I have to admit to having an attitude - and not a good one - about this movie. After seeing the previews I thought "Uh huh - here we go - another movie rewriting history, with the white girl coming along to save the poor black folks." Yes, I admit it. That was my knee jerk reaction. I wasn't sure I would even see the movie.
But it's opening day and I couldn't resist. I snuck off to check it out and this is one of the best movies I have ever seen!
What a tremendous story with an amazing cast! It is skillfully acted, skillfully directed, skillfully written. It stars the very talented Viola Davis, and Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer. Sissy Spacek has a small but key, powerful, hilarious role. And the amazing Cicely Tyson is here to light up the screen. Bryce Dallas Howard plays the evil Hilly Holbrook - I just can't say enough for the outstanding acting. There are just no weak links. Viola Davis needs to walk away with an Oscar for her part, IMO. But then so could 3 others in this movie - the acting is wonderful.
It takes place in Jackson Mississippi in the 60s and gives us a first hand look at the laws and racism that was blatantly commonplace. The three main characters form a unlikely and very dangerous friendship at great risk to themselves and their families, to shed light on the injustices and try to make the world a little bit better. We go along on this trip with them, through the ups and downs and realizing the dangers and the reasons.
The story is layered and sneaks up on you at times. And I'll admit to one other thing - I laughed so hard and shed tears at least 3 times - all in the same movie. As a rule I do not cry at movies. Even when they're sad, even when they're very very sad - it's still just a movie. But this one got me not once, not twice, but three times. I believe it's powerful.
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. There was a good sized crowd (especially for a Wed. afternoon!) and it roared with laughter several times, and was silent many others. Ryne sold me the ticket with a smile and David served up fresh, hot popcorn and sprinkle cheese. A great movie experience. I ran off alone to check this out but may have to go back with others and see it again.
I gave this one a "5". Go see it!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
"Get your paws off of me you damn dirty ape!" We were saying this line for days in preparation to see the new movie, and YAY - the line makes it into this version! :)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - yes, it is time. The star of the remake is the CGI motion capture technology - and it rocks! The apes are wonderful. Good thing, because the humans... not so much. I normally like James Franco but boy he's flat in this starring role. They should have let an ape play him.
John Lithgow is his usual wonderful self as the aging father. He's always great to see.
There is also a snippet of the original - look fast but you see Charlton Heston! That was fun.
If you saw the series decades ago you know the basic story - it's presented here with some changes but the basic theme that the apes rise up is still intact. The action is very good, the visuals of the apes is amazing (and Oscar quality) and the story moves along well. We really enjoyed this. Gave it a "4".
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - Monica quickly served us up hot fresh Reddanbacher popcorn and sprinkle cheese and it was a nice day to duck out of the heat and into a good movie.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - yes, it is time. The star of the remake is the CGI motion capture technology - and it rocks! The apes are wonderful. Good thing, because the humans... not so much. I normally like James Franco but boy he's flat in this starring role. They should have let an ape play him.
John Lithgow is his usual wonderful self as the aging father. He's always great to see.
There is also a snippet of the original - look fast but you see Charlton Heston! That was fun.
If you saw the series decades ago you know the basic story - it's presented here with some changes but the basic theme that the apes rise up is still intact. The action is very good, the visuals of the apes is amazing (and Oscar quality) and the story moves along well. We really enjoyed this. Gave it a "4".
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - Monica quickly served us up hot fresh Reddanbacher popcorn and sprinkle cheese and it was a nice day to duck out of the heat and into a good movie.
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Captain America
Put off seeing this one in favor of Cowboys and Aliens - wow what a mistake THAT was!! Captain America comes after a string of not so great - not even good - super hero movie disappointments, but thankfully this one gets things back on track!
This is another in the line of Avengers movies (Hulk, Thor, Ironman) and it's a good one! The story is solid, the characters are excellent and the actors and visuals - wonderful. Tommy Lee Jones is refreshingly himself - the witty, the natural, the best lines in the movie Tommy Lee Jones!
Stanley Tucci is another favorite - nice to see his talents used here. And of course the star of the show - Chris Evans - with his spectacular pecs and abs, some very good acting, and some lovely special effects with him in the first half of the film.
And as usual, there is a cameo of Stan Lee! :) Always fun to note those.
There is action, a great villain (played by the super talented Hugo Weaving), humor, and fun. What else do you go to a super hero movie for?
Several of the other Avengers have become a "Meh" but now I'm amped for The Avengers to come out! May 2012. Be there or be square.
When you go see Captain America, stay past the (really) long credits for a sneak peak at The Avengers. It, of course, stars Samuel L. Jackson. Funny, I thought of him several times during this movie, but a little redder than usual. ;)
This one gets a "5"!
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. Ryne was at the ticket booth and everyone was doing great for a fairly busy (rainy) Wednesday.
This is another in the line of Avengers movies (Hulk, Thor, Ironman) and it's a good one! The story is solid, the characters are excellent and the actors and visuals - wonderful. Tommy Lee Jones is refreshingly himself - the witty, the natural, the best lines in the movie Tommy Lee Jones!
Stanley Tucci is another favorite - nice to see his talents used here. And of course the star of the show - Chris Evans - with his spectacular pecs and abs, some very good acting, and some lovely special effects with him in the first half of the film.
And as usual, there is a cameo of Stan Lee! :) Always fun to note those.
There is action, a great villain (played by the super talented Hugo Weaving), humor, and fun. What else do you go to a super hero movie for?
Several of the other Avengers have become a "Meh" but now I'm amped for The Avengers to come out! May 2012. Be there or be square.
When you go see Captain America, stay past the (really) long credits for a sneak peak at The Avengers. It, of course, stars Samuel L. Jackson. Funny, I thought of him several times during this movie, but a little redder than usual. ;)
This one gets a "5"!
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. Ryne was at the ticket booth and everyone was doing great for a fairly busy (rainy) Wednesday.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Cowboys & Aliens
There are 6 credited writers on this movie, and frankly, that's always a bad sign. BUT it's Spielberg, it's Ron Howard, it's Jon Favreau (who also directed the fabulous Ironman) and it stars Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, with Sam Rockwell... this movie has a pedigree! And frankly, it's COWBOYS and ALIENS - right there alone this has to be a blow your mind great movie.
I've counted down the days for a month to see this one. Adam and I went to the midnight show the day before it's release. And I gotta tell ya, we saw Super Manager Shane and he nailed it by saying "Sometimes they just can't live up to the hype and you may be setting yourself up for a disappointment." Has Super Manager Shane seen the movie or does he just know Hollywood? He was right.
This is not a bad movie.... but it's somehow not a great movie and it really should be. Adam had one word exiting the theater - "Meh".
We shook our heads and walked to the car in silence just thinking ... "Huh?" But shook off the daze and soon started on each of our lists of things that Did Not Make Sense. We both had them and not always the same ones.
"Why was that " "I have NO Idea" and "Why didn't he" "I know!"
The hook of the movie, the basic premise, is really that there are aliens back in cowboy times. That's not a spoiler, it's in the title. After seeing a heap of movies, good and bad, that show modern day people reacting to aliens, how much fun will this be to see people who have never even seen a CAR witness things flying in the air and actual alien technology! But it wasn't fun. One scene was interesting in that way but then it seemed like the idea was simply lost. Forgotten about. Pretty soon the guys running around could have just as easily been dressed in space suits, or modern day clothing, or cowboy outfits because there was no difference in how they acted or reacted.
I was paying close attention to the direction because of Jon Favreau, and even that was disappointing because it wasn't his own unique direction, it was him very carefully imitating the stereotypical old westerns.
There are holes in the plot and continuity problems, which is normal when you have 6 writers, I suppose.
We finally boiled it down to the target audience, and I believe this target audience would be thrilled with this movie. Kids (mostly boys) from the age of 8 to 13. I think that age range would find it really exciting, a bit scary, fun, and pretty thrilling.
We gave it a 2.5 and still feel a bit confused by the whole thing. Especially with such a pedigree, we wonder - "Is this the best that Hollywood has to offer?"
The place was Pueblo Tinseltown. Super Manager Shane was cheerful and alert, as well as helpful Sarah who served us up fresh popcorn and sprinkle cheese. The place was hoppin for a midnight show with more attendees than we imagined.
I've counted down the days for a month to see this one. Adam and I went to the midnight show the day before it's release. And I gotta tell ya, we saw Super Manager Shane and he nailed it by saying "Sometimes they just can't live up to the hype and you may be setting yourself up for a disappointment." Has Super Manager Shane seen the movie or does he just know Hollywood? He was right.
This is not a bad movie.... but it's somehow not a great movie and it really should be. Adam had one word exiting the theater - "Meh".
We shook our heads and walked to the car in silence just thinking ... "Huh?" But shook off the daze and soon started on each of our lists of things that Did Not Make Sense. We both had them and not always the same ones.
"Why was that " "I have NO Idea" and "Why didn't he" "I know!"
The hook of the movie, the basic premise, is really that there are aliens back in cowboy times. That's not a spoiler, it's in the title. After seeing a heap of movies, good and bad, that show modern day people reacting to aliens, how much fun will this be to see people who have never even seen a CAR witness things flying in the air and actual alien technology! But it wasn't fun. One scene was interesting in that way but then it seemed like the idea was simply lost. Forgotten about. Pretty soon the guys running around could have just as easily been dressed in space suits, or modern day clothing, or cowboy outfits because there was no difference in how they acted or reacted.
I was paying close attention to the direction because of Jon Favreau, and even that was disappointing because it wasn't his own unique direction, it was him very carefully imitating the stereotypical old westerns.
There are holes in the plot and continuity problems, which is normal when you have 6 writers, I suppose.
We finally boiled it down to the target audience, and I believe this target audience would be thrilled with this movie. Kids (mostly boys) from the age of 8 to 13. I think that age range would find it really exciting, a bit scary, fun, and pretty thrilling.
We gave it a 2.5 and still feel a bit confused by the whole thing. Especially with such a pedigree, we wonder - "Is this the best that Hollywood has to offer?"
The place was Pueblo Tinseltown. Super Manager Shane was cheerful and alert, as well as helpful Sarah who served us up fresh popcorn and sprinkle cheese. The place was hoppin for a midnight show with more attendees than we imagined.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Bad Teacher
ALRIGHT, I saw it! I said I wouldn't but it was 103 degrees and well.... it was this or Zookeeper. I flipped a coin and went in to this one.
All in all I was pleasantly surprised. It's squirrely stupid fun, moves along well, actually has a few funny things in it and was just a big relief from the heat.
Cameron Diaz is ditzy and sexy, and for most guys that's really all you need. The "plot" if you call it one, just isn't. But it's fun, silly summer stuff.
Hot fresh popcorn at the nice clean Pueblo Tinseltown. Fun afternoon to run off to the movies!
All in all I was pleasantly surprised. It's squirrely stupid fun, moves along well, actually has a few funny things in it and was just a big relief from the heat.
Cameron Diaz is ditzy and sexy, and for most guys that's really all you need. The "plot" if you call it one, just isn't. But it's fun, silly summer stuff.
Hot fresh popcorn at the nice clean Pueblo Tinseltown. Fun afternoon to run off to the movies!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Winnie the Pooh
Earthdaughter Sarah and I took little grandpeople Jayla and Kevin to see this. It was Jayla's first theater movie! The little ones were very excited and behaved beautifully. The movie is only 65 minutes long, and just the perfect time for this age (4 - 5). Just long enough to be fun but not so long that they're bored and wiggly.
I was so happy to see all of the favorite classic Winnie the Pooh characters here - all in place - voices sounded right, all following the original book. It is a fun, happy, interesting, sweet homage to the classic. What a relief that they did such a good job and didn't veer off into New territory and mess up a really good thing.
Lots of little people in the theater and lots of laughter so it was clearly holding their attention.
This was a very fun movie experience.
Tinseltown in Colorado Springs was the theater. Hot, fresh popcorn and sprinkle cheese. It's always fun to see this theater now and then because it's so much larger than ours.
We all gave this one a "5".
I was so happy to see all of the favorite classic Winnie the Pooh characters here - all in place - voices sounded right, all following the original book. It is a fun, happy, interesting, sweet homage to the classic. What a relief that they did such a good job and didn't veer off into New territory and mess up a really good thing.
Lots of little people in the theater and lots of laughter so it was clearly holding their attention.
This was a very fun movie experience.
Tinseltown in Colorado Springs was the theater. Hot, fresh popcorn and sprinkle cheese. It's always fun to see this theater now and then because it's so much larger than ours.
We all gave this one a "5".
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Horrible Bosses
Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis - in miserable jobs - hate their bosses - decide their life would be better if their bosses were dead. Hilarity ensues.
That's about it. Right there, this would have been One To Possibly Miss. BUT wait just a minute.... add in Jennifer Aniston and you have a DEFINITE One to Miss (for me anyway).
Now add in the Great Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell in a hilariously horrible role, Jamie Foxx trying to be a hit man, with a sprinkling of Donald Sutherland, and you end up with a very funny little movie.
This is no 'Hangover', and it's naughty on all levels, so do NOT bring kids. It's graphically sexual. There were at least 3 times that I laughed out loud. The movie is funny, moves right along, and is not too long (85 minutes) so perfect for brainless summer fun out of the heat, with lots of popcorn.
The place was Pueblo Tinseltown - went on a very hot afternoon. Got out of the heat, into the nice clean happy theater. I got fresh hot popcorn with real butter and sprinkle cheese and it was a fun time.
Giving this a '3'!
That's about it. Right there, this would have been One To Possibly Miss. BUT wait just a minute.... add in Jennifer Aniston and you have a DEFINITE One to Miss (for me anyway).
Now add in the Great Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell in a hilariously horrible role, Jamie Foxx trying to be a hit man, with a sprinkling of Donald Sutherland, and you end up with a very funny little movie.
This is no 'Hangover', and it's naughty on all levels, so do NOT bring kids. It's graphically sexual. There were at least 3 times that I laughed out loud. The movie is funny, moves right along, and is not too long (85 minutes) so perfect for brainless summer fun out of the heat, with lots of popcorn.
The place was Pueblo Tinseltown - went on a very hot afternoon. Got out of the heat, into the nice clean happy theater. I got fresh hot popcorn with real butter and sprinkle cheese and it was a fun time.
Giving this a '3'!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Mr. Popper's Penguins
I popped in out of the 100+ degree heat to check this out and I must admit, it was the lure of AC and the screen full of ice and cold and penguins that sold me more than Jim Carrey or anything else.
Mr. Popper's Penguins is a pleasant enough movie. It doesn't make a bit of sense, it has some cute penguins and a few Jim Carrey lines that will make you smile. Nothing offensive here.
For my money, Mr. Popper's assistant Pippi (played by Ophelia Lovibond) stole the screen. I adored her use of the letter "P" peppered through her presentation.
I went alone so I may have had a better opinion of the movie had I taken a little person with me. There were approximately 30 people in the theater and most of those were of the small variety. I heard many giggles and laughs from those little ones so it seemed to be well accepted.
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. The big poppers made popped popcorn that was pungent and pretty and pleasantly plump!
I gave it a '2' but was happy to be out of the heat.
Mr. Popper's Penguins is a pleasant enough movie. It doesn't make a bit of sense, it has some cute penguins and a few Jim Carrey lines that will make you smile. Nothing offensive here.
For my money, Mr. Popper's assistant Pippi (played by Ophelia Lovibond) stole the screen. I adored her use of the letter "P" peppered through her presentation.
I went alone so I may have had a better opinion of the movie had I taken a little person with me. There were approximately 30 people in the theater and most of those were of the small variety. I heard many giggles and laughs from those little ones so it seemed to be well accepted.
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. The big poppers made popped popcorn that was pungent and pretty and pleasantly plump!
I gave it a '2' but was happy to be out of the heat.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Green Lantern
Ohhh boy. :( Green Lantern -> Fail.
I went to see this one with earthson - Adam - and we were both magnificently disappointed. Yawn. The script is just .... flat. Nothing that's charming, endearing, funny, or actually even interesting. The visuals are nice - especially The Guardians. They did a great job on them. But other than that..... it was a yawner.
Ironman set the bar so high and that's the measure I still use. That movie really had alot going for it - could have played out just like reading the Ironman comic and it would have been as boring as Green Lantern. Instead Robert Downey Jr. really MADE that character. No one else would have done nearly as good of a job. In Green Lantern, we could think of a dozen actors who could have done the exact same job that Ryan Reynolds does. He didn't bring anything distinctly Ryan Reynolds to the part (other than his abs).
Ironman had a kick ass script full of surprises and laughs and updated references. Green Lantern has none of those.
If you have a kid who likes superheroes and is in the 8 - 12 year old range, I believe they may like this. Anyone else is going to be pretty darn disappointed.
Maybe there will be a sequel. And hopefully that one will include the real Green Lantern that I thought I remembered - John Stewart - who was black. And maybe they'll find a couple million extra dollars laying around and be able to hire Jon Favreau to direct it. Then they may have a movie!
We gave this one a "2"
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - great, hot fresh popcorn and sprinkle cheese. That was the highlight of the day.
I went to see this one with earthson - Adam - and we were both magnificently disappointed. Yawn. The script is just .... flat. Nothing that's charming, endearing, funny, or actually even interesting. The visuals are nice - especially The Guardians. They did a great job on them. But other than that..... it was a yawner.
Ironman set the bar so high and that's the measure I still use. That movie really had alot going for it - could have played out just like reading the Ironman comic and it would have been as boring as Green Lantern. Instead Robert Downey Jr. really MADE that character. No one else would have done nearly as good of a job. In Green Lantern, we could think of a dozen actors who could have done the exact same job that Ryan Reynolds does. He didn't bring anything distinctly Ryan Reynolds to the part (other than his abs).
Ironman had a kick ass script full of surprises and laughs and updated references. Green Lantern has none of those.
If you have a kid who likes superheroes and is in the 8 - 12 year old range, I believe they may like this. Anyone else is going to be pretty darn disappointed.
Maybe there will be a sequel. And hopefully that one will include the real Green Lantern that I thought I remembered - John Stewart - who was black. And maybe they'll find a couple million extra dollars laying around and be able to hire Jon Favreau to direct it. Then they may have a movie!
We gave this one a "2"
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - great, hot fresh popcorn and sprinkle cheese. That was the highlight of the day.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Super 8
Super 8 = Super GREAT! What a movie!
We gave this a "5" - just wanted to say that up front! This is vintage wonderful Spielberg at his best! Think ET meets Stand By Me... and another one. Don't want to spoil anything. It spares no expense with phenomenal effects and visuals - the "production value" is intense.
This movie has it all - it's interesting on a human level - there are no less than 5 storylines going on all at once but it's not complicated or convoluted - they all work. They just add layers and create the 'real world' feel.
The action is fabulous, the pacing is great - the stories are interesting and the humor is ever present and sprinkled throughout.
There are many nods to little inside jokes - I know I want to see this again and hope to catch more of those along the way. Anyone living through the 70s will pick up on several right away that are neatly tucked in. I couldn't help but think that one of the main kids featured just had to be Spielberg himself when he was a kid, with his obsession for films. The characters are very genuine.
Stay after the credits - there's more to see that you won't want to miss.
What a great movie! We loved it. A "5"!
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - Caleb cheerfully sold us our tickets, Renn made sure we got hot fresh, Orville Reddenbacker popcorn (and sprinkle cheese) from the lovely new big poppers. Everyone was great - wonderful movie experience!
We gave this a "5" - just wanted to say that up front! This is vintage wonderful Spielberg at his best! Think ET meets Stand By Me... and another one. Don't want to spoil anything. It spares no expense with phenomenal effects and visuals - the "production value" is intense.
This movie has it all - it's interesting on a human level - there are no less than 5 storylines going on all at once but it's not complicated or convoluted - they all work. They just add layers and create the 'real world' feel.
The action is fabulous, the pacing is great - the stories are interesting and the humor is ever present and sprinkled throughout.
There are many nods to little inside jokes - I know I want to see this again and hope to catch more of those along the way. Anyone living through the 70s will pick up on several right away that are neatly tucked in. I couldn't help but think that one of the main kids featured just had to be Spielberg himself when he was a kid, with his obsession for films. The characters are very genuine.
Stay after the credits - there's more to see that you won't want to miss.
What a great movie! We loved it. A "5"!
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - Caleb cheerfully sold us our tickets, Renn made sure we got hot fresh, Orville Reddenbacker popcorn (and sprinkle cheese) from the lovely new big poppers. Everyone was great - wonderful movie experience!
Friday, June 03, 2011
X-Men First Class
Good Times at the movies - been waiting for this one to come out and it does not disappoint!
This X-Men movie is a prequel, showing us where everybody came from and how they got to be who they are. Every since I was a little kid those were always my favorite episodes - I loved the comics showing Superman as Superboy and how he grew up and discovered his powers. I loved Spiderman comics and loved Toby Maguire being bitten for the first time and trying to figure out how to harness his new powers. So this movie is a natural LIKE for me - getting to see The Beginning and if not exactly how the powers are discovered, at least how they're grown and harnessed.
It's quite a lot of fun seeing each new person come onto the scene. There are new faces and new powers here that I don't remember ever seeing - neither did my son who checked this one out with me. There are a couple of cameos that are very cool and neat little surprises.
The pacing is nice - not frantic and overloaded but never drags, either. It just moves right along and you get swept along with it. The effects are excellent, the story is interesting, and my only problem is that Kevin Bacon is in this movie. Nothing against Kevin Bacon, but over and over I was absorbed in the story and they would cut to Kevin Bacon and that would jar me right out of the movie and back to reality. Everyone else plays wonderfully as their character - he was.... well, always Kevin Bacon. He made me laugh at least 4 times (out loud) - at times in the script that were decidedly not funny. :)
This is a fun movie - even if you're not a big X-Men fan. Just about anybody could go along with their geek friends and still have a good time. Just ask them to explain some parts of it to you later over burgers.
We gave this one a 3 teetering on a 4. A 3.5
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. Caleb sold us our tickets while assuring us it wasn't overly crowded yet (or we wouldn't have gone - no front row for me, thank you) and James did a great job of serving up hot, FRESH, Orville Reddenbocker popcorn from the new BIG poppers they just installed - very YUM. Super Manager Shane was on hand to grab me a quick refill later so I didn't miss the movie - that man is fast! Great job, you guys.
This X-Men movie is a prequel, showing us where everybody came from and how they got to be who they are. Every since I was a little kid those were always my favorite episodes - I loved the comics showing Superman as Superboy and how he grew up and discovered his powers. I loved Spiderman comics and loved Toby Maguire being bitten for the first time and trying to figure out how to harness his new powers. So this movie is a natural LIKE for me - getting to see The Beginning and if not exactly how the powers are discovered, at least how they're grown and harnessed.
It's quite a lot of fun seeing each new person come onto the scene. There are new faces and new powers here that I don't remember ever seeing - neither did my son who checked this one out with me. There are a couple of cameos that are very cool and neat little surprises.
The pacing is nice - not frantic and overloaded but never drags, either. It just moves right along and you get swept along with it. The effects are excellent, the story is interesting, and my only problem is that Kevin Bacon is in this movie. Nothing against Kevin Bacon, but over and over I was absorbed in the story and they would cut to Kevin Bacon and that would jar me right out of the movie and back to reality. Everyone else plays wonderfully as their character - he was.... well, always Kevin Bacon. He made me laugh at least 4 times (out loud) - at times in the script that were decidedly not funny. :)
This is a fun movie - even if you're not a big X-Men fan. Just about anybody could go along with their geek friends and still have a good time. Just ask them to explain some parts of it to you later over burgers.
We gave this one a 3 teetering on a 4. A 3.5
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. Caleb sold us our tickets while assuring us it wasn't overly crowded yet (or we wouldn't have gone - no front row for me, thank you) and James did a great job of serving up hot, FRESH, Orville Reddenbocker popcorn from the new BIG poppers they just installed - very YUM. Super Manager Shane was on hand to grab me a quick refill later so I didn't miss the movie - that man is fast! Great job, you guys.
Hangover 2
If you saw Hangover, you've already seen this one. We loved the original Hangover and laughed out loud many times. It was fresh, crazy, well paced, surprising. This one is crazy, the same pace (exactly), not fresh, not surprising. The same guys are back and they pretty much do the same things. Ed Helms is a riot, even when he's doing about what you expect him to do.
If you liked the first one and you just want some goofy fun - check it out. It was definitely goofy and fun.
"3"
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place, popcorn was fresh and hot and lovely in their NEW popcorn poppers (that are super gigantic)!
If you liked the first one and you just want some goofy fun - check it out. It was definitely goofy and fun.
"3"
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place, popcorn was fresh and hot and lovely in their NEW popcorn poppers (that are super gigantic)!
Bridesmaids
Kristen Wigg is super talented and I wish her all the best and all the movies in the world, but this one is a big disappointment. I went only after hearing over and over how good it was. It was pleasant, she is a good actress, but the movie is no "female Hangover"as it's been called.
Glad I went alone and didn't waste anybody else's time.
This one got a '2'.
I actually forgot to write the review.
Glad I went alone and didn't waste anybody else's time.
This one got a '2'.
I actually forgot to write the review.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Scream 4
Campy stupid fun. That's the only way to describe a Scream movie. And since we've seen the other 3, what the heck. :)
You won't go because you want to be scared, and you won't go for great acting or amazing visuals. It's just your basic silly slasher film - light on the slashing. It does more introspection on what makes a horror movie work (the "rules" of horror movies) and is very funny, even at times it's not intending to be.
We had fun with this. Go with someone you can laugh with and sit far enough away from everybody else so you can make comments outloud and predict how it will end. And don't pay very much to see it. Then you'll have fun.
A "3"
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place, hot fresh popcorn with sprinkle cheese added to the enjoyment.
You won't go because you want to be scared, and you won't go for great acting or amazing visuals. It's just your basic silly slasher film - light on the slashing. It does more introspection on what makes a horror movie work (the "rules" of horror movies) and is very funny, even at times it's not intending to be.
We had fun with this. Go with someone you can laugh with and sit far enough away from everybody else so you can make comments outloud and predict how it will end. And don't pay very much to see it. Then you'll have fun.
A "3"
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place, hot fresh popcorn with sprinkle cheese added to the enjoyment.
Soul Surfer
This will be a very short review. The story behind Soul Surfer of Bethany Hamilton, the surfer who got attacked by a shark, lost an arm, and went back to surfing (and won a National Championship) is truly inspiring and amazing and worthy of all praise. The movie about that experience unfortunately plays like a tv movie of the week.
It has good actors, a gorgeous setting in Hawaii and does a good job of showing her positivity and allowing us to feel what she struggled with after the attack. The dialogue is pretty flat and the movie has a rushed feel to it. The visuals are beautiful, it's very interesting to watch a surf competition if you've never seen one (I haven't) and I do admire Bethany.
I believe young girls will love this as it does give a good message of hope and staying positive, and being a good sport even when others are mean spirited.
This one gets a '2'. I saw it in Walsenberg, CO at the Youth Theater (lost a bet), which is a small, very old, apparently family run theater. Good experience overall.
It has good actors, a gorgeous setting in Hawaii and does a good job of showing her positivity and allowing us to feel what she struggled with after the attack. The dialogue is pretty flat and the movie has a rushed feel to it. The visuals are beautiful, it's very interesting to watch a surf competition if you've never seen one (I haven't) and I do admire Bethany.
I believe young girls will love this as it does give a good message of hope and staying positive, and being a good sport even when others are mean spirited.
This one gets a '2'. I saw it in Walsenberg, CO at the Youth Theater (lost a bet), which is a small, very old, apparently family run theater. Good experience overall.
Thor
After much build up and much anticipation, Thor has arrived. Earthdad went along not really knowing much about this one before hand. As it was beginning he asked "Who is this guy again?" And I reminded him - "You remember - Thor - the god of Thunder, son of Odin - the guy with the hammer?" "Oh yeah" he said. We sat in silence for a minute and I whispered "I never liked him in the comics come to think of it." "Me either" So what the heck were we doing there?? :D That must be said, though - neither of us were die hard Thor fans before coming to this show.
But you have to see em all - especially all of the Marvel comics movies. They made magic happen with Ironman, but this is no Ironman. Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor. He is nice to look at but not especially charismatic as an actor. Natalie Portman is his love interest, the mortal Jane (plain?). Raise your hand if you're tired of seeing Natalie Portman on the screen. Her role is really one of be there, look cute, wait for the next movie before you really have a part.
Sir Anthony Hopkins is here - which is funny since it seems to be a lowering of his standards to be in this comic movie, yet he does get to be the god Odin. Couldn't let that one pass, I suppose. He does a decent job.
Everyone in this movie is doing a decent job. And there are plenty of explosions and fast cuts and definitely a high quality production. It was just sort of boring. Hard to explain but it didn't grab us or hold our interest.
Stan Lee has a cameo appearance as usual. :) Always nice to see him.
Idris Elba was the most controversial element of this movie - as a black man playing a Nord god - and some said they would boycott because of that. He does a great job and definitely adds a needed element here. I just wish he had a larger part.
The credits are the longest of any movie I think I've ever seen - but if you can manage to stay around through them there is a preview clip with Samuel L Jackson and Stellan Skarsgard from The Avengers.
Nearly forgot to add that we gave it a "2".
The place was Pueblo Tinseltown. Caci sold us tickets and gave some sympathy about the crazy weather, Avril did a great job quickly serving us up freshly popped popcorn and real butter (and sprinkle cheese!), and we were happy to see Super Manager Shane working hard as usual!
Looking ahead - Oh My God - Cowboys vs Aliens!!! Can't wait! Jon Favreau, Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford - this one cannot miss! :)
But you have to see em all - especially all of the Marvel comics movies. They made magic happen with Ironman, but this is no Ironman. Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor. He is nice to look at but not especially charismatic as an actor. Natalie Portman is his love interest, the mortal Jane (plain?). Raise your hand if you're tired of seeing Natalie Portman on the screen. Her role is really one of be there, look cute, wait for the next movie before you really have a part.
Sir Anthony Hopkins is here - which is funny since it seems to be a lowering of his standards to be in this comic movie, yet he does get to be the god Odin. Couldn't let that one pass, I suppose. He does a decent job.
Everyone in this movie is doing a decent job. And there are plenty of explosions and fast cuts and definitely a high quality production. It was just sort of boring. Hard to explain but it didn't grab us or hold our interest.
Stan Lee has a cameo appearance as usual. :) Always nice to see him.
Idris Elba was the most controversial element of this movie - as a black man playing a Nord god - and some said they would boycott because of that. He does a great job and definitely adds a needed element here. I just wish he had a larger part.
The credits are the longest of any movie I think I've ever seen - but if you can manage to stay around through them there is a preview clip with Samuel L Jackson and Stellan Skarsgard from The Avengers.
Nearly forgot to add that we gave it a "2".
The place was Pueblo Tinseltown. Caci sold us tickets and gave some sympathy about the crazy weather, Avril did a great job quickly serving us up freshly popped popcorn and real butter (and sprinkle cheese!), and we were happy to see Super Manager Shane working hard as usual!
Looking ahead - Oh My God - Cowboys vs Aliens!!! Can't wait! Jon Favreau, Ron Howard, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford - this one cannot miss! :)
Monday, April 04, 2011
Insidious
Insidious means - "beguiling but harmful". Perfect title for this movie!
It's a story that could easily have gotten rehashed into the same old scary movie - a house with an entity... a child... we could be watching a cheap imitation of The Exorcist. Only this time it's very different, and fresh, and has good actors and a much better written script!
Insidious is creepy, creepy, creepy. They keep the tension and feel going throughout, which is the ultimate goal of a scary movie and so few actually achieve.
Patrick Wilson ('Watchmen') stars, along with his movie wife ('Get Him To the Greek' and 'Adam'), and they do a good job. It's important that we like or at least connect with the family members first... that's a rule of all scary movies. This one does a decent job of that.
There's a surprise part played by Barbara Hershey ('Black Swan' and 'Beaches' of course). [She looks great!] But the real star is the character named Elise - Lin Shaye. She is a wonderful character actor - once you see her face you'll recognize her. I couldn't recall her name and couldn't place her in a major role but have seen her everywhere. She's been a working actor for some time. In this movie she steals the show, as far as I'm concerned.
If you like creepy, edge of your seat, find yourself holding your breath a bit as you watch movies - you'll like this one. We really did.
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. We got some great freshly popped hot popcorn with real butter from the very helpful and efficient Avril. Unfortunately we went to this one over the dinner hour so we had to get popcorn refills!
We give 'Insidious' a 4!
It's a story that could easily have gotten rehashed into the same old scary movie - a house with an entity... a child... we could be watching a cheap imitation of The Exorcist. Only this time it's very different, and fresh, and has good actors and a much better written script!
Insidious is creepy, creepy, creepy. They keep the tension and feel going throughout, which is the ultimate goal of a scary movie and so few actually achieve.
Patrick Wilson ('Watchmen') stars, along with his movie wife ('Get Him To the Greek' and 'Adam'), and they do a good job. It's important that we like or at least connect with the family members first... that's a rule of all scary movies. This one does a decent job of that.
There's a surprise part played by Barbara Hershey ('Black Swan' and 'Beaches' of course). [She looks great!] But the real star is the character named Elise - Lin Shaye. She is a wonderful character actor - once you see her face you'll recognize her. I couldn't recall her name and couldn't place her in a major role but have seen her everywhere. She's been a working actor for some time. In this movie she steals the show, as far as I'm concerned.
If you like creepy, edge of your seat, find yourself holding your breath a bit as you watch movies - you'll like this one. We really did.
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. We got some great freshly popped hot popcorn with real butter from the very helpful and efficient Avril. Unfortunately we went to this one over the dinner hour so we had to get popcorn refills!
We give 'Insidious' a 4!
Source Code
Jake Gyllenhaul stars in this thriller - and right off I'm not a big Jake G fan. I went in spite of him, rather than because of him. His costars are Michelle Monoghan and Vera Farmiga - AH - Vera Farmiga is from 'Up in the Air' - that wonderful movie last year with George Clooney and the team that went around laying people off. (A Must See - if you haven't already) She is fabulous - got an Oscar nom for Up in the Air and did an equally great job in 'Source Code'.
This is a SciFi movie with several layers. None of it is convoluted or hard to grasp, and it moves along at a great pace and with intensive interest. I found every minute of this one to capture my attention. It raises many questions about science (and as Marge Simpson says to Homer when he confesses he had them deep fry his shirt at the fair, "I said you SHOULDN'T, not that they COULDN'T) Should we do certain things simply because we CAN?
Source Code is a sort of part Groundhog Day (without the tedium) and part Quantum Leap (without cutie Scott Bakula). It takes place on a commuter train going into Chicago (which my sister rides every day and I thought of her throughout). The train is about to explode and one man is 'placed' sort of 'quantumly' into a passenger's body just before the explosion. With that kind of set up it's Ready, Set, GO and we're off. This is a good movie - see it.
It's rated PG-13, nothing offensive or naughty, well paced, directed beautifully by Duncan Jones. I don't always note the director but for some movies it's clear that direction is one of the stars of the show, and this is one of those.
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. Super Manager Shane was working extra hard and doing a great job - always nice to go there.
We give Source Code a '4'.
This is a SciFi movie with several layers. None of it is convoluted or hard to grasp, and it moves along at a great pace and with intensive interest. I found every minute of this one to capture my attention. It raises many questions about science (and as Marge Simpson says to Homer when he confesses he had them deep fry his shirt at the fair, "I said you SHOULDN'T, not that they COULDN'T) Should we do certain things simply because we CAN?
Source Code is a sort of part Groundhog Day (without the tedium) and part Quantum Leap (without cutie Scott Bakula). It takes place on a commuter train going into Chicago (which my sister rides every day and I thought of her throughout). The train is about to explode and one man is 'placed' sort of 'quantumly' into a passenger's body just before the explosion. With that kind of set up it's Ready, Set, GO and we're off. This is a good movie - see it.
It's rated PG-13, nothing offensive or naughty, well paced, directed beautifully by Duncan Jones. I don't always note the director but for some movies it's clear that direction is one of the stars of the show, and this is one of those.
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place. Super Manager Shane was working extra hard and doing a great job - always nice to go there.
We give Source Code a '4'.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
My Run - the Terry Hitchcock Story
This is a documentary made 11 years after the event - when Terry Hitchcock apparently "ran" (walked) what the marketing says is "75 marathons in 75 days" but what amounted to 28 miles in 8 or more hours per day, which comes out to walking for 8 hours a day. He started in Minnesota, wanting to do some kind of publicity gimmick and remembered the real life hero, Terry Fox, who was a young man with bone cancer who ran across Canada to raise awareness and money for cancer research. Terry Fox had only one leg, due to the cancer. And unfortunately the cancer spread into his lungs and he was unable to continue his run. He died. But he raised over $24 million. Now that is a real true hero story if I ever heard one. Not the same with this Terry Hitchcock version.
Everyone seems to think it's very inspiring and heroic, so I should probably just stay quiet but I didn't see it that way at all. After such a long detailed bit in the movie describing the poor wife and what she had to go through with Breast Cancer, and her death, it would be logical for something like this to be done to raise awareness and money for Breast Cancer. Instead, it appears that Terry had such a hard time raising his kids without her that he felt so sorry for himself and wanted to find a publicity gimmick to 'raise awareness for single parents' :\
That's pretty much a fail. Not all single parents are in need, or poverty stricken, nor need any awareness raised. Only those who think "poor me" as Terry obviously did. Why wouldn't you know what size pants your 5 year old wears? Come on now. Was he that goofy and out of the daily goings on with his own family?
He hadn't ever run before, was fat, on blood pressure meds, and had a heart attack a couple of weeks before he started. But he had the marketing/ PR machine in high gear and decided to go forward. He decided to run to Atlanta, where there was a TON of reporters and LOTS of publicity to be had.
We're very dramatically shown time and time again how he "nearly died" trying to complete this foolhardy stunt. Putting himself and his health at risk was silly. It showed that he didn't care if his 3 children were left with no parents. Why not gamble with his own life? Sure - why not. And putting his kids in the position of total responsiblity for him day in and day out during the run, tending to HIM, taking care of HIM, making sure HIS socks got changed 15 times per day - good grief - the ultimate in childlike and selfish behavior.
This is the story of a man who craved the spotlight, number one. Acted like a spoiled brat when he wasn't center stage (yelling at his son, throwing bananas, being an ass). Put himself and his children at risk for NO REASON AT ALL. And where is the foundation? I've googled it and don't see what foundation was started, or how much money was raised or what did that foundation ever do for anybody (besides Terry Hitchcock) ?
Not only the details of the foundation are missing - even more stunning is there are no details of the end result. No "Amazingly Terry lost 45 pounds during the 75 days, his blood pressure is normal and he no longer needed medication" etc. Statistics like that would be great to hear. In the movie when he got to Atlanta he appeared very much the same weight, which simply cannot be if he really did the walking/jogging that he says he did.
He does admit "Well, after the Run, I found myself in a hospital for three months nursing the fractures and the mental stress of the actual Run." That's a huge statement. 3 months for mental stress? One wonders - why? Who paid for it? What kind of breakdown did he have? And if it was such a heroic and wonderful experience, what intense mental stress would happen as a result of it?
My other criticism involves his many stops at radio stations and schools to do publicity. He is filmed saying to the microphone and to kids "I'm running from Minnesota to Atlanta, Georgia" only.... he's not. If I were one of the kids I'd answer "No you're not, you're standing here in our classroom talking!" Dean Karnazes is at this moment Running Across America. When he talks to press it's by phone (while he's running) or on an few minute break - AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. Why? Because that's where he is. They have to come to him because he's out there running!
Another inspirational story is Marshall Ulrich - he ran across America at the age of 57. He has a book coming out "Running on Empty" this month and shares his many stories as an ultramarathon runner and adventurer. I believe his stories to be more authentic and real than this movie was.
I found this to be a waste of my time, certainly not inspirational. It was very sad.
Everyone seems to think it's very inspiring and heroic, so I should probably just stay quiet but I didn't see it that way at all. After such a long detailed bit in the movie describing the poor wife and what she had to go through with Breast Cancer, and her death, it would be logical for something like this to be done to raise awareness and money for Breast Cancer. Instead, it appears that Terry had such a hard time raising his kids without her that he felt so sorry for himself and wanted to find a publicity gimmick to 'raise awareness for single parents' :\
That's pretty much a fail. Not all single parents are in need, or poverty stricken, nor need any awareness raised. Only those who think "poor me" as Terry obviously did. Why wouldn't you know what size pants your 5 year old wears? Come on now. Was he that goofy and out of the daily goings on with his own family?
He hadn't ever run before, was fat, on blood pressure meds, and had a heart attack a couple of weeks before he started. But he had the marketing/ PR machine in high gear and decided to go forward. He decided to run to Atlanta, where there was a TON of reporters and LOTS of publicity to be had.
We're very dramatically shown time and time again how he "nearly died" trying to complete this foolhardy stunt. Putting himself and his health at risk was silly. It showed that he didn't care if his 3 children were left with no parents. Why not gamble with his own life? Sure - why not. And putting his kids in the position of total responsiblity for him day in and day out during the run, tending to HIM, taking care of HIM, making sure HIS socks got changed 15 times per day - good grief - the ultimate in childlike and selfish behavior.
This is the story of a man who craved the spotlight, number one. Acted like a spoiled brat when he wasn't center stage (yelling at his son, throwing bananas, being an ass). Put himself and his children at risk for NO REASON AT ALL. And where is the foundation? I've googled it and don't see what foundation was started, or how much money was raised or what did that foundation ever do for anybody (besides Terry Hitchcock) ?
Not only the details of the foundation are missing - even more stunning is there are no details of the end result. No "Amazingly Terry lost 45 pounds during the 75 days, his blood pressure is normal and he no longer needed medication" etc. Statistics like that would be great to hear. In the movie when he got to Atlanta he appeared very much the same weight, which simply cannot be if he really did the walking/jogging that he says he did.
He does admit "Well, after the Run, I found myself in a hospital for three months nursing the fractures and the mental stress of the actual Run." That's a huge statement. 3 months for mental stress? One wonders - why? Who paid for it? What kind of breakdown did he have? And if it was such a heroic and wonderful experience, what intense mental stress would happen as a result of it?
My other criticism involves his many stops at radio stations and schools to do publicity. He is filmed saying to the microphone and to kids "I'm running from Minnesota to Atlanta, Georgia" only.... he's not. If I were one of the kids I'd answer "No you're not, you're standing here in our classroom talking!" Dean Karnazes is at this moment Running Across America. When he talks to press it's by phone (while he's running) or on an few minute break - AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. Why? Because that's where he is. They have to come to him because he's out there running!
Another inspirational story is Marshall Ulrich - he ran across America at the age of 57. He has a book coming out "Running on Empty" this month and shares his many stories as an ultramarathon runner and adventurer. I believe his stories to be more authentic and real than this movie was.
I found this to be a waste of my time, certainly not inspirational. It was very sad.
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer
Wow - what a staggering waste of talent. I guess the economy really is that bad. I can just hear the meeting at the studio where they said "Let's be on the really safe side... get every celebrity you can round up, pull a script out of the 80s that went over pretty well and let's all just go through the motions and stay afloat."
So they did. Everyone did as they were told, and this thing came out.
I'll never get those couple of hours back.
It was almost worth admission just to watch wonderful talent like William Macy and Marissa Tomei (with new teeth?) and Bryan Cranston (wow, he must have just had a few minutes to kill on the way to his set at Breaking Bad and offered to jump in for a few scenes) and John Leguizamo try to breathe a little life into the most cliche dialogue ever. Almost.
It was almost worth admission to see Trace Adkins as a tough biker. Almost.
There are a few interesting twists, but nothing you won't see coming. There are a few good courtroom scenes, but nothing you haven't seen before. This was a yawner and a real waste of big resources. I'm glad I went to the matinee - at least it was cheap. Gets a "2".
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - saw Super Manager Shane working hard and doing a great job. Fresh hot popcorn and sprinkle cheese helped to ease the disappointment of this movie!
Can't wait for .... "THOR"!
So they did. Everyone did as they were told, and this thing came out.
I'll never get those couple of hours back.
It was almost worth admission just to watch wonderful talent like William Macy and Marissa Tomei (with new teeth?) and Bryan Cranston (wow, he must have just had a few minutes to kill on the way to his set at Breaking Bad and offered to jump in for a few scenes) and John Leguizamo try to breathe a little life into the most cliche dialogue ever. Almost.
It was almost worth admission to see Trace Adkins as a tough biker. Almost.
There are a few interesting twists, but nothing you won't see coming. There are a few good courtroom scenes, but nothing you haven't seen before. This was a yawner and a real waste of big resources. I'm glad I went to the matinee - at least it was cheap. Gets a "2".
Pueblo Tinseltown was the place - saw Super Manager Shane working hard and doing a great job. Fresh hot popcorn and sprinkle cheese helped to ease the disappointment of this movie!
Can't wait for .... "THOR"!
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