User Submitted by Peter Jacobsen

It’s Giuliani’s New York. Peep shows are being cleaned out of Times Square; boom boxes and graffiti have become public enemies. Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) has just graduated high school. In the span of this one summer between his parents’ apartment and his college dorm room he will experience a myriad of life’s firsts.

Set on the Upper East Side, “The Wackness”, is a new twist on the common coming of age theme. “What new twists?” you ask. Well, while many of us had a summer job, I don’t know anyone who sold marijuana out of an ice cream pushcart.

Luke does his part to keep New York City the way many non-New Yorkers envision it. He plays a soundtrack of early 90’s rap on his walk-man as he sells drugs to Manhattanites. Luke trades drugs and candid conversation with his Therapist, Dr. Squires played by Ben Kingsley.

The relationship between Luke and Dr. Squires takes on new meaning as the doctor gives Luke frank advice about living in the moment and enjoying his youth through sex and drug use. His advice comes back to bite him though when Luke begins a relationship with his stepdaughter, Stephanie (Olivia Thirlby). We watch Luke grow and learn the lessons we all had to learn the hard way. I felt a connection with the main character as he described his place in the striated society of an American High School’s population.

Director and writer, Jonathan Levine, does an excellent job getting his audience involved with his characters. Each one was developed with enough texture to make us care about the events in their lives. The addition of some offbeat talent (cameos by Method Man and an Olsen twin) made for a unique cast that did a great job with their acting duties. The general feel of the city and the time period came through to the audience on an appropriate level. This type of movie has the potential to become a kitschy rendition of what it is trying to portray. “The Wackness” did not come off in that manner. Much of the credit for this accurate rendition must be given to the music. I enjoyed the soundtrack immensely and it brought me back to my days listening to A Tribe Called Quest and Notorious B.I.G. The music really set the tone for the entire movie.

If you are a 30 to 35-year-old man who grew up in America, you will have an immediate attachment to many of the themes in this movie. I’m sure you will root for Luke in his final throws of adolescence. While he’s no Holden Caulfield, Luke does a good job as an anti-hero that we can relate to.

Best line (that is not representative of the rest of the dialog): “I got mad love for you, Shorty. That’s on the real. I like… I wanna like listen to Boys II Men when I’m with you.” – Luke Shapiro

Earthlings is mostly consisted of undercover footage from slaughterhouses, animal testing facilities, breeding farms / puppy mills and circuses. The underlying message;

“ignorance is bliss, if we don’t want to know where our food and clothing comes from we can turn a blind eye or choose to ignore the truth all together to morally justify our consumption, usage and treatment of the animals who unwillingly gave their lives for it. “

I’ll be brutally honest. Before watching this film I was possibly one of the most ignorant people on the planet when it came to eating meats, mocking protesters, animal rights activists and vegetarians/vegans. I was close minded and living in a world of ignorance and denial.

This documentary opened my eyes to what I already knew happened in the world we live in. It forced me, or should I say, I forced myself to get a deeper understanding of the unimaginable pain and suffering these animals endure in order to feed our insatiable appetite.

I’ve never been so emotionally distraught whilst watching anything on my screen. Ever. I struggled the entire film and covered my eyes or just looked away during the vast majority of it. I found myself cursing the abusers, getting angry at the humans who seemingly enjoy this miss treatment of animals. The films message is a harsh look at the reality of our society and culture and I strongly suggest you watch this film for yourselves and leave me some comments on your thoughts and feelings. The entire film is freely available for download all over the Internet, Here is a link to the Youtube version: Earthlings – The Documentary.

So – I was feeling sorry for my love life one night, and decided to make it worse and watch a romantic comedy (or, “romcom”, as the hip name-compressing media who brought us gems like “Bennifer” and “Brangelina” has repackaged it). “He’s Just Not That Into You” happened to be recently released on Xbox Live, so I thought, what the hey – they’re all the sip-sappy same, right? Au Contraire! Although HJNTIY was predictable, it wasn’t “traditionally” predictable. That is, not everybody has a traditionally happy ending. As an insighful, amusing romcom, I give it 3.75/5 stars.

The cast is wholesomely good-looking, and Ben Affleck should really be played by Paul Rudd, but the chemistry between he and Jennifer Aniston is pretty funny. Drew Barrymore seems to be playing somebody just because she produced it and not because it’s a good part for her. I do like her but I kinda cringed at this role, to be honest. The outtakes at the end reveal who is good at character improv (cough, Aniston, cough) and who is seriously not (ah-Connelly-choo!). Did I mention Scarlett Johansson gets kinda naked? And plays a yoga instructor (but doesn’t do a single yoga pose in the enitre movie, wtf)?

At the heart of the movie is Gigi, the girl waiting by the phone and utterly hopeless to the ways of men. She is the progeny of the generations of lies women tell themselves (and their girlfriends) about men’s behavior and a genetic defect in reading blatant social cues. Pretty, sweet, and annoyingly desperate, Ginnifer Goodwin is brilliantly convincing as the hopeless friend you simultaneously want to give a good shake and yet somehow keep telling her lies to make her feel better (”I’m sure he just lost your phone number…seriously!”). Her embarrassing trials become the platform for revealing the secrets behind the infamously bad behavior of men and why women put up with it. As we get to know the characters (who, predictably, are all in love with somebody who doesn’t love them back), wise “opposite-sex common sense” is unmasked and gently examined. The movie aims to ask: when we really know WHY somebody is acting the way they are, why do we delude ourselves into believing otherwise, and why do our support networks and culture actually encourage it? The arrived-at answers involve a few pretty good truth nuggets concerning human psychology and people’s secret obsession with their own life-dramas.

Ultimately I thought it was a pretty good reflection of cliched romance woes in today’s western culture, and how cultural norms and societal pressures can make us conform and confuse good behavior, honorable intentions, and what it really means to be happy. Even though the movie appears to embrace the non-threatening route of examining the relationship woes of just women, it actually sneaks in an acurate critique of men’s woes as well, and rounds out with the obligatory comedic-relief nod to gay romance.

Basically – don’t go see this movie on a booty-call date. It will probably make you uncomfortable. Also, do not go see this movie with: somebody you’re about to dump, somebody who’s about to dump you, somebody you’re cheating on or who is cheating on you, an ex, or somebody you really like who’s, well, just not that into you. Everybody else is ok.

User Submitted Review By: Katie McKelley

The film has some dramatic moments, like when entertainment lawyer Marilyn Marsden confronts her ex-lover and his new boyfriend.  It also includes several laugh out loud scenarios including deluded Ashley pouring her heart out to her sex addict lover, Todd.

Three stories run parallel over a period of time in the film and all come together in the dramatic climax.

The writers made me care about the characters and left me wanting more so I would have to give this film a big thumbs up.

User Review Submitted By: Aaron Kreider

This film had my full attention from the very first scene zipping through Gotham City toward Gotham National Bank to the final scene 2 hrs and 30 minutes later. It seemed to me like it just started, when Lieutenant Gordon (played by Gary Oldman) used an axe to shatter the bat signal in the final shot of the best film I have had the pleasure of watching in several years.

Christian Bale rocked the house as a fantastic Batman. I would have to return again and again in order to capture all the action that took place in this fast paced movie. So much going on, the special effects where tops. The all star cast: Christian Bale, Late Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, Anthony Hall, Eric Roberts. Should in my opinion receive many awards. Director Christoper Nolan – one of his best in special effects. Finally! Warner Brothers has a winner in every aspect of this must see film!

To sum it up, I will be seeing it again in the re-release in January 09 and I can’t even tell you how many times I will pay to see it!! Best film to come out of Hollywood in a long time. I recommend this movie highly! 10 out of 10!

The Dark Knight Movie Posters

The Dark Knight Movie Posters

The movie tried to grasp the philosophical reason as to why this all was happening. Linda talks to a priest but there is no indication of her religion prior to or after that scene. A lot of this plot just happened for seemingly no reason at all. There were a lot of filler scenes I found to be completely irrelevant to the movie. *Spoilers follow*……

Example: Linda asks “If I let Jim die, is that the same as killing him?” There was no wonderful insight given just some shallow talk of fate and destiny.Undoubtedly the worst scene of the movie was at the funeral when there was a mishap with the coffin causing her husbands severed head to come bouncing out on to the road. What were they thinking? Perhaps they were still pondering the philosophical questions raised above, or maybe they just didn’t realize how ridiculous the scene actually was.

As the movie continues we are faced with more and more twists that seem to do nothing except to drag out the length of the movie. There is an unknown blonde at the funeral. One of the Linda’s daughters suddenly has severe cuts on her face. And lest we forget, the dead bird in the backyard.

Difficult to follow and incredibly confusing and/or pointless at times, I’d give Premonition a 6/10

Grandmother used to say that if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all, dearie–but she also believed my face my get stuck like that and in the healing power of crystals, so I’m going to say some un-nice things about Zombie Honeymoon (2004). Sorry, grandma. Don’t turn in your grave or leave it and make me shoot you in the brainpan…

The film’s story is one similar to Dead Alive’s of helping and hiding undead loved ones but without the brilliance of Peter Jackson directing, writing pratfalls, or being generally humorous and gory. Premise of Zombie Honeymoon being, husband dies on honeymoon because some dead guy, maybe a zombie (how? it’s unexplained) walks up from the ocean and pukes some kinda black unctuous fluid (what? also unexplained) into hubby’s mouth (why? again unexplained) killing him but also providing apparently the source of his renewed life as a flesh-hungry, slowly rotting zombie (yes, the characters do use the z-word despite violating genre conventions). Wife witnesses husband eating a guy and is understandably appalled. Then she’s not. Then she thinks continuing with their irrational plans earlier in the film of moving to Portugal (you’ve got me, probably based on director’s “true story,” addressed below) might make things better (wtf’s are appropriate here). In the end, undead hubby is about to eat wifey or maybe spit the de- and re-vivifying black stuff into her mouth when instead he projectile phlegms it across the kitchen, saving her life and leaving us wondering what the black stuff could be and why it was going to be vomited then and there. Regaining the power of speech suddenly for these last words which I feel better if he also speaking as a proxy for the director, husband says, “I’m sorry.” Thus endeth the movie.

The acting is less believable than the plot.

Apparently this is based on a true story of writer/director David Gebroe’s sister’s fiancé dying. Yeah? If you ever hear this caveat in a writers’ workshop, do like Mission to Burma and reach for your revolver. Headshots should kill the conversation. Point being, true stories don’t make it a good story. True stories adapted to bad romantic zombie films also make for bad film. Maybe my grandmother’s saying holds true with a few minor substitutions: If you can’t make a decent zombie film, don’t make one at all.

In a scale of one to a hundred, I give this negative 83 minutes of my life.

So I’m guessing this would be around a 2/10

I found myself riveted on the screen and nothing could distract me as the story and character development unfolded. Like any film review you don’t want to take anything away from the person yet to see it but I can say it’s one hell of a climax…

Not often a film leaves you with your mouth wide open, this one did. I’d associated with one particular character in an extremely negative way throughout, as we all do in society, only to find the power of empathy at the end. Now that is some achievement and sadly something that isn’t done too often.

Most definitely in my top 100 and deserving of a 9/10

A journalist investigates a series of murders that follows the discovery of an unpublished novel by Charles Dickens in the cellar of an old Thames pub. Gradually he becomes obsessed with unraveling a century-old murder in the pages of the manuscript. Only when he has done so, with the help of a mysterious beach-combing tramp who stalks the Thames foreshore, is he able to solve the modern murders

There are some really nice touches bringing the 19^th century into the 21^st and vice versa, some of which might not strike you at the time. The story revolves around a lost manuscript of Charles Dickens, cleverly revealed throughout the course of the film. Derek Jacobi’s handling of two characters is pretty impressive, while Vinny Jones gets on with solving the riddles. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep the viewer entertained. It’s certainly not a blockbuster but a pleasant film nevertheless. User Review Rating: 6/10

1408 is a hotel room number, cursed, haunted and the ideal place to send a cynical writer of ghostly stuff. Expect lots of special effects, in my opinion already done to death in previous King type outings; and a standard twist.

I do appreciate horror fans out there will enjoy the film, I’m sorry I’m just not one of them. User review: 6/10

Not so Mr Brooks. You don’t want to give too much away when you review a film because it always takes away any surprise elements for the viewer, but let’s just say this is Costner in a role not seen before…

Mr Brooks is quite a suspenseful thriller with some juicy twists. Well cast, very well played and leaves you with plenty to think about. User review: 7/10

It’s the emotional tale of a dying woman, played by Redgrave going back over a failed love affair some 50 years prior as conveyed to her daughters.

The script is very touching without being smarmy and the photography is superb adding just the right atmosphere. It’s a story of mistakes that are regretted and eventually seen for what they are. Through the tale Nina (Collette) finds her own resolutions as Ann reveals more and opens up.

I have to say, despite this being a terrific film I just don’t understand why the casters had a blue eyed Redgrave being portrayed earlier as a brown eyed Danes, it was the only thing that irritated me in an otherwise good film. User review: 7/10

Popular, middle class high student (Justin Chatwin) is beaten and left for dead by a gang led by project girl (Margarita Levieva) who mistakenly believes he informed on her recent jewelery store robbery….

The half dead student dumped in the woods leaves his body and follows the investigation into his disappearance. A tad moralistic but the acting is quite good and the personal growth of the characters comes through rather well.