Saw 6

This is a franchise that has been successful due to one thing; they have stuck to the formula. Formula equals: Use of same star as killer, utilize low budget, grainy film, and create new ways for people to try to escape a gory death.
I am a Saw fan and I LOVED IT! In fact I was laughing during parts because the Jigsaw puppet, after 5 movies and countless parodies, is not scary anymore. When you first see it on screen your mind harks back to Scary Movie and how they goofed on this franchise. Don’t get me wrong the opening scene is great and will keep Saw fans on the edge of their seats.
For those of you who are not fans you may not be able to handle the gore. Several couples walked out of my screening not being able to handle it.
The story picks up from Saw 5 where Special Agent Strahm is dead, and Detective Hoffman has emerged as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw's legacy. However, when the FBI draws closer to Hoffman, he is forced to set a game into motion, and Jigsaw's grand scheme is finally understood.
In this movie Jigsaw targets the Insurance industry and you sort of cheer for the demise of the targets.

Verdict: The game continues and so does the franchise. I was surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. Usually after 3 movies a franchise is done (Blade, Underworld, House Party!) but this baby keeps rolling even though Jigsaw died in the 3rd installment. IMPORTANT: Must be seen in the movies on the big screen and load volume. When I watch these movies for a second time on DVD at home the effect is diminished. The Game is On!

Paranormal Activity

If ANYONE thought that this was a good movie after seeing it then I am starting a movie investment blog so please email me how much you would like to invest. JUST KIDDING!!
How dare any true horror fan say that this movie was scary? This movie was so poor that I didn’t even bother to take notes. Total rip off from Blair Witch and The Exorcist. The lead actress is annoying and so is her boyfriend. The scariest part of this brief, cheap flick was the blank screen after the end of the movie. The audience all waited for something to happen and it didn’t.
WE WERE ALL SUCKERS!

Verdict: Rent 1981's The Entity with Barbara Hershey (in color photo above). It’s a classic and scary. Watch at night with the sound turned up and then when that Paranormal Activity movie crap comes out on cable you will thank me.

The Stepfather

Where do I begin to review this puppy?
First of all this is a remake and if you saw the original 1987 version with the old dude in the wheelchair from Lost, Locke, Terry O'Quinn then you will be disappointed. Terry made the role his own to the point where he appeared in The Stepfather 2.
On the plus side I am a HUGE Nip/Tuck fan and Dylan Walsh was perfect casting for the role. Sela Ward who has not been seen for a while is pleasant as the wife and one of the best looking actresses 50+ yrs. Old. Penn Badgley who plays Sela’s son was surprisingly good. I didn’t expect much from him because watching him act on the TV show Gossip Girls is like watching the paint dry. In this movie he shows some range.
The movie is about, Guess? An evil Stepfather. That’s all you need to know. And the Hitchcock type ending does not work.

Verdict: Rent the original from Netflicks. Sneak into this movie if you must after paying to see a movie you really want to see. Also skip Nip/Tuck this year; the show has jumped the shark! They are utilizing the Michael Jackson storyline where one of the doctors can’t sleep unless he has drugs

Law Abiding Citizen

F. Gary Gray is a proven action director. His track record includes The Negotiator, Set It Off, and The Italian Job. So I was really looking forward to this movie. The story is about an average dude (Gerald Butler) who decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets his family's killers free. Jamie Foxx plays the District Attorney who cuts a deal that does not favor Gerald.
For an action movie there is not enough action and the pacing is weak. Viola Davis, who was nominated for an Oscar for her excellent work in Doubt, is wasted here. She plays the mayor of Philadelphia in a one note performance. The story is weak and viewers will constantly ask themselves why don’t the characters do the obvious? Casting was also an issue. Regina Hall, who starred in the Scary Movie series, stars as Jamie Foxx’s wife. It was hard for me to see 2 actors known for their slap stick comedy try to play serious parents.
Verdict:
Disappointed. Rent The Negotiator.

Couples Retreat

I have been a Vince Vaughn fan since the movie Swingers and this week I needed a dose of V.V. so I looked forward to seeing Couples Retreat. I was not disappointed V.V. delivered in spades. The movie is about 4 couples that decide to go to a tropical retreat. One couple, played by Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, is about to divorce and they convince 3 other couples to go to the retreat to try and save their marriage as well as enjoy themselves.
You can figure out what happens to the 3 other couples and there is not much substance. However I didn’t find myself laughing throughout the movie even thru the slow periods, where there are many.
This movie has been done before and it’s very predictable but Vince and Jon Favreau put together a script that will entertain couples. The film is also true in many situations, some couples will need to take notes from the film. This movie will deliver laughs for everyone similar to V.V.'s X-Mas movie last year 4 Christmases with Reese Witherspoon. Leon the Professional, Jean Reno, also shows up as the Retreat’s owner and leader.

Verdict: Don’t let the critics fool you, the movie is good (not as bad as they say it is) and is a couples flick. Vince and Jon have taken comedy noted from Abbott & Costello and Laurel & Hardy.

Zombieland

The trailers didn’t do this movie justice. The trailer sucked but the movie rocked.
To begin with it has two of my old time favorites in it Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray.
They can both do no wrong in a movie (I even sat thru that horrible elephant movie Larger Than Life just to see what Murray will do) all they have to do is show up and be themselves, which is what they end up doing. They are like the WC Fields of our time. Fielsds just showed up on the set and was the same person you have seen in his prior films, himself.
Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Forget about all of the Dawn of the Dead movies. This is a very fresh take on zombies from Director Ruben Fleischer. Jesse Eisenberg stars as Woody’s buddy and he reminds you of Michael Cera from Juno. Newcomer Emma Stone from Superbad is superb as Whicita and even Little Miss Sunshine, Abigail Breslin stars as a badass.
The opening sequence shows excellent slow motion shots of zombies chasing civilians.
Also without giving away too much “Rules are Cool” in this movie. This is Woody’s biggest box office opening in his career. Goes to show you that it’s never too late.

Verdict: Fresh , original, and cool. I smell a franchise. Ghostbuster 3 has already been announced for 2012. Hopefully Ruben Fleischer directs it. Why do I bring this up? go see Zombieland.

Capitalism: A Love Story

As always with Michael Moore I always learn something from his films that the mass media chooses to not explore. Why is he so hated? I have liked all of his films and he is smart to use the same format (old commercials and footage form the 50’s, 60’s, & 70’s, confronting politicians on the street, and trying to see CEO's of major companies). Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story explores a taboo question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? It’s called a love story because as with all love affairs that have gone wrong it involves lies, betrayal, and deceit. In this case Capitalism has been feeding America the propaganda that everyone has an opportunity to be rich in America but we don’t and the intent is to divide the country into 2 groups the rich and the poor.
Some of you may not agree with Moore’s movies but he did Roger & Me about General Motors 20 years ago and predicted their downfall. He was also right about Geroge Bush in Fahrenheit 9/11, most of America didn’t like the movie until America’s love affair with Bush was over.
Moore’s movie’s give his opinion without the feeling that you are being preached to. If you liked his previous films you will like Capitalism

Verdict: To be honest it was a scary movie.

Surrogates

I didn't see this movie advertised much prior to it's opening and when that happens it's usually a recipe for 2 hours of boredom. Correctamundo!! Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop (Willis) is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others’ surrogates. The only cool scene in the movie is when Willis's character is chasing a surrogate thru the city (studio lot, low budget movie) that the movie takes place in. This scene is near the end of the movie and will not make up for the price you will pay for the movie. The most amazing thing about this film is the makeup and how they now can make old actors look young. This will be interesting to watch in years to come while Hollywood tries to replace their Star Power brands like Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington. Interesting fact is that this is the first movie Ving Rhames and Bruce Willis have starred in since Pulp Fiction which was 15 years ago.

Verdict: This is no Pulp Fiction. Just another movie about robots taking over the world. Call it a surrogate but it's still a robot to me.

Love Happens

Jennifer Aniston has made some poor movie choices yet as soon as she makes a bad one like Management (which is now on DVD) she pops up on the silver screen again. Richard Gere had this problem a few years ago and I discovered that regardless of how many bad flicks Gere made he was still an International star and his movies made money. I don't think Jenn's movies make money, I just think she has a great agent. The story is about a widower whose book about coping with loss turns him into a best-selling self-help guru. On a business trip to Seattle, he falls for a woman who attends one of his seminars, only to learn that he hasn't yet truly confronted his wife's passing. Sometime Love Happens SNORE!! maybe one day Jenn will have a hit movie on her own rather than team up with Vince Vaughun in The Break Up and a dog in Marley and Me. I don't hate Jenn but she found fame on television where her Friends co-star is currently finding success again with Cougar Town (good show but they have to watch the racist jokes: Cox to a black bouncer "You are really black!?!")Where is the funny in that joke? Jenn please go back to television.
If you are looking to cry this is not the flick. It tries to be a tearjerker but star Aaron Eckhart was not believable.

Verdict: Wait for the Friends reunion.