Monday, December 10, 2007

The Last Lecture of Randy Pausch (2007)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184 (This is the full 1:45 lecture of Randy Pausch, a professor dying of pancreatic cancer).
http://www2.oprah.com/videochannel/videochannel_player.jhtml?video=1178&category=31 (This is a smaller version of his lecture on Oprah. Go to "Professor Randy Pausch's last lecture").

This lecture was so sincere and real. I really enjoyed listening to this man's final words to his class and at some point, his kids, who do not yet know that their father is dying from pancreatic cancer. Very inspirational!
It really helps me to put things in perspective with the nerve damage in my leg too, that causes leg cramps and such. There's a great part about complaining vs. "playing the game harder". And balancing hope and realism. It was just so amazing! I would definitely recommend taking some time to listen.

Lady and the Tramp (1955)


A Disney Masterpiece for sure. I love this film. This time around I noticed the beautiful music with the animation (a trademark in most Disney masterpieces), and the interesting social messages about families and living the "single" free life and realities of settling down. The dogs in this movie are just so adorable.

Raging Bull (1980)


Although a very sad movie, I was captivated throughout. Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro combine to create an amazing film.

Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

This was a splendid movie. Fun and exciting to watch. Interesting choice of cinematics. Clever script. May be the best of the Ocean movies.

License To Wed (2007)

This was sort of a boring mediocre chick flick, but it had a few good laughs and wasn't a total waste of time.

A Mighty Heart (2007)



A remarkable portrayal of Daniel Pearl and his wife, journalists in Iraq. You may remember hearing the news several years ago. But the acting was just phenomenal and very emotional. It was a beautiful movie.

Disturbia (2007)


This movie was really good, despite the seemingly odd mixture of suspense, highschool drama, humor, and decent drama. There was something kind of off about it as a whole, and the end was a little disturbing, hence the title. But overall, I went in having sort of low expectations and was impressed with the acting and overall story.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

No Country for Old Men (2007)

This movie was way intense. It was done so well, another amazing Coen brothers film. Phenomenal acting and compelling story. I really was impressed by the unpredictable nature of the film and the message portrayed at the end.

Planet Terror (2007)

This movie was similar to it's partner, Death Proof, in the sense that it's really awesome, but not in the typical way. I'm usually not into zombie movies, especially ones with gross bloody scenes. But they were able to make light of the situation in the movie and it almost seemed like a spoof at times. I was entertained throughout the movie, even though I probably wouldn't recommend it to most people.

Rambo: First Blood Part 2 (1985)

This movie is over the top in every way possible. It's not a good movie, but it's bad parts are humorous and entertaining, so fun at times to watch.

Death Proof (2007)

Besides having the typical appeal of women and fast cars, this movie ended up being really cool. It was a little disturbing at parts and a little too "racy" for me, but I was really into the movie and totally enjoying the plot by halfway through the movie. There is a lot of language but it is used in a semi-humorous way.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Transformers (2007)

The only cool thing about this movie was watching the transformers transform. Other than that it was, in my opinion, a disgrace to the original idea of transformers. The script was awful. The storyline was stupid. The characters were undeveloped. It was too long. I would just watch a few cool scenes on youtube to get your fix of robots in disguise.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

This is one of the best films of the year. It is witty and clever and funny. Great acting. Just a story of 3 brothers and their journey through India. My favorite of the Wes Anderson films so far.

The Lookout (2007)

This was a great movie. Some suspense, some drama, great scenes, great idea. It is about how the characters deal with their disabilities.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Reign Over Me (2007)

This was an incredible movie. Very powerful and emotional. The acting was phenomenal. I would recommend this movie to anyone. It was about the friendship between two old college roommates who haven't seen eachother for 15 years, and the effect they have on each other and the events that have happened since then.

The Hoax (2007)

This movie was totally interesting, based off a true story of a man who made up the autobiography of Howard Hughes in order to make some money. It was really good. There were some disturbing scenes showing how this guy just gets further and further into his lies. The acting was good and the story was well re-done.

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Baby Mama (2008)

This movie is not coming out until spring 2008. I got to see an unfinished version of the movie before they make cuts and final sound effects, etc. It was so awesome in the first half, totally hilarious. But it was slow and predictable in the second half. I'm hoping they will make some cuts in order to make the second half better, but even if they don't I think it was a hilarious comedy worth watching when it comes out. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were briliant. There were also great performances by Greg Kinear and Steve Martin. The movie is about a business woman who wants a baby but can't have one, so she hires a surrogate mother (poehler) to carry her baby for her.

The Painted Veil (2006)

This was a great movie. It was emotional and told a good story. There were parts that I didn't like, but overall the movie had great acting and was really good.

Scary Movie (2000)

I didn't really like this movie too much. I liked Scary Movie 3, and 4 was ok. But this one was pretty lame and I could've done without watching it.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

The Lives of Others (2006)

Wow, this movie was phenomenal. This may have been the best movie of last year. It is the academy award winner for best foreign film, and rightfully so. It is a foreign drama about the Stasi (German secret police) in East Germany in 1984, during the time of communism and the retreats across the wall, from east to west Germany. It is about a fight for humanity and was an incredible story. Truly sensational movie!

Scary Movie 4 (2006)


This movie was pretty funny. It's got some really great parts in it. I have only seen this one and the 3rd and I enjoyed the 3rd better. This one wasn't as consistently funny. But at the end of this movie there is a scene mocking Tom Cruise and Oprah and brought more laughs than I could stomach.

Big Fish (2003)

This is a brilliant movie. It reminds me of my granddad and the stories he'd tell. It is a great story and worth watching several times. It is also very interesting and the effects were seamless.

Once Upon A Time In The West (1969)


This movie is a classic western. Very traumatic at times, Sergio Leone uses the score, sound effects, and silence to portray the intensity of the movie. The copy I watched had very poor sound quality, but this movie was a huge success for its time.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Scary Movie 3 (2003)

I was always against seeing these movies cuz they look stupid and like a waste of time. But I heard enough about it to check it out and although there were some really gross parts, there were so many really funny parts and I found I really liked the film. I will probably see the others for some more easy going, spoof laughter.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Hot Fuzz (2007)

I really enjoyed this movie. It is a mock-action movie. There were subtle comedies throughout and it was ridiculous and funny. There are some scenes of obviously fake violence in the end that were pretty great (similar to Shaun of the Dead, same director). I would recommend this movie to most people.

Airplane! (1980)

Hilarious 80's flick. Always find something new. Very witty, keeps you laughing throughout.

I Love You To Death (1990)

The concept of the movie was kind of disturbing, but in the end it was a fun and entertaining movie. I thought it ended pretty good too.

Shooter (2007)

I don't feel like I can give this movie a fair review considering I was very tired while watching it and fell asleep through some parts. That said, there were some classically stupid one-liners and some cheesy parts, but it was all fun action and kinda cool. The end threw me off as the character kind of changes his character in a weird way. So I'm not sure the story and character development were that great. But there were some really cool parts and I like Mark Wahlberg and Michael Pena. Danny Glover, in my opinion, did a pretty bad job.

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

This movie was ok overall. At first it was boring and the acting sucked and it was really childish. But then after a while, the movie was very touching and emotionally tied you to the characters. The music throughout the movie was overly dramatic and kind of hard to listen to. I guess in the end it did it's job even though I didn't enjoy all of it.

Y Tu Mama Tambien (2002)

I think this movie could have been good if there weren't so much sex in it. It was practically a porno and extremely uncomfortable to watch.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

I really enjoyed this film too. They are all pretty similar. Another great car chase, but very similar to the one in the second Bourne movie. And it is a very smartly written, almost witty script. My only complaint was that most of the fighting scenes it was hard to tell what was going on because of the intense camera movement and quick cuts.

The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

This movie was good for a sequel. It has a great car chase at the end and some amazing shots!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

The Bourne Identity (2002)

Cool action film. Enjoyable story. Mostly typical, but great to watch.

Music And Lyrics (2007)

This was a cute movie. Also ridiculous and corny at times, but a good story and some good laughs.

Rumor Has It (2005)

This movie was ok. The premise behind it was kind of stupid and some of the characters were ridiculous also. But there were parts that were entertaining and sweet. If anything, I enjoyed the acting most.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Zodiac (2007)

Really great movie. It was a bit too long. They could have cut out about 30 minutes and had it be a lot more concise and better. But I can see why they did that, to show how much time went by while they were seeking out the Zodiac. Really graphic death scenes, but only a couple of them, so it wasn't too bad to wince at the few. Great acting. Well done. Good soundtrack.

No Reservations (2007)

I really enjoyed this movie. The guy is great and funny. The actors are all really good. It is more about the little girl losing her mother than the romance between the two adults. I almost cried a couple times. I would recommend seeing this movie at least once, maybe renting...

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Jesus Camp (2006)

This movie left me disgusted. I have seen enough of this as a Christian to be embarrassed to bear the name at times. It saddens me that these people are teaching kids a message of hate and not of love, not of compassion. They are not teaching Jesus, they are influencing kids in a wrong way. It is unbiased and shows both sides: Christians who are against this type of religious activity as well. But it is obvious which side most people are repulsed by.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

"You are weak Harry Potter!" -Voldemort
Um, it was ok. Very similar to other Harry Potter films. It felt kind of boring though throughout most of the movie, probably because of the acting. But I enjoyed it and I thought the world and it's new characters were fascinating. I will probably watch all the films, but now own any of the films or the books. I don't enjoy Rowling's style of writing.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Paris Je T'aime (2007)

This is a collaboration of 18 short films about love stories in Paris: an old couple, a mother and son, an engaged couple, two teenagers meeting, etc. All the stories were done by different directors. The movie was really awesome. I enjoyed most of the stories. The people I went with said it was a bit too long, which I can understand. They could've done without 2 or 3 of the shorts. But I really enjoyed this foreign film and I think most people will also.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Old Joy (2006)

This movie moved slowly, like real life. It is a very realistic story about old friends getting together again to go camping. It reminded me as if I were reading a short story, not a script. I think ultimately, although not much happens in the movie, I really liked it. It is a very well done and simple film.

Premonition (2007)

I really enjoyed this movie. I was surprised by the ending. It is a story about a broken relationship and whether or not you can change fate, or if you would change it if you could. I thought it was a good movie to see once.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Breach (2007)


This movie was really good. It is based on a true story, about the mole in the FBI, Robert Hanssen, who was caught in 2001(?). Chris Cooper was really creepy. The acting was great and the movie was well done. I wish it got more attention when in the theaters.

Scoop (2006)

I'm not usually a huge fan of woody allen films, but I really enjoyed this movie. There were a few really funny parts and it was light-hearted and clever. Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman do a great job. Loved the grim reaper in the movie also.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Totally ridiculous, but fun, action movie. A lot of parts didn't make sense, like why the "bad guy" did (or didn't do) certain things. Watching John McClain driving a semi-truck and outsmarting a jet was fantastic, but of course, totally unrealistic. Still entertaining and a good theater flick.

Ratatouille (2007)

Totally amazing movie. I love Pixar films, they always have such a great story and phenomenal animation. There weren't as many humorous points as in some of the first Pixar films, it was more an emotional movie, with some great action shots. The movie was just beautiful and cute and made me want to cook something that night. :) 5-stars

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

The Prestige (2006)


I loved this movie. It was so creative and had a good plot. The characters are well developed and the acting is great. I would recommend watching this movie at least twice. You notice so many things the second time once you realize what's going on. 

Because I Said So (2007)


This movie was really corny and had some really funny parts. Diane Keaton is great.
 The plot was totally predictable and not very good, but I enjoyed watching it once anyways.

Knocked Up (2007)

This movie was very inappropriate, but still hilarious. There are times that are very romantic as well. They had a lot of improv scenes and that made the movie interesting and different.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Pirates of the Carribean 3 (2007)

This movie was alright. It's bound to have it's boring moments, being a 3-hour long movie. But it was FUN and WEIRD, and I laughed a lot. The movie seemed a little too scripted. But the acting is enjoyably exaggerated. I really like the Pirates movies, and with the right carefree attitude, you will like them too.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Pirates of the Carribean 2 (2006)

I totally enjoyed this movie. The special effects were amazing. The story was alright, but a bit difficult to be complete since it is the second in a trilogy. But the movie is totally fun and the acting, scenery, etc. is very characterized. I really like the Pirates movies so far. Going to see the 3rd one tonight!

Freedom Writers (2007)

I really enjoyed this movie. It was really well done. Nothing new, and at times a bit too sappy, but it did encourage me to be an advocate for good change in this world. Hilary Swank did a great job and the teenagers did too. Great acting and directing.