watch it. One of the things that made this movie enjoyable was the actors in the film. Ford, Hauer, and even the small part that Edward James Olmos had. One of the only things I did not like in this movie was that once again I had to watch Sean Young on screen, she is one of the actresses that I think that cannot act at all, but I wanted to see more of Daryl Hannah in the film as Pris; ever since watching Kill Bill and a few other movies she was in I always thought she was a pretty cool actress. I really loved the concept of this film, a retired cop that has to return to hunt down 3 escaped Replicants, how can you go wrong with that? Also Rutger Hauer is the villain, he is possibly one of the best on screen villains when he does a movie where he is the villain. Blade Runner is now in my Top 5 Ridley Scott films, Alien still being number 1 of course. But now that I've read they may make a sequel of it; I'am on the fence about it. Part of me wants to see what will happen next, the other part thinks its perfect the way it is.

Day 17: Hugo

Director- Martin Scorsese

Writer- John Logan; Based on the book "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" By Brian Selznick

Starring- Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Lee, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen

Critics Review-  "Hugo is pure movie magic."- Tom Long "Detroit News"

Out of a possible of  stars- 5 Stars

My Review-

I have always been a Martin Scorsese fan, ever since I watched Goodfellas for the first time. So when I heard and watched the trailer for his first children's film I wanted to watch it right away. Even though it took me a while to watch it, now that I finally have I really enjoyed it even how Scorsese expressed his love for film and its past. If you have not seen the movie yet, do not keep reading, but the underline of the story is about preserving film so that people can enjoy them for years to come, and Scorsese has always been big on this idea. And this film shows that as its backstory, that films should not be forgotten. Another thing that made this movie as good as it was is the cast; even the few actors i did not know were in the movie; such as Christopher Lee as the owner of a book store. Even though I did not read the book, each of the actors captured their characters just right, the one i most impressed with was Asa Butterfield; who was in another movie that saw called "The Boy in The Stripped Pajamas." And the one actor who never ceases to amaze me, Sir Ben Kingsley was just simply amazing in the story about the lost filmmaker. If you are a lover of film and all aspects of film, you will certainly love this film. The 3D for the film was also used really well in the film, unlike some of the movies that are converted to 3D during post-production, this was filmed in 3D and this was one of the few films that I enjoyed watching in 3D, and even though this is the only way to watch it now since it has been in the theaters for a few months already I am glad i saw it this way. Martin Scorsese truly did an amazing job on his first children's film.

Day 16: Stripes

Director- Ivan Reitman

Writer(s)- Harold Ramis, Len Blum, Daniel Goldberg

Starring- John Candy, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates. Judge Reinhold

Critics Review- "Murray as this laugh-a-minute best...if there's a comedy classic, this is it."- Clint Morris "Moviehole"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 3 1/2 stars

My Review-

This probably one of the best movies to come out of the 80s from Bill Murray and Harold Ramis since they were in the Ghosbuster movies. and John Candy was just an added bonus, with this being a military comedy it is one of my favorite comedies now. Even the supporting actors in the platoon were funny, even if Judge Reinhold was in the movie a lot. However i thought the movie could have done without Sean Young. Ever sicne seeing her interview about wanting to be catwoman, i always thought she was crazy. Especially Warren Oates as the Sergeant was hilarious trying to get the platoon into shape. This is one of those movies where I wondered why it took me so long to watch it, after I heard along of things about it from pop culture shows, and its one of my moms favorite movies, so I guess why i figured out why I liked this movie so much.

Day 15: Lethal Weapon 2

Director- Richard Donner

Writer-Jeffery Boam

Starring- Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci

Critics Review- "If you liked Lethal Weapon, you'll like Lethal Weapon 2; it's almost as simple as that."- Caryn James "New York Times"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 3 1/2 Stars

My Review-

"Diplomatic Immunity!" It's kind of weird that I have seen the rest of the series except for this one. I rather enjoyed this one, more than the 3rd one, and some what of the fourth one. In this one you can tell that the two main characters got along more than the first one, and still these two actors were perfect for the roles as Riggs and Murtaugh.Now i know why Kevin Smith always goes "Diplomatic Immunity!" on his podcast. I remember the main villain from The Mighty Ducks films, but he worked well as a the bad guy too. This movie had everything action, comedy, and drama. There were somethings that could have worked more, for me it could have a little more Joe Pesci; because he made the movie even funnier as Leo, also that one psychiatrist chick that Riggs always messes with, especially when Murtaugh was stuck on the toilet. i liked how they filled the back story for Riggs' past. After seeing this, I kind of hope another one is made so once again I can see Riggs and Murtaugh get into more trouble that they didn't see coming.

Day 14: Tucker and Dale vs Evil

Director- Eli Craig

Writer- Eli Craig, Morgan Jurgenson

Starring- Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine, and Katrina Bowden

Critics Review "It's Fast, it's funny and it works."- Tyler Burr "Boston Globe"

Out of a Possible of 5 Stars- 4 1/2 stars

My Review-

Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine, how can you go wrong with these two? As soon as I saw this trailer I wanted to see it. In this film Tudyk and Labine play two lovable but misunderstood hillbillies, that get mistake for psycho killers an then the mayhem begins. Without giving anything away, I really enjoyed this film from start to finish I was laughing. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this film was because of Tudyk with him being from Firefly was the lovable Wash, here he was the lovable Tucker. With Labine he played the sort smart Dale, these two actors worked really well together and it seemed like they had been friends for years. Another thing with this movie it was also the sort of cliche horror movie with the college kids that do everything wrong, and not thinking clearly. This one of the first horror/comedies that I have really liked in a long time, this also one film i would recommend that you watch, if you like movies that are horror/comedies such as Shaun of The Dead and a few others then you will most certainly enjoy this one, it has a few scenes where you will go "did that really just happen?" I read somewhere that a sequel was in mind for this movie, and I really hope one is made I will go watch it again and again like this one.

Day 13: Moneyball

Director- Bennett Miller

Writer(s)- Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin; Based on the book "Moneyball" By Matthew Lewis

Starring- Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Critics Review- "One of the most soulful baseball movies--it confronts the anguish of a very tough game."-David Denby "New Yorker"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 4 Stars

My Review-

This is not a movie about baseball, then again it is. This movie is more about what happens behind the scenes in baseball rather than dealing with all the players and their private lives. We always hear about trade deadlines and this player got traded to this team or this player got released. This movie shows us about the troubles it takes to put a team together. Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane the General Manager of the Oakland A's who cannot seem to make it to the playoffs with out messing up. Pitt's character with the help of Jonah Hill's character; where in his first dramatic role that i have seen him does an amazing job and has earned his first Golden Globe nomination in my opinion. For me this is Brad Pitt's best film in a long time with the exception of 2009s Inglorious Basterds. This film maybe boring to some people since it deals a lot with math and the statistics of players rather than how good they are in the first place. For some people this movie maybe boring, but if you love baseball and watch it every season you will be into this movie from start to finish. This is the type of movie where you root for the underdog and hope that everything works out. This is one movie i will watch again, because this was a well written film and really well acted by Pitt, Hill, and Hoffman. Even though this more about the math and the process of what it takes to put a competitive team together for baseball it is made interesting and keeps you wanting to see what happens next for the main characters. If you have not seen this movie i suggest you do since it is up for a few Golden Globe Awards this Sunday. If you are looking for a new movie to watch or do not know what to watch, pick up Moneyball i think you will enjoy it.

Day 12: Creepshow 2

Director- Michael Gornick

Writer- George A. Romero "Based on the short stories by Stephen King"

Starring- Lois Chilies, George Kennedy, Dorothy Lamour, Tom Savini

Critics Review- "Part of the problem is that King's short stories simply work better in print."- Richard Harrington "Washington Post"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 2 1/2 stars

My Review-

Creepshow 2 is the sequel to the first Creepshow which came out in 1982. But the sequel is not as exciting or as creepy as the first one. I was disappointed that they made a sequel that was not as good or even better than the original one in released in '82. In my opinion a sequel should not have been made and it should have been left alone at one film, even though there is a a third film to the Creepshow stories, i might as well watch it to see if it can make up for the 3 stories that were not even that creepy to begin with. I also thought the little animated scenes did not need to be in the film between each short story. If you like anthology movies and ones that sort of connect between each or different creepy stories than you may like this film, i did not. At times i wanted to stop watching it, but I finished it to see if it would get any better and it did not.

Day 11: Mesrine: Part II: Public Enemy #1

Director- Jean Francois Richet

Writer(s)- Abdel Raouf Dafri, Jean Francois Richet

Starring- Vincent Cassel, and Ludivine Sagnier

Critics Review- "This film is about a gangster at this peak, his final daring prison escapes and the source of his notoriety."- Roger Moore "Orlando Sentinel"

Out of a Possible of 5 stars- 3 Stars

My Review-

This is the final part of the Jacques Mesrine tale. I rather like Part I than this last part, in this part though is more about his prison escapes and his final years as a notorious gangster in France. Once again Vincent Cassel is amazing in the title role of  Mesrine. Even though i liked Part I more than Part II there are some things that worked well in this final part. For one the supporting cast was really well acted by the actors that were chosen, and I think that it is a good thing that this film was in its native language of French rather then trying to Americanize it and have the film dubbed. without giving any way i suggest that this movie be viewed so that, your own opinion can be made on which Part you prefer Part I or II. All in all the last 30 mins were the best for me but seeing is how it would not have worked as one whole movie it was a good choice to make it into two parts, each part vastly different than the other. I did enjoy this film and will recommenced to others so that they can view it and have their own take on it.

Day 10: Mesrine: Killer Instinct Part I

Director- Jean Francois Ricet

Writer(s)- Abdel Raouf Dafri, Jean Francois Ricet

Starring- Vincent Cassel

Critcs Review- A crime epic in two parts, the story of Jacques Mesrine makes for a glittering tour de force turn by Vincent Cassel in the title role."- Roger Moore "Orlando Sentinel"

Out a posssible of 5 stars- 4 1/2 stars

NOTE: THIS WAS WATCHED ON JANUARY 10TH, 2012 NOT JAN. 11TH

My Review-

Since this is a two part movie most of the review will be with part II tomorrow but for now I will write about the acting from Vincent Cassel. Vincent Cassel is well known for his supporting roles in America; Ocean's twelve and Thirteen as well as Black Swan. Here he plays Jacques Mesrine, a well known back robber in france, and canada. I really liked this movie due to the fact that it is a crime drama, and has action where it needs it and shoot outs where it's needed. Even though this is a two part movie I cannot write much about it until I watch part II tomorrow, so the rest of it will be tomorrow. One thing he was known for saying was "Nobody kills me until I say so."

Day 9: Raise The Red Lantern

Director- Zhang Yimou

Writer- Zhen Yi

Starring- Gong Li, He Saifei

Critics Review- "A near-perfect movie that often recalls the visual purity and intensity of silent films" - John Harti "Film.com"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 5 Stars

My Review-

I first watched this movie in my film class last semester, mostly looking at the visuals and how the film was shot. i wanted to watch it again to see the whole movie in its entirety and i am glad i did. At times it can be slow but it does on purpose to use silence emotions to convey what is going on during the scene and it was done perfectly with each of the actors especially the main character played wonderfully by Gong Li. I would like to talk about the whole movie, but this one film i suggest everyone watches if you like Foreign films, however the main story is about four women who are married to one man in 1920s China, and what goes on during the course of a year when the fourth wife or sister marries the "master". this film is well shot with the scenery and the main compound where they live, during the scenes where the "sisters" would speak to each other you could genuinely feel the tension between each "sister" as they fought for the attention of their husband. the scenes where there was no dialogue and just emotion was done perfectly. in some scenes you felt for what happened to the characters and others you sort of felt like they deserved what happened to them.  this one film i was glad that i had picked to watch for this project, and i recommend that you watch it as well, even it is a little over two hours, i believe you will enjoy this movie.

Day 8: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Director- Banksy

Starring- Thierry Guetta, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader, Andre

Critics Review- "Put-on satire, mockumentary, goof? Whatever it is "Exit Through the Gift Shop" is original."- Peter Rainer "Christian Science Monitor"

Out of a possible of 5 stars- 4 Stars

My Review-

I have always liked to watch documentaries, ones that really caught my interest. this documentary was recommend to me by different people, and i finally watched it today and learned a lot about street art that i did not know before. I have heard of the names Shepard Fairey, and Banksy, and that they're well known in the graffiti art world, in this documentary we learn how the art is put up on the streets all being filmed by a man named Thierry Guetta; who seems a little big crazy which in my opinion he is. Here we learn how most of the artists got their start in the street art world, and what they go through to see their art shown, which was really interesting to me. Through all the documentation of this film, from putting up a blow up doll at isneyland and getting caught by the Disneyland police about the incident, but it seemed like  it was mostly about Guetta and how he was filming the artists, who himself eventually became an artist. this documentary was also to show how big graffiti art has become today. there is debate on whether this documentary is real or not, but i think it is up to the view to decide that for themselves.

Day 7: Piranha

Director- Alexandre Aja

Writer(s)- Alexandre Aja, Pete Goldfinger, Josh Stolberg, Gregory Levasseur

Starring- Elizabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Ving Rhames, Jerry O'Connell

Critics Review- "A Bloody entertaining blast of a flesh-eating fish-out-of-water story."- Michael Rectshaffen "Hollywood Reporter"

out of a possible of 5 stars 2 1/2 stars

My Review-

This movie is more over the top than Killer Klowns, which was also a B-movie. Here ancient piranha's attack a lake during Spring Break, how typical. This movie was non stop laughter because of the horrible acting and the fact that they were making fun of Joe Francis from Girls Gone Wild, that was played by Jerry O'Connell that played him perfectly and that it was over the top. Right away you can tell that the special effects were really really bad, also there was tons of nudity, which i am not really complaining about, but it also asks the question why didn't i see this in 3D XP. other than the the movie was actually so bad it was good, from using a JAWS reference, to Chrisopher Lloyd, who is good in anything because he does it over the top. but this movie had everything that was good about a B-Movie; blood, gore, nudity, bad special effects and bad acting, which means that i WILL pay money to see the sequel titled "Piranha 3DD" just to see if it is has bad as the first one, which i hope it is because some of the actors from the first movie will be in the sequel, but this time set at a water park, let the frenzy begin.

Day 6: Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Director- Stephen Chiodo

Writer(s) Stephen & Charles Chiodo

Starring- Joan Allen Nelson, Grant Cramer, Suzanne Synder, John Vernon

Critics Review- "ITS GOT CLOWNS! FROM OUTER SPACE! AND THEY'RE KILLING PEOPLE! whats not to like?"- Brian McKay "eFilmCritic.com"

out of a possible of 5 stars- 2 1/2stars

My Review-

Seriously, the title alone got me to watch this film, and the recommendation from a friend which i thank you. this is probably one of the better bad movies i have seen so far and its only day 6 and i have seeing all together 3 bad movies. this movie is better than Leprechaun in the hood. its made bad on purpose and it does this well, even though it is shown as a horror movie, when its more of a comedy. in the film these Killer Klowns turn people into cotton in candy in order to eat them, this is really really bad but funny at the same time, and the way they lure the townspeople is the best way ever also kind of seeing how they see the klowns and fall for their traps i was into the movie from the start, well because it is a B-movie one of those movies so bad its good and i enjoyed it and in some scenes i had to go back just to watch it again, because it was so outragous and over the top and see "did they actually did do that?"  or why did that happen. i read today that the Chiodo brothers want to make a sequel and i will be one of the first people in line to see it. However there were some scenes which stood out that i did not like, and though the movie could have doen without those scenes such as the popcorn scenes and the big ass clown at the end of the film, the two bumbling buffuon brothers that i think did not need to be in the movie, but like the critic said how can you not like this movie its "Killer Klowns! from Outer Space!" its a really farfectched concept for a film but it worked really well with how over the top it was and how bad the acting was and will watch this movie again

Day 5: The Shawshank Redemption

Director- Frank Darabont

Writer- Frank Darabont

Starring- Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

Critics Review- "It's the no-bull performances that hold back the flood of banalities." - Peter Travers "Rolling Stone"

out of a possible of 5 stars- 5 stars

My Review-

     I have never seen this movie until today. but i always kept hearing that i would love the film, since i was so into movies, and i thank those who would always recommend it. Morgan Freeman has always been a good actor from the movies that i have seen with him, but to me this may be his best film i have ever seen. All the actors did a wonderful job in the film, from Clancy Brown as the chief prison guard; who it is still hard to believe is the voice of Mr, Krabs on Spongebob, then seeing him in this film as corrupt harden prison guard who uses his job title to deliver beatings to keep the other inmates in-check. I could actually see why in once scene they reference "The Count of Monte Cristo" since in away they are quite similar. i actually do not know why it took me this long to watch the movie, i was into the whole movie the whole 2 hours, and even Morgan Freeman doing the narration for the film was the icing on top. I could see why it is on so many top lists for AFI, i really enjoyed this movie as invested into each character that was on screen that was at that the prison, they made us want to like each of the characters and that happened or to hate the ones that needed to be disliked. In away we were rooting for the bad guy in this film to leave 'Shawshank Prison' just because the warden and the guards did not care about the inmates. I am glad i bought this movie and will continue to enjoy it as i re-watch it in the near future.

Day 4: Leprechaun in the Hood

Director- Rob Spera

Writer(s)- Doug Hall, John Hoffman, Mark Jones, Alan Reynolds, Rob Spera, William Wells

Starring- Ice-T and Warwick Davis

Critics Review- "Such a title tells you all you need to know about the story." Michael Dequina. "moviereport.com.

out of a possible of 5 stars- 1/2 star.

My Review-

I do not even know where to begin with this film, There are so many things wrong with it that it's hard to find place to actually start to talk about. One thing might that might be the problem is that  Ice-T's name in the film is "Mack-Daddy", then there is the the dialogue that was so bad, it had one scene that seemed like it was some what a of a jumpcut when the character was like 2 feet from the rest of the other side characters which is very useless. The film is all kinds of wrong with the 3 man characters named "Postmaster P, Stray Bullet, and Butch." and yes you read correctly his name was Stray Bullet. whoever ever had the bright idea of making this film wasn't thinking at all. When the acting was horrid it is hard to believe that Ice-T is now on Law and Order: SVU. Then we have Warwick Davis, when last time we saw him was in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows Part II, which probably were the only good movies he was in, besides Willow. I had to stop the movie half way through and go to sleep i need some time away from it. there are some scenes that did not even need to be in this film, such as a cameo by Coolio, when the 3 characters were rapping about Jesus and God at a Church, the Leprechaun enjoying weed, and all this killing and trouble over a damn flute. this is over and hour and half i cannot get back, and i have some other bad movies to watch, so its going to take some time to figure out what to write about each film. because i didn't even know what to write about this one. after watching this movie at the end the leprechaun starts to rap i was so fed up on how bad this movie was i stopped the film i had already endured enough from this and to think i have six more of these Leprechaun movies to watch. Wish me Luck.

Day 3: Jack Goes Boating

Director- Philip Seymour Hoffman


Writer- Robert Glaudini


Starring- Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, and Daphne Ruben-Vega


Critics Review- "Philip Seymour Hoffman's directorial debut is a showcase for four passionate, authentic performances." - Richard Roeper 


out of a possible of 5 stars- 4 stars


My Review-


I have always liked Hoffman as an actor, he can do both a drama and a comedy very well.  in this film he acts as both actor and director, in his directorial debut. 'Jack Goes Boating' was also a stage play that Hoffman and Ortiz acted in plaything the same characters. Glaudini adapted his play for the screen which is good because he already knows who the characters work rather than someone else trying to adapt his play. This film works so many ways that i can see why the critics liked it. Hoffman and Ryan worked together well as a really odd couple that were just both looking for love in another person, and they way they acted made the love story really genuine. the synopsis of the movie is that "while one of the friends starts to fall in love (Hoffman) his best friends marriage (Ortiz) starts to dissolve. for Hoffman's first feature film as a director i enjoyed it. one of the reasons why is because even from watching the preview i wanted to see how Hoffman and Ryan would be a as a couple and even though they go through all the awkwardness of first meeting each other and starting to get to know each other more and more it works. there are scenes in the movie where he learns to do certain things to her such as cook, and swim because he likes her and wants to impress her, which she instantly loves and he would always  replies "I'am for you." another thing that really worked well for this film, was the music that went with it and with each scene the music would cue in it went well with that scene and had I'am looking forward to buying the soundtrack for this film. I'am really interested into seeing what Hoffman will do next if he decides to direct another film. 

Day 2: My Name is Bruce

Director- Bruce Campbell

Writer(s)- Mark Verheiden

Starring- Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi

Critics Review- " My Name is Bruce, is spasmodically funny, but Campbell's counterpoint of cowardice and cockiness remains irresistible." - Colin Covert "Minneapolis Star Tribune"

Out of a possible 5 Stars- 3 Stars

My Review-


"Guan-Di is his name." Bruce Campbell is well Known for his B-Movies, and in Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Series, and also cameos in the Spider-Man films. in this film Bruce Campbell plays himself, trying to help a town get rid of the protector of the dead known as "Guan-Di." when i first saw this trailer i had to see it, because i liked the movie Evil Dead 2, Army Darkness and his Role in the television show "Burn Notice" this is an over the top movie on purpose and it is done well. Like another movie "Hobo with a shotgun" it is over the top with the blood and the acting rich can either make or break a movie like this sometimes, and its done very well. although some people did not like movie judging by the ratings on rotten tomatoes with both the critics and audience ratings, which i would have to disagree with i liked this movie, even when it would stop and you had two men singing well summing up what had happened in the film so far. this one movie i would like to watch again in the near future.

Day 1: White Chicks

Director- Keenen Ivory Wayans 

Writers- Wayans Bros. 

Starring- Shawn and Marlon Wayans

Critics Review- "[I]t's the worst film of the year" - Richard Roeper


Out of a possible of 5 stars: 1.5 stars

My Review-


First is it believe able that the wayans bros. are working for the FBI?? second why was this film made in the first place. this film is so bad its hard to believe that people would go watch it and also that the characters in the film would get confused as to who the real twins are to the people who are pretending to be them, this movie was actually so bad i fell asleep during the movie, granted i was hung over. None the less this was an awful film that should have never seen the light of day. and i am glad that tomorrow i will be watching a movie that is actually really good and will get a proper viewing be me.