“17 Again” Brings Laughs without Annoying Musicals

9/4/09 12:23 PM

Okay. I’ll admit that I’ve seen a couple of the “High School Musical” movies. I’m not ashamed. They were cute movies. However, the singing can get annoying. It’s not surprising that I was a little hesitant in renting “17 Again.” I knew there probably wouldn’t be any singing in this one. But the high school image can get old pretty quick when you have a star like Zac Efron. He stars in the Disney movies set in high school. “Hairspray” stands as a fun movie to watch, a movie in which I actually like the music, but it still has Efron in high school. Now, there’s “17 Again” and he still looks like another high school attendee. Let’s not forget he’s playing basketball, again. There’s also a...

“The Cake Eaters” Makes Drama Less Tragic

7/13/09 12:20 PM

Drama is really my least favorite movie category. I just really don’t like things that make me cry, whether it’s provoked by a happy or sad scene. That’s why I was a little apprehensive about renting “The Cake Eaters.” I was interested in the film after seeing the trailer and learning that the director was Mary Stuart Masterson, who I enjoyed watching in “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “Benny & Joon.” I was hoping that no one died during the movie because I really wasn’t in the mood for anything even slightly depressing, and death is majorly depressing. “The Cake Eaters” (extremely odd title by the way) was one of the few dramas that actually surprised me by not being like other dramatic films. It stars Kristen...

Laughing at “Madea Goes to Jail”

6/28/09 1:48 PM

For years, I have been a Tyler Perry fan. He combines comedy with real world situations. Sometimes the real world situations can overshadow the comedy, but it doesn’t make his films any less funny. I like the fact that he is turning many of his plays into feature films because he is gaining a wider audience. Also, I like the films because sometimes the singing in the plays can be a little too much. Not all the time, but enough to need a little break. But I didn’t realize how diverse Perry’s audience was until I watched the bonus features on the “Madea Goes to Jail” DVD. They mentioned that Dr. Phil, who makes an appearance in the movie, was a fan of Tyler Perry’s movies. This made me realize how universal the themes are. Not just the subjects Perry... 2 comments

"Year One" meets today

6/21/09 2:20 PM

A person’s idea of humor really can vary. It takes a good director to know when to use comedy, ranging from simple gags to acts downright offensive. For my first theater review, I chose “Year One” to crack the whip against. Since humor does vary, I should note my comedy expectations. I want to laugh enough to get my money’s worth. That’s not a big request. The most recent movie I remember laughing constantly at was “Step Brothers.” For this one, I had to put the movie on pause because I was laughing so hard, a rare event to note. Michael Cera usually plays characters that have some kind of angst. It’s no different for “Year One.” I’m not complaining. Angst works, but sometimes I wonder exactly what other acting this guy...

Clocks and Review of “Taken”

6/14/09 6:14 PM

So I’ve decided to create my own rating system. Believe it or not, finding something different is a little frustrating. Ebert and Roper have the thumbs up thing, and the universal rating system seems to come in the form of stars (no surprise there). Anyway, I have chosen to use clocks. Yes, clocks. Why clocks? First, this is the one thing I could come up with that could go with any film, so bear with me. Second, if there is one thing all movies and genres have in common it’s the time factor. A long three hour movie could feel like a waste of time or become a moment when the movie takes over time completely because it was really that good. Here’s how it’s going to play out. The lowest I’ll give a movie is one clock. I figure if the film got out into the...