White Men Can't Jump (2023)

 

                                   So, after watching the original White Men can't Jump for which lead to a complicated view in terms of how I felt about the movie. I decided to watch the remake of White Men can't Jump, for many reasons I screened the film early while looking after a client for my brother, though thinking it wasn't that bad even though I watched bits and pieces of it I decided to give this movie a chance. And as strange as everyone will say that this movie obviously suck, but I really didn't think this movie was bad at all, for many other reasons I look back on watching the original movie having some in depth views on what I liked about the movie and what I didn't like about the movie and with this movie alone there's probably one thing they did right about the movie and maybe somethings they got wrong with the movie but let's be honest the original film I had mixed feelings by the end of the movie.

                                    Like the original film, though it centers around two men from opposites sides of the ball both men whose career paths to a sharp left turn but then decide to play the game they love and to recover a dream each left behind.

                                    Now I'm not saying that the latest version of White Men can't Jump is better than the original, if you're a huge fan of the original I applaud you for liking it. I personally that the story of the 2023 version was way better than the original movie, because the original set things up when I watched the trailer both men are hustlers they decide to work together to get bigger money for a big tournament then they begin to hustle one another through the course of the movie well Wesley Snipes does, which doesn't make sense to me the first time because weren't you guys suppose raise the money for the entry fee? For which yeah the entire message was to not trust another hustler but at least do that by end of the movie for which hell I don't know in all honesty, then you got Woody Harrleson who doesn't learn a lesson then hustles his own money away to Snipes again which again I honestly don't know, especially when you have a girl like Rosie Perez who in that movie to me was a ten out of ten and Harrleson still doesn't learn from his mistakes for which again is fine because deep down the film alone is a definitive bro's before hoes type film, but it's just some of these elements in the story that Shelton portrays that reminds me of Bull Durham where the movie is great from act one to act two then act three is like meh. As, for the remake's story it's very simple, both men who've lost their ways in life and the two of them become friends till the very end and both of them learn there lesson's moreover, guys when you're dating a girl that's a ten out of ten make her happy from the first time you lay eye's on her till the very end because you're never going to find a woman as beautiful as ever. Now in terms of Basketball play the original movie still holds up then the remake although the basketball play in this remake wasn't all bad it was okay, but the original films play was no doubt up there because you believe that Snipes and Harrelson was great players, though I should say Sinqua Walls who plays the Snipes like character does look like a basketball player and plays well in the film. Now to be fair the casting wasn't all bad, though looking at some of the production notes of the film I've learned the casting they we're close to casting basketball star Blake Griffin and NFL player Ryan Kalil, though yeah I don't know if casting an football player to play a basketball player would be a great idea but the idea of casting some basketball stars in this movie, that should of been a good way to approach a remake like White Men can't Jump, like why don't cast some NBA stars in a movie like this? Hell, I would love to see James Harden's acting chop's I mean I loved his performance in a Madden commercial he did moreover there's a ton of white NBA stars in the league so you'll no doubt find some players as well, in which they didn't so it doesn't really matter. Again, comparing each of these films is like a flip of the coin, like are they the best Basketball films combined hell no. Though each of these movies have a much better aspect than the others, each movie is good in their own way. As for a recommendation, I mean go ahead if you're part of the younger generation but for me it's a decent film to watch like a dumb but harmless type film, when your tired from work and want to pop in a film but really, I don't think it, worthy for a definitive recommendation and yet neither is the original movie. Although it is on Hulu, so if you have a subscription to Hulu, it's free to watch so in all fairness that's a win, win. 

   

                                      

Tekken

 

                                    A bunch of friends and myself decided to watch a B-movie that I've heard of but never played the game to and yes, this movie is in fact based on a game. Though I do need to explain this much into detail, it was one of those conversations about what was the best fighting game and let's be honest I obliviously said that it was Mortal Kombat no contest, but the other guy says Tekken, and to make this long story short I blurted out that the franchise has a movie adaption for which the guy asks so many questions then proceeds to say that we need to watch it because he wants me and the rest of the guys to see him gripe about how bad the movie is. And to be honest I never played the Tekken games, nor much feel the need to play mainly because I've seen glimpses of it through trailers and it reminds me of Street Fighter now, which looks way to ridiculous sorry not sorry I'm not big into Japanese Anime, hell you're looking at a grown man who thought Pokemon was strange, growing up. Now I'll admit I know nothing of the Tekken franchise or the world but having watched this dumb but harmless movie I mostly dig the movie because it reminds me of Gladiator, Rocky and just a kiss of Hunger Games. For which we have all the time in the world to talk about right now.

                                  In the not-too-distant future, the world wars have destroyed everything, and continents are run by corporations, the mightiest of which is Tekken. Amid the ruin of the ruined society one warrior rises from the streets. 

                                  How I discovered this film is really a mystery of itself, in all truth I think I was first learning from Google movies that I can purchase some movies and shows furthermore started liking Google Phones more I found this movie and in all honesty I didn't expect much from it and realized that it wasn't all that bad as I predict, and this film has a zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes for which I find to be insane because I've seen the absolute worst from Uwe Boll's films like Alone in the Dark and BloodRayne to Southland Tales and those were garbage compared to this movie. For which I found strange because I would think that this movie would have a wider release since the game series is so popular until I finally realized that this film was basically a direct-to-video for which basically says that it had a small release maybe two to three theaters and then just went to DVD, and then was just a lost movie. Why I kind of liked the movie or considered it a guilty pleasure is that it does no doubt remind me of movies like Gladiator and Rocky, also has a much better concept than Hunger Games, sadly the film just shot itself in the foot with bird shot pellets and you're hunting friends laughing at you for how stupid you are but complements you for not almost killing someone like Dick Cheney did when he had bird shot in his shotgun. What I like about the movie in truth is that it has the potential of being good and I've said that about other movies before, though this one has that potential of what I could of done better if I made this film, though I have no interest in resurrecting this film but let’s say that I did I would first make this film at least a good two hours max, this film was ninety minutes long and you didn't have any time to get to know the characters nor understand the post-apocalyptic world that is Tekken or if it is? And really this film had a thirty million dollar budget and from the way I see it, they used it a lot on the set design's for which I have no complaint especially when it comes to the arena where the fighting takes place but really you can use a lot of time to establish the characters and the chemistry not just throw them in and say this is the world enjoy and then just run off like you're in trouble. Hell, after watching the film again I'm starting to believe that the writers did some heavy-duty partying and realized they had a deadline for the day after they we're done partying and had to write it as fast as possible and just gave it to the producers and said that was it. The director of the movie Dwight Little had some experience in action genre with movies like Marked for Death with Steven Seagal and Rapid Fire staring Brandon Lee aka Bruce Lee's son, unfortunately when I look at the guys entire career he made a lot of those mainstream films like Halloween 4 and Free Willy 2 that were mostly forgotten, and really for a guy who studied at USC moreover had some experience in Action movies I would imagine that he can give this movie an upgrade but I guess was just cashing a check, which explains a lot because he didn't do anything in terms of establishing character development or understand the world of Tekken moreover yes, you can say that the writer was at fault to but he was also writer of Little's other work so I'm guessing he just read the rough draft and then said it's good I'm going to get this movie made. And again, this movie had a thirty-million-dollar budget so you can defiantly turn this movie into a 90's Mortal Kombat film with great fight sequences and mediocre acting and story. Although, they decided not to do that which makes no sense though let’s be honest the more you think about it the more you go insane so I'm just going to leave it at that. The set design of the whole film was really the best part of the whole movie because it does have that futuristic feel and has that look of what would the world be like if corporations took over the world and devised a gladiatorial tournament because let’s be honest Disney, Apple Microsoft, and Amazon are going to be that very corporations that will consume the world, and that's how the world will crumble. The film was shot in Shreveport, Louisiana which is a surprise to me because the entire movie didn't feel like it was in Louisiana for obvious reasons it looks like it was shot on a stage set. I'll say it again the movie had that potential of being a good unfortunately it just shot itself in the foot and to me that's what I kind of liked about the movie is that you can think to yourself as to what you can do better, now would I recommend everyone else to watch it absolutely not because deep down we all have our own guilty pleasures and this movie I would prefer not to have everyone watch, especially when you have the ladies in leather pants with a** cleavage like their pro wrestlers. As for the video game series of Tekken, I do have the first game downloaded on my PS3 so, I might give the game a try but for the rest I honestly can't because it's just like the new generation of Street Fighter where I can't really accept as awesome furthermore I can just stick to playing the first game after watching the movie whole in all fairness. Now that I've finally watched this film and reviewed it for all of you, I've decided to finally put this movie back in the dirtiest part of my closet.

                  

Movies I haven't seen in a While: Tommy Boy

 

                                        Weekend begins, haven't hung out with my brother in a while so, what better way to have a movie night with him in the kids. Although it was just one kid then left to go home, and the movie my brother picked out was a movie I haven't seen in quite a longtime titled Tommy Boy, starring the late Chris Farley and David Spade. Now, Tommy Boy was no doubt a movie I haven't seen in ages I was a little not sure if I was going to enjoy this movie as I remember growing up and sadly this fun to watch from start to finish, but just wasn't as good as I remember it really felt like you’re going to a family reunion and you just realize that you really don't like your cousins and want to get out of there fast but the problem is you're parents drove you to the reunion and they have the keys to the car. But all aside the movie was kind of a nice breath of fresh air that you can only watch once.

                                       After his beloved father dies, dimwitted Tommy Callahan (Chris Farley) inherits a near-bankrupt automobile parts factory in Sandusky, Ohio. His brand-new stepmother, Beverly (Bo Derek), wants to cash out and close, but Tommy's sentimental attachment to his father's employees spurs him to make one last-ditch effort to find someone who will buy their products. With his father's tightly wound assistant, Richard (David Spade), in tow, Tommy hits the road to scare up some new clients.

                                       Most movies I do remember watching I have very bad memory of like To Kill a Mockingbird or Wild Hearts can't be Broken, and yet Tommy Boy I remember very well, as well as the partial nudity that occurred which yeah sure it's a guy thing but come one who doesn't remember your first time watching a movie that contains partial nude ladies? In truth, this movie wasn't all bad as I remember granted it's not as horrible than watching a Adam Sandler movie, it really has to do with the jokes that go with the film, like if you're a kid in the nineties watching this movie and you we're laughing your butt off of Chris Farley being a deranged maniac of course that was without a doubt the funniest thing because I've always loved watching the hidden camera skit on Saturday Night Live it's always funny just because of the man's reaction in hearing that his coffee was a lie, but him just being an obnoxiously dumb ass it's like I feel like I've seen that so many times moreover that whole story telling of the protagonist being dumb just doesn't seem funny anymore. Both Chris Farley and David Spade, really did an okay job when it comes to on screen chemistry like some of their jokes are on the small chuckle as of funny no doubt and then some of their joke to me are just little on the eh it's not on the funny side more like this joke really haven't aged in a long time. I even found Dan Aykroyd's performance in the movie, really on the lackluster side of it, hell I'm convinced that he just gave up on comedy and it doesn't add up because this movie came out in 95, furthermore after that he starred in Celtic Pride another one of those films that literally shot itself in the balls. I completely forgot that young Rob Lowe was in the movie, which was like a big surprised because I have no memory of seeing Lowe for the first time in the film. In fairness the only jokes I find hilarious is when both Lowe and Spade are mocking Farley in their few scenes when they're acting across Farley because it's literally the truth of Farley's character. I'll give this movie credit that it was simply a breath of fresh air to watch for the first time in ages, the movie alone yes, wasn't as good as I remember it all because the jokes just feel flat but deep down the movie wasn't all bad moreover it wasn't the worst thing I've seen because Adam Sandler still to this day continues to write comedies and yet refuses to become original as well as making new jokes, so there's that at least. The movie itself is a nice watch from start to finish have no complaints, if you’re a kid from the nineties who remember Chris Farley growing up, I would recommend watching it but for warn you that it's not going to be as good as you remember it, though I'd still watch it anyway in case your extremely tired from work.

         

Raw Justice

 

                                    When you're trying to find movies to watch and feel like you’re burnt out for some reason well, I guess to me this was when Tubi comes into play. Moreover, it's also when I found more movies Baywatch Star Pamela Anderson's filmography and more only was that she did a lot of movies besides Barb Wire where she shows off a lot of nudity before her scandalous sex tape came out in 95. And granted no doubt Pamela Anderson was the ultimate babe of the 90's no doubt about it but she's now reached the age where she comes out of a documentary of her being victimized and yet this woman has been on the cover of more over posing nude for Playboy fourteen times and a hundred times internationally as what I've been hearing in terms of research wise. Although this latest movie I decide to watch that she gracefully posed for two sex scenes is called Raw Justice/Good Cop Bad Cop, the movie has many names, but it also Stars actors David Keith aka Jack Parkman and Robert Hays aka Ted Striker.

                                    The mayor of a small town hires a bounty hunter (Jack Parkman) to find his daughter's killer, but it turns out to be a dangerous job.

                                    Now I'll say again yes, in the 90's Pamela Anderson was the ultimate blonde babe that every guy in the world would want to be with moreover wanted to look at 24/7, and now when she's coming out with documentaries telling that she never owned her body and society never took her seriously or God knows what, but here's the thing once you appear on Playboy four maybe five times and staring in a show wear you're wearing nothing but a swimsuit and bikini. You're basically painting a target on your own back, and everyone is going to want a piece of you moreover when you’re in shows like Baywatch no one is going to take you seriously and this woman was in a grand total of fourteen covers of playboy and I'm sorry that she had a traumatizing childhood but when you talk about never owning, you're own body, you're basically full of sh*t. Now that being said from the movie alone, yes, I was watching the movie just to show how full of sh*t Pamela was, but that all became a distraction because I was just at awed of how badly entertaining it was from the bad camera techniques to the typical cheap action sequences it was just OMG this is awesome but damn I feel bad for the two actors in the movie. Speaking of actors David Keith who was most famously known in Major League 2 as the villain to Charlie Sheen, is the actual star in the movie plays a renegade cop who when you first see him goes drag and chasing a bail jumper which is funny because how is he able to run high heel boots? While Robert Hays when he meets up with Keith's character he runs for dear life and they have a motor cross chase through a shopping mall where you can defiantly tell that the mall is closed or barely opened but yet shut down and it's so hilariously bad but just sad on so many levels because when you're an actor in a B-movie action film like this you'd just think to yourself good lord this sucks. But is still a breath of fresh air because sometimes watching comedies just doesn't do the job well and movies like this just kind of have that good laugh that makes you feel better on the inside. As a standalone movie all by itself it's just so bad but has that unintentional comedic value that you can't get enough of it, plus when you finish one of Pamela's documentaries on Netflix (which I've never watched honest to God) and then watch this you just must laugh on the inside because you finally realized how BS, Miss. Anderson is. Though as entertainingly bad it is you only must watch it once every other time you feel like watching entertaining B-movies.

    

                                      

June Recommendation: The Master of Ballantrae

 

                                       Originally, I was going to pick the Adventures of Robin Hood to be my June Recommendation of this year, but after watching this amazing film the Master of Ballantrae which starred Errol Flynn and was William Keighley's final film as a director. I just had to recommend this for the month of June. For many reasons this was another great swashbuckling film like the Adventures of Robin Hood, but also was the first film were Bob Anderson the famous real-life swordsman's first film as a Sword Master but was the leading towards success for him as well as a great career in futures to come. 

                                      Two Scottish brothers engage in a fierce sibling rivalry while battling pirates and British soldiers. 

                                       Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote The Master of Ballantrae written a lot of famous books, great examples are Treasure Island and the most famous tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which explored a tone of great things that involve the human or good side of us to the evil and horrible side of us all, and The Master of Ballantrae is another of one of those great tales of two brothers turn enemies and to be honest, it's a great story to tell but also great to watch especially when you have leading man Errol Flynn at the helm. The most shocking thing I found out that this film came out six years before Flynn died, for which I thought "wow" I had no clue, for many reasons I thought the man would live forever, although the other shocking thing was that he died at the age of 50 years old, furthermore thought like crap I wonder what happened, and I guess what I've learned was that he died of a heart attack moreover had a lot of pain in his body moreover didn't do a great job in taking care of his body for which is really sad in reading about it, moreover gets you to realize that you don't have a lot of time on this earth and hell I would imagine he'd live forever. And even though he didn't live long he still lives long in in his films and it's movies like The Master of Ballantrae is what makes him a living legend. Like, Robin Hood the film itself does hold up when it comes to action/adventure but deep down I kind of prefer this movie over Robin Hood when it comes to the Errol Flynn films I've seen so far, and the main reason why I like this other than the story line is that the sword fights seem much more better and much more realistic than Robin Hood granted that these films were separated fifteen years apart from each other but in truth this what make the swordsman teaching of Bob Anderson so legendary in fact Anderson to a leave from the British Royal Marines to participate in the movie, for which spawned a great long run of teaching Hollywood actors in movies. Now I know your all are going to be butt hurt or acted like your offended about what I'm going to say but what I'm telling you all is simply the truth, this generation of movies SUCK, summer movies are nothing but absolute garbage, I mean for f**k sake we literally just went through five years of nothing but superhero movies, remakes, and sequel's that necessarily didn't need to be made (Fast X) WITHOUT EVEN BLINKING! Corporations are the reason why movies are just trash, they just must sneak into the sets or the writing rooms and screw it up and that's why corporates need to stay away, moreover the producers now are what they are because they did something wrong just like Tom Cruise when he sold his soul to the Devil. So, for love of God people get on the same page and stop wasting your money on this year’s crappy films because take it from me people who go to all these new mindless action or live action Disney films are just giving their money to Satan. Now, that being said the Master of Ballantrae is an exceptionally great action adventure film that needs to be seen, with great action, great story telling and as always I love the brother sibling rivalry that goes with the movie moreover has entertaining by the final frame and I strongly suggest everyone to check movies like the Master of Ballantrae out and stop wasting your money on movies that Hollywood is coming out today. 

          

85 Year Anniversary of The Adventures of Robin Hood

 

                                    I was reminded while back that the classic swashbuckling film The Adventures of Robin Hood is 85 years old, and though I had to make a point at time to watch this earlier golden age of summer movies though there was so much I was doing I lost track of time, especially movies I was wanting to watch. And as luck would have it, we're still in the month of the summer Blockbuster movies seasons, so why not recommend a classic action genre that started the action-adventure genre. The Adventures of Robin Hood was one of the few films that set the standard for the golden age of action adventure, in fact it was one of these films alone that influenced George Lucas in creating the Star Wars Saga and the Indiana Jones Trilogy. The character of Robin Hood as always been kind of a folk lore in English literature moreover was a great way to use for movies back in the late thirties since it helped to get over the Great Depression and the beginning of World War II. So, let's get right down and talk about this 85-year-old classic.

                                    When King Richard the Lionheart is captured, his scheming brother Prince John (Claude Rains) plots to reach the throne, to the outrage of Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn), the bandit king of Sherwood Forrest. Rounding up his band of men and eventually winning the support of the lovely Maid Marion (Olivia de Havilland). 

                                    One of the first adaptations I've seen and moreover heard about the legend of Robin Hood was probably the Disney classic cartoon version of Robin Hood, which was a whole lot different than I remember when you compare the Errol Flynn version. Then when I got older and thanks to Turner Classic Movies I finally sat down and watched this great film, and to be truthful this is hands down one of the better adaptions to Robin Hood since Robin Hood: Men in Tights, though that's a spoof of the original but still is hilarious. And I still hold that as a fact because through the course of the years with Ridley Scott's version to 2018 film were they try to make him more like a Batman type character, and sure I can add the Kevin Costner one but it's been a long time since I watched that movie and I have no memory of it other than Costner not holding up on a English accent. But those movies I've listed alone still don't hold up as much as Michael Curtiz's adaptation, because this film has a strait forward story that gets right to the point and doesn't let up in terms of the action, romance and adventure that it provides. And sure, when you make a Robin Hood movie, you can probably make it realistic like Ridley Scott's version or make him a Batman type hero it just defeats the purpose of who he is, also when you change things about him it just doesn't seem fun at all. The film itself cost around two million dollars to make for which not is not much of course but at that time it was consider the most expensive film to date, moreover was almost the same amount as The Wizard of Oz but with another eight million more than Robin Hood, and really when you take a look at these kind of movies back in the mid-thirties it was really easy to make for many reasons California wasn't what it was today, moreover you can go to a nearby forest resort in Cali and film all of those scenes to make it look like it was set in Medieval England, and with the castile's scenes when it comes to interior shots all they really did was use a lot of Burbank Studio's in Warner Bros, to bring the Castle feel to life, for which yeah those are just standard things when it comes to filmmaking back in the late thirties but really you had to do that because the technology wasn't what it was until 1977 came around. One of the most interesting and the "really" fact, was that James Cagney was originally considered for the role of Robin Hood, Cagney in case you're not familiar with him he stared in a lot of those Gangster movies like Public Enemy moreover started in a lot of black and white films, furthermore I wouldn't consider Cagney for many reasons he just wouldn't fit the role of Robin Hood, since they we're shooting the whole film in color it was wise to cast Flynn as the dashing archer. Errol Flynn himself did a lot of his own stunts in the movie though there were some scenes in the movie where he didn't take part in like the famous scene where he's riding on the horse with his hands tied behind his back. Speaking of Stunts in the film, all the arrows in the film were shot by professional archer Howard Hill, moreover all those men that got shot by those arrows wore clothing padded with balsa wood on protective metal plates, those metal plates in fact prevented injury (though the impact was painful), and the arrows lodged in into the balsa wood to create the illusion of bodily penetration. There really nothing to say about Errol Flynn because let’s be honest movies like this were made for Flynn because the man was charming dashing and moreover looked like a great action star of the golden age of film, though one of those actors that deserve some recognition is Claude Rains who does such a great job playing a scheming, manipulative scumbag who will do everything to get what he wants, and if you don't believe me check out Casablanca because he does a great job playing that type of sleazy filth. The one interesting thing I found out was that there was two directors at the helm of Robin Hood, for which I didn't realize until I began researching a little bit about the movie, and although I didn't find much the only conclusion I found was that Curtiz and Flynn didn't like one another for the main reasons Flynn was married to Curtiz's wife and I guess that was the main reasons other than stunt works as well, but I think that was one of the main reasons for which is weird because Keighley was a great collaborator with Flynn and apparently the studio kicked Keighley to the curb and brought in Michael Curtiz but really yes Curtiz got the directing credit but Keighley was main reasons that this film worked. The movie itself is a breath of fresh air and was fantastic to watch from start to finish though I must admit this did reminded me of Robin Hood Men in Tights, because when they were preparing traps, I sang to myself "We're men in Tights" which is funny in fact I now need to watch that movie because that's another movie I haven't seen in a while. A great movie from start to finish and it needs to be seen because this was one of the few great films that reminds you of other great films like of course Star Wars and Indiana Jones but also Pirates of the Caribbean and the Princess Bride, and everyone needs to see this film to appreciate the fact that this was one of the few films that started off the Action/Adventure genre.

          

Father's Day Recommendation: Red

 

                                       

                                      Well, Father's Day is upon us a day where all the fathers out there can tell their nagging but loving wives to say, "hey this is my weekend and I say we're doing nothing", or not which is fine. And it's time to recommend a movie for all of the Dad's in the world, and this was another one of these movies that my Aunt's husband loved or mentioned that he liked and I've heard of Red in fact I watched it and thought it was great although it's been a while since I've seen the movie nor have a so called good memory on how great it was, and like most films I do in terms of review I had to in a strange sense experiment. So, I had my Dad sit down and watch the film and without a doubt he loved the film from start to finish, for which I should of known he would have a great time with Red in fact he always loved these action films, hell he was the same Dad that got me into any John Wayne films, Star Wars and Indiana Jones in fact he loved Harrison Ford. And the same goes with acting greats like Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman, so question after watching the movie this would be an excellent choice for Father's Day.

                                       After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunites with old Joe (Morgan Freeman), crazy Marvin (John Malkovich) and wily Victoria (Helen Mirren) to uncover a massive conspiracy that threatens their lives. Only their expert training will allow them to survive a near-impossible mission-breaking into CIA headquarters.

                                       I can't honestly remember when the last time I watched this entertaining movie, though probably a year after its release and granted it's been ages and that's clearly a guess because then they released a sequel in 2013 and that was basically it for the RED franchise. So, now having re-watched the film this was of course another one of those hidden gems that was both great and entertaining at the same time, and that's a lot to say because let's be honest in this era where everything is nothing but crap, Red was defiantly one of those films that was refreshing to watch every step of the way. What really makes this film great to watch is that it goes from point A to point B really quickly were you get to know Bruce Willis character and realize what he's capable of furthermore has to rescue Mary Louise Parker's character, also the action has a good flow through the course of the movie where it doesn't slow down or speed up, it's basically at even pace par with both comedy, drama and action molded into one. What makes the film great is that the film itself gives it a sort of understanding in terms of what it's like to be a Black Ops Agent on the job and after your life as an agent is over, and they really do a good job in a sense expressing how a retired agent tries to adapt to a civilian life and that it's somewhat of a boring persona, in fact I watched the movie again with a retired CIA agent's commentary who was also a consultant on the film Red, and even he loves the film all together because it does answer all the important questions of how most field or operatives transition in to civilian life moreover explains that it's somewhat boring not fun, basically telling the audience that it's not always great when you get out of the business. A side from the great list of actors that portray these characters, the other thing I have to give the best performances are Mary Louise Parker and Karl Urban, because both of them have the best character arc in the film where one of them is an up and coming agent who believes in the system but slowly begins to see that the agency system is not what it's supposed to be and it's moreover corrupt furthermore filled with shady people who have agenda's and Urban does that in the best way possible. Parker on the other hand does a great job playing this strange but yet funny woman who has no clue of this world Bruce Willis character lives in but is comfortable wanting to follow him moreover just funny and sexy at the same time which is what I like about her in this movie, and this film came out in 2010 so technically both Willis and Parker we're like ten years apart from each other in terms of age. Of course actors like Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman along with John Malkovich and Hellen Mirren are great in the movie but the one actor that needs to be deserved some praise is Richard Dreyfuss who plays an excellent antagonist in the movie just a great villain than what I've seen in his past work and the same goes to Brian Cox who is such a great character actor and does a fantastic job portraying a for Russian spy but also a great accent to go along with it for which proves that British/Scottish actors are such a true craftsmen in their art. Without a doubt, re-watching this film was like a breath of fresh air moreover was just so much fun seeing it from start to finish and whenever I hear Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith, I always think of Bruce Willis fighting Karl Urban, which is flat out awesome, also it's just a fun action film from start to finish and shows that Bruce Willis still got it. So, no question I would highly recommend watching this film with your dad because you will have a great time watching Bruce Willis kick a** and take names, though I don't think he can do that now, but I never claim to be wrong. 

     

                                               

                               

Unstoppable

 

                               So, this is probably the first time ever I felt ashamed in not watching a movie that was worth seeing from start to finish. Moreover, the first time I didn’t really sat down and appreciated any of the late great, Tony Scott's work. For a lot of you that haven't nor ever heard of Tony Scott he was the brother to Sir Ridley Scott complete opposites when it comes to filmmaking but both came out with some iconic movies that we all grew up watching and loving with his work, it included Top Gun, Days of Thunder, Man on Fire and True Romance for which help launch Quentin Tarantino's career into movie lore, furthermore did a lot of movie work with famous actors like Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington as well as Kevin Costner and Eddie Murphy. Unstoppable, was Scott's last film before he died in 2012 and without a doubt one of the biggest surprises and a movie, I felt ashamed in not watching the first it came out.

                              When a massive, unmanned locomotive roars out of control, the threat is more ominous than just a derailment. The train is laden with toxic chemicals, and an accident would decimate human life and cause an environmental disaster. The only hope of bringing the train to a safe stop is in the hands of a veteran engineer (Denzel Washington) and a young conductor (Chris Pine), who must risk their lives to save those in the runaway's path. Inspired by true events.

                              It really wasn't that it was a Tony Scott film or I would think that some of his films or okay-ish, although I've only seen Top Gun deep down I don't have a reason, but if I had to pick a reason as to why I haven't watched Unstoppable, was that I kind of had this movie pegged that this was basically and unstoppable train being death among us, a race against time and by end of the film everyone is okay, for which is a convenient way to describe the movie when you think about it. But the one scene that really convinced me that this movie was something of a special kind of suspenseful film, was when the pickup truck carrying two horses but is somewhat stopped and the train is coming by like a chaotic bull coming and me, I was just like oh my God, OH MY GOD, until there we're all save except the horse cargo, and I was like breathing a sigh of relief. And really when you think about it yeah a locomotive is a scary thing when it comes to carrying dangerous products, moreover when you're in the dangerous part of the railroad and have no way of getting out then you have to out of the way because you won't walk away from a train or locomotive, sure you can walk away from getting hit by a car but you sure as hell aren't going to walk away from getting hit by a train because every part of your body is going to be all over the road or the grass, and that's not pretty. I have to say Denzel Washington needs to make a trend of every action or suspense movie he's in, he needs to bully every annoying white actor like, I remember 2 Guns where he bullies Mark Wahlberg, and he was entertaining as always, and he does it great when it comes to Chris Pine. Speaking of Chris Pine, I always like him as an actor there are rare few times I look at a movie he was in I didn't think he was chewing the scenery way to much or just half ass'n it, and really it comes from either the romantic comedies he was in or the raunchy comedies or another great example Don't Worry Darling, but with movies like this he really pulls every emotion in his body of being a stick up is nose character at first and then understanding what he's been through is truly great and the same goes to Washington as well and the two of them make great chemistry on screen it's excellent to watch. Rosario Dawson was also excellent in the film, really pulling her weight in giving out a great supporting performance and she does its great hell my favorite movies that she was in were the first two Sin City films and one film noir Trance but will get to that in futures to come. Without a doubt, this was one of the most surprising films I've ever had the chance to just sit down and watch from start to finish, moreover it was based on actual events, plus it has a great premise a great list of actors moreover a great movie comprised by a great director in the late great Tony Scott for which was his last movie before his death which yes was sad, though when you watch the movie it's almost like a great send off to an underappreciated director. 

    

White Men Can't Jump

 

                                

                                    June officially became one of those months of what the hell should I watch to start off the new month, and it was really a dozy to find that one movie to watch, shamefully I did have one contender to watch, which was Not Another Teen Movie, unfortunately that movie didn't last for a good ten seconds for me which is a new record, when it comes to abandoning movies. And so, it took a while but then I realized the NBA Finals are starting so for which brings us to White Men Can't Jump. Of which is a movie I haven't seen furthermore was one of those films that was on my radar just haven't got around to seeing. Aside from hearing the Bull Durham creator Ron Shelton written and directed this movie I figured why not give this movie a chance he’ll can't be worse than the remake right?

                                   Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) is a white basketball hustler who banks on black players underestimating his skills on the court. When he pulls one over Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), his victim sees lucrative opportunity, and they become partners in a con game, plying their trade across the courts of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Billy must keep one step ahead of mobsters, to whom he owes money, while staying on the good side of his "Jeopardy"-obsessed, motormouth girlfriend (Rosie Perez).

                                   I've seen bits and pieces of this movie and I always kind of looked at this movie as if Magic Johnson and Larry Bird failed at their basketball careers and became hustlers, and really that's the best way to describe the film when you think about it. In terms of Basketball films I've seen over the years this was probably one of the most exciting basketball sequences I've seen in quite a long time, moreover it really does an exceptional job when it comes to actors really showing off the basketball skills, in fact Bob Lanier who was a real life NBA player was hired on a basketball coach for the actors in the film, Lanier was so impressed with Harrelson and Snipes Basketball skills, he suggested both men to reach a Division II college basketball level, he even said that between the two men Harrelson was the better player. In terms of the actors that we're playing basketball hustlers were actual NBA players too, although some of them were just regular NBA stars, superstar Gary Payton was in the movie too, though the problem was he was uncredited, and I couldn't find him through the course of the film. When it comes to a regular Ron Shelton sports film I've seen, it's mostly a mild-mannered film of nothing special it's just everyday men making not so smart choices and having to live through the consequences, the only differences Harrelson just can't stop gambling his money and can't stop getting his girlfriends angry. Which again is just like Bull Durham where they're some great iconic one-liners some impressive athletic abilities but wasn't all special just an average decent film from start to finish. Moreover, I thought via watching the trailer of the film it seems decent thought out in terms of storyline though through the course of the film I was just oh WTF it's still going I thought we'd be over by now. Both Harrelson and Snipes do a great job playing hustlers that know they can't trust one another but then through the course of the film become the ultimate bros, although I’m not a big fan of Rosie Perez in terms of movies she was in, but I really thought she was fine, through the course of the movie hell, by the end of the movie I kept saying to myself Harrelson you idiot. No doubt the movie was a fun movie from start to finish, kind of like the basketball equivalent to Bull Durham and if you’re a fan of basketball films I would defiantly give this as a must watch.

       

                                           

May Recommendation: The Negotiator

 

                                    Well, it's the month of May and we're officially in the month of blockbuster movies, and this latest recommendation is somewhat of a reminder that late nineties movies where again the best time to go to the movies, as I've proved a year ago and The Negotiator was strangely a movie that first introduced me to legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson, and this was going back to when we had satellite cable TV and we've always had this channel where they always had shown previews of movies that came out and The Negotiator was always on all the time and this one actor that always came up for which was Samuel L. Jackson, and granted this has been a long time since I've watched the movie but finding it on Netflix I was like well dang I have to watch it since it's been quite a long time since I've seen it, and without a doubt a movie worthy of a monthly recommendation it's defiantly up there in one of the best cop movies of all time.

                                    Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) is considered the best police hostage negotiator in Chicago. After a friend warns him that someone is embezzling from a disability fund, the person is found dead. Internal Affairs investigator Niebaum (J.T. Walsh) discovers the gun used had been handled by Roman. When no one believes his innocence, Roman takes Niebaum hostage. When Chris Sabian (Keven Spacey) arrives to hear Roman's demands, the two skilled negotiators begin a tense stand-off.

                                     After watching the film twice in case I missed anything moreover looking at where it ranks in the best Cop movies ever made, I was shocked to find that this amazing well-crafted movie is not ranked in any of the best cop movies from IMBD to Looper-Endless Entertainment, that is just something I cannot accept especially when humanity is a mistake, I mean how the hell is this not praised by any film buffs out there? You have two of the best actors of our generation (yes, I'm mentioning Kevin Spacey because I'm only praising his career from his early years to right after Baby Driver was released, since he's now fallen from grace) a great and unique story, so again I don't understand why this movie has been forgotten by everyone. Well, of course I guess I must be the only one to say that this was defiantly one of the best cop movies I've ever seen in a long, long time. For a billion reasons, this was defiantly one of these films that I've never seen like in terms of taking the movie seriously, as a result of this was one of the first times you ever, where you feel for the  protagonist from thirty minutes into the movie to the end of the movie, also when I began to see all of Jacksons friends turn against him I really felt for the guy especially when it comes to betrayal moreover having to take the law into his own hands by taking people hostage. What I like most about the movie is that it focuses more on hostage negotiators for which we've never got to understand how they work or how they operate, especially when they're rare few times a hostage situation happens. An interesting note I found out of the film was that the film was originally written to star Sylvester Stallone in the title role, and I wouldn't believe in a million years that would ever work for this film’s success and don't get me wrong Stallone will always be Rocky to me but I wouldn't take this movie seriously if Stallone was the Negotiator, so it was a wise choice to cast Samuel L. Jackson in the title role because he's exceptionally good when it comes to showing his emotions from being scared to angry at the same time and really after watching this movie I have to say that he's defiantly up there in the one of the top ten greatest actors of all time, and the same goes to Kevin Spacey by reason of he can do a great job play both a protagonist in one movie and makes a great movie villain in the next moreover the nineties were good for spacey because if you look at his filmography from 1990 to 1999 he made hit after hit when it came to movies. The film was largely based on a pension fund scandal in the St. Louis Police Department in the late 1980's and early 1990's, which really doesn't surprise me much but is fascinating when you think about it. Of course Sam Jackson and Kevin Spacey made this film work, but the supporting cast helped out as well a great example was the late J.T. Walsh who plays the Internal Affairs who accuses Jackson's character, furthermore does a great job being a smug a-hole who you just want to punch in the face because all Internal Affairs officers when it comes to movies are always the douche bags who never get fresh air because their always in the offices investigating cops. Another great actor in the supporting realm that needs to be praised was Ron Rifkin who was also in my December Recommendation of L.A. Confidential and who portrays a cop that you'd think would be Jackson's alley but through the course of the movie shows that nothing is what it seems, and he does a great job at that. The movie has a surprise guest star for which I was kind of surprised Dean Norris who’s known for Hank in Breaking Bad plays one of the SWAT officers for which I thought was cool even though this was made in 98. This is a great Cop movie from start to finish and has been forgotten for a long time, and thanks to Netflix I'm now bringing this movie out into the light because this was one of the best Cop movies I've seen in a while moreover way better than The Departed, and as for all of you that have or don't have a Netflix account I would highly recommend watching this movie, with its great acting chops of Jackson and Spacey as well as a tremendously well-crafted whodunit story. Also, how can you not watch a movie that has Samuel L. Jackson? 

        

See How They Run

 

                                   One of those movie nights where I'm hanging around with my mom and dad, they were wanting to watch a movie, and this was one of those rare few times I had to find a movie real quick because they would want to watch something they've probably seen and I really don't feel like it. So, See How They Run came up and I said let's watch this. This was defiantly one of those films that I've heard about via watching the trailer on YouTube, and I thought it was intriguing and so why not give this movie a look at, though my parents where asking me if I'd knew what happens in the end and I'd never told them but this one of the rare few times I was actually telling the truth, because it was my first time watching it.

                                   In 1950's London, plans for a movie version of a smash-hit play come to an abrupt halt after a pivotal member of the crew is murdered. When a world-weary inspector (Sam Rockwell) and an eager rookie constable (Saoirse Ronan) take on the case, they find themselves thrown into a puzzling whodunit within the glamorously sordid world of underground theater, investigating the mysterious homicide at their own peril.

                                   This was no doubt an interesting film from start to finish though this was one of those movies I just felt like this could have been done better and it's one of these things where they provide some interesting, good ideas, but then it just felt like they kind of half a**. Really the core of the movie was Sam Rockwell's performance in the movie, he does a great job playing a down on his luck detective who’s a drunk and must put up with a rookie detective who at times gets on his nerves which I strangely can relate too in all kinds of ways. Ronan on the other hand I kind of felt annoyed by her, mainly yes, she plays a rookie cop lacks experience but there is such a thing of chewing a person’s ass out when it comes to pushing your buttons. I do like the whole chemistry between Adrian Brody and David Oyelowo who each of them play the screenwriter and director of the adaption to Agatha Christie's Mousetrap and each of them argue about how the movie should be made, for which is a great representation I view as each men wanting to make a movie but have different point of views which I liked seeing in the film, though the problem I have was that Brody's story board sequence foreshadowed how the movie ends which is like WTF? Like why they would do such a thing, I mean when it comes to making a movie on a murder mystery you should never give away details. Either way the movie to me was a decent watch from start to finish, I liked the performance from Rockwell, and there were a lot of interesting things they did in terms of a whodunit story, but there were other things I look at and just see that they could of dun a better job or worked on it more. Decent film had no objections of not wanting to see it, I'd recommend it for anyone to watch it and if you love the movie moreover have a different point of view, when it comes to the movie, I won't hold anything against you.

       

A Harold Ramis Double Feature

 

                                   So, this will probably be one of those nights that I will never forget, nor will I ever get the hours back no matter the run time. Now, Harold Ramis the most famous comedic writer behind such great classics such as Caddyshack, Stripes and Ghostbusters, has done such great work over the years along with such memorable performances like Egon Spengler. For which leads to the events of Vacation and no not the one with Ed Helms that movie doesn't count, I'm talking about the original Vacation film starring Chevy Chase as probably one of the dumbest men on the planet moreover never understood why Beverly D'Angelo should of just left him or pushed into traffic. Alright, getting back to the point I realized that I haven't seen this movie or may have seen bits and pieces and deep down I realize how much I hate the Vacation movie franchise after watching Vacation hell I began to understand why I will never watch Christmas Vacation ever again.

                                   Basically the movie is about a man who is a stubborn jack** played by Chevy Chase decides not the logical idea to take an airplane all the way to a fictionalized Disneyland, he decides to drive in entire family from Chicago all the way to California, which is like why can't you just take a plane for many reasons it's the early 80's so Airplane tickets are really cheap to purchase instead of today's ticket prices and let's be honest you know the rest.

                                    I'm sure everyone loves these movies, and I am not going to judge them for loving these movies, but this movie alone it really wasn't anything to do with Harold Ramis direction or anything against the cast, it was more to do with the story itself moreover the film itself just brought back terrible memories growing up, I mean it the young Russell felt like me. I mean the entire film just felt like life was sucking the life out of me, I mean in fairness I never remember my childhood in some degree I do remember taking family trips that where not the best of times. But this movie alone while watching it I was like "oh dear God", I began to have flash backs of the many vacations I had over the years that where not in the best of things. The movie itself was created by John Hughes who also written the first two Home Alone films for which I loved growing up furthermore Vacation itself was based on a short story by Hughes himself for which I guess was based on his experience and he transitioned into this movie. Now, look I understand that everyone loves Vacation and Christmas Vacation, but me I just can't watch these two movies ever again because as a grown man who is thirty-six years old and begins to remember really bad memories of not so great vacations and really I can never in a million years watch these movies ever, and after watching Vacation I couldn't sleep at all like the anxiety just kicked my ass so much that I couldn't even breath for which lead to another movie that Harold co-written and directed that helped me breath easily and went to sleep easily as well.

      

                  

                           Oh, hey look everyone I decided to watch Caddyshack after Vacation, what a coincidence huh? So, again right after watching a horrible nightmare that was Vacation, I had such a bad anxiety attack, it was probably around maybe 3:30 in the morning and I honesty couldn't sleep at all so in what probably the best decisions I've ever made, I decided to watch Caddyshack. Harold Ramis first movie moreover a beginning to a beautiful friendship between Ramis and up and coming comedic star Bill Murray. The funning thing about this movie is that even though Chevy Chase was in the movie, this was probably the best and only good comedic performance I can watch of him for many reasons that he plays a Zen-womanizing golfer who just doesn't give a s**t is great to watch plus playing a role model to Michael O'Keefe's Danny Noonan. Now, I'll admit I'm not a fan of Rodney Dangerfield but like Chevy Chase this is the one film I'd rather watch him in and not anything else that he was in. So, anyway let's dive right into a movie that helped me get a good night's sleep despite my bedtime becoming around 5:30-ish in the morning.

                                                          Danny Noonan (Michael O'Keefe), a teen down on his luck, works as a caddy at the snob infested Bushwood Country Club to raise money for his college education. To gain votes for a college scholarship reserved for caddies, Noonan volunteers to caddy for a prominent and influential club member (Ted Knight). Meanwhile, Danny struggles to prepare for the high-pressure Caddy Day golf tournament while absorbing New Age advice from wealthy golf guru Ty Webb (Chevy Chase).   

                                                          The interesting fact about the movie is that originally the movie was supposed to be about the Caddy's in the suburban golf course, but then they acquired all of these big-time actors the whole story about the caddy's they decided to take all the time and effort to focus on the actors like Chevy Chase and Bill Murray. Though in truth, the movie is really about just one Caddy which is Michael O'Keefe's character for which is really about him from the first act to the final act, and though you may not believe that it's really true though there so many stuff that they changed but deep down it's really about Danny Noonan and his quest to find out what he wants to do or what to find in life. In fact they in one of the original scripts the ending was that Danny won the big bucks and went off into college but comes across a pretty lady and goes with her while carrying her golf clubs, and granted I would of liked that ending but deep down when you watch the movie's ending you can tell by heart that he was defiantly going to college after winning the big bucks from Ted Knight's character. The difference when it comes to comedy, between Vacation and Caddyshack was when watching Vacation sure you as a viewer can laugh at the slapstick comedy when you’re a teenager or god knows still laughing at it when you’re as old as me, but the thing about it is when I watched it maybe as an immature teen sure I can laugh at it but once you get older and experience life then re watching it feels like your reliving a complete nightmare and watching Vacation at my age really felt like that moreover I'm close to realizing that I won't ever watch Christmas Vacation nor the first two Home Alone movies because really deep down I love my family but there were sometimes I wanted to kill them, and watching movies like Vacation I can't do anymore. Though with it comes to Caddyshack I'm a working man, I was raised in the working class though deep down I do have dreams but in all honesty I will always be working class, anyway movie on Caddyshack is really the working class putting up with the snob fest which is the upper class, and you really in a grand sense relate to that because we've all had one of those jobs where we've got to put of with those a-holes who think the world revolves around them and to be honest that's funny furthermore makes me feel good inside and that you're not the only one in the whole world that doesn't have to put up with that. With this movie, it's probably the only Chevy Chase movie I can watch because his unique way of not giving a s**t or his infamous one liners are just perfect to watch, but when it comes his performance in Vacation I just look at him as one of the most stupidest man alive, moreover if I was Russell I would jump out of the back and begin strangling him for how stupid he can be, especially with his decision making. Though let’s face it Bill Murray is way better at comedy than Chase because he had a long movie run as Chase had so who cares. I have to say, yes Rodney Dangerfield has some pretty good one liners, but watching him on screen I don't know whether he's a normal guy or a bunch of scientist were able to draw this bombastic cartoon and brought him out of the pages and that was Rodney Dangerfield, for which I'm thinking that's really what happen because I don't know how he was able to have a carry on in the film world. So, that was my night of pure madness honestly I'm pretty confident I learned a valuable lesson, never watch any John Hughes work, as I've said before this wasn't Ramis fault for directing Vacation in my point of view I just think that any of Hughes work which includes dysfunctional family comedy is never my cup of tea moreover never re-watch movies or shows that give you bad memories to relive it's just not worth it. 

    

                                  

Mother's Day Recommendation: The Illusionist

 

                                     This Mother's Day I decided to do something a little different. My Aunt who lives in Florida furthermore was an avid reader of mine suggested one of her favorite movies that she likes, called The Illusionist. Staring Edward Norton as a Keyser Soze type character with a blend of both sorcerers? Paul Giamatti as detective Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel as what maybe her best performance in her entire film career for which doesn't add up because I looked at her past films after The Illusionist and they, well let's just say they didn't pass expectations for my taste but let's be honest she's still married to Justin Timberlake so on the bright side she's still believe in commitment and if not that that's her damn fault. I've remember watching the Illusionist a long time back for many reasons it's been one of my sister's favorites but to be truthful at that time this film was more like a love story and didn't think much of it back then mainly Christopher Nolan was rocking the theaters with his latest movie The Prestige another film about magic. But don't worry everyone well get to that later, right now let's dive right into if Edward Norton can summon his imaginary friend Brad Pitt. 

                                     In 1900's Vienna, mesmeric entertainer Eisenheim's (Edward Norton) magical abilities are wowing crowds, with an act that ranges from mere tricks to an apparent capacity to raise the dead. However, he has also long been in love with Douches Sophie Von Teschen (Jessica Biel), which puts him in a dangerous competition with the violent, scheming Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), who jumps at the opportunity to have the magician arrested on grounds of necromancy. 

                                     It's kind of strange that there was a competition between this movie and The Prestige in terms of which was the best film about magicians, and even though I've watched the Illusionist I still have to go with The Prestige as the best one for many reasons of course it was a Christopher Nolan film but the ending towards the film was what made the movie amazing on the grounds that it was a perfect twist that I never saw coming a mile away when it comes to watching The Prestige. Now, that doesn't mean that I still enjoy the Illusionist for many reasons it still holds up when it comes to great acting a decent storyline and a perfect antagonist in Rufus Sewell. I defiantly declare, Edward Norton is up there in the top ten best American actors especially when it comes to a movie like this he really does a great job playing a charismatic magician who's both a kind an decent person, then through the course of the movie becomes like this Chris Angel like magician doesn't really present his tricks or being a presenter he just brings people back from the dead and just call it good, either way Norton is defiantly a reliable actor who can pull of a starring role moreover does a great German/Hungarian accent and the same goes with Paul Giamatti although I'm not much of a big fan of his he does a good job in the supporting role moreover playing a kiss ass to Sewell's character, I'm not lying when I say that Jessica Biel's best movie was the Illusionist, and deep down it really is true moreover sure there are a lot of those actors/actresses like Biel who have like this one good movie under their belt and a boat load of other crap that they either where in or starred in or was most famous for aka 7th Heaven, in which they use that to get other work because they don't realize how expensive California is, nor do they want to improve on their acting skills, but deep down that just sounds lazy if that's the honest assumption I can muster moreover pretty sad if you ask me. But what do I know because let's be honest, she's married to the most famous N'SYNC singer of all time Justin Timberlake, so now she's provided at least and even if Jess and Timberlake get a divorce that's really on her unless Timberlake makes terrible choices. Rufus Sewell who plays the Crown Prince does a fantastic job playing the typical antagonist to Norton's character and even looking at Sewell's filmography he has the most interesting in terms of the early nineties playing the supportive/good guy in movies let’s not forget my favorite film of his Dark City, but through the 2000's era he transitioned to playing the antagonist with films like A Knights Tale and The Illusionist, moreover the man's from England and they make great memorable bad guys. The direction that Neil Bruger does in the movie is really fantastic in terms of visuals but also scenery too it's almost as if he was trying to create a homage to some of the early 1910's silent films along with some simple transitions as well as some quick edit tricks they would do in the silent film age, furthermore a lot of some of the tricks that Norton performs is strangely interesting and complex in which you don't know how he really does it but in all fairness it's also a fantasy story so we can at least point that out into perspective. I don't think it's better than the Prestige, but it doesn't mean I fully appreciate it and respect the movie for being as great of a movie to watch especially since it's been a while since I've sat down and watched the Illusionist. For a movie alone, I can understand why my aunt would dig this movie too, it has both romance with a kiss of cliché story about a poor kid who falls in love with a rich girl and society tells them they can't be together, for which really is good to have because when you blend both a magic tricks and stage performing you do great wonders along the way. I would highly recommend watching this from start to finish, and hopefully every mother who hasn't seen this might check this movie out and watch it as well.

       

Doomsday

 

                                     There are times I feel like that I've seen things in movies that you people wouldn't believe, like a cringe erotic Twilight film, I've seen Ryan Gosling in a movie where he had a virtual reality girlfriend though the funny thing is he had a life-sized plastic woman for a girlfriend too. Hello, I watched ten minutes of A Million Ways to die in the West before I decided to leave because I couldn't take it anymore moreover it was a Seth McFarlane movie. I even went to an Adam Sandler movie twice for which made reach the conclusion of how much that man is the Devil in disguise. But just when I thought I've seen everything when it comes to watching movies, Doomsday comes around and I seriously don't understand what this film’s purpose is. Doomsday is a movie that was directed by Neil Marshall, who directed a film I actually liked of his, sure as hell not this one if that's what your referring too, but having seen other works of his plus the conception of this movie just made me realize that this film was not just bad, but this was like watching a train wreck and a guy who has a fixation of train crashes is strangely turned on by this and that's the disturbing factor of this movie.

                                     When the first outbreak of the Reaper virus hit Scotland, Eden Sinclair was one of the last to escape containment and had to leave her mother behind. Twenty-five years later, Maj. Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mirta) leads a team back into the hot zone to find a counteragent to the virus, which has re-emerged in London. She and her comrades wage a desperate battle for survival against feral survivors, as they try to prevent it from ushering in a new dark age.

                                      Strangely enough I remember seeing the trailer for the first time when it came out didn't think much of it, because to me it looked that the end of the world apocalypse but instead of the virus turning you into zombies you are transformed into a sort of punk rocker. Either way it looks like a rip off to all movies like Underworld or Resident Evil, just about any movie that consist of leather outfits. And yet while watching the film I honestly didn't think much of it other than the fact that the whole zombie virus felt left out in this story, but again when the movie went forward I was expecting the crazy Mad Max lunatics coming it was just a matter of when, so at the same time when they ambush Rhona Mirta's crew she's taken captive along with her doctor but they decide to do this sacrificial BBQ where we see the movie poster chick with the crazy tattoo on her face and flaunting her tongue out, almost as if she looks like she could lick a lot of WAP, then after they burn the good doctor they decide to eat him up moreover gave a sample of him to Mirta's character, although I didn't peg the Mad Max people to be cannibals though I guess that was an understatement moreover the scenes where they just carve into the guy is sort of disgusting but also bewildering too. Though a side from the many references to Mad Max films, what really caused my brain to have a mental breakdown then cause a huge seizure inside my brain, was when they escaped and out of NO WHERE mid evil knights from the 12th century Scotland appeared for which I said, "oh what the f**k?" I mean that was so much to handle I had to shut the damn movie off and go to bed, though let's be honest s**t like this always causes me not to go to sleep easy, but through the course of me trying to go to sleep I had to research this movie to get some answers because 12th century knights in a post-apocalyptic movie is just beyond my understanding. And with the thanks of Wikipedia, I was able to find answers that explain why this such a f**king train wreck. You know when most directors want to make a movie as sort of a tribute to movies from the past? Great example George Lucas using past adventure/science fiction movie serials from the early 30's and 40's to create Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, well Neil Marshall didn't just use Mad Max as an inspiration, he used past end of the world genre's from every film upon the 70's and 80's combined I'll list you off the films starting with the first three Mad Max films, Escape from New York, then Excalibur for which explains the 12th century Scottish knights. Then other films I don't understand why, firstly The Warriors all because of a Baseball gang so he had to incorporate that, Waterworld, Gladiator and Children of Men. So, now that you've understand how many films Marshall crammed into this on headache of a movie, I have to say that it's the most dumbest thing to ever do as a writer and director, I mean you can't just combine so many films you love into one movie you have to at least use at least two or three at least and sure I can see the fact that Scotland has very little in terms of cities but with more mountains combined although I could be wrong, furthermore I could see the Mad Max and Excalibur movie but as a movie whole that just doesn't seem right especially when it has nothing to do with the virus or any zombies that where hardly in the film. So, anyway by the near end of the film Mitra's character decides to expose the politics of Great Britain and decides to go back to Glasgow, Scotland where all the Mad Max cannibals are she decides to become the new leader and that's the end of the movie, which really I don't think I would ever in a million years would turn to eating people mainly because once you've seen what you've ate or looking at your dinner in the eye you just lost you sense of humanity, also I never want to see the animals I eat, for which is another reason I refuse to be a hunter although there other reasons but I don't want to go any further. Doomsday is probably up there in top five worst movies I've ever seen probably up there with Sucker Punch, Don't Worry Darling and Southland Tales including this movie, the only time I would ever want to watch this movie is probably with a group of people who haven't seen this monstrosity, now having seen this movie I wish to never ever in a million years see this movie again, because I hate this movie so much, the story's horrible moreover the gore is unnecessary disgusting, like if Eli Roth's half-brother made a movie this would be it.