Movie Review - Observe and Report

Observe and Report (2 of 5): That's it; I have had enough. Knocked up was great. Superbad was good. Pineapple Express was the worst piece of shit ever produced; this one was not much better. Seth Rogan, it's time to expand your horizons or fade into obscurity.

Rogan plays Ronnie Barnhardt, head security guard at the local mall. Ronnie takes his job incredibly seriously, comes from a broken home, has an alcoholic mother who passes out mid-sentence, and a long history of anti-depessant medication because he is "a little bi-polar". When a flasher strikes the mall parking lot, "violating" numerous women employees and mall patrons, Ronnie and crew are on the case. Things get personal when the pervert exposes himself to Ronnie's love interest, a trashy, drunken, make-up counter hottie who is way out of his league. However, Ronnie's efforts are impeded by a real police detective played by Ray Liotta; Hillarity does not really ensue.

There are a handfull of really funny moments, like watching his mom drunken face plant on the carpet, and Ronnie's psychological evaluation while applying for the police department. Rogan does a decent job of making Ronnie a likable character; but most of the time, Ronnie seems like he is about to become the next gunman in the latest headlines. Rock music blares at seemingly random times, and the violence escalates shockingly fast at times. In one scene, Ronnie and his right hand man begin a rampage that begins funny, beating up skateboarders and ends with them both doing lines of coke and robbing stores in the mall. But hey, who hasn't been there?

It feels like Rogan is trying to branch out and show a darker side, as opposed to an overweight, lovable stoner. However, from what I can see, he is not ready to take on a different role, as he appears unable to make more than two facial expressions on camera and exude the same self-deprecating humor.

Movie Review - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (2 of 5): Damn, this movie was a huge disappointment. That is really all I need to write for a review, but I guess I should explain. I went into this movie expecting three things: 1) a good performance from Michael Cera, who I think has awesome comedic timing and potential (just watch Arrested Development); 2) a great soundtrack; and 3) a nice coming of age story. Unfortunately, Nick & Norah satisfied none of these expectations.

This is a film about Nick, an emotional pussy who just can't get over being dumped by his hottie - way over his head - girlfriend. How they ever got together in the first place is never explained. He is in a band with two gay guys that are annoyingly self-aware and comfortable with their status as homosexuals, despite the fact that they are teenagers in high school. Nick gets out one night in his beat up Yugo and meets Norah, who is coming off an on-again/off-again relationship with her rocker boyfriend. Nick and Norah then proceed to have quirky conversations while getting to know each other in a series of ridiculous circumstances.

My grievances with this movie are many. First, everybody in this film is so self-aware and confident in their personality that it makes you want to puke. Really, is any teenager actually this comfortable with their identity? This is not a realistic coming of age story in the vein of Breakfast Club or American Graffiti. No, the characters in this story already act and converse as adults, even though their circumstances and actions would dictate otherwise. Second, Nick & Norah's night is never ending. They do and see so much in one night it becomes completely unbelievable and all of this is topped off with forced relationships an unrealistic dialogue. Finally, for a movie with "infinite playlist" in the title one would expect some good music, right? Wrong. I can't name a single memorable song in this movie - the soundtrack was crap.

I can't recommend Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It's a completely forgettable film and the people who wrote it need a reality check. Also, after this movie, Juno and Paper Heart, Michael Cera really needs to get some new material to work on before he is perpetually typecast as the "loveable dweeb".

Gamer Goofiness

Here is some gamer inspired hilarity for your Monday morning:

Movie Review - Adventureland

Adventureland (5 of 5): Trailer I think that one of the laziest things to do when reviewing a movie is to note the similarities it shares with others. Thankfully, Adventureland is not like many other movies that have been released as of late; and the poor marketing it received, billed it as "Superbad at the amusement park". This comparison, although not necessarily a bad thing, is not really warranted, Adventureland stands alone and is far superior in wit and feeling.

Adventureland tells the story of James, the recent college graduate who, due to a family financial crisis is forced to postpone his summer of traveling Europe before embarking onto graduate school in New York. After discovering that his minimal employment history, combined with a degree in comparative English literatue, makes him rather "un-hireable"; James takes a job at the local amusement park as a game vendor...not rides, big difference.

It is easy to empathize with the nightmare it must be to work at an amusement park. Dead of summer heat, minimum wage, rude, inconsiderate douchebag members of the public, and the most overlooked aggravation of all; being present in that environment while the same obnoxious over-played song repeats itself all day long. (In the movie it is "Rock Me Amadeus over and over. After working two state fairs I have hateful feelings towards Justin Timberlake songs)

The cast of characters working at the park are truly hillarious. The main plotline consists of James falling in love with an emotionally unavailable Emily; perhaps the most wonderful female lead I have seen in years. The inevitable love triangle insues; actually more of a square, both main charcters have other intimacy choices. The beautiful thing about Adventureland is that the cast of characters, although probably generically defined as "geeks' or "nerds" and are as socially awkward as it gets; are lovable and easy to connect with. It seems like so many movies utilizing these types of characters only develop them just enough for a laugh, when the laugh is over, they just seem pathetic. Adventureland shows that despite being a geek (speaking as one) you aren't necessarily crippled by your awkwardness and are unable to win a kiss from the girl.

Maybe because I identified with the main character so well, or that the movie was set in the mid 80's, the setting of my childhood, or perhaps the fact that the soundtrack contains a Whitesnake song; Adventureland gets my vote for the best movie that I have personally seen this year. If you were a teen in the 80's, or ever had a dead-end job that you were too smart to be in, you will really appreciate this movie.

Dedication: This review is dedicated to a girl I once knew...she was the most confusing, enigmatic girl I have ever known, but provided for a unique summer of my own.

Movie Review - Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder (4 of 5): I checked out Tropic Thunder over the weekend. It was a very funny movie. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I was anticipating. With the exception of Zoolander, I don't usually find Ben Stiller movies that great. After seeing Tropic of Thunder though, I think it goes head to head with Zoolander as my favorite Ben Stiller flick.

This movie offers more than just Ben Stiller though. There is a great cast, including Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr., Nick Nolte (looking seriously alcoholic) and Tom Cruise. They all play really messed up characters and everybody is unique. Tom Cruise is especially icky and disturbing - and trust me, I would't use the word "icky" unless it was warranted.

Although I had a lot of fun with this film, I can see how some people may not like it. There is a decent amount of poking fun at retarded people, which I found hilarious, but many may not. Also, a lot of the humor has an inside joke appeal, either referencing other war movies or making fun of the Hollywood system. These jokes may go over the heads of some.

Overall though, this is a really fun film with lots of laughs. I would definitely watch it again and that is something to say since so few comedies these days are worth second viewings, in my opinion. Even the movie trailers at the beginning are worth the price of a rental. Check it out.

Movie Review - The Haunting In Conneticut

The Haunting In Conneticut (4 of 5): Any fan of this genre knows that the state of horror movies has been reduced to cheap gorefests, perpetuated by movies like Hostel, Saw, and endless gory remakes of classic 70's and 80's horror. However, Connecticut does not bombard you with excessive violence and blood.

Instead, it tells the story of a teenage boy suffering from cancer who agrees to undergo some experimental treatment. In an effort to ease the burden, his family abruptly and hastily moves the entire family to a rental home in Connecticut. The home seems to provide the ideal setting for the grief-stricken family, however, from the onset, most of the family is unaware of the home's disturbing past. The movie explains itself thoroughly, so there is no point in re-capping it here. Suffice to say that the house has a chilling and haunted past "filled" with death, self-mutilation, spirits and lost souls.

Where this movie succeeds is in it's ability to scare with imagery. There are a handful of scenes that really made me jump, simply due to a look from an on-screen character, or some environmental effect. The make-up and CGI in some areas were very effective in presenting a truly frightening scene.

That being said, the movie is not without it's generic horror pitfalls. My biggest pet-peeve in horror is the cheap scare that is delivered as the music builds up, and something pops out of nowhere and makes the character and viewer literally jump. Connecticut certainly has it's share of these cheap scares. Additionally there are a lot of borrowed concepts from other successful horror successes such as Poltergeist, The Ring, and The Others.

It's important to remember that in horror, more than in any other genres, there are so few universal truths as to what is scary. It is a very personal and wide ranging emotion. This one did it for me and I was very pleased to leave the theater pretty freaked out at the film I had just seen.

*Note* If you do see it at the theatre, be sure to stay well into the credits. There is a very spooky, albeit contrived surprise at the end.

Bioshock 2 Game Play

Arguably one of the best games to have come out on the XBox 360 was Bioshock. The sequel has big shoes to fill and high expectations. Here is the first released gameplay footage of the new game, Bioshock 2.



Looks pretty good if you ask me!

You're Terminated

In anticipation of the release of Terminator Salvation later this spring, Warner Bros. has released a nice little web app that allows you to turn yourself into a Terminator. I don't know about you, but the first thing I thought of trying was to turn a unicorn and a baby into Terminators and then imagine them fighting each other for world domination. Anybody else with me on this!?


Who would win? I have my money on the Unicorn - that horn and the rainbows it produces can do some damage. However, the baby is cute and disarming, which allows him to break down your defenses and get in for the quick kill. Tough call...

Please vote for your pick in the comments section!

Terminate Yourself here

Science!

This movie about magnetic fields is eerie, but it is also fascinating and educational! The short film has been around for awhile and won some awards. I saw it again today and thought it was worth sharing. Check it out:


Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor on Vimeo.
by Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt

Legos, Ghostbusters and Monoliths

Recently, I got out all my old childhood Lego sets. I only had vague memories of the sets, so it has been fun to rebuild them. It's also been fun (yet challenging) to build them with my three year old daughter who is always eager to help.

Anyway, you are probably wondering what this has to do with movies so here comes the tie-in. I just came across this picture of a cool Lego creation from a fan of the movie Ghostbusters, one of my all-time favorite comedies. I think you will agree with me that this is pretty well done!


Speaking of Ghostbusters, did you hear that a Ghostbusters 3 is in the works? I'll be happy to see those guys working together again, but unhappy with the "reboot for a younger generation" angle I'm sure the film will follow. Right now, somebody in Hollywood is thinking they gotta have Zac Efron as the new Peter Venkmen.

I am always impressed by the skill and creativity shown by Lego artists. One day, with practice, I hope to have similar skill to create my own Ecto 1. But, for now, I'll just stick to making Monoliths from 2001.


Thanks Brothers Brick

Movie Review - Let the Right One In

Let the Right One In (4 of 5): This independent Swedish film quietly snuck in and made many Best of 2008 lists last year. It is the story of Oskar, a bullied 12-year old boy who dreams of revenge. He befriends his new neighbor, Eli, a 12 year old girl who has some very strange qualities: she can’t stand the sun, can’t eat food, and needs to be invited into rooms. Yes, Eli is a vampire.

Let The Right One In is a coming of age story that is both romantic and violent. Although the story may seem preposterous, you never find yourself thinking it is unbelievable. This is largely because the vampire elements are presented realistically and not allowed to become campy. Eli looks and interacts like a mostly normal girl – although with years of experience behind her eyes. It is this subtle presentation that makes the violent/horror elements of the movie all the more terrifying, since we perceive them being perpetuated by what appears to be a normal pre-teen girl.

The movie is close to two hours long but it never seems dull. It is a visually beautiful film and offers exceptional writing and performances by its young cast. A multi-layered story is presented for the characters and the vampire mythology. In particular, I liked Eli’s interaction with her “caretaker”, and the obvious parallels it presents to her current and future relationship with Oskar. Blinded by love, Oskar does not see the tragedy inherent in what his life will become, but we do.

Overall, I found this film to be very enjoyable. It provides romantic, horror and tragic elements all wrapped up into one nice package. If you don’t shy away from independent or foreign films, I highly recommend Let the Right One In. Or, you can wait until 2010 and see the planned (and very likely terrible) American remake. At which point I would be happy to come to your home, tell you “I told you so”, and punch you in the face for being an idiot.

Movie Review - I Love You Man

I Love You Man (3 of 5): I'm almost ready to say "enough already". These movies are coming a little to quickly ( I know what that's like) one after another. I Love You tells the story of a sensitive guy who is recently engaged to a beautiful woman. Through the planning of the wedding, it becomes painfully obvious that the male lead (Rudd) lacks a network of social male friends. In an attempt to gain some independence and not be so smothering, as well as to find a best man for the wedding, Rudd engages in a series of "man-dates". These dates culminate with Rudd discovering Segal the quint-essential "man" who slowly weens Rudd away from a lifestyle of Appletinis and musicals to a life of beer drinking and playing in a Rush cover band.

The movie flows well, but I really didn't find myself laughing. The one strength of the movie; which is a common thread to the success of this brand of movie, is the ability to connect and identify with the characters. Anyone who has been in a serious relationship or marriage knows how incredibly difficult it is to maintain your identity with respect to your existing friends. You understand the constant balancing act between hanging out with friends and your relationship responsibilities; especially when either of those two dynamics are new to you. Rudd's character is the most socially awkward on screen personality since George Costanza or Larry David from Curb your Enthusiasm. Coincidentally the same person essentially.

The man dates are comical, and the constant awkwardness of Rudd trying to fit in and connect using "guy-slang" are painfully familiar and funny. However, overall, I really found very few laugh out loud moments. But maybe that's the point; life really isn't always that funny; rather a series of socially awkward moments punctuated by a few amusing comments. Very few of which were found in this review...

The Wait Is Over

The wait is over...Although it has been nearly two years since there has been any activity, or new material on our beloved site, we have deemed ourselves ready to get the creative juices flowing. That sounded grosser than it meant to be.

That being said, in addition to movie reviews and postings about things that piss us off about the overall theater-going experience; we are branching out. In the future, we plan on introducing video game reviews, general observations about society, music debates (not necessarily confined to "Why Kanye West needs to shut the fuck-up) and a few other surprises.

So, hopefully, this time it sticks. Bookmark the site, tell your friends, myspace and facebook the hell out of it so that we can get some entertaining conversation going. Please feel free to add any suggestions or comments about the sites direction, and what you would like to see. Or, if you would like be a guest writer from time to time, let us know. We will say no, but seriously, let us know.

-Movie Guys