Mulholland Drive

Going into this movie, I didn't know what I was going into and for some reason I had a strange hopeless feeling inside. After watching it, I had that same feeling because it is such a  beautiful film that doesn't make much sense but in kind of a good way, and this shows what a great film-maker David Lynch is.


The movie is set on the famous street, Mulholland Drive in Hollywood. This is the story of a woman named Rita (Laura Harring) who while injured walks into the house of an aspiring actress named Betta (Naomi Watts). As time goes on, Rita becomes a mystery to Betty and things start to get strange. There are many sub-plots to the main plot and it is all original and frankly great.

I liked Laura Harring's character the most. I think her acting is very good all the way around. She has pretty good chemistry with Naomi Watts and considering how she had to play her part as a mystery girl, she is very believable. Naomi Watts is fine most of the way but at times her acting looked a little off.

What is so different about this film is the love story story between the characters of Rita and Betty. It is very daring and a love story that we never see in Hollywood. It also includes some great erotic scenes which make the film feel different and unique.

One thing that is really neat about the film, is how the film goes in a complete direction in the last half hour. The direction is something I have never seen in my years of watching film and it is really something only David Lynch could do. This new direction really makes the film more powerful. It is also very creepy because we don't what were watching. I found it to be very memorable and it is definitely some of the best filmmaking you are ever going to see.

Once this outstanding third act reaches it's conclusion, you can see what a great film this is in so many ways and makes Muhlholland Drive a movie that should not be missed.

4.5/5

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Chopping Mall

Chopping Mall is one of those 80's films that is very different but it never really comes around to be as good as it could be. The film also has not aged real well and is laughably bad at times but it is no doubt entertaining and it's originality makes it at least worth one watch.


The film is set in a mall and it tells the story of middle-age people who work at the mall and decide to break the rules and throw a party after the mall is closed. During this, new mall security has been brought in with robots doing most of the work.  This gets interesting when the robot security system system malfunctions and the robots start to kill the party goers.

The coolest thing in this film is the robots and they are well done and provide a lot of good cheap humor. The kill scenes in particular are well done with some great gore which helped me like the film a little more


Another neat thing the film is that is has two somewhat well-known actors, Dick Miller and the scream queen Barbara Crampton who are both excellent here. It also has Russell Todd who really hasn't done any acting since the 90's, and he's also excellent. All in all, the cast is great even though  they aren't big stars.
                                          

                                    The set of Chopping Mall.


The atmosphere is also pretty good here. The movie is set in the famous Sherman Oaks Gallery where "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" was filmed. The mall setting has a great 80's vibe to it and it's pretty cool to see the outdated stores there. I do think that throwing a party at mall for middle-age people is obviously pretty unrealistic and the robots do feel out of place but that is ok because the mall setting really worked for me.


There are quite a few cheap and unrealistic scenes including one unnecessary sex scene that has a  pretty bad setup and all this does take down the film a bit.

Chopping Mall has it's flaws and is nowhere near perfect but it is something different and it some cool 80's stuff in it which makes it a decent 80's horror film.


3.5/5

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The Expendables

I was really excited to see this movie because of the people in it and for what it could been. It is not really a bad film but overall I would say that it is quite weak and lacks a lot of things making it one of the most disappointing films of 2010 for me.

The Expendables is the interesting story of a group called well..."The Expendables" who go to the island of Vilena to overthrow a dictator named General Garza (David Zayas).

I do think the name "The Expendables" is a pretty cool name but the film did not really explain what it is or why that is their name. We also don't much about information about the the group and most of people in it don't do too much and are kind of useless. The only people I found interesting were Jet Li, Jason Statham and Sylvester Stallone. They all good characters that are well acted and they really carry the film.

The worst thing about this film movie is no doubt the storytelling. It is bad thoughout every act with little details about the plot given out and in many places it is very hard to figure out just what is going on.

One thing that does work here is the action scenes. They are put together very well and are fun to watch. There are also some nice sets which help the atmosphere and the look of the film.

The highlights are rather limited though and in the end, The Expendables is a dull ride especially for an action film. With the cast and all the money that looks like was pumped into it, this movie should have been at least ten times better.

3/5

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Mean Girls

Mean Girls is a film that girls in my high school seem to love. I always kind of wanted to see it but at the same time I did have my doubts about it. Now that I have seen it, I liked it quite a bit and found it to be a hip, enjoyable film that I will probably watch a few more times.

Mean Girls is the story about a girl named Cady (Lindsay Lohan) who comes to America from South Africa because of her parent's work. Cady knows that she is not the most popular girl and she starts to hangout with the outcasts at the school but also surprisingly she also starts to hang out with a popular group called the Plastics. The film revolves around her feelings and emotions dealing with the different groups.

I have found that most teen flicks do not seem to have a heart, a style and usually nothing to embrace. With this film, it is the exact opposite. It has a heart due to the love interests of the characters. It also has a cool and different style that you don't see very often. The film is rounded out with fine acting from Lindsay Lohan to Tina Fey, and without these quality performances, the heart and the style would not shine through like it does.

Even though the plot is pretty silly and dumb, it is no doubt original and kind of fun. The characters are original all the way around with surprisingly nice humor to them and because of this, the film turns into a one of a kind type of film.

My main complain about the film is the characters. Like I said before, they have their highlights and I know teenage girls are all different in their own way but for me these characters seem a little too clueless. They just don't seem believable and it is hard to figure out where they are coming from at times.

Mean Girls along with many typical teen films struggles with the little things and also has some unrealistic parts. It is quite different than most teen flicks film and as a 15-year old boy, even I liked a lot of it even though though in the plot I didn't find much that I could relate to. While it is not my type of film, I had a lot fun watching it so in that respect, I liked it.

4/5

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Jeepers Creepers

Jeepers Creepers is a 2000 horror film that can easily be questioned. It has questionable leads and a very cheesy plot but in the end, that is why I liked the film and why I found it to be okay.

Jeepers Creepers is the story of two siblings named Trish (Gina Philips) and Darry (Justin Long) who spot a guy putting a dead body into a van. As they are just about to call the police, he comes after them and it turns into survival time for the siblings.

One thing I was worried about going into this was Justin Long. He is a good actor for the most part but he has never struck me as an actor that could do horror movies. Surprisingly, he is not all that bad in this film. He is very likable, works well with Gina Philips who also provides a good lead. Long also provides some humor which was unexpected and I didn't see coming at all.

With the killer in this film, I can tell that the director Victor Salva is trying his best with it. It is no doubt a very cheesy killer but it provides at least couple of scenes of entertainment. He brings good kill scenes to the table and he is fun to watch in some action scenes but along with being funny, few details are given about the killer so I found him to be unrealistic.

The film does have some originality to it. One piece of originality involves the killer who hides his victims in a nice new way and the ending is something new that does set up a sequel nicely.

Some things this film struggles with are a shaky plot and some unrealistic moments. Even though the victims' bodies are cool and set up pretty well, they don't look real by a long shot. The film also has two characters who really do nothing to the film. This all takes down the film a notch unfortunately.

I keep thinking that this film could have been much better, but in the end it is kind of a silly and dumb film that has enough good things to make it somewhat enjoyable.

3.5/5

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The Town

Usually I am not a big fan of crime films and I really watched this one just for the heck of it. In many ways, the film has everything I don't like in crime films with it being pretty long and also type of the plot I am just not into. Surprisingly though, I did like this quite a bit more than I thought I would and in many ways I was blown away with it.

This crime film directed by Ben Affleck is about three friends who rob banks for a living. As time goes on, Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) falls in love with one of his victims Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) and this really makes Doug think about if this is the safest career choice for him and this makes him change and get away from the bank-robbing business completely.

What make this film work is how it makes you think. It makes you think about what these robbers have done, how it affects society and how they could change. It also makes you think as a bank robber which I think is very cool and the main highlight of this film.

Ben Affleck is very effective in this movie. He helps carry the other characters in this film and as the movie went on, I really started to enjoy his character. In the end, I really felt a connection to Affleck's character. There is also a nice supporting cast that includes Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively.

As for a person who has only sees bank-robbing on television, I thought the film did a very good job with the bank-robbing scenes which are creepy, exciting, realistic and very well put together. The bad part is that there weren't many bank-robbing scenes and the film needs more of them.


The film does have it's flaws. There are not enough action scenes and it has some unrealistic parts. The ending sequence is also way too long. It is a pretty good ending that is pretty cool with a couple of good action scenes in it. The ending is also shot at Fenway Park but it is overdone with too many scenes. At times, it seems that Affleck doesn't know quite how to end the movie and it sure made me miss my dinner by a long shot.

The Town is a smart film set in Boston that captures the heart of bank-robbers and the film comes close to working on just about every level. I think it is a must-see and shows why Affleck is turning into one great director.

4/5

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

After three films, this series is really starting to impress me. The series is not perfect and has it's flaws but what is so strange and so great about the series is it's always funny, always fun and with this film, it provides a lot of things in this third sequel that most third films don't and that is really why this film really makes the cut.

The plot of the film is geared to these characters who are obviously getting older and are now pre-teens. This movie is set in the summer with Greg (Zachary Gordon) who again is getting older and has a rather big love interest in Holly Hills (Peyton List). His dad (Steve Zahn) is also trying to connect with Greg and there is also has a nice side story that has Greg's brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) trying to get closer to Holly's sister, Heather.

This film really works because of it's plot. It provides a lot of good things including some country club scenes and some nice "bonding" scenes with Greg and his dad even though Steve Zahn's acting is a bit over the top at times. There is also a pretty good scene involving a sweet sixteen party that has some pretty good music to it. The plot shows that all the characters have grown up and mostly in a good way.

Along with the two previous movies, Dog Days provides quite a few laughs throughout the film including some bizarre humor with the character Fregley. Rowley is also in many of the funny scenes and most of the jokes here are pretty original.

The performances also help the film. The characters all appear to be played just right and within each actor's ability. This could have been difficult with this being the third film and most the actors returning but they put out the same good performances that they did in the previous movies.

What I found to be different with this film from the other films, is that this one has a lot nice sets inducing the scenes at the country club, some scenes on a boardwalk and a couple scenes set in the wilderness. This may not help the movie all that much but they are nice to look at and are an added bonus to the film.

Even though it works on many levels, Dog Days struggles in some areas. There are some very unrealistic scenes including some in the school and a scene at a pool where it seems like some city ordinances are being broken by having way too many kids in the pool at one time. By the beginning of the the third act, the film does seem to drag and it has a hard time reaching it's conclusion.

Dog Days is good but in my opinion it is not better than the first film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I do think it is better than the second film, Rodrick Rules though. It is also a bit different and stronger then most third films in trilogy series as it doesn't rely on material from the first two movies and its starts "fresh". It is not an amazing or fantastic film but is still very watchable and I will probably watch at least a couple of more times.

3/5

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Case 39

Case 39 is one of those films that had a lot going for it and could have been special. In the end though, it is a film that really doesn't have much to it and it struggles with a lot of elements and eventually turns into a disappointing horror film that is very dry and not very interesting.

The film is about a social worker named Emily (Renee Zellweger) who is investigating a case about a little girl named Lillith (Jodelle Ferland) who might be being abused by her mother. As times goes on, Emily lets Lillith stay at her house and then things starting to get out of hand with the disappearance of things and killing with the whole film being Emily trying to figure what is going on with Lillith.

The only thing that really works is the acting. Renee Zellweger and supporting character actor Brad Cooper both are excellent and make a good team. Jodelle Ferland is creepy as Lillith but she is also a pretty dry and dull character and it is very hard to like her at times.

The main problem with the film is that it doesn't go anywhere. It is almost the same thing in every act and it also has a bad ending. The ending at first looks like it is going to be worthwhile and turn out to be something but it really doesn't do much and is uninteresting and is not right way to close this film.

Aside from the cast, the killing scenes are the other highlight of this movie. They are original and put together well but like a lot of films, there is not enough explanation as to why they occur. The computer generated imagery here also appears a little sub-par.

Case 39 is a really flat horror movie that has something to it but just does not develop the ideas or tell the story very well. I cannot  recommend this movie; not even for a rainy night.

2/5

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Liar Liar

Jim Carrey is one those few actors that I either love or hate in a film. Some of the films he's in I find him enjoyable and funny while others I feel he is annoying and very hard to take. Liar Lair fits into the "hard to take" pile. I found this to be a dry and a not very funny film that has almost nothing going for it.

Liar Liar is about a guy named Fletcher (Carrey) who is a divorced father who always lies. One day, his son Max (Justin Cooper) wishes that his dad just can't lie for one day and the whole film is Fletcher struggling with this wish and trying to please his son at the same time.

There were some things I did find effective in this film, particularly the mother (Maura Tierney) and Justin Cooper who played Max. They both had some good chemistry. Justin's acting is pretty good for his age but these characters can't really carry the film due to the limited screen time they have.

Overall, the film does have an interesting plot and it is original but Jim Carrey is just not right for the main role. He is just too energetic and outgoing for this role and his behavior does not work here. The film is basically the Carrey character with  abnormal behavior and many of his scenes are very unrealistic including scenes in a courtroom and one where he just walks into son's classroom with a cake with no security anywhere to be seen. I could go on and on about how bad Carrey is in this movie.

Liar Liar is a film with a lot of going for it and also a film that does have some highlights including good supporting characters and some good ideas but it is also a film with some bad casting, a lot of unrealistic scenes and in the end, I think it is one of the most disappointing films from the 90's.

2/5

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Dinner for Schmucks

In many ways Dinner for Schmucks is one strange film. The weirdness of the movie definitely takes it down and adds to the flaws of the film but surprisingly in the end it turns out to be an okay comedy.

The film is a remake of a French film called Dinner Games. The film is about Tim Conrad (Paul Rudd) who has had a successful life so far but his life changes when he meets a strange person named Barry Speck (Steve Carrol) who causes trouble in so many ways but also teaches Tim what is wrong with his life and how it could be better.

Many things work in this film but the thing that works the most is the actors Paul Rudd and Steve Carroll. They both have good but rather strange chemistry and they are fun to watch together. Another thing that helps is the plot which provides them with good material and gags and things to to do. They do have some flaws as they are not always funny but overall, they play some pretty good characters.

As I  said before, the strangeness of the film is one problem here. Much of the characters' strange behavior is just not funny. On the other hand, the strangeness here does make the film original and fun to watch. 

Another problem of the film is the set-up which is not very original and has been used before in Planes, Trains and Automobiles and the also the film Due Date. One thing that is different here from those films is the ending. The ending is not bad and different in a good way. 

In the end, Dinner for Schmucks is an okay comedy and it has some small highlights but it nothing amazing and really is only good for a rental on a dull night.

3/5

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