The Internship (2013)

The Internship IMDb
This was silly but I already knew that going in.  It's just another typical comedy filled with cliches.  We got the stuck up girl who is mean half of the movie then super nice the second half.  We have the typical competitive mean guy who leads the top team in this "Internship" competition.  And of course, we have our Wedding Crashers back together again.  It was predictable but fun at times.  It would be badass to work for Google but not to see this  movie again.  Not recommended unless you're in the mood for a silly Hollywood comedy.

New Release Tuesday: Jobs (2013)

Jobs IMDb
Man, this day was tough choosing a new release. I didn't want to go with Red 2 cause I didn't really like the first one. There wasn't that many other releases so I settled with this one. I'm not familiar with the real Steve Jobs guy other than the fact he's the main Apple guy. That's it. Watching this, I realized he was an a@@hole. It's kind of hard for Ashton Kutcher to get into any character. When I see him on screen, he still is Ashton Kutcher. This movie wasn't that bad, though. Some of it was a "Social Network" ripoff (the parts about screwing over friends and having this career take over). This had an okay soundtrack and I got to learn a few things about the company Apple. It was too long though. They expanded and focused a lot about Jobs struggle to get control of the company. Then, they skipped almost a whole decade and finished the movie with Jobs returning as CEO of Apple. I would of wanted more of a recap of his life instead. Oh well. Not going to recommend this one but it was okay, I guess.

Oscar Sunday: Hamlet

Hamlet IMDb
Hamlet is my favorite Shakespeare story. I read it during my senior year in high school and saw two movie versions of it. Tonight, I saw the classic movie version that won the Oscar.  It brought back some of the love I had with the story.  Of course, this is an old movie and it doesn't hold its magic like other classics do.  The reason I like this story is because of Hamlet's behavior.  I like how he pretends his madness in one way and in reality he is truly mad.  Shakespeare is known for tragedies and this is surely one of them.  Everyone dies.  No mercy.  Revenge.  Love.  People going nuts.  That's all part of the story.  This movie was pretty good.  Not my favorite film version of Hamlet. My favorite one is still the Kenneth Branaugh version.  There was something missing in this classic version.  I didn't quite feel the power of the story.  But again, for its time, this is alright.  I would recommend this as one time deal if you haven't seen it yet.  Not a must buy for me.  Check out the Kenneth Branaugh version where Kate Winslet plays Ophelia.  That one is worth buying.

The Place Beyond The Pines

The Place Beyond the Pines IMDb
Good solid drama.  This had a few surprises.  I like that this covered different genres.  The first hour was your bank robber drama.  The next hour turned into a corrupted cops story. The last 30 minutes was your angst teen drama.  This is a movie about "daddy" issues.  It kept me interested even late at night.  Good performances.  I pretty much liked everything except for the ending.  No big deal, though.  I would recommend this movie.  To buy?  That depends on your taste. 

A Band Called Death

A Band Called Death IMDb
Two years before The Ramones came out, there was this unknown punk rock group from Detroit.  Good punk rock history.  This documentary, which is now part of the Drafthouse Films catalog, was not that interesting in the first hour.  The last half hour though, made it up a bit.  It has a good story about this band.  How three brothers made punk rock during the "Motown" scene in Detroit.  There are a few interviews with other rock stars like Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedy's), Henry Rollins, and Kid Rock.  The first hour talks about the family history and the death of one of the brothers.  The last 30 minutes covers how this unknown band finally became known 30 years later by a few people rediscovering their singles and spreading the word.  The music is pretty cool but I wish the whole documentary was hardcore and upbeat as that, but unfortunately, there was a lot of silence and drama in the first hour that lost my interest.  I would only recommend this to Punk Rock fans.  To others, I highly recommend watching this other music documentary called, "Searching For Sugar Man." Now, that one was inspiring and uplifting for me.

New Release Tuesday: The To Do List (2013)

The To Do List IMDb
I thought this was going to suck but it was actually pretty good.  A few laugh out loud moments and lots of cheesy teenage moments.  I love that this takes place in the 90's.  Hell, the whole soundtrack was all 90's.  Love the chemistry between all the characters on here.  For some reason, this reminded me of "Superbad."  Would make an awesome double feature.  Like all coming of age comedies, our main character gets more wiser and mature at the end.  Damn, I spoiled it.  Not really.  That should be predictable early on.  For a few good laughs and some beers, this movie would do it.  Other than that, nothing special. 

42 (2013)

42 IMDb
The Jackie Robinson story finally gets a movie and it is everything I expected it to be.  We've seen one movie about racism in the 40's and 50's and we've seen them all.  So of course this is nothing new or groundbreaking but having this set around baseball made it more entertaining.  It's a good dramatic story about the first black baseball player.  It starts out right when they pick him to join the bigger leagues and it ends when Jackie Robinson first led the Dodgers to the World Series.  Good heart and soul movie.  I'm not a baseball fan at all but I do respect movies about it.  Kudos for Harrison Ford's performance as the head manager for the Brooklyn Dodgers (I think he was my favorite).  This movie went well with a typical stadium food affair: Hotdog, Cracker Jacks, and a soda.  Yeah, we're cheesy that way. 

Only God Forgives (2013)

Only God Forgives IMDb
I went in with low expectations after hearing mixed reviews and people walking out when it first premiered at Cannes this year.  It wasn't that bad.  I liked it actually.  It is directed by the same guy who did "Drive."  This has almost the same feel and vibe as "Drive" except more darker.  It's an artsy film with lots of graphic violence.  Kind of reminded me of a few David Lynch movies.  Right off the bat it starts out messed up: The main character's brother gets killed after killing a young prostitute.  The movie turns to a revenge flick with consequences.   It is a slow trip in the streets of Thailand.  It felt like an 80's grindhouse flick.  I can see why a lot of people hated the movie.  The main character wasn't developed good enough and the ending was left a bit incomplete.  I like that it was different but I feel like it was trying too hard to be different.  I did like the karaoke finish, though.  Kudos for that awesome title too: Only God Forgives.  Overall, I would recommend this for those interested.  It's okay to see once but go with low expectations. I am in borderline between seeing it just once or maybe buy it someday for another experience.

The Kings of Summer (2013)

The Kings of Summer IMDb
Another great coming of age comedy.  This one is more about survival and friendship but still covers some of the coming of age genre basics.  Music is pretty awesome too.  Gotta make a note on that.  This movie has its charms especially the first half.  It's not "Stand By Me" but it still has its unique experience.  Love the characters especially the weird 3rd kid (Biaggio).  I imagine how awesome it would been if I was to do this when I was 15:  build a low budget house in the middle of the woods and share it with two close friends.  It definitely would of been a great summer and one to remember by but I wasn't that cool.  This movie was a kick ass time.  Earlier this past Summer I saw The Way Way Back (another great coming of age comedy).  This one is up there with that one.  Had me my favorite Summer munchies when I was growing up: nachos from 7-eleven and a big gulp while watching this movie.  Highly Recommended!  Maybe to buy.

Cult Classic Friday: Naked Lunch

Naked Lunch IMDb
So I heard about this David Cronenberg flick for a long time.  It comes up in all kinds of cult classic lists.  Started reading the book that this movie is based on.  Decided to give it a try.  The book is all about heroin addiction and all the things that come with that lifestyle.  It's actually a really messed up book and I don't really like it.  This movie is not at all the same story as the book.  This movie is a fictional take on the writer who wrote the novel.  Some of the dialogue are taken from the book but that's about it.  This movie was a trip alright.  You get talking bugs and weird things happening (almost like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).  Good surprising moments.  Lots of heroin scenes, so, not for the faint of heart.  I liked it a lot but not sure if there's going to be any love later.  Maybe.  Worth checking out for sure. 

Vampire Thursday: Vampyr

Vampyr IMDb
I didn't feel this vampire classic.  The actual vampire stuff didn't happen until halfway through.   The story was a bit boring and didn't really get me.  It was confusing actually.  I remember watching Nosferatu last year (I think that's considered the very first vampire movie).  I remember loving Nosferatu because of its look and feel and the story.  Well, this one was the opposite.  Some of the images were awesome but overall, I just didn't think this movie was all that.  I respect what they were trying to do but other than that, I wouldn't recommend this movie. 

Frances Ha

Frances Ha IMDb
Not bad for a "chick flick."  I put quotations because it's not a full on chick flick but that's target audience.  It was cute, funny, depressing, weird, and upbeat all mixed together.  The dialogue was different and original so that part definitely made this movie more unique.  All in black and white and artsy.  You know me, I don't like some of the artsy stuff filmmakers do now these days.  This one didn't bother me.  The main star, Greta Gerwig wrote this with the director.  She also comes out in Lola Versus and Damsels in Distress.  Other pretty okay "chick flicks."  This movie is not highly recommended but worth checking out for one nice movie date night with your other half.

New Release Tuesday: Prince Avalanche (2013)

Prince Avalanche IMDb
I covered the red carpet to this movie back in March this year at SXSW.  Interviewed Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch and the director.  It was shot in Bastrop, TX after the big wildfires.  I knew I had to see one day.  The wait is over and it wasn't worth it. I mean, it was okay but it's not a movie that I would recommend.  It has its charming moments and the last part of the movie was pretty awesome.  Overall, though, it felt a little empty and lonely.  It's a dramedy so I wasn't expecting a full on laugh out loud fest.  I was just wanting more out of it.  This is the same director who did Pineapple Express and Your Highness.  Verdict: It didn't suck but me personally would not recommend this.

The Purge (2013)

The Purge IMDb
I've become a big fan of home invasion movies ever since my own personal Home Invasion movie nights last year.  So, I'm going to be bias about this one.  Wait, this is my personal blog, I can write anything I want, motherfu#ker.  I'm not some critic analyzing the movie and spilling out lots of details.  Just my initial personal reaction on how I feel about the movie.  This movie sucked in the first half.  The set up to the story was disappointing.  But, when the actual home invasion part started happening, that's when I started getting entertained.  Some good kills but they become repetitive.  When one person is about to die, they get saved by another person at the last minute.  It happened like five times in the movie. Other than that, it was pretty okay for a home invasion movie.  I love the little anti-government message at the end.  I would recommend this for a one time thing but not a priority or a must buy. 

Trance (2013)

Trance IMDb
What a crazy ride this was, especially watching it at two in the morning.  Lots of twists and turns.  We don't know what's real and what's not until a long time.  It reminded me of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Inception" but in a smaller scale and more violent and lots of music.  Don't like our main character (James McAvoy), but, I think that's the point.  We're not supposed to like him until the end.  For the surprises and story, I highly recommend this movie.  Maybe even worth buying. 

New Release Tuesday: Lovelace (2013)

Lovelace IMDb
This movie was pretty okay.  It started out really good and it felt a bit like "Boogie Nights."  The second half changes the mood to a more serious tone which was okay.  The message here is domestic violence awareness.  I thought it was going to be more about Lovelace and her short career and her "abilities."  It does cover some of that but it's all powered by how her husband treated her like crap.  It's a serious thing.  The acting is really good here.  Everyone gave it their all.  We have lots of well known names.  Hell, we have James Franco who plays a young Hugh Hefner.  Lovelace is worth a one night stand but nothing else.  Check it out!

Samurai Monday: Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island

Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island IMDb
The samurai "novela" trilogy comes to an end.  It was a long but good ride.  We get a beautiful samurai battle set on the beach towards the end.  That was probably my favorite part.  The rest is a long dramatic journey to get there.  Would of wanted some more great battles, but, in this trilogy, there wasn't that many.  I love the first part of the trilogy.  These last two weren't as strong.  Good to check out once only if you're a fan of samurai movies.  For others, I would recommend Zatoichi (would love to see the rest of the Zatoichi films) and maybe some of the Sonny Chiba samurai movies.  Next month I close my last Samurai Monday this year with "When The Last Sword Is Drawn." 

Big Man Japan

Big Man Japan IMDb
I saw R100 at Fantastic Fest this year and became an instant fan of the film so I decided to check this movie from the same director.  I didn't know that the same director also directed a weird movie called "Symbol."  Big Man Japan started out pretty good.  I was so into it.  Just like "Symbol," it became a little too weird and too much for me towards the end.  It had a good concept and premise and I didn't mind the weirdness for the most part but I was a bit let down in the last 20 minutes of the film.  This is like a bizarre version of "Pacific Rim" in a way.  Japan has this guy that they transform into a giant whenever a monster pops out of nowhere.  He fights the monsters and it's also part of a television reality show.  Overall, I don't recommended, so at your own risk if you're interested. For sure keep a look out for R100.  That movie I stand by 100 percent.

The Heat (2013)

The Heat IMDb
Saw this cheesy Action/Comedy cop movie tonight.  When you put Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in the same movie, any crap can happen.  I know I shouldn't take it seriously.  I thought this was funnier than I expected and I expected a very bad humorless movie. I laughed maybe three times and the rest was okay.  The director of Bridesmaids did this.  While I prefer Bridesmaids a lot more, this one was okay to see for a one time deal. Went well with Maple Glazed Bacon Donuts and Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes (all semi homemade).   

The Gangster

The Gangster IMDb
Good surprise.  Every time I go to Vulcan Video, I see this on the shelf and I keep wanting to see it.  Picked it up tonight as a last minute decision.  It is a gangster movie from Thailand.  Lots of gore and violent scenes.  A little cheesy at times.  I love the style, though.  It takes place in the 60's with lots of Elvis inspired music and a lot of crazy non stop fight scenes. Worth watching for fans of Gangster films.  I would probably buy this if I see it on sale but not a priority.