Tuesday, October 21, 2008

"W" (2008)


Oliver Stone's latest film takes a sympathetic look at our current president. We watch as George W. Bush makes his way from the college years floundering around different jobs until he decided to run for governor of Texas and then the President of the United States. There are no plot spoilers to give away because all of us have experienced the majority of this film, which is highlights (and lowlights) of the last 8 years.

The sub-story of this film is of a first-born son whose father never expected much from him and found constant disappointment with junior's endeavors. We also watch an alcoholic turned born again, find Jesus Christ. This religious faith then begins to guide all the decisions made in this man's life and likely gave him the strength he needed to make the leap from a governor to president.

While the movie starts out feeling like another SNL skit, you do begin to buy into whose these people really are. There are very convincing performances by Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powell and Richard Dreyfus as Dick Chaney. Scott Glenn gave me chills as Rumsfeld and Thandie Newton made me giggle every time she opened her mouth as Condeleeza Rice.

This is a film by Oliver Stone, so you can't help but notice that it is not a candy-coated pro-Bush film, but it is not about bashing or destroying the man. It is a very honest depiction of the current "leader of the free world." More impressive is Stone making a PG-13 rated film. There is very little language and no nudity. (131 minutes)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Tropic Thunder (2008)


Here is a funny movie. A really funny movie that is almost too clever for it's own good. Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder tells the story of a cast of a Vietnam movie who get thrust into reality and don't really know it, at first. While it is another movie about a movie, it still refreshingly portrayed.

The cast made up of Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr. and terrific supporting cast keep the film moving a clip pace. There are some terrific surprise performances that also pop up in the film, but I'll leave something for you to discover when you watch the movie.

The film has some bad language and comedic gore (what do expect in a film about the Vietnam War being made in present times?) There is no sex or nudity, which is suprising. Most of all there is Ben Stiller who wrote, directed, produced and stars in the film. Stiller plays the "Ben Stiller Character that he plays in virtually every film (except Zoolander) but that certainly is not a bad thing.

The film is so good that I have seen it twice. It is not often that I will pay twice to see a film while on it's theatrical release. It go stomped in the box office when it opened on against the Olympics, but it seems to be regaining it's ground. So grab yourself a can of Booty Sweat Energy Drink and enjoy the film.

(Rated R, 107 Minutes)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Pineapple Express (2008)



While I will shamefully admit that I found Superbad to be pretty darn funny, the same cannot be said for Pineapple Express. The movie takes us along with Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) who buys some "premium marijuana" then witnesses a murder and then gets followed by those involved in the murder. Dale's dealer (James Franco) also gets sucked in for the ride. The funniest character in the film is played by Danny McBride, who is also hilarious in Tropic Thunder. McBride is a drug dealing middleman with a lot of bad luck on his side.



Even if you enjoy movies about getting high on marijuana, you might find it hard to enjoy this film. Heck, even if you are high at the time of watching the movie, I can't say that you'd like it much.



This is another film out of producer Judd Apatow's group of regulars. It was co-written by Seth Rogen way back before he was in 40 Year Old Virgin and only got green-lit after his success in that film and Knocked Up. This is one script that should have just been passed over.


(Rated R, 111 Minutes)




Sunday, July 20, 2008

The Dark Knight (2008)


Wow! What? You have not seen it yet? What a treat! If you liked Batman Begins, then this sequel is gonna blow your freakin mind! Christian Bale did an outstanding job as he did in the last one, even though his batman voice is a bit obnoxious and hard to understand. But this film was carried by the presence of Heath Ledger as the Joker. Some may think the movie had a lot of graphic violence, but really they did a great job of leaving it up to your imagination. The severely dark overtones of this film make it quite the theatrical ride. As for the gore, when Two Face makes his appearance, he is pretty gnarly. The last superhero film hat had more than 2 bad guys in it was Spiderman 3, in which that film made me lose hope in any future spiderman films. It killed the franchise. But in this film we see Scare Crow, Joker and Two Face. They balanced the use and time of these villains so well! It was brilliant.
I really don't want to give too much away. The film was two and a half hours, and it was what a movie experience should be like! Go see it, you won't be disappointed!

Matt Worley

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Hancock (2008)


Bouncing right back from I am Legend, Will Smith as Hancock leads this film off with a pretty big bang. I came into this film much like the Hulk, not expecting much. But I was pretty impressed with the story and concept. I saw the twist coming a mile away but I still enjoyed it. I though the on screen chemistry between all the leads was great. Will Smith flying around and being the deadbeat super hero was pretty entertaining. The use of language was a bit excessive, some family brought there little kids and we could hear them repeating what they heard on screen. Really parents, know what you are taking your kids to before you go. And for all you lazy slobs that treat the movie theater like your living room, putting your feet up on the seats and just making a mess, really, have some respect for the theater and those around you. Oh, more ranting, sorry. For those of you with bluetooth headsets, take them off and turn them off with you cell during a film, No one wants to be distracted by the flashing light on your communicator, and you no longer look important since it is California state law to use them.
Anyway, I found it enjoyable.

Matt Worley

Monday, June 30, 2008

The Happening (2008)


Should I say it? Come on. Really? Has M. Night Shyamalan done it again? I'd say he has. Walking in with little to no expectations, well I had a few. The master of twists kept on twisting.
CREEPY, if you are freaked out by suicide and creepy old ladies. Beware! There is some intense visual elements in this film. hence the "R" rating. For his first "R" rated film he certainly went out with a bang! This film had me thinking for days about the "would if" factor of this highly improbable but slightly possible incident.
Markie Mark Wahlberg did a swell job, but he never strays far from the same kind of character. Zooey Deschanel was excellent, her and Mark played off each other very nicely and added some balance to the film. John Leguizamo's part was short lived. No pun intended, but really he did a great job.
So the plot, something is making people give up the will to live, the survival instinct. So by getting rid of this instinct people just start killing themselves. From shooting, to jumping off buildings to hanging or laying down in front of a riding lawn mower. CREEPY STUFF!!! So if you have enjoyed his films in the past you just might enjoy this one, and if you are not creeped out easily.
Shyamalan has his cameo at the beginning, you wont see his face but you hear his voice. See if you can catch it.

Matt Worley

The Incredable Hulk (2008)


Let me preface this by saying I have seen the film twice now. The first time was late one night while my wife was out of town. I headed down to the local theater and payed my money to the man. Going in with expectations high, due to the total failure of the last Hulk film and the total success of Iron Man. Needless to say I was very happy. The opening title sequence sets up the back story very well. They also touch on it through out the movie. If you were a fan AT ALL of the old TV series you will notice all kinds of references to people and things from that series. Lou Ferrigno has a cameo and of course Stan Lee.
From the beginning it was exciting, Edward Norton was a brilliant Bruce Banner, Yet again another wonderful performance. Liv Tyler was ok, all she has going for her is the pouty lip thing thanks to her father.
But back to the film. It was a ride I had to take twice, the villain was pretty wicked, his name is Abomination. Really there was nice character development and the tease at the end was something you need to see. So go check it out!

Matt Worley

Saturday, June 28, 2008

WALL*E (2008)


It is not often that I get out on the opening day for a movie. Frankly, there just isn't that much time in my life. Last night was a unique experience as I was able to attend the 9:25 showing of WALL*E, the newest Pixar/Disney film.

The film was conceived off the idea, "What if mankind evacuated Earth and forgot to turn off the last remaining robot?" That's where WALL*E comes into play, his name is an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth class. The movie follows his experiences after he receives a visit from EVE, a Earth Vegetation Evaluator and returns with her to where she comes from. That is about all I want to divulge on plot details. The story is light, funny, a bit romantic and a bit melancholy.

Visually, this is the most spectacular creation from Pixar to date. I attended a showing that featured digital projection which just complimented how stunning this film is to watch. There is very little dialogue, but believe me, you will not miss it. The film is definitely kid-friendly, but far from a kiddie film. The audience to best receive this film is over 25.

Pixar films have several ongoing themes running throughout them: nostalgia, consumerism, consumption and the need for conservation. All those themes come through strongly is the movie. (97 minutes, Rated G)

Mike Worley


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Thursday, May 8, 2008

Iron Man (2008)


Finally a superhero movie that does not SUCK! Ok well a few of the X-Men movies were ok, I didn't waste my time on the last Superman or Hulk movies (the new HULK is gonna ROCK!). But Batman Begins was pretty rad. and the first few Batman movies were good too, thanks to Tim Burton. But anyway I digress as I always do.
Talk about a beautiful marriage of character, story and FX. This film went full circle, showing how a cocky business man and weapons genius sees how destructive his life has been, in more then one way and designs the ultimate weapon to destroy all that he himself has created. When Stark played by Robert Downey Jr. learns that the weapons he had been designing to protect American soldiers have been sold to their enemy's and are now used to kill American solders, he takes matters into his own hands. We see stark go through all the stages of becoming the Iron Man. It is pretty rad. This film deals with current issues and is very relevant to todays issues. The FX are brilliant, and if this film is at all a view of the near future, it's gonna rock. Also if you stick around after the credits, you get a little taste of Iron Man 2.
Matt Worley

Monday, April 21, 2008

Cloverfield (2008) DVD


So I managed to get the Cloverfield DVD a day early, freakin rad! So I spent the day going through it. I found lots of bonus features all of which were produced by a guy I worked for on the Lone Gunmen DVD and Boomtown DVD. Pretty cool. So there are several documentaries, one on the making of the movie, another on the FX and some great Commentaries.
If you get motion sick and decided not to see it in the theater, go buy this DVD and watch it at home. the shaking isn't too bad when you watch it on TV at home.
Americas Monster Movie is what this film was intended to be, so far, I have yet to see any Cloverfield toys. It was inspired by J.J. Abrams trip to Japan and seeing all the Godzilla stuff in the toy stores. You wont find any more answers to the film on this DVD. It is still left pretty ambiguous. But the tick is to watch the end, very closely.
Matt Worley

Monday, April 14, 2008

Shine A Light


The new concert film Shine A Light, directed by Martin Scorcese is almost like a bookend to both Gimme Shelter, the 1970 documentary about the Rolling Stones at Altamont and Scorcese's first concert film, The Last Waltz (1978). Both films reflect the lasting careers of both the Stones and "Marty."

Going into this film, I was not aware that it was really just a concert film. I was sort of expecting something more like Gimme Shelter. There was some backstage and preparation footage, but mostly just the concert, shot from about a dozen different film cameras. The cinematography was great with the Beacon theater being used in several creative ways.

The film overall is a testament to the amazing longetivity of the Rolling Stones. These guys put on the same energized performance as they did in the 60s. This concert, which was a benefit for the Clinton Foundation from October 29, 2006. I do not consider myself a huge Stones fan, but I was definitely entertained by the show. If you get the chance, it is also playing in IMAX around the country. (122 minutes - PG-13)

Mike Worley

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Leatherheads (2008)


Last night we went out with some friends and saw Leatherheads at the local Century Theatre. Seeing as there was nothing else showing that had any redeeming quality and not rated "R".
So we took a chance on Clooney's next vehicle. Well, the premise of this film was, the birth of profitable pro-football and the tale of war legends that weren't really legends. Sorry if that spoils if for you but it is still a enjoyable movie to watch. Set as a period piece in the 1920's, needless to say I was not around in the 20's but if I was, I bet it looked a lot like this film.

George Clooney plays a 40-something "pro" football player struggling to keep his team going strong, while trying all he can to entice the public to be interested in paying to come to the games. John Krasinski is the war hero and college football player. Clooney's pro team brings the young hotshot to add interest to the game. Renée Zellweger plays the reporter out to expose anything about the squeaky clean hero.

In summery, this is a great date movie, since it is classified as a romantic comedy. The pacing is a little on the slow side, yet is it is still enjoyable. The use of stylized photos to help tell more story was excellent. Overall it was fun.
Matt Worley

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Sweeney Todd (2008 DVD)


Sweeney Todd was released on DVD April 1st, No Joke. Katie and I saw this in the theaters right when it came out, and we really enjoyed it. Granted, it has pretty graphic bloody violence. Which wasn't much worse then Sleepy Hollow. The combination of Burton, Carter and Depp was spectacular, throw in some Sondheim music and WHAM you got a great film.
Being a fan of the film I had to buy the Special Edition, if you haven't been able to tell yet I'm a movie geek. First thing I decided to do was watch all the bonus stuff because that is the telling point of good pre-production. They knew this film would be good, so the production value that went into the special features was excellent! Among some of the bonus features are a press conference, the making of, The history of The Demon Barber and a whole lot more. The latter was brilliant! My recommendation is to go buy this film, whether you get the standard version or the special edition.
The film it self is 116 Min. the bonus material is well, they never tell you how much there is, but there is a lot!
Matt Worley

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Run Fatboy Run (2008)


A film set in Britain with mostly British actors but co-written by an American and directed by an American - who would this film be written for? Well, not surprisingly, it would be American audiences! I went into this film excited because Simon Pegg was a co-writer and star in the film, but instead I got a bland sitcom-like film stretched over around 90 minutes.

The film features Pegg playing Dennis, a father of a boy born to his ex-fiance. Dennis runs away from her (Thandie Newton) at the altar and then spends the next five years trying to make amends. When we catch up with him five years after ditching his wedding, he now finds that his ex is dating an American businessman, Whit (Hank Azaria). The film then follows as Dennis tries to prove to his son and ex that he is not quitter and a better man than Whit. Dennis enters into the same marathon as Whit and you will have no problems guessing what comes next.

There is nothing edgy, surprising or exciting in this movie. It did get a few chuckles and perhaps one chortle from me, especially from the "best friend" Gordon (Dylan Moran) who was my favorite character of the film.

I expected something more clever but instead found it to be a predictable, soft romantic comedy. (100 minutes)
Michael Worley

Amazing Stories (1985 TV) DVD


Ok, by raise of hands how many of you remember watching Amazing Stories? This Universal production was a series of non-episodic episodes utilizing the Universal back-lot and all the actors under their wing. In this DVD set for Season 1, you'll find over 10 hours of Amazing Stories. The great thing about these shows is they have great production value, each one is like a mini film. The whole series is produced by Steven Spielberg, according to the credits most of the stories were his idea.
This set of DVD's isn't packed as full of bonus features, just some deleted scenes. The thing I like about deleted scenes is, you get to see why they were deleted! Most of the time they would have slowed the story down, or just unnecessary back story.
24 storys, and all kinds of fun, the casts of this series was awesome, to name a few, Kevin Costner, Kiefer Sutherland, Gregory Hines, Milton Berle, Dom DeLuise, Seth Green, Charlie Sheen, Mark Hamill, Tim Robbins and many, many more. Thats right, Seth Green is in the mix, he was like 10 in the episode he was in, it's pretty funny. This DVD set is a must have, it took me a while to find a copy but I managed to buy it for too much at a store, so check Half.com, Amazon has it for a bit more.
Matt Worley

Friday, March 28, 2008

Short Circuit 2 (1988) DVD


In our adventures at Fry's we also picked up a copy of Short Circuit 2 for the low low price of 5 bucks. Not bad for a classic like this. The DVD comes with a short Featurette about the lead actor in this film, No not Johnny 5 but Fisher Stevens who plays Ben Jahrvi, The funny thing about this character is who plays it, you may recognize him as George Minkowski from lost. Yup a white guy plays an Indian guy, its even funnier now that i know that! The tragic story of Johnny becoming more human and coming to understand how cruel humans can be. As Ben and his new business partner Fred Ritter played by Michael McKean, strive to grow their toy business, they call Johnny in to help with the work. Little do they know beneath their feet a tunnel into a bank vault is being dug, the premise of which is set up early in the film and is revisited through out. Basically though the movie revolves around Ben's love story, and his interest in becoming a citizen of the US.
As a sequel to Short Circuit, this film stands on it's own, with minimal call backs to the first one. It was an enjoyable ride I think anyone would like. It is rated PG, there is some language, and a brutal scene where Johnny gets the living battery fluid beaten out of him.

Matt Worley

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The Black Hole (1979) DVD


The Black Hole, a Disney Classic, though they don't seem too proud of it. This was disney's first foray into the Sci-fi realm. Lets start with the DVD Case, they went with a Glossy black case, which looks and feels really slick. Bonus features include an extended trailer and a featurette about the making of they film with one of the VFX artists.
The film funs 98 minutes, just a tad long for a Broadcast showing. Looking at the cast was pretty impressive Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Roddy McDowall, and Slim Pickens. In the first 10 minutes you will notice that they didn't pull a George Lucas on this one and try to digitally touch up the whole film, Thank Goodness! What I mean is you will see the wires from the weightless shots all the edges on the matte paintings and no CG. Anthony Perkins is just about as creepy in this as he is in Psycho. The sound track of this film is pretty cool, it was scored by John Barry who has done some other cool sound tracks. For those of you who don't recall the story line, think of it as 20,000 leagues under the sea, in space. A mad man in charge of a space ship wants to be the first to traverse a black hole, and he wont let anyone stop him. A pretty dark film, I don't want to give any spoilers. So go rent it or better yet, buy a copy.
Matt Worley

Friday, March 21, 2008

Alice in Wonderland (1985 TV) DVD


Ok, so my wife and are were on an adventure at Frys Electronics, you know the place where you better know what you are looking for and where it is before you go or you are screwed? I digress, so we were looking at DVD's in the TV section and stumbled across this rare gem, Alice in Wonderland the live action TV version. I remember when it was on TV and I watched it as a child, lets see I was 6, and I remember that show scared the crap out of me. Now I just laugh at the production value. It is told in the slowest possible form, with a running time of 187 min, I'd love to say it is loaded with bonus material, but alas, it has not a one. The cheesy effects are something to be seen. If by any chance you remember seeing this as a kid or young adult or as an old person, chances are it wont be on TV again. But really, it has a killer cast from the mid 80's and it is a classic worth owning. So check it our or rent it on NetFlix.
Matt Worley

Semi-Pro (2008)


So the other day, I was working a gig at the Disneyland Hotel. We got all our gear set up early and had a few hours to kill. So we went to the AMC theater there and look for a film that fit out time frame. The only one was Semi-Pro staring Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. Going in with the lowest of expectations, I found this film had it's moments. As for story line, well think The Bad News Bears meets White Men Can't Jump. Yet another Harrelson film. The film has no nudity (bet you would have thought other wise), a minor fully clothed sex scene and more gratuitous language then a sailor drunk on shore leave. Sorry I don't have any evidence to prove how much language a sailor really uses to prove my point.
Will's character Jackie Moon is the owner of a semi-pro team, in a series of franchises that are about to be purchased by the NBA. As the story goes, they want to be one of the teams that is absorbed, but of coarse they are not. So they fight for 4th place, a nodal cause for any under achiever. This is one of those films you should wait to see on broadcast TV fully edited. Really. Save your $10 and go buy some used DVD's at Blockbuster! Not that I am supporting Blockbuster, but really get a NetFlix account.
Matt Worley