Warm Bodies

My View:  Warm Bodies  (2013)  The zombie apocalypse has happened, and humans are barely hanging on. R (Nicholas Hoult) isn’t your ordinary zombie, as he is very aware of his surroundings and thinks too much. His world changes when he saves Julie (Teresa Palmer) from his fellow zombies. But the big questions are – why did he do it and can he keep her alive?  We now have a movie genre called Zombie comedies, with 2004's Shaun of the Dead, 2009's Zombieland and now Warm Bodies.  This zombie film is different than others because, for the first time, a zombie film is being told from the perspective of the zombies and not the humans.  This film is funny, has heart and also has a very well-thought-out Romeo and Juliet type of romance between R the zombie and Julie, the human.  While not for kids, the film is perfect for teens, especially young girls who love these young adult type of books.  I thoroughly enjoyed this film, a film that doesn't really fit any other description than it's a  Zombie Romantic Comedy with brains!   My Rating:  Full Price   Warm Bodies Website

Indiefest:  Stand Up Guys  (2013)  Val (Al Pacino) has just gotten out of the pen after 28 years. His best friend, Doc (Christopher Walken), picks him up when Val is released. The former mob guys go out to celebrate like it’s going to be their last night on the planet. And, since Doc has been given orders by the local mob boss to kill Val, it could be their last night on the planet. I enjoyed watching Walken and Pacino act together, but this film feels like it's just one long excuse to put the two on-screen together.  Only when the getaway driver, Hirsch (Alan Arkin), shows up, does the film get a little life in its plot; otherwise, it's just a very long dialogue between two old hit men.  Only diehard fans of Pacino and Walken will enjoy this film. For the rest of us, the film is just a little too slow.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Stand Up Guys Website

Forgotten Film:  Oliver!  (1968)  It's hard to say that a film that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 5, including Best Picture and Best Director, belongs on this list, but by and large, this film is rarely talked about.  Based on the book, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, Oliver! tells a story of the orphan, Oliver (Mark Lester), who escapes to London to hook up with Fagin (Ron Moody), a man who heads a large group of boy pickpockets who go about stealing on the streets of London. The film has an outstanding cast with standouts Ron Moody, who brings a heartfelt performance to the role of Fagin, and Mark Lester as Oliver.  The film is full of fantastic songs that seem to pop right off the screen when performed, including the classics "Food Glorious Food" and "Consider Yourself".  This is a film, that, just like Oliver in the food line at the Orphanage, you will be asking "Please sir, I want some more."  My Rating: Full Price   Oliver! Info

In Case You Missed It:  Searching for Sugar Man (2012)  The best film that I saw at the L. A. Film Festival and my pick to win the Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards.  The remarkable story of a little-known American singer from the late sixties who becomes the voice of the movement in a foreign country he has never visited.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Searching for Sugar Man Info

In Memory of Ed Wood (A film I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Hummingbird (2013)  All I have to say is it stars Jason Statham as an ex-Special Forces soldier who is now living on the streets.  You can figure the rest of the plot out from there.    Hummingbird Info

Weird Credits:  From the Credits of The Last Stand:  Script Translator

Coming Soon to a Theater Near You:    A Good Day to Die Hard  (2013)  Having watched the original Die Hard again over the Christmas Holidays, I am looking forward to this installment of the series.  Having Jai Countney play John McClane's son should help energize the series.  Place your bets on when McClane say's "Yippie-ki-yay, MF!"   A Good Day to Die Hard Website

Until Next Time!

Mama

My View:  Mama (2013)   Two young girls (Megan Charpentier, Isabelle Nelisse) are found in a remote cabin, apparently living by themselves for the last five years. The two orphaned girls are taken in by their uncle (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend (Jessica Chastain). Mysterious things start happening in the home, and the big question is are the girls causing the problems or did they bring something with them? The first 15 minutes of this film are truly scary, especially when we first meet the two girls after they have spent 5 years in the cabin by themselves, but the rest of the film can’t sustain that level of fright and rarely are there any other true scary moments. Chastian isn’t given much to showcase her talents, as she plays a character who doesn’t want to be in charge of the children. The end of the film is very disappointing and somewhat confusing, which makes the film just not very fun to watch. The film was originally a short, but maybe there isn’t enough material to make a full length flick, and it certainly feels that way.   My Rating: Cable   Mama Website

Indiefest: The Impossible (2013)   Based on a true story of a family who, while on vacation at a coastal resort in Thailand, are separated after a devastating Tsunami hits. Naomi Watts, in an Academy Award nominated role, plays Maria, the mom who has given up being a doctor to raise her family. Ewan McGregor plays the father, Henry, who, when separated from his wife and oldest boy, risks his own life to find them once again. Watts is brilliant in the role of a woman who is determined to make sure that her oldest son (Tom Holland) survives the ordeal, even if it means risking her own life. The special effects are incredibly realistic and you get the full effect of what it would be like to be hit by a tidal wave of water and debris. This is an awe-inspiring film that keeps you not only on the edge of your seat, but also brings tears as you wonder how, and if anyone, can survive such tragic devastation.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Impossible Website

Indiefest: LUV  (2013) An 11 year old boy, Woody (Michael Rainey Jr.), plays hooky from school when his uncle Vincent (Common) decides to give him a lesson on how to be a man. But, it’s a tough world, especially if you are an ex-con like Vincent, which makes it even harder to start over. The film has an excellent supporting cast including Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover and Charles S. Dutton. Common does an admirable job as the ex-con who’s gets in deeper and deeper into something that he may not survive. But it’s Michael Rainey Jr., as Woody, who makes this film enjoyable to watch, as he brings a presence to the screen that has to be seen to be believed.  My Rating : Bargain Matinee   LUV Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

#9 Worst Film

The Postman  (1997) Kevin Costner stars in this film about post nuclear war America. Since you will be bored out of your mind watching this film, watch for a small cameo by rocker Tom Petty. Will the mail get through? No one cared in 1997 when the film was released, and you shouldn’t now.    The Postman Info

Forgotten Film:  In the Heat of the Night (1967)  Not to be confused with the Carol O’Connor TV show from the late 80’s, this film is a classic murder mystery film with the setting in the Deep South. Sidney Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, a Black police detective from Philadelphia who has the bad luck to be at a train station in Sparta, Mississippi just after a white businessman was murdered. Tibbs is arrested for the crime, based only on his race and the fact that he is new in town and has money. When the Police Chief in the town (played by Rod Steiger) learns that Tibbs is not only a policeman, but one of the finest detectives on the Philly force, he enlists Tibbs to help with the investigation. But now you have a Black man investigating the murder of a white man in a racist town. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Steiger. That Poitier wasn’t even nominated was an injustice, as he is brilliant in the role of the smart and proud Tibbs. The film was shot on location and perfectly captures the nuances of the small town life in 1960’s Mississippi.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   In The Heat of the Night Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD): Frankenweenie (2012) I feel that children 6 and under shouldn’t see this film as it was a little scary and there are deaths in the film. My view was that you could only really enjoy this film if you were a big Tim Burton fan.  If you’re not a fan, you will probably be bored.   My Rating: Cable   Frankenweenie Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   Knife Fight (2013) A political comedy about a strategist who is trying to get three very different candidates elected. The cast makes this film sound like it should be on TV, with Rob Lowe, Jennifer Morrison and Julie Bowen headlining . The big problem:  Audiences in the theatre won’t be able to change the channel.    Knife Fight Info

Weird Credits: From the Credits of Mama: Nightmare Concept Design

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Stand Up Guys (2013) A bunch of aging con men try to get the guys back together for one last con. Cast includes Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Christopher Walken and Juliana Margulies. Hey, Christopher Walken doing a con, count me in!   Stand Up Guys Website

Until Next Time!