Seriously though, I did go out and see 4 movies today. While a lot, it's not a record for me, as the most I've seen in one day is 5 (which I've tied every year during AMC's Best Picture Showcase).
As for the movies I saw, I went and saw Courageous, Restless, 50/50, and What's Your Number? (in order). It turns out, I am getting better and better and timing out when a movie will start, and when a movie will end, as I've been right the last several times I've seen multiple films in a row.
Anyways, I will start with Courageous. I'm going to give a brief review on this film in this entry, with a longer one coming later in a separate entry. The movie for those that don't know, is one centered around faith and how it deals around five men, and how the men go on to use their faith to better themselves as fathers. The acting was done really well in the scenes that called for dramatic parts, and in large part, the cast are relatively unknowns. In my opinion, the weakest actors in the film were the actors that played Javier and his wife. They came across as unbelievable, and really poor actors to say the least. Nonetheless, the actors in this film, are not the film's greatest strength (granted, there are a few actors in here that give solid performances) but largely the films overall message. If you are prone to crying when seeing films, then you'll probably want to bring a box or two when you see this film. It is the tear jerking scene where faith in God really starts to hit home.
There were a few people that did walk out during the movie, but I can assure you it has nothing to do with the quality of the film, as it is really good movie, but more along with the message of the film. I noticed the same thing when MercyMe was performing at Angel Stadium this past summer. Overall, I would say what's keeping this movie from possibly being nominated for Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards, are the fact that it is largely based on faith (not a bad thing of course), and as mentioned certain performances from a few of the actors, which could and should have been better. For instance, there is a scene that requires crying from Javier's wife, yet when she cries there is no tears, yet she's acting like she's crying (not convincing at all). The acting by the two really look like that you'd come to see on some cheesy soap opera or something along those lines.
After seeing Courageous, I went ahead and saw Restless. This movie stars Mia Wasikowska, and Henry Hopper. This movie is a rather sombering film, and at the same time has its funny moments. The premise of the movie however, makes it seem a bit far fetched to say the least. The movie starts off with Enoch (played by Harry Hopper) crashing memorial services, and by crashing I'm referring to sitting in on strangers memorial services. It's through the first memorial service in the film where he meets Annabel (played by Mia Wasikowska).
It is after this meeting, where Annabel then follows Enoch, and thus sets off an odd friendship at first, that goes beyond friendship and later turns into a relationship. Annabel as it's later learned is a patient that has terminal cancer, and Enoch, is odd in a sense that not only does he like crashing services of strangers, but he can also talk to a Japanese Kamikaze World War II pilot, that the film doesn't really explain until more than halfway into the film, which is also around the time frame that more is revealed about Enoch's mysterious life.
Having said that, this film is nowhere near a bad film. In my opinion, this film is a step above a good film, and a few steps below a great film. The film does have it's flaws, but in large part, the performances from the two lead actors more than makes up for it. The overall point this film was trying to hit home, which in my opinion is that death doesn't always have to be so bad, was a rather successful one, and was rather moving. I would recommend you go and see this film, while it's still in theaters, as it does make for a good date movie.
The third movie on the day I saw, after seeing Restless was 50/50. This movie stars Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film centers around Adam (played by Levitt) and him being diagnosed with, and dealing with cancer. The movie in my opinion although it is really good, tries a bit too hard at aiming for best picture quality, and falls just short. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Levitt's girlfriend in the film (for anyone that's seen The Help, she's the mean one), and in my opinion, she really had no chemistry with Levitt, nor did the film make them convincing, in fact they seemed distant (for the time that they where boyfriend-girlfriend in the film).
Seth Rogen, plays Kyle (Adam's best friend), and delivers a typical performance you'd come to expect from him. It would be fine, if this movie was billed as a comedy, but it's not, and at times Rogen feels out of place. My big complaint with Rogen, is it seems he can't go one movie without using Weed in a film. It's almost like a long drawn out joke that is said over and over again. If he has done a film without using weed or making references to it, I would surely like to know.
Anna Kendrick, plays Katherine, at times a very convincing doctor in training, and at times looking out of place. This isn't a knock on the actress, as she is slowly becoming one of my favorites, but more as a general observation. There is a relationship that does start to brew between Adam and Katherine, that seems fake and pushed, when it really shouldn't have been, but in large part this doesn't effect the quality of the film.
This movie in large part is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's breakout film in terms of whether or not he can be a leading man in Hollywood. He does have a film coming out early next year that will further test this notion, but whether or not this happens remains to be seen. I will say that he does give a Best Actor type performance in this film. Whether or not he gets a nomination remains to be seen. I can't speak for the accuracy of this film in terms of what it's like dealing with cancer, but I can speak for the accuracy for the film in terms of how cancer affects those that care about the person, as I have had to deal with a close family member having and ultimately dieing from cancer (my mom). Overall, I would recommend this movie. It's a flip of the coin with Restless in my opinion, as I really did enjoy both movies equally as well as the other.
Lastly, I finished off my latest movie adventure seeing What's Your Number? starring Anna Faris, and Chris Evans. This movie as the tile implies deals with guys asking for Anna Faris' phone number. All joking aside, this film is about the number of men Ally Darling (played by Anna Faris) has slept with, and after reading an article, determined to make it work with one of her exes so she doesn't go past the number until it's with the one she's destined to marry.
This film, like most of Anna Faris movies is a comedy, and really doesn't pick up until 15 to 20 minutes into the film, which is also near the time we first see Colin (played by Chris Evans). This movie is one that won't win any awards, and is a more feel good get away from it all while laughing type of films. There is more convincing chemistry in this film between Faris and Evans, and depending how well this film does or doesn't do in theaters, could be the start of a comedic team, although you don't really see much of that these days in Hollywood. Overall, if your not in the mood to see a serious film, but want to see a comedy, this one is worth seeing. If you are looking for something else, then this film isn't for you.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Another Two Movies Today
Earlier today, I managed to see Lion King 3D, and Abduction (starring Taylor Lautner and Lily Collins, along with Mario Bello, Sigourney Weaver, and Alfred Molina amongst others).
I'll start off with the Lion King in 3D. I primarily wanted to see this because Lion King happens to be my favorite Disney animated film, and the two weeks is up this weekend, so there wasn't much time to waste. Upon seeing the film, I admit I got a sense of nostalgia. I first saw Lion King when it first came out with friends that lived across the street from me. I went in not expecting much in terms of the 3D aspect, and for the most part, I was correct. All it added to was an increase in picture quality, but for the most part, there wasn't much of the 3D aspect that jumps out at you, which one normally expects when viewing a film in 3D. Other than that, there really isn't much else to add. If you've seen Lion King, you know what happens, and if you haven't and don't see it by this weekend, that's alright, as it is being released on blu-ray next week.
After seeing Lion King, I proceeded to walk the mall for 20 minutes, then it was back to AMC with myself. I was a bit early for Abduction, but after ordering food from the concession bar, the wait was cut down considerably. I was one of about 10, maybe 12 people to see Abduction in an auditorium that seats around 100+, which was more than there was to see Lion King, which I was one of three to see it in an auditorium that seats 500+.
Prior to seeing this film, I admit, I did read reviews on this film, and if you haven't seen or read any reviews, you'll know that this film has been getting ripped to shreds. So naturally, I went in expecting the worse. Having said that, the film isn't as bad as the reviews out there would tell you, but that isn't saying much, as the movie is one of the worst this year hands down. The lines in this film, come across as generic at best (at times come across as lame and just put together rather hastily), and the violence and action in this film are not believable.
For instance, in one of several fight scenes, between Taylor Lautner, and a guy chasing Lautner, after repeated punches to the face, there is no blood on the face of either guy. Lautner even gets thrown into the window of the train, causing cracks to the train window, yet there is no blood on Lautner's face. It's almost as if they forget about it, or went over budget and left out details like that.
The beginning of the movie will probably leave you shaking your head, and that's putting it lightly. In my opinion, Taylor Lautner was put in a role that he's not cut out for at this time. Some actors have what it takes to be taken seriously as an action star, and some well, they do not, or if they do, it comes when they are older. Given time with age, and perhaps with movies other than Twilight attached to his name, would he be considered ready for action roles. I honestly see him more of the supporting actor at the moment, and not someone that can carry a film on his own, which this film tries to do.
I would only recommend this film for those that are huge fans of Lautner, and that's about it. Even then, that's stretching it, but it's the only recommendation I can give.
I'll start off with the Lion King in 3D. I primarily wanted to see this because Lion King happens to be my favorite Disney animated film, and the two weeks is up this weekend, so there wasn't much time to waste. Upon seeing the film, I admit I got a sense of nostalgia. I first saw Lion King when it first came out with friends that lived across the street from me. I went in not expecting much in terms of the 3D aspect, and for the most part, I was correct. All it added to was an increase in picture quality, but for the most part, there wasn't much of the 3D aspect that jumps out at you, which one normally expects when viewing a film in 3D. Other than that, there really isn't much else to add. If you've seen Lion King, you know what happens, and if you haven't and don't see it by this weekend, that's alright, as it is being released on blu-ray next week.
After seeing Lion King, I proceeded to walk the mall for 20 minutes, then it was back to AMC with myself. I was a bit early for Abduction, but after ordering food from the concession bar, the wait was cut down considerably. I was one of about 10, maybe 12 people to see Abduction in an auditorium that seats around 100+, which was more than there was to see Lion King, which I was one of three to see it in an auditorium that seats 500+.
Prior to seeing this film, I admit, I did read reviews on this film, and if you haven't seen or read any reviews, you'll know that this film has been getting ripped to shreds. So naturally, I went in expecting the worse. Having said that, the film isn't as bad as the reviews out there would tell you, but that isn't saying much, as the movie is one of the worst this year hands down. The lines in this film, come across as generic at best (at times come across as lame and just put together rather hastily), and the violence and action in this film are not believable.
For instance, in one of several fight scenes, between Taylor Lautner, and a guy chasing Lautner, after repeated punches to the face, there is no blood on the face of either guy. Lautner even gets thrown into the window of the train, causing cracks to the train window, yet there is no blood on Lautner's face. It's almost as if they forget about it, or went over budget and left out details like that.
The beginning of the movie will probably leave you shaking your head, and that's putting it lightly. In my opinion, Taylor Lautner was put in a role that he's not cut out for at this time. Some actors have what it takes to be taken seriously as an action star, and some well, they do not, or if they do, it comes when they are older. Given time with age, and perhaps with movies other than Twilight attached to his name, would he be considered ready for action roles. I honestly see him more of the supporting actor at the moment, and not someone that can carry a film on his own, which this film tries to do.
I would only recommend this film for those that are huge fans of Lautner, and that's about it. Even then, that's stretching it, but it's the only recommendation I can give.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Anyone Else Notice A New Trend With Movie Trailers?
This new trend I'm referring to is seeing a trailer out in theaters roughly four months plus in advance. Two movies however are sticking out like sore thumbs at the moment, and by the time they are released in theaters, I'm at the point where I'm ready for them to be released onto blu-ray/dvd.
Those two movies I'm referring to are the new Mission Impossible, and Puss In Boots. Perhaps Puss In Boots isn't as noticeable as Mission Impossible, but both trailers are being shown half to death. It wouldn't be bad if the movies weren't due out until next month, but Puss In Boots is due out November 4th, and Mission Impossible isn't due out until December 21st. Seems overkill in my opinion for these trailers to be attached to just about every big movie out there (or a majority of them).
Another trend with trailers, while I'm on the subject of trailers is the length of trailers prior to the films. Seriously. Yesterday, I saw Moneyball at 9:55. I didn't get out until 12:24. I thought I had missed the start of Killer Elite, however, as I got into Killer Elite, there was still another six minutes of trailers, which puts the trailers prior to the start of the show at about 15 to 20 minutes now before your movie actually starts. It's not really a problem or anything, but does help you plan correctly if you want to see multiple movies in a day.
Those two movies I'm referring to are the new Mission Impossible, and Puss In Boots. Perhaps Puss In Boots isn't as noticeable as Mission Impossible, but both trailers are being shown half to death. It wouldn't be bad if the movies weren't due out until next month, but Puss In Boots is due out November 4th, and Mission Impossible isn't due out until December 21st. Seems overkill in my opinion for these trailers to be attached to just about every big movie out there (or a majority of them).
Another trend with trailers, while I'm on the subject of trailers is the length of trailers prior to the films. Seriously. Yesterday, I saw Moneyball at 9:55. I didn't get out until 12:24. I thought I had missed the start of Killer Elite, however, as I got into Killer Elite, there was still another six minutes of trailers, which puts the trailers prior to the start of the show at about 15 to 20 minutes now before your movie actually starts. It's not really a problem or anything, but does help you plan correctly if you want to see multiple movies in a day.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Moneyball Makes For An Elite Time...Or 2 More Movies Down
Ok. That was my attempt to make a somewhat funny title. I failed. I'll get it back again as I put up more entries.
Anyways, back to my train of thought. Earlier this morning, I went out and saw another two movies. I would have seen three today, but I got a text message from a friend of mine the night before, so had to alter my plans, which is no biggie, as I'll likely just go out on Monday to see it. (I was going to see Abduction as my third movie if anyone is curious).
The first movie I saw, I barely made it in time for the bus (didn't have access to our only working car for the time I would have been out). I saw Moneyball this morning at 9:55 at the local AMC. Now that I look back at the film, it is kind of fitting that since the movie is about Billy Beane and the Oakland A's, that tonight of all nights, the A's went out and beat the Angels, in Anaheim, thus knocking out of the American League West title hunt, as the Rangers clinched the division title, and thus putting the Angels season on life support.
Back to the movie. If you've seen the trailer, you kind of get a sense that the way the movie is presented, and based on some word of mouth (which in large part I tried to ignore), this movie is a contender to at the very least be nominated for Best Picture come Oscar time next year. After seeing the film myself, I'd say that it's a pretty safe bet to make. The movie has it's moments that should appeal to a wide arrange of movie and sports lovers for that matter.
The movie in large part takes place during the 2002 season, and deals with the behind the scenes aspect of Billy Beane's dealings during that said season, as he did implement a type of baseball that many baseball fans today know as Moneyball. The film stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, and Jonah Hill plays Peter Brand, a statistician that came up with the concept of Moneyball. The film in large part is Jonah Hill's first real attempt at making a serious film (a la Jim Carrey), and in all honesty, was good in his role. Brad Pitt on the other hand, this type of role should come as no surprise as he's known for these type of roles. In all honesty, I wasn't sold if he could pass as playing the gm of a baseball team, but after the first few minutes passed, my doubts passed, and I was sold. His performance was really solid, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Pitt nominated for Best Actor in this film.
After seeing this film, I walked across the hall and saw Killer Elite, the new action movie starring Jason Statham, Robert DeNiro, and Klive Owen. This movie for what it was, which is an action flick first and foremost lived up to my expectations. However, I feel this movie could have been so much more, as it was actually based on a true story.
The movie itself takes place during the first few years of the 1980's, in fact, the first scene of the movie takes place during 1980 in Mexico. Statham and DeNiro play to hitman, with Statham wanting out, but is ultimately drawn back in, only to help free Huter (played by DeNiro). This right here, is where I feel they could have explained more and setup a better back story for Danny (played by Statham) wanting out. It felt a bit rushed, and not very convincing. Having said that, it's when Danny gets back into his old lifestyle and becomes a hitman to free Hunter, where the film takes off, and for the better.
Clive Owen plays Spike in the film, an ex-SAS military official, and ultimately is the villain in this film. In large part, he plays his role excellently, which shouldn't come as a surprise if you've seen some of his prior films. In general, the cast was solid in the film, and was very believable. My biggest complaint with the film however, although awesome, was the fight scenes. The fight scenes in this film weren't very convincing. By not being very convincing, I'm referring to the constant exchange of punches and blows, without them actually hurting the other person. If this were put in wrestling terms, it would be called no-selling. In some ways, because of this (with the fight scenes between Danny and Spike) were almost laughable.
Other than the fight scenes between Danny and Spike that I mentioned, the overall action in the film does makeup for that flaw in my opinion. Overall, the movie for what it is, is a solid movie.
After seeing both films, I would recommend you go out and see Moneyball this weekend, if you had to pick between these two. Either choice wouldn't be a bad one between these two movies, it's just for the monetary value, and the fact that Moneyball is hot choice right now, I would go with Moneyball.
Anyways, back to my train of thought. Earlier this morning, I went out and saw another two movies. I would have seen three today, but I got a text message from a friend of mine the night before, so had to alter my plans, which is no biggie, as I'll likely just go out on Monday to see it. (I was going to see Abduction as my third movie if anyone is curious).
The first movie I saw, I barely made it in time for the bus (didn't have access to our only working car for the time I would have been out). I saw Moneyball this morning at 9:55 at the local AMC. Now that I look back at the film, it is kind of fitting that since the movie is about Billy Beane and the Oakland A's, that tonight of all nights, the A's went out and beat the Angels, in Anaheim, thus knocking out of the American League West title hunt, as the Rangers clinched the division title, and thus putting the Angels season on life support.
Back to the movie. If you've seen the trailer, you kind of get a sense that the way the movie is presented, and based on some word of mouth (which in large part I tried to ignore), this movie is a contender to at the very least be nominated for Best Picture come Oscar time next year. After seeing the film myself, I'd say that it's a pretty safe bet to make. The movie has it's moments that should appeal to a wide arrange of movie and sports lovers for that matter.
The movie in large part takes place during the 2002 season, and deals with the behind the scenes aspect of Billy Beane's dealings during that said season, as he did implement a type of baseball that many baseball fans today know as Moneyball. The film stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, and Jonah Hill plays Peter Brand, a statistician that came up with the concept of Moneyball. The film in large part is Jonah Hill's first real attempt at making a serious film (a la Jim Carrey), and in all honesty, was good in his role. Brad Pitt on the other hand, this type of role should come as no surprise as he's known for these type of roles. In all honesty, I wasn't sold if he could pass as playing the gm of a baseball team, but after the first few minutes passed, my doubts passed, and I was sold. His performance was really solid, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Pitt nominated for Best Actor in this film.
After seeing this film, I walked across the hall and saw Killer Elite, the new action movie starring Jason Statham, Robert DeNiro, and Klive Owen. This movie for what it was, which is an action flick first and foremost lived up to my expectations. However, I feel this movie could have been so much more, as it was actually based on a true story.
The movie itself takes place during the first few years of the 1980's, in fact, the first scene of the movie takes place during 1980 in Mexico. Statham and DeNiro play to hitman, with Statham wanting out, but is ultimately drawn back in, only to help free Huter (played by DeNiro). This right here, is where I feel they could have explained more and setup a better back story for Danny (played by Statham) wanting out. It felt a bit rushed, and not very convincing. Having said that, it's when Danny gets back into his old lifestyle and becomes a hitman to free Hunter, where the film takes off, and for the better.
Clive Owen plays Spike in the film, an ex-SAS military official, and ultimately is the villain in this film. In large part, he plays his role excellently, which shouldn't come as a surprise if you've seen some of his prior films. In general, the cast was solid in the film, and was very believable. My biggest complaint with the film however, although awesome, was the fight scenes. The fight scenes in this film weren't very convincing. By not being very convincing, I'm referring to the constant exchange of punches and blows, without them actually hurting the other person. If this were put in wrestling terms, it would be called no-selling. In some ways, because of this (with the fight scenes between Danny and Spike) were almost laughable.
Other than the fight scenes between Danny and Spike that I mentioned, the overall action in the film does makeup for that flaw in my opinion. Overall, the movie for what it is, is a solid movie.
After seeing both films, I would recommend you go out and see Moneyball this weekend, if you had to pick between these two. Either choice wouldn't be a bad one between these two movies, it's just for the monetary value, and the fact that Moneyball is hot choice right now, I would go with Moneyball.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday Movie Madness...9/19
Earlier today, I set out on a quest. The quest wasn't to go job hunting (that's for the rest of the week). Nope. Instead I went to the AMC at the Mills, and decided to see three movies. The movies I decided to see (in order) were Contagion, Warrior, and I Don't Know How She Does It.
First thing is first and I'll start off with Contagion. I went in expecting this movie at it's very best to be similar to Outbreak. For those that haven't seen it, Outbreak is the movie that centered around a monkey spreading a virus, then there was a plot that somehow managed to emerge out of that. Well here we are about ten years or so later, and we have a new movie (Contagion) that left out the plot, and all you get is people getting sick and dieing left and right (ok maybe not that fast), but this film was a major letdown. So much so, that I would recommend other movies before this one. I honestly don't have anything really good to say about this movie. It's almost like the movie was done to spread fear more than anything else.
The second movie I went to see, was a rather nice surprise. I went in expecting this movie to be this year's version of The Fighter, and a cheaper version at that. For those that haven't seen that movie, I would highly recommend you see it. Having said that, I was wrong. This movie in my opinion, was just as good, if not better overall than The Fighter. Several of the actors in this film delivered some very wonderful performances. Nick Nolte in my opinion shined in his role, which was a recovering alcoholic, and a father that wasn't there for his kids when they were younger, trying to turn his life around, and getting a second chance, although his son's don't really give him that chance (you'll see what I'm talking about if you see the film, hence won't go any further with his role. In my opinion, both Nick Nolte, and Tom Hardy delivered best supporting actor type performances, whether they'll be nominated next year remains to be seen. No seriously, the nominations aren't due out until January. The other lead actor in the film Joel Edgerton, delivered a solid performance, but in my opinion, I'd be surprised if he got nominated.
I really did enjoy Warrior however. So much so, I'd place it close to the Help, but in my opinion, The Help is still raining supreme as far as Best Picture goes. I will go ahead and say Warrior stands a very good chance at also getting nominated for Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards, which are going to be hosted by Eddie Murphy.
My third and final movie for the day was Sarah Jessica Parker's I Don't Know How She Does It. I wanted to see this one, for a variety of reasons, such as Pierce Brosnan was in it for starters, and the trailer left a good impression on me. I had to walk very far for this movie by the way. I was in auditorium number 10 for Warrior. I had to walk to the next auditorium, which was number 11 , as that's the auditorium it was playing in. All joking aside, I did notice I was pretty much the only straight guy in the auditorium watching it, as the crowd was all ladies and there was one gay couple that saw the movie.
As far as my impressions on the movie, I will say that by far, this movie was better than Contagion. Once you get past Sarah Jessica Parker's nose, you really do appreciate the film. It's a nice little feel good get away from everything type of film, that will probably appeal mainly to women, as it is a chick flick (although I do like chick flicks). I really don't have anything bad to say about this film. Any fan of Sex and the City I'm guessing will want to go out and see this film, or just wait for it upon its release on dvd/blu-ray.
First thing is first and I'll start off with Contagion. I went in expecting this movie at it's very best to be similar to Outbreak. For those that haven't seen it, Outbreak is the movie that centered around a monkey spreading a virus, then there was a plot that somehow managed to emerge out of that. Well here we are about ten years or so later, and we have a new movie (Contagion) that left out the plot, and all you get is people getting sick and dieing left and right (ok maybe not that fast), but this film was a major letdown. So much so, that I would recommend other movies before this one. I honestly don't have anything really good to say about this movie. It's almost like the movie was done to spread fear more than anything else.
The second movie I went to see, was a rather nice surprise. I went in expecting this movie to be this year's version of The Fighter, and a cheaper version at that. For those that haven't seen that movie, I would highly recommend you see it. Having said that, I was wrong. This movie in my opinion, was just as good, if not better overall than The Fighter. Several of the actors in this film delivered some very wonderful performances. Nick Nolte in my opinion shined in his role, which was a recovering alcoholic, and a father that wasn't there for his kids when they were younger, trying to turn his life around, and getting a second chance, although his son's don't really give him that chance (you'll see what I'm talking about if you see the film, hence won't go any further with his role. In my opinion, both Nick Nolte, and Tom Hardy delivered best supporting actor type performances, whether they'll be nominated next year remains to be seen. No seriously, the nominations aren't due out until January. The other lead actor in the film Joel Edgerton, delivered a solid performance, but in my opinion, I'd be surprised if he got nominated.
I really did enjoy Warrior however. So much so, I'd place it close to the Help, but in my opinion, The Help is still raining supreme as far as Best Picture goes. I will go ahead and say Warrior stands a very good chance at also getting nominated for Best Picture at next year's Academy Awards, which are going to be hosted by Eddie Murphy.
My third and final movie for the day was Sarah Jessica Parker's I Don't Know How She Does It. I wanted to see this one, for a variety of reasons, such as Pierce Brosnan was in it for starters, and the trailer left a good impression on me. I had to walk very far for this movie by the way. I was in auditorium number 10 for Warrior. I had to walk to the next auditorium, which was number 11 , as that's the auditorium it was playing in. All joking aside, I did notice I was pretty much the only straight guy in the auditorium watching it, as the crowd was all ladies and there was one gay couple that saw the movie.
As far as my impressions on the movie, I will say that by far, this movie was better than Contagion. Once you get past Sarah Jessica Parker's nose, you really do appreciate the film. It's a nice little feel good get away from everything type of film, that will probably appeal mainly to women, as it is a chick flick (although I do like chick flicks). I really don't have anything bad to say about this film. Any fan of Sex and the City I'm guessing will want to go out and see this film, or just wait for it upon its release on dvd/blu-ray.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The Griddle Cafe...Not A Disappointment
About a year or two ago while I was watching the morning news (which I usually do, either local or national, doesn't really matter) in this case the morning news on Fox 11 (I prefer this channel actually although I find the entertainment reporter to be the worst amongst the morning news shows), I happened to watch a segment on The Griddle Cafe down in Hollywood.
What peaked my interest at the time was the highlighted feature on their Red Velvet pancake. At the time, the item was not a part of their normal menu, and was only available if you happened to be following them on twitter and they tweeted a secret word or phrase out telling you when they would be serving them.
Ever since then, I've had it on my mind to someday go. I nearly went last weekend, but I picked a bad time to get sick, and today was a different story, so I went down to Hollywood with family. When you get there, there's a line. You can either wait to be seated outside, which if you can deal with a lot of people watching you eat and deal with people either walking or jogging past you, then it's fine, or you can wait to be seated inside.
We waited in line to be seated. The wait was anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes. During the wait, they have a host that comes out to add new names to the a list. The host was quite funny to be honest. Best line was "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is there's about 5 tables that will be opening up in about 15 minutes. The bad news is I'm single, 48, live in the valley and have 2 cats."
Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing you'll notice is that it's jammed pack in the place, and it is really noisy. I went in there with my mind set on one item, and one item only. The Red Velvet Pancake. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed one bit with the pancake, and really my advice (as suggested by the server) it does not need syrup. Seriously, you'd probably ruin it if you added syrup. You'll see in the pics down below. My brother ordered the Black Magic pancake, and my father ordered The Golden Ticket. Seeing how as the pancakes didn't come with any side items, we split (3 ways) the Omlette "My Soul" with Shrimp. It was delicious to say the least. I did get to sample the pancake my brother and father ordered, and I'll just say you wouldn't be disappointed with whatever you ordered.
I will say if you order the red velvet pancake (it is the cheapest in price $8.95 as you only get one), it's enough for one person, you probably don't want to share too much, and it's also a pancake you can't order for carryout. The other pancakes that my brother and father ordered, I'd say if your eating there with your girlfriend or spouse, ordering one pancake and an omelet is definitely enough, or some other side dish.
Lastly, before I share my pictures, I will say that seeing as how when your in Hollywood, you could run into a celebrity or two, we did have a celebrity sit next to us, or shall I say the table next to us. The celebrity was none other than Ian Ziering. For those that aren't familiar with him without a picture, he played Steve on Beverly Hills 90210 (the original one, not the newer one). I noticed him instantly, and my brother had no clue who he was, and my father recognized him, but didn't know his name, nor what he came on.
Anyways, without further ado, here are my pictures:
First picture is the Golden Ticket
I didn't order this, but that's the container they put their coffee in. I was told it was really good. I wouldn't know, as I never drink coffee.
That's the Black Magic Pictured. Has Oreos, think that's ice cream or whipped cream on top of frosted sugar.
That's what I ordered right there. The Red Velvet Pancake. That's icing on top of frosted sugar. The pancake literally tastes like your eating a cupcake, or something very similar. It is really good though (maybe an understatement).
One picture wasn't enough. I needed to take two.
Those are the only pictures I took. I would have taken a picture of the omelet, but I didn't feel like it after my brother put a piece of his pancake on it to share. After eating here, I will definitely say I'll be going back. Not sure when though, but definitely will. In all honesty, I will say, once you order a pancake here, you probably won't want to order one anywhere else.
What peaked my interest at the time was the highlighted feature on their Red Velvet pancake. At the time, the item was not a part of their normal menu, and was only available if you happened to be following them on twitter and they tweeted a secret word or phrase out telling you when they would be serving them.
Ever since then, I've had it on my mind to someday go. I nearly went last weekend, but I picked a bad time to get sick, and today was a different story, so I went down to Hollywood with family. When you get there, there's a line. You can either wait to be seated outside, which if you can deal with a lot of people watching you eat and deal with people either walking or jogging past you, then it's fine, or you can wait to be seated inside.
We waited in line to be seated. The wait was anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes. During the wait, they have a host that comes out to add new names to the a list. The host was quite funny to be honest. Best line was "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is there's about 5 tables that will be opening up in about 15 minutes. The bad news is I'm single, 48, live in the valley and have 2 cats."
Upon entering the restaurant, the first thing you'll notice is that it's jammed pack in the place, and it is really noisy. I went in there with my mind set on one item, and one item only. The Red Velvet Pancake. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed one bit with the pancake, and really my advice (as suggested by the server) it does not need syrup. Seriously, you'd probably ruin it if you added syrup. You'll see in the pics down below. My brother ordered the Black Magic pancake, and my father ordered The Golden Ticket. Seeing how as the pancakes didn't come with any side items, we split (3 ways) the Omlette "My Soul" with Shrimp. It was delicious to say the least. I did get to sample the pancake my brother and father ordered, and I'll just say you wouldn't be disappointed with whatever you ordered.
I will say if you order the red velvet pancake (it is the cheapest in price $8.95 as you only get one), it's enough for one person, you probably don't want to share too much, and it's also a pancake you can't order for carryout. The other pancakes that my brother and father ordered, I'd say if your eating there with your girlfriend or spouse, ordering one pancake and an omelet is definitely enough, or some other side dish.
Lastly, before I share my pictures, I will say that seeing as how when your in Hollywood, you could run into a celebrity or two, we did have a celebrity sit next to us, or shall I say the table next to us. The celebrity was none other than Ian Ziering. For those that aren't familiar with him without a picture, he played Steve on Beverly Hills 90210 (the original one, not the newer one). I noticed him instantly, and my brother had no clue who he was, and my father recognized him, but didn't know his name, nor what he came on.
Anyways, without further ado, here are my pictures:
That's what I ordered right there. The Red Velvet Pancake. That's icing on top of frosted sugar. The pancake literally tastes like your eating a cupcake, or something very similar. It is really good though (maybe an understatement).
Those are the only pictures I took. I would have taken a picture of the omelet, but I didn't feel like it after my brother put a piece of his pancake on it to share. After eating here, I will definitely say I'll be going back. Not sure when though, but definitely will. In all honesty, I will say, once you order a pancake here, you probably won't want to order one anywhere else.
Drive...The Movie
During the summer, I went to the movies 29 times, with only 3 of those 29 times being a movie I saw twice. You'd think that trend would continue right now that fall is here right? Well unfortunately, no, that is until this week. I have a slew of movies I need and probably will catch up on.
Today however marked the first movie of the fall I've seen. It came down to Contagion and Drive as for which one I'd see first. In my mind, Contagion is a modern take on the movie Outbreak (for those that haven't seen it, go see it and it almost looks like the same take on Contagion, only it involves a Monkey). Drive on the other hand stars Ryan Gosling, and in my opinion, he's really coming into his own as a legit mainstream actor, capable of carrying a movie. Having said that, I saw Drive.
I'm not going to lie. When you first see Drive, you might start to ask yourself if this movie will get any better, and actually might start to question your choice. Sure the music (a brightspot in the movie) was worth it, but the movie did appear at first like it was trying to set a record for fewest words spoken by the lead actor. Note, I did say appear, meaning that about a half hour or so into the movie, that changed, and once Ryan Gosling started to talk more in the film, he started to shine. So much so, in my opinion, if Grand Theft Auto was ever made into a movie franchise, I could picture him up for the lead.
The movie is rated R, and it's that way on the violence factor alone. Normally you'd expect it to be rated R for other reasons, but it's purely the violence that got it it's rating, and it was done in a way that really made it believable.
My recommendation is to go see the movie, and if your deciding between this film and Contagion, I'd say flip a coin. I don't really think you can go wrong with either choice (I do plan on seeing Contagion this week).
Today however marked the first movie of the fall I've seen. It came down to Contagion and Drive as for which one I'd see first. In my mind, Contagion is a modern take on the movie Outbreak (for those that haven't seen it, go see it and it almost looks like the same take on Contagion, only it involves a Monkey). Drive on the other hand stars Ryan Gosling, and in my opinion, he's really coming into his own as a legit mainstream actor, capable of carrying a movie. Having said that, I saw Drive.
I'm not going to lie. When you first see Drive, you might start to ask yourself if this movie will get any better, and actually might start to question your choice. Sure the music (a brightspot in the movie) was worth it, but the movie did appear at first like it was trying to set a record for fewest words spoken by the lead actor. Note, I did say appear, meaning that about a half hour or so into the movie, that changed, and once Ryan Gosling started to talk more in the film, he started to shine. So much so, in my opinion, if Grand Theft Auto was ever made into a movie franchise, I could picture him up for the lead.
The movie is rated R, and it's that way on the violence factor alone. Normally you'd expect it to be rated R for other reasons, but it's purely the violence that got it it's rating, and it was done in a way that really made it believable.
My recommendation is to go see the movie, and if your deciding between this film and Contagion, I'd say flip a coin. I don't really think you can go wrong with either choice (I do plan on seeing Contagion this week).
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Joy As An Artform
According to dictionary.com, one of the many definitions for joy is "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying." It's also a word one normally hears in songs, such as Joy to the World, albeit a Christmas song, it's still a word in a song.
On November 5th, the church I belong to, GracePoint will be sponsoring an art show that will allow the local community and students an opportunity to showcase their art. What kind of art you ask? Simple. According to the event's website: "We're looking for many different kinds of art (painting, drawing, photography, film, sculpting, etc.) that display what brings you joy."
If you would like more info on the event, as well as submitting any artwork, checkout the event's website here: http://connectartshow.org/index.html
Checkout Gracepoint:
http://www.gracepoint.tv/
http://www.facebook.com/gracepointlife
On November 5th, the church I belong to, GracePoint will be sponsoring an art show that will allow the local community and students an opportunity to showcase their art. What kind of art you ask? Simple. According to the event's website: "We're looking for many different kinds of art (painting, drawing, photography, film, sculpting, etc.) that display what brings you joy."
If you would like more info on the event, as well as submitting any artwork, checkout the event's website here: http://connectartshow.org/index.html
Checkout Gracepoint:
http://www.gracepoint.tv/
http://www.facebook.com/gracepointlife
Mini Summer Roundup
This entry is about a week late, give or take it, but I had my reasons. (Looking for work and the fact I wasn't feeling well a few of those days). Anyways, now that Summer has come and gone, I think I'll go ahead and recap my summer movie experience.
All in all, I managed to see 29 films this summer. About 26 of those 29 times were of different movies (3 of them I saw more twice). Out of the movies I've seen twice, Green Lantern was the most disappointing one. As a matter of fact, if I had an award to give out for most disappointing movie, this one would win it. I went in expecting better than what I saw. I only saw the film twice, because I had a free movie ticket. In hindsight, I probably would have been better giving it away.
There were your usual blockbuster's that in my opinion lived up to the hype (Transformers 3, Harry Potter, Captain America, although there wasn't as much hype around this one), and there were movies that were surprisingly better than what you'd expect, and in that sense Rise of the Planet of the Apes is my pick for biggest surprise of the summer. I would have listed The Help as biggest surprise, but in my opinion, it wasn't a surprise. As a matter of fact, I'd also place it in the category of movies living up to the hype, if not, surpassing it. I saw this movie twice during the summer, and I do want to see it again for a third time, but I don't think I want to see it alone to be honest with you. I've already seen it alone twice. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to guess that 22 or so of the movies I saw this summer, I saw alone.
All in all, I managed to see 29 films this summer. About 26 of those 29 times were of different movies (3 of them I saw more twice). Out of the movies I've seen twice, Green Lantern was the most disappointing one. As a matter of fact, if I had an award to give out for most disappointing movie, this one would win it. I went in expecting better than what I saw. I only saw the film twice, because I had a free movie ticket. In hindsight, I probably would have been better giving it away.
There were your usual blockbuster's that in my opinion lived up to the hype (Transformers 3, Harry Potter, Captain America, although there wasn't as much hype around this one), and there were movies that were surprisingly better than what you'd expect, and in that sense Rise of the Planet of the Apes is my pick for biggest surprise of the summer. I would have listed The Help as biggest surprise, but in my opinion, it wasn't a surprise. As a matter of fact, I'd also place it in the category of movies living up to the hype, if not, surpassing it. I saw this movie twice during the summer, and I do want to see it again for a third time, but I don't think I want to see it alone to be honest with you. I've already seen it alone twice. As a matter of fact, I'd be willing to guess that 22 or so of the movies I saw this summer, I saw alone.
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