Drillbit Taylor

A semi-funny (but not as intelligent as usual) Judd Apatow produced comedy.

Very little of this movie is memorable but there is the occasional laugh that makes this movie sorta kinda worth watching if you have the time to do so.

Owen Wilson plays his now too common cookie cutter character that he seems to play in almost every movie. Not that I'm sick of it just yet but it would be fun to see a different Owen Wilson character every now and then. Another notable performance is Troy Gentile who will fit nicely into the Judd Apatow comedy sub-genre.

The story is simplistic and the movie ends with the token sappy positive message. There are many of this kind of comedy out there and most are better but there are a few funny moments that make this a dumb Friday (or Saturday or Sunday depending on where you live, basically the day before work or school starts again) lazy afternoon TV comedy.

Score: 2 Samurai swords (out of 5)

An Oral Owen-Wilsonism:

"Now in addition to the Chinese Kung Fu we've got a little Mexican Judo, as in 'Judon't know who you messin' with, homz.'"

Steven Brill put Owen Wilson on the street. Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dorfman were bullied.

Doomsday

I must say that upon seeing the trailer for this movie I thought it would be a dumb/ disease/ mad-max/ post- apocalyptic- B- action- horror movie. And I was right. But I must say it was a good one.

This is a movie that (if you have the stomach for it) can be surprisingly fun. The movie is in some ways very simple (the action, the cliche characters) in some ways overly complicated (some of the story is like scratching your ear with the wrong hand and is the one eye thing really necessary). But it all kind of balances out.

Another surprise was Rhona Mitra. It may seem like a simple way of making an otherwise ugly movie pretty (and it is) but she is surprisingly bad ass.

The action is far from the Hollywood blockbuster action that we're used to with some overly simplified car chases and quick cut fighting. But it keeps up the pace and keeps you interested.

That's not to say the movie is great, far from it. It won't convert any non-fans of the ever expanding disease action horror genre with the added bonus of repelling anyone with a squeamish stomach. But if you are a fan of the genre and you go in with low expectations you just may come out pleasantly surprised.

Score: 2.5 hungry friends (out of 5)

A Cliche quip:

"Abandon any such hope. "
"No."

Neil Marshall complicated a simple concept, Rhona Mitra kicked some ass with one eye, Bob Hoskins, Alexander Siddig, David O'Hara and Malcolm McDowell put their names in the credits

Definitely, Maybe

This romantic comedy creates a twist in the genre by having not one, but three, leading ladies. Some more charming than others, the most interesting of the three comes in the form of Weisz's character who, with a meatier subplot than her counterparts, steals the screen. But that's only about a third of the movie. Generally slow and a little too 'talky', the manipulation of time is not always clear, and Breslin's character is not fully explored. Which is a shame considering the actress in question. Amusing 90s references to everything from cell phones and the Internet to Bill and Monica keep the movie afloat, while the climax and ending remain far too cliché, and not to mention a long time coming! And altogether confusing--a "twist" that never really quite pans out. To be fair, Reynolds as a leading man is strangely comforting, boyishly handsome with a unique sense of humor harking back to his pizza days.
High point: The soundtrack and score which, though seemingly unlikely, is composed by none other than Clint Mansell of Requiem fame.

Score: 1 out of 3 leading ladies

Endearing Exchanges:
"What's a threesome?"
"It's a game, that adults play sometimes... When they're bored."

Adam Brooks took a trip down memory lane, Ryan Reynolds swept several women off their feet, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz & Elizabeth Banks stole his heart and Abigail Breslin was a curious cat.

27 Dresses

This chick flick is best described My Best Friend's Wedding meets How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days; with Heigl sashaying her way into the Rom-Com genre, following in the footsteps of the aging leading ladies who came before her. Neither wildly hilarious nor dreadfully awful, this movie plods along predictably and not too originally, the supporting characters do and say the obvious things and the writing is far from the witty and direct fare of Heigl's last hit. The male characters are lackluster, and the most interesting supporting character comes in the form of the protagonist's best friend: cynical yet supportive, she's teases us sporadically with a smart quip or two. Mediocre at best, this movie is best watched slightly drunk and surrounded by a bunch of hapless female teenagers. Outfit of choice? The ugliest bridesmaid dress you can lay your hands on!

Scorecard: 15.74/27

Quirky Quip:
"I feel like I just found out my favorite love song was written about a sandwich."

Anne Fletcher told all the bridesmaids what to do. Several times. Aline Brosh McKenna jotted down the predictable chatter. Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman and Edward Burns all fell in and out of love... ish.

No Country For Old Men

With high expectations, this movie just didn't cut it for me. Best picture winner, but certainly not the best picture out there. Neither mainstream nor niche, No Country For Old Men was largely boring, the storyline simple yet slow. Javier Bardem's ruthless killer and interesting contraptions were certainly memorable, but not enough to keep me enthralled. Another flick with a largely male cast, the slow pace dragged the plot out, putting a couple in the row behind me straight to sleep. Comparable to last year's also male-dominated Oscar winner? Not in the slightest. Worth a watch? Only if you want to see what all the Coen bros. hype was about. And I can tell you, the hype is certainly over-rated.

Score: 0.865/7

Tommy Talk:

"We goin' in?"
"Gun out and up."
"What about yours?"
"I'm hidin' behind you."

Ethan Coen & Joel Coen made it cryptic, made it slow, Javier Bardem freaked us out a little, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin & Woody Harrelson attempted to make it cohesive.

Juno (A Second Take)

A very clever light hearted comedy.

A lot has been said of the writing (which I have to agree with most of except). But along with all that, the movie is very cohesive in tone with the music, acting and directing all working in unison to create memorable and consistent experience.

That being said, this movie is about the writing which is top notch. I disagree with many that call the writing realistic (how many peoples parents would be that cool with something like that) but I would call it incredibly natural. The acting contributes a huge amount to that as well.

The music is cute and fitting and maintains the light tone throughout.

All in all, an enjoyable hour and a half even if not profound in any way.

Score: 3 orange tic-tacs (out of 5)

A witty womb of words:

"That ain't no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, homeskillet."

Diablo Cody wrote the witty dialogue

Jason Reitman directed the witty dialogue

Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman said the witty dialogue

2001: A Space Odyssey: Classics Review

As a tribute Arthur C. Clarke who passed away today at the age of 90 I have decided to review one of my all time favorite movies, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

First of all, it needs to be said that 2001 is not a movie for the casual movie-goer. It is a heavy, slow but beautiful movie.

The story is also difficult to explain since even the main narrative does not begin until what feels like half-way through. But then again it's not supposed to be simple. Arthur C. Clarke once said, "If you understand 2001 completely, we failed. We wanted to raise far more questions than we answered." I think it's safe to say that they succeeded marvelously.

The movie is gloriously slow, there are around 88 dialogue-free minutes in amovie which is 141 minutes long. But the beautiful imagery coupled with the expertly chosen music could last hours and we still wouldn't get bored.

As annoying as this may sound, this is a theme movie. The themes are much more important than the story which will generally put most people off. Some of the themes are human destruction, artificial intelligence, innocence and lack thereof and the beauty is discovering new ones each and every time.

This movie also creates the classic character of HAL, the seemingly innocent computer on board the spacecraft. As monotone as they came, you will begin to care for the robot even as...*ahem*...lets not spoil it.

A spectacular looking and sounding movie that strikes some powerful cords from two masters of their craft, Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke.

Score: 5 blinking red lights (out of 5)

A rare ramble of rhetoric:

"All right, HAL; I'll go in through the emergency airlock."
"Without your space helmet, Dave, you're going to find that rather difficult."
"HAL, I won't argue with you anymore! Open the doors!"
"Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye."

Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick wrote it in about 58 days

Stanley Kubrick made it beautiful on screen

Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood ran rings upside down