Saint John of Las Vegas

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A compulsive gambler (Steve Buscemi) leaves Las Vegas to get a day job, which then puts him on a case that leads him right back to Las Vegas.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Steve Buscemi, Romany Malco, Sarah Silverman, Peter Dinklage, Tim Blake Nelson, Emmanuelle Chriqui, John Cho, Aviva

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! This effort at comedy tries really hard to be offbeat, but mostly, it's just off.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Almost. Like the promise of dream that gets whisked out from under you, just as you're about to sign on the dotted line.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Gambling addictions make me sad. I just don't relate to why these people continually throw away all their money, when all they want is to have money? I usually avoid movies about gamblers altogether, but this screening was free... Thank the Lord!... Still not worth it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Sure, I'll give it the Award for Least Annoying Sarah Silverman has ever been in a movie. Not only did I not mind her in this movie, I actually kinda liked her.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The thing that is most "off" in this comedy is the timing. The actors are of a much higher caliber than the script or the director, and it's the director's lack of editing skills that seems to do them in. Considering who the actors are, it's highly likely, they said their lines right on set, but then the director threw off the timing in post production, by adding long pauses between the jokes and the punchlines. This is especially disheartening when you find out that this director has an editing background.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing in this film could not have been worse. The look of the film is reminiscent of a home video-- but not the cool, clear ones your phone might take, I'm talking about 1980s VHS quality. But worse than that, there are actually shots in this movie that snapped me right out of the story so that I could think to myself, "What exactly is this director trying to get me to look at right here?" Who is Hue Rhodes? And how did he/she get $3.8million dollars and a cast like this to be in this sub par, nonsensical movie? If you have any insight, please let me know.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: As I'm trying to rethink how exactly these fraud adjusters solved their crime, I'm realizing that I have no idea what the basic logic was behind their success... That is, if they were successful at all. Who knows what happened when all was said and done? I'd even go so far as to wonder if Hue knows.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: While you're answering some of my questions, would you also mind explaining to me why the title implies that there's anything "Saintly" about this guy? I can't even think of any ironic references to him being a Saint. Please explain. Thank you.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/saint%20john/trailers

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Creation

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany) struggles with his religious views as well as those of his wife (Jennifer Connelly) as he writes, "On the Origin of Species."

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jeremy Northam, Martha West, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jim Carter

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! It sounds interesting enough, but really the movie is about what a hard time Darwin had overcoming his eldest daughter's untimely death, which ultimately he pins on the fact that he married his first cousin. There are no interesting discourses in favor of either the theory of Creation or the theory of Evolution. And you feel as if you should have taken a few hours away from the movie to read his book cover to cover, if you are to understand the logic behind his wife's final conclusion.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Exactly one time... if you're not sleeping during that part.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It might bore you to tears.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most lost opportunity to do something interesting and controversial.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I thought the ape was amazing!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The pace is slow, the story jumps around in time, in what seems to be an effort to befuddle the viewers, and the score is a blatant rip off of Swan Lake.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: When you have the opportunity to really dig into the best arguments for Evolution and pin them up against the best arguments for Creation; the opportunity to really make your audience think-- possibly even swaying their preconceived notions, one way or another, and causing them to question their predispositions; why on Earth would you give us a boring story we've seen a million times about the loss of a child?! Yes, losing a child is probably the most devastating thing anyone ever has to go through, but that's not what we want when we go see a movie about Charles Darwin!!!

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Riddle me this: Why is it that when real life couples work together on screen, the movie is never good?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/creation/1425333/trailers

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Tooth Fairy

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A failed hockey player they call "The Tooth Fairy" (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), who no longer believes that dreams can come true, gets sentenced to spend time as the real Tooth Fairy. That'll teach him to dream small!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ashley Judd, Stephen Merchant, Julie Andrews, Billy Crystal, Ryan Sheckler, Chase Ellison, Destiny Grace Whitlock, Seth MacFarlane, Brandon T. Jackson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The Rock makes another perfectly sweet, perfectly enjoyable, perfectly innocuous movie for kids.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you don't associate the name Stephen Merchant with funny, then you probably don't realize that he's Ricky Gervais' side-kick/writing partner/producer, and therefore hilarious... and that's without even getting to the fact that he's almost as tall as a doorway.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you've ever had a dream, and someone told you that you couldn't have that dream, this movie might-- you know, maybe they just said that because they had failed at their own dream, or maybe they said it because you really suck at the thing you dream of being great at... but nonetheless, your dream was crushed, by someone, for some reason and-- still no, this movie still won't make you cry.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Dressed on the Red Carpet! And I'm of course talking about Rock in a pink tutu... Who are we kidding, with his giant pecks hanging out all over the place, it's actually deeply disturbing. I'd rather see Bjork in a swan dress.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I'm so glad to see Stephen Merchant doing his own thing, and Julie Andrews doing anything, and I'd really rather see Ashley Judd doing nothing-- but that's just me. She's a fine actress, in that perfectly innocuous way that works so well for a movie starring The Rock.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I really enjoyed the colorful special effects and the dreamlike fantasy look of Fairyland... Which reminds me of one of my favorite things a friend of mine ever posted on Facebook.

If you've ever been to Stockton, California, you know exactly how true this is.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Ah, the script... Well it has 5 writers and a separate "story by" credit, so probably it was one of those scripts where they liked the concept, then they got The Rock attached, then they realized he only had the month of March available to shoot anything for the next 3 years, so they quickly hired some people who are known for getting the story beats as simple as can be, then they hired some more people to rewrite those people on the outside chance of adding a teeny-tiny bit of complexity, and then, at the last minute, right before they lost their window with The Rock and the whole deal fell apart, they hired Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel to throw in some jokes and some people falling down on their faces. And that, Junior, is how scripts are born.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: It has nothing to do with this movie, but it has finally happened! This blog has finally won an award. So I'd like to thank Reel Whore for nominating me for The Kreativ Blogger Award!

I don't normally participate in this kind of thing, but since I truly appreciate Reel Whole for gracing me with this honor, I'm gonna go ahead and do all the things I'm supposed to do-- which are:


1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

The 7 Blogs I would like to nominate are:
Razzball-- for getting me into this blogging racket, and being the only person I know in real life who gets about 10,000 hits a week on his site- even in the off season.
Film-Book dot Com-- for being my best blogger friend. (Film-Book is probably thinking that's very sad for me, since we hardly ever-- almost never-- talk... on any of the social networks we're "friends" on... And obviously we've never met.)
Nikki Finke's Deadeline Hollywood-- I admire her partly for her ability to scoop everyone, partly for her consistently intelligent insight into the business side of Hollywood, but mostly for her ability to openly be honest in a town most famous for lying. Her boldness scares me a little bit.
Heat Vision & the live feed-- I like that when the staff at Hollywood Reporter gets lazy, they just link all their headlines to these two blogs and let Borys Kit (movies) and James Hibberd (TV) do all the work for them. I should really be giving this award to the THR Editor for finding such a brilliant management idea as handing off the work of most and putting it on the backs of two-- Whoo-hoo! more vacation days for everybody else!
The Business of Show Institute-- Marvin Acuna has literally the best advice I have ever seen given to aspiring screenwriters trying to break into the business. He regularly comes up with outside the box gems that you may not have thought of yourself, no matter how long you've been in the business. And he gathers other experts (from fields covering internet opportunities to legal advice) to contribute to his incredibly informative weekly newsletter, which he'll send to you, just for signing up.
Notes from a School Psychologist-- This is for actually doing something for the betterment of society. Becki Branstetter's blog is both funny and informative for anyone who wants their kids to make it in the American school system, is in the American school system, or wants to help improve the American school system... in other words, it's for everyone.

And finally, the 7 things about me you might not know. (I'm hoping you've stopped reading by now.)
1. Though I'm not a very private person, I am a very private blogger.
2. I am probably the least technically competent person on the internet to have a blog. (This explains why I'm still on a blogspot platform, rather than a fancier version of a website.)
3. While I am snarky and complain a lot on my blog, in my real life I am one of the happiest most fulfilled people I know... But I'm still pretty snarky. It's fun. You should try it.
4. I am learning about the power of healing myself with my mind because I have lost faith in my ability to receive reliable healthcare service through the traditional means. I know, that's not funny, it's just sad.
5. I love my family more than the amount of hours I spend with them. And you can quote me on that.
6. I have been full grown for a while now, and I have still not decided if I believe in marriage or children. I'm starting to think my biological clock may be broken, cuz it probably should've started ticking some time ago.
7. I am highly superstitious about seeing the clock at 11:11, and I feel deeply disappointed when I just miss it. 11:12 is a very difficult time for me.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Yes, we're back to talking about Tooth Fairy now. http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-tooth-fairy/34807/video/tooth-fairy-trailer-no-1/44593788001

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Fantastic Mr. Fox

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A clever, chicken-stealing fox puts his family and an entire group of furry critters in danger when three angry farmers decide to exact their revenge.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wallace Wolodarsky, Eric Chase Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jarvis Cocker, Wes Anderson, Karen Duffy, Robin Hurlstone, Hugo Guinness

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! I loved this imaginative, clever and funny, stop-motion animated film. But it’s more of an adult film than a kids’ flick, with the humor and themes being more sophisticated than most animated movies.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The movie is a comedy, and yes, it will make you laugh. Both clever sight gags and verbal humor will keep you smiling throughout.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is a touching emotional theme at its core, but not quite enough to induce water-works.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Hopefully Best Animated Film... Ah, who are we kidding, there's a Pixar film in the works this year.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: This is one of the best cast animated films to come along in years. Maybe you’ll recognize some of the voices behind the amazingly expressive puppets, or maybe not, but it won’t matter. George Clooney brings a nice balance of playfulness and authority to his central Mr. Fox character, and Streep is (as always) perfect as his exasperated but loving wife. Jason Schwartzman conveys a real childlike empathy to their son, Ash, and Owen Wilson steals the one and only scene he’s in as Ash’s coach in a sport that is so comically complicated I couldn’t begin to describe it here. But I’d probably enjoy watching an entire film about it. Oh no, now I'm actually rooting for someone to make a derivative work!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Writer/Director Wes Anderson is often a polarizing filmmaker with a lot of people either loving or hating his movies. Personally I’ve probably enjoyed more of them than I’ve disliked, and Fantastic Mr. Fox definitely has his stamp on it. His deadpan humor and subtle but effective camera moves and actor staging are all here, but the movie also has more obvious heart than some of his live-action films. Beyond the fanciful characters and engaging story, the real achievement here is the look of the film. The design and detail of every character (which are essentially like animated puppets) is breathtaking and original. And if that weren’t enough, the world these characters inhabit is so imaginative and wondrous, you almost have to see it twice to take in every detail.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story starts out strong both in setting up a plot and the main characters, but as things settle in, it has a tendency to meander and become a bit repetitive. While it sets up certain tasks and motivations for characters, it doesn’t always follow through on them in completely satisfying ways. On the other hand, the characters are strong and adults won’t likely be bored by the shenanigans taking place in Mr. Fox’s world.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/fantastic-mr-fox/28110/trailers

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Youth in Revolt

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A nerdy loser teenager (Michael Cera) gets an alter ego and becomes a juvenile delinquent to get a girl (Portia Doubleday). So what else is new?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart, Steve Buscemi, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Long, Mary Kay Place, M. Emmet Walsh, Erik Knudsen, Adhir Kalyan, Ari Graynor, Fred Willard, Ray Liotta, Rooney Mara, Jade Fusco, Jonathan Bradford Wright

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It tries a little too hard to be charming and quirky, and the result is the story of a pretentious, creepy teen who somehow finds a girl who is equally as pretentious as him- only pretty(ish)--, who has a boyfriend so pretentious that even our pretentious hero thinks he's a prick. On the other hand, some of you might be charmed by this film's quirk. I'm not judging you.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: In all its efforts to be quirky and charming, it's only natural that it should have a few successes in the cleverness department.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you believe in making criminals pay for their crimes, you might be upset by how easy the law is on our little juvie friend.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Most big names with most small parts.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: You know how much I love Michael Cera, right?... Well he kind of creeped me out in this one. Although his alter ego- the very cool, very dangerous, and very French, Francois Dillinger-- was an unexpected stretch to see Cera pull off.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Miguel Arteta seems to be one of those directors who refuses to expand from the indie roots that got him where he is. So despite all the big name actors, this film looks like it was made by a no-name director on a microbudget. But at least this no-name director seems to have majored in animation, so there are some interesting animated interludes.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The precociousness of the teenagers' dialogue in this movie makes the dialogue in Juno look like Ebonics.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: There's an animated epilogue that takes place during the credits, so don't leave your seat too fast.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/youth-in-revolt/30923/trailers

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The Last Station

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on a novel that's based on a the true story of Leo Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer) tempestuous love-hate relationship with his wife (Helen Mirren), as their values and life philosophies changed with age.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Paul Giamatti, Kerry Condon, Anne-Marie Duff, John Sessions, Patrick Kennedy

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Mature audiences will feel very mature while watching this complex depiction of what happens to mature love as time matures.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Well it is funny that they want you to believe that James McAvoy is a virgin... or even that he ever has been one.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I felt angry at the ways in which Tolstoy and his groupies were dismissing the perfectly logical complaints and concerns of his wife, to the point where she started to think that she was the crazy one... But I'll tell you something very personal, I have a sore spot for that sort of moronic group mentality, where everyone is too cowardly to speak up for the one outspoken person who's making sense.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Everything about this film reminds me of the movies that have recently been nominated for or swept the Academy Awards. Strangely, it's coming out now, in January, which makes it ineligible for 2009, and will make it forgotten by 2010. Somebody's gonna get fired for this one.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Helen Mirren tops herself once again, with a character that feels like nothing I've ever seen her do. Her chemistry with Christopher Plummer is magical. And James McAvoy... he seems like he's not even acting, and yet, in every scene he makes you feel like the movie is only about him.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: According to the Q & A, the director's biggest challenge was making the clean and orderly Germany look like a messy and chaotic Russia. I also learned that the most memorable directing moment I had noticed was James McAvoy's idea.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It is filled with dramatic, contradictory emotions, through which it manages to convey how love can hold you together and pull you apart at the same time.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A: Another interesting tid-bit from the Q & A, was that the Russian composer wrote the entire score based solely on reading the script. The director rejected it on principle, but after several months, several composers, and several other score attempts, he asked to hear the music that had been written before a single frame of the movie had been shot... And it was perfect.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-last-station/1392634/main?icid=movsmartsearch

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Leap Year

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Following an Irish tradition, a woman (Amy Adams) flies to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend (Adam Scott) on Leap Day. But to her dismay her travel plans fail at every step of the way, and she gets stuck with a guide (Matthew Goode) who is her polar opposite… I wonder if they’ll attract?

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow, Kaitlin Olson

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Most of the twists and turns that keep the unlikely couple from getting to their destination require that they be extremely careless and idiotic, and that you, the audience, suspend your disbelief. So it starts out pretty corny, but by the end it actually gets you saying, “Aw. That was cute.”

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, at how predictable it is.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Yes, at how predictable it is.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It deserves the Irish Tourism Board Award, because any woman who sees this will quickly come to believe that Ireland is not only beautiful and rustic, but also the current residence of that gorgeous man she has yet to meet and marry.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: I have yet to meet and marry Matthew Goode, myself. No, actually, I’m not into actors. But I do have yet to see Matthew Goode fall short of superb in any of the versatile roles I’ve seen him play. Amy Adams, while much less versatile, is perfectly adorable as usual. And no one could’ve been better cast for the role of the kind and loving but self-obsessed and superficial boyfriend than Adam Scott.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing in this movie will have you asking, “Who is Anand Tucker?”… No, actually it won’t. In fact if you asked a group of people who’d just come out of seeing this film that very question, they would most likely reply, “I don’t know. Who?”

Q: How is the story/script?

A: If not for the participation of Amy Adams, this could have just as easily ended up on the Hallmark Channel.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/search/leap%20year/trailers

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