What I Have Been Watching

with a new director on board and more skilled actors like Dakota Fanning and Graham Greene joining the cast, hopefully New Moon will be more true to not only the story, but the characters as well.

** UPDATE **

so much better than the first film and much truer to the book. better direction, better CGI, better acting... just all around better! loved it! ♥

** full review to come **

fantasy romance starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser and Nikki Reed. based on the novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

when seventeen-year-old Isabella "Bella" Swan (Stewart) moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her father, she is anything but happy. gone are her friends. gone is the Arizona sunshine. gone is the life she once knew. but soon, Bella finds herself being drawn to the strikingly handsome Edward Cullen (Pattinson) and the mystery that surrounds the Cullen family.

let me start by saying this: I did enjoy this film. I did think that it was an okay effort. and odds are, I will buy it when it is released on DVD. however, it really did not meet my expectations. I knew that the CGI was going to be somewhat on the sad side, so I can get past the Glitter Stick sparkling of Edward, although he really should have waxed before that scene. I can even look past the really bad overacting of several of the cast members. they are young and fairly new and as with all actors, their craft will improve with time... hopefully. my issues are with the way the story was handled.

I understand that Hollywood has the tendency to take a novel and do with it whatever they please. usually making it something far from what the author had originally intended. but the fact that things were added to try and make it seem scarier, which was laughable by the way, it just really bothered me. by doing so, they ignored the true core of the books, the love story between Edward and Bella. if they had given the story a chance to evolve, instead of rushing things and trying to cram info into small portions of the film, then it would have been far better.

overall, it was an okay effort. like I said, I enjoyed parts of it. and judging by all of the TwiHards that attended the same show as me, Team Edward and Team Jacob tees on, books in hand and hearts all a flutter, this is going to be a huge success.

** UPDATE **

I still have yet to re-watch or buy the DVD, but I am hoping that I will enjoy it more the second time around... without the squealing girls in my ears and through eyes that aren't clouded with the freshly read book in my head.

** FINAL UPDATE **

okay, so it took me over a year, but finally I had a chance to re-watch this film and this time around, I was able to enjoy it for what it is: a cheesy love story... which is exactly what I love about the books. they are a great escape and are a wonderful distraction from the crappyness that is reality. I can truly understand why they have been such a hit with teen girls and adult women. they allow for a nice little break from reality... and who doesn't want that?

but back to the film. sure, it will never be as awesome as the book, but when are film adaptations? the CGI sucks, but that can be excused due to the low budget that the film was allotted. the acting wasn't the greatest, but hell, I have seen seasoned actors who have delivered far worse performances. the added "scare" factor still didn't do it for me. snarling vampires without fangs just seems silly to me. and of course, the one thing that still irks me... the way that the two most important scenes were so rushed. the first being the La Push beach scene between Bella and Jake. the second being the big "reveal" scene between Bella and Edward... it just does not flow the way it should.

however, despite all of these things, I can say that I truly enjoyed this film... and I will definitely be buying it and adding it to me collection!

very good stuff. ♥

horror film starring Sissy Spacek, Amy Irving, Piper Laurie and John Katt. based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. directed by Brian De Palma.

They're all gonna laugh at you! They're all gonna laugh at you!

Carrie White (Spacek) is a socially awkward girl that has recently discovered that she has telekinetic abilities and who is continually humiliated by her peers and her overly religious mother (Laurie). however, after a horrifying incident at the prom, Carrie snaps and gets her revenge on those that have hurt her.

when I was girl, this film seemed very scary, but over the years, I started to look at it in a different way. no longer do I see it as a horror film, but as a drama. the humiliation that Carrie endures from the bitches at school as well as that of her Jesus-freaky mother (who even has her very own Jesus closet where she locks Carrie in as punishment!) doesn't scare me. instead, I found myself empathizing with young Carrie and cheering her on as she got her revenge on the asshats who tried to break her. Spacek is one of my favorite actresses and this film is a fine example why. she is amazing.

good stuff! ♥

horror remake of the 1953 film of the same name starring Chad Michael Murray, Elisha Cuthbert and Jared Padalecki. directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

a group of teenagers on their way to a football game take a detour that leads them into the woods and ultimately, to the tiny ghost town of Ambrose. enter the creepy House of Wax and a psychotic killer and soon the teens are running for their lives.

I don't know what it is about this film that I love so much, but I can watch it over and over and never tire of it. maybe it's the fact that I can rewind a certain scene over and over and watch an incredibly annoying celebutante get a pole rammed through her face. maybe it's the oh-so yummy Chad Michael Murray and Jared Padalecki. or maybe it's just because I love a good cheesy horror flick. whatever it is, I can't seem to get enough of it.

love it! ♥

horror flick starring Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and Ben Foster. based on the comic book series of the same name. directed by David Slade.

every year the town of Barrow, Alaska, experiences a period of thirty days when the town is without sunlight. it is a normal occurrence and the residents have adapted and are quite happy... that is, until a group of hungry vampires descend on the small town.

not what I had expected, but still pretty good. of course, I love Hartnett and would watch anything starring him. an okay film.

supernatural flick starring Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney, Rachel True and Skeet Ulrich. directed by Andrew Fleming.

Sarah Bailey (Tunney) is new to town and is having trouble fitting in. but then she meets three other outcasts and soon the four girls become best friends. the girls share everything together... including their love of the Craft.

I remember when I first heard about this film. I was expecting another teen flick, full of the usual jocks and teenage angst. but then I watched it. I was like "finally! a film for people like me!" I fell in love with it instantly. an original script and a great cast, including the often underrated Fairuza Balk and Neve Campbell, make this an instant classic. that's right, I said classic!

sooo good! I absolutely love love love this film! ♥

action horror flick starring George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis and Quentin Tarantino. directed by Robert Rodriguez.

brothers Seth and Richie Gecko (Clooney, Tarantino) are criminals on the run. they encounter Jacob Fuller (Keitel) and his family at a motel and end up taking the former priest and his family hostage. the Geckos decide to take the Fullers with them to meet up with their contact at the strip club The Titty Twister, on the boarder of the US and Mexico. but what lies within the club is more than just sex and booze and soon the criminals and the hostages find themselves working alongside one another to survive.

this film is why I love Rodriguez. he isn't afraid to go to the line of cheese and tiptoe along it. he always manages to find that balance between over-the-top silliness and just enough silly to make for a fun and good time.

gore. comedy. action. boobies. good stuff! ♥

thriller starring Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Seann William Scott and Kerr Smith. directed by James Wong.

after having a vision of where the plane that he and his fellow classmates are on crashes, Alex Browning (Sawa) freaks and gets thrown off of the plane, along with a group of his classmates. they're shocked, feel guilty for living and of course, think Alex had something to do with it. their suspicions only continue to grow as the survivors begin to die in freak accidents. is it Alex? or is it death come to collect?

I still love this film as much as I did when I first saw it ten years ago... if not even more! one of my absolute favorite "scary" flicks. by far the best in the Final Destination series. they really should have just stopped while they were ahead. they will never achieve the awesomeness that they found with this original cast and script.

two words: Devon Sawa. RAWR.

love it! ♥

dark comedy starring Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossamon and Shea Whigham. based on the short story Kneller's Happy Campers by Etgar Keret. directed by Goran Dukic.

after committing suicide and finding himself in an afterlife set aside just for those who have committed suicide, a young man (Fugit) learns that the girl he loved also killed herself. he then sets out to try and find her.

boy kills himself. boy finds himself in strange afterlife where no one smiles and the scenery looks much like where I come from. boy searches for love. boy finds love. boy loses love. boy finds love again. the end.

interesting idea with decent writing and an okay cast.

thriller starring Diane Lane, Colin Hanks and Billy Burke. directed by Gregory Hoblit.

when a killer uses an internet site to allow it's viewers to decide the fate of his victims, it is up to FBI Agent Jennifer Marsh (Lane) of the FBI's Cyber Crime Division to stop him.

kinda formulaic and a little graphic at times, but still a great thriller. I really enjoyed this one. ♥

comedy written by and starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones.

Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!

the legend of King Arthur (Chapman) and his quest to find the Holy Grail.

very funny take on the Arthurian legend, that has given me even more quotes... that I am sure I say far too often... starring the men of Monty Python. Cleese, Palin and Idle will forever be three of my favorite actors. comedy geniuses!

hilarious over-the-top silly classic. ♥

horror flick starring Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, Sid Haig and William Forsythe. written and directed by Rob Zombie.

the sequel to 2003's House of 1000 Corpses, about a family of psychopathic killers in the late 1970s.

watched the first 45 minutes in hopes of finding something redeemable in this film, but after seeing a woman have a gun jabbed into her panties and then forced to perform oral sex on someone, I just couldn't subject myself to it any further. sadistic, brutal and just down right disgusting.

love your music Mr. Zombie, but sorry... I don't dig this kinda "entertainment".

1982 live concert featuring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Carol Cleveland and Neil Innes.

Monty Python performs various material, including several classic skits from their hit series Monty Python's Flying Circus.

to have been able to see these guys live! Eric, John, Michael and the boys are in top form. hilarious and just plain silly.

classic Python. ♥

horror-extremely dark comedy-thriller starring Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Cloe Sevigny and Jared Leto. based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel of the same name. directed by Mary Harron.

a wealthy and extremely narcissistic New Yorker leads a double life, as both an investment exec and a homicidal maniac.

I have heard so many great things about this film and it's performances, so I decided to give this one a try... for the second time.

I don't know if it's the fact that I don't care for films where women are brutalized or that I am not a Christian Bale fan *waits for gasps of shock from all of the Bale fans* but I just can't seem to get excited for this movie.

funny dialogue that made me chuckle a time or two and a pretty damn good 80s soundtrack, but other than that, I just wasn't feeling this one.

maybe third time's the charm? nah. two times was enough for me.

suspense flick starring Johnny Depp, Heather Graham and Ian Holm. directed by Albert and Allen Hughes.

based on the graphic novel of the same name, the film follows Inspector Fred Abberline (Depp) as he investigates the murders of Jack the Ripper.

interesting story and a good cast, but it didn't really live up to all that I had heard about it. then again, I was slightly distracted while attempting to watch, so maybe a rewatch someday.

an okay flick.

musical comedy starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon and Idina Menzel. directed by Kevin Lima.

Giselle (Adams) lives in the beautiful fairytale land of Andalasia, where animals talk and everyone sings. but before Giselle is able to receive her Happily Ever After with the handsome Prince Edward (Marsden), she is pushed into a magic portal by an old hag, who is actually Prince Edward's mother, Queen Narissa, in disguise (Sarandon). after Giselle arrives on the other side and she finds herself in the not-so-fairytale setting of New York City, she meets divorce lawyer, Robert Philip (Dempsey), whose job has made him somewhat cynical about life and love. soon, both Giselle and Robert start to change the other one's perspective on Happily Ever After.

Amy Adams delivers one of my favorite performances of hers to date, making Giselle one of my favorite characters on film. she is funny, sweet, charming and just all-around lovable. the rest of the cast also deliver great performances, including the uber handsome and oh-so dreamy Patrick Dempsey.

to say that I love this movie is an understatement. comedy, singing, cheesy romance... so good! ♥

teen comedy starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Penn, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates and Ray Walston. written by Cameron Crowe. directed by Amy Heckerling.

People on 'ludes should not drive!

1980s teen comedy about a group of individuals whose lives cross paths. based on Cameron Crowe's book, which he wrote after going undercover as a student at a California high school for Rolling Stone Magazine.

this is the film that all other high school films look up to. the one with the original dude, Jeff Spicoli. who knew he would grow up to be the Academy Award winning actor that he is today? a great cast of some of today's and yesterday's biggest stars bring to life the amazing script by Crowe, that has some of the best dialogue and some of the most quotable lines of all time.

great film! ♥

comedic drama starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Clifton Collins Jr. and Steve Zahn. written by Megan Holley. directed by Christine Jeffs.

Rose Lorkowski (Adams) is a single mother, struggling to make ends meat by cleaning other people's homes for a living. after a conversation with her lover (Zahn), she decides to start up her own Crime Scene Cleanup business with her sister, Norah (Blunt).

I knew this was going to be a funny one, but I didn't expect how sweet it was. wonderful performances by the entire cast, the female leads pulled off two great performances. I absolutely adore Adams and Blunt. the men were great as well, especially Collins. he is a new favorite of mine.

great little film! ♥

comedy starring Seth Rogen , Michael Pena, Ray Liotta and Anna Faris. written and directed by Jody Hill.

the film follows the misadventures of Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen), the head of security at a shopping mall, as he tries to stop a bandit flasher that has been terrorizing customers.

I guess I have been spoiled with previous Rogen gems 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express and of course the uber awesome Freaks and Geeks, because I just wasn't feeling this one. not that the blame lies solely on Rogen's shoulders. Faris and Pena were also lacking in this one. maybe it was the fact that there wasn't much of a script to go with. almost seemed like it was trying to force the funny and sadly, it failed.

a few very funny moments trickled throughout a less than perfect film... a film which has far too much bouncy testis! *shudders*

dramatic love story starring Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Josh Hartnett and Alec Baldwin. directed by Michael Bay.

Rafe McCawley (Affleck) and Danny Walker (Hartnett) are childhood best friends and they both sign up as pilots for the United States Army Air Corps as pilots. enter the beautiful Nurse Evelyn Johnson (Beckinsale), whom both men fall in love with, and it threatens to ruin their friendship. however, Rafe and Danny soon find themselves in a much bigger battle than the one for Evelyn's heart.

call me a sucker for hawt guys in uniforms! tell me that I have no taste in film! hell, call me a big ol' girl! I don't care. I absolutely love this film. great cast, great special effects and an oh-so cheesy love story, that still makes me cry whenever I watch it, make this film one of my all-time favorites. love it! ♥

I was kinda iffy when I first heard about this movie, but then I started to see the trailers and I became more and more curious. and trust me, the trailers do not do it justice. it is by far one of the best films that I have seen this year. the stunning visuals that bring to life and give a new interpretation to the amazing lyrics of The Beatles, definitely earns this film a spot on my faves list. love love love it. ♥

** review to be continued **

drama starring Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins and Claire Forlani. loosely based on the 1934 film Death Takes a Holiday. written by Bo Goldman and Kevin Wade. directed by Martin Brest.

The Angel of Death takes the form of a handsome young man (Pitt) so he can experience life on Earth. along the way, he falls in love with his Earthly guide's daughter.

well directed film, that is laced with great dialogue and first class performances. one of my favorites of both Pitt and Hopkins. ♥

drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano and Dillon Freasier. loosely based on the novel Oil!. written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

... all the armies of my boot will kick you in the teeth, and you will be cast up, and thrown in the dirt, and thrust back to Perdition! And as long as I have teeth, I will bite you! And if I have no teeth, I will gum you! And as long as I have fists, I will bash you! Now, get out of here ghost! Get out of here, ghost! Get out of here, ghost!

the tale of ruthless oilman Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) and his quest for wealth in the early 1900s.

I have never been a big Daniel Day-Lewis fan, so I was hesitant when I first popped this into the DVD player. so glad I did! as the greedy Daniel Plainview, he delivers an amazing performance. as does the young actor Dillon Freasier, who portrays Plainview's son H.W. very talented young man. and how eerie was Paul Dano? great performance... made me just wanna reach through the screen and smack the lil prick.

beautiful cinematography, interesting story and top notch performances make this an all-around great film.

goofball comedy starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn. written by Adam McKay, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. directed by Adam McKay.

when Brennan Huff's mother (Steenburgen) gets married, he is forced to move in with his new step-father (Jenkins) and step-brother. much like any kids whose parents get married, Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Reilly) do not like the new arrangements and begin to argue and cause problems for their parents. but after a visit from Brennan's conceited, prick biological brother (Scott), the two begin to form a bond and soon become best friends. oh... and did I mention that Brennan and Dale are 40-yr-old men?

kinda ridiculous in parts, but still very funny. another good flick from the McKay-Ferrell-Reilly team. ♥

comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg, Martin Starr, Kristin Stewart, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader and Kristen Wigg. written and directed by Greg Mottola.

when James Brennan (Eisenberg) graduates, he is looking forward to a Euro trip and attending college in NYC. unfortunately, his parents are having financial problems and are unable to help him. and with no work experience whatsoever, there is only one thing that James can do: become a carnie at Adventureland, the local theme park.

new twist on the same ol' story: young person enters new situation, meets interesting people that help to shape who the person will become and possibly falls in love in the process.

an alright flick, I just wish that Bill Hader and Kristen Wigg's parts had been bigger. Martin Starr was the shizz and I liked newcomer Margarita Levieva. Jesse Eisenberg was okay, he has that Michael Cera quality about him: in small doses he can be endearing, but in large ones he can be annoying. and lastly, Kristen Stewart. although this is one of her better performances, I still think she needs to work on her craft a bit more.

oh! and what the heck is with all of the vomiting in this film?

Starr, Hader, Wigg and the soundtrack = good stuff.
the rest of this film = meh.

dramatic film directed, produced and starring Clint Eastwood.

with the local priest (Christopher Carley) constantly bothering him and his kids trying to force him into a retirement home, the only thing that recently widowed Korean War vet Walt Kowalsk (Eastwood) wants is to be left alone. but when a fight between the neighbor Hmong boy (Bee Vang) and a group of gang bangers spills over onto his lawn, Walt intervenes with his rifle. grateful for this, the neighborhood begins to show the gruff war vet their appreciation, whether he wants it or not, causing his defenses to start to wither away and he soon forms a relationship with the family.

yet another great film by the legend that is Clint Eastwood. although the story is slightly predictable, and I personally didn't care for all of the racial slurs, it is still a great film. one that leaves you with a good feeling. and what's better than that? ♥

drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Lorraine Bracco, Juliette Lewis and James Madio. based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Jim Carroll, featuring the original music by Michael Peter Balzary. directed by Scott Kalvert.

the tale of a group of promising high school basketball players (DiCaprio, Wahlberg, Madio) and their descent into the dark world of crime and drugs.

one of my all-time favorite films and yet another great performance by DiCaprio. an all around great film. ♥

drama starring Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth and Cillian Murphy. based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier. directed by Peter Webber.

a young woman (Johansson) living in the Netherlands in the 1660s is sent to work as a maid in the home of the painter Johannes Vermeer (Firth) and finds herself the subject of Vermeer's infamous painting.

slow in parts, but an interesting story nevertheless. pretty good.

dramatic action flick starring Rudy Youngblood, Raoul Trujillo and Dalia Hernández. directed by Mel Gibson.

set in Central America, during the declining period of the Maya civilization, a man (Youngblood) makes a desperate bid to escape being a human sacrifice and return to his family and the woman he loves.

I wasn't sure if I was gonna like this one or not, but I actually found myself getting into the story. found it very cool that the cast, who are of Native American descent, speak Yucatec Maya throughout the film.

good story with a lot of pretty intense action. good stuff!

psychological thriller starring Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson, Sharon Stone, Liev Schreiber and Queen Latifah. based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. directed by Barry Levinson.

a psychologist (Hoffman), a biochemist (Stone), a mathematician (Jackson), an astrophysicist (Schreiber) and others investigate a large golden sphere deep in the ocean.

not exactly scary, but creepy in certain parts. pretty good sc-fi thriller.

drama starring Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. directed by Clint Eastwood.

the story of female boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) and her journey to becoming a champion.

Maggie Fitzgerald is one of my very favorite film characters. she is resilient and determined, but at the same time, has a vulnerability that makes you love her that much more. the actress that brings Maggie to life, has the ability to allow you forget that you are watching a movie and instead, you feel like you have a secret glimpse into someone's life. that actress is Hilary Swank.

it is through the eyes of Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris, in which the story is told. Morgan Freeman delivers yet another great performance, as an ex-boxer, that runs the local gym where Maggie trains, owned by trainer, Frankie Dunn.

portraying Dunn, is five-time Academy Award® winning film icon, Clint Eastwood, who pulled quadruple duty, including director, co-producer and even scoring the film. as hardened trainer Frankie Dunn, Eastwood reminds us why he has received so much acclaim over the years... he is pure genius. there is no other way to explain it, other than he is just freakin' awesome.

Million Dollar Baby is more than just a good boxing film. it is humorous, tragic, poignant and inspiring. above all, it is a fine example of the human spirit.

beautiful film. love it! ♥