Movie A Day: Day 40

Cover of The Usual Suspects (Special Editon)

Todays movie is The Usual Suspects

Following a truck hijack in New York, five conmen (Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey) are arrested and brought together for questioning. As none of them is guilty, they plan a revenge operation against the police. The operation goes well, but then the influence of a legendary mastermind criminal called Keyser Söze is felt. It becomes clear that each one of them has wronged Söze at some point and must pay back now. The payback job leaves 27 men dead in a boat explosion, but the real question arises now: Who actually is Keyser Söze?

-Via IMDB

This is a very interesting movie. I’m sure most of you have seen it. If you haven’t then you should go do that right now. So many other movies and other forms of popular culture are still referencing this movie. Before you watch another heist or con movie, watch this.

Recommendation: Buy

Movie A Day: Day 38

Image via Wikipedia

Todays movie is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I found this on a disk when i was cleaning my room. Couldn’t remember watching it so its perfect for this.

In the Victorian London, the barber Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is married to the gorgeous Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly) and they have a lovely child, Johanna (Played by various actresses depending on age). The beauty of Lucy attracts the attention of the corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who falsely accuses the barber of a crime that he did not commit and abuses Lucy later after gaining custody of her. After fifteen years in exile, Benjamin returns to London under the new identity of Sweeney Todd, seeking revenge against Turpin. He meets the widow Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) who is the owner of a meat pie shop who tells him that Lucy committed suicide with arsenic many years ago, and Turpin assigned himself tutor of Johanna. He opens a barber shop above her store, initiating a crime rampage against those who made him suffer and lose his beloved family.

-Via IMDB

This is a very Tim Burton movie. If you’ve seen the remake of Willy Wonka, this has the same appearance/theme only more R-rated.

Recommendation: Buy

Movie A Day: Day 37

Image via Wikipedia

Today’s movie is Going Postal. Its a made for TV movie but a movie nonetheless.

Based on Terry Pratchett’s 33rd Discworld novel involves a skillful con artist Moist Von Lipwig (Richard Coyle) who finds the tables turned and it’s he himself who conned into becoming the Ankh-Morpork Postmaster General. A position that has not been filled in years.

Having read the book Going Postal it is difficult to fully enjoy this movie because i know how the story should be. But, having said that, this is an enjoyable movie. If you enjoy the Terry Prachett books then you should still like this. Even if you’ve never read the books then you will enjoy this. Unfortunately I don’t think you can buy this on DVD yet but there are a few torrents and other places to download it.

Recommendation: Buy (Figuratively)

Movie A Day: Day 35

Image via Wikipedia

Todays movie is The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage) is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina). Balthazar can’t do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel), a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. It’ll take all the courage Dave can muster to survive his training, save the city and get the girl as he becomes The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

-Synopsis From IMDB

This was an alright movie. It was a typical Disney movie. There’s the unwilling (at first) hero, his teacher, a threat and an impending bigger threat. There were some entertaining scenes but altogether it was a mediocre film.

Recommendation: Download

Movie A Day: Day 34

Cover via Amazon

Todays movie is The Aviator

This movie is about the rich director/aviator Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio). It follows his life from the late 1920’s to the mid-1940’s. It shows the production of one of his biggest films, Hells Angels, the construction of the Hercules plane (Later known as the Spruce Goose) and his many relationships with movie stars such as Ava Gardner (Kate Beckinsale) and Katharine Hepburn (Cate Blanchett).

Its a great movie. The way its made, the story, the characters, everything. The only problem is that it is REALLY long. Too long. I got bored because of some of the long scenes at the end.

Recommendation: BUY

Movie A Day: Day 33

Cover of Fools Rush In

Todays movie was a suggestion from Miroslav G. It’s Fools Rush In.

This movie is about two people, Alex Whitman and Isabel Fuentes (Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek) who have a one night stand one day in Vegas. She gets pregnant and they decide to get married. After a quick Elvis wedding they both have to deal with their families and their different cultures.

Its a typical romance movie. A Sunday afternoon movie. There really is nothing special about it. Matthew Perry is quite funny. The rest is average

Recommendation: Download

Movie A Day: Day 32

Image via Wikipedia

Todays movie is Wag the Dog

This movie is about a time close to an American election. But, not long before the election, a story about the President (Michael Belson) fooling around with a dancing girl is leaked and so the White House calls in Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro) a man who can spin this or make the people ignore it. So Brean decides to invent a war between the USA and Albania. He hires a movie producer (Dustin Hoffman) and the two of them try to make a movie and footage to temporarily convince the American people there is a threat and to keep them distracted.

This movie is very similar to Doctor Strangelove It shows how a war can arise out of something really silly. This is a really good movie but there are still many better movies.

Recommendation: Download

Movie A Day: Days 28, 29 and 30

Cover via Amazon

In case you missed the last post this review is for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, and Lord of The Rings: Return of The King

These movies are adapted from the Lord of The Rings book trilogy. If you haven’t read them, then you should. These movies are about a fantastical place called Middle Earth. For many, many years (decades, centuries, whatever) it was ruled by the Dark Lord Sauron using power from the ring he had made. After he was defeated, the ring found its way to a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). When Bilbo decides to leave The Shire, the ring is given to the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) who is tasked with giving it to another hobbit, Frodo (Elijah Wood). Frodo finds out of the power of the ring and is advised by Gandalf to take it away from the shire. Frodo then begins a long journey to Mount Doom, which is the only place the ring can truly be destroyed. With help from a group of people known as the Fellowship of the Ring, he crosses Middle Earth all the while fighting the forces of evil who have been sent to retrieve the ring by Sauron and the evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) who is regaining power.

Each movie is incredibly good but they are not all as good as each other. The Fellowship of the Ring is definitely my favorite, it has the best part of the story and really sets up for a good trilogy. The Two Towers is my least favorite, it has the feel of just being a movie made to join the Fellowship of The Ring to the final part, The Return of The King. The Return of The King is quite good but not quite as good at the Fellowship of the Ring.

You should definitely watch all these movies. In fact on a rainy Sunday, go to the video store and buy them all and sit down and watch them from start to finish. Valentines day is soon, if you’re all alone then would be a good time.

Recommendation: BUY!!!!

 

Movie A Day: The Next Three Days

There won’t be a review until Sunday because I am going to watch the Lord of The Rings trilogy and I think it’s pointless to review all three as I watch them.

So… until Sunday…

Movie A Day: Day 27

Cover of Surrogates

Todays movie is Surrogates

A man named Canter (James Cromwell and others) invented robots that humans use instead of their actual bodies. They become the surrogates. Their mind and feelings etc. Canter invented them so people with disabilities could have full mobility again. Soon everyone has a surrogate and uses them so they can stay at home and be safe from injury and disease. One day someone kills a surrogate but instead of fail-safes activating to prevent damage to the operator, the operator is killed too. Then FBI agent Tom Greer (Bruce Willis) is called in to find out who did it. Someone has a weapon that kills people by killing their surrogates.

This is a great idea for a movie. I really enjoyed it. When you saw a surrogate, you really believed it was a robot and not a person. Not sure if it was makeup or the way the people acted but it was amazing. It was a bit confusing at parts but overall it was a really good movie.

Recommendation: BUY