Losin' It/ Elsewhere/ Dark Ride/ Repo Men

211. Losin' It
212. Elsewhere
213. Dark Ride
214. Repo Men

Killers/ The Final Destination

209. Killers
210. The Final Destination

Killers is the 2010 flick starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl.

Heigl has just broken up with her boyfriend. To help ease the newly single blues, she goes on a vacation to Nice with her parents. While checking in at the hotel, she meets the handsome Kutcher and agrees to go out to dinner with him that evening. After this one evening, Kutcher decides that Heigl is the girl for him. Obviously,he doesn't waste any time. Fast forward to three years later to find them married and living a quiet life. That changes quickly as Kutcher's old life comes back to haunt them.

This was a decent flick. The story was alright, although the movie felt a bit disjointed at times. Especially neat the beginning. It felt as if they tried to cram 30 minutes of movie into a 20 minute slot. It just felt as though they were skipping into the future with no intentions of letting the audience in on the move. The cast was solid. I don't know what it is about Kutcher but I really like him. He's not the best actor out there but he has a charisma that makes him easy to watch. Heigl is good here in what is quickly becoming her trademark role. The supporting cast is good with Tom Selleck, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Mull. R&B singer Usher even has a small appearance here.

Overall, Killers is a decent action/comedy. I'd say it's a pretty good rainy day-type of movie.


The Final Destination is the fourth installment in the Final Destination series.

Each of the movies in this series is known for a grand scale, Rube Goldberg-style sequences where many folks are going to die. The first wasn't guilty of this but the rest of the movies have been. This is the biggest culprit. A group of friends is at a Nascar-type event when all hell breaks loose. Or does it? As it turns out, one of the friends just had a vision of the impending demise of himself and his friends. Freaking out, he gets them out of the stadium just before the events that caused their deaths in his vision start happening for real. Having narrowly avoided death, they do not realize that they have upset the grand scheme of things and that death will be coming for them regardless.

These movies ultimately follow a formula. Avoid death and then die in a manner even more gruesome. Usually there are teases about what's going to happen but oftentimes those are red herrings, designed to throw you off the scent of what's really going to happen. Of the films in this series, this one definitely feels the most formulaic. I think that the filmmakers realized the script wasn't so hot so they added the gimmick of 3-D to it. So, in watching this home video version, you get lots of shots that were obviously intended for 3-D.

Of the series, this is the weakest. The story is just a rehash of the previous films. The death sequences aren't anywhere near as clever as they have been in the past either. It feels almost as if they ran out of ideas. As for the cast, the only really recognizable names are Krista Allen and Mykelti Williamson and for those two, you have to know your movies. Everyone else feels plucked from the set of the latest Fox series.

Overall, while The Final Destination is the worst of the series, it's still a lot better than some of the movies out there. It's definitely an entertaining way to spend 90 minutes, at any rate. Recommended. Barely.

Shutter (2008)

208. Shutter (2008)

Shutter(2008) is the Hollywood remake of the 2004 Thai film of the same name.

Newlyweds Ben and Jane move from New York City to Tokyo Japan in order to accommodate Ben's job as a photographer. While traveling from their honeymoon location to their new apartment in the city, Jane strikes and (apparently) kills a girl with their car, before running off the road and crashing. When Ben and Jane come to, there is no sign of anybody being struck. As Ben and Jane start to settle into their new lives, odd things start happening. Ben complains of pain in his neck and shoulders. His photos are being ruined by odd flashes of light. Jane begins having visions of the girl that she hit. What's causing all of these issues?

Honestly, I liked this one a lot. I've never seen the original for some reason or another. This one definitely makes me want to check it out ASAP though. The story really doesn't have much originality to it, as it seems to follow the trend of many Asian horror flicks and their remakes. I do like the cast however, with Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor as Ben and Jane. The rest of the cast is decent with David Denman and John Hensley in supporting roles. Also, I will say that while others may disagree with me, I find a couple of shots near the end to be very striking and powerful. Good stuff.

Overall, Shutter is a pretty good flick. I recommend it.

The 4th Floor

207. The 4th Floor

The 4th Floor stars Juliette Lewis as Jane, a young lady who has inherited a rent-controlled apartment from her aunt who has recently passed away.

Shortly after moving in, Jane discovers that apartment living is not for everyone as she seems to have rubbed many of her neighbors the wrong way. What starts off as a semi-innocent feud with the neighbor on the fourth floor quickly escalates to something much more serious.

I liked this one. I found it to be slightly predictable but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. It was just engaging enough to keep me interested regardless of where I felt it was going. And just when I thought I'd seen everything, there comes a fight scene involving a massive amount of Styrofoam shipping peanuts. The cast is solid, with quite a few recognizable names. As mentioned earlier, Juliette Lewis is the lead. She's completely hit-or-miss with me but I liked her here. Others in the cast are William Hurt, Shelley Duvall, Austin Pendleton, Artie Lange and Tobin Bell. Just don't expect a horror flick. I've seen this one billed that way often. Don't believe the hype...it's most definitely a thriller.

Overall, The 4th Floor was much better than I was expecting it to be. I'd say it's worth a watch.

Despicable Me

Despicable Me

Despicable Me tells the story of Gru, one of the world's leading villains.

Gru is used to being one of the baddest of the bad guys. His misdeeds have earned him notoriety throughout the world. When a huge crime takes place, he hatches a scheme to top it. What he doesn;t know is that he's about to face some competition in the form of Vector, a rookie villain.

I really enjoyed this one. Of all the kid/family movies I've seen this year, I'd rank it right at the top, even over Toy Story 3. It had the perfect blend of heart and laughs with enough stuff to satisfy the adults in the audience. Little bits like the "gru-ray player" were enough to bring a smile to my face. Gru's minions, the ubiquitous yellow guys from the poster/trailer/etc, were awesome and deserve their own movie down the road. The voice casting was top notch here. If I hadn't known who the actors were, I'd have probably had a tough time guessing who was whom. Steve Carell is Gru with Russell Brand, Jason Segel and Miranda Cosgrove in supporting roles.

Overall, Despicable Me was a really solid movie. I liked it quite a bit more than I was expecting to and definitely recommend it.

Lake Mungo/ Grown Ups

205. Lake Mungo
206. Grown Ups


Lake Mungo is the 7th film I've watched in this year's Horrorfest.

The premise here is simple. A young girl drowns while swimming at a local dam. Suddenly, bizarre things and supernatural occurrences begin happening around their home. Is it their daughter trying to communicate with them? Or is it something more sinister? As it turns out, the family really didn't know all that much about their daughter as it's discovered that she led something of a double life.

This movie is shot documentary style so there are a variety of looks to the movie. Some is shot on video, some looks shot on film, security footage, cell phone footage, etc. The quality can vary greatly from scene to scene, so be prepared for that.

I really wanted to like this movie. I did. However, I just couldn't get into it. Ultimately, it was too slow in getting going and there were too many fake-outs. I didn't even really see it as much of a horror movie, to be honest. I consider it to be more of a drama with a few horrific elements. Barely.

In reading reviews of this online after my viewing, it seems as if it's a "love it or hate it" kind of movie. I definitely fall into the hate it category. There's just nothing here that garners any praise from me. Skip it.


Grown Ups sees 5 grade school buddies come together for the funeral of their beloved youth basketball coach.

I found this one to be a lot of fun. It seems to me that a lot of the material was improvised by the cast. The movie comes across as if the cast had a great time filming it. In terms of story, there really isn't much of one. No real conflict to speak of either. As I said, it seems heavily improvised and it seems to serve as an excuse for these guys to get together and just rank on each other.

The cast is solid with Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider as the core group. In supporting roles are Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Colin Quinn and Maya Rudolph. You've also got cameos from Sandler favorites Norm McDonald and Steve Buscemi.

Overall, this is an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes. Don't go in expecting some huge story. Go in expecting an hour and a half of silly humor and you'll be alright. Recommended.

Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls/ The Chateau

203. Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
204. The Chateau


Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is the 1995 followup to Jim Carrey's first real hit.

Jim Carrey was something of a middling actor in the early 90s. He'd done a few leading roles in movies that were largely unnoticed like Once Bitten. At the time of the first Ace Ventura flick, he was a regular on the television series In Living Color. When that movie hit theaters, no one was really expecting much from it. To everyone's surprise, it was a hit right out of the gate. Word out of mouth carried it to 3 pretty solid weekends with it seeing very small percentage drops.

This sequel finds Ace semi-retired and living in a Buddhist monastery after a tragedy involving an animal. He's pulled out of retirement in order to help find the African Wachati tribe find their missing sacred animal before their vicious rivals slaughter them over the loss of it.

I was amazed at how well this movie held up. I hadn't seen it in years so I was kind of expecting the humor to fall flat and be stale. Instead, I found myself sucked in by Carrey's charm and was laughing pretty frequently. Granted, it's not the same laughter as when I first saw the movie back in the day but it still came as a surprise. His reaction to the sacred animal in particular hit me just right.

The story here is really nothing to talk about. Story is essentially just stopgaps on the way to the next joke. In terms of the cast, this is all Carrey's show. He's at his peak here and just knocks it out of the ballpark. In terms of support, you've got Ian McNeice, Bob Gunton, Simon Callow and Tommy Davidson. All are decent, but again, it's Carrey's movie.

Overall, this is still a pretty funny movie. It's not as good as some of Carrey's others but its still worth checking out.


The Chateau is the 2001 flick starring Paul Rudd and Romany Malco, later to pair up in The 40 Year Old Virgin.

This one tells the story of Graham and Alex, two brothers who have inherited a chateau in France.

I am a big fan of Paul Rudd. I can sit through just about anything that he's in. This movie is the rare exception. I struggled to get through this one. The story is your typical stranger in a strange land deal. The only part I really enjoyed was Rudd's attempts at speaking French. Saying things with a French accent does not make you fluent in the language. Rudd and Malco are the two leads here. Both are good, considering what they're working with. Support comes from Sylvie Testud, Phillipe Nahon and Didier Flamand.

Overall, I found this movie to be boring and painfully slow. Also, it's not particularly funny. It's definitely not worth checking out. Skip it.

50 First Dates

202. 50 First Dates


50 First Dates sees Adam Sandler pairing up with Drew Barrymore for the second time.

Barrymore is Lucy. Due to a car accident, she's suffered damage to the part of her brain responsible for short term memory. Each day she wakes up, she can not remember the previous day. She just keeps reliving the last day before the accident. Her brother and father go out of their way to ensure that nothing changes for her, so that every day is the same. Sandler is Henry, a marine-life veterinarian at an aquatic park. He's also a bit of a man-whore, hooking up with female tourists and ditching them just before they head back home. That all changes when he meets Lucy and hits it off with her. They agree to meet the next day and he is taken aback to learn that she doesn't seem to remember him when that next day rolls around. He decides that he's going to try and make her fall in love with him each day.

I enjoyed this movie. It's not my favorite Sandler flick but it's a good way to spend 90 minutes. The story is decent and it's cute seeing the different ways that Sandler tries to go about his task. This isn't a side-splitter in terms of laughs. There are a few good ones though. The cast is solid with Sandler and Barrymore turning in good performances. In supporting roles, you've got Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Blake Clark and Dan Aykroyd. Astin's character, in particular, is pretty funny.

Overall, 50 First Dates is a good movie. It doesn't quite compare to the previous Sandler/Barrymore pair-up The Wedding Singer but it's still worth a watch.

Fear Dot Com

201. Fear Dot Com

Fear Dot Com is a 2002 horror flick directed by William Malone who was slightly hot off of 1999's House on Haunted Hill remake.

People begin dying of what appears to be a hemorrhagic virus. Department of Health officials can't find any signs of a virus however. Detective work by the NYPD eventually turns up that all victims have been spending time on a website called feardotcom.

Oh dear lord, this is really a terrible movie. Back in 2002 when it came out, it was widely panned by critics and horror fans alike. I saw it upon its release to dvd and didn't care for it. I rewatched it the other night thinking that maybe my opinion would soften after 8 years. Obviously, it didn't. Alright, first of all, when the characters type out the name of the website, they type out feardotcom.com. I know the internet wasn't quite as big as it is now back then, but how the hell could that be something like that be overlooked? Secondly, the way the internet is discussed, it is fairly obvious that whomever wrote the movie has never used the internet in their lives. The person who wrote it obviously saw Ringu and Kairo however, as this one borrows liberally from both. In terms of casting, Stephen Dorff, Natascha McElhone and Stephen Rea are the leads. They do the best they can with the material but there still isn't much to show for it at the end of the day.

Overall, Fear Dot Com is garbage and not worth watching at all. Skip it.

Zombies of Mass Destruction/ Date Night/ American Buffalo/ Terror in the Aisles

197. Zombies of Mass Destruction
198. Date Night
199. American Buffalo
200. Terror in the Aisles


Zombies of Mass Destruction is yet another After Dark Horrorfest movie.

This one takes place in the small island town of Port Gamble. Townsfolk have begun turning into zombies. This movie tells the stories of Frida, an Iranian-American girl whom one misguided person believes is responsible for the outbreak and Tom and Lance, a gay couple on the island so Tom can come out to his mom. Will they survive the zombie outbreak?

Not particularly a good movie here. For a movie advertising itself as a zombie comedy, it sure skimps on laughs. They're plenty political though, trying to be clever and satirical. The story is that of your typical zombie movie. Zombie bites someone, someone turns into zombie. Rinse, lather, repeat. As for the cast, the opening credits don't even bother listing them, so that shows the name recognition you're gonna get here. I looked them up for you. Your leads are Janette Armand, Doug Fahl and Cooper Hopkins. All 3 are decent enough, I must say. None were terrible. In the plus column, for a movie made for a million bucks, it looks really well done. The effects were decent and the gore was good.

Overall, Zombies of Mass Destruction has a few things going for it but isn't really worth watching. Skip it.


Date Night is the latest comedy from Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy.

Tina Fey and Steve Carrell star as Phil and Claire, a married couple who have fallen into a rut. Sex is a production that's tough to get motivated for. Even their weekly date night is nothing but a stale routine that sees them attending the same restaurant and ordering the same food. One evening, they decide to switch things up and take a drive to the city. They want to dine at Claw, an upscale seafood restaurant. Not having reservations, they're banished to the bar area in hope that something will open up for them. When they notice a party not answering the call that their table is ready, Phil jumps on the opportunity and steals their reservation. They quickly realize that that might not have been the best idea Phil has ever had. A case of mistaken identity quickly turns into something that they'd have never expected. How will two average folks survive their night in an action movie?

This movie was a blast. I had a great time watching it. The story has been done before, what with innocent folks getting caught up in situations that they can't possibly understand. The cast just knocks it out of the ballpark though. Carrell and Fey are excellent as the leads. To me, Carrell is essentially playing a slightly more intelligent version of his Michael Scott character on The Office. I'm not typically fond of older women but Tina Fey is a stone cold fox. She's got something about her that just hits me in all the right places. The supporting cast is huge with lots of familiar faces popping up. You've got Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P Henson, Jimmi Simpson, Common, William Fichtner, Leighton Meester and a few surprises along the way.

Overall, Date Night was a really enjoyable movie. I definitely recommend checking it out.


American Buffalo is based on the play of the same name by David Mamet.

This one tells the story of Teach, Don and Bobby. Don owns a junk shop. Recently, he sold an american buffalo nickel to a customer for what he felt was a good deal for him. As it turns out, the coin was worth much more than what he was given for it. Being slightly less scrupulous than an average person, Don decides that he's going to get that nickel back, one way or another.

First of all, if you're not a fan of movies where absolutely nothing happens, stay far away from this one. For the movie's near 90 minute run-time, the only thing that happens is talking. It is a very minimalist production. Everything takes place inside and just outside of the store and over the course of one day. The cast is Dennis Hoffman, Dennis Franz and Sean Nelson. Other characters are discussed but none appear on screen. On the surface, this might seem like than interesting but it actually kept my interest the whole time. Had I known then what I know now, I might not have even watched it, to be honest. It's definitely a challenging movie. What helped me get through it was the cast. Hoffman, Franz and Nelson turn in some great performances. Hoffman's Teach is batshit crazy, filling the screen with his neuroses.

Overall, this movie is definitely not for everyone. If the words I've written above make you feel like checking it out, go for it.


Terror in the Aisles is a 1984 horror clip film.

Terror in the Aisles is a rare one, that's for sure. A theatrically released movie consisting of pretty much nothing but movie clips. Over 75 movies make appearances over the course of the 84 minute run-time. I remember being amazed by this one when I first saw it as it felt like the movie version of a mix tape, with all the best scenes from great movies.

Hosted by Donald Pleasance and Nancy Allen, this movie shows clips from Halloween, Jaws, Psycho, The Birds, Friday the 13th and lots more. The segments are divided into groups covering such ground as the link between sex and horror, the occult and terrifying villains. All are as interesting as clips can be, at any rate. Revisiting this reminded me of how many of these movies I'd been curious to see but never got around to. I'll have to remedy that now.

As of this writing, this movie hasn't received an official dvd release. I suspect that it might not ever see the light of day due to rights of all the films involved. So, if you want to see this, you'll have to do as I did and seek out an alternative method.

Heartless

196. Heartless

In the night, I hear them talk...the coldest story ever told...oops, wrong Heartless. Sorry Kanye, I'mma let you finish but for now, this one is director Philip Ridley's first film in 15 years.

Heartless tells the story of Jamie. He's a photographer who was born with port-wine stain birthmarks on his arm and a large one in the shape of a heart over his eye. Due to that, his self esteem and confidence are terrible. Unable to meet women, he lives at home with his mom still. In his neighborhood, a gang is terrorizing everyone, committing acts of vandalism and even going so far as murder. Will their paths cross? And more importantly, what the fuck did I just watch?

This is a mind-fuck of a movie. Beyond that, I don't really want to say much more. This is one of those rare movies where I feel that I can't discuss it without traipsing into spoiler territory. I will say that this is a good movie though. The story is interesting and the lead character is engaging. The cast is solid with Jim Sturgess as Jamie. I've really liked him in everything I've seen him in. It's too bad that my opinion doesn't mean much to the rest of the American public. Support here comes from Clemence Poesy, Eddie Marsan, Joseph Mawle and Nikita Mistry.

Overall, I have to recommend that everyone check this movie out. It's not available on dvd here in the States yet, but there are ways to track it down. It's well worth the time and effort.

The Graves/ A Guy Thing/ Kill Theory

193. The Graves
194. A Guy Thing
195. Kill Theory


The Graves is another of the 4th annual After Dark Horrorfest flicks. It is the directorial debut of comic book veteran and Lady Death creator Brian Pulido.

This one tells the story of two sisters. One is getting ready to leave Arizona in order to take a job in New York. Deciding to go on one last road trip before, they end up at the Skull City Mine, a roadside attraction in the desert. Upon taking the tour, they quickly discover that foul things are taking place there. Will they manage to survive?

Of all the Horrorfest 4 movies I've watched so far, I'd rank this pretty high up there. It was a fun movie. Plenty of blood and gore. Violent deaths and a touch of the supernatural added up to an enjoyable time.

The story doesn't cover much new ground but there are a couple of twists to make things interesting. The cast is solid with Clare Grant and Jillian Murray as our leads. Both are extremely easy on the eyes. In support, you've got lots of horror veterans like Bill Moseley, Tony Todd and Amanda Wyss. Randy Blythe, singer of Lamb of God also has a role here.

Overall, I enjoyed this one quite a bit and recommend it.


A Guy Thing stars Jason Lee, Selma Blair and Julia Stiles.

Paul and Karen are getting married. At the bachelor party, Paul winds up hitting it off with Becky, a tiki dancer on her first night on the job. The next morning, they wake up in bed together. What the hell just happened?

I like this movie. It's not the best thing out there but it's an enjoyable way to spend some time. The story is decent with a couple of interesting twists along the way. It's funnier than expected, as I found myself laughing pretty hard on occasion. The cast is what makes this one work. Lee, Blair and Stiles are all solid, as they usually are. Support comes from Shawn Hatosy, James Brolin, David Koechner, Thomas Lennon and Lochlyn Munro.

Overall, A Guy Thing is a decent flick that's worth watching.


Kill Theory is another After Dark Horrorfest entry.

This one starts off with a mental patient discussing his troubles with a psychiatrist. Years prior, he'd been rock climbing with friends and made a choice that killed his friends and let him live. He was sentenced to time in an institution for the crime and is on the verge of being released. Next, the movie introduces us to a bunch of friends getting ready to have a graduation party at a lake house. The first day goes well until night falls and the paths of these friends and the mental patient cross.

Kill Theory plays off as kind of a cross between Friday the 13th and Saw. Friday the 13th in that you've got a drunk and sexed up teenagers at a party in a house in the woods and Saw in that the killer communicates via videotapes and sets up some elaborate traps. I liked it and feel that it works pretty well. Plenty of gory deaths and some pretty unsettling moments. The kids are given an option that will allow them to survive if they go through with it which makes for a pretty interesting story and makes it deviate somewhat from your standard slasher flick.

The cast consists of Taryn Manning, Agnes Bruckner, Teddy Dunn, Carly Pope, Kevin Gage and Daniel Franzese. It's the type of cast that while you might know the names, you're familiar with the faces.

Overall, Kill Theory is one of the better Horrorfest entries. I recommend it.

Entourage Season 6

192. Entourage Season 6

Entourage Season 6 picks up where the previous season left off. Vince is back on his game after being cast in Martin Scorsese's new adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

I noticed in this season that everyone kind of had their own individual story lines going on. Vince had time off between projects so he just did his own thing. E was busy trying to get his own agency off the ground and make his client's tv show a success. Turtle is dating Jamie-Lynn Sigler and is trying to better himself by going to college so he can learn about starting a business. And Drama encounters trouble on the set of his series. I find the show works best like this. Everyone is involved in something interesting rather than just having the four main characters hanging out.

This season is packed with appearances by celebrities. David Schwimmer, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Brady, Matt Damon, Lebron James and Bob Saget are just a few of the cameos.

Overall, I really enjoyed this season, blowing through it in one day. If you're a fan who'd watched this in the past but gave up, this would be a good season to start back up with.

Shoot Night

190. Highspots: Sorry, Creative Has Nothing for You, Jimmy Yang
191. ROH Straight Shootin' Series: CM Punk and Samoa Joe


Highspots: Sorry, Creative Has Nothing for You,Jimmy Yang is a shoot interview with former WWE superstar Jimmy Wang Yang.

To start, this isn't your typical shoot. Most of the obvious questions aren't really asked here, as opposed to very specific questions regarding Yang's past. For instance, how did living in the same area as Diamond Dallas Page help him get started? The questions are interesting and Yang has some good stories to tell.

The negatives to this shoot are two-fold. First off, as I said, it's very specific so it doesn't really leave room for Yang to go off topic much. Secondly, I'm not sure if Yang has a nervous condition or if he's stoned but he has a tendency to laugh at almost everything he says. I like the guy but it gets annoying pretty damn quickly.

Overall, this is really only worth watching if you're a big fan of Jimmy Yang. Otherwise, there's not much to offer.


Ring of Honor Straight Shootin' Series with CM Punk and Samoa Joe is an interview with two of the current stars of WWE and TNA, respectively.

Ok, let's get this out of the way. This is the best shoot interview EVER. Of all the shoots I own, this is the one that gets the most views. Not only is it extremely informative but it is freaking hilarious. Punk and Joe are two of the better storytellers I've seen interviewed.

The interview starts off discussing the classic trilogy of matches between these two. They offer a lot of insight as to how the matches came about and their opinions on all three. Once they wrap that up, it's anything goes. Their stories are second to none and really have to be heard to be believed. Punk, in particular, is hysterical.

All in all, this is nearly 3 hours of great stories, good laughs and good times. Whether you're a fan or not, I highly recommend this one.

Eclipse

Eclipse is the third movie in the Twilight series. The filmmakers like to refer to it as a saga but I refuse to do so. The Star Wars geek in me dies hard, I suppose.

Eclipse finds the lives of Edward and Bella settling back to normal. They're back together and planning the next stages of their relationship while Jacob pines for a chance with Bella. Under their noses however, someone is building an army of vampires.

Revoke my man card if you'd like, but I actually enjoyed this one. The stories built up in the previous movie blossomed further here. There was enough action to keep my interest piqued the entire time. There was enough tension between the three leads to make the story more bearable. And they developed some of the other members of the Cullen family, fleshing out the characters and making you want to see more. The dialogue took a turn for the worse here though as there are a few scenes that are downright painful to listen to. Again, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner are your leads. Lautner falls victim to the pen this time, getting to spout some of the terrible dialogue himself. In terms of the supporting cast, Facinelli, Greene, Kendrick and Fanning return. Jackson Rathbone and Nikki Reed step up here and both are better for it. So, I suspect that they will get the terrible dialogue next time out,lol.

Of the three movies in this series, Eclipse has been the best of the bunch, hands down.

Twilight/ New Moon

188. Twilight
189. New Moon


Twilight is based on the novel of the same name by author Stephenie Meyer. It was the first of four books and this movie is the first of (eventually) five movies.

Twilight tells the story of Bella Swan. She lives in Phoenix Arizona with her mom and her mom's new husband. Step-dad is a minor league baseball player so he's on the road frequently. Bella's mom decides that she'd like to join him on the road so Bella gets shipped up to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. Shortly after arriving, she meets Edward Cullen, a dark and brooding student who comes from what seems to be a bizarrely large family. They don't care much for each other at first but soften up their stances as time passes. Unfortunately for Bella, Edward is a vampire.

Make no bones about it, Twilight is a chick flick. Sure, there are vampires and a bit of violence. At the end of the day, however, Twilight's primary audience is of the gentler persuasion. The main genre here is romance, as the story focuses on Edward and Bella evolving into a relationship and the effects it has on their lives.

I don't feel the deep level of hatred that some people have for this series, to be honest. Sure, the story is nothing new and the dialogue tends to be pretty stiff. I still find this flick to be fairly entertaining. The leads here are Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Both are capable of better, but they do the best they can with what they're given to work with. The supporting cast consists of Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick and Billy Burke. For the most part, their characters aren't given the same heavy handed dialogue as Bella and Edward, so they come off a bit better.

Overall, Twilight is certainly not a great movie. I don't particularly find myself recommending it but it's also not a terrible watch.


New Moon is the follow-up to 2008's Twiligt.

This one has Edward and Bella's relationship at a bit of a crossroads. Edward feels that he's no good for Bella so he breaks it off with her for her own safety. While they are apart, Bella spends more time with friend Jacob. As it turns out, Jacob is a werewolf whose family has had a centuries-long feud with vampires. Boy, can she pick them.

Relating to this one in terms of movie series, I'd equate this one to Empire Strikes Back. There's just enough stuff going on to keep it semi-interesting but the main point is to set up future conflict and further the story. Whereas the Cullens were developed in the first, this one focuses on Jacob and the werewolves.

I could say that I kind of liked Twilight but I can't really say the same for this one. Edward has become even more emo than previously and is pretty much unlikable. The story is more of the same, basically rehashing the first but from Jacob's point of view. Stewart and Pattinson are our leads again but a lot of screen time goes to Taylor Lautner's Jacob. The entire supporting cast returns with Facinelli, Greene, Kendrick and Burke being joined by Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning. Of the leads, Lautner is the solid one here.

New Moon is a transitional movie and one I really can't recommend seeing unless you're either a fan of the books or intending to keep up with the movies.

The A-Team

187. The A-Team

The A-Team is the 2010 action movie based on the television series that aired for five seasons in the 1980s.

The A-Team is an elite group of Army Rangers who do the tough jobs that regular military personnel can't pull off. After a mission goes wrong, they are jailed for crimes they didn't commit. The make their daring escapes from prison and set to clear their names and make things right.

I freaking loved this movie. I was never a fan of the show, so I wasn't expecting much going in. And then when the movie failed to really click at the box office, I was even more skeptical. Honestly though, the movie was just a really pleasant surprise.

The story here is nothing that hasn't been seen before. People being wrongly accused and attempting to clear their names is a pretty old cliche at this point. It's the action sequences that made this one such a blast. No pun intended. From the scene with the tank shooting down a fighter jet while falling through the sky to the explosive finale, the action here kept me smiling the entire time. It's not non-stop action, but it certainly zips along at a really nice pace. The casting is just perfect. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson are the team and all are solid and very likable. The only one I had doubts about was Rampage, but he pulled off the character of BA Baracus without a hitch. the supporting cast is solid as well with Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bloom, and Gerald McRaney.

Overall, The A-Team is one of those rare movies that I don't really have anything negative to say about. The movie is a lot of fun and a really enjoyable watch. I highly recommend it.