Due Date

This is such a late review...oops. But, hey, if you haven't seen it and you're considering picking it up as a rental then I am still able to assist you with your decision. I have recently become more of a Robert Downey Jr. fan. It seems as though he has finally left all of his wild days behind and has chosen to be the actor he was meant to be. Not to mention he has REALLY HOT hair...yes, I said his hair is HOT! Anyway, I really love his character in this movie; Peter Highman. He is a well-out-together kind of guy who is obviously very devoted to his wife and soon-to-be-born child. Peter is responsible- working a job that requires him to travel, obviously very adverse to breaking any laws, and completely against the use of drugs!

The dude that Peter gets 'stuck' with, Ethan Tremblay/Chase, is quite the opposite! He has some VERY nasty habits, doesn't have gainful employment and is using leaves from a certain plant "medicinally"...although I'm not sure we saw the carrier's card...

Through the movie these guys stumble into some very awkward and crazy scenarios. With their opposing personalities, the humor is in seeing how each one responds.

Anyway, the plot is decent, the character development is good, the humor is mostly good ( watch out for the rest-stop scene), and the ending was fitting. Not a two-thumbs-up kind of movie...but still not bad.

My advice, rent the movie when the kids won't be present!

~Cinema Sampler

Love and Other Drugs

It's been a while since I skipped into a theater expecting a decent love story and stumbled upon cheap "Hollywood Porn" instead. (I probably should have known, based on the movie poster...but you know what they say about judging a book by its cover...)What a disappointment! I can't believe Anne Hathaway sold out and bore her breasts for the big screen. She was so bright and talented...I thought only losers like Tara Reid had to stoop to those levels. Sad, sad day it is...

As for Jake Gyllenhaal, it was clear why he played this role. He had to redeem himself from the character he played in Brokeback Mountain! How else are you going to shake the ever looming shadow of gayness than play a role where your co-stars are your penis and Anne!?!? So cheap!

The plot would have held strong without all the constant sexual activity. The story had the makings of a cute love story. All the "cuteness" dissipates with the scattered flesh scenes...if you forget for an instant what Jake's rear looks like, no worries, it will show up again within five minutes!

If the rumors are true about Jake dating Taylor Swift then I hope this movie doesn't cast a shadow on her as well...she seems too innocent and sweet to be with this perv! LOL

My opinion- don't waste your money...unless of course you're a perv too!

~Cinema Sampler

Tangled

This was a very entertaining, humorous movie. The plot was solid, the character development was on-target, the climax was perfect! I can't tell you how many times we laughed!!! I don't remember the original story of Rapunzel from when I heard it as a child...I am sure that I'd NEVER heard the story like this!

Disney has itself another amazing princess. She's modern and classic. She's tough and delicate. She's independent and inspiring! I would happily proclaim her as a role model for our young ladies today.

My advice: young or old- GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!

~Cinema Sampler

Scary Movies

I know I'm posting this a tad late to contribute to the tension building that leads up to Halloween...but, unfortunately I didn't find my inspiration for this entry until last night. So, when it's Christmas season, we watch Christmas movies and when it's Halloween season, we watch scary-as-all-heck movies. Here are the thrillers I watched this season;

1. A Haunting in Connecticut- Creep factor of about 7. The story is complete fiction...but it is not generic like many of its kind. The family is dealing with some real issues before they move into the house where strange events take place. The oldest son has advanced stage cancer. The dad is a recovering alcoholic. The mom is dedicated to keeping her family together. Then they rent the house...and the creepy stuff that happens makes my skin crawl. When the movie is over, the scare is gone...because it couldn't happen. The reality factor is at zero.

2. Halloween: the Resurrection- Creep factor of about 4. This movie is mostly stupid with a LOT of fake blood. If I could see the budget for the making of this film, I'm sure the highest line items would be A. Jamie Lee Curtis' paycheck, and B. Fake blood. I couldn't help letting out a few laughs at the scenes that were intended to strike terror in the audience...so lame.

3. Strangers- Creep factor of a solid 10!!!! This story is so scary because some sadistic freaks out there would actually attempt this type of thing. I've always felt like the scariest part of a movie is when you know the bad guy is there but you can't see him and neither can the victim. Throughout this movie the 'strangers' (1 man and 2 women) wear masks and show up seemingly out of nowhere. They never say very much...maybe 5 words through the whole movie (super creepy). They move slow and with intention. The power is in the hands of the strangers and they know it the entire time. I couldn't get my heart to beat normally for even a minute during this movie. As an adult, it is rare for a movie to give me bad dreams, but this one did it for me! SCARY!

4. Zombieland- Creep factor of 2. This movie was clearly not meant to be scary. I can't even tell you how many times I laughed throughout the film. My favorite things were the "Rules". If you need a good laugh to clear out the fear from watching Strangers, definitely watch Zombieland. Beware: contents include lots and lots of F-bombs.

Well, I hope this help you out...maybe you'll post your thoughts about these movies...?

~Cinema Sampler

The Town

Welcome back Ben Affleck! It seems like a hundred years since you've been in a decent movie! This one was all that it claimed to be. There was a solid plot, appropriate character development, and one HECK of an ending. If I were a nail biter I would have left the theater with bloody nubs on my hands...gross, I know. The suspense and impending doom lingered for just the right amount of time and then exploded into fast-paced, direction changing activity...when all the chips fell, the conclusion could not be more perfect.

The BEST thing about this movie is how perfectly each character was cast for their roles...from Ben (Doug MacRay) to Jon Hamm, who played the FBI Agent tracking down the bank robbers. When he threatened 'Doug' it was so intense that I really believed every word he said. I was at the edge of my seat the whole way through the experience!

If you like movies that have a LOT to offer, you will love this movie! My suggestion; GO SEE IT!!!

~Cinema Sampler

Some of the WORST Movies I've Ever Seen...

So, I was looking back at some of my early posts and I saw a question posted by a friend of mine that I hadn't responded to...So, Elaine, this post is in response to your question...Here are some of the WORST movies I've EVER seen!:

1. American Psycho~ Dumbest movie EVER...I don't know how long it will be before I see a movie that knocks this one off of it's first place position! So VERY dumb!
2. The New Daughter~ When an actor that I admire stars in a "Blockbuster Exclusive Movie" I feel obligated to give it a closer look...in this case, not worth it! Very stupid! Kevin Costner, how could you let me down like that?!
3. Eat, Pray, Love~ This analysis is based 100% on the previews as I couldn't even bring myself to sit (or sleep) through this one despite my love of Julia Roberts...sorry.
4. Solaris~ I watched this movie during my imaginary love affair with George Clooney. Besides the full rear nude shot, it's not worth a thing! VERY bad plot...garbage! Sorry hun!
5. 8 mm~ Many of you probably haven't ever heard of this movie. It stars Nicholas Cage in one of his WORST acting EVER in the history of his career. If he'd had a director worth a dime they could have made something great with this plot...oh well...it sucks!
6. From Dusk Till Dawn~ George Clooney is exceptionally HOT in this movie but it still was one of the dumbest movies ever made...what a waste of a perfectly good title with the perfect leading man...oops, my thoughts were trailing off...

Well, that's all I could muster up the give a darn for on this list...I'm sure I'll have some more bombers to throw rotten tomatoes at on a later date.

~Cinema Sampler

The Other Guys

At the risk of sounding like Simon Cowell, it was "utterly forgettable". There were some funny scenes, most of which were played out on the previews to build the hype for this movie...but most of the movie was awkwardly stupid. I actually felt sorry for Mark Wahlberg...this movie will will be a stain on his career. Will Farrell was a good fit. This is his kind of humor...and it works for him, he loses no face. Funny how that works, huh?!

Anyway, silly story filled with silly characters and unrealistic scenarios...other than the language and sexual inuendos, the movie could have been made to entertain 8 year old boys!

My opinion: Don't waste your money!

~Cinema Sampler