Some Trailers

Here's some trailers from movies on my "highly anticipated" list
All the King's Men
Babel
Dreamgirls
Southland Tales
Zodiac

The Omen

The Omen- D-
It seemed that Hollywood was actually making some decent sequels and remakes then The Omen came along. I really couldn't think of any activity that might be as boring as this movie. Watching golf might me more entertaining. The Omen is movie making at its worst. It fails in every regard. Julia Stiles is really pathetic, and Mia Farrow is horribly miscast. Although there are a few jumpy moments, the movie fails miserably at being scary. If there was a climax, I missed it. Too top it all off, the movie tries desperately to be artistic in it's filming and lighting effects, which makes it impossible to even be considered as a cult favorite. So far, The Omen is winning as the "Worst Movie of the Year". Here come the Razzie Awards. If you don't know what the Razzies are, check this out. Razzie Awards

V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta- B+
There are only a handful of movies that are able to successfully combine visually stunning action sequences, dramatic and convincing acting, and a message that actually provokes some thought. Without the non-stop action, this movie would be memorable and satisfying. Evey is rescued by a masked man known as V, who is in the midst of igniting a revolution against futuristic totalitarian Britain. The story may be considered overcomplicated to some, and there were times throughout the movie when I remember wishing that certain scenes would have been discarded. Regardless, the movie is powerful and memorable.

"must see" comedy clips

Here are two "must see" funny clips- hilarious stuff
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8610362188397291938
www.youtube.com/results?search=grape+lady+falls&search_type=search_videos&search=Search

Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2006

10- Zodiac- David Fincher (Fight Club) now tackles the subject of serial killer. Throw in Gyllenhaal (Jake), Downey Jr., Ruffalo, and Selvigny and you got a good movie...hopefully.
9- Prairie Home Companion- Who ever thought that Lindsay Lohan and Meryl Streep would make a movie together. Apparently Altman did.
8- Southland Tales- Listen to this cast- The Rock, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore, Jeneane Garofalo, Sheri Oteri, and Sean William Scott. The cast sounds so strange that I have to be excited. Plus it's directed by Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko).
7- Volver- The newest film by Pedro Almodovar got great reviews at Cannes. I can't wait...although I hate Penelope Cruz. Maybe Pedro gave her some acting lessons.
6- Dreamgirls- I'm just hoping that Hollywood keeps making Musicals. After the last few flops, I'm praying the genre doesn't go away.
5- Babel- The creators of Amores perros and 21 Grams team up again. This time with Pitt, Cate Blanchett,and my personal favorite Gael Garcia Bernal.
4- All the King's Men- A remake of the original with Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Patricia Clarkson, Mark Ruffalo and Sean Penn.
3- Inland Empire- I adore David Lynch. Starring Dern, Theroux (from Mulholland Dr.) Julia Ormond, and Jeremy Irons. Lynch needs an Oscar!
2- Little Children- When the director of In the Bedroom makes another movie about the underbelly of suburbia starring Kate Winslet, you can help but be excited.
1- For Your Consideration- A Christopher Guest mockumentary about the Oscar Race...and all the favorites are back.

X-Men and Poseidon

X- Men 3: The Last Stand- B- - I'm a big fan of these movies. To me, they're more than action movies. They revolve around a fabulous central theme of the minorities fighting the majority for their rights, with the minorities divided in two, each thinking their approach is warrented. Generally, the action, story, acting, etc, are great. But, the third installment fell below my expectations, being the worst of the three...but hey, there has to be a "worst of the 3" to every trilogy. I did loved seeing Magneto and Xavier show mutual repect and admiraation for each other although they are enemies.
Poseidon (2006) C- - Another remake gone bad. I know I sound like a broken record, but here goes. Horrible acting, horrible story, repetitive, and cliche. The only reason I didn't give this movie an F is because of the only thing that movies seem to accel at these days...special effects. They're pretty incredible, and just might be reason enough to rent it. I miss Shelley Winters though.

Movies from South Africa

I recently spent some time in South Africa. Due to South Africa's devistating history (and recovery), the country has produced some remarkable films. Here are some
Yesterday (2004)- A women by the name of Yesterday discovers he is HIV+ while living in rural South Africa. Her one goal is to live long enough see her only daughter off on her first day of school. The movie is personal and profound as it confronts the denial and eventual hope caused by AIDS in Africa. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. It was South Africa's first nomination.
Tsosti (2005)- This was the second film to ever be nominated for an Academy Award from South Africa, and the first win. The movie follows 6 days of a young gang member in Johannesburg. Having spent a lot of time in the townships of South Africa, this movie is an accurate depiction of violence in the townships. The acting won't win many awards, but the overall feeling of the movie is powerful and the story is inspiring.
Cry the Beloved Country (1995)- This is an American made movie, but is about South Africa in the 1940s. It stars James Earl Jones and Richard Harris as two fathers, on black on white, bound by the same tragedy...the loss of their sons. This is a remake of the 1951 movie of the same title, staring Sidney Poitier, which I have not seen.
Mandela (1996) Long Night's Journey into Day (2000)- Two extremely powerful documentaries on Apartied.

Mission Impossible III and Last Holiday

Movies 2006
Since the 2005 Academy Awards I've taken a bit of a movie break. But not totally...
Mission Impossible 3- B-
It's exactly what you expect. It's an action thriller that attempts to have some emotion. It does have both action and emotion, but both are only half-hearted. You may walk out remembering some great action moments, but the characters are all fairly forgettable, except Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays a great bad guy. As far as Cruise action movies go, the trilogy has done a good job, and will most likely be remembered for years to come, but I'm hoping this will be the last time I have to sit through the ridiculous extended slow-motion scenes.
Last Holiday- D+
Last Holiday is a cliche about a single women stuck working retail and eating Lean Cuisine. She finds out she's going to die and decides that she will take the holiday she's always wanted and live life to the fullest. If you intend to do the same, don't waste your time or money on this movie. There's not much that's redeeming about Queen Latifah's (Oscar Nominee) performance, but I have to admit that there is something contagious about watching her. I'm hoping one day she might find a good script that isn't so cliche and a director that might try to say something slightly interesting.