'The Social Network' (2010)

'The Social Network' is one of the most intriguing films in a long time.  It truly is an experience.  The score (provided by the amazing Trent Reznor) pulls you in and drives you through from beginning to end.  The musical composition envelops the viewer allowing the participant to feel as though they were there for the inception of this brilliant moment in pop culture history.  Whether or not you were really there (odds are you weren't) how many of us can say that we had a part in this brainchild (Zuckerberg's or not).  Because, after all, if you have a facebook account, or ever have, you were.  Jesse Eisenberg (Mark Zuckerberg) is so good in delivering his condescending, smug diatribes that it is near reminiscent of iambic pentameter.  There is no doubt  if it weren't for the amazing writing (Aaron Sorkin, who makes a cameo in the movie), or gripping direction (David Fincher) these actors wouldn't have had the platform to excel at their performances, as they did.  The only critique being the casting choice of Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin.  He's really good in the film.  His performance is enjoyable.  But, the illusion starts to waver when the real Eduardo Saverin was born in Brazil and his name is EDUARDO, yet he's being played by someone who isn't even close to his general ethnicity.  Overall this movie is a movement all its own: You're either a part of the ride, or not.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

I would rather watch G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra on loop than sit through this again.

Invictus (2009)

Great story, terrible movie.  Not taking away from the truly inspirational tale of Nelson Mandela and the South American rugby team, but the movie was awful.  Bad lighting, cheesy dialogue, and I expected so much more from Clint Eastwood!  He's an amazing director, but this movie fell so incredibly short.  The ending took forever as a slow motion build up lasted what seemed to be about an extra fifteen minutes.  I expect that kind of affect from eating shrooms, not from an Oscar nominated movie.

North by Northwest (1959)

North by Northwest is a fantastic film by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock.  The suspense begins soon after the credits finish and doesn't stop until the very end.  Cary Grant is... well... Cary Grant!  I can't get over the cadence with which he speaks.  It's so... intoxicatingly debonair.  Eva Marie Saint is wonderful as much as she is beautiful. 

Bottom Line:  If you like Hitchcock, you'll love this movie!

Paranormal Activity (2007)

In Paranormal Activity the viewer discovers that this isn't a normal haunted house. The house isn't haunted at all, as a matter of fact,  but one of the main characters, Katie, is. She has been haunted, on and off, for the majority of her life.   She, along with her live-in boyfriend, Micah (pronounced Meekah, and btw the characters hold the same names as the actors playing them), armed with video evidence contact a psychic to come on by and conduct an interview in an attempt to find out what their options are regarding this ghost. The psychic, played by Mark Fredrichs, is startled and informs the couple that he suspects Katie is haunted by a demon, not a ghost (which would be of human decent as opposed to a demon which is NOT human... good to know...). The psychic goes on to give them the number of a demonologist he knows and encourages them to call him since the psychic can offer no help and refuses to even if he could. (Who do you know that would want to be involved with a demon? I know I'd run away as well.) Micah brushes off the psychic, along with his advice, and continues to film and even brings in a Ouija board with much protest from Katie. That night when they step out the Ouija board spontaneously combusts after spelling out a short message. Even through this occurrence (along with all the others including where the demon tracks three-toed foot prints into the master bedroom) this couple STAYS in their house until their untimely end. I get that the girl is haunted and not the house, but I've watched enough Ghost Hunter series and the like to know that these things tend to be creatures of habit (on the presumption that they exist in the first place). Each haunting occurs in the middle of the night around 2:00am or 3:00am (somewhere in between and sometimes shortly after, you get my point). The hauntings become more and more physical which would indicate the entity is becoming stronger. Wouldn't you want to put a wrench in that? How about staying at a hotel where there are vast WITNESSES. I know you're filming it, but a lot of good that did ya.

Bottom Line:  An intriguing, not all too new, take on horror.  Creepy at times except these stupid white people do the same things as in all scary movies.  They keep goin back to that damn room!!!

All About Steve (2009)

I approached All About Steve with caution upon hearing critics ripping it to shreds and some referring to it as the worst movie of the year. I wouldn't go as far as all that, but it comes pretty close. Sandra Bullock plays Mary Horowitz, a woman who still lives with her parents, is socially awkward (because she's so freakin' smart, duh!), is the crossword puzzle designer for a local newspaper and speaks with a sort of lisp that makes me think she's a Parseltongue, but if you can get past that then good job, because I couldn't. She is set up on a blind date by her parents when who comes to the door? Steve (played by Bradley Cooper) who would NEVER, EVER in anyone's lifetime need to go on a blind date...ever. They show Steve earlier in the movie in the same office as Bullock's character, all the while not fully explaining the connection. She looks longingly over at him while he's surrounded by coworkers celebrating... I have no idea what. Do they work for the same newspaper? Doesn't seem so since Steve is a cameraman for one of the local news stations. This part confuses me and I'm derailed in the first 15 minutes of the film. Is this an unrequited love reminiscent of 27 Dresses? Couldn't tell you. As soon as Mary gets in Steve's car she jumps his bones. Cooper, attractive as he is does not warrant this type of behavior. No offense, but he's no Brad or George. Regardless, he acts as any warm blooded man and doesn't care whether or not he really knows the girl; all he knows is that he's goin' to get laid. This may be the most honest part in the entire movie. Right before consummation (in front of her parents house BTW, ick) Steve realizes how clearly psycho Mary is and this is, understandably, a complete turnoff. He kicks her out of the car with her still smitten, and takes off. She then loses her job by turning in an "inspired" crossword where all the answers are related to Steve. (Barf) She sees her unemployment as a message telling her she needs to follow Steve around the country with his news crew (who appears later in the movie than they probably should have) consisting of Thomas Hayden Church as news reporter, Hartman Hughes; and Angus played by Ken Jeong in one of his lesser than amusing roles since he was given all of maybe a handful of lines. Clearly Jeong's talents were not utilized appropriately. Maybe if they had been this movie would have been comical as opposed to awkward and uncomfortable. She follows them, at one point, from the mountainous terrain of Oklahoma City (which, btw, if you've ever been to OKC you would know that it is completely FLAT. Being a Native Oklahoman I find this disgusting misrepresentation of my hometown disturbing and unforgivable) to Galveston (about a seven hour drive, but somehow they get from place to place, more than just the two I listed, in what seems to be the span of a single day with no reference to a flux capacitor or the like) by the encouragement of Mr. Hughes. They end up at a carnival where a rescue mission is taking place due to a clan of deaf kids who have fallen into a cavern in the earth. All are rescued when Mary finally arrives and runs towards Steve when to her dismay SHE then succumbs to the same fate as her hearing impaired comrades and falls through the hole. Are we suppose to believe that the proper authorities are so careless as to not post signs of caution or even rope off the area, no less, where there is imminent danger? I guess so. Luckily for the authorities, while down in the hole Mary finds that there has been one child that was left. Hello, buddy system?! None of the other children or their guardians notice they're one less? Mary, plus one, is rescued after a LONG delay. It took longer for those two to get rescued than it did the group of kids. And they were only rescued by Mary's knowledge of physics, NOT by the idiots on the outside staring at the hole in the ground. Good things about this movie? Hmm... The message is good: You are the perfect you, don't change for anybody, blah, blah, blah... THC is good as the self absorbed reporter. Too bad he sports a pair of camo pants that make him look like he pissed himself. Which is what he probably did as soon as he realized how bad this movie was going to be.

Bottom Line:  Miss it.  The good looks in this film (see Cooper, Bullock and Church) are not enough to support it.