Sunday, December 28, 2008

Hollywoodland Review


This movie "Hollywoodland" is the story of George Reeve's mysterious death. Allegedly he died by suicide, yet some have speculated that he was murdered. For those who may not know who George Reeve is, he is the original guy who played the "superman" character in the 1950's - 1960s. He also played in a few movies, but was kind of stereotyped as the hero character in the red cape. This movie was pretty interesting. Some people have described this movie as long and slow, but I disagree. It seemed to move along pretty well and for me, it was a pretty interesting biography of a man I know little about. George Reeve evidently had his share of problems and this movie did a great job showing how badly he wanted to be known for more than a blue spandex hero, yet couldn't seem to break out of that stereotype. Also did a good job showing the possible ways the actor could have died, yet let the viewer ultimately decide. Fairly intelligent way of handling this mysterious death. I thought the movie was well made, and had good character development. However, there was also some parts that showed George Reeve's womanizing ways, which is why I don't give it a higher rating. All of us are sinners in need of a Savior and George Reeve was no exception. All in all, this showed what a hard life "Hollywoodland" really does boil down to in the movie business. 1.5 thumbs up.

Christmas with the Kranks Review


With Christmas around this time of year, I taped this movie off of TV and I have one statement to sum this up - I'M SURE GLAD I DIDN'T RENT IT. This has the potential to be funny, yet it just doesn't deliver. Tim Allen has one or two very funny scenes - that is it. Jamie Lee Curtis has some funny parts, but overall I think this movie is just a sad attempt to make a memorable Christmas movie that hasn't already been made. It does offer a few parts that may make you chuckle, but overall I would recommend you save your money and your time on this one.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Farce of the Penguins - So Much Potential, Yet...


OK this movie was also on HBO and having seen and enjoyed "March of the Penguins", I thought this might be worth a watch. Basically it is a bunch of footage about Carl - a penguin who thinks he has an eating disorder and is depressed about the meaning of his life. He trudges along with his buddy penguins in search of a mate. First of all, let me say - this movie has a TON of potential to be funny and entertaining at the same time. Bob Saget however, seemed to delight in potty jokes and adult-oriented humor throughout the whole movie. Do you enjoy watching penguins fart and tell off-color jokes? If so this may be your type of movie. However, for me it got old and distasteful very quickly and I didn't even finish this movie. I am kind of surprised that movies like "March of the Penguins" became so popular. That's why a witty script with some good jokes and voice-overs could have been a hilarious documentary. Unfortunately, this movie is all about potty-mouth penguins talking about reproduction. Not that funny. I would recommend skipping this one.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

In the Land of Women - Not Your Average Movie


I am currently getting HBO free for a month, so I stumbled on this movie "In the Land of Women" which actually came out in 2007. I must have completely missed this one, since I don't even remember it being in the theatre. Or maybe I just thought it would be a chick flick and showed no interest in looking into it further. However, as Chrystal and I started watching it, we gradually grew more and more involved in the story. This is a drama with a slightly humorous parts at times. The acting is top-notch. I did read that the previews misrepresented this movie, so I advise anyone who has watched the preview to FORGET anything they imagined this film would be like. Basically the story is about a young man who comes to take care of his grandma (who is getting older and need helps to live). As he moves in, he ends up meeting several women (one of them being Meg Ryan) and strikes up a friendship with them. I normally feel so-so about romantic comedies, yet this one was different. I was intrigued by the young man's character and how well he listened to women. The women in the movie all seemed to really show an interest in this sensitive young man because he was honest with them, and he really listened to their hearts. The script in this movie is very well-written in my humble opinion, and I found the story refreshing compared to many Hollywood love stories. In fact don't even expect a love story with a predictable ending. Just expect to see a honest look into real life through the eyes of the characters in this movie. As long as you don't come with any expectations, I think you will find this movie very uplifting and worth a watch. Two thumbs up.