Knowing

If I knew then, what I know now, I would have never watched KNOWING. I don’t know how Nicolas Cage gets involved in these mediocre “save the world” films that have some elements of “I must solve the puzzle”, but he seems to be the best at it. This film is like a NATIONAL TREASURE meets SIGNS meets some other terrible apocalyptic film. Nicolas Cage did give a good performance, but great actors can only do so much with bland writing and a lifeless story. Throughout the film the audience is confused and it’s not the good type of being confused – it’s the kind where the answered question leave you upset and wondering why you spent the last 2 hours watching this film. The ending was probably one of the most redeeming parts of the film. I DID enjoy the final shot of the children in the new-pseudo Garden of Eden. Other than that, there was some good use of the new F150 during the high adrenaline scenes.

Rating: 3/10
RT: 33%

Son In Law

Found this film at Wal-Mart for $5 bucks and it was an instant decision to snatch it up. Haven’t seen it in forever, but there are still lines that we use from it time and again. And it still holds up. The film is the classic fish-out-of-water story and here we see it both ways. First the country girl goes off to college in California and transforms, and then the LA guy heads out to the farm and has his own transformation. Throw in family squabbling, combining, and a botched date-rape stage and you have a pretty interesting flick.

Son In Law Trailer

This is the first film in which a lot of people discovered Pauly Shore. Before this, there weren’t too much mainstream hits attached to his name. Some people really can’t handle him though. And I can see that. He could definitely be an annoying kind of a guy for most. But I really enjoy watching his stupid antics – IN THE ARMY NOW, BIO-DOME, and JURY DUTY – all films that bring a strange smile over my face.

SON IN LAW is a film for certain type of people. If you’re a DUMB AND DUMBER fan and can handle Pauly Shore, check out SIL. It’s an interesting ride.

Rating: 8.5/10

RT: 24%

Sorority Row

With every bone in my body I tried to like this film. It’s like I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER mixed with all the other crappy teeny girl psycho killer movies that have been released in the past several years. We’ve honestly been bombarded with these pieces of trash in the 2000s. There were moments throughout this film where it seemed different. Even from the beginning shots you could tell that it didn’t take itself too seriously, which is good. And Carrie Fischer was even in the film, so it had promise. And there was some legit build up towards some decent kills. But overall it let me down.

Sorority Row Trailer

Honestly everyone knows what happens in this film, and to be honest, I really liked the premise behind how the girl was accidentally killed out in the desert. Then the problems started. There were the stereotypical sudden surprises that transferred the tension filled moments, which I hate. Such a terrible tactic. Then the kills became corny and the cat-n-mouse games weren’t fascinating… It just turned into a train wreck for me pretty quickly. They also seemed to have a lot of kills through the mouth. I wonder if that was purposeful or just laziness. Hmmm…

The ending was stupid and trite. You could’ve seen it coming from a mile away and when it happened you really didn’t care. There were two funny moments in the film though. The first was where the girl was making out with the freshman and he told her she tasted like puke. She said it’s ok, I just put a mint in so you’re fine. Hilarious. But, the best part of the film was how the killer tried to convince his girlfriend to get onboard with the killings. He said something to the effect of: “Now let’s go kill Ellie. You’re always saying we need to do more stuff together.” Classic. That alone earned an extra couples points.

Rating: 4/10

RT: 23%

Ghostbusters 2

Sequels are supposed to be worse than the originals. It’s like an unwritten rule. Is GHOSTBUSTERS 2 better than GHOSTBUSTERS? Is this rule actually broken here?... Well, no. The original is still better, but the sequel is actually a really good film too. An evil spirit lord from the 15th century has descended upon New York City and it is up to the Ghostbusters to save the day again. That’s the basic jist of the story.

Ghostbusters 2 Trailer

I love how this film starts out. We see the once-loved Ghostbusters working kids birthdays to make some extra scratch. All the original cast is back, which is awesome. And sure enough when Sigourney Weaver starts to attract the ghoulies in again the Ghostbusters come back into her life. In this film there is even another rehashed relationship between Bill Murray and Sigourney. And boy do I love Bill Murray in this role. It’s like CADDYSHACK meets GROUNDHOG DAY meets everything I love about Bill’s demeanor in his films.

The story line is sufficient, but the best parts of this film are the comedic elements that each Ghostbuster brings. There are countless lines from this film that you’ll repeat forever. My favorite parts are the underground railroad scene, the Vigo photo shoot, and the nighttime construction scenes where Bill fends off the cops.

Rating: 9.25/10
RT: 53%

Harold And Maude

Here is another film that I’ve been chasing for years. And I guess it was for good reason too, since it is a rather peculiar little film. HAROLD AND MAUDE follows a young boy who doesn’t seem to fit in in the normal world. He spends his time setting up fake suicides and purposely fully trying to make his mother find him in these great situations. His mother also tries to set Harold up on these dates with random girls from the city and Harold’s whole goal is to disturb them and drive them off as fast as possible. Then Harold meets Maude, who is an elderly lady that shares his same kind of off-normal flare for life – a match made in heaven.

Harold And Maude Trailer

The opening shot in this film sets the entire tone. At first you’re so confused and blown away, and then it takes an extreme turn when the mother walks in. So excellently set up. The film is the standard love knows no bounds / boundaries and conquers all. The scene where the pastor is trying to convince Harold that he cannot have relations with that “elderly” lady is really fun to watch. The Cat Stevens musical score throughout is also a very nice touch. It creates this surreal and very whimsical tone for the film. Although all I could do was think about those stupid car commercials that used that song – “if you want to sing out, sing out. If you want to be free, be free…” You know the one.

The ending again was another moment where at least for me the audience was in complete surprise and disbelief. They got me again. I guess that’s the perfect way to end the film… the exact way it began.

Rating: 7.5/10

RT: 84%

Whip It

Oh, coming-of-age stories, how I love thee so. This is exactly what this is. Ellen Page plays a nerdy-ish high school girl who just didn’t fit in. Then one day, she saw 3 roller girls float into a clothing store and it changed her forever. She then tried out and actually was the fastest of the group of newbies. Long story short, she made the team and is thrown into this brand new world of feminine angst and over aggression.

Whip It trailer

The girls coach is definitely a trip. He reminds me of Shawn William Scott in BALLS OUT, which I actually enjoyed. He plays a burned out tennis pro turned high school instructor. The dad is played by Daniel Stern and anything Daniel does is gold. BUSHWHACKED and VERY BAD THINGS being two of my favorites. Haha. Jimmy Fallon plays the center ring announcer and he actually adds a lot to the film. If only his late night show was as funny and interesting as his 2 on screen minutes throughout the film. Zing!

So the film has some genuinely funny moments and it reminded me kind of like an AMERICAN PIE meets BOTTLE ROCKET with a AFTER SUNSET/BEFORE SUNRISE/BENNY AND JOON romantic subplot thrown in – that probably didn’t make much sense now that I think about it, but I’ll leave it in there.

Throughout the film there are some great one liners that I really enjoyed. I tried to capture a few of them: “Let’s celebrate mediocrity! Yeah, that’s fantastic.” “My belly hurts. There’s a storm in there.” “Here’s twenty dollars. You know how little money I have. Please just run the play.” I also really enjoy the scene where Ellen knocks the snobby girl over the railing. I actually re-watched that like three times. The pool scene was fun to watch and creative, and I even liked how they setup the food fight sequence. And they used RADIOHEAD’S – NO SURPRISES?!?! Amazing.\

My wife was right, I really enjoyed this film from start to finish. It stayed fresh throughout and kept my attention through each act. And if you think about it it’s pretty amazing that a film can concentrate on a sport like roller derby for close to an hour and still make it interesting all the way throughout. And I actually learned how the sport works now. Lol

Rating: 9/10
RT: 84%

High Fidelity

I’ve been chasing this movie for a long time. It’s one of those flicks that I’ve had out of the library like 3 times and just never got around to watching it. On a rainy Saturday afternoon I threw it in and kicked back. It follows John Cusack as he lives out his days running a record store, digesting music, and dealing with the remnants of his broken relationships. That’s the basic premise of the film. We basically are posed with the question – is John Cusack able to be saved within his relational walks throughout life? Is there some redemptive quality to all his toil?

High Fidelity Trailer

John Cusack is honestly one of my favorite actors of all time. GROSSE POINTE BLANK, SAY ANTHING, BEING JOHN MALCHOICH (fav), even CON-AIR, 1408, and IDENTITY – he helped save those films too. And he’s in true form in this role. He’s the constant voiced over narrator throughout the film and like I always mention, that is my favorite element within films when it works right. And it definitely worked right here.

Jack Black and the other worker in the record store keep the film moving along as well. The only quam I have is the never ceasing cutbacks to his former relationships. I do like how they incorporated that into the film, but some of the flashbacks are a little lengthy.

Overall, I enjoyed the film, but I didn’t love it. I really like the witty music appreciation banter throughout the film. That alone brought a smile to my face, because I too feel snobbish when talking music with other people. Not because my taste is better, but I think I have a higher standard for the musicianship within it.

Rating: 8.5/10

RT: 92%

Brothers

Another film that totally flew under the radar for me. It probably flew under everyone’s radar come to think of it. I did hear about it briefly on one of the film podcasts that I listen to. I think it was Filmspotting. The basic premise is that one brother goes off to war and is involved in a helicopter crash after which no bodies are found. He and the men from his platoon are thought to be dead. Back at home his wife and children and his brother bury him. What really happened is that Tobey Maguire’s (war brother) platoon was kidnapped by sand terrorists. During their captivity they make them to despicable things and Tobey actually has to kill one of his men to save his own life. Back at home Jake and Natalie Portman build a relationship. Then, Tobey is found and comes home. I’m not giving anything away because that’s all in the trailer.

Brothers Trailer

This film started out very slowly for me. I understand why they took their time developing the new relationship between Jake G. and his brother’s wife, but at times it seemed unredeemable. Until the final act, which blew me way. The performances from Jake and Natalie were great, but Tobey Maguire did a phenomenal job. He was so believable and enraged that he burned up the screen. Truly one of the best performances I’ve seen all year.

Overall this film took an interesting look at the perils of war and its psychological effects upon its victims. The story is simple and at times very slow and shallow, but throughout the film there are moments of brilliance that awaken you from your slumber.

Rating: 8/10
RT: 59%