Deadline, 2009

Deadline is one of the last movies in which late actress Brittany Murphy starred. Murphy plays Alice, a screenplay writer, in addition to suffering from past domestic violence. She relocates to a old home to finish her latest project on time. Shortly after her arrival, things start to get creepy. Alice fears that she's not alone in the house. She uncovers a video camera with tapes of the previous occupants and the contents soon lead her to investigate their disappearance.

Lucy (Thora Birch) and David (Marc Blucas) are the young married couple that lived in the house before Alice's visit. Lucy is obviously mentally and physically abused by her husband David. Alice soon finds herself enthralled in what happened to this couple.

I, personally, didn't enjoy this movie. Whoever was in charge of continuity should never work in film again. The special effects weren't fantastic, but acceptable for a low budget film. I think Thora Birch's acting has gotten tremendously more terrible since American Beauty. By the end of the movie, I thought I got it. Then, right before the credits...I realized that I was lost and so was the writer. I don't think that he knew what he wanted the movie to be.

Brittany Murphy was a good actress, not amazing talented but good. I had high hopes for this film because I have recently seen The Dead Girl and it was really good, even though she wasn't in it much. I don't know much about Marc Blucas, but he seems like an alright actor. He's done bigger things since this movie. A crazy abusive husband he can play well.

Don't waste your time if you're critical about movies, but if you don't notice obvious inconsistencies, than go for it.

2 out of 5 STARS

Lords Of Dogtown

Usually not a fan of director Catherine Hardwicke, but this movie was pretty good. Lords of Dogtown was inspired by a true story. It's set in 1975 and is centered around four friends growing up and skating in Venice, CA. Stacy

John Robinson, Emile Hirsch (always the bad boy), Victor Rasuk and Michael Angarano are the main characters that are competing on a skate team. They are trying to impress skate/surf shop owner Heath Ledger (I LOVE YOU!) and prove something to themselves. These mere boys have to cope with family problems and teenage rivalry. The movie follows the kids as they skate in competitions and ultimately become famous as the skating craze hits southern California. There are "highs and lows", and (just when you think things can't get lower) even "lowers".

I can't stand Catherine Hardwicke and her films are even worse, usually. Unfortunately, I can't say that anymore. It started off slow and I didn't really follow it. Are they friends, are they not? Are they mad at each other, are they not? Wait...they are famous now? How'd that happen? The ending was great, I wouldn't change it. It's based on true events, so changing the end isn't really a choice. Whatev!

4 out of 5 STARS

Henry Poole Is Here, 2008

Henry Poole Is Here is a film about a man that has lost all hope and ultimately witnesses a miracle, even though he fights to admit it. Luke Wilson plays Henry Poole that moves back to his old neighborhood to be alone. His wishes of solitude are immediately disrupted by his nosy neighbors. Esperanza (Adriana Barraza) refuses to take "no" for an answer. Curious little Millie (Morgan Lily) and her mother Dawn (Radha Mitchell ) look to Henry for security and hope that he just can't seem to give them. George Lopez (Father Salazar) is in it too, but he's not funny so...I don't see the point.

This movie is a complete tear jerker, but not a "chick flick". I hate "chick flicks" with all of the silly reason to be sad. This movie is heart wrenching (seriously!). You feel for each character. Henry is conflicted with a yearning for contact with Dawn and her daughter, and yet he's Apprehensive about getting too close and hurting them both.

The only thing that I might have changed about this movie is probably the ending, but I'm not going to explain why and ruin the film. Check it out, it's truly worth every cent and every minute you will spend with it.

5 out of 5 STARS

Thumbsucker, 2005

I was afraid with a cast consisting of Tilda Swinton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Vince Vaughn, Keanu Reeves and Benjamin Bratt, that Thumbsucker would leave something to be desired. Most movies that I've been subjected to watching with a large cast of big named actors have always been poorly written and badly received. This movie, however, is incredible. Justin (Lou Pucci) is the main character and hasn't really done anything else since. The other of the main characters, Rebecca (Kelli Garner), has done several other things, many of which I am a fan. She deserves more credit, and should do more things.

Thumbsucker is about Justin and his inability to stop sucking his thumb. Dumb storyline right? NOT, it's the basis of a much larger underlying problem. This young man grows throughout this film, though I'm not sure the time span of the movie (probably a year). He deals with way bigger problems than any 17-year-old should ever have to go through. His love interest, Kelli Garner, is sending mixed signals. His orthodontist, Keanu Reeves, is crazy. School teacher, Vince Vaughn, demands too much and his parents, Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio, are no help at all. Benjamin Bratt is thrown in the mix to just spice things up, I think that his part could've been cut and it wouldn't have made a bit of difference (I'm glad they didn't--he's fun to look at).

The movie starts slow, but with a lot of information coming on quickly, it's pretty easy to keep up. Lou Pucci has a sad puppy aura about him that would make anyone empathize with his character. You feel bad for him. I don't feel that I would change anything about this movie. Well, except maybe the scene that made me clasp my mouth shut with my hand. All I'll say is that it includes someone's butt, a spoon and a lot of blood.

4 out of 5 STARS

Mean Girls, 2004

Mean Girls is on ABC Family tonight and so I decided that it should be my movie. Lindsay Lohan (before she went nuts), Rachel McAdams (the character you love to hate) and Tina Fey (love her, she wrote this movie as well) all bring a certain something to the screen. I loved this movie. It takes any girl right back to high school, or in my case middle school, to all of those girls that you could just scratch their eyes out. Side Note: I'm still a little bitter to a few of those girls.

Lindsay Lohan's Caty enters a public high school after being home schooled for her entire life. She soon finds out that not everyone is as welcoming as her new friend Janis Ian (Lizzy Caplan). The two vow to take down McAdams' Regina George and "The Plastics", the mean girls that rule to school. Throughout the film Lohan and Caplan conjure up plans to disarm, discredit and disband this nasty group of girls. Tina Fey knows how to write a mean girl and never fails to deliver a comedic adventure.

Another treat to this film is seeing one of the first things that Amanda Seyfried has done. She plays Karen Smith, a ditsy blonde. She plays this role so well, who'd thought that she be such an amazing actress with so much talent and drive.

I recommend this movie to every girl that has ever had to deal with bitches in middle school or high school. However, if you were the mean girl, no wish of entertainment for you, but you'll still probably enjoy it. Guys will think its funny but won't admit it. Check it out, well worth it. Definitely delivers what its intentions were.

5 out of 5 STARS

Sleepers, 1996

With an all-star cast consisting of Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Jason Patric, Minnie Driver and Brad Renfro(RIP), this film was sure to thrill. Sleepers is a movie about four boys growing up in Hell's Kitchen, summer 1967. After the boys almost kill a man with a hot dog wagon, they are sentenced to one year at Wilkinson Home for Boys. At the home, all four boys are beaten and raped by the guards.

Skip ahead...1981, two of the boys are arrested for murdering a man at a restaurant. The victim, Sean Nokes Kevin Bacon, one of the guards from the home. Brad Pitt plays Michael Sullivan, assisting New York district attorney that is assigned the case of finding his two childhood friends guilty of murder. Robert De Niro plays a priest (a role I'd never seen him play before, a bit of a stretch) that has always looked out for the group of boys. Although he cares for the boys, he must decide whether to say the right thing or do the right thing. Jason Patric narrates this film and can be arguably the main character as he tries pulling strings to help free his friends. Each character plays their roles with the movie. Lies and suspected betrayals are packed into this film.

This movie was based on a book written by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Although the book caused quite a scandal when it came out that it was not based on true events like author claimed, the film never disappoints. I enjoyed the fast paced story line. Director Barry Levinson wasted no time in getting to the point. The actors held each frame individually. The audience cares for each character, except the pedophile guards. I've never loved to hate Kevin Bacon so much.

5 out of 5 STARS

Demolition Man, 1993

Sandra Bullock, Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Benjamin Bratt and Denis Leary . What's not to love about Demolition Man? Seriously? Everyone I know makes fun of me because of my obsession with Sly, but I justify it as Rocky can do no wrong.

Demolition Man starts out with John Spartan (Stallone), a 1996 L.A. cop capturing Simon Phoenix (Snipes) after his deadly rampage. Along side Phoenix, Spartan is sentenced to be cryogenically frozen for a crime he did not commit.

When Phoenix escapes at his parole hearing, Spartan is released to help with the search to recapture his enemy. With the aid of some 21st century police officers, Bullock and Bratt, Spartan is reinstated. However, the world of 2032 is different from the 1996 that this Stallone's character is used to. There is no crime, everything is peaceful and everyone gets along.

I can't help but enjoy this movie. The puns are bad and the future is unrealistic. Maybe that's why it's so funny. The images are beautiful, cinematically speaking. Design and effects were thought through and well executed. The acting is half bad either. I know critics rip apart Stallone, but he proves he can do comedy, as well as drama.

Only one thing remains confusing to me...How the hell do the three seashells work?

3 out of 5 STARS