Movie Reviews

The ★ Scale:
★ = Don't waste your time.
★★ = Possibly wasting your time. Your choice.
★★★ = Recommend.
★★★★ = Highly recommend.
★★★★★ = Watch it! Or else.

★

Body of Lies: Not impressed. This movie could not keep my intention for more than two minutes at a time. Pinterest was much more entertaining. :-) I may just be over the terrorist movies, but I was definitely hoping for something more especially since Leo and Russel are the stars.

★★

The Green Hornet: Again, I was hoping for more. I love superhero/action movies and Seth Rogen, but this movie was another disappointment. I gave it 2 stars instead of just 1 because there were a couple of funny parts and I did not browse Pinterest as much during this one.

★★★

Gosford Park: Netflix brought this movie to my attention since I liked Downton Abbey so much and I enjoyed it. At first, it was a little overwhelming, there are a lot of characters and fast dialogue, but as the movie goes on, you get a clearer picture of things. There are a lot of stars in this movie, like Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, and Maggie Smith... so there is great acting. I wasn't really impressed with the romantic stories within the film and some scenes seemed to go by too quick, while others lasted too long. Overall, it was an entertaining flick.

TV Show:

★★★★★

Lastly, I need to say, Archer is back on. Love that show! It's inappropriate, crazy, hilarious, but it is filled with a very specific (some may describe it as stupid) humor that you will either love or hate. My husband and I both love it! It's on FX on Thursdays at 10 PM.

Movie Review: Paradise Lost Trilogy

 

Ever heard of the West Memphis 3? The Robin Hood Murders? Well, if you haven't, don't feel too bad... I had no idea about this story until my husband put the first two movies on our Netflix queue. I was instantly interested when I read the description on the back of the DVD, especially because I studied the kind of effect the media has on our society while I was in college. This is a prime example of the media's power in this country. In this situation, the media not only created stereotypes that aided in the wrongful conviction of three kids, but also created a documentary that commanded attention and created a following that helped to "free" the three now men.

IMDb has this concise description of the films: "A horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence."

I encourage you to Google or Wikipedia the story to find out more (well, when the SOPA black-out protest is over). You will either be interested in this or not at all, so that is up to you.

We watched the first two films a few months ago and recently watched the last one since it was just released. The films are a bit repetitive, but that's because they are reminding the viewers of what had previously transpired. It is fascinating to watch all the "characters" in these films change over time. For instance, Mark Byers is the stepfather of one of the murdered children. In the first film, he is out for blood and curses the three boys on trial. In the second film, he continues to blame the convicts, but the table turns and new evidence is revealed that makes Byers a possible suspect. In the last film, he completely changes his tune due to new evidence and joins the fight to free the three convicts.

I love documentaries that really make you think and these ones certainly do. Whether you agree with the convictions or not, these are definitely films worth viewing to keep American citizens on their toes and try to keep our justice system and the people who uphold it in check.

I give all three movies a four star review - ★★★★

Movie Reviews

I grew up in a house with an entire wall full of VHS movies, a mother who threw Academy Award parties every year, and an unlimited access to HBO/Showtime/Cinemax... so needless to say, I really enjoy watching movies. I also enjoy making videos, which is probably why I concentrated in Media Production and Critisicm in college, but we'll talk about that another time.

Anyway, since I enjoy watching movies and I seem to watch them a lot, I will be writing reviews on my blog. I will use a 5 star rating scale (listed below) and write a brief description of what I liked or did not like about the film. Now, these movies will not be the latest and greatest out in the theaters because I don't really go to the theaters much these days, so get over it.

The ★ Scale:
★ = Don't waste your time.
★★ = Possibly wasting your time. Your choice.
★★★ = Recommend.
★★★★ = Highly recommend.
★★★★★ = Watch it! Or else.

Here we go...

★★

Red Riding Hood: 2 stars is generous. The hot actors in the movie are the reason for the extra star. I was really hoping this movie would be better, especially since Gary Oldman is in it (which I didn't know until I saw the opening credits), but it was just a disappointment.

★★★

 The Wolfman: This movie was a little long, but I enjoyed it. I really liked how the look of the Wolfman was more "oldschool," and of course, Benicio Del Toro is fantastic. Also, there is a pretty badass fight scene at the end of the film. Oh and Anthony Hopkins is in this movie, nuf said.

★★★

Love & Other Drugs: Holy nudity Batman! If you enjoy excessive nudity and hot sex scenes, this is the film for you! Oh yeah, and there is also a very touching love story. I am a little biased because I can stare at Jake Gyllenhaal running around the screen for 2 hours and be completely happy, but I did think this was a good movie. There was a good balance of the sexy parts and the love story that definitely made me tear up at the end. To sum it up: For the ladies, there is Jake and a beautiful love story. For the dudes, there is Anne Hathaway's boobs... a lot.

★★★★

The Fighter: I am a sucker for movies based on a true story and this one does not disappoint. Underdog + drug use + fighting + family + awesome acting = a great story. Christian Bale and Melissa Leo definitely deserved their Oscars for their performances in this film. There is a clip at the end of the film of the real Dicky and Micky being interview that just goes to show how spot on Bale was in his portrayal of Dicky.

TV Show Review...

★★★★★

Downton Abbey: I am a big fan of period pieces and this has been one of my favorites in a long time. It's a Masterpiece Classic TV show that airs on PBS on Sunday evenings at 9 PM. I just watched the entire first season and I am hooked! The first episode of the second season is available online for a limited time and the rest of the season will be airing on Sundays. The characters, the acting, the costumes, the stories, and the Abbey itself... everything is incredible!

That is it for today! Thanks for taking the time to read my two cents on these movies/TV show. Come back to see more!