Red Riding Hood

I couldn't help myself - Oldman is in it - so forgive me. Based on the tale and a little Peter and the Wolf too. Werewolf and supernatural forces are at work. The wolf wants red - so too do several young men in her village. All she has to go on is someone with dark brown eyes. This reminded me of how A Knight's Tale was filmed - a mix - period piece with a touch of modernization - hard to explain. Spoiler alert: the wolf is her dad. All in all, I say: SKIP IT.

The Conspirator

It's like that book Lies My Teacher Told Me - only it's what my teacher left out probably because they didn't know. I didn't know about this. In addition to John Wilkes Booth - there were 6 other men charged and one woman. This movie looks at the lawyer that defended the woman and how the government in a time of war worked outside the Rule of Law and used the media to manulate the public. Sound familiar - what a perfect time to release this movie and get us in the US thinking out our legal rights. We need to reverse what Bush did after 9-11 - we need to go back to our Rule of Law - our constitution. All in all, I say: SEE IT. This was filmed in Savannah, GA - I knew I recognized the fort.

Insidious

So, this young boy can leave his body when he is sleeping and travel. One night he travels were the dead go - while he's gone a demon wants to enter. In the read world his parents think he is in some kind of comma till mom starts seeing the demons. They call a specialist who happens to be the same person that helped the dad keep his body when he was young - he could leave his body too. In the end the dad remembers & goes to get his kid and because it's horror the kid makes it, but dad becomes a demon. All in all, I say: SKIP IT unless you like possession horror. Not sure why three good actors decided to do this movie - maybe the director.

Sacifice

A horrible movie about an undercover cop whose family was killed - he's tortured. Slater is an ex-military man turned priest who helps kill some drug dealers in the end. A young boy mixed up in the drug trade dies and his young sister is used to pit the drug load against the cop. Ends as expected. All in all, I say: SKIP IT.

Source Code

The military takes a dead soldier and they fold time and send him back to a train bombing for 8 minutes many, many times hoping he will find the bomber. He does it and so much more. It doesn't really make much sense - it's a mind boggler. Don't think about it too much and just enjoy the acting. All in all, I say: SEE IT when it comes on tv.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Based on the book - yes I read the book. It was perfect as far as I could remember. One of the best book to movies I have seen in awhile. Lawyer gets caught up with a guilty client and wants to find a way to do his job, get the bad guy, and keep his family safe. All in all, I say: READ IT first and then SEE IT on tv when it comes out.

Just Go With It

A little more subtle than some of his other stuff - although that isn't saying much. I was surprised but they both did a pretty good job and the kids were good. This one is missing his usual sidekick for some reason. Predictable and a surprise guest star. All in all, I say: SEE IT on tv when it comes out.

A Shine of Rainbows

Dontcha just love the Irish. This film is about a sick woman who decides to adopt. The boy she brings home is a red head with a stammer. Her husband isn't so sure. She assures him that he needs a touch of color in his life. When she's gone she leaves a boy and a man who loved her dearly in pain. Will the man be able to see the touch of color the boy can bring to his life? Will the boy be able to call him da? The seals, the ocean, the greenery, and the rainbows make this film feel lovely. All in all, I say: SEE IT.

Scream 4

I didn't pay to see this just so you know. This one has the killer doing everything like the original - so if you really think about the 1st movie you can guess who the killer is. I was a little slow on the up-take. The only thing that makes the Scream movies that followed the 1st are the actors. All in all, I say: WAIT till it comes on TV if you are a fan - if not - SKIP IT.

Dedication

2 guys write & illustrate children's book - they have put up with each other for years. 1 dies - the one left along with some strange behaviors finally finds love with his new partner. She comes to understand him, but is still being woed by her last boyfriend. Are his quirks going to be too much for them to fall and stay in love. The characters in this are so cool - not your typical love story, but it is. All in all, I say: SEE IT.

African Cats

These Earth Day DisneyNature flicks get to me. I cried during the previews and from that point on it was a flood every other scene. The narration and filming was just incredible. There are no words to describe it - even though it wasn't IMAX it felt so close and real. The music was a little over the top sometimes, but WOW. I saw the preview for the next Earth Day Film & let's just say bring a lot of tissues. All in all, I say: SEE IT ASAP.

Hop

Come on get into the season - or don't. Part animation & part real - the kids got really fidgety. It was only an hour and half long, but felt much longer. Some stuff was above any kids head. It wasn't horrible - but incredibly cheesy. All in all, I say: RENT IT for the kids.

Dead Awake

Not a horror movie. An 18 year old's parent die and he blames himself. He breaks up with the love of his life and is alive but not living - hence title. After 10 years he sees his ex at a funeral and he starts thinking about his life. He meets a junkie that turns out to be a guardian angel and with her help reunites with his love. All in all, I say: SKIP IT. Some of the scenes didn't make sense & some of the sequences are strange.

The Resident

Went straight to DVD, but why you ask - the ending. Swank moves into creepy building with secret passages and is stalk and raped (they don't show it) by Morgan. The only thing that makes this movie unique - the actors. Lee Pace from Pushing Daisies plays the boyfriend. All in all, I say: SKIP IT.

Rio

Blue, a Macaw, is taken from his home in Rio and ends up in Minnisota. Linda his owner (voice done by actress from Angel - she played Fred) takes Blue back to Brazil to mate with another Macaw - Jewel (Anne Hathaway). They are kidnapped, meet up with friends, and find their way back. A happy ending. A new short with the squirrel from Ice Age at the beginning. Really good music. The kids laughed the whole time. All in all, I say: SEE IT.

Hanna

A girl is raised to fight for her life by her father (or is he) in the forests of Finland. Training includes languages, memorizing encyclopedias, hunting, and much more. Her mission, if she wants a normal life in society, is to kill the CIA agent (Cate Blanchett) that wants her and her father (Eric Bana) dead. Then she is to send a post card to her father to let him know the agent is dead and meet up with him in Berlin. I'm sure you realize not much will go as planned - there are some cool fight scenes and there are some crazy camera work scenes that made me dizzy. Filmed in Morroco, Spain, and Germany. A circle of life kind of beginning and end. All in all, I say: SEE IT. Music is pretty cool too.

Made in Dagenham

Based on the true story of female machinists at a Ford plant in England. They company labled them unskilled workers instead of semi-skilled so they could pay them less. They were part of the same union the men were part of - the women not only said they would strike, but they would not come back until they had equal pay. A time in the 60s when womens roles were changing - there was a Secretary of Labor I think that was female at the time. They do get about 92% of what the men get until 2 years later the government signs an equal pay act. All in all, I say: SEE IT.

Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright

A good cast - an interesting plot. Bleak out look and takes place in Tijuana, Mexico. A corrupt banker escapes from US & FBI to go to Mexico to meet his daughter before he dies of cancer. Tijuana criminal wants him to get his money so he isn't killed by his bosses in Mexico City. The hitman for a couple of Russian mobs guys wants to kill him for the bosses - banker knows too much about them. The Fed doesn't want his career to go down the tubes. In the middle is Charlie - not a good man. A movie about how bad men realize too late their mistakes. All in all, I say: RENT IT.

Skeletons

2 UK men look inside people's closets and bring out the metaphysical skeletons. They come across an unusual family that will help them find the meaning of life. It is rather strange, but was fun to watch. All in all, I say: SEE IT if you like the bizarre.

Limitless

So, this was a lot better than I expected. It is just as advertised but the effects are cool. I got dizzy during some of the scenes. I think he was still on the drug at the end - there was some debate. The whole theatre groaned during one scene - it was funny. I think what made it really good is that I was with friends seeing it at Fork & Spoon. All in all, I say: RENT IT.

Wake Wood

A young couple loses their young daughter to a dog attack. They movie to the English countryside to a town called Wake Wood. They are able to do something special there - yes, you guessed it they can bring back the dead. The catch - only if they have been dead less than a year and only for 3 days. Are the parents going to tell the truth - no. Are they going to let her go after 3 days - no. So, what happens. Yes, just like EVERY OTHER CHILD HORROR MOVIE - she is EVIL. All in all, I say: SKIP IT once you've seen one kid gone evil movie what's the point of seeing another.

Win Win

This movie was funny and very well written. A struggling lawyer become the guardian for an elderly man - taking his money and putting him in a home. Meanwhile, the grandson shows up and turns out to need a good home and some love. He's also good at wrestling. The lawyer and his 2 friends coach the wrestling team and you can see where this is going. Mom shows up & kid finds out what the lawyer did to his grandfather. It all ends well - the actors are amazing. All in all, I say: SEE IT.

The Speed of Thought

2 telepaths fall madly in love and there is an evil plot - boring. As much as I like most of the cast - it was slow going. All in all, I say: SKIP IT.

Due Date

Ok, I know - I don't know what possessed me to see this other than it was free. It had some good lines - I did crack a smile twice maybe - but it was way over the top. I know road movies are supposed to be way over the top, but well you know. All in all, I say: WATCH IT on tv when it comes out. Oh yeah - a lot of it was filmed in GA.

Fair Game

Based on true story during Bush's decision to go into a war in Iraq. It looks at a complicated turn of events from the point of view of the CIA agent and her husband - once an Ambasador. All in all - since I knew most of the story and I was a little bored - I say, RENT IT.

The 5th Quarter

Another true life and inspiring sports movie. This one is seeping in religion. Takes place in GA and NC. A college football player decides to live his life for 2 - his life and his dead brother's life. The movie uses real clips of the games and in between there is family dealing with loss stuff. I got bored - All in all, I say: wait till it comes on tv before you SEE IT.

The Human Experience

2 brothers that grew up in an abusive home decide to "experience" what life has to offer. Spend some time in others shoes you might say. There is a nice balance between the filming of the 2 boys and interviews with some wise and eye opening guests. They live homeless on the streets of New York during one of the coldest weeks in winter, they go to Peru to work with sick kids along with some surfers, they go to Ghana to speak with people who are dying of AIDS, they visit a leper colony in Ghana, and they have a reunion with their abusive father. It will make you cry - it should make you think - there is some religion in it - that will happen when there is suffering. I preferred the interviews. All in all, I say: YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SEE IT - no excuses.

Love Hurts

A woman after years of being married wants her life to change - her husband has stopped noticing her and her son is about to go off to school. Leaving her husband is the best thing she could have done for both of them. The movie focuses more on him - which was ok, but Moss' performance was the best. It is a romantic comedy, but kind of low budget - it wanders a bit too. All in all, I say: SKIP IT unless you really want something light that you don't have to think about.

Shadow

Chris Coppola was the only name in this film - one of actors does a lot of supporting work in East Europe, but not many reading this would know of him. So, story begins: a young soldier after fighting in Iraq takes a bike ride in the place in Europe called the Shadow. He meets a girl, fight bad guys, and faces a serial killer who takes body parts from his victims. Well, turns out the soldier is still in Iraq dreaming - what really happened - 2 fellow soldiers kills some civilians, a pretty nurse helps save his life, and the doctor has to take both his legs. Warped -seriously warped movie. All in all, I say: SKIP IT.

Fade to Black

Danny Huston does a good job as always - Diego Luna does ok but seemed out of his depth. Walken was just odd supporting cast. The plot was bizarre and the attempt at making the film look like a Noir failed. All in all, I say: SKIP IT.

Age of the Dragons - or Dragon Fire

Danny Glover is seeking a white dragon who is responsible for killing his sister, burning his body, and making him a coward. Yes, it is the story of Moby Dick in the form of a sci-fi dragon movie. Uses a lot of the words from the story, but no good acting here. Danny Glover does a bad job & Vinnie Jones that's around for about 30 minutes also doesn't do so good. All in all, I say: SKIP IT good idea but bad follow through.