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Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Easy A


Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A high school girl (Emma Stone) lies to a friend (Aly Michalka) about losing her virginity, and before long, the whole school thinks she's a slut, which leads to her pretending to have slept with all the guys in school who need to boost their reputations, which leads to the whole school thinking she's a whore.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Emma Stone, Aly Michalka, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell, Fred Armisen, Jake Sandvig

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. It wants to be a John Hughes movie. I know this because it mentions at least 4 John Hughes movies and then goes on to imitate at least 3. The problem is you need John Hughes to make a John Hughes movie, and John Hughes quit making teen movies 20 years before he became incapacitated.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are a lot of laughs, but the best ones come from the girl's parents. The funniest part of Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci's joyful portrayal of a set of parents so open that they make my (usually naked) parents look conservative, is the mere idea that parents like this could exist.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It's sad to me that girls get to be considered promiscuous just for giving up their virginity one measly time. I gave mine up at least 3 times, and I never considered myself a slut.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Diablo Cody Award. The dialogue in this movie makes the dialogue in Juno seem banal. Nobody talks like that. Most teenagers don't even know the meaning of banal.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Emma Stone is cute, charming, and complex, as always. And the adults, Patricia Clarkson, Stanley Tucci, and Lisa Kudrow are all delightful. Yes, I did leave Thomas Hayden Church off that list, despite my being a big enough fan of his from Wings to have watched Ned & Stacey in its entirety. For some reason, he comes off sounding like a robot in more than one scene. That reason isn't so much a mystery as it is the dialogue, which is witty and clever to the point of making him seem like a totally unbelievable person.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Will Gluck was born to make comedies. I mean, look at his name, "Will Gluck." Doesn't it just makes you wanna laugh? Maybe because it has a "K" in it. I was once told that "K's" are funny. Did you know that some letters of the alphabet are funnier than others? Well, now you do. I'm reporting this nonsense to you because there's nothing much to say about the directing of this movie. It does the job, but doesn't give you anything to talk about-- besides which letters of the alphabet are the funniest. Please discuss your personal favorites in the comments section.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The script has an original point of view and an original premise, which is commendable. Then again, I couldn't relate to the point of view. A good girl choosing to be known as a slut just so that people will notice her is almost inconceivable to me. Especially when you consider that being coined a slut and a whore is possibly the all-time greatest badge of dishonor for emotionally vulnerable high school girls. I mean, sure, maybe if she were a more damaged character, but this character is smart, confident, witty, attractive, self-assured, and has a good relationship with her parents. I just never bought that she would care what people thought of her. She's way too cool. But, hey, a guy wrote it, and if you look at it from the point of a nerdy guy who might've dreamed of paying a cute girl to pretend she hooked up with him so he could upgrade his reputation, yeah, it's a total wish fulfillment fantasy.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/easy-a/10027142/trailers

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Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Blind Side

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of how offensive tackle, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) was plucked out of the projects and invited to live with a well-to-do family, and go to a fancy private high school, where he learned that he was a naturally gifted football player.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kathy Bates, Kim Dickens, Tom Nowicki, Adriane Lenox, Melody Weintraub

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo! When sports movies aren't focused on the sport, but rather on the growth of the characters, they can be as heart-warming as a baby hugging a puppy. This one is, and somehow I came away with some interesting knowledge about football, too.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Quite a bit actually, especially at the visual of the giant-sized Michael being led around by his new little brother and best friend, who is hilariously cast with the smallest possible kid they could find for the part.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Several times.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They don't give awards to feel good movies.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: At some point, I actually forgot I was watching Sandra Bullock. Tim McGraw plays possibly the most perfect (read non-existent) husband I have ever seen-- even for the fictional world. And Jae Head, as SJ, is the Jonathan Lipnicki of the new millenium (i.e. weirdly cute kid with all the good lines in a movie about sports).

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The football action is sometimes difficult to follow, but drama-wise even the slightest of important subtle expressions to cross a person's face is captured to convey everything the character is thinking. Also there are a lot of interesting shots using reflections on glass and in mirrors, which manage to be beautiful, without distracting from the story or the emotion.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Oh my God, white people are awesome! They're so nice and pretty and perfect and Christian that it's sometimes a little hard to believe. Aside from that little suspension of disbelief, the script has it all, from the one liners to the touching.

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

A: It never gets boring, but it does start to feel like it's over 2 hours, which it is.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-blind-side/37685/trailers

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

W.

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Biopic about a man (Josh Brolin) who becomes president of the United States (George W. Bush) to prove to his father (George H.W. Bush) that he's not a disappointment.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Burstyn, Thandie Newton, Jesse Bradford, Rob Corddry, Dennis Boutsikaris, Scott Glenn, Michael Gaston, Toby Jones, Stacy Keach, Bruce McGill, Jason Ritter, Marley Shelton, Jeffrey Wright

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. All the facts we already know. What's interesting is getting to see W's emotional state as these incidents unfold, his relationship with his father, and finding out who said and did what within his cabinet... Unfortunately, all those parts of the movie are based on pure speculation, and not to be trusted.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not nearly as much as when you watch the real W. trying to speak English.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Again, not nearly as much as when you watch the real thing.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The whole thing would be a lot more insightful if it came out 30 years from now.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: In many cases the cast of Saturday Night Live could have done these characters more justice. While they are all reminiscent of the actual people they play, either by their looks or by their speech cadence, there is at least one false thing in each of them which keeps you focused on the actor playing the real person, rather than the real person they're playing. For example Josh Brolin sounds right, but he's much too good looking. Thandie Newton looks like Condoleezza Rice, but her speech sounds as if someone has glued her lips together. And Richard Dreyfuss just smiles way too much to be Dick Cheney.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As is to be expected, watching this film causes you to learn more about Oliver Stone, and his personal fantasies of what it might be like to be George W. Bush, than it teaches you about what it's actually like to be George W. Bush.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It would have worked better as a Reality TV show... In fact, I think there was a similar show on TV once. Wasn't it called something like, "The News"? I don't know, who can remember such things.

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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Religulous

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Bill Maher documents his trip to many of the most sacred and religiously meaningful places in the world, as he interviews high and low level participants of all denominations, in various religions, about why they believe what's written in the storybooks.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jesus, Mary, Joseph Smith, Allah, Moses, Xenu... and his Holiness: Bill Maher.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketProceed with Caution. People of faith will be offended by this film, while atheists, agnostics, intellectuals, and people with a sense of humor will worship it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Jonah Hill (of Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Knocked up) gives his funniest line reading of the year. And that's not all.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but you might start talking in tongues. Praise be Jesus.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: That depends on if Maher's God is a vengeful one or not.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Some of Bill Maher's reaction shots are priceless. One of them is the biggest laugh in the movie. And man, is that guy quick!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The directing looks un-thought out and amateurish. Both the second camera and the boom mics regularly find themselves in the shots.  And while I can't imagine what Larry Charles was thinking when he put his B-Camera on a profile shot of Bill Maher, (causing him to regularly discuss the issues with the right side of the screen), I'm pretty sure I know what he was thinking when he got to the editing room: "Why on Earth did I put my B-Camera on such a stupid, ugly angle?!... I guess God is punishing me for making this film."

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's kind of like Borat, but instead of an ignorant guy pointing out how stupid Americans are, it's a guy who's too smart for his own good pointing out how stupid devout people are. In other words, it's way more controversial. And sometimes, it's so intellectually mind-bending that your head starts to puff up as if it's about to explode.

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

Zeitgeist

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A fascinating documentary analysis of organized religion, 9/11, and the master plan of the rich tycoons behind the wars of the past Century.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Nobody.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: PhotobucketGo!... Or stay home. It's only playing on the internet. It's controversial, and you may not like or agree with what it has to say, but it will definitely get you thinking and keep you thinking. Beware if you are highly Christian or a Bush family fan, as it might make you angry. But while your reaction may differ from those who are not, it is still an interesting point of view to check out-- and it's free!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you don't believe the filmmaker's conspiracy theories you might laugh at it. If you do believe them, you'll be too busy crying.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Not in a good way. May I suggest you just kill yourself now?

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'm thinking it's good for a Webby for best internet marketing of an internet movie... But I have no idea if that even remotely resembles a category.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The narrator does a fine job of using dramatic tones to work you into a needless frenzy.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Terrible. There are minutes at a time of black screen, over which you hear the narrator's voice. You can practically watch the movie with your eyes closed.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: There are three parts, and it's sometimes hard to tell how they are connected, but the information cased within each part is scary, emotional, and makes you wonder how much you can trust anyone in a position of power... including the makers of this film.

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

A: The web address to watch it is: http://zeitgeistmovie.com

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