The Sitter

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An aimless slacker (Jonah Hill) gets stuck babysitting three difficult kids (Max Records, Landry Bender, Kevin Rodriguez) on the night when the girl he's trying to sleep with (Ari Graynor) gives him his big chance.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jonah Hill, Max Records, Landry Bender, Kevin Hernandez, Ari Graynor, Sam Rockwell, J.B. Smoove, Kylie Bunbury, Erin Daniels, D.W. Moffett, Jessica Hecht, Bruce Altman, Samiri Wiley, Cliff "Method Man" Smith, Sean Patrick Doyle, Alex Wolff, Jack Krizmanich, Grace Aronds, Jane Aronds

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Yes, it's R-rated and shows children swearing, stealing, blowing things up, and partying with dangerous grown-ups until the wee hours of the night, but isn't that what's great about it?!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The laughs aren't non-stop, but when they come they are subtle and clever, and generally make you happy you're there.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It made me sad that there weren't more people in the theater. Mostly because there would have been a lot more laughs if there were.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Best Commercial Comedy that Nobody Decided to See.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Most of the laughs wouldn't be there if it weren't for the actors' awkward delivery. Jonah Hill is known for this style of acting, but Erin Daniels, in the small role of the mom, does a great job of laughing awkwardly at her own weird dialogue, too.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David Gordon Greene has done bigger movies and smaller movies, and he seems absolutely comfortable at any level.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Okay, so it's not the most original or artistic thing you've ever seen, but it captures the fish-out-of water comedy caper genre at least as well as Date Night did. And frankly, after sitting through several weeks of mediocre to bad awards contenders, this kind of improbably fun ride is a welcome relief.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Sitter Trailer

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Hugo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  An orphan boy, who lives in a Paris train station (Asa Butterfield), fixes clocks and forms relationships with the other train station dwellers in his effort to figure out how he fits into the machine.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Asa Butterfielld, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Ray Winstone, Jude Law, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Go!  This movie is an instant classic... Which isn't to say that it's not slow and boring at times.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Sacha Baron Cohen has a small part, and he smiles funny.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  Once I was done dozing off, I did get around to crying a little.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  I would hope so, it's some of the most interesting directing and cinematography I've seen all year.  In fact, I might even give an award to the 2nd unit director.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  This Ben Kingsley guy is going places-- I mean, Asa Butterfield, right, he's the newcomer.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  You spend most of the time wondering how they gave it that look.  This is a beautiful film, and for once, I didn't even mind the 3D.  In fact, because the film is about the evolution of filmmaking in some ways, this was the first time it actually felt justified.  That said, the pacing is really slow for the first half, and that's not the script's fault.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  It gets around to making some interesting points by the end, but let's not give it any Awards.  Agreed?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Hugo Trailer

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In Time

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  In a world where time is literally money, which when you run out of it you die, Justin Timberlake is given a hundred years by a suicidal man, which he uses to infiltrate the rich neighborhood, before being accused of stealing the time, at which point he kidnaps the richest man's daughter (Amanda Seyfried), and goes on the lam, while giving every hour he can back to the poor people in his ghetto neighborhood.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser, Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Galecki, Matt Bomer, Collins Pennie, Toby Hemingway, Yaya DeCosta, Brendan Miller, Ethan Peck

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  Proceed with Caution.  A really interesting premise gets lost inside of what becomes a never ending chase scene.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  The only joke I remember is Amanda Seyfried accidentally firing off a gun-- haha, somebody got shot.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  A lot of main characters die at the beginning, middle, and end, so-- no.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  When I was at Comic Con, the preview for this movie was By Far the Best Preview I Saw in Hall H... Which makes it that much more disappointing that the film didn't live up to its promise.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  Justin Timberlake plays a character called Will Salas, but he might as well have been called Justin Timberlake because you never stop thinking you're watching Justin Timberlake.  Amanda Seyfried is cute and strong as always.  And how is Cillian Murphy not a bigger star by now?... Oh, yeah, because 50% of the roles he picks are cross-dressers.  At least he recognizes that he looks hot as a woman.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  The...  Pace.... In...  Certain... Sections.... Is... Sooooooo...  Slowwww... That...  I... Started... To... Fall... Aslee--zz-zz-zz...

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  The story starts out interesting, as you learn about the whats, hows, and whys of this world, which aims to parallel the division of wealth in our own society between the 1% and the 99%.  Then Justin Timberlake is given a whole lot of time, which he wants to use to bring down the 1% by giving it back to the 99%.  But when he gets accused of stealing that time, the script goes in a direction that doesn't take advantage of the interesting dynamic that has been set up.  The minute police take all his time, and he goes on the run.  I would've liked to see this premise go in more of a "clever mind game" direction, and less in a "who can run the fastest" direction.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: In Time Trailer

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

(Guest Review by Jack)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: If you haven’t figured what this series is about by part 8 out of 8, you obviously don’t get to the movies that much- so why are you reading this blog? (Note from Monique: Don't answer that. I don't care about your reasons. Just read, read away!)

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: The same little kids from the first 7 movies- only 10 years less cute-looking now.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Even if you have not seen all the rest of them, they have plenty of recap dialogue to catch you up, and this one is a fine way to end it! That said, you may want still want to (re)visit the last one on Blu Ray, because it's fun!

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are a couple of forced moments with Filch (The Hogwarts Caretaker), but it's mainly just an action movie.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it should have. Again, they missed the emotional mark with this series– at least in comparison to the books.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: As usual, the tech credits are all top notch. People have started talking about the Academy finally recognizing the series, but really, it's no Lord of the Rings in terms of overall storytelling and creative excellence.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The best thing about the series is the casting. They really got lucky with those kids!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: David Yates provides plenty of exciting sequences and the movie starts even before you see the WB logo – so get ready, because it's action packed from the moment it fades in. (BTW, I saw this in 2D because all the others were that way – and I was already feeling dizzy that night. But my sister saw it in 3D and says that the added dimension actually makes some of the epic battle scenes easier to follow.)

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The book was great. This movie, like most of its predecessors, feels like Cliff’s Notes. But because this film only covers one third of the last book, it is not nearly as bad off as many of the previous films. In fact, between you and me, the only other HP movie that really worked for me was Order of the Phoenix. Too often, these movies have failed to capture the emotional power of the books. Thankfully, this is one of the good ones.

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

A: This is the final chapter in the Harry Potter saga… For some of you out there, this brings a sigh of relief. You never have to hear of HP again. For the rest of us, who have loved the books and wished they never ended, this is like a death in the family. We will miss them dearly, but we must be grateful for the joy our loved ones brought us while they were relevant to pop culture.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Trailer

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Your Highness

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two princes, one noble (James Franco) and one a slacker (Danny McBride), go on a quest to save a fair maiden (Zooey Deschanel) from an evil wizard (Justin Theroux), who plans to take over the world with the power he will gain by de-virginizing/raping her when the two moons meet.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Danny McBride, James Franco, Rasmus Hardiker, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Theroux, Toby Jones, Damian Lewis, Charles Dance

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! I read a speculative headline today that asked, "Did Your Highness' box office suffer because James Franco bombed at the Oscars?" The writer of this article obviously has not seen this movie, or he would know that the reason this movie suffers is because it's very ill. By which I mean sick. By which I mean awful. But it may actually be so bad that it's good.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not at first, but after a while, when you get past the shock and denial of how terrible all of it is, you may start to giggle that this is actually happening. You are actually watching this. You actually spent money on the ticket. And they actually just said that.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: "Disturb" is a more accurate description of the emotion it elicits.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: They get the I Beat the MPAA Award. How they avoided an NC17 rating with the extended full frontal shots of a Minotaur's boner, is beyond me.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Natalie Portman's presence in this film reminds me of that time when Sandra Bullock won the Oscar and the Razzie in the same day. Only difference is Natalie is so good in this atrocity that it really makes you wonder if when she signed up to be in it, she wasn't convinced that anyone was actually going to like Black Swan.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: If you want to think David Gordon Green is a good director, you should see Pineapple Express. If you want to think he's a crappy director, you should see this.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: This is one of the scripts where you know it was hatched because a bunch of guys were sitting around, probably getting loaded, and throwing out hilarious "What ifs." The conversation most likely went something like this: "What if you were on a quest, and when you got to the wise man he was a freaky looking alien?" "Yeah! And what if he were a perv, too, who makes you blow him for information." "That's hilarious! And what if he had molested you, when you were young, but you don't realize it, cuz when kids get molested, they don't know that there's anything wrong with it." Crickets.... "That's really weird... We should definitely put that in!" The thing is, some what ifs make good movies and some what ifs make funny conversations that you should never admit to having been a part of.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: Your Highness Trailer

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True Grit

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A 14-year-old girl (Hailee Steinfeld) is determined to avenge the murder of her father, so she hires a ruthless Marshall (Jeff Bridges) and they accidentally team up with a cocky Texas Ranger (Matt Damon), on their hunt through the wild west, to find an inconsequential criminal (Josh Brolin).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Dakin Matthews, Jarlath Conroy, Paul Rae, Domhnall Gleeson, Elizabeth Marvel

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Contrary to popular belief, this movie isn't for everyone. It's for people who love Westerns, and/or people who love the Coen Brothers. Note: I said "love," not "like."

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I'm pretty sure Jeff Bridges said a lot of funny things, but he mumbles so much that without closed captioning, you won't understand any of them.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: The number one problem with this film is that you don't care about anybody. They're all cold hearted jerks, including the kid, so I dare you to find someone to cry for.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Cinematography is award-worthy. The remainder of the buzz is poppycock.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Hailee Steinfeld is good for a 14-year-old, but completely average for a person of normal-age. Let's not start giving out awards to people just for being young-- that would only aggravate the problem. Jeff Bridges is incomprehensible. And right when you think you've understood just about as little as you can understand, Matt Damon gets his tongue mangled, so that he can't articulate anymore either. Regardless of all that, the actors seem to struggle severely throughout due to the absence of their beloved contractions... Turns out, it's not so easy for even the most professional of them to sound natural when saying things like, "I will do it," when inside they're clearly dying to say, "I'll do it."

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I've never had anything bad to say about the Coens as directors, and I doubt I ever will, but this, their most profitable film ever, has much less of their signature style in it, and aside from the final shot of a woman in black walking away from us, none of the shots in this film stand out as particularly memorable.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Aside from making the lead character a smart-talking 14-year-old girl, the story line seems particularly unoriginal. And the fact that it's a remake makes the whole 14-year-old girl idea not so original either. The dialogue is clever, though, if you're able to understand it.

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

A: Sorry for my assessment on this one. Feel free to yell at me in the comments section about all the reasons this movie is brilliant.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: True Grit Trailer

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127 Hours

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place, by Aron Ralston, about the time he went hiking in Canyon Country and really got caught between a rock and a hard place for 127 hours. Which, if you do the math, like I did, is over 5 days in a canyon.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: James Franco. There are others like Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Treat Williams, Clemence Poesy, Lizzy Caplan, John Lawrence and Kate Burton... but you will only ever remember James Franco.

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is a classic film that will be revered in film communities for generations to come. A one man show, based on a true story, brought to life by dynamic filmmaking that gets you inside the captive's mind and outside the endless valley of rocks at the same time. It is a true accomplishment. But it is not fun to watch. In fact, if I get cancer, it's from the stress caused me by this movie.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: He's a funny guy until he comes face to face with death... and even then he can be pretty funny. But the part I'm thinking about now was made up by screenwriter, Simon Beaufoy.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but feel free to bring your own barf bag.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: People often wonder why sometimes a film gets nominated for Best Picture, but it doesn't get nominated for Best Director. The reason is, to make room for films like this that have no chance at a Best Picture, but can absolutely not be overlooked in the Best Director category. Danny Boyle finds ways to expand what we see beyond one man and one canyon, creating moments of horror, most emotionally reminiscent of Jaws. You won't easily forget the feelings or images this film gives you.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: According to Danny Boyle in the Q & A, James Franco keeps super-stardom at bay by constantly seeming as if he were stoned. Underneath that stoned veneer, though, Franco is constantly working and preparing. So much so that they weren't able to interchange dialogue in editing from later parts of the film with earlier parts of the film, because as the days of thirst and starvation went by, Franco had changed the timbre of his voice so dramatically. Also, he's such a method actor, that the studio made them all guarantee that Franco would stay hydrated in real life, so he wouldn't die, despite his initial desire to deprive himself of water to make things feel more real. I know, that's just stupid.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: This story could not survive without the vision, style, and musical choices of Mr. Danny Boyle. Although he blew me away in Trainspotting, and reminded me of his genius in Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours is clearly the film most reliant on his skill-set, without which it would be as boring as 5 days is long.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: While he's trapped in the canyon, the script really hopes to be about his regrets. Face to face with death, Aron has a chance to look back on all the love he could've given his family and ex-girlfriend, but didn't. Honestly, that wasn't what resonated with me. I was too busy wondering how on Earth they managed to turn this impossibly enclosed story into a feature film.

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

A: When the film ended, not a single person in my packed audience got up. It may have been because of the Q & A with the writer, director, and producer of Slumdog Millionaire (who also performed their roles on this film, not so coincidentally), but it might also have been because, like me, they were incapable of moving.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/127-hours/10020565/trailers

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Centurion

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: During Roman times, a few honorable soldiers swashbuckled for their lives in a world of corrupt allies and enemies.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey, JJ Feild, Riz Ahmed, Ulrich Thomsen, Imogen Poots, Axelle Carolyn, Dave Legeno,

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. With battle scenes that are reminiscent of Inglorious Basterds but a much less emotionally compelling plot, this movie is made for guys who like bloody sword fights and the thrill of combat movies that take place during an age when men wore dresses.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: There are very few jokes, but they are as funny as they are rare.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it will probably make you close your eyes and turn away from the screen a few times, as you scrunch up your face like you just bit into a lemon.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I'd consider it for Most Gratifying Murder of a Small to Medium-sized Child.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The most standout thing about the acting is the incredible beauty of both Olga Kurylenko and Imogen Poots. And also finding out that (according to this movie) in Ancient Roman times, women apparently fought in battles, and men apparently had no issues with killing them brutally if need be.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: With a few well placed sweeping crane shots, Neil Marshall makes a small movie, with very few differing locations seem big in scale, but the battle scenes tend to be shot too close up, so that even during climactic moments, it's hard to tell who killed who and how.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It relies mostly on voice over to move the story along between chase scenes and battles, but the most annoying part is actually the ending, which humiliates itself by desperately and blatantly begging for a sequel, instead of neatly wrapping everything up.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiQCofKrYAI

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Alice in Wonderland

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Now almost 20 years old, Alice returns to her reoccurring "dream" of Wonderland, but this time, it may not be a dream.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Leo Bill, Mairi Ella Challen, and the voices of Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Barbara Windsor, Paul Whitehouse, Timothy Spall,

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I can't figure out if I have fond memories of this story because the first time I was introduced to it I was a young child, or because it was the 1970s, a time when we expected all forms of media to make about as much sense as an acid trip.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Tweedledee and Tweedledum are still cute... and still only humorous to people with underdeveloped brains, like the Red Queen and small children.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're one of those rigid parents who believes that any movie with smoking in it should be rated R, you will be gravely disappointed to find out that the caterpillar still smokes a hookah pipe, and you may have to fake tears when your kids reveal to your husband that you took them to a movie with a drug smoking insect in it.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It definitely deserves awards for Art Decoration, Costume Design, and Makeup Design. I want to do my eyes like Johnny Depp's!

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Anne Hathaway has been getting a bad rap for this performance, but I quite enjoyed her ethereal choices. Helena Bonham Carter, who I generally love, goes to far too much trouble to make her Red Queen different than those that came before her, but I just wanted to hear "Off with her Head!" said in the same old, comfort-food way. And Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter isn't nearly as annoying as the preview makes it look... He's actually kind of sweet and logical for a guy who's totally mad.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: For once Tim Burton's style is more beautiful in its fantastical nature than scary. He creates a world that you might actually want to visit. But I'm over 3D. It's rarely worth the extra charge, and I recently read an article that if you watch too much of it, it will ruin your depth perception-- which is why I'm deathly afraid of the 3D TVs that are being released on the market in the next few weeks. I mean a movie here and there, your eyes might survive, but I guarantee that if people start watching all their TV in 3D, we're gonna have a lot more car accidents.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: It's been done before. Literally. Over 20 times.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeWsZ2b_pK4

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Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightnight Thief

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman) discovers that he is the Demi-God son of Poseidon, and that it is up to him to find Zeus' lightning bolt and save his mother from Hades' clutches before the Gods go to war and destroy the Earth for good.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Jake Abel, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Rosario Dawson, Melina Kanakaredes, Kevin McKidd, Joe Pantoliano, Uma Thurman

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! Come on, just from the description you can tell this film has it all: adventure, battle, and a really cute new teenage leading man!... boy.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: I think it's funny that I went to see a movie aimed at 10 year old boys and liked it.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: I'm not confessing to anything... but to be fair, it's not my fault, it used the same trick that got me choked up in Valentine's Day, and that trick gets me every time, because it's so easy, it's practically like cheating! Plus, I was already feeling vulnerable from all the scary creatures that had me jumping out of my seat on a regular basis.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It could probably get a Kid's Choice Award on Nickelodeon. But if not this time, then I imagine the sequel will... No, they haven't made it yet, I'm just assuming that was the point.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: No one does anything all that incredible, but I'm always impressed when people under 18 can do anything at all.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There are a lot of beautiful special effects made out of the elements: The skies, the water, the fire, and the debris floating in the air of the Underworld.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Everything is set up in exceedingly obvious ways that a 10 year old could see coming, but at least it always pays off. And the adventure genuinely gets you wondering how they're going to get out of some of the precarious situations they get into.

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

A: NSFW: When Pierce Brosnan reveals himself to be a centaur and his bottom half becomes that of a horse, it looks like he has a gigantic package where his human parts would have been. Did I just say that out loud?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/percy-jackson-and-the-olympians-the/32797/trailers

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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An ethereal battle between good and evil, which takes place in each character's imagination, as interpreted by the old mystic, Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer).

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Tom Waits, Verne Troyer, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. If you've ever seen a Terry Gilliam film, you know what you're in for: a lot of style and theory, with very strange substance. This film is as visually beautiful and imaginative as the storyline is surreal.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: That depends on if you have a subscription to Bizzaro magazine or not. If you do, this humor will fall right in line with your sensibilities. Also if you do, you are the proud owner of a magazine that I just made up.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're an aspiring actor, you'll cry when you realize that Mini-me has a legitimate acting career and you don't.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: I might give this movie an award for premonition, because it seems as if they knew Heath Ledger was going to drop out (read: die) mid-filming. They managed to have him in all the "real-life" scenes, where his presence is necessary, and the way they use Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell to replace him in the imaginings actually makes a lot of sense for the "logic" of this story.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Tom Waits, as the devil, gets applause just for showing up... Or at least that's what the people in my theater seemed to think.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Lavish and riddled with over-the-top, fun-loving, and sometimes campy special effects-- which begs the question: how does this guy continue to get these giant budgets to make esoteric comedies that nobody is going to see? I guess his financiers are still hoping he'll accidentally churn out another Monty Python film, despite the lack of any Monty Python players.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Terry Gilliam is like a fun and upbeat version of David Lynch. In both cases, it's easier to call them genius, than to admit that you have no idea what they're talking about... But what really makes them genius, is I'm pretty sure that they have no idea what they're talking about either.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-imaginarium-of-doctor-parnassus/33122/trailers

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Where the Wild Things Are

( Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book, nine year-old Max flees home after getting into trouble, and takes a journey across the seas to a forest inhabited by wild creatures, where he becomes their self-appointed king.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Pepita Emmerichs, Steve Mouzakis, Mark Ruffalo, James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Paul Dano, Catherine O’Hara, Forest Whitaker, Michael Berry Jr., Chris Cooper

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Incredibly imaginative, strikingly visual and very true to the spirit of the book, this adaptation will most likely please a lot of fans. But it’s simply not for everyone and despite the fact that it does a good job in filling out a fifteen-page children’s book into a feature-length film, it still drags at times.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: The wild creatures Max stumbles upon have a lot of humor to them, both visually and in their dialogue.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: There is a lot of melancholy in Max’s journey, but only one moment might bring some tears, and even then, I’m not so sure it will for most.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It’s a gorgeous and imaginative-looking film, so it will probably be nominated for all the visual type awards.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Max Records, who plays Max, is excellent. Apparently, this is his acting debut, but he’s clearly a natural. There’s no mugging or over-acting and that goes a long way toward relating to Max’s journey and inner struggle. The Wild Things’ voices are all perfectly cast to inform their expressive faces and even though the physical actors in the creature suits will not get much mention, they also do a fantastic job.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: We’ve come to expect a lot from such a visual filmmaker as Spike Jonze and he’s definitely on his game once again. It’s easy to tell how much he loved this book and story because there are no compromises and it really feels like Sendak’s drawings have come to life right from the page. The movie also stays true to the internal plight and struggle of a nine-year-old boy and that comes though in every single detail Jonze puts on screen (including the fantastic opening shot which ends on a freeze-frame of the film’s title, so don’t be late). But it is maybe that central focus that makes the movie less mainstream. In other words, if you want a Pixar-movie-‘feeling,’ then go see a Pixar movie. At a Q & A after the screening, Spike Jonze spoke about some of the details of the six-year odyssey of making this movie which only made it that much more impressive. But it also made me wish he could figure out a way to make his movies a little faster because six or seven years is too long to wait for a new Spike Jonze film.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The script is really impressive especially when considering the source material it’s based on. In fact, it’s almost shocking that a major studio would greenlight this particular version of such a popular children’s book. In keeping with Sendak’s original intent, Jonze and co-writer Dave Eggers keep a laser-like focus on how Max’s adventure would play out in detail, and everything works. In the hands of a different director/writer, this story could have become a typical effects-laden Hollywood extravaganza, but not this version. Both emotion and imagination are given equal weight in the story and maybe the biggest compliment I could give the writers is that it plays out as if written by a nine-year-old boy. And trust me, that’s a major compliment in the context of what this film is trying to accomplish.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/where-the-wild-things-are/24823/trailers

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Year One

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Two men (Jack Black & Michael Cera) from a primitive village, who think they are meant for more than the small life they are living, set off on a pedestrian road trip to discover what else can be accessed by foot in the world around them.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Vinnie Jones, Hank Azaria, Juno Temple, Olivia Wilde, June Diane Raphael, Xander Berkeley, Horatio Sanz, David Pasquesi, Matthew J. Willig, Gia Carides, Bill Hader, Kyle Gass, Harold Ramis, Eden Riegel

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I had a really hard time answering the question, "What is the movie about," so that's not a good sign. And if my description sounds boring, maybe that's the movie's main problem-- it's really not about anything. The only thing the plot lends itself toward is a series of silly jokes and sketches about biblical times, and another amazing performance by Michael Cera.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Is there still an audience that finds licking poo and animals attacking funny?

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but their hairstyles may give you visions of happy little bugs, living happy little lives, in the happy little bug villages that most likely exist at the border of these men's scalps. It definitely makes you wish they'd invented Supercuts a lot sooner.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: While the farting and the graphic intestines scenes are disgusting, I will give this movie credit for having the Best Peeing Scene I've ever witnessed in a movie.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Not since Stanislavski has someone reinvented the art form of acting the way Michael Cera has. In movie after movie, he brings a style to the screen that is completely original, surprising, and real. I don't even think it's possible to write for the way he makes stuff funny. He's a genius.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The whole movie feels dated. Unfortunately, it's not so much because it takes place in the days after Jesus died, as it is because the whole style of the piece feels pulled right out of an ancient time I like to call the 1980s.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The writers do manage to put the characters into precarious situations, like getting coiled by a snake and attacked by a vicious cougar, but instead of showing us how they get out of those binds, they simply cut to the next scene, and have the characters say things like, "Wow, that was a bad day." To put this in terms you can relate to immediately, that's like me telling you about the time I was mugged for my computer by meth addicts, and how I chased them, and they held me at gun point, and just when you start to wonder how I was gonna get my computer back and escape with my life, I start talking about ice cream.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/year-one/30328/trailers

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Up

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: After losing the love of his life, an old man (Ed Asner) decides to fulfill the dreams of adventure that he'd always promised his wife. And no, he doesn't bring her ashes.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft, John Ratzenberger, Elie Docter

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. I'm going to be the first to say it: the emperor has no clothes on. Just because something has the name Pixar on it, does not automatically mean it's a masterpiece, and if somebody doesn't speak up, our general ability to discern quality from mediocrity could be destroyed forever. But the first 15 minutes are very good.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Not nearly enough. Not to mention that the best laugh in the movie comes from someone in the Walla* group.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Boy do they think they're going to. But even though I knew the boyscout had daddy issues from the first time he mentioned "all the dads" coming to the award ceremony, I can honestly say that after watching the whole movie, I have no idea if his dad is supposed to be absentee or just dead. It makes a big difference in regards to what the movie is trying to say. And trust me, it is trying to say something.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Yes, it will win the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture. Not because it's the best, just because it's Pixar.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: The dog is good. And I suppose the rest of it would be acceptable to you if you were a small child.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: There is so much that's confusing in this movie, that it comes to no surprise that the lighting, weather, and mood of a scene or location can change within seconds from gloomy to sunny and bright or vice versa. Frankly, the whole movie is heavy handed about what it wants you to feel, and the result is that you feel manipulated and empty.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Sure there are some parts of the story that are cute, clever, and colorful, but there are also parts that are boring, illogical, and completely unexplained.

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

A: *Walla is the group of people who go into the studio during post-production and improvise and record all the voices of the people you see in crowd scenes. In the case of this movie, the "people" consist primarily of talking dogs.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/up/30386/trailers

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Terminator Salvation

(Guest Review by Russ)

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Future savior, John Connor (Christian Bale), leads a human resistance in a war against Skynet machines in order to save mankind.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Anton Yelchin, Helena Bonham Carter, Bryce Dallas Howard, Common, Jane Alexander, Michael Ironside

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. The Terminator franchise, which now consists of four movies (and one TV show, RIP), includes two bona fide classics (the first and second films), a boring one I can’t even remember (#3) and now Salvation which lands somewhere in the middle. The action is pretty cool and the machines are sort of like transformers with no paint, but the biggest thing missing is still James Cameron in the director’s chair.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: If you've heard the recording of Christian Bale's on-set freak out, then it probably already has.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Isn't it enough to know that he made his cinematographer cry? And he should be very proud of that, too, because it would certainly be the first time anyone has laughed or cried at one of his films.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It actually already won a secret underground award for Film Most Likely to Make you go Deaf. And it turns out someone snuck out a snippet of audio from Bale's acceptance speech. I have titled it, "Ohhhhhhh, good for you!" (*warning: contains foul language) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrvMTv_r8sA

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Does anyone care about the acting in Terminator movies? Maybe James Cameron once did. Sam Worthington who is the real star of this movie actually makes an impression and from what I can tell he does it all by himself since the script did him no favors. And speaking of James Cameron, he cast Worthington as the star of his next movie, which is called Avatar and is supposed to blow everyone away when it comes out on December 18th. Proving once again James Cameron knows good acting. Anton Yelchin pops up in yet another summer blockbuster and you’d never know he’s the same guy who played Chekov in Star Trek – the kid has a future. Moon Bloodgood has a cool name and gives a cool performance to go with it. I think maybe Christian Bale is in this movie too, but he did not have pointy ears and a cape so it was hard to tell.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: McG can definitely direct action, and boy is there a lot of it in this movie. Pretty much wall-to-wall and some sequences are genuinely riveting. But there is so much of it, it only makes you recall what made the first two Terminator movies so good; namely the subversive humor, suspense, character development and quiet between the big action set pieces. There is no salvation from the noise in Salvation, and we learn almost zero about any of the characters. I mean, Bryce Dallas Howard plays a pregnant woman who is in a bunch of scenes with Christian Bale, but by the end I still had no idea if she was his wife or his maid. (And really, it didn’t matter either way but I’m thinking it should have.)

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is sort of interesting and has a decent twist to it, but it could have been way better and executed for more suspense. It all revolves around Marcus Wright, the Sam Worthington character and the less you know about him going in the more satisfying it will be. There is still that whole time-travel tripiness to the story, so it helps to have seen the first two films (at the very least). Maybe the fact this movie isn’t horrible is a triumph in itself. Or have my expectations for summer movies just fallen way too far?

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/terminator-salvation/31561/trailers

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The Brothers Bloom

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A couple of con artist brothers (Adrien Brody & Mark Ruffalo) contrive their cons to tell the stories they want their lives to be about.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane, Maximilian Schell, Ricky Jay, Zachary Gordon, Max Records, Nora Zehetner

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. Highly stylized and convoluted, this is a love-it or hate-it kind of piece, that asks the question can you control the outcome of your own life, by planning the perfect con?

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: It is certainly a comedy, but in a bizarre and artsy way. Babel's Rinko Kikuchi, whose offbeat character garners most of the laughs without hardly ever uttering a word, sums up the tone in a nutshell. But then again, blowing things up can often be a more decisive way to express yourself than words.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: Rather than use words to answer this, I'm just going to blow something up... [wait for it]... [wait for it]... Okay, it's done. And I think you catch my drift.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Rian Johnson's last film, Brick, was nominated for a bunch of Independent Spirit Awards, and they tend to enjoy recycling their nominees, so in that sense this film has a decent chance of getting attention over there. Unfortunately, this film is a lot more entertaining than Brick, so Johnson may have shot himself in the foot, because the Spirit Awards don't usually nominate films that are fun to watch.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Superb across the board. All the actors manage to give real feeling performances while delivering lines and concepts that are completely over the top and absurd. Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo are excellent, but it's the women who steal the show. Rinko Kikuchi with her evilly detached, yet secretly caring persona. And Rachel Weisz, who glows and bounces off the screen with a childlike joy, that makes it hard to tell if she's the conman or the mark.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: As in writer-director Rian Johnson's first film, the story blurs the lines between a realistic world and a fantasy, without ever outright defining the rules of the fantasy world. The look of the film is realistic, not fantasy, so you're never quite sure where you are in this pseudo-surreal existence. If my description isn't making this any easier for you to grasp, know that that is quite deliberately the filmmakers intention.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is a lot of fun, though in some ways predictable. You never know who's conning who, but you know it doesn't matter because it's all being done out of love. You also never know what the con is that their pulling, who's getting what out of it, or even what era the movie takes place in, as the characters dress and talk like they're in the 1940s, and travel to Europe by boat, despite the discovery that one of them has a cellphone. Those are the aspects of the film you will either find highly artistic and inventive or completely annoying.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-brothers-bloom/27798/trailers

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: When an SS Commander gets a promotion to go run a concentration camp, his 8-year-old son is so starved for companionship, that he secretly forms a friendship with an imprisoned Jewish boy, through an electric fence.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie, Rupert Friend, Cara Horgan, Richard Johnson, David Hayman, Sheila Hancock

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is certainly a powerful movie-- how could it not be? It's about the Holocaust-- but it's not for those who need their conclusions tied up in a pretty pink ribbon.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: This movie is for very serious audiences, so don't laugh too loud, lest you offend someone.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: It doesn't deliberately pull on your heart-strings and bang you over the head with emotions and music like a Hollywood movie would, but if you fill in the unspoken thoughts and feelings in your head, you might still cry, because it is pretty sad.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: You have to admit the title is great! What a cute little way of describing a small child who is put in a prison camp to starve, perform hard labor, and die for no good reason.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Vera Farmiga is in her usual top form, and looking more stunning than usual, I might add. And the little boys, Asa Butterfield and Jack Scanlon, take their time with the moments and dialogue, to really think about what they're saying, as if they weren't acting at all.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The film is beautifully shot, as the tones of the lighting shift from warm to cold, following their move from their happy life in Berlin, to the countryside, where their neighbors are concentration camp prisoners, and their lives becomes increasingly more and more grim.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: The story is appropriately understated as it depicts how even the people closest to the top SS Commanders had virtually no idea how badly the Jews were being treated in the camps, and how they, too, could be adversely affected by the atrocities surrounding them.

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