Paranormal Activity 4 (2012):

Starring:

Katie Featherston - Katie

Kathryn Newton - Alex

Stephen Dunham - Doug

Matt Shively - Ben

Alexondra Lee - Holly

Brady Allen - Robbie

Aiden Lovekamp - Wyatt

Sara Mornell - Debbie

Director:

Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman (Paranormal Activity 3; Catfish)

Synopsis:

It has been five years since the disappearance of Katie and Hunter, and a suburban family witness strange events in their neighborhood when a woman and a mysterious child move in.

Review:

I will give this the same review as I gave Paranormal Activity 3. Watch All of #1, Watch All of #2, watch the last 30 minutes of #3 & Now watch the last 30 minutes of this one. Absolutelly nothing special at all about this film. Not scary, nothing to differentiate between this one & the other three films. So someone figured out that if you leave xBox Kinect on & turn on a night vision camera you can see all of the little capture dots that it shoots out to capture your movement right..... EXCEPT then these two assholes decided that they would use it as a main filming technique.... if you can even call it that. They majorly overuse. Paranormal Activity 4..... an entire movie filmed so they can make #5.... Horse Shyte.

Budget: $5,000,000

Box Office: $138,187,634

Profit: $133,187,634 (To Date)

Rotten Tomatoes: 24%

Flixster: 39%

15%

Lead Acting: 5/15

Supporting Cast: 4/15

Plot: 0/10

Compared To The Genre: 0/10

Cinematography: 6/20

Intrigue: 0/20

Extra: 0/10   

Wreck-It Ralph (2012):

Starring:

John C. Reilly - Wreck-It Ralph

Sarah Silverman - Vanellope

Jack McBrayer - Fix It Felix

Jane Lynch - Calhoun

Adam Carolla - Wynnchel

Alan Tudyk - King Candy

Mindy Kaling - Taffyta Muttonfudge

Joe Lo Truglio - Markowski

Ed O'Neill - Mr. Litwak

Dannis Haysbert - General Hologram

Horatio Sanz - Duncan

Rachael Harris - Deanna

Director:

Rich Moore (First Feature Film)

Synopsis:

Ralph is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix, the "good guy" star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he's tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he's got what it takes to be a hero. But the world of the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Will Ralph realize his dream and save the day before it's too late?

Review:

Was very enjoyable, a great watch. Had some funny moments, had some very kiddish moments as well that weren't for me, but this movie isn't exactelly aimed towards my demographic. Loved the references to video games from my childhood even if they were very limited. Must have cost Disney a shit ton in liscensing costs but then again what the hell can't Disney afford to buy... Really the only part I didn't enjoy was towards the end of the film where Ralph & Sarah Silverman's character have a small back & forth with poop esq nicknames back & forth that were annoying & stupid. HOWEVER I would love to see the outtakes where Sarah Silverman says the most foul things she can think about. Which I can 1000% guarantee it happened.

Budget: $165,000,000

Box Office: $192,436,263

Profit: Yes

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Flixster: 91%

 90%

Lead Acting: 13/15

Supporting Cast: 12/15

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 8/10

Cinematography: 20/20

Intrigue: 18/20

Extra: 9/10 

Skyfall (2012):

Starring:

Daniel Craig - James Bond

Dame Judi Dench - M

Javier Bardem - Silva

Ralph Fiennes - Gareth Malory

Naomie Harris - Eve

Berenice Marlohe - Severine

Albert Finney - Kincade

Ben Winshaw - Q

Rory Kinnear - Tanner

Ola Rapace - Patrice

Director:

Sam Mendes (American Beauty; Road To Perdition; Revolutionary Road)

Synopsis:

In this latest installment of the Bond franchise, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Review:

The Bond film that almost didn't happen. I wanted to review this one as long as I did Lincoln BUUUUUUT it's too much work. I can simplify this down to a few very short comparisons:
Skyfall > or = Casino Royale

Skyfall > The Dark Knight Rises

Javier Bardem as "Silva" > Tom Hardy as "Bane"

Usually James Bond films are a very simply compound of villain, usually a terrorist, a sexy woman who ends up getting killed, fight scenes, gadgets all that jazz. This film takes a slightly different turn than the others. Slightly darker, takes a deeper look into James Bond the person, not just James Bond the secret agent. Overall I loved it, thought it was great, I think I might have finally been won over to the pro-Daniel Craig side of the argument considering how much I didn't like him before. Awesome action movie, even if your not familiar with or a fan of the Bond franchise. 

Budget: Between $150,000,000 & $200,000,000

Box Office: $800,262,078 To Date

Profit: Uh YEAH!

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Flixster: 88%

91%

Lead Acting: 14/15

Supporting Cast: 14/15

Plot: 8/10

Compared To The Genre: 9/10

Cinematography: 18/20

Intrigue: 18/20

                                                                         Extra: 10/10 

Lincoln (2012):

Starring:

Daniel Day-Lewis - Abraham Lincoln

Sally Fields - Mary Todd Lincoln

David Straithairn - William Seward

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Robert Lincoln

James Spader - W.N. Bilbo

Hal Holbrook - Preston Blair

Tommy Lee Jones - Thaddeus Stevens

John Hawkes - Robert Latham

Jackie Earl Haley - Alexander Stephens

Bruce McGill - Edwin Stanton

Tim Blake Nelson - Richard Schell

Joseph Cross - John Hay

Jared Harris - Ulysses S. Grant

Lee Pace - Fernando Wood

Director:

Steven Spielberg (You Should Know His Work)

Synopsis:

A revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Review:

Daniel Day-Lewis. Widely considered one of, if not THE greatest living actor. I mean the man makes cinematic GOLD. I'm a HUGE fan of Gangs Of New York & The Last Of The Mohicans. Both are incredible historical movies with great stories & acting. Lincoln is more historically accurate film which does have it slight downfalls. Because it is based on arguably the greatest president in the history of America it has to follow a specific line of plot. Which involves A LOT of conversations in a room full of people. Not always the most entertaining aspect of a film. But I figured that would happen going into it considering the movie is about Lincoln's battle to free the slaves. Bill The Butcher, Daniel Plainview, Nathaniel Poe, Christy Brown all great roles portrayed by DDL, however I think his powerful performance as Lincoln might be his best to date. It must be hard for other actors to look at the years upcoming releases & see that DDL is coming out with a new movie. Because he is almost guaranteed to be in Oscar contention. In my opinion this years Oscar is his to loose. The only credible contention for it, according to me, is from Sir Anthony Hopkins in "Hitchcock" but again it will be DDL's to lose. Now let's talk about the fact that this movie has an INCREDIBLE cast of supporting characters. From academy award winners in Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field & David Straithairn to several of my favourite character actors in Tim Blake Nelson, John Hawkes, Jared Harris, James Spader & Jackie Earl Haley it's all over the place great. One thing that did sit slightly off with me was the fact that sure it's a historical piece full of drama, drawn out dialogue that ultimately doesn't involve the plot or storyline for some unknown reason. Now some movies need to add in a little bit of comedic relief to keep you from falling asleep....which is fine it adds to the enjoyment. This film however had the weirdest attempts at comedic relief, which were straight up Tommy Lee Jones in the supreme court house legit telling a joke that then everyone would start laughing out loud about. Completely unacceptable. Overall perfectly acted but slightly boring at times with too much unnessisary dialogue throughout. James Spader is SO FAT!

Budget: Between $50,000,000 & $65,000,000

Box Office (To Date): $68,365,208

Profit: Yes

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Flixster: 88%

85%

Lead Acting: 15/15

Supporting Cast: 13/15

Plot: 8/10

Compared To The Genre: 9/10

Cinematography: 18/20

Intrigue: 12/20

                                                                       Extra: 10/10 

The Deer Hunter (1978):

Starring:

Robert De Niro - Michael Vronsky

Christopher Walken - Nikanor Chevotarevich

John Savage - Steven Pushkov

Meryl Streep - Linda

John Cazale - Stanley

George Dzundza - John Welsh

Chuck Aspegren - Peter "Axel" Axelrod

Shirley Stoler - Steven's Mother

Rutanya Alda - Angela Ludhjduravic-Pushkov

Director:

Michael Cimino (Heaven's Gate; Year Of The Dragon)

Synopsis:

Michael Cimino's epic second feature The Deer Hunter was both renowned for its tough portrayal of the war's effect on American working class steel workers and notorious for its historical use of Russian roulette in the Vietnam sequences. Structured in five sections contrasting home and war, the film opens in Clairton, PA, as Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Stan (John Cazale, in his last film) celebrate the wedding of their friend Steve (John Savage) and go on a final deer hunt before the men leave for Vietnam. Mike treats hunting as a test of skill, lecturing Stan about the value of "one shot" deer slaying and brushing off Nick's urgings to appreciate nature's beauty. As Mike ruminates post-hunt, the film cuts to the horror of Vietnam, where the men are captured by Vietcong soldiers who force Mike and Nick to play Russian roulette for the V.C.'s amusement. Mike turns the game to his advantage so they can escape captivity, but the men are permanently scarred by the episode.

Review:

A near perfect movie. My only knocks on it are, it runs way too long because lets be honest did we need to see an entire full length wedding & reception? Incredible acting obviously because it's fucking De Niro. Finally got to see the infamous Russian roulette scene that I have only seen spoofs of in the past. The joke about me is that I haven't seen too many movies made before the 1980's. Well I'm attempting to change that & so far everyone that I have seen was well worth it. (Taxi Driver; Raging Bull). Next Up all 4 hours of Lawrence Of Arabia. Oh man also how about the fact that Meryl Streep use to be such an incredibly super sexy babe back in the day.

Budget: $15,000,000

Box Office: $50,000,000

Profit: $35,000,000

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Flixster: 91%

89%

Lead Acting: 15/15

Supporting Cast: 10/15

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 8/10

Cinematography: 18/20

Intrigue: 18/20

                                                                     Extra: 10/10

Hard Candy (2005):

Starring:

Ellen Page - Hayley Stark

Patrick Wilson - Jeff Kohlver

Sandra Oh - Judy Tokuda

Odessa Rae - Janelle Rogers

Director:

David Slade (30 Days Of Night)

Synopsis:

Geoff is a 30ish, successful, high-fashion photographer who meets 14-year-old Haley on the Internet. They arrange a date at a coffee shop and then head back to his house. What follows is a spine-chilling nightmare. And, Geoff has no one to blame but himself.

Review:

Honestly this could been the longest review I could have written. However I do NOT want to ruin anything about this film for anyone. All that I can hope is that you will read this blog, see how highly I rank this movie & then go out & watch this film. Ellen Page is incredible, which is saying a lot considering how much I do not like her. Patrick Wilson is just as good. Easily one of the best movies I have seen. Be aware that it is not for the faint of heart. There isn't anything to gruesome involved but a lot of what is implied is. It does kind of run slightly longer than it should have.

Budget: $950,000

Box Office: $7,022,209

Profit: $6,072,209

Rotten Tomatoes: 68%

Flixster: 76%

90%

Lead Acting: 15/15

Supporting Cast: 5/15 (Because it is almost non-existent)

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 10/10

Cinematography: 20/20

Intrigue: 20/20

Extra: 10/10 

A Lonely Place To Die (2011):

Starring:

Melissa George - Alison

Alec Newman - Rob

Ed Speleers - Ed

Kate Magowan - Jenny

Garry Sweeney - Alex

Holly Boyd - Anna

Douglas Russell - Hunter 1

Alan Steel - Hunter 2

Sean Harris - Mr. Kidd

Stephen McCole - Mr. McRae

Karel Roden - Darko

Director:

Julian Gilbey (Rise Of The Footsoldier; Rollin' With The Nines; Reckoning Day)

Synopsis:

A group of five mountaineers are hiking and climbing in the Scottish Highlands when they discover a young Serbian girl buried in a small chamber in the wilderness. They become caught up in a terrifying game of cat and mouse with the kidnappers as they try to get the girl to safety.

Review:

A incredibly well written & filmed survival movie set against the backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. The acting leaves a little to be desired but it could have been much, much worse. The battle for survival not only against the environment but also the hunters chasing them leads to several twists & turns. The climax & finale aren't quite what they should have been, at least for someone who was getting really invested in the story & characters.

Budget: $4,000,000

Box Office: $25,345,000

Profit: $21,345,000

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%

Flixster: 75%

70%

Lead Acting: 9/15

Supporting Cast: 7/15

Plot: 9/10

Compared To The Genre: 9/10

Cinematography: 13/20

Intrigue: 17/20

                                                                       Extra: 6/10 

Tin Cup (1996):

Starring:

Kevin Costner - Roy McAvoy

Rene Russo - Dr. Molly Griswold

Don Johnson - David Simms

Cheech Marin - Romeo Posar

Linda Hart - Doreen

Dennis Burkley - Earl

Rex Linn - Dewey

Lou Myers - Clint

Richard Lineback - Curt

George Perez - Jose

Mickey Jones - Turk

Michael Milhoan - Boone

Director:

Ron Shelton (Play It To The Bone; White Men Can't Jump; Bull Durham)

Synopsis:

Roy McAvoy (Kevin Costner) is a talented golf pro, who owns his own driving range. That sounds impressive, but the reality is quite different. While it's true that Roy is indeed a talented golfer and does own a driving range, it is in a tiny, unheard of Texas backwater. With almost no customers, he is likely to go broke. His golfing talents remain untapped and his life is rapidly going nowhere. To pass the time, he drinks a lot of beer with his buddies, or swings at a bucket of balls. Sometimes, he even plays real golf, and his friend and assistant Romeo (Cheech Marin) caddies for him. That's all there is for Roy, until he is wakened from his deathlike reverie by a visit from a newcomer in town, psychologist Molly Griswold (Renee Russo). Teaching her how to swing a club reminds him of feelings he had nearly forgotten. Discovering that she is the girlfriend of his old golfing rival, David Simms (Don Johnson), goads him yet further, and he returns to the PGA golf tour to compete in the U.S. Open. Maybe he'll get Molly for himself, maybe not, but in the meantime he has some things to prove to himself.

Review:

Kevin Costner does one thing right. Sports movies. Whether it's the hundred baseball movies he has done (OK maybe way less than that) or a movie about a washed up former pro golfer trying to win the love of 90's "sexy" Rene Russo *BARF* it's always a good movie. Don Johnson is actually really awesome as the pro golfer nemesis of Costner. A Question I need to ask my self for many a years. How the hell was Rene Russo ever considered an attractive leading lady that the main actor is suppose to be uncontrollably in love with? Maybe men in the 90's had lower standards? She is GRODY. Anyways a good Dram-Com golf movie.

Budget: $45,000,000

Box Office: $53,854,588

Profit: $8,854,588

Rotten Tomatoes: 69%

Flixster: 57%

61%

Lead Acting: 10/15

Supporting Cast: 9/15

Plot: 5/10

Compared To The Genre: 6/10

Cinematography: 11/20

Intrigue: 14/20

Extra: 6/10 

Fallen (1998):

Starring:

Denzel Washington - John Hobbes

John Goodman - Jonesy

Donald Sutherland - Lt. Stanton

Embeth Davidtz - Gretta Milano

James Gandolfini - Lou

Elias Koteas - Edgar Reese

Gabriel Casseus - Art

Michael J. Pagan - Sam

Robert Joy - Charles

Frank Medrano - Charles' Killer

Director:

Gregory Hoblit (Primal Fear; Hart's War; Fracture)

Synopsis:

Homicide detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) narrates, taking the audience back to "the time I almost died." This sets a flashback in motion, beginning at the prison cell of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas), who grabs Hobbes' hand and sings the Rolling Stones' "Time Is on My Side." After Reese is executed, Hobbes and his partner, Jonesy (John Goodman), find a seeming copycat killer, committing murders in a manner not unlike Reese. Hobbes is drawn into the occult after he meets theology professor Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), the daughter of a dead police officer. Hobbes becomes a suspect himself, but he continues his search for the truth.

Review:

Denzel Vs The Devil. A very interesting choice for Mr. Washington. The acting was fine, but nothing special considering who the two top billed men are. Same with the story, watchable but not a show stopper. Slightly on the predictable side with a few cliches here & there. No scares, limited suspense. Major over use of the cinema tactic of negative lense quick cuts & fast movement through crowds & people. Watchable enough.

Budget: $30,000,000

Box Office: $25,232,289

Profit: -$4767,711

Rotten Tomatoes: 41%

Flixster: 73%

48%

Lead Acting: 12/15

Supporting Cast: 10/15

Plot: 4/10

Compared To The Genre: 4/10

Cinematography: 6/20

Intrigue: 7/20

                                                         Extra: 5/10

No Holds Barred (1989):

Starring:

Hulk Hogan - Rip

Joan Severance - Samantha Moore

Kurt Fuller - Brell

Tommy "Tiny" Lister - Zeus

Mark Pellegrino - Randy

Bill Henderson - Charlie

Charles Levin - Ordway

David Paymer - Unger

Director:

Thomas J. Wright (Nothing but TV Shows)

Synopsis:

Hulk Hogan, in an inarguably appropriate casting choice, plays a professional wrestler in this action-packed drama. Rip (Hogan) is a grappling star who is approached by Brell (Kurt Fuller), the new head of the World Television Network. Brell wants Rip to wrestle on his network, but Rip insists on honoring his commitment to another outlet. Brell responds by launching a show called "Battle of the Tough Guys," in which the beefy regulars of a particularly rough drinking establishment fight each other on camera. Zeus (Tom "Tiny" Lister Jr.) soon emerges as the bad guy champion on this new show, and Brell uses Rip's friendship with his assistant Samantha (Joan Severance) to arrange a bout between Zeus and Rip. Rip is not at all interested until Zeus injures his brother and makes the fight a matter of personal pride.

Review:

Honesty. It's the glue that holds our society together. Wrestling fans, it's the pain thinner that breaks apart the grip the honesty has.... I only watched this movie because I remembered it from when I was a kid. Legit could be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. It was made to appeal to a very VERY specific demographic which is of course idiot wrestling fans. Hogan is silly to the point that it is annoying & stupid. The highlights of this film are the final fight between Zeus & Hogan, Everything that Stan Hansen does in this film & the fact that Hogan's brother is Jacob from Lost.

Budget: $8,000,000

Box Office: $16,093,651

Profit: $8,093,651

Rotten Tomatoes: 0%

Flixster: 27%

17%

Lead Acting: 0/15

Supporting Cast: 3/15

Plot: 0/10

Compared To The Genre: 0/10

Cinematography: 6/20

Intrigue: 3/20

Extra: 5/10 

Battle Royale (2000):

Starring:

Tatsuya Fujiwara - Shuya Nanahara

Aki Maeda - Nirko Nakagawa

Takeshi Kitano - Kitano-Sensei

A Bunch of other Jap actors

Director:

Kinji Fukasaku

Synopsis:

A long-unavailable underground hit that anticipated The Hunger Games novels by eight years, veteran director Fukasaku's epically violent, still-controversial and deeply influential genre masterpiece takes place in a dystopian alternate universe. In the near future, the economy has collapsed, unemployment has soared and juvenile crime has exploded. Fearful of its nation's youth, the Japanese government passes The BR Law: Each year, a 9th grade class is sent to a remote island where they will be locked into exploding neck collars, given a random weapon, and forced to hunt and kill each other until there is only one survivor left.

Review:

The Hunger Games..... for adults. Everything that garbage film should have been. Intense fighting & killing. No bullshit cut away scenes, no implied deaths. All around awesome.

Budget: $4,500,000

Box Office: $25,000,000

Profit: $20,500,000

Rotten Tomatoes:  86%

Flixster: 89%

81%

Lead Acting: 12/15

Supporing Cast: 9/15

Plot: 10/10

Compared To The Genre: 10/10

Cinematography: 15/20

Intrigue: 18/20

     Extra: 7/10