New Moon

K: New Moon, the second installment in the Twilight saga, was a fairly decent movie. It hit all the high points in the book and told the overall story pretty well. It was fun to see the Cullens again, and I'm glad Jasper got a line in the movie so we could hear his southern accent. I like that Rosalie got a couple lines to explain a bit about why she doesn't want Bella to turn into a vampire. But I'm sure the back stories of Jasper and Rosalie will never make into the movies, nor will those of Esme, Emmet and Alice. Carlisle's was at least hinted at in this one.

The best thing about this whole movie was the Volturi, the ancient and powerful governing body for vampires. The Volturi are led by Aro, expertly played by Michael Sheen. Sheen stands out as a seasoned professional among the entire cast of amateurs. He is deliciously evil and power hungry and I'm bummed that the Volturi won't be making an appearance in the next movie.

The second book was all about the wolf pack and I was a little disappointed that they didn't go into more detail about it. They could have spared a minute or two to explain the pack mentality and how they're all connected all the time (and that they all hate it). They very briefly mentioned that a pack member has to (i.e., physically cannot do otherwise even if they want to) follow the Alpha's orders. I was most surprised that they left out the imprinting since it has a huge impact on the ending of the last book. But I guess they're going to follow the pattern of the Harry Potter movies and just chunk it all into the last movie.

My complaint about the special effects is that when the sun hits Edward he radiates light like a light bulb is inside him and shooting out of his pores. The effect is worse than a disco ball. I much preferred the low budget sparkle of the first movie which happened to match perfectly how I imagined Edward in the sun.

Overall the movie was decent. It's a must-see for Twihards, but for the mere Twi-curious you might want to avoid the movie theater chaos and wait for the DVD.

J: Ah, "New Moon", a little movie about vampires, werewolves, and zombies. Zombies, you ask? Well, certainly not the George Romero variety and I'm not sure even those would help this movie as much as they improved Pride and Prejudice. I'm referring the to zombie-like performances of pretty much the entire cast. Now, I will be the first to admit I'm NOT a Twihard, nor even a fan - more like a Twi-not. I was, however, highly motivated to join my PIC because of the presence of Michael Sheen as Aro. It struck me as a little odd at first that an actor of the caliber of Mr. Sheen would want to be involved in a trifle of a film like this until I realized that his daughter is probably about the right age to be a Twihard and, if that's the case, I applaud any father willing to make that kind of sacrifice for his daughter! The bonus of that altruistic act is that we get treated to about 15 minutes of a great performance and the rest of the cast gets a master class in the craft of acting. How did I like the rest of the movie, you ask? Beats the hell out of me - I slept through the rest! Thanks, Michael, for letting me enjoy at least a few minutes.

Damned United

J: “A soccer movie? Are you kidding me?” Yes, a film about soccer (well, football movie to be perfectly correct) & yes, we quite enjoyed it. “Damned United” came up on my entertainment radar several weeks ago. I have always been intrigued by soccer – after all, its hockey without the skates & I can relate to that. But when we realized Michael Sheen was playing the lead, well, Team Michael had to represent!

Damned United concerns one of the great football managers (English-to-American dictionary translation: soccer coach) in England & apparently a native hero of sorts. However, he had one serious downfall, one I can completely understand; he couldn’t keep his mouth shut! Brian Clough (played brilliantly, as one would expect, by Michael Sheen), by all accounts, was a serious & passionate man, who took the sport of soccer seriously. But that lead him to take slights from other managers & dirty play (from one team in particular - Leeds United) personally. He made vendettas for these transgressions a matter of conscious & damned the consequences. And those consequences & the team most often guilty of them – Leeds United - comprise much of the drama in this film. I felt it important to do a little background research before writing this review & one account related a story about Michael Sheen’s consideration for this part. It said, basically, that he launched into a perfect imitation of Brian Clough when asked what he felt about playing the part. He also gets to show off his football prowess & instill some of his own passion for the sport into the part.

If there’s one thing everyone can seem to agree on it’s this movie is either completely accurate or completely bogus. In other words, there is no middle ground. Some of those involved say the book upon which the movie is based, The Damned Utd by David Peace, is a work of fiction at the very least & that many of the incidents portrayed never happened. Indeed, it would seem the falling out between Brian Clough & his longtime friend & assistant manager Peter Taylor (played by Timothy Spall of Wormtail fame in the Harry Potter films) is “reimagined” in order to give the movie a more uplifting ending. Kind of sappy, but I wasn’t really troubled by it during the movie, only after my research clarified the timeline of the incident. I guess everyone is entitled to their redemption, even if it didn’t happen in “real life”. One thing is certain, though. The animosity between Brian Clough & Don Revie (played by Colm Meaney), the manager of Leeds United, is very real. Clough shepherded his basement dwelling team, Derby County, up the ranks of English soccer teams, until he finally finds himself facing Leeds United, a team with a reputation for dirty play & their manager, Don Revie, who allegedly encourages his team to play dirty because, frankly, that’s how they win. Clough goes to great lengths to show Leeds that his team is worthy of a place alongside them, but Leeds beats Derby soundly & quickly leaves the stadium without a word. Clough is horrified & spends seemingly the rest of his career railing against Leeds & Revie every chance he gets both publically & privately. When Revie takes the position of English Team Manager for some reason that wasn’t really apparent (unless I was distracted by Michael Sheen’s rippling muscles in those short soccer pants & missed it – very possible!) he encourages Leeds to choose Clough as his replacement. Clough takes the position & proceeds to alienate just about everyone he comes in contact with. He tells the Leeds players that all the awards they have won are crap because they didn’t win them honestly, which really endears him to them! They refuse to play for Clough & Leeds stops winning, which then endears him to the Leeds fans. He lasts all of 44 days before he is sacked.

I suppose this movie could have easily become sappy & trite (indeed, it comes perilously close to it) but the performances by those mentioned & those not, such as Jim Broadbent as the Derby chairman, make Damned United a very entertaining film whether you are a soccer fan or no. It’s a wonderful indie film that will be enjoyed by a few with extreme good taste (like my PIC & I) & then go completely unnoticed & underappreciated. So, do yourself a favor & be one of the sophisticated cool people & see Damned United, damn it all!

K: This was a very well made film full of great actors. I like that this wasn't your typical story arc where the protagonist starts from nothing and ends on top. That would have been predicable, and this movie probably would then have never gotten made. Many of you probably aren't planning to go to the theater to watch this one, but please put it in your rental queue. You won't regret it.

OK, now I have to turn into a stupid little five year old. For some reason there is nothing funnier to me than to watch grown men call each other twats. I giggled every time someone called someone else a twat. TWAT! I told my PIC that I'm going to start working twat into my regular vernacular to which she replied that nothing would make her happier. So don't be a twat; watch this movie!

This Is It

K: It was truly stunning to watch Michael Jackson's concert rehearsal footage for his never-realized This Is It concert. This footage was taped over the course of a few different rehearsals each at different stages of completion. Michael Jackson was involved in every part of this production from the instrumental music, vocals, dancing, staging, lighting, special effects and everything in between. I found it interesting to see how he inspired everyone to achieve excellence through his passion, commitment and, most refreshingly, his genuine kindness. And in an age where many singer's voices are dubbed and digitally corrected due to (extreme) lack of talent, it was awesome to hear him sing and sound just like he does on his albums. And, of course, his dancing is phenomenal.

I loved some of the phrases he used while giving directions during rehearsals. In one scene he was trying to get the tempo right on The Way You Make Me Feel. He wanted the beginning slower and with a specific overall "tone" (for lack of a better word on my part). He told the keyboardist that he wanted the musical feeling of "just getting out of bed" - which, when you listened to it, was an accurate description of how it sounded. Then the keyboardist started adding more music too quickly, and Michael Jackson corrected him by telling him that he wanted the music to "simmer" for awhile before it kicked in.

I was enthralled with this whole movie. I want to see him perform this concert live. It's clear why the 50 shows he had scheduled sold out almost instantly. I wish we could turn back time and somehow prevent his untimely and UNNECESSARY death. It's clear that he was physically healthy and excited about performing these shows. I am both inspired and heartbroken. *sigh* Anyone who has even the slightest interest in Michael Jackson should go see this movie. You will not be disappointed.

J: It was hard to watch this movie & wrap your head around the idea that a few days after his final pep talk to his crew - Michael Jackson was dead. This is something the movie never addresses & I do understand why. His fans needed a final farewell & a reason to celebrate - this film gives them exactly that. We also can be grateful that film will provide a record of this talented star after an untimely death. But there is a huge hole in this movie - the enormous bit of unfinished business that is the songs half sung, the dances merely sketched out & blocked, the Wow factor of the costumes that would never be. That is the tragedy of this film. So many of the participants in this concert talked about how much Michael Jackson had influenced their art - some even talked about personal salvation. All were there not for "the gig" or the paycheck, but to participate in a holy pilgrimage & the worship of their idol. Those are the people I felt sorry for - what became of them? What happened to their dreams?

Regardless of what is said or written about his very strange life, Michael Jackson was the King of Pop. But as joyous as this film tries to be, I can't help the feeling that the untimely death of Michael Jackson will only continue to be a circus & for all the claims to the contrary, that it will foster the kind of back-biting & greed we have seen in even the best & allegely most altruistic families. The cash-cow will finally be gone, after the movie & assorted final CDs have come & gone. What will happen when the family starts fighting for every penny in order to maintain the lifestyle bestowed on them for their loyalty to the Kind of Pop? Its a frightening idea - I hope I'm wrong about it but don't hold out much hope. Anyway, it was fun to watch Michael do his "thing" & enjoy the raw talent he surrounded himself with - too bad he wasn't as careful in his choices of confidants or physicians!

Law Abiding Citizen

J: Is “Law Abiding Citizen” the movie of the year? No. Is it even my favorite movie of 2009? No. But what Law Abiding Citizen is, is a good serviceable action flick with a nice twist that doesn’t give itself away halfway through the movie. And that works very well for me.

Granted, it does require some suspension of disbelief. But so did that small screen abomination “Lost” and most of the time nothing happened – yet people flocked to that trifle. At least the action in Law Abiding Citizen keeps up a neat pace and I was able to buy into the premise without much thought. And maybe that’s the problem. It seems these days, critics (this Faithful Duo excepted, of course) go to see every movie expecting deep and moving pathos, and Oscar winning drama. It doesn’t always need to happen that way – sometimes we should just sit back and enjoy ourselves. And my PIC and I did just that – despite the old farts sitting next to us that couldn’t keep their dentures snapped shut!

Ok, to the movie. Law Abiding Citizen stars Gerard Butler as Clyde Shelton, who in the first scene loses his wife and child in a brutal attack, the reason for which is never really explained, but I can live with that. Enter Jamie Foxx as Nick Rice, the DA who makes a plea deal rather than risk his conviction record. Of course, that means the real killer/rapist goes relatively free while the reasonably innocent guy gets executed. Goes without saying that it cheeses Clyde off a bit. Time passes and the execution is about to take place – however, it goes horribly wrong. And this is when the fun begins.

You see, Clyde is a former spy-cum-genius of whom it is said “if Clyde wants you dead, you’re dead!” Well! And so, as Clyde gets sort of even and teaches the legal system a lesson (his avowed reason for the mayhem – not vengeance) about justice, an assortment of very Saw-like deaths occur – even as Clyde sits in his solitary confinement cell in a Philly jail. He has had 10 years to plan and tinker, and he used them extremely well. For those moralists out there, the villains do get their come-uppance in the end, so don’t worry about the possibility of there being no moral to the story. And for those of you to whom it matters (like my PIC and myself) there is a high eye-candy factor. Yeah, who is this Gerard Butler guy, anyway? Yes, that was a rhetorical question. But seriously, he is an accomplished actor, extremely easy on the eyes and he produced this movie. Yes, Sir – may I have another!

So, want to munch some popcorn and be entertained for a couple hours? Then please go see Law Abiding Citizen, you’ll enjoy it – I promise.

K: Yes, I agree with my PIC that you will enjoy this movie - except if you sit next to those same old farts we were sitting next to. They were both deaf and the woman was stupid. She couldn't follow the plot (which wasn't difficult at all) and he had to explain e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g to her. They also had a few conversations about their hot pretzel, their straw situation, and other food related topics. But I digress.

I think some people have the impression that action films are all special effects and no substance. While this is sadly true for some films in this genre, it is not the case with this movie. It wasn't all explosions and car chases with no real point. Everything that happened had a purpose. We were following a man who felt the justice system had failed him, and who was trying to exploit its defects to incite change. I thought this was very well done. And Gerard Butler is easy on the eyes. *snicker ,snicker*

So in summary, go see this film and please don't talk excessively in movie theaters. Thank you.

Zombieland

J: Flying solo this time because my PIC does not share my “taste” for zombie films. Yes, hang on to your hats because the puns are a-comin’! “Zombieland” is drop dead funny – full of biting satire & all of the wonderful things that make zombie movie fans hungry for more. This movie is something you can really sink your teeth into.

Ok, I’ll stop now. But seriously, Zombieland has everything a good movie should; comedy, tragedy, a little romance, pathos & gore. That’s about all I need. The story is narrated by Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) who claims to have survived the zombie apocalypse not because he is macho or has great survival skills but because he has always been a loner & also because he has developed a set of rules to avoid being eaten. They include gems like the Double Tap – which is much like the knowledge that killing a zombie requires a shot to the head (a fact I keep reminding everyone will come in very handy someday) but expounds the need for a follow-up shot. Makes sense to me. In time, Columbus meets up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) & we discover that it’s he who has determined that people should be known only by their hometowns – fewer complications that way. Tallahassee has come into his own in the zombie post-apocalyptic world because he has a talent for killing zombies & he knows his mother would be proud of that. But his true calling is the driving need to find the last Twinkies left in the world. Hey, everyone needs goals!

One of the more touching scenes comes when Tallahassee & Columbus meet Wichita (Emma Stone) & her little sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin – why is this poor child in such creepy movies? Remember “Signs”? Man, I thought MY childhood was twisted!). They are facing a dire decision about the health of one of them, but – AH HA! A cleaver twist ensues & the boys realize they have come up against two very tricky chicks. A couple of stolen rides later, the group decides that, considering the options, working together is probably the best thing. And the goal for the girls? Wichita is bent on giving her sister one last shot at being a kid by heading to Pacific Playland in California. As the little troupe is heading through a zombie infested Hollywood, Tallahassee picks the perfect place for them to crash. With celebrity map in hand, they head for Bill Murray’s mansion. Yes, he does have a very cool little cameo- is that Bill Murray in drag or Bill Murray dragging body parts? Guess you’ll just have to see the movie. Pacific Playland turns out to be a really bad idea for the girls but gives Columbus a chance to break one of his own rules, be the hero & save the girl. Yes readers, this zombie movie actually has a happy ending! I told you it had everything.

My kudos to director Ruben Fleischer for making the funniest zombie movie since “Return of The Living Dead” – look it up, guys – “Sean of the Dead” is not the only zombie comedy – or, zomedy if you will. Now it’s official – if someone steals that, you can say you read it here first!

Pandorum

J: I hate to characterize movies like this but “Pandorum” is best described as “Alien” meets “Mad Max” and that’s all I need to know. I would make just one suggestion to anyone seeing this movie for the first time – just relax and enjoy the fun. I know I did. Anyone with an interest, as I have, will then need to see the movie for a second time in order to get all your questions answered and, yes, you will have questions but, heck, that’s part of the fun isn’t it? I mean, honestly, how many times have you watched Alien? Yeah, thought so.

It is said in literary circles that there are really only five plots in fiction. The same goes for sci-fi and those are pretty much monster/alien running loose, psychopathic killer running loose, zombies running loose, and hyperspace sickness and its effects. Pandorum deals with the later but in an interesting way. A space ship called Elysium (aptly named for both its meaning as a paradise and an abode of the dead) departs a fatally overcrowded future Earth carrying some 60,000 souls bound to colonize an Earthlike planet. We join the fun as a couple of crew members are awaking from deep hyper-sleep and watch as they navigate their temporary loss of memory. Gradually, the two men, Lt. Payton (Dennis Quaid) and Corporal Bower (Ben Foster), realize they have been awakened at the wrong time and also that they can’t leave their small capsule. The only way out is through the crowded air duct, naturally. Bower is the only one small enough to make it, so with Payton in radio contact and talking him through, he attempts to get to the flight deck so he can find out what the H-E double hockey sticks is going on!

Here’s where the fun begins. On the way to the flight deck, Bower is attacked by a human looking and quite cannibalistic creature that he manages to fight off. He also meets a few people from the crew, one that should be wearing that infamous “red shirt” of Star Trek fame, one who is fierce but doesn’t speak English and a French woman. They convince Bower he won’t like what he finds on the flight deck so they head for the reactor instead – yes, Super Bower can jump start that puppy too, what a guy! Along the way, Bower finds out the French woman, Nadia (Antje Traue), is the keeper of all the plants and animals this modern Noah’s ark is carrying and that she’s a pretty mean survivalist, unfortunately she doesn’t have much info and has no idea how long this has all been going on. As they continue on to the reactor, they bump into the requisite crazy guy who does. Leland (Eddie Rouse) is his name and he narrates his carvings on the ship wall in order to tell them about the message received by the crew after they had been underway for some time. That message said the Earth was in imminent danger of being destroyed and so the ship now carries the last remnants of human kind. One of those crew members, Gallo (Cam Gigandet) then flips out suffering from a deep space sickness known as Pandorum – very much feared and brought on by severe stress in space. Gallo kills everyone on the flight deck and then begins playing God with the rest of the crew and either causes their deaths or allows them to mutate into the flesh eating creatures the rest of this little band is trying to avoid. Finally Bower convinces all their best chance of survival is to help him get to the reactor – which is great because Leland is sizing them up for a Happy Meal.

And here I will stop because I am not going to be a spoiler – see, I told you there would be questions! This truly is first rate sci-fi and director Christian Alvart takes us on a wild and thoroughly entertaining ride that ultimately involves some pretty neat plot twists and a major bit of mistaken identity – just in case you were wondering what happened to Lt. Payton. Part of the fun is trying to figure out who actually has Pandorum and who is ok. Also, it isn’t as visually dark as a lot of these movies so you are spared a lot of eye strain! However, sigh, I have one minor complaint. The important info that we get along the way comes by way of someone with a really weird accent and strange flashbacks which can be slightly annoying and cause the viewer to miss important details, so as I said, enjoy the ride the first time through then go back for seconds! I’ll be right behind you!

K: Ah yes, my PIC did indeed have a question about a key plot point, and when I pointed out the scene where we got that information she grumbled something about having someone else give us the information instead of the guy who's hard to understand. I couldn't really argue with that.

I liked this movie. Good action / sci-fi flick with a little bit of a twist at the end - God knows I love those! My one complaint is that at the end of every scene someone had to say "We've got to get out of here." It was obvious by everything that was going on in the plot that it was crucial for them to keep moving. I don't think they had to remind us quite so often. But hey, if you can roll with that and focus your listening on the mumbly guy's big scene, you're sure to enjoy this thriller.

The Informant

J: When was the last time you sat in a darkened theater laughing at someone who is so psychologically impaired that it borders on pathological? Well, get ready to have your funny bone tweaked by Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) in “The Informant” because he truly puts the fun in dysfunctional.

Steven Soderbergh directed this romp through the biggest whistleblower case in Justice Department history. It is a dark comedy that uses the main character’s non-sequiturs as the illustration of his decent into madness as a result of the pressures of being a mole for the FBI. The trick is extremely effective – you find yourself scratching your head and wondering how anyone could possibly be thinking about the size of their hands as they walk into a price fixing meeting wired to the teeth. You can’t help but laugh.

The Informant is based on the book of the same name by Attorney James Lieber that tells the story of Whitacre’s decision to blow the whistle on Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and their efforts to fix the global price of lysine. Unfortunately, he also happens to be engaging in a little corporate hanky-panky himself. As the pressures of the three years of being a mole within the organization begin to build, Whitacre slips further into bipolar mania until he can’t tell his facts from his fantasies. The FBI agents, Brian Shepard (Scott Bakula) and Dean Paisley (Joel McHale) stand helplessly by while Whitacre first flirts with giving away the whole investigation with his wide-eyed wonderment at how the FBI has rigged their surveillance (he stares at the lamp in the hotel room where the bug is hidden with childlike wonder) and then as their case slips away because of Whitacre’s ever changing account of what is happening. Whitacre, meanwhile, is convinced that he will be hailed as an everyman hero and given the position of CEO of ADM pretty much because he will be the last man standing after the Justice Department gets through with ADM – even as the Justice lawyers point out to him that the “corporate landscape may change a bit” for him. But he cluelessly forges ahead with his equally clueless wife Ginger (Melanie Lynskey) at his side. As a stay at home mother, she is comfortable with their surroundings even as she questions why her husband needs six cars in the garage – many of them top end sports cars. It is, however, at her urging that he goes to the FBI and offers his service.

The Informant gives one the chance to just sit and be entertained. You don’t have to divine the motives or guess who the real villain is or when the twist will come. It is an extremely straightforward and uncomplicatedly funny movie. With a dash of sixties era “gee-gosh-willy”, even though it happens in the mid-1990’s, provided by Whitacre and his wife this is just an all around enjoyable movie. Please do not feel guilty about laughing – I’m pretty sure that’s the point!

K: Insanely funny! What a comedy of errors - unfortunately it's true! *whispers* "I see stupid people. They're everywhere!"