Movie Qoute of the Month

“Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers should do is to get hold of a camera and some film and make a movie of any kind at all.”
---- Stanley Kubrick.




I chose this film quote that I found on Brainy Quote.com website for many reasons. The quote is from one of the most influential an legendary Hollywood film directors Stanley Kubrick (know for such classics; 2001: a space odyssey, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, and Clockwork Orange) . I chose this quote because it means to me to take action on my outrageous yet faithful dream of one day becoming a filmmaker/film director. Being a young man living in a small town and making little money , I will never have the financial capability to afford film school. Whether it’s a more esteemed university base film school like NYU, USC or Columbia University or a second-rate technical film school like Lafilm, NYFA, and Fullsail. All of these institutes average out a tuition cost of 30,000-45,000 a year, making impossible for me to ever get a film education in my lifetime. Feeling hopeless, this quote inspires me to take action in my own hands. Being that Stanley Kubrick never went to film school, I feel motivated to take his advice and go grab a camera and make my own movie magic and Hollywood dreams.

Trailer of the Week April 14- 21

Hey guys!!! I got a another thriller for you !!!!!

Whats scarier than being chased by masked killer? ….How about being chased by 3 masked killers. coming out in May 30 is the new terrifying suspense thriller The Strangers. “Allegedly” inspired by true events. It’s the story is about a couple Kristen McKay (Liv Tyler) and James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) who return home from a friend’s wedding reception on February 11, 2005. Like in every damn horror movie , the couple live in a REMOTE house with no one around…too easy I know. Then at 4 a.m. Kristen and James hear knocks on the door, haunting voices, and strange telephone calls. Soon, 3 masked strangers invade the house, terrorizing the couple who now must find a way to survive and escape before its too late.

My Film Review For- Stop-Loss

Stop-Loss: 3.5/5

When it comes to the Iraq, we all have our opinions. When it comes to Hollywood the opinions are unanimous…Lets end the war, the war is bad. So now Hollywood is cashing in and capitalizing on peoples emotions with films like Home of the Brave, Rendition and In the valley Elah. Stop-loss joins these lines of these films as it discusses The lives of 3 young American soldiers who are affected by the Iraq war in this military drama directed by Kimberly Peirce( the same director who helmed Boys Don’t Cry). Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Philippe) a decorated Iraq War veteran who survived a devastating enemy attack that left two his friends dead and another injured. . After his tour of duty comes to an end, King returns to his Texas hometown and attempts to pick up life with a little help from his family, and wartime buddy Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum) and colleague Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). But just as Brandon, Steve, and Tommy settle back into civilian life, The army comes calling on them once again. Suddenly ordered back into active duty, with a government order policy called a Stop-loss. This impacts the three men different as Brandon decides to run away to Canada , Steve decides to serve willfully in order to fulfill his dream in becoming a CIA sniper and Tommy as little by little he becomes violent and insane. Stop-loss starts off, with what you would expect with any traditional war movie: guns-blazing , shaky camera movements, documentary style shooting with Iraqi terrorist ambushes as blood and guts splatter all over the place. Loss, remorse, . It felt all to familiar to me. Whats worse was Kimberly at times threw in a few unsubtle liberal remarks like when Brandon says something along the lines as “fuck the president, he is not in this war, he doesn’t now how it is” or “ this a back-door draft ”.Sneaky ,sneaky Kimberly…and to think you almost had me there. However, overlooking all that a side, what I found in the center of this thought provoking drama was a more provocative look at American soldiers who grow deeper and deeper in their post-war traumatic stress as their values and lives are tested like never before. Each Character in the film goes through a psychological and mental breakdown at on point or another, especially when it comes to Tommy Burgess who suffers the most in the entire film. There were times I questioned the films intentions as I wondered if is was appropriate for all the characters to fall mad this quickly and this deep . But the film is filled such raw true emotions that whether you believe in the story or not ,you cant help but sympathize with characters and there feelings of betrayal and pride for being a solider. Ryan Philippe, Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all give the performances of there careers, including Abbie Cornish who plays Shriver’s girlfriend. Agirl who is stuck between helping Brandon escape and staying with Steve as a dreaded army wife. Each of the male leads display a range of heightened emotion from paranoia, regret, pride, hurt, disorientation, delusion and confusion Kimberly gives her characters nobility and respect. She doesn’t pity her fellow 3 soldiers but sympathize with their misfortunate situation that there in . She is definitely pro-soldier but anti-war. Take for example a touching scene in the movie where Brandon visits his wounded army buddy Rico Rodriguez ( Victor Rasuk) who has lost his eyesight, legs, and arms and is scarred all over from the war. A scene like this could have been wrought with melodrama and self-pity, but instead is carefully constructed with dignity as Rico insist to Brandon that he is now a better person from this. Some have wrongfully accused Stop -loss of a being a film about dissertation. Its easy to get caught up in the films external message of how war is negligence on youth and robs the young of innocence. However, if you focus more on the real implication, you might see that Stop-loss is a universal idea of sacrificing so much when all you’ve given is not enough.

My Film Review For- Run Fatboy Run

Run Fatboy Run: 2.5/5

If you’ve seen Shaun of the dead and/or Hot fuzz then you probably know about Simon Pegg. Simon Pegg will probably be the next big comedic star in Hollywood .He continues his comedy streak with Run Fatboy Run, A British comedy about a man named Dennis ,who five years ago, got cold feet and left his pregnant fiancée Libby (Thandie Newton) at the altar just when they were about to marry .Now in present day London, Dennis discovers that Libby’s has moved on and has hooked up with a healthy and handsome American named Whit (Hank Azaria). He realizes that he must act quickly in order to win back his family. He decides to enter a marathon( like Whit) to show Libby that he’s more than a quitter and hopes by doing this he will regain his family.Yes!, a plot that could only exist in Hollywood film. When coming into Run Fatboy Run , I was prepared to laugh my ass off and go rolling down the aisle…and why wouldn’t I be? We had Simon Pegg from such funny previous movies, David Schwimmer (the director of the flick) from the tv series friends, and Hank Azaria from the animated series The Simpsons… I was sure to expect a “runaway” hit….. but I was wrong. Yes, as a whole , the film did pull out a few chuckles and laughs out of me. However, the film itself just wasn’t funny or interesting enough for me to give a strong recommendation. Many of the jokes here fall flat or dry. With many uninteresting secondary characters like Dennis’s fat Indian Landlord Mr. Ghoshdashtidar ,his daughter, or even Whit himself, who plays a one-note “villain-type” man who is neither funny or appealing . Libby is charming but lacks any chemistry with the main character Dennis, as a weak supporting role. Most of these secondary characters don’t add to the comedy of the film but seem to do just the opposite. The film is filled with unfunny slap-stick and physical humor that would even make Monty Python cringe. I guess the main problem is that the film is its PG-13 rating.I felt that film played to “safe’ with very minor crude and unfunny moments and innuendos. The film even goes far enough to actually bleep out a few curse words….that’s right ….bleep out!!!…am I watching a movie or cable television? The entire plot is also an exercise of every chestnut romantic -comedy plot; Loser Dad ,who might lose his family, if he doesn’t go do something drastic. We have seen it all before, in TV and on film. Despite, the shortcomings of the films characters and plot, Simon Pegg is able to this carry film. I feel that had Dennis been played by a different actor , the film probably would have been a total mess, but Dennis manages to be lovable and funny , and plays it straight as an underdog we can all root for from beginning to end. The movie did have its charming and even touching moments that involve scenes with Dennis and his precocious 5 year old son, who is obsessed with Lord of the Rings. Run Fatboy Run is sweet and is done with good tasteful humor but lacks originality and is to tame and dull for today’s audience.

My Film Review For- Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

Miss Pettigrew lives for a Day: 3/5 stars

Can you get a life and discover love, all in one day? No you cant…unless you live in 1939 London like our next 2 women in the 1930s inspired farce called Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again jobless and poor from being fired form her nanny job without any pay. Hungry and desperate, Miss Pettigrew interceptis an employment assignment as a "social secretary" to a gold-digging American actress and singer with a heart of gold , Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a haughty rich-society that cares more about wealth , fame and money and treats love like a toy. Taking the "social secretary" designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate her disastrous love life and career, both of which are complicated by the three men in a triangle Delysia's has created ; devoted pianist Michael (Lee Pace) Delysia's true love , An intimidating nightclub owner Nick (Mark Strong) a man she uses for the money and house, and a gullible junior impresario Phil (Tom Payne) who she pretends to love for the sake of a title role in his upcoming play. While helping Delysia , Miss Pettigrew becomes swept away by a charming successful fashion designer Joe Blumfield (Ciaran Hinds), who is engaged to snobbish fashion maven called Edythe ( Shirley Henderson). Edythe discovers Miss Pettigrew's upbringings and schemes to demoralize her. Miss Pettigrew lives for a Day is a sophisticated comedy that is faithful to its era and time , with acting and dialogue similar to what you would find in a Gene Harlow picture. Each and every actor is faithful to their part and are careful not to overact or overdue the whole 30s ambiance. I will admit, there were times the bouncy, quick and cheeky dialogue and innuendos got on my nerves real fast and real quick. Its airy and light milieu also didn’t win any points . Last but not least, the film also had its world-war II undertones that did not add to the films “Carpe diem” tone but took away from my overall appeal . But the film did do something I didn’t expect it to do…its charmed the hell out of me. Amy Adams provides an amiable performance as the hapless Delysia a character that is flawed yet undeniably profound whose love for Matthew is deep . I also found Frances McDormand wondrous as the intellectual and compelling Miss Pettigrew. She is able to display Miss Pettigrew's vulnerability and loneliness, and yet makes her the most sincere and honest person in the film. Her chemistry with Ciaran also holds strong , which makes for a touching Cinderella -type relationship . In fact, I felt that all romantic quarrels were appropriate and well written without being to mechanical or driven. Miss Pettigrew lives for a Day is not just a homage to 30s farce but a meticulous tribute to it. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day doesn’t break new grounds but it’s a fun story about enduring love and loving today likes its your last.

My Film Review For- Doomsday

Doomsday: 2.5/5








Im not sure really how to start to describe a movie a like Doomsday, heck I barley can even begin to tell you its plot…if the movie even had one. While watching the movie, a few things came in mind on how to describe it: its seems to be a combination of all the Resident Evil movies, meets Sid and Nancy, meets rocky horror picture show (without the music), a Pink Floyd music video, Underworld, Excalibur, Macarthur, The Matrix, Mad Max, Death Proof , 28 days later , Lord of the Rings, John carpenters Ghost of Mars, and any 70s road movie. As you can see Doomsday was a quite strange and unnerving film. Here what plot I was able to drag out as a plot . A lethal virus has spreads throughout the British isles, infecting millions and killing thousands people . To contain the threat, acting authorities brutally quarantine the country as it succumbs to fear and chaos. The quarantine is successful and eventually those side filled with infected had died off. Three decades later, the Reaper virus violently resurfaces in the side major city. When the government finds out that there still survivors from lost and once-infected city, they send an elite group of specialists, including Eden Sinclair ,a survivor of the virus , and are dispatched into the still-quarantined country to retrieve a cure by any means necessary. Shut off from the rest of the world, the unit must battle through a landscape that has become a waking nightmare as they take on a group of singing 80s style leather wearing -cannibalistic- warrior Goths, medieval knights, and conspiring government agents. I appreciate Doomsday daring sense of psedo-reality and aspiration to be unique and give worship to classic films of its caliber . Each scene is action packed and at times exciting, especially the final road chase in the dessert and as Eden battles a an iron-clad gigantic Knight. The film kept me enthralled in its first 25 minutes. Nonetheless, A film like Doomsday feels like ‘its all been seen and done before’ . While the arrangement is unique , most of the action-packed sequences are not . At times, flashbacks of Resident Evil and Underworld came to mind, along with the other films I mentioned above. The story about a tough women with a checkered past, battling abnormal beings, is familiar territory. There is no direction to this flick and the pacing of the film is off by a mile. The elements of sci-fi, horror, thriller and action don’t exactly hold well together or have any consistency, that makes it into a full feature film . It felt like watching three different bad films . At times the film, is overly quirky and uncanny you feel misplaced form the movie altogether. Am I missing something? Were thoughts that came to my head. The film is engaging to a certain extent but over the top /bad acting and screwball slayings and kills don’t make it last for long. The villains to say the least, are not menacing in any way and everyone ,except for the main character Eden, is at best disposable but at times I wonder if this was all purposely done by the director. I sure hope so? Directed by the same genius who brought us the scary The Descent , I was expecting better from writer/director Neil Marshall. Neil is certainly experimenting here, but what he doesn’t have is a finished product. With material this unconventional Doomsday is destined to be cult classic, as I doubt it would appease to most people. Maybe with second viewing ,I would have been able to better enjoy Doomsday and all its homage to exploitation schlock and its bizarre sense of style. You may love it , You may Hate it, but Doomsday is memorable…kind of like having a near death experience.

Trailer of the week March 10-March 17

Its been awhile since Keanu Reeves did an action movie, (His last one was Constantine), But now he is back in form with Street Kings. In this police action/thriller, Keanu Reeves plays Tom Ludlow ,a veteran LAPD cop who goes out on a quest to discover the killers of his former partner, DetectiveTerrance Washington (Terry Crews) after evidence accuses him of the murder. Captain Wander (Forest Whitaker) , Ludlow’s supervisor, helps Tom figure out the crime while also helping him escape the clutches of Internal Affairs Captain Biggs (Hugh Laurie). Tom then teams up with a young Robbery Homicide Detective Diskant (Chris Evans) to track Washington’s killers through the streets of Los Angeles attempting to bring justice to those of wrongdoing.

Trailer of the week March 3- March 9

Hey guys I got a comedy for you! David Schwimmer ( the dude who played Ross from Friends) makes his directorial debut in his new flick Run Fatboy Run . Simon Pegg( the dude who played Shaun in Shaun of the Dead) plays Dennis a clueless and overweight guy, who left his pregnant fiancée Libby ( Thandie Newton) 5 years ago. Years later, Dennis tries to win her back but sadly Libby has moved on and has fallen in love with an American named Whit ( Hank Azaria).In order to win the love of his life back, Dennis proposes to compete a marathon called the Nike River-run in London, in order to show Libby that he could actually start and finish something, unlike their wedding . Dennis does this with the help of his friends Gordon (Dylan Moran) and Mr. Ghoshdashtidar (Harish Patel) by his side as Dennis begins training for the run of his life.

My Film Review For- Vantage Point

Vantage Point: 2.5/ 5 stars

How do you shove 8 different points view or five different perspectives in a relatively short 82-minute action pact film? Simple , do it with choppy editing, an array of under-developed one-dimensional characters, and layers of a complex political plot that goes nowhere fast . The new film Vantage Point does all that and more. Vantage Point is the newest in line of action films that combines modern day issues like terrorism( a subject that is most wearing in films now a days). The story revolves around the assassination of an American president and two bombings that take place at global war summit in Salamanca, Spain. The story is told in the view point of 5 characters( despite the fact the film’s poster advertises 8 vantage points?) including : a secret service agent who returns to work after being shot on duty , a news producer, an American tourist, a man who has been double crossed and a Spaniard mother. Each story is given about 10-15 minutes of viewpoint but of course become repetitious as we view the presidential assassination and two bombings…over and over…and over. I grew impatient with the film’s pace and lack of tension or suspense that was given to each story. The film sped quickly into chaos without any sort of glue holding it together. What was even more annoying was the films constant “rewinding” of each vantage point as we ended with one point and started with another. As if we needed see all this rewinding, how stupid does this film think the audience is? The film also had powerhouse cast that is never fully utilize including A-list actors like Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, and Matthew Fox. All delivered performances that were either forgettable or one -note. Lets also not forget the laughable “terrorists” who play cliché foreign villains with exaggerated accents and one liners like “The beauty of American arrogance is that they cannot imagine a world in which they are not a step ahead.” Whatever. Now don’t get me wrong, the film had its AD-Vantages( I know, lame pun) . The film does get exciting towards that last 25 minutes as we get closer to figuring out this chaotic mess out. Not because we care about the story but simply because we want this damn film to end. We are shown some quite astounding car chases, a gun standoff , and a twist that will leave you awe-struck. Sadly, this is not enough in order to save the film from its inconsistency and overall flat story.

My Film Review for- Jumper

Jumper: 3/5 stars





Anywhere is possible in the new scifi/action movie Jumper .Jumper is the latest movie to join the line of possibly many other science fiction classics such as Matrix and Equilibrium. Based on the novel by Steven Gould, Jumper is the story of a boy named David (Hayden Christensen), who as young boy lives a hard life with a drunk Dad and a mother who abandoned him as a child. After being tormented by the schoolyard bully, David teleports himself to New York. He grows up their using his powers to raid bank vaults, sleeps with girls in London, dine on the pyramids, and surf in Fiji . He lives a quite fascinating life until he meets Roland (Samuel L. Jackson),a silver haired baddie who tries to kill him. David learns from him that he is not the only jumper out there and that there is a world of underground teleporters like him. When he escapes Roland ,he goes back home and becomes reacquainted with his long lost love, Millie (Rachel Bilson).But his romance with her ends quickly when a trip to Rome has David and Millie coming face to face with legions of murderous people who have made it their life mission to kill people like him, including Roland himself. Its not until David becomes familiar with an experienced jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell), a sharp-tongue teleported, who informs him that these groups of lethal people view jumpers as a threat to all humankind, and have made it their life mission to kill them all . Together, David and Griffin set out to destroy Roland and his rebel team before they kill them and everyone else they love. Jumper is one high energized sci/fi packed movie with everything you would expect from an action movie of this caliber. Jumper plays it safe, its never to science fiction nor does it dumb down the audience’s intelligence with lame plot devices .It has slick top-notch special effects and awe-inspiring fight sequences filled with energy and thrill . The movie starts with a bang and ends with one. With that being said, Jumper never completely won me over nor did I truly cared about the characters. This certainly was not your character driven flick like the Spider-man, X-men series, and Batman Returns. The movie never delves deeper into its story and little to nothing is explain. Why do people like Roland want to destroy jumpers? What is their motive? The movie also introduces David’s lost mother ( Diane Lane) whose presence or motive is also never completely elucidated like everyone else. Characters Like Millie and Griffin are also disregarded and never hold up to their end of the story. There have been rumors stating that Jumper may spawn a few sequels. Regardless if this happens or not, Jumper certainly seemed to come up more as prologue to a possible bigger better story. Still, Jumper is enjoyable and amazing just the same. Its an action film that’s short but leaves the audience wanting more.

Coming Soon!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Bloggers, plans have change. I WILL NOT be reviewing the film Definitely, Maybe. Sorry, that I am a fickle person. However, I will be posting my review for Jumper this week and Vantage Point some time after that .Stay tune!!!

Remember, if you( the viewer) have seen a movie and like to write your own personal review on it, please post it under comments and I will post it on my blog. Make sure to include your name and the rating of the movie ( a scale from 1-10) Thanks!!!

Trailer of the week Feb 25-March 3

Hollywood is still pumping out those “Liberal Iraq” movies before the theme dries out like an Iraqi dessert. In conjunction with film like Rendition, In the Valley of Elah, The kingdom, Home of the Brave and Lion for Lambs, comes a new movie called Stop-Loss. Director Kimberly Peirce ( Boys don’t Cry) brings you a story about an Iraq war hero name Sgt. Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe), who returns home to his small Texas hometown after completing his tour of duty. Here he tries to re-connect with his Family and war-time buddies( Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) .However, plans suddenly change, when against Brandon’s will, the Army orders him back to duty in Iraq( a notice which is known as a Stop-loss).This of course upends Brandon’s world and testes everything he believes in: for love of country or for love for Family?

My First Review- No Country for Old Men

Hey Bloggers!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is my first review!!!!!!!!!!!

No country for Old Men: 4.5/5 stars

Its been one of the most talked about films of the year and has won over 82 Awards including 4 Oscars for Best Director (Ethan and Joel Coen), Best Adapted Screenplay,Best Supporting Actor(Javier Bardem) and Best Picture . From the directors who brought you Fargo and The Big lebowski, The Coen Brothers bring you their new film No Country for Old Men - the story of a man named Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) who one day walking in a barren dessert, stumbles upon a drug trade gone very wrong. Here he sees abandon pickup trucks surrounded by a group of dead Mexican drug dealers , pounds of heroin, and a suitcase filled with two million dollars in cash in the back trunk of one of the cars. Moss takes the money, and sets off home only to later that night return to the horrific site. By doing this, he sets off a series of catastrophic events that lead a bloody pathway of violence and mayhem. He is soon targeted by a vicious killer by the name of Anton Chigurh ( Javier Bardem) a tall menacing sadistic killer who kills with a captive bolt pistol and a sharp-tongue cowboy bounty hunter named Carson Wells( Woody Harrelson). Then there’s the aging, disheartened Sheriff Bell( Tommy Lee Jones) who tries to make sense of and contain the carnage, only to ultimately realize, that the mayhem is inevitable. The movie is a combination of a chase heist thriller meets social conscience documentary. The Coen brothers fill the screen with tension and surreal violence that leads the audience (including myself) breathless .The crime drama is both gory and poignant and overall nihilistic. The movie exemplifies truth in society which all leads to a highly debated ending that may either shock you or dissatisfy you. Whether you like the ending or not, No Country for Old Men is much, much, more than just a simple thriller. It’s a symbolic piece telling of how society has become more hostile and uncontrollable. How the peaceful world we knew then has changed into a world of madness. Lewlyn represents someone good, flawed, but good, who mistakenly intersect with that world one fatal night. Anton Chigurh is not merely a villain, but symbolizes the infinite “violence” its self ,that is brought to the small Texas town .Sheriff Bell , the heart of the film, represents a “generation lost” from crimes that have taken over his beloved, once peaceful ,hometown. It’s a film without heroes. It’s a film without conventions and limits. Although flawed with slow pacing, No Country For Old Men is truly an engaging film and truly a modern day masterpiece.

weekly reviews?

I must apologize for not keeping up with my blog. Starting this week, I will be keeping up with my weekly reviews and post trivia and upcoming trailers. In the meantime, please send me any of your personal reviews and I will make sure to post them up on my blog. For now, check out the trailer of the week.

coming Soon...my reviews for No Country for Old Men and Definitley, Maybe.

trailer of the week feb 18-24

trailer for the week

hello Bloggers!

check out the trailer for the new thriller "Funny Games U.S" coming out in March. A remake of the the controversial 1997 Australian thriller by the same name and by the same director Michael Haneke(cache). the film stars Naomi Watts(The Ring) and Tim Roth( Dark Water) who play husband and wife, who are held hostage with their son at their remote cabin by two young well dressed men, who force them to play sadistic games with each other. Take a look!

Introduction to Blog- Hello

Hello Bloggers! My name is Douglas Christopherson. I have created a blog for complete discussion about film. I created this blog because it is a required assignment that was given to me by my English Proffessor Ms. Bolduc-Simpson (Check out her blog-http://bolducsa.blogspot.com/ ). Because she wants a lot of writing in our blogs, I will be posting weekly film reviews or discussions about upcoming films , trailers and useless film trivia. I would appreciate if anyone who bumps into this blog to do the same. You can post any reviews,links,movie trivia or comments on films into this blog . Thanks!