Paranormal Activity

Happy Halloween everybody. Not my favorite holiday, but I get why people do love it. Every October films are released specifically to coincide with the "The Devil's Night". There is always a new Saw movie, the Halloween re-makes, but last year they finally did it right, and they re-invented horror, by using reality instead of straight Gore. September 2009, Paranormal is released to scare the living crap out of it's viewers. Made on a single camera, for about $15,000, it took the country by storm. It's one of those films that makes you wonder, Is it real, or fake? (Blair Witch, anyone?)  I can tell you, although it is fiction, it's real. Having lived in a house with actual "Paranormal Activity", I can easily attest to the fact that as scary as this film is, it does not even come close to the reality of the actual situation. I know this movie was done really well, because every creak and door swing took me right back to that "Hell House" I had to endure for an entire year when I was 13 years old. This movie returned me to a very uncomfortable time in my life, but I appreciated it. You will always have that argument about ghosts and spirits/demons. I say spirits/demons because I do think there is a very easy line to differentiate neutral spirits which have been unable to "crossover", and demons which are more evil beings. I know demons are suppose to be straight out of Hell, but I feel any spirit that is evil should be considered a Demon. Me and my friends watched this movie in complete darkness, and silence. It really is the best way to watch a movie like this, if you want the full effect. I do and don't want to see the sequel. Why? I do think it looks good, and I believe they can create the same chemistry as the first film. I don't because it involves a baby and a dog. They say children and animals are able to key into these phenomena because of their ignorance. That creeps the hell out of me. Be safe out there this Halloween and don't piss off the spirits!!


NBM rates Paranormal Activity - A Work of Cinematic Art


Buy Your Copy Today


Paranormal Activity (2-Disc Digital Copy Edition) [Blu-ray] 

The Men Who Stare at Goats

First off I am flabbergasted, that's right FLABBERGASTED! This outstanding comedy was rated rotten with only 52% on RT.  It's a story that follows Lynn (Clooney) and a reporter named Bob (McGregor), who is thrust into self imposed mission in Iraq. There he learns of an Army based program called New Earth, where soldiers are trained to be "Jedi's", using there mind powers to control situations. It's a geniusly clever film with an awesome supporting cast including Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, and Goat. It's very Coen Brothers-ish, but possibly even more clever. Lynn was the best soldier the program ever had, but he got burnt out after he was made to do certain things. Bob decides he wants to do something with his life before he dies. What happens is not what he had in mind. Almost dying numerous times while on his "mission" to enhance his crappy life, he begins to doubt his very existence. When they decide to help each other, they form a very strange friendship. Though Lynn seems out of his gourd most of the time, Bob seems to be very little interested in departing from him. They wander the desert together finding themselves in bad situations. It winds down very quickly with a funny LCD tripping scene. The movie re-affirms why I love Clooney and everything he is attached to. He is a man among boys when it comes to the acting community. Serious or comedy. Producer ("Welcome to Collinwood", anyone?), or actor. He is awesome in every facet, and this is just another example of how easy it is for him. Knew I'd like, and of course, I was correct.

NBM rates The Men Who Stare at Goats - Awesome-nomenal

I need to watch it again with less interruption to figure out which way the scales should tip.

Buy Your Copy Today

 

Pulp Fiction X-Travaganza

In the next week or so I will reviewing Cult Phenomenon, Pulp Fiction. It will not be your everyday review, as it will be broken down into segments, and each segment will have its own review. I will also be giving away a $5 Starbucks gift card and a $5 Amazon gift card to the two best answers for a trivia question I will post with in the next week. Anyone can win, because its an opinionated answer. There is no wrong answer. I will pick what I like the best. Hopefully I get a lot of response, but if only 2 people play, then both people win. You can submit your answers via Facebook, email, or write your answer in any of the Pulp Fiction comment boxes at the end of each post. I will take answers for one week from the first post. Only 1 answer per person.
In order to be eligible, you must either "Follow" the blog, or be a fan of the facebook fan page. If neither of these options are viable, click one of the Ad banners on my blog and you will be eligible. When you submit your answer, submit your email address also, so I can award the winners.           
                                                                                THE JESTER

Harry and the Hendersons

Not only did Harry and the Hendersons make each and every one of us want to own a Sasquatch, but it also opened the door to one of the greatest comedic actors ever. John Lithgow is a dramatic actor, not a comedian. Harry seems to me to be one of his earliest funny man roles in his illustrious career. Because of Harry, we got the greatest T.V. alien of all time. Lithgow played Dick Solomon on the extremely witty sitcom Third rock from the Sun. If he had never taught a Sasquatch how to sit, we may never have gotten to enjoy his superb comedic delivery. Harry eventually becomes the name of the Big Foot that George Henderson hits with his car. They think they hit a deer or a bear, but once loaded on the roof and taken home, they realize it's neither of those common creatures, but in fact a never before seen species called Sasquatch. Like most of us, George is extremely nervous when he realizes what he has, and the fact that it's not dead. Instead of calling the papers, or destroying the animal, his family decides that Harry is not dangerous and they want to keep him. Harry adapts very quickly into becoming an "indoor pet". The kids love him, but George's house is being ripped apart. Every door frame, even the floor above the basement falls in under the massive weight of the creature when George teaches him to sit. George realizes he can get Harry to do almost anything for a cube of sugar or the McD's Filet o fish sandwich. He finds out how smart and sweet Harry is, and doesn't want the local poachers to find out about him. One of the funniest scenes is when Harry correlates a boiling chicken with the neighbors getting into their hot tub. He thinks they are cooking themselves and it's funny. Instead he inquires info from the local Sasquatch museum and artifacts proprietor played by the great Don Ameche. Don feels he has wasted his life looking and dedicating his time to an animal he has come to realize doesn't exist. George changes all that for him, when he introduces him to his new pet Harry. Dr. Wrightwood (Ameche) is afraid for the well being of Harry from a hunter named Jacques LeFleur. As if George doesn't have enough problems, his father really helps George snap. He has hired an artist to portray the Sasquatch for his sporting goods store. An evil, snarling man killer of a beast. This is when George knows he must return Harry to the forest where he cannot be hurt. A great story for kids and adults. A movie that really changes opinions worldwide of The Sasquatch species. I have not met anyone that has seen this film that is still terrified of the "fictional" species. Like tiny giraffes, lots of Americans also want a pet Big Foot.

NBM rates Harry and the Hendersons - Awesome

Buy Your Copy Today

Law Abiding Citizen

Following along the same lines as Harry Brown, Law Abiding Citizens is also a revenge flick. The big difference between the two is the intended targets. In L.A.C., Clyde (Gerard Butler) is witness to his wife and daughter being murdered as he is tied up and left to live. The council for the state against the suspected murderers, who have been fingered by the witness they left behind, cut a plea bargain with one of the assailants for rolling over on his partner in crime. The one with the bargain is the man who actually killed the two of them, but he will be released after 10 years or so, per is agreement with the state. Clyde's big issue with the whole process is, the state doesn't even go to trial in fear of losing all together. They are perfectly happy with the deal they have received. Clyde is not happy. Does Clyde stew in his anger for 10 years? Yep. Does he have a plan for the murderer? Yep. Is it grotesque, and planned out? Yep. Does he stop there? Nope. He is going after everyone involved. The D.A. who cut the deal, the judge who issued the sentence. Legal clerks. You name it, he wants them to pay. He has no regard for his own well being, but he is abnormally smart. He has planned these "games" for his victims. Time lines and demands. If not met, he will tell you where to find his next victim. I really enjoyed the cleverness of his plan and the time lines he orchestrated. He played the system that screwed his family over. For 10 years he studied everything he would need to know to get him out of anything he does. It works to his advantage. The system is broke and he sets out to fix it. His overall goal is to turn the legal system on it's ear, but he has to go to extremely drastic measures to do so. Jamie Foxx plays the D.A. who is the second target, behind the actual killer. He wants and Needs Foxx to witness all that he does, so maybe it will get through to him to fix what is broken. Pretty Gory for an action film, but it gets the point across.


NBM rates Law Abiding Citizen - Awesome


Buy Your Copy Today

RED

Talk about a great movie, with a great cast, that was greatly misrepresented in the marketing campaign. Having not read the DC Comics graphic Novel version of RED, I took what they gave me and anticipated a full on action comedy. Comedy being the key word. Not really a comedy. Oh, it's hilarious, but the underlying plot of taking out former CIA operatives is really more up front with some jokes thrown in. Was not what I was expecting, but I actually enjoyed it even more than I would have, if it was straight joke after joke. RED stands for Retired Extremely Dangerous. Frank Moses (Willis) is on this list, and someone, who will remain unnamed, has decided he can no longer live, because he knows too much. Frank knows he is being targeted, but does not know why. He also knows the one and only person in his life, a drone cubicle pension services worker Frank calls for assistance with his pension check played by the completely un-aged Mary Louise Parker could also be in trouble. Even though they have never met in person, she is important to him, and the killers will know that. He must keep her safe and hook up with his old wrecking crew, to not only stay alive, but find out who is behind the contract and stop 'em. Recruiting old buddies played by Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, and what I can only guess is an exact duplicate of how John Malcovich really is in real life. Psychotic and eccentric. Malcovich makes this movie. I'm not saying it's not great without him, but his deliveries and wandering stares along with the paranoia is absolutely gut busting. "I'm gonna go get my pig." Watch it and that last line will make sense. You will laugh. Great stunts. In fact, probably one of the coolest I have seen. It involves "B.A." Willis stepping out of a spinning car in full motion, while shooting his firearm. It's awesome and I will own this movie the day it comes out. It's action packed, with great acting, awesome stunts, and Brian Cox shows up as a Russian "KG use to B." Adapted perfectly. It definitely has the comic book feel, but not in a cheesy way.

NBM rates RED - Phenomenal

Buy Your Copy Soon

Frailty

One of the great twisted movies of all time. This movie revolves around a family of three during the sixties. A Father, Bill Paxton, raising his two young sons, Fenton and Adam. What I don't like about this film is the fact it is sold in the "Horror" section of the video stores, and that is how it gets classified. I don't particularly care for horror movies, which is why I didn't see this film for a long time. Once I did watch it, I was perturbed I had waited as long as I did. It is absolutely genius. One day while at work as a mechanic, Dad (Paxton) has a vision of the angel of death turning the will of God over to him. He truly is a disturbed man, that feels he can best serve his family by doing what the angel has told him. He is so convinced, he immediately tells his boys of what's to come. Fenton is the older of the two boys. He is probably around 12 and has major issues with what his Father has proclaimed. Adam, 7 or so, is much more impressionable, and believes his Father's every word. This causes him and Fenton to argue a lot. Adam asks certain questions of his father. Such as, How will you know it's a demon. They call their victims, Demons. Dad has very few answers for the boys at first, but he is quite certain, when God calls, there will be no mistaken it. God will provide him with the tools necessary to do his new line of work, Destroying Demons. Dad is given two specific tools chosen by God to help his new Earthly angel. He has also informed his boys that if they tell anyone, someone could really get hurt. He doesn't want his killing spree ruined by his snot nosed little brats. Fenton is completely lost about his Dad's mentality. He really feels he has lost his marbles. Fenton tries to explain to him that the "Demons" are just people. His Father will not hear of it. He tries to work Fenton, very laboriously I might add, into believing what they are doin is good and just. Doesn't work to well. It would be a very trying time in any ones family. You know what they say? "The Family that slays together, stays together." (I just made that up right now. Pretty impressive, huh?) One of my all time favorite movies, and if the "Horror" title turned you off all those years ago, you have to trust me. It's not horrific in the least. I would classify it as a Thriller.



NBM rates Frailty - Phenomenal




Buy Your Copy Today

Armored

Armored is about a guy, and another guy who are friends, and they work with some more guys for an armored car service. The Captain is played by Fred Ward, and funny enough he is the low man on the totem pole in this particular cast. Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Larry Fishburne, and Skeet Ulrich and "Sucre" from TV's Prisonbreak round out the cast with a special appearance by Milo (Peter Patrelli) Ventimiglia. The main character, Ty, is in jeopardy of losing his home, and his little brother to social services if he can't turn around his income situation. His best friend, Dillon, does everything he can to help his buddy in need. Dillon and his crew, are apparently tired of risking their lives to protect other peoples money, so they come up with a plan to get rich quick without even being suspected. I think they got the plan from the great fictional character Walter Sobchak and I quote, "She probably kidnapped herself, Dude." They apply this logic to their heist, and as it's has been planned perfectly and all members of the team are on board, Ty is the only one uneasy about this. He is the Rookie and doesn't know these guys as well as his buddy, who has logged 10+ years of service. When Ty finally agrees, the plan is a go. What could go wrong? Hmmm, EVERYTHING!! It got very poor ratings, and I know why. It's a generic story with a new cast, and a new score, but I will admit, I liked it. Short and action packed to the very end, it never slowed down and wrapped up when it should have. It didn't have endless scenes to make it a little longer. It's done and done.....credits.

NBM rates Armored - Awesome

Buy Your Copy Today


 

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Another film the critics got way wrong. This Bad Lieutenant got rave reviews, yet although decent, does not deserve an 87%. It stars the all time "over actor" Nicolas Cage. I used to be a huge fan of Nic Cage, but for some reason he completely changed the way he acted. Everything became so loud and over the top, like Pacino, but not as good. He did win an Oscar for a reason, and I never thought his career would turn this direction. A lot of it has to do with the roles he takes. I do think he is in the Hollywood cross hairs due to his recent money troubles. These producers know he is no position to say No to any role as long as it pays. That is why he has been showing up in a new film every 5 months or so. He plays the role Harvey Keitel made famous, The Bad Lieutenant. Terence (Cage) has a Coke addiction, and I don't mean cola. His back is basically a non stop painful experience he must endure for the rest of his life. We are never informed about what he did to his back. For all we know he could have injured it in the line of duty, or lifting a 50 lb. bag of kibble. The director, Werner Herzog gets more credit than he deserves for his movies. Werner was portrayed in Entourage (using a different name, but definite similarities) last season by Stellan Skarsgard, and if that portrayal is anything accurate to how he really is, I wouldn't want to know him. Prick. I'm not saying, I'm just stating what Entourage made this "fictional" character out to be. Port of Call is confusing and pointless. The story has been done, but I will say the X to Z, Xzibit adds better screen presence than Val Kilmer, who's small role is quite pointless for an actor of his caliber. Basically the Bad Lieutenant has a drug problem, Gambling problem, prostitute problem, and he tries to re-create his Leaving Las Vegas performance as a tormented man, but doesn't even come close. Eva Mendes plays his Prostitute friend, who never gets naked on screen. If she had, it would've automatically bumped my grade up a notch, but nonetheless, I will not watch it again, but if you had a notion to see it, don't let me stop you.

NBM rates Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - Good

Buy Your Copy Today

The Taking of Pelham 123

A Walter Matthau remake from back in the seventies, this version is more than likely more gritty. I haven't seen the original, but remakes tend to push the envelope, especially when there is a 30 year gap between the two. Let me start by saying, John Travolta was born to play a bad guy or villain of any kind. He does such a good job at those roles. He plays hard and we really believe he is a bad dude. He is calm and cool all the while killing and mayhem he is bringing. Most remakes automatically get a negative rap. In this particular villainous role, Travolta takes a subway hostage along with 19 passengers. He wants a ransom, yada yada yada, same ol' story. Right? Wrong. It turns into a really intelligent plot that is as twisted as is smart. MTA operator, Walter, (Denzel) is the unlucky soul on the other end of the line when our terrorists take over. He is currently dealing with issues in his own career, that he really doesn't need to pile this on top of that. When the pro's come in, Turturro, that does not please Ryder (Travolta). He is happy dealing with Walter. The ransom is a nice round number, and that's when the mayor is brought into the picture. The mayor is played by the always heavy nose breather, Tony Soprano. Do we negotiate? Do we not? So many questions. What's for sure is the fact that Ryder is unafraid to pull the trigger when he doesn't get what he wants. It's very intense throughout, but the last twenty minutes will have you on the edge. I loved the Pelham remake and really want to watch the original now. 

NBM rates The Taking of Pelham  123 - Awesome

Buy Your Copy Today

 

Righteous Kill

Pacino, De Niro!!! Need I say more? This is the first time they have shared the screen since that one scene in Heat. It is only the second time ever. Two iconic actors playing cops of all things. Not gangsters or villains, but good guys. The guys in blue, so they say. Is it the best movie? Eh. Is it really fun to watch? Absolutely. It's a thriller, based on a series of murders that all involve the scum of the city that the justice system failed to drop the hammer on, so to speak.  I guess we could call them serial killings, because they are done in the same fashion, with a calling card left behind. The investigation quickly turns sour for the 30 year veterans when some of the younger cops start turning their investigation in the direction of their own. That's right, they think it's a cop killing these baddies. This royally pisses these two guys right off. Pacino is the level headed one, while De Niro is a bit of a break your nose first, then ask questions second. He is unashamed of the way he conducts himself, but having a partner that's more like a brother helps a lot. As more and more pieces of the puzzle come to light, the temperature heats up. Who's doin what? Who's on the take? Who has the motive? Is there more than one? It's a decent script, that I admit, gets a lot more clout with the on screen appearances of these two guys. Rated poorly for whatever reason, I feel Pacino + De Niro should automatically get at least a 50%. "Most people respect the badge, everyone respects the gun." That is a great quote. I'd also like to add, rapper Fitty Cent aka Curtis Jackson is actually an awesome actor. He doesn't have a huge part, but he feels very natural. He belongs, unlike the uncomfortable scenes we had to endure with Master P in Gone in 60 Seconds. He seems dedicated to his craft and it shows. I like it and you will like, because let's be honest, who doesn't like Don and Michael Corleone?

NBM rates Righteous Kill - Awesome

Buy Your Copy Today

 

Surrogates

Being laid up these past few days, I've had plenty of time to watch some movies I hadn't seen. Surrogates happened to be one of the first ones I decided to watch. Based on recommendations from A- Bomb and my mother "Shayla", I dove right into it unsuspecting of what lay ahead. I knew the premise. The ads and commercials made it pretty obvious of that. What I didn't know was the payoff. James Cromwell was a pleasant surprise. He plays the inventor of the surrogate program, which is now a worldwide way of life. Humans now live their lives through their surrogates. They actually have surrogate stores where a surrogate can be purchased if need be by any user. These machines are made to look like their users, and there is no class differences. Not only the rich can afford them. Everyone has a surrogate. When plugged into one's surrogate, a'la The Matrix, the user is in complete control, but without the chance of being harmed physically. These have declined the death rate of mankind. They never mentioned what the life expectancy rose to once the surrogates became a normal way of life. I think it would have been an interesting aspect to the film. "Now with the surrogate program, the average human being lives to be 98 years old" or something to that affect. Anyway, when the son of the inventor is the first user ever to die while plugged into the program, some red flags are raised. FBI agent Greer (Bruce Willis) is hot on the case until his surrogate is destroyed by the human movement lead by "The Prophet" playes by Ving Rhames. When this happens, he has no choice but to go out into the world and in harms way to solve the mystery. He uncovers a plot that will be detrimental to the well being of every human on earth. Great story, with a good twist, and really fun to watch RT rated Surrogates at 39% which is pitiful to me.

NBM rates Surrogates - Awesome

Buy Your Copy Today

 

What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath does an absolutely perfect job of throwing suspense, action, and romance into
a film about two empty nesters looking to rekindle with each other, now that their only daughter has moved to college. I have always promoted this movie to anyone who needed a good first date movie with someone they really like. The way the suspense is so active you will have your arm gripped the entire time, without the nightmares that comes with extreme horror. It follows a woman, Michelle Pfeiffer, who thinks her neighbor is beating his wife, to which she eventually thinks he has killed. She is being haunted by a woman, and she thinks it's the woman from next door. This blows up in her face when a very public confrontation proves her wrong. Her Husband, Harrison Ford, thinks she is cracking up. He does histo many measures to solve the mystery, not only to help the girl, but to help herself. Quickly her focus changes to her husband, and details are unleashed about an affair he had with the girl while she was still alive, and now she wonders if her husband is capable of murder. A great twisted story that really makes you wonder. I have seen this movie probably 15 times and it's one of those rare films that contains a twist, but is still enjoyable to watch, even though I know how it will end. If you've seen this movie, you know why I posted that particular picture at the top. The tub scene speaks volumes about the intensity of the film. best to keep her straight, but she takes it to whole 'nother level. Enter the Ouija board, candles, and a ritual seance to speak to the woman that has not been able to enter the afterlife. Michelle goes


NBM rates What Lies Beneath - Phenomenal


Buy Your Copy Today

Ninja Assassin

"I would rather have a vasectomy than go to the theater to watch Ninja Assassin" - The Jester.  My  Response When asked by A-Bomb to join him in watching this film. I would like to also note that I have recently seen it and had no idea I would enjoy it so much. This is exactly the reason why I am out of commission and A-Bomb has guest posted for me this week.


Folks, last of my two part guest reviews for the Jester.  For your reading pleasure, I am offering this review of the movie  Ninja Assassin.   In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I am a huge fan of ninja movies and I was giddy with anticipation for this movie to hit the theaters.  I am a product of the late 80's Ninja fest movies like Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja Pray for Death, hell even the Master (Ninja) TV show with Lee Van Cleef.  What do all of these movies have in common?  Well beside the black pajama clad, sword wielding, wall scaling ninjas.....Sho Kosugi.  Sho made a name for himself in Japan and the US for his ninja characters.  Guess who the main bad guy is in Ninja Assassin?  If you didn't guess Sho Kosugi after that leading question, then I have to doubt your reasoning and cognitive ability.  Sho does a fantastic job!  Actually for me he steals the show.  My sister-in-law doesn't agree.  She walked away impressed with Korean Pop star Rain who plays the main protagonist, Raizo.  I have to admit, he did a great job for a newcomer to acting.  Even more impressive are the Blu-Ray extras showing Rain's commitment to this movie.  Months of long days training in martial arts and fitness to make it as realistic as possible.  Again.  Impressive.  The movie follows orphan Raizo, who becomes a ninja, flees the clan, and actively tries to destroy it with the help of a couple of Interpol agents.  Due to the predictable plot, and CG blood (a little too CG and not enough realism...except for the badass ninja star scenes) the movie probably would have only gotten an "Awesome" from me.  But you have to take into account three things.  First, if you have ever seen an old Ninja movie, "predictable plot" is a pretty good description.  You have to give it to the writers for staying true to the genre.  Second, you have to appreciate the over the top action.  In a word.  Fantastic.  Third, do I have to say it?  Sho Kosugi.  In and of itself that makes this movie. A-Bomb out for now.

A-Bomb for NBM rates Ninja Assassin - Phenomenal. 

Buy Your Copy Today

 

 

 

How To Train Your Dragon

I was looking forward to seeing this cartoon after all A-Bomb talked about it. At the same time, I was skeptical and was hoping he had not built it up to much to meet my expectations. Being a cartoon aficionado, I own so many full length animated features from the original 1960's Robin Hood to The Nightmare Before Christmas, and everything Pixar. Toy Story, to me, is absolutely the greatest cartoon of all time. It will never be matched, but I look forward to the days in the future of animation that Toy Story has made possible. This film follows a young boy, Hiccup, who wants to be an engineer/Inventor. He is very good with his hands, and unlike his Father, lead Viking/Dragon Slayer, Hiccup wants nothing to do with the termination of Dragons. One day while wandering in the woods, he comes across a dragon unable to fly. He flops around trying to take off, and after some research, Hiccup realizes why. His tail is deformed. Basically he is missing half of his rutter, which helps like a guidance system. Hiccup designs an attachment to help his new friend fly. He really had to earn his trust by doing unspeakable things in order to ride the dragon he named Toothless. This really confirms to him his inability to kill a dragon. Unfortunately, his Father enters him into the Dragon Slaying Educational program. Eventually he becomes the best in class due to his ability to understand these animals, instead of just fearing them. It is a great story, and a great moral. I already want to see it again. A-Bomb also stated it was the first Blu Ray he has purchased that was actually worth the extra money. I must admit, when the characters themselves aren't on screen, it looks like something off the Discovery channel. The water and clouds and cliffs look so real. When it was over, I was asked how I liked it. I said if you count the Toy Story trilogy as one movie instead of Three, then Dragon would crack my top 5 favorite cartoons of all time. If not I'd say it easily makes the top 10.

NBM rates How To Train Your Dragon - A Work of Cinematic Art

Buy Your Copy Today

 

The Man with One Red Shoe

This highly underrated spy film is really awesome. Not only is it awesome, but it is also the second spy movie I've reviewed that stars Dabney Coleman in a week's time. This movie caused an all night expedition involvolvinf myself and the A-Bomb in an unsuccessful attempt to rent and/or buy a copy of the film. I had to order it off Amazon and wait a week for my gratification. I grew up on this extremely witty tale of mistaken identity. It's more like, an unsuspecting boob violinist who gets thrown under the bus of a CIA surveillance operation against his knowledge. Yeah, that's more like it. It is brilliant comedy early in Tom Hanks career. The baddies who are actually being followed by the CIA decide they need a fall guy. They set up a fake meeting at the airport, where they ID their contact as The Man with One Red Shoe. Our hero happened to be wearing two different shoes on that particular day, so it really set him apart in airport full of people. His shoes did not match because of a practical joke his best friend played on him. His friend played by Jim Belushi, is married to Princess Leia herself. Hanks character, Richard is actually bangin her, so I guess the jokes on him. Bad situations, and hot female spies complicate Richards life. Especially his plumbing, which was one of the funniest scenes in the movie, along with the Dentist scene. If you are lost right now, you need to watch The Man with One Red Shoe immediatley. As ignorant as Richard is, he is quite the brilliant musician. The CIA is constantly second guessing this guy as bad boy, but that does not stop the surveillance, which gets more and more wacky. I love this movie for so many reasons, and they may be different from your reasons, but I bet we could have a really good conversation about it.

NBM rates The Man with One Red Shoe - Phenomenal

Buy Your Copy Today

 

The Net

Having a huge teenage crush on Sandra Bullock,  I watched every movie she did. When The Net came out we did not have TV service in my house, and the internet didn't really exist. It may have, but home computers were over $1000 and no one really had them at the time. We lived in a small N.C. town with nothing to do, so we would drive to the big city and catch a movie. The Net had just come out, and I had no idea what it was about, but with Bullock blazened on the one sheet outside the theater, it was a no brainer what I was gonna watch. It blew me away. The action, and drama, and the introduction of computer nerds. It revolves around a lady, Bullock, who is almost killed while on vacation, because of some info she has obtained through a program. Once back in the states, she goes home only to find her house for sale, and no one recognizes her. She was a bit of a recluse, which works to the advantage of the baddies. They completely stole her identity, and to top it off, they gave her a police record, which made her look like a druggie. They only two people who can verify who she is, is her mother, and her ex-shrink / ex-lover. Her mother has Alzheimer's, so that doesn't help, and the shrink (Dennis Miller), is about to save the Day. He meets up with her and is gonna set everything right, until he ends up in the hospital. It was nothing serious, but when his chart is "mixed up" he is given a lethal dose of a drug he is highly allergic to. Now he is no help. I always new I liked it, but A-Bomb really put it into perspective. He once asked me what the scariest movie ever was. I thought, The Shining, or Blair Witch. He said, "Nope, the Net. I never really thought of it as scary, but it is. This movie was made before the internet ran rampant in coffee shops and fast food restaurants. Identity theft really was more of a fictional thing back in 1994, but now it is extremely real. That's what makes The Net terrifying. Great movie, great story, and a young Sandra Bullock.


NBM rates The Net - Awesome


Buy Your Copy Today.

The Island

The Island was somewhat original, and somewhat Twilight zone or The Outer Limits mashed up into an action packed film. The Island as it is called is a lottery vacation escape given away to the residents that reside in this community. It is an all indoor community where everyone is a number instead of a name. One day Ewan McGregor starts asking questions, and his friend played by Scarlett Johansson, tags along on his adventure. He wonders why he has no memories, even though he is an adult. Their entire existence is based on routine. Sort of like the nicest maximum security prison you've ever seen. One things leads to another and his discoveries are extremely disturbing to him. He desperately begins spreading the word to the other "inmates". He also discovers once you win the lottery to the Island you never come back. He does the unthinkable and escapes this "prison" only to dive deeper into this mess, but he will not stop until he figures out every piece of the puzzle. It's as twisted as it is brilliant, and it gets better as it wraps up. I will not spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but for those who have, You know what I'm talking about.


NBM rates The Island - Awesome




Buy Your Copy Today.

The Mexican

Alright, A-bomb pinch hitting for a couple of days while Jester is out of commission. I'm actually writing this a couple of days before it's posted and will in fact be in Mexico as you read this. In light of this fact, I feel it necessary to review the Mexican.  I personally think this movie does not get the recognition it deserves.  I went through a period in the late 90's where I became tired of Pitt. Not that I didn't like his movies, just tired of him being in every movie it seemed like.  In fact, I didn't even see the Mexican until a couple of years after it came out.  What a mistake.  I should have seen this movie immediately. The movie is extremely witty and has produced some great one liners for the Jester and myself.  "Shoot me?" "El Camino" and "somebody's going to be leaving here missing an ear or not being able to F#$k anymore."  Jerry, good guy but kind of a screw up, ends up owing favors to some unsavory characters.  When he is "asked" to go to Mexico to retrieve a kid and a gun (with a great story), he can't refuse, but his girlfriend can.  Man, she infuriated me, but in a funny way.  A series of really unfortunate and crazy events ensue and we end up with a very good story.  Great cast including superstars Julia Roberts, Gene Hackman, the aforementioned Pitt, and even an early Soprano's James Gandolfini.  Fantastic story line of mistaken identity, love, betrayal, and honor.  This film restored my interest in Brad Pitt, and I am very glad I gave it a chance.  I am sure you have seen it, but if not, make it a point to follow the link below and purchase it.  You will want to watch at lest 3 times, and if you are like me, probably a lot more. 

A-Bomb for NBM rates The Mexican - Phenomenal. 

Buy Your Copy Today

Harry Brown

Short, but sweet. Harry Brown is one great revenge flick. The awesome Michael Caine plays Harry Brown. An old man who has run out of things to lose. He has lost his daughter, wife, and most recently, his best friend. He literally is all alone. I cannot imagine being that alone. No one to talk to, to play chess with, to have a pint with. It would be awful. If that isn't bad enough, you are afraid of leaving your house, because of the scum that lurks in the shadows. Harry's friend decides he's had enough. Unfortunately it cost him his life. With no one around to help the situation, Harry decides it's time for vigilante justice, and he reigns down. It is extremely dark, and at points hard to understand due to the thick British accents, but all in all is awesome. It kind of starts slow, and has an artsy indie feel to it, but quickly amps up into an adrenaline fueled film. Harry is past the point of no return and he makes a choice. Die, or make the world around him better to live in. Who would be afraid of a 70 year old man? Truth is, after watching Harry Brown, I'm scared to death of the elderly. I mean, they are already wearing adult diapers, so bathroom breaks won't even interrupt their havoc. I suggest if you like the Mel Gibson movie, "Payback", you will love Harry Brown.


NBM rates Harry Brown - Awesome


Buy Your Copy Today

 

Cloak and Dagger

I must admit, I am very tired and I've had a little to much to drink, so I'll be "calling this one in", as they say. Cloak and Dagger is a great story with an even better underlying message. It follows a young boy who feels neglected by his father, so he puts all his trust into Jack Flack, an imaginary hero and friend from the game series Cloak and Dagger. It's brilliant how in his mind Jack looks identical to his father. Every boy's hero is their father, whether they realize it or not. Jack is always there to guide him through rough situations. When Davey is thrust into a murderous conspiracy involving a government secret planted into a video game, his father doesn't believe a word he says. He must survive the attempts on his life, all the while no one helping him, except his trusty pal Jack. It's a great spy thriller for kids and adults alike. I grew up with this film and probably watched it 50 times in it's entirety. I watched it again the other night and nothing changed. It's still awesome. I love it, and my kids will love it, because I will make them watch it, but I won't have to force them to enjoy it. They will do that on their own.

NBM rates Cloak and Dagger - Phenomenal

Buy Your Copy Today

Reign of Fire

Reign if Fire is the best portrayal of dragons ever on screen. Dragons, in my opinion, are not cute and cuddly lizards that happen to be able to fly and blow fire. They are in fact instinctual dinasaurs on a seek and destroy for food mission. This is their entire life. When no food is available, it quickly turns into "Only the strong survive" mentality, and that's when they begin eating their own. Quinn (Bale) is the boy who saw the very first dragon when it killed his mother in front of him as a young boy. It made him a bit of a celebrity. He has established a mobile town of sorts to keep the race alive. Constantly figuring out new ways to thrive and survive with the dragons stalking their movements, he has a pretty good chain of command, until Denton (McConaughey) shows up and begins to challenge his reign. Get it? Denton is a self proclaimed dragon slayer, and with his balls to the wall attitude, Quinn is not a happy camper. With food sources depleting for the humans, they know they must take the fight to the Dragon's and not sit back and wait to get burned up. I must admit I did not see this film until about 2006 when my brother ridiculed me relentlessly for not seeing it. I'm glad he was on my case, because I do love Dragons. Back in 2002, before Bale was a superstar, he played second billing to Matthew, which did play one of the baddest asses ever. The tats, and the cigar, along with a leather jacket that has a furry collar and no sleeves. Anyone who can pull that look off is awesome, not to mention his total disregard for his own life in the heat of battle. PFFFT. Sweetness. The roles of these two actors has flipped in the last few years. Matthew is now the Rom-Com king of the world, while Bale is John Connor, Batman, and one of the most sought after guys on the acting market. Plus Gerard Butler makes an appearance early on in his career. Well acted with great action. I dig it.

NBM rates Reign of Fire - Phenomenal

Buy Your Copy Today

 

Whiteout

Whiteout is the lowest rated film that is not a straight up 0% since I have begun. At only 7% I didn't have anything else to do, so I figured, why not? Kate Beckinsale will get me to stop on any show at any time. Am I wrong? She plays a US Marshall stationed on Antarctica. Flashbacks about her shaky hand with a gun show us why she has been taken out of the game. Her best friend, Doc, played by Tom Skerritt adds maturity to the cast. He is looking so much like Kris Kristofferson it's not even funny. Just before the entire continent is evacuated for the six month spread known as "whiteout", a body is found. Originally thought of as an accidental death, she dug deeper, discovering things she now needs to solve before leaving. It wasn't edited well, or the story wasn't written great. I haven't figured out which one it is. Characters show up out of nowhere, plot is confusing at times, but it doesn't derail it completely. I think I had it figured out really early on, but was constantly curious as to what the final moments would bring. It's worth seeing once if you like movies about snow and wind, with a little bit a frostbite thrown in.

NBM rates Whiteout - Good

Buy Your Copy Today

 

Pearl Harbor

I saw this epic in the theaters all those years ago, yet A-Bomb watched it for the first time recently. I enjoyed it when I first saw it, and so did he. My point? He had to listen to the haters for 9 years and still was able to enjoy it. Even though it has a running time over 3 hours it still keeps my attention when it is on. It's a good fictional story behind one of America's darkest days in history. It got ripped apart by RT only receiving 26% positive votes. This I don't get. I do think Critics love to hate Michael Bay, and if his name is attached in any way, shape, or form they go into his films anticipating they will hate it. I love Michael Bay. He delivers big bangs and loudness unmatched by any other director. He has his vision of what Hollywood represents and is unrelenting when it comes to doing things over the top. This was one of Ben Affleck's better performances, but he had help from an all star cast including Josh Hartnett, Alec Baldwin, Kate Beckinsale, and Jon Voight as President Roosevelt. It is long, but doesn't feel never ending. I remember when it came out on DVD it was one of the longest films to be released at that point, yet I have to turn the disc over halfway thru the film. This always cracked me up, because DVD's are capable of so much storage, why wasn't it used to it's full potential. Anyway, Epics have a funny way of being white hot or ice cold. Think about it. Titanic=Huge success, while Pearl Harbor released less than 4 years later and Bubkiss, nada, zip. Gladiator and Braveheart win big at Oscar time, but Australia and Troy seem like they don't exist. All good films, but majority speaks pretty loudly. I do like films about history, and films about fiction. When these two aspects are combined, it seems to really piss people off, yet I cannot remember the last film with these two characteristics I didn't care for. Pearl Harbor is solid and it stands on it's own. If you haven't spent 3 hours yet to watch it, I doubt you ever will, but if you do, I hope you enjoy it.

NBM rates Pearl Harbor - Awesome on the upper end, close to Phenomenal


Buy Your Copy Today

 

Get Him to the Greek

I knew this film would be good, but the direction it takes us exceeds expectations. Judd Apatow knows how to deliver a great film. Mostly known for shock humor or extreme perversion, he has always pushed the envelope. That is what I was waiting for, not really what we got. We got a really deep movie about two different guys who help each other discover what's important. What I didn't realize until watching was the spin off aspect. This character is based on Jason Segals 2008 hit "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Russell Brand plays Aldous Snow for the second time. A drug addled Rock N Rolla who cares for no one, but himself. Jonah Hill plays Aaron Green, a record company grunt, who comes up with a plan to re energize his company. An anniversary concert performed by Aldous Snow. Aldous walked away from the industry when he released an album that was regarded as one of the worst of all time. Aaron's boss played by Sean Combs, aka Puff Daddy, aka P. Diddy, aka Puffy, aka Diddy, plays Sergio and he really carries the movie. He is the funniest part of the entire film. That's not knocking the comedy, it's actually commending Combs. For those of you who really wanna like Combs again since losing the love after all his silly name changes, this movie will do that for you. It is not a Laugh out loud film, nor a fall out of your seat. It so much more. I did LMAO a few times, and it is consistently funny, but it turns dark drama several times throughout. It is a must see. It does deserve it's R rating for the language and nudity, drug and alcohol use, and one hilarious fight scene involving all the main players along with seasoned actor, Colm Meaney, who plays Snow's father. The cameo's are so abundant, it's hard to decide which one is the best.... maybe Lars. Yes, that Lars. This movie also contained the most puking scenes I have ever seen, so if you cannot handle seeing other people blow chunks (I'm looking at you A.P.) this happens at least 6 different times. It's a wild party that is quite enjoyable, so I hope you enjoy.

NBM rates Get Him to the Greek - Awesome


Buy Your Copy Today

 

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

I had the privilege to watch Bill and Ted last week. I hadn't seen the film in several years and I was so amazed that as an adult it still holds up. More so even than when I watched it as a young ignorant kid. Released 21 years ago I can't imagine it got a warm welcome from anyone over the age of 18. I remember enjoying it as a funny time travel romp involving future superstar Keanu Reeves as Ted "Theodore" Logan and Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston Esquire, along with George Carlin as future human Rufus. Bill and Ted are on the brink of being separated by Ted' father. If they fail their verbal history report, then Ted will be sent to military academy in Alaska, thus ending the reign of their bodacious rock band Wyld Stallyns. Rufus uses a phone booth to travel through time and is sent to help Bill and Ted with their assignment. He gives them their very own Excellent time booth to use. They use it to travel and recruit key historical figures from the past to help them woo their professor into a passing grade. Watching as an adult I held a better grasp on the situation. To be able to travel back in time and meet all the dead guys from your textbook would be awesome. These guys may seem like slackers, but it's quite the opposite. They are constantly making notes to themselves in order to alter the present in order to help themselves. Pretty Smart Dudes. It sounds complex, but I assure it is not. This righteous film would act as a stepping stone for Keanu's quite impressive film career, whereas Alex Winter did not do anything else except the sequel to this film. Watching Keanu early on in his career, not much has changed. I always thought he wasn't a great actor, because his delivery is so strange. Yet his filmogrophy is so stacked with awesome films, I do appreciate him more today than I did yesterday, and each day he seems to grow on me a little more. Oh yeah, and it introduced us to Air Guitars. Sweet

NBM rates Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - Excellently Phenomenal


Buy Your Copy Today

61*

With Postseason baseball officially kicked off, I feel like diving into one of the best, if not the absolute best, baseball film ever made. It is a made for HBO movie written and directed by Billy Crystal. Crystal is quite the historian when it comes to the Yankees, and everything about the film is done so perfectly. The film follows Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris during the 1961 baseball season. These two were cut from two completely different crops. Mantle embraced the big city. The booze, $1000 per night hotel suites, women, fancy cars, and slick suits. Maris was a country boy who just wanted to play ball, and relax in peace and quiet. The story is all about these two men chasing Babe Ruth's single season Home Run record, but it also closely follows the off field relationship of all the ball players, more specifically Mantle and Maris. These two extraordinary athletes are both chasing the same record in the same season. Yes, they are competing, but they also are helping each other out. Crystal recreates that era awesomely. He also made us smarter. By "us", I mean the yutes that were not alive in the sixties. We were raised with cry baby athletes who weren't half as good as these guys, but they earn 100 times more money. Most of these ball players had to get jobs in the off season, and they budget on making it to the World Series for the $8000 bonus. It's amazing the picture that is painted for all us movie lovers and baseball lovers to watch and enjoy. The off field antics of Mantle paired with the tremendous issues Maris has with the New York press, it turns into two guys fighting their demons in their own ways. It is a brilliant movie that is more about human life than baseball. It really gets into the soap opera that is fame, not to mention they are away from their families during the entire season. It would be crazy to miss the birth of a child to play baseball. That's how little these guys got paid, not Mantle. Mantle was treated like a god. The second coming of the Babe himself. He was paid more than anyone, and was never held accountable for his actions. FYI: all the black and white footage throughout the film is actual footage from 1961, and Billy Crystal dubbed the reporter commentary in a few of the TV broadcast scenes. A very cool look back in history. It really makes us appreciate how hard they used to work for the love, not the paycheck.

NBM rates 61* - Phenomenal

Buy Your Copy Today

Date Night

Clever, Clever, Clever. This film blew me away the first time I saw it, but it really came together the second time around. I have seen 2 times in a week and it cracked me up both times. It, in my opinion, is the closest Hollywood has come to portraying married life as reality and not fairy tale. These married people, played by the awesomely comedic Steve Carell and Tina Fey, are worried about being in a rut so they go to the city for a nice dinner. Unable to get into the restaurant, they decide to steal someone else's reservation because they were no shows. This turns into a running gag throughout which is hysterical. Marky Mark doesn't "make" the movie, but he awesome as the private security specialist Holbrook Grant. he helps our power couple sort out the problems they are facing. The film revolves around mistaken identity which comes from the reservation they stole. It is a brilliant comedy acted to perfection. Tina Fey may be the funniest female on earth. Steve Carell basically plays the same character in every film he is in, but this one works extremely well for him. It is one of the funniest comedies I have seen in a while, and I may own this one. The comedy is definitely present, but what about other cinematic aspects? Action? Absolutely. When Curbs Your Enthusiasm's Leon shows up as a cabbie, we enter one of the funniest scenes in the entire film. You will have to watch it to understand. Too buzzed to explain. Do not neglect this film. If you are married, you will enjoy how it strikes the nail on the head. If you are not married, you will still probably enjoy it, but you will probably think that when you get married it will  not be this way. Think again. It turns out to be a good thing. Monotonous is really kind of awesome. 

NBM rates Date Night - Phenomenal

Buy Your Copy Today