Sunday, January 25, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire, 2008

Slumdog Millionaire follows the life of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel, Tanay Chheda and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar). A boy from the slums of Mumbai, Jamal and his tough older brother Salim (Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) are left to fend for themselves after their mother dies. Throughout, Jamal tries his best to protect his best friend, and later love interest, Latika (Freida Pinto, Rubiana Ali).

When Jamal becomes a winning contestant on the TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, he finds himself defending his correct answers to the police. Highly acclaimed and well recommended, I expected a lot from this film. While it did not disappoint, I expected more.


Slumdog Millionaire (2008)


I would give this movie only 3 stars but because of the beautiful cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle) it is worth seeing in theaters. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack.

Directed by Danny Boyle. Co-director (India) Loveleen Tandan. In English and Hindi with English subtitles.


Melody's Stars: ****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Rocker, 2008

When Fish (Rainn Wilson), the drummer for up-and-coming rock band Vesuvius, is dropped from the band just as they hit it big, his life is ruined. 20 years later he gets a 2nd chance when his nephew's garage band suddenly needs a drummer for their gig at prom. Refusing to grow up, Fish convinces the young band (and their parents) to go out on the road for a tour. But when their manager books them to open for Vesuvius, the band's commitment is tested.


The Rocker (2008)


I had very high hopes for The Rocker because the cast list is filled with comedic talent: Will Arnet (George on Arrested Development) Fred Armisen (Obama on SNL), and Christina Applegate. As Fish, Rainn Wilson had too much Dwight in him (the character he plays on NBC's The Office) and not enough Rock'N'Roll. The style of deadpan humor that works so well for Dwight's character, is painfully out of place. The best part of this movie is actually Demetri Martin's cameo as a music video director.

In the same way that a comic who laughs at his own jokes isn't funny, The Rocker failed because it tried too hard.

Directed by Peter Cattaneo. Writing credits go to: Maya Forbes & Wallace Wolodarsky for the screenplay and Ryan Jaffe for the story.


Melody's Stars: 0


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The 81st Annual Academy Awards

The 2009 Academy Awards nominations have just been announced. Click on Oscar for a link to the list:


2009 Oscar List


Among the nominations are a bunch of films on my list to watch: Slumdog Millionaire, Rachel Getting Married, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Changeling.

One movie that I hadn't planned to see is Revolutionary Road but given its 3 nods, perhaps it is worth checking out??

Also not on my radar, The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke.

Great to see Richard Jenkins nominated for Best Actor in The Visitor.

It is rare to ever see comedies get the slightest nod (animated ones excluded), so it's interesting to see that Robert Downey Jr. has a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Tropic Thunder. (A movie that was hilariously bad. Completely vulgar but--when I saw it--kept a full theater laughing out loud). Since he's up against the late Heath Ledger for his role in The Dark Knight, I have a feeling that poor ol' Downey isn't going to win.

Unfortunately I have yet to see any of the Foreign Language Films or documentaries on the list. That will soon change....

Monday, January 19, 2009

Pride and Glory, 2008

Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich and Jon Voight star in this action/drama about a family of NYPD cops. When a case reveals departmental scandal, family ties are shaken.


Pride and Glory (2008)

Mention must be given to cinematographer Declan Quinn for top-notch work. For example, watch at the beginning of the movie when Emmerich's character arrives at a crime scene and the camera never cuts away.

As usual, Edward Norton delivers a great performance. This movie would have been four stars if it didn't start to drag at the end. Also, there are a number of characters in this film who only speak Spanish and they did not bother to subtitle them.


Directed by Gavin O'Connor

Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

American Teen, 2008

Filmmmaker Nanette Burstein's American Teen follows the lives of seven teens in a small town in Indiana.

American Teen (2008)

If it weren't for MTV shows like Laguna Beach, this might be a "breakout" documentary but instead it is nothing new: Typical voyeurism with an added splash of very creative animations.


Melody's Stars: **


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Taken, 2008

When the daughter of former a spy, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), wants to go traveling around Europe with her best friend, he reluctantly agrees. His ex-wife thinks that he is being an over-protective Dad, until the two girls (played by Maggie Grace and Katie Cassidy) are kidnapped and sold as sex slaves.

Taken (2008)

A story about a father's love for his daughter, Mills quickly flies to Europe where he has to use his skills and old work connections to try and rescue his daughter and friend before all tracks are gone.

While Taken is a well-produced, compelling story I really wish that I did not watch this movie because it has some pretty horrible scenes in it and I left with nightmares.

Directed by Pierre Morel.

Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

The Boys from Baghdad High, 2007

Follows four high school boys from Baghdad. Much of the footage is shot by the boys themselves.

The Boys from Baghdad High (2007)


An interesting view of life in a war-torn country, that asks the question: how different are we really?



Melody's Stars: **


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Sunday, January 18, 2009

I Served the King of England (aka Obsluhoval som anglického krála), 2006

Released in the states this past year, I Served the King of England is a very sweet, sad, film about Jan Díte (Oldrich Kaiser), a young servant who longs for fame and fortune.

I Served the King of England (2006)

When World War II comes to Prague, Dite tries hard to ignore the changes around him and proceed as if life were normal. Watching, you can't help but both despise and adore Dite.

Directed by Jirí Menzel. Based on a novel by Bohumil Hrabal.

Melody's Stars: ****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Quantum of Solace, 2008

Believe it or not, this is the first James Bond movie that I have ever viewed. From what I'm told, it is typical Bond: lots of fighting, objectifying women, and Bond doing whatever it takes to capture his guy. I'm also told that the older Bond movies had a lot of cool invented gadgets that he would use. This film could have used a few of those.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

I cannot compare this to other Bond movies, so I compare it to other Action/Adventure spy movies that I've seen.

Directed by Marc Forster, the movie stars Daniel Craig as 'James Bond,' Judi Dench as 'M,' and Olga Kurylenko as 'Camille.'

Melody's Stars: **


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona, 2008

After first viewing this film I would have given it '0' stars. A stereotypical Woody Allen film--complete with an unnecessary narrator--Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona is about two friends (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson) who meet a man in Barcelona and the mixed-up love triangles that follow.

Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona (2008)

For some reason this film has stuck with me though. Mostly because it questions why and how we fall in love and the reasons people do or don't stay together. For that reason, I am giving it a few extra stars. Also, there are a number of talented actors to watch. If you have seen No Country For Old Men, this film highlights the talented Javier Bardem in a completely different role.


Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Frost/Nixon, 2008

Based on the 2007 play by Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon chronicles the 1977 interviews between Robert Frost and President Richard Nixon. While I have not seen the stage play, Morgan's screenplay is quite engaging.

Frost/Nixon (2008)


Ron Howard directs and produces this docudrama starring Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost.

The movie features Kevin Bacon, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Hall, Kate Jennings Grant, Clint Howard (Ron's brother) and Rance Howard (Ron's father).

Melody's Stars: *****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Saturday, January 17, 2009

City of Ember, 2008

I'm not quite sure why, but I really liked this film. For an action/adventure family film it is not too cheesy and the young stars (Saoirse Ronan as Lina Mayfleet and Harry Treadaway as Doon Harrow) are quite likable. Bill Murray often gets on my nerves, but I even enjoyed his performance as Mayor Cole.

City of Ember (2008)


There are a number of intense scenes (including a very hungry mole rat) so I would not recommend this movie for most children under 10.
Directed by Gil Kenan the movie also features Tim Robbins and Liz Smith.

Melody's Stars: ****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

WALL-E, 2008

WALL-E is a robot love story with a message. When humans trash the earth so badly that there is no room left for living plants, they move to another planet where they grow fat and lazy while machines do everything for them.

I can't decided if this movie was hyped-up so much that it could never live up to my expectations, or if, perhaps, it really is only so-so.

WALL-E (2008)

Cast includes the voices of Fred Willard, Kathy Najimy, and Sigourney Weaver.
Directed by Andrew Stanton.


Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Welcome to Macintosh, 2008

Welcome to Macintosh is a documentary about the history of Apple Computers and how they have transformed the world.

Welcome to Macintosh (2008)

Content-wise this is a 3-star film, but the soundtrack is so painful that I am taking away a star because of it.

I am taking away another star because this film really could have been edited in a more interesting way. While the run-time is under an hour and a half, it feels much longer. For example, each time they introduce a new person in the film the screen goes white and their name appears in the "lower-third" for a few seconds. I realize that this is a bit of a play on Apple's style of commercials, but it is dead air and I would prefer to see this info while also hearing what the person has to say. Also, while it is the nature of documentaries to have "talking heads," I believe that filmmakers Robert Baca and Josh Rizzo could have done more to make this film feel active.


Melody's Stars: *


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Friday, January 16, 2009

Bring Back the A-Team, 2006

British presenter Justin Lee Collins loved the A-Team as a child and now he's on a mission to reunite the cast. One by one he ambushes the former cast members and convinces them to attend his reunion party. Only Mr. T proves to be hard to track down and Justin worries he won't be able to reach him in time.

The A-Team


While not a ground-breaking documentary by any means, this is a clever and fun film. The film looks at behind-the-scenes tension between the late George Peppard and Mr. T.

Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Iron Man, 2008

Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark, an eccentric millionaire inventor who decides to fight the "bad guys" in the body armor he invents. Gwyneth Paltrow plays his assistant, Pepper Potts, the low-self-esteem nerdy assistant who lets down her hair, takes off her glasses and becomes a sex symbol. It isn't hard to notice that the only female characters in this movie are either sex symbols or victims. A good portion of the movie is spent showing Stark working on his inventions or driving his cars. Some cool CGI stuff.

Iron Man (2008)

If you are a comic book fan, you probably already saw the movie twice. But for everyone else, you can probably find a better use of 126 minutes.
Directed by Jon Favreau.


Melody's Stars: 0


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

The Day After Tomorrow, 2004

When the Vice President (Kenneth Welsh) refuses to listen to scientist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), the USA is unprepared for a huge global disaster courtesy of Mother Nature.

If you can get past things like cell phones still working when half of New York is underwater, huge ships sailing past the New York Library, and why if scientist Dad is smart enough to tell his son (Jake Gyllenhaal) to stay indoors from the cold he thinks he will survive a snow-shoe trek from D.C. to Manhattan, this movie isn't half-bad. It does contain a typical-Hollywood cringe-worthy ending though.

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)


Wanting to be sure that no one confused him with the bad guy VP who wasn't friends with the scientist, former VP Al Gore produced a movie based on this film two years later. I guess Gore didn't realize that The Day After Tomorrow is a fictional film?




Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Felon, 2008

After an intruder breaks into his home, Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff) kills the man with a baseball bat. Since the intruder was unarmed and attempted to flee, Porter is arrested and sentenced with jail time.

While his wife (Marisol Nichols) and son (Vincent Miller) struggle at home without him, Porter struggles in the "big house." Gang fights are part of everyday life, and Porter is thrown into the middle of it all.

When "lifer," John Smith (Val Kilmer) becomes his new cellmate, Porter quickly learns a few things about surviving prison life.

Felon (2008)

Directed by stuntman Ric Roman Waugh, Felon is very well done but is not for the faint-of-heart since there is almost non-stop graphic violence.

Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Accidental Husband, 2008

This movie made me cringe it was so predictably bad. If for some reason you plan to watch it you might want to stop reading because I'm about to "spoil" the plot.

The Accidental Husband (2008)


Uma Thurman plays Love Doctor Emma Lloyd who gives advice on a radio show. When she suggests that a female caller postpone her wedding, the jilted husband-to-be, fireman Patrick Sullivan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), seeks revenge. His downstairs neighbor, a young Indian boy who likes to hack computer systems, has just the solution; he marries Emma and Patrick.

When Emma goes with hubby-to-be Richard Bratton (Colin Firth) to apply for her marriage license she discovers that she is already wed. Emma goes to find her "computer-glitch" husband and annul the marriage. She finds him in a local bar where he gets her drunk and brings her to his apartment. The next morning, Emma rushes off to work where her Dad shows up with her Mom's wedding dress. Then both Richard and Patrick call her and she tries to juggle the calls. Then Patrick shows up with the annulment papers. For some reason she allows him to join her at the wedding cake tasting. The cake tasting scene is slightly funny. Emma and Pat pretend that they are actually engaged when a woman starts asking them questions.

Later that night Emma has a book-signing. The woman from the cake-tasting is there and it turns out that she is the wife of a Big Cheese who is about to liquidate Richard's company. But because she liked "Richard" at the cake tasting, she makes her husband meet him. Since "Richard" is actually Patrick, Emma has to think quick and tells everyone that the real Richard is her little brother. With some pressure from Emma, both Richard and Patrick agree to play along.

Emma,"Richard", the woman, and her Big Cheese husband all go off to an "Indian bar mitzvah." (Don't ask.) Emma and Patrick start to have fun and almost kiss, which freaks Emma out so she calls her Daddy and goes home. At last she can relax while Dad makes pancakes for breakfast. Well, until a teenage girl joins them in the kitchen. Emma thinks this is her Dad's new girlfriend and she storms out. (Later she learns it's the girlfriend's daughter and they all makeup).

Emma runs back to Richard who is happy because the Big Cheese had fun at the Indian party and has saved his job.

But Patrick still has the annulment papers. And when he goes to return them at her work, he and Emma have a hot make-out session in the elevator. So now Emma's confused again. She continues to give out her radio advice, but now she doesn't really believe what she is telling her callers. She goes to Patrick's apartment and sleeps with him.
The next morning, Emma discovers the truth about how Patrick met her when she looks in his trashcan. Super mad, Emma confronts him in the shower and runs out the door. He follows to explain. They just happen to stop in front of the store where Patrick's ex-fiancee works. He asks Emma "Do you know that woman?" Then he explains and tells her that he wanted her to know how it felt, to bring her down a peg. Emma runs off and then we see the requisite montage.

Emma decides to marry Richard. But the night before, while on-the-air, Patrick calls to tell her that he loves her. So Emma sits in the church knowing she can't marry Richard. Richard arrives and shows her that he never filed the annulment papers. "I know when I've lost" he explains. Emma then sets off the fire alarm and requests Patrick's Fire House to come to put it out.

The movie finally ends with Emma (in wedding dress) and Patrick driving off in the firetruck.

Filled with stereotypes, terrible lines and a totally predictable plot, this is one of the worst romantic comedies that I have ever seen.



Melody's Stars: Fail!


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Saturday, January 10, 2009

The Promotion, 2008

Doug Stauber (Seann William Scott) is a "shoe-in" for promotion to Manager with the supermarket chain he works at until Richard Wehlner (John C. Reily) arrives in town from Canada. The two men compete for the same job in this bittersweet "comedy."

The Promotion (2008)


Given the number of talented comedic actors in it, this film it should have been really funny but I don't think that I laughed once while watching it. Seann William Scott may be hilarious as the character Stifler, but otherwise he lacks comedic timing.

That said, any blame for the lack of humor really has to be placed on Writer/Director Steve Conrad. There are numerous scenes that have outrageous comedic potential but Conrad wrote and/or directed them too straight. For example, there is a scene at the company retreat where Jason Bateman plays a team-building coach. This scene has potential for over-the-top comedy but instead you watch it feeling slightly sad for John C. Reily's character.

The Promotion also features Jenna Fischer and Fred Armisen. Neither of these actors were really even given a chance to do anything in this film.


Melody's Stars: *


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Visitor, 2008

I saw this movie at the Ritz East with my Dad. We hadn't actually planned to see this film. I had read the current reviews online and we had decided on a comedy. I guess I did not pay enough attention to the title of the film we chose or the Ritz it was playing at. We got to the theater just as it was starting, and quickly realized that this didn't look like the movie that we had picked.


The Visitor (2008)


The Visitor starts out rather ominously and I really began to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into. Thankfully this movie is really good and I am glad that we ended up seeing it together. My Dad enjoyed it.

It is a movie about a college professor and a young couple who unexpectedly enter his life. Richard Jenkins delivers a very fine performance. Also stars Haaz Sleiman and Danai Jekesai Gurira. Written and directed by Thomas McCarthy.


Melody's Stars: *****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Jumper, 2008

This movie is so unremarkable that I know someone who accidentaly ended up watching it twice--I guess the first viewing must have "jumped" from his memory. If you are a Hayden Christensen fan who enjoys the paranormal then perhaps this is the movie for you. Otherwise it is probably not worth your time.

Jumper (2008)

Staring Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson. Directed by Doug Liman.

Melody's Stars: 0


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Son of Rambow, 2007

Set in England in the early 1980s, a young boy from a religious family becomes friends with a trouble-maker who owns a video camera. The unlikely friends pair up to make a movie together. Complications arise when a popular French exchange student wants to join in.

Son of Rambow (2007)

Staring Bill Milner, Will Poulter and Jules Sitruk. Directed by Garth Jennings. Bittersweet, funny coming-of-age story.

Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Lakeview Terrace, 2008

I'm really not sure what the point of this movie was. If it was supposed to be a suspense/thriller movie, it failed. If it was supposed to be a horror movie, it failed. If it was supposed to be an insightful drama it also failed in doing that. If it was supposed to show how people can be really stupid sometimes, I guess it partly succeeded.

Lakeview Terrace (2008)

Directed by Neil LaBute. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, and Kerry Washington.

Melody's Stars: 0


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Ghost Town, 2008

Ricky Gervais, who plays the boss in the BBC's The Office, is a cantankerous but lovable dentist who wants nothing more than to be left alone. When he accidentally dies for a few minutes, his life is changed by New York City's ghosts who will just not leave him alone.


Ghost Town (2008)



This movie starts off really good, with a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, but somewhere in the latter part of the movie the humor slows down and you're left waiting for things to wrap up. Also stars Greg Kinnear, Aasif Mandvi, and Claire Lautier.


Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Step Brothers, 2008

For the most part, I like Will Ferrell. Some people don't. But he usually can make me laugh. And teamed up with John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, 2008), and Mary Steenburgen this movie starts off with a comic bang. If you're in the mood to play along with the premise that two 40-year-old men still live at home and behave like 13-year-old boys, this movie is quite fun.


Step Brothers (2008)

Unfortunately towards the end, Step Brothers gets all Hollywood sappy and that kind of ruins things. But there are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments in here (and not just the ones shown in the trailer).


Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

The House Bunny, 2008

From the preview I had hopes that it could be ones of those really bad but secretly funny guilty pleasure movies.



The House Bunny (2008)


But no, this movie was so bad that I had to create a new rating for it: FAIL.


Melody's Stars: fail!


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

The Baxter, 2005

One of my all-time favorite movies, I stumbled upon The Baxter in the video store one day.


The Baxter (2005)


Written, directed, and starring Michael Showalter, this is a very funny, cute, romantic comedy about what happens after the "nice guy" is left at the alter for the "hot leading man." Also stars Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd and Michael Ian Black. Kudos to Peter Dinklage who plays an uptight wedding planner.



Melody's Stars: *****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Milk, 2008

Based on a true story. Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official, and Mayor George Moscone were both murdered by former San Francisco Supervisor Dan White.
White's lawyers claimed that he went on the rampage after eating too much junk food, thus coining the term "Twinkie Defense."

Milk (2008)


Sean Penn, James Franco and rest of cast deliver fine performances. If you enjoy the film, you should also check out the play "Execution of Justice" by Emily Mann which is based on the trial People vs. Dan White.

Emily Mann



And also the documentary The Life and Times of Harvey Milk:


The Life and Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

Melody's Stars: ****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time

Righteous Kill, 2008

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro pair up in a movie that really should be better. They are cops on the hunt for a serial killer--similar to the TV series Dexter, the serial killer only makes "righteous" kills. The plot gets kind of confusing at times but despite that I was still able to predict the ending about half-way through the movie.

Righteous Kill



Melody's Stars: **


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time

The Women, 2008

This movie:

The Women (2008)


is a remake of this movie:

The Women (1939)


Hopefully the original was better, because this movie really didn't need to be any longer than the preview.


Melody's Stars: 0


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time

W., 2008

It seems wrong to come out with this movie while George Bush is still in office. The proverbial ink isn't even dry and Oliver Stone has already made an "historical" film.

W. (2008)

But I guess it's just as well because this movie was already 2 hours too long, I can't imagine if he attempted to cover the past few months. The financial situation alone might add another hour. This movie honestly felt longer than George W. Bush's entire presidency at times. If you're stuck in an airport security line or waiting for paint to dry there are a few moments worth watching.



Melody's Stars: *


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Seven Pounds, 2008

This movie was a bit too long. Sad but sweet story starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson. Directed by Gabriele Muccino.


Seven Pounds



Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time