Category: Movie review

 

For the second time this afternoon, I went to see Breaking Dawn II at the theaters.  I would have reviewed it when I seen it opening night but life busyness has not made it possible until now.

And believe me when I say I want to review this book. 

Like most Twilight fans I have read the books a long time ago.  I have heard the feedback on books and the movies, even have written reviews for all three books.  I have watched the movies and have understood the jokes people had made of them – but let me say… no matter what you have thought of the Twilight books/movies in the past, this one is worth seeing.

Visually the movie is amazing.  Everything that has true up to this point pulls together for a dynamic finish that is in a word….

POWERFUL.

 

 

Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and yes, Kristen Stewart (she must have read the online comments) were at top game.  The supporting actors are pretty incredible too and we are treated to many new faces.  While we did not get a gratuitous shirt removing from Jacob (Taylor) like we were treated to in Breaking Dawn part 1, we are treated to many laugh out loud moments, as well as intense ones.  It’s a good mix.

The ending – well, the ending is BRILLIANT.  I can say nothing more than that, I can say – readers of the books and fans of the movies alike are in for a real treat. 

My final thoughts…. treat yourself to this finale.

 

Fact:  Edgar Allen Poe was found walking the streets on October 3, 1849 in clothes not of his own, delirious and calling out the name “Reynolds”.  He never became coherent enough after being found for anyone to know the cause of his distress or to even know what had made him this way and he died on October 7th – one of the sad and unsolved mysteries of our time…

The Raven:

Edgar Allen Poe.  The poet.  The writer of Gothic Fiction, deep and dark and appealing to the public masses.  A man tortured by his own soul and the hot pursuit of the love of his life, Emily. 

Meanwhile, gruesome, unthinkable murders are taking place in the town and Police Detective Fields is finding a familiar ring to the way the murders are taking place, the way the crimes are being set up… they are as Poe has written them in his fictional stories, down to the last detail.  Edgar of course is shocked and mortified that someone has taken his dark writings and created true crimes out of them, he agrees to help the Detective try to solve the crimes and capture the killer by deciphering clues that are left either with victims or delivered mysteriously into the hands of the detective or Poe.

As each clue is unraveled Poe’s inside track on the stories help the police move into the next spot quickly but only to find yet another clue.  The murdered is quick and knows Poe’s work well creating a fast paced and heart pumping mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

John Cusak has come a long way since the first movie I remember him in, Better Off Dead.  He has really grown into his characters and his role as Edgar Allen Poe is brilliant in The Raven. 

I have to say going into this movie I did not know a lot about Poe’s life or death for that matter, never a big fan of poetry although familiar with his work of course, I admit to never having read it.  I do love it though when fact meets fiction and when I discovered the opening lines of the movie are actually factual regarding how Poe had died in such a mysterious way, I had a good (and turns out accurate) feeling that this movie was going to be a good one.

Fast paced, I love how the move took pieces of Edgar’s work and wove them into the crimes.  It reminded me a bit of Copycat, another amazing movie of crimes being copied, in that case it was a serial killer copycat. 

I really was impressed how this all came together, I did not have a clue who did it although now after having read a bit today about Poe’s real life and death I think I may have been able to have made an educated guess. 

HIGHLY recommended to those who love a good mystery to solve.  I was very impressed with the entire movie. 

 

Sherrie Christian was just a small town girl… living in a lonely world.  Then she took a midnight train, going anywhere….

 

(lol… ok 80’s peeps… I had to use that because well…. that pretty much is the story..)

 

But oh yes, there is more.

Sherrie is hoping to make it big with her voice in LA but her start turns out to be a little more rocky than rock and roll.  When she meets Drew, he invites her to apply for a job where he works at the once famous Bourbon Bar where at one time they raked in the big names – including giving Arsenal(Ton Cruise, errr…. Stacy Jaxx’s band) their big start  *insert swoon here* …

Payin’ anything to roll the dice… just one more time…
Meanwhile, the mayor and his wife, are all about shutting out the awful rock and roll music down as part of their “cleaning up the city” program and Patty (Catherine Zeta Jones), the Mayors wife has an odd obsessive desire to start with The Bourbon and Stacy Jaxx.

 

Some will win…. some will lose… some were born to sing the blues….

 

what happens next… is pure… rock and roll.

 

 

I am die-hard loves of all things 80’s (leg warmers, aerobics, Music, big hair, and yes, Bubble Yum) and I… didn’t think I wanted to see this movie.  😯  I thought the preview was a big cheesy, a bit musical….

but then a friend of mine said “Best movie I have seen in a long time”, and I was sold on giving it a try.  Then I watched it a second time with my husband.  Then a third time with College Son…. then probably watching it again tonight with both sons. 

Why?

Rock Of Ages is not only song upon song on awesome 80-ness (my word), it is also many great stars…. Alex Baldwin’s role will shock you and make you laugh, fans of Russell Brand will not be disappointing in his brilliant portrayal of Bourbon Manager Lonny, and love him or hate him – you are bound to be impressed with Tom Cruise who – (I looked it up) sings all the songs himself and had written into his contract that he would not allow any voice improvements… just pure Cruise…. and I was impressed. 

Rock Of Ages is a funny look at the 80’s, a semi cheesy love story in the mix but that is sooooooo 80’s and some quick wit mixed in (watch the dance moves closely when the ladies are dancing in the church) and I do love me some quick wit! 

My hubby who usually falls asleep half way through movies actually likes this one which is a testimony in itself! 

Over all rating… a big visually risky in points but no foul language, and no sex (implied but not seen)

 

80’s fans… you are going to LOVE it.

 

Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt), is the general manager of the Oakland A’s, who has just had his best players poached by teams that can afford to pay a lot more. Fed up with how money twists the game, he listens to Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), who persuades him that certain players are being undervalued for trivial reasons, such as age, ability to catch, ability to hit the ball hard enough to run all the bases… Statistics revealed hidden strengths that could, when used in the right combinations, produce a winning season. Beane takes Brand’s advice going for the more “bang for our buck” strategy, then has to fight everyone else around him to follow it through.  His job is at stake but Billy Beane hangs tight, believing that this formula could change the way people think about baseball, and the value of players.

I am not a big sports movie fan and at first sight, this movie for me would have been (and was) a pass for me.  It was not until the night of the Oscars when I listened to the awards it was up for, and seen a few clips of the movie that it started to peek my interest.

What sealed the deal?

It is a true story.  Always one to cheer for the underdog, I do like true stories of triumph against all odds.  When I did rent Moneyball for Al (hubby) and I to watch, in my head, it was more for him.  As busy as he is, it is hard to engage him in a movie, any movie, without him falling asleep.  

He fell asleep.

But here is the kicker, or I guess the hitter, in this case… instead of turning it off at that point and seeing if he wanted to finish it the next evening, I kept on watching. Billy Beane sets out to beat the budget, and the big wigs who have far more years and experience than he, fight him all the way to the field.
I was invested, connected to Billy Beane and his vision of taking several lesser valued players, benched in some cases, and giving them back their dream, or at least the chance to reach for the stars again.   And the magic of this?  Is that they do just that, and the rest is history at its finest.

As for Al, well… he did finish the next night, which is not always the case, and when out with friends I heard him asking the guys if they had seen Moneyball as it was an incredible movie.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes true stories, great goals, Brad Pitt (or not), baseball (or not), an excellent drama that is easily family friendly.

Ally thinks she is just your average woman looking for the right guy.  When a magazine (think Cosmo) tells her that the average amount of men women are with is much (MUCH) lower than her own score, she starts to panic.  Perhaps she had the right one and let him get away!  So Ally, not wanting to add to her number, cuts a deal to have her neighbor Collin help her locate the men of her past.

 

 

I received this movie for review from Think Jam Publicity.  I was excited to give it a try as it sounded like a cute story – and for the most part it was. 

Anna Faris is a funny actress (think Hot Chick, The Scary Movie spoofs…).  When I seen she was in this movie I was thrilled.   Add Chris Evans to this mix (Cellular, Puncture, Captain America) and you have a fun couple of main actors. 

The story line as I mentioned above is Ally (Anna) decided there is no way she is going to add to her already significant number of men so she is going to instead go back through the men of her past to make sure “the one” did not slip through her fingers.  By recruiting cute neighbor guy Collin to assist her, while she helps him escape his own messes in life, the outcome is pretty funny.

While over all the movie is predictable, it was also funny.

 

The movie is rated R for a reason – there are a few sexual references and a couple racier moments in the movie. 

 

Thank you to Think Jam Publicity for sending me a copy of this movie to reveiw