Reviews by Matt

Almost forgot:


I make a lot of movie recommendations. It just comes with the territory of being know as the movie guy. I do not get many movies recommended to me, so when I do I take it seriously. A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, told me I had to see “The Town.” I had that Friday free so I took her recommendation.

“The Town” takes place in Charlestown Mass. It is known for its high occurrence of bank robberies. Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) is a man who makes his living doing just that—robbing banks. During one such robbery, he and crew take Claire (Rebecca Hall) hostage. After they let her go, Doug keeps an eye on her to make sure that she doesn’t know anything that could get them caught. He “bumps into” her one day and they strike up a relationship. When Doug’s best friend James (Jeremy Renner) discovers the relationship he confronts Doug and the relationship between the two friends becomes strained.
Meanwhile FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley (Jon Hamm) is determined to catch them and hopes that Claire can give him anything to use to catch them.

For a long time Ben Affleck Hollywood’s whipping boy. I even used him in an April Fool’s article for the school paper. In the past few years he has been anything but that. He made is directorial debut with “Gone Baby Gone” a few years ago. It got nominated for a few Oscars and Ben was back in the good graces of Hollywood. Now he is back as writer, director and this time, star of “The Town.” Affleck gives a really good performance here. He shows that he is a great actor and those movies he made for a few years were just flukes.

There is a lot to like about this movie. Renner and Hamm deliver some pretty good performances too. Even Blake Lively (of “Gossip Girl” fame) is actually impressive. All around, the movie is strong. There are some pretty intense car chases and the final robbery takes place in an unlikely and iconic Boston setting.
It would appear my friends don’t have such bad taste in movies. I will take future recommendations with a grin of salt though because my friend also told me she was going to watch “Twilight” that night too.

8 out of 10
Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use
125 min

Some of the best stories to make movies out of are those that showcase the resiliency of the human spirit. When all the chips are down and there is no hope, it is amazing at what we will do to survive.

“127 Hours” is based on the real life events of Aaron Ralston who spent five days trapped with his arm beneath a bolder. Ralston (James Franco) is a man who craves adventure. One day he sets out on a hike in a canyon near Motab, Utah. He tells no one where is his going and no one really knows when to expect him back. When he slips and gets his arm pinned beneath a bolder and a rock wall, he must do whatever he can to get free and get out alive.

Wow. Plain and simple. Wow. This is a movie that stays with you. It was simply amazing. Sometimes when I say things like that I worry that I might be overselling the movie. Not this time. I absolutely love this movie on so many levels.

James Franco delivers an Oscar worthy performance. When Ralston is trapped he has nothing but time to think. He thinks about how to escape, he thinks about what he should have done differently, what items he should have brought with him and he thinks about his life—the things he has done, what he should have done and what he has yet to do. It is in these moments of reflection that Franco shines. He does carry the movie and there is such a wide range of emotions he has to go through that it is important to have an actor of Franco’s talents in this role.

SPOILERS FOR REAL LIFE.

If you followed the story, you know that Ralston had to cut off his own arm to get free. This scene is brutal, but not as graphic as it could have been. For me the only time I cringed was when he broke his arm. That sound still makes me cringe. The actual cutting, you never see. I think what is making people faint and feel sick is the implied action. If you know the story, you know what he is doing. This is the mark of a great movie. What you envision is worse that what you could ever be shown.

END SPOILERS

Director Danny Boyle does a stellar job of showing the isolation and desperation of Ralston’s situation. Boyle is a director who keeps changing. He got a lot of clout with “Slumdog Millionaire.” He could have made any movie he wanted and he chose this. As far as I am concerned, this man can do no wrong. He is a master storyteller and I am looking forward to what he has next on his to do list.

See this movie. It is worth it. I love this movie. Plain and simple, it is an amazing movie. Franco is fantastic and carries the movie like no one else could. Boyle adds another notch to his directing bedpost and should get a nomination for his direction in this movie. I recently (just two posts down) reviewed “Buried” which was about a man trapped in a box. Now I have the chance to do another review about a man trapped. This time though I left speechless and not because I wanted more, but because I was truly at a loss for words.

10 out of 10
Rated R for language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images
93 minutes

This one is going to be short and sweet for two reasons. The first being that since the full title of the newest Harry Potter movie is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1,” It just seems unfair to grade an unfinished movie…and believe me, it is unfinished. The second reason is that I fell asleep a few times at the midnight showing—which had nothing to do with the movie.

I will address the second reason first. As many of you know I am in graduate school for elementary education. On Tuesdays and Thursdays this past semester, I have been in a classroom doing some teaching. Well the Thursday of the premiere was one of those. I was up at 6:30 and in the classroom until 2:30. Then I had class from 4:45 to 7. I should have gone back to my apartment and taken a nap before the movie, I did not. My friends and I went out for a few drinks after class. So by the time 12:01 Friday morning rolled around, I was on a long day with very little sleep plus a few beers. I tried my damnedest to stay awake. I took the toothpick out of my swiss army knife and poked it into my thumb to stay awake—it does not work by the way. Needless to say I missed large chunks of the movie. Not that I was lost, I had recently reread the book and knew enough to fill in the sleepy breaks.

Now to address the first reason. The movie literally just ends. It gets to a point and the credits roll. It is because of that that I cannot review it properly until July when part 2 comes out.

What I saw I liked and I am looking forward to the second part.

8 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence, frightening images and brief sensuality
146 minutes

Did you know that your cell phone battery lasts longer when it is on a ringer than it does on vibrate? Neither did I. If I took anything away from “Buried” that would be it.
After is truck is attacked, Paul Conroy (Ryan Renyolds), a truck driver in Iraq, wakes up in the dark. It soon becomes clear that he is buried somewhere in the Iraqi desert. All he has is a cell phone, a flashlight that barely works and his lighter. He gets a call from his kidnapper telling him that if they do not get money soon, Paul will die in that box.

And that is all I am going to tell you.

I do not want to give much of the plot away because the less you know, the better.

Movies like “Buried” rely heavily on the performance of the leading character. In 2000, “Cast Away” was banked purely on the talents of Tom Hanks—a very bankable star. “Buried” has Ryan Renyolds, an actor who has had some hits but is by no means a big box office draw. He is really best known for his comedic chops (See “Van Wilder”). When I heard the casting, I was intrigued. When I saw the movie I was impressed. He is able to carry a movie. It is just him, alone and in a box for 95 minutes. No flashbacks and no back story with other characters to help the story along. Just Ryan Renyolds in a box with a cell phone and a flashlight for an hour and a half. He carries this movie and does it with so little that I feel this is a career defining performance from Renyolds.

I am not surprised that this movie has not been doing well in the theaters. It is not for everyone. I am a certified film nerd so movies that do something different are right up my ally. A movie that takes place in a box buried in the desert with one actor is something that piques my interest. The general public might not like that idea as much.

My only issue is that I feel like I was expecting more. Its not that I left unsatisfied or disliking the movie, I just was hoping it would be more. More of what, I could not tell you. There was just something I did not get that I needed by the time the credits rolled.

8 out of 10
Rated R for language and some violent content
95 minutes

I had an interesting experience this past weekend. It started on Saturday. I went to a friend’s house and watched “Let The Right One In,” the Swedish vampire movie that was released a few years ago. I had seen it before and one of my other friends had not. We wanted to go see the American remake, “Let Me In,” but he insisted on watching the original first. So on Sunday we went to see “Let Me In” with the original very fresh in mind.

“Let Me In” takes place in New Mexico in the winter of 1987. Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a bullied 12-year old who lives with his mother in an apartment complex. One night he meets Abby (Chloe Moretz) who has just moved in to the apartment next to Owen. The two strike up a friendship and meet nightly out in the courtyard and talk. Abby, though, has a horrible secret and it may be connected to the murders that have been happening in the town recently.

There are things that were in “Let The Right One In” that were taken out of “Let Me In” that made it better. Then again there were some things that “Let Me In” added that made it not so good. Overall though, I really enjoyed it.

I thought that Chloe Moretz did a great job, she was not as creepy as Lina Leandersson’s Eli was in the Swedish version, but Moretz still brought something to the character. She made Abby more sweet than creepy, which made the scenes of her attacking people all the more horrific.

I am not sure how I feel about Kodi Smit-McPhee’s Owen. Much like Kåre Hedebrant’s Oskar, Owen is picked on at school, his home life is hard because his parents are not together and he finds himself very lonely most of the time. It is through is relationship with Abby that he finds the strength to stand up to the bully. I think Smit-McPhee does a pretty good job playing this character, but I am not sure I am totally sold on it.

So back to my story. It was weird sitting in the theater and seeing a movie I had not seen before, but know so well. There are a lot of lines and scenes taken right from the original version. It was so similar to the original that the only real difference between the two versions was the subtitles. It is kind of surreal to sit in a theater and know a movie so well. I knew what was going to happen in each scene and even some of the lines. One thing I did notice was that this version was bloodier. I know why too, Americans as stupid and need things spelled out for us, even in blood. There was a subtly to the Swedish version that I liked. There was no need for the blood or the violence, it was implied and that was almost better than seeing Abby tear into someone’s neck to get the blood she needs to survive.

8/10
Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, language and a brief sexual situation
Runtime 116 min

Every now and then while I am perusing the movie news websites, something catches my eye. It could be some new casting news, the announcement of a sequel or remake, or a brand new project from an actor/director I like. Then there are those things that make me say “WHAT!” That is usually followed by, “There is no way that you can make a movie about that!” Well one of those was the announcement that there was going to be a movie based on Facebook.

Over the next few months it became clearer, the movie was going to be based on Ben Mezrick’s “The Accidental Billionaires.” Then when it was revealed that Aaron Sorkin would be writing the script and David Fincher would be directing it, I was a little more willing to see this as a potentially great movie.

This being my third attempt to write a summery, I will keep it simple. Mark Zuckerburg (Jesse Eisenburg) is being sued.
Twice over. In one case, his best friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) is suing him for cutting him out of the company they both created, Facebook. In the other, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer) and Divya Narenda (Max Minghella) are suing Mark because they say he stole Facebook from them.

There was a time where I would have never paid money to see this. As it stands, I don’t really like Facebook that much.
Sure, I still use it, but more because it is there, not because I need to. It could go away tomorrow and I would not be affected. The point being, a movie about Facebook was not exactly high on my list of movies to see. Then more details emerged and I had a sudden interest in it.

I think that everyone involved with this did a fantastic job. Eisenburg shows he is not just the poor man’s Michel Cera. He gives a great performance and gives Zuckerburg these great little quarks that make him likeable, even when he is being a jerk. Garfield, who was recently cast as the new Spider-Man, is great too. Saverin is Zuckerburg’s best friend. He is rightfully angry when his stock in the company is cut. Garfield has the hard job of playing someone who is suing Mark, but is also defending him in another lawsuit. It is a delicate balance that Garfield has to tread and he nails it. I even think Justin Timberlake, who plays Napster founder Sean Parker, is great at the one who tears up the Zuckerburg-Saverin friendship. For what little she was in it, Rooney Mara, who was cast as Lisbeth in the American adaptation of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” did a good job.

I have to say that I am surprised and not so surprised at how this movie did at the box office. On one hand you have the fact that it is about Facebook. There are people who use the site who are going to see it just for that fact. I am surprised because this is not really their type of movie. It is all talk—and great talk at that. Nothing blows up, there are no huge stars. Long and short of it is that there is nothing that should appeal to that group at all.

This is a great movie. See it in the theater if you wish, but it would also make a great rental—plus that is WAY cheaper.

9/10
PG-13 for sexual content, drug and alcohol use and language
120 min

I will fully admit that I am a geek. I have my obsessions—movies, television, all things Whedon. There has been a big geek movement in the past few years where fans are allowed to be obsessed and be proud of it. With all this geek love out there, it is a great time to be a geek. Earlier this year the geek friendly “Kick Ass” was released. Now we have another movie that targets the geek set, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.”

The movie, based on the graphic novels by Brain Lee O’Malley, is about Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is an unemployed twenty-something. His life is pretty standard and plain. One day he meets Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and falls in love with her. The only problem is that Ramona comes with baggage—seven evil ex-boyfriends. If Scott wishes to be with her, he must defeat the League of Evil Exs.

I tend to find Michael Cera very, very annoying. As Scott Pilgrim, not so much. Scott is kind of a wuss, but has plenty of moments where he has a backbone. So despite my worries, Cera did not ruin this movie for me.

I started out this review talking about being a geek because this is a very geeky movie. It is in essence, a video game. When Scott fights the evil exs, it is set up like a fight from any number of fighting games. When the ex is defeated, they turn into coins. The world is one where all this is completely normal. Everyone apparently have fighting abilities and to see a battle break out is not unusual.

What I love most about this movie is the care that went into making this movie. Director Edgar Wright is a geek. Movies like his zombie film, “Shaun of the Dead,” action movie “Hot Fuzz,” and television show “Spaced” showed that he loves what he does and takes care to pay tribute to all he loves. I have not finished reading the graphic novels, but he kept the spirit of O’Malley’s vision and the quirk of the Scott Pilgrim series. It takes filmmakers like this to make truly great works of art.

This movie is not for everyone. It has been targeted to the geek demographic and that is whom it will appeal the most to. I wish I could say that it everyone can find enjoyment in the movie, but that is not true. It is very geeky and there are references and homages to the 8-bit video games of the past. If more people would embrace their inner geek, maybe this movie would be the box office success it should be.

9/10
Rated PG-13 for stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references
112 min

There are times when watching a movie that you can smell a blatant attempt to garner an Oscar. The usually happens when an actor/actress plays someone with some sort of handicap, or the movie deals with the Holocaust. There are plenty of movies that wish to be more than they are and have high hopes for Oscar glory. Most of these fail miserably but some actually get the golden man on that glorious night in February. One movie that could go either way come Oscar time is “The Kids Are All Right.”

Two kids conceived via artificial insemination, Laser (Josh Hutcherson) and Joni (Mia Wasikowska,) become curious as to whom their father is. When they being Paul (Mark Ruffalo) into their lives, the children’s mothers, Jules (Juilanne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) find themselves dealing with issues they never thought that they would.

I could not help but be disappointed in this movie. I like what it tried to do--show that even the most unconventional families have the same problems as everyone else. It just did not do it that effectively.

This is where reviewing movies is actually harder than it looks. There was something missing from this movie, but I cannot put my finger on it. When I walked out of the theater, I expected to feel differently, or more than I did. If I had to guess, it might be the resolution of the conflict. I felt like there should have been more to it that what it was. Please excuse the vagueness of that last sentence, I try to avoid spoilers as much as possible.

The movie it worth seeing, but I might wait until DVD to see it. The movie could have been worse. They could have tried harder to get an Oscar nomination. I enjoyed the performances and the overall story, but I just was expecting more.

7 out of 10
Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some teen drug and alcohol use
106 min

I have a movie review to write, but it can wait. There is something more pressing I have to write about. I watch a ton of TV. I am sure that if there were a way to weigh my viewing it would be a literal be a ton. So that should lend some weight, no pun intended, to the fact that my favorite show is “Friday Night Lights”

The show just wrapped up its fourth season and it reminded me why I love the show as much as I do. If you need a plot synopsis look here, here and here for my reviews of the first three seasons.

This season Coach Taylor is the coach of the new East Dillon Lions. Tami, his wife is still the principal at Dillon High so her loyalties are split. The season looked a lot at the new team and the new players, specifically the QB Vince (Michael B. Jordan). He has a past that includes a wrap sheet and football is the only way to keep him out of jail.

What is it about the show I love so much? I think the question is what don’t I love. The high point of this and every season was the relationship between Tami and Eric Taylor. They are the best married couple in the history of television. They extremely supportive of one another, but they are not afraid to speak their mind or give the other a hard time (even in a light hearted fashion.) They listen to one another and stick by one another regardless. They are not a television couple, they don’t bicker aimlessly and are never on the verge of big drama, they are a real couple.

You cannot help but care about these characters. That is the strength of the show, the characters. You get invested in these people. When they mess up you feel for them or wish you could be there to smack some sense on them. When they do something great you root for them. I watch the football scenes just like I watch a really good football game. I am standing up and pacing. I raise my arms in celebration when they score. It is because I care about the characters. They are real and you have to care for them or the show will not work.

The show’s final season will be next year. I ask you…no, beg and plead with you to use the next 11 or so months to catch up on the first four seasons. It is an amazing show and I simply cannot recommend it enough. Trust me, you will fall in love with the Taylor’s and the other people of Dillon, Texas.

Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.

In one of my reviews I said that a lot of the time my movie experience is tainted by the fact that I read a lot about movies. It is a rarity when I can go into a movie knowing next to nothing about it. “Inception” was one of those movies.

In an effort to give those who for some reason have not seen it yet the same experience I had I will keep this short and simple.
Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team are hired out to use dreams to get or implant information in someone.

That is as simple as I can make it. It is all I really knew going in and to be honest, I would have not enjoyed it as much.

The cast is great. Leo has been on a roll lately and is now someone I look forward to seeing. There was a time where I thought he was just cast for his looks, kind of like Megan Fox is now, but he is an incredible actor. We do not know much about Cobb as the movie starts but there are skeletons in his closet. Now this would not be a problem were it not for the fact that those proverbial skeletons can effect the dreams he is in.

The effects are stunning and really impressive. Nolan is a director who likes to do the practical effects as much as possible, but when he does use effects in this movie it is amazing.

Just go see it and experience it.

Told you it was going to be a short one. I really believe the less you know about the movie the better. It is not a movie you go to see. It is a movie you experience and the less you know the better.

Whenever I tell someone that I love movies I always get the same question, “What’s your favorite movie?” I have given plenty of answers to that—“I really don’t have one,” “It all depends on my mood” or the generic answer of “Casablanca.” As great a movie as I think it is, it is not my favorite (easily top 5 though). It has taken me a while to really come up with an answer—a true answer—to that question, but now I think I have it.

“So Matt, seeing as you love movies so much, what is your favorite movie?”

“Without question, it would be Jurassic Park.”

The short answer to the “why” would be because it is awesome. The long answer is:

Over winter break I bought the “Jurassic Park” trilogy. I quickly watched all three and tossed the third movie in to my closet in hopes of forgetting it ever existed (if only). As I watched the first, I was reminded of how much I loved it.

For me it started when, my parents bought the VHS copy from McDonalds in some deal—I think they also got “Field of Dreams” and “Back to the Future too. I was, by their standards, not old enough to watch a PG-13 movie, so I had to wait. When I did finally get to see it a few years later, I loved it.

While rewatching “Jurassic Park” on DVD I was shocked at how well it has held up in the 17 years since its release. Today it would have been all computer-generated dinosaurs. Back then the combination of practical puppets and CG dinosaurs was top notch. Even today they look amazing and I think it really shows what can be done when effects are used…well, effectively.

So besides the fact that it keeps its effects charm almost two decades later, what makes it my favorite movie? I did a post a few months back about movie moments. For me a great movie is made up of great moments. “Jurassic Park” has some of the most memorable in movie history. You have only to look to when Drs. Grant and Sadler arrive on the island and see the brontosaurs for the first time, it is stunning.


See what I mean? It is at that point that you know you are in for a ride.

There are plenty more, the T-Rex attack, the two kids hiding from the Velociraptors in the kitchen, I could go on. There are so many moments that make the movie’s two hour running time just fly by.
This choice is not one made to make me look better. It is easy to pick a classic movie and seem smart. I have watched plenty of classic movies and enjoyed them greatly, but none has reached the status of “my favorite movie.” There were times early on in my love of film that I would have felt required to use movies like “Casablanca” as my favorite. They are seen as amazing pieces of cinema by so many.

I say “Jurassic Park” because I have never been bored when watching it. There are times when watching “Casablanca” that my mind wonders. “Jurassic Park” is entertaining and riveting. I soak up every single second of it with the same wide-eyed joy I did when I watched it for the first time.

I say that this is my favorite because it is just a damn good movie. It is a fun blockbuster but it is done really well. Sure there are a few things I take issue with in the movie—like how no one can hear the T-rex eat the goat or approach the main complex in the final scene—but that does not take away from my pure enjoyment of the movie.

I cannot say that “Serenity” is my favorite because I know I am a fanboy and that my vision is clouded and my judgment is impaired—like beer goggles, but you know, for movies.

“Jurassic Park” is a movie that is where it is on my list because of the simple fact that it is a great movie. I do not like it because I feel I have to because of the pressure of being a movie geek, or because I have a connection to the material in some way. I like it because I do. I put it at the No.1 spot because I can and it deserves it. Do I really need any other justification that that?

“Threequals” are a tough thing to write about. They are also tough to make good. “Spider-Man 3” sucked. “Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” sucked. “Shrek The Third” not all that good. Even “Return of the Jedi” is not that good as a standalone movie. It takes something special to make a “threequal” work. Basically, it takes Pixar.


When Andy (voiced by John Morris) is getting ready to go to college, he has to decide what to do with all this old toys. Through a mix up in boxes, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and all the rest of the toys get shipped to Sunnyside Daycare. They are greeted by Lotso (Ned Betty) who tells them that they will be taken care of and will never have to suffer the loss of their child growing up ever again. The toys soon learn that not all is sunny at the day care center and fight to get home to Andy before he leaves for good.

I do not know how many times I can say it-Pixar rocks. I have either liked or loved every movie, except “Cars” since they released “Toy Story” over 10 years ago. They know how to do it right. Their movies have heart, humor and are great stories that are told with care and expertise. If you have liked any other Pixar movie, then chances are you will enjoy this one as well.

There is really not much to say besides: see this movie. One idea I have read was that PIxar has taken a lot of chances with their previous movies (“Wall-E” “Up” “Ratatouille”) and this seemed more of a safe movie. I have to agree and even more so when the next two years will bring “Cars 2” and “Monsters INC 2.” As much as I would love to see those movie or even a sequel to “The Incredibles” (Please?!), I liked the risks they took with the other movies. Still, don’t let this movie pass you by.

10 out of 10 (yea, its that good)
Rated PG
103 minuets

I was going to write something about the finale of “Lost.” In fact, I had a 254 word start a few days ago. Now though, after reading some of the backlash from “The End,” I have some thoughts of my own to share.

One big thing I keep reading is that there are still unanswered questions. My simple, one word response is- “So?” There is nothing wrong with that as far as I am concerned. The show has always had questions surrounding it.

Maybe some expected to have their every question answered by 11:30 p.m. on that finale Sunday. That is why they hated the ending or how the show handled the ending. I went in to Sunday’s finale knowing that there were still going to be questions and I came away loving the ending. I have not watched it again yet, but I just might do so after this, so I might still be in awe of it all, but I doubt it.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about/theorizing with friends/reading about the finale and the show in general. It is an amazing ending and was one I never saw coming, but now feels like it was the perfect ending to the show.

Having everything explained would have been worse ending. I loved that there were things left unsaid. I liked that I still do no completely understand everything. For me, it means that “Lost” will live on. Fans can still talk about and theorize about the show even though all the episodes have aired. When I go back and rewatch the show on DVD, there is a very good chance I will pick up on clues and answers I don’t know at this point.

Think about it. If “Lost” really had provided answers to all the questions it asked, wouldn’t that have been the most un-“Lost” way for the show to end?

When Monday morning comes I will be facing a whole new world. It will be new and scary. It will be a dark world full of unknown dangers and things that go bump in the night. I will be stranded at sea with no hope of rescue. It will be as if I have crashed on a mysterious island full of “others” polar bears and a black smoke monster. It is something I have not had to face for a very long time. It is my life after “Lost.”

The last new episode before the series finale aired last night and it was bitter sweet. I love this show and will continue to for as long as I live. Last night thought, I had a thought as I walked up the steps to my friend’s apartment. I don’t want to watch the finale. It means that there will be no new “Lost” ever again. Yet, I am dying for answers to questions I have had for many years. Come 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night, “Lost” will be over.

Don’t get me wrong. I will still watch the show on DVD and theorize with my friends about just what the hell is going on, but it will be different. For the past 5 years (I did not get into the show until season 2) I have been there every week, eyes glued to the screen, mind racing with theories, anger and confusion flowing through me mixed with wonder and amazement. Now what do I have to fill the void caused by the absence of “Lost?”

Looking at the current television climate, not much. “Lost” has truly changed my television viewing habits. It has raised my expectations of what a TV show can be. To be honest, nothing has come close to matching it. I have stopped watching more shows because they did not give me what “Lost” did. I have loved being immersed in the fandom. At one point I listened to four weekly podcasts about the show, now because of time constraints it is down to two. I have visited websites and read countless articles dedicated to the show. There is nothing I am currently watching that merits this kind of attention.

So come Monday morning things are going to be different. I trust the writers enough to know that the finale will be amazing. Whether I like it or not, it is guaranteed to be something worth watching. I have faith that I will be satisfied with the ending—there is very little in the show I have not liked (Nikki and Palo, the episode with Bai Ling.) They would have to try very hard to mess it up now. I know that on Monday morning, some fans will be angry, some will be glad with how it ended up. One thing if for certain, we will still be theorizing and I would not have the show end any other way.

I love summer. The weather is great, I go back to day camp and my responsibilities are minimal. It is also a hell of a time to be a movie fan. The summer movie season kicked off Friday with “Iron Man 2.”

The world knows that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is Iron Man and that is posing some problems for Stark. The U.S. government wants to get their hands on the suit of iron. They feel that the technology is too great for one man to have and are worried about what will happen if other countries were able to replicate it. Stark refuses to give them the Iron Man suit.

While racing in Monaco, Stark is attacked by Ivan Vanko (Micky Rourke) a Russian wielding the same technology as the Iron Man suit. He has added a electric whip on each arm and uses them to devastate Stark.

Meanwhile Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell,) a competitor to Stark Industries, wants to bring down the arrogant Stark. He enlists Vanko’s help in improving Hammer’s very own suits of armor in hopes of using them to embarrass Stark.

I am going to be honest I hate that plot synopsis. There is a lot going on in the movie and there are a ton of characters that it is damn near impossible to write a good enough plot summary.
So let’s start there. I did not like how over blown the movie was. There is way too much going on. And this is coming from a guy who watches “Lost.” There were a bunch of characters that I just did not care about.

So that is the bad. The good?

Robert Downey Jr. is awesome as Tony Stark. He is arrogant, but he is also brilliant and dedicated to helping people. Stark goes through some growth in this sequel. He discovers that the very thing keeping him alive (he has an electromagnet in his chest to keep shrapnel away from his heart), is also killing him. He has to find a new way to keep himself alive. He is faced with his own mortality and starts to self district, but is forced to pull himself out and face the bad guy.

The first one was better. While there are some elements to the first in this one, something is missing. I am not sure what it is, but I was not as satisfied with his as I was with the first. Don’t rush out to see this unless you have seen and love the first. It is good, but not great.

7/10
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some language.
124 min

We now take a break from the reviews to bring a mini-review.

I love watching The History Channel and The Discovery Channel. I could spend hours on just one of those two channels and not get board easily. I have recently been watching “America: The Story of Us” on History and have been really loving it.

The show looks at the events that shaped this country. It is complete with talking heads, reenactments and cheap CGI. Still the content is pretty cool. It started with the first settlers and the Revolutionary War three weeks ago. Last week was the Western exploration and this past Sunday, took us up through the Civil War.

I really like it and it is worth the watch.

My only issue is that some of the talking heads seem less qualified (Sheryl Crow and Michael Strahan?) than others. The talk is more about the American spirit than the facts of the topic discussed.

Check it out Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on History.

Opinions are a tricky thing. When I first saw the poster for “How To Train Your Dragon,” I was not interested. When I saw the first trailer I was unimpressed. I figured it would be a good rental one day. Then on the SlashFilmcast podcast, I heard them rave about it. I took a Friday off and went to see what all the hype was about. I left the theater in awe of how wrong my opinion had been.

The Viking island of Berk has been around for centuries, but all the buildings are new. Why? That stems from the village biggest problem — dragons. Dragon attacks are commonplace and slaying one is a sign of bravery and honor among the village. Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchal) dreams of slaying a dragon and earning his father’s love. One night during an attack, Hiccup uses a machine he invented to hit a Night Fury, the most elusive of all the dragons. He sets out the next morning to find out if he really hit it or if the dragon escaped. He comes upon the dragon that is trapped in a valley unable to fly out because of its crash landing. He eventually befriends the dragon, which he calls Toothless.

If you have ever had a pet you need to see this movie. I could not help but think of Bunker as I watched the interactions between Hiccup and Toothless. Toothless becomes a pet to Hiccup. Both of them share a friendship that is tested when Toothless is discovered.

The real star here is the animation, and even the 3D. Especially the flying scenes. Hiccup eventually makes Toothless what amounts to a prosthetic that allows him to fly again. When Hiccup first climbs on Toothless and they take off it is amazing. It is in these scenes where the 3D really shines. It rivaled “Avatar.” They are incredible in 3D and if you see it in 2D, you are missing out on an incredible experience. Not that it makes or breaks the movie like it did with “Avatar.”

What started out as a movie I could not care less about ended up being one of the best movies I have seen all year. The story is not that new, it has been done before plenty of times. It is still an amazing story nonetheless. Where “Kick-Ass” is made for a very specific audience, this is for everyone and everyone should see it.

9/10
Rated PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language.
98 min

One of the most critical skills a writer can have is to know their audience. This is even more important than being able to write in the first place. If you don’t know for whom you are writing, you will be as effective in communicating your point as a blank piece of paper.

That being said, “Kick-Ass” is not a movie for the majority of the people who read this blog. So why review it? Because I loved it.

With all the comic books out there, why has no one tried to become a super hero? This is how “Kick-Ass” starts. Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is a loser. He is invisible to everyone else in high school and one day decides to become a hero. He dresses up in a green costume and stands up to two thieves — it does not end well. He ends up in the hospital with severe nerve damage. It leaves him almost numb to pain. He begins to train and when he is filmed saving a man from a gang, Kick-Ass is in high demand.

Two other heroes emerge in the wake of Kick-Ass’s fame. Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage) and Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz), a father and daughter team who are out to avenge the loss of their Big Daddy’s wife/Hit Girl’s mother.
Kick-Ass, Big Daddy and Hit Girl are welcomed by most of the public, but not Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong) a gangster who sees them as a threat to his seat of power.

I liked how the movie kept things pretty real. There are no super powers, if you don’t count Kick-Ass’s ability to not feel pain. It dealt with how the world would deal with people who dressed up in colored spandex and went looking for bad guys. Kick-Ass even uses a MySpace page to offer his services to help those in need — sure beats a Bat Signal.

Even with Kick-Ass being the central character, his is not the most interesting. That honor goes to Hit Girl. Here is where all but the teens/slightly older members of the Levy clan might want to stop reading. I am about to write something that might tarnish your opinion of me. Still here? Well, don’t say I did not warn you. I loved Hit Girl. There is something endearing about an 11-year-old girl who curses like a sailor and is a killing machine. See? Told you that you should have stopped reading. I cannot really explain it but there is just something about it that I really enjoyed.

So should my audience see this movie? Lets just say that if you have grandkids, nieces, nephews, son or daughters, then you will not like it. It is crude, violent and not your cup of tea. If you are a grandkid, niece, nephew, son or daughter then you might enjoy it — the guys more than the girls.

8/10
Rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use - some involving children. (See what I mean about knowing your audience?)
117 min

I will be the first to admit that I am an Apple fanboy. I have had multiple sips of the Apple Kool-Aid and worship at the altar of Steve Jobs. I own a Macbook Pro, I have bought four iPods, (due to theft and water damage). The only reason I don’t have an iPhone is because I don’t have the money and The Record does not pay enough to cover the bill, much less the phone.
Even with all that. Even with me treating my Apple products like they were my own children, there is one thing I just cannot get that excited about — the iPad.

First and foremost it is that name. iPad. The name sounds like it should come in regular and heavy flow. I get that Apple has this need to put “i” in front of all their products now, but was Pad really the best word for this product? What about iTablet? That is just as effective and it doesn’t make the product sound like a high tech tampon.

Feminine hygiene products aside, it is the product itself that confuses me. What is its purpose? The iPad is just an iPhone minus the phone and a MacBook minus the processing speed and ability to multitask. I have a laptop and, assuming I had an iPhone, it would seem that I have everything the iPad had to offer.

Part of the problem I have with this new iProduct is that this is essentially Apple’s response to Amazon’s Kindle. I would buy a
Kindle before I bought this because the Kindle uses e-paper and the iPad does not. E-paper does not use a backlight to light the screen and that makes it easier to read for long periods of time. As a copy editor, my job is to make sure every article for the paper is in the proper style. This requires me to be in front of a computer monitor for hours on end on Tuesday. More often than not, I got home with a throbbing headache because of this (and a lack of food).

There is nothing I like more than in the summer time, sitting in a chair on the porch and reading. I would and could never use the iPad for this. I would have to take a break every now and then which, when you are really into a book, is not something you want to do.

I do see the functionality of the iPad. It would work well for small business owners (maybe even some big business owners) who are out selling products. What to see what we have in stock? Pull out the iPad and show them. Why lug around a five-pound laptop when the iPad weights less than two?

Another issue I have with this is that there is no support for Flash (a player which most online videos are coded in). This means sites like Hulu are not accessible from the iPad.

So why would they limit content like this? The answer lies in the biggest “i” in the Apple arsenal — iTunes. Why provide free content when you can direct people to your own video content and get them to pay for it?

Of corse they do have an application for Netflix, so I could access my Watch Instantly Queue from the iPad.

So Steve Jobs put out one less than stellar product. I mean even Pixar, the kings of animated movies, has “Cars” on their resume.
It is still a good movie — it just falls below the high expectations. So it is with the iPad. I cannot deny that it is a cool product. If I had the disposable income I might have one.

As it stands now, I am unemployed and I do not have a rich uncle who is on his deathbed so I will be sans-iPad. Sorry Stevie, this is one Apple product that I cannot stand behind.

Of course, if you were to send me one, I could be persuaded to think otherwise.

One of the joys in my life is going to the movies. I don’t drink that often and I don’t do drugs so my only real escape is that dark theater. There was a time a few years ago when I would have never ventured into a theater alone. It just seemed sad to be there by yourself. Now things have changed. Most of my friends have moved back home or are off doing other things not in Buffalo. Even the few people I still talk to in this town are usually too busy to go to a movie.

Now I do not mind going to a movie alone. It completely changed the experience. I am they type of guy that likes to stay through the credits. I like to be the guy there when the lights come back up and the usher comes in to clean up. Some part of me feels obligated to stay because for some reason I feel the need to support everyone who made the movie. Somehow staying there and just looking at all the names fulfills that need. When I go with other people I do not do that. I am not staying that I want to stay, it is that I choose not to make a big deal of it.

The credits are not the only thing that changes. The entire feeling of the movie-going experience changes as well. It is just you. No friends, no family, no girlfriend/boyfriend. Just you and the movie. Even with other people in the theater, you can feel totally alone. And sometimes that is just what the doctor ordered.

I still love going to see movies with others, don’t get me wrong. There is just something nice about the solidarity of seeing a movie alone that is nice once and a while.

Last week was one hell of a week for me. Nothing, and I mean nothing, I did went right. I left 90 percent of my assignments at my apartment, I left a presentation I had to do at home and had to race back to get it, it rained as I biked home that day, and I was so overwhelmed, I submitted an assignment that was not finished just because I did not have the time to finish it.

All this is great background for what I did that Friday. I went to a movie. I have not been to the theater since December 2009 when I saw “Avatar.” I have just been so busy that I have not had the time. Well, I made time. I was in for a cheesy movie so “Clash Of The Titans” was the best option.

Sam Wothington stars as Peruses, a demigod who has grown up believing he was human. He soon finds himself caught in a war between gods and man. Zeus (Liem Neeson) is not happy that the humans he created have stopped worshiping the gods.

The gods need the prayers of man to survive just like humans need the gods protection to survive. Zeus enlists the help of his brother Hades (Ralph Finnes) and his pet, The Krackken, to force the humans back into the arms of their gods.
Peruses discovers his birthright and goes on a quest to save humanity from the piety gods.

I wrote a few months back about this movie. I said that because of my history with the subject matter, I was either going to love or hate this movie. Well, to be honest, it was just so-so. The movie felt kind of rushed. There was no time to care about any of the characters that went with Peruses on his mission. I was disappointed by much of the movie. The subject matter had so much they could have pulled from and they squandered it.

One thing, probably the only thing, I loved about the movie was Pegasus. This is a big deal because they completely screwed up his character. First a couple of things; Pegasus was born from the neck of Medusa, he is the last of his kind (winged horse) and he is white. The movie version has him just being there, as one of a group of winged horses and he is black.

Yet, the flying scenes are amazing and made up for it. This is going to sound geeky, but it is exactly what I would have though a flying horse would look and fly like. As geeky as it is to love that a horse runs as he flies, I absolutely loved it and it almost made it worth the $8.

So I did not love this movie like I thought I would. I did not hate it and that is a good thing. One more thought, if you see this movie, do no go to the 3D version. I saw it in 2D because I have heard horrible things about the 3D (that and the theater did not offer it).

7 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality
106 min

Well day 40 is here.

Starting tomorrow I do not have to do this every day. I’d be lying if I said I was going to miss it. I am not. It was a HUGE pain in my ass most days. It would get to be late afternoon and suddenly the thought would hit me, “Crap, I need to do one of my stupid posts for today. This was a really dumb idea.” So I would sit at my computer and throw 200 plus words on the screen and call it done.

That is not to say I have not enjoyed it…most of the time. The days where I forgot about it until later tended to be really bad writing. The ones I put thought into you can tell. Those were a joy to write. My week of Whedon was fun, but I felt myself getting redundant in the end and none of the posts did justice to the material.

I was actually surprised at how introspective I got at times. I figured it would just be me talking about random stuff, I did not expect some of those posts to end up like they did.

So where do I go from here? I really don’t know. I will keep writing about the normal stuff, movies and TV, but I might branch off into more op-ed pieces too. After all it is a blog and it can be whatever I want it to be.

So here is to the future of this little experiment in futility!

Stay with me here because this is going to be an odd transition into the post for today (only one left) but it is going somewhere. Trust me.

I was watching “Survivor” today and as usual there was an immunity challenge. These challenges fall into a few categories, 1) athletic, 2) puzzle, 3) endurance, 4) a combination of the first three. The challenge in question was a classic combination of puzzle and athletic. They had to run to gather puzzle pieces and then put them together.

All that got me thinking about a little site called Sporcle. It is a site I visit on daily basis (sometimes more). For those who don’t know, Sporcle is a quiz site. They have a bunch of quizzes that fall into many categories.

It is awesome. It is fast becoming an addiction of mine. I go on everyday and attempt (with some success) all the quizzes I can. Each day they post about 4-5 new quizzes and if there is one the piques my interest, I will give it a go.

The site is actually becoming pretty popular. I have heard it mentioned a few times among friends or on television.

There is something there for everyone. Go try it.

If you have not seen the movie “Up In The Air” do not read any further.


I rewatched the movie recently and something struck me about the ending. It is very open ended. Ryan (George Clooney) is standing in an airport looking up at the departures and arrivals board. There are so many ways to read into what happens next. 1) Ryan goes back to work firing people, 2) Ryan takes Natalie’s (Anna Kendrick) advice and uses his miles and just picks a destination.

Depending on your view on the world (optimist or pessimist) it ends differently. I think it really depends on your mood at the time. In the summer when I first saw it, I was in a great mood. I had just seen a really good movie, I had gotten into Grad School and camp was going really well. I saw that ending as Ryan just picks a place and goes. His life was so secluded that he is ready to make a change. He could be going home to get to know his family or he could be going some place to make a new life.

Now I am over worked and a bit stressed out (though I have been told I hide it well) and I am not in the same mood as I was in the summer. Today my ending changed. He was going back to work. He chose to keep living his life and not making any connections.

I am sure that when I watch it again, that could change again. It is all open to interpretation and those are the endings I truly love.

Is a break really a break if you don’t really take a break? Confused? I can reword that as am I really on spring break if I still have work to do between now and Monday?

Last week I would have been tempted to answer “no” to that question. Now as I sit here in my room taking a break from reading/writing, I have to disagree with past me. It still is a break.

For me, I needed a break from Buffalo more than I break from school. I really just needed a change of scenery. Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday are really busy for me. I am up for class at 6 a.m. on Monday and Wednesday and on the move until 2ish. On Tuesdays, I get up at 7ish to start copy edit for the paper plus do my work for class the next day. Then I go to the Record office and copy edit some more.

For this week at least, I can sleep in (not that I can, my sleep schedule is set to me being up between 7-8) and take my time to get my work done. I have no other responsibilities. I don’t have to teach, I don’t have to edit, I don’t have to sit in the office waiting for articles to come in so I can edit them and my change of scenery is no longer just the 3rd floor of the library.

So yes, I have a ton to get done by 8 a.m. Monday morning, but nothing else is standing in my way.

On my train trip back home to Rochester, I was reading an article in “Entertainment Weekly” about “Lost” and its legacy. The article talked about why all the “Lost” copycats have failed.

The big thing mentioned was that at the time “Lost” premiered, there had been nothing like it at any point before. The problem came when they tried to replicate the formula and get the same success.


I have to completely agree with this. “Lost” was and still is unique. It is more intense viewing than “24.” To watch “Lost” is to devote more than one season to it. It is a 6-year story. You cannot watch it on and off during the year. It needs to be viewed every week and followed closely.

Other shows have tried and failed, most horribly. If the pilot of a show cannot grab the viewer’s attention, the show is doomed.
“Lost” had that. The pilot of “Lost” is one of the best I have ever seen, and trust me; I have seen a lot of pilots. To this day, it is one of the best two hours to television I have ever seen.

Most of all, it is the writing that separates “Lost” from the pretenders. The writing is amazing. Yes, there are a ton of questions asked and they take FOREVER to answer them, but they payoff is worth it. The quality of the drama and the mystery in the writing keeps the show a top the pile of serialized television.

You know what really bugs me? The “previously on” that is show before most shows. It just points to how dumb most studios think the people who watch their show are.

For some shows I understand it. “Lost,” “24” or other shows where there is one detailed storyline each season, I think that it is needed. When you call back to something that happened in the first episode in the twelfth, it helps to have this “hey, remember this?” moment.

One show I started watching this year is “Life Unexpected.” It’s a good show (despite being on the CW) but there is no need to remind viewers of things from the previous episode. Especially when there are exposition scenes explaining what the “previously on” already did.

How stupid do they think we are? Does the American public have that short of an attention span? Maybe I am the exception, but even with shows like “Lost” I don’t need that previously on. I understand all the callbacks the show makes in any given episode.
Hell, I have ADD and my attention span is apparently better than what the studios think that John Q. Public has.

I am not anti this bit of filler, but I just wish that the viewers would get a bit more credit. We know more than you might think.

There is nothing more awesome than when you get a group of fans together and put them in a room to take part in some aspect of their fandom. I had one of those experiences on Thursday.
A few of my friends and I went to see “Evil Dead: The Musical.” It is a musical based on the Evil Dead trilogy, three movies I love. They are campy, funny, gross and just a bit scary. The musical has all of those, plus dancing and music.

I am not here to review the musical. It is the experience I want to write about today. The people who went to “Evil Dead” were
fans of the movies and it showed. In the musical, there are plenty of references to the movies and those involved. When Ash utters his famous “This is my boomstick,” line, the crowed went crazy.

To be in a room full of people who love what you love is simply amazing. The room is basically of the same mind. We clap together, laugh together and get sprayed with blood together.

That’s right, “Evil Dead” is full of blood. I was lucky enough to sit in the first row, which is a part of the “splatter zone.” As Ash hacks and slices up the demons who have possessed his friends, those in the first three rows get covered in “blood.” It was awesome. I could not see anything more than just wet until later in the night when I got back. There were red splotches on my sweatshirt and jeans. Part of me is hoping they don’t come out in the wash. It is just another way for me to remember how truly fun the entire experience was.