It Follows

It Follows, it may, but you won't want to. I was so very excited to go see this movie and I was terrified because it was supposed to be, "One of the scariest horror films in years." But instead, it felt like a movie I would have been shown in school or church to try to steer me away from having sex, but of course minus the nudity.

Speaking of nudity, GROSS! That's all I have to say, the scariest part of this movie would have to be the old naked people that are the "curse." When my niece and I left the theater we both were super confused by why they didn't explain where the curse came from. Instead you are left to just wonder, which didn't really make things scarier by any means, it just made it odd.

Does anyone remember this guy from Mean Girls? Of course you do, because when you saw the movie and he said his ridiculous sayings they stuck with you and they were funny. Well, in It Follows, it's not funny, but it's not really scary either. Maybe if someone would have shown these kids Mean Girls there wouldn't even be a movie to make. Okay let's get back on track, so instead of you get chlamydia and die, you get a creepy (only because they are nasty naked) person following you around trying to kill you. I think there was maybe one part where I jumped, and it was only because something hits a window.
Now, I can't totally discredit the whole movie because I thought the acting was pretty good. I love Keir Gilchrist, he has been one of my favorites since United States of Tara. And despite the plot being, interesting, and the actors doing a great job, it just doesn't leave much to be scared about. Last but not least, I do have to say the main actor, Maika Monroe, has some serious "ride or die" friends, if you will. I won't tell you why but if you watch you'll find out.

So, if you can get around the nasty nudity, which it does say graphic nudity for why it is rated R, but some nudity is good, some is bad, and this is definitely categorized as bad, but if you can get past it then I would say watch it, at least RENT IT, because it is pretty weird. If nudity is not your thing, skip it.

Get Hard

Get Hard, oh how I wanted you to be funny. At times, you were funny, I had a few chuckles here and there, but overall, pretty bad. Obviously I knew going into this movie that there would be a lot of what I refer to as "stupid humor." I have been a diehard fan of Will Ferrell's since SNL, but his last few movies have made me sad. As for Kevin Hart, he is so funny and I thought, no way can you put two funny dudes together and have it not be spectacular, even on a dumb level. I was wrong.

I know there are people out there who will disagree with me and say, this movie was hilarious. I heard several rolling from laughter in the theater, but it just didn't do it for me. The homophobic prison rape jokes get to be too much. While it is funny to see Will Ferrell join a gang, because we all understand it is something that could never actually happen, it couldn't carry the movie. I don't usually agree with RottenTomatoes.com but despite disagreeing, I always check to see how they rated movies. On the Tomatometer it was given a 33% with fans saying 65% liked it, unfortunately, I think that is about where it will stand. I lean more towards the Tomatometer in this case though, it was funny but not enough that I would ever pay for it again. I won't buy it, but I would maybe give it a second chance if it's on TV some day.

In my personal opinion, if you love Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, you might enjoy it, so it's worth a rent. However, if you don't like either of them, or you don't like Will Ferrell, which seems to include a number of people nowadays, probably SKIP IT.

Fruitvale Station

Fruitvale Station is based on the true story of Oscar Grant III. I am embarrassed to say that I did not remember this story until my manager brought up wanting to see the movie. I was living in California when this incident occurred in 2009. I heard here and there about a white cop shooting a young African American but that's all I remembered.

As so many horrible things do in our society, as soon as the next horrific thing happened, I forgot about this story. But, as soon as I saw the preview for the movie I knew I had to see it. I knew it was an Indie film, and if you haven't learned already, I love watching Indie films. According to Wikipedia.org this movie was filmed in 20 days which is incredible. I am unsure whether or not that fact is accurate, but if it is, wow.

I have done a great deal of research about the true facts of this movie and what actually happened. When it comes to true stories I like to find out just how much is actually truth. The underlying point to this story is that justice needs to be served. Oscar Grant was not a "stand up citizen," he had many problems which are documented all over the wonderful world wide web. He sold drugs, went to jail, cheated on his girlfriend (mother of his daughter), and was unable to retain his job. Some of these things are depicted in the movie, there is an added scene which appears to be added to make you feel a sense of connection to the character in a positive manner. But despite who Oscar Grant was or the mistakes (big and small) he made, what happened was unacceptable.

In the movie and through interviews from those who recorded the incident on their phones it appears that Oscar was involved in a scuffle. A fight, is what the police called it, but someone who witnessed it said it seemed to be no more than two guys wrestling. Despite what the fight was or wasn't, cops showed up on the scene. It all lead to Oscar being forced to the ground by a couple cops, face down on the ground, unarmed, a cop pulls his gun and shoots Oscar in the back. This is the fatal shot that (eventually) ended Oscar's life. The officer was charged with manslaughter.

This is a personal side note based on my research, but the officer was given 2 years including time already served, which is LESS than the minimum for manslaughter. However, the officer was let out after 11 months served. To me that is absolutely unacceptable. This is where the justice system failed. I think this movie is completely worth renting. Not only because it is a real life story but because it may cause us to look at the discrepancies within our justice system.

Lee Daniels' The Butler

The Butler, what can I say? I'm going to be honest, I had absolutely no want to see this movie. I have a hard time tolerating Oprah Winfrey (I know I'm the minority) so the fact that she is a lead in this movie made me want to steer clear. On the opposite end of the spectrum I have a great amount of respect for Forest Whitaker and I think he is a brilliant actor.

This is the true life story of Eugene Allen. A lot has happened throughout this man's life and I cannot imagine what it would have been like to recap what it was like to serve under multiple presidents. I understood this film to be the story of a man working as hard as possible to give his family everything.

It is painful to watch at certain points when you watch his eldest son say horrific things to him or learn about his younger son going to war. Watching as Eisenhower talks about how he doesn't necessarily agree with desegregation in schools and knowing that he is that man's butler.

I cannot imagine what it was like to be Mr. Allen and live this life. It was hard for me to watch because at some points I felt like he was doing so much at that time eventually being honored by President Reagan but at the same time having to deal with Presidents who still saw him as just the butler. I know that this is a man's life story and deserves to be respected, however I felt as if the movie was a little long. I wouldn't say that that warrants a "don't watch." I would say if you are interested in the movie go ahead and RENT it, it is worth a view.

Blackfish

This is absolutely, 100% one of the best movies, let alone documentaries I've ever seen. I saw this film on the recommendation of my friend Salwa Sabet and I can not say thank you enough! I have tried to convince everyone I come in contact with to watch it.

I think most kids grew up wanting to go to Sea World. Heck, I was super excited to go to Sea World just a matter of years ago when my parents offered to take me. I, however, am sad to say that will be the last time I ever go to Sea World. It is a sad reality as we get older to realize how animals are treated in things such as the circus and theme parks.

I know for myself I never stopped to think where do they keep these huge animals all the time? I just assured myself, they take care of them and enjoyed my entertainment. It is in that statement alone however that I find the true issue. Animals, especially ones as large as killer whales, were not ever meant to be entertainment for the masses. They are these absolutely amazing creatures who are meant to swim free for miles and miles each day.

This documentary is absolutely a must see for everyone. I don't care if you "don't want to watch because it will make you sad." How do you think the whales feel? I made my mom watch it and she usually only watches movies with happy endings. It is ridiculous what Sea World has done and especially in the cases of their own trainers being injured. Please please please I beg of you, watch this documentary! It will change your life, okay maybe not, but it will change your outlook on Sea World.

In case you missed it, SEE IT! I saw it in the theater and again once it was released.

Rapture-Palooza

This movie is just stupid funny. I am slightly obsessed with Anna Kendrick, she is amazing. I think I've covered this before but I fell hard for her in the first Twilight, so regardless of how terrible some of her films may be, I will see them all.

My guess is this movie was made in the wake of This is the End. Someone decided hey it's really funny to make fun of those who believe in the apocalypse, so let's jump on this bandwagon. It wasn't a terrible idea and although I'm probably in the minority I laughed more during this movie than I did during the previously mentioned.

Before you even start the film you will see one of Craig Robinson's funny moments in the film which I'm going to be honest, I watched over and over and laughed. "Who is a sexy beast, I am a sexy beast." It's funny and ironic so what more could you want.

If you enjoy dark humor/comedy and are not easily offended than I say go ahead and watch this one. It was funny and if I am looking for a no thought worthy but laughable film I would watch this again. Wouldn't pay to see it in the theater, but would rent it again.

Mud

Pay close attention, are you focused in? Great, now the important news. Matthew McConaughey has lost it. I have known this for awhile but kept my opinions to myself, for the most part, because the majority seem to find him incredibly irresistible. Now, while I don't disagree that he is pretty to look at, his acting has been mediocre typically.

This is one of those movies, one of those movies you want to be good but instead, it is just mediocre. The two boys who are in the movie did an amazing job. I don't think it is their fault I didn't love the movie, because I really enjoyed watching them.

I'm honestly not sure what to say about this movie that for the majority you can't get from watching the trailer. I thought the trailer was interesting and that's why I rented the movie, but I felt like I could have taken away the main concepts from just the trailer. I hate that. It is by far one of my biggest pet peeves, I want a trailer to give me just enough that I want to see the movie, but once I see it I don't want to feel like I should have just stuck with the trailer. I'm rambling at this point.

Realistically the only reason I rented this movie was to see Reese Witherspoon because I adore her. This is one film RottenTomatoes.com and I will always disagree on, they rated it very highly, I however would say skip it. My apologies, Reese, I so wanted to like this movie.

Pretty Wild

First things first, thank you E! for this poster. I can't say thank you for the show though. The whole reason I decided to watch this train wreck was because I sat through The Bling Ring and found out these are the girls that movie was based on.

Let me just tell you, the show was just as horrific, if not more so, than the movie. I am unsure how these girls have made it this far in life with the (lack of) parenting that existed. I am not sure where everyone is on encouraging their children to become pornstars or present themselves in Playboy, but that is what this mom was about.

If you would like a guide on how NOT to raise children I strongly suggest watching this show. You could also watch this show if you like watching the strong misfortune of other people. But, if you want to keep all of your braincells I'd go with... SKIP IT!

Compliance

Holy cow! This movie is ridiculous, in the best way possible. I watched this based on a recommendation from my old roommate and friend, Sarah Drake. I had no idea what it was about or (at the time) who the main actress being terrorized even was.

I definitely know who Dreama Walker is now though and I'm glad I do! If you are unaware of this movie or what it is about go ahead and read (True story) about the incidents this movie is based off of. Long story short someone prank calls different facilities and convinces them they are the police and to strip search their employees.

I don't know what is more upsetting about this film the fact that it happened or the fact that people are so willing to believe someone over the phone is who they say they are. If you didn't check out the link I provided about the story be aware that instances such as this have happened over 70 times in multiple states.

If for no other reason than to see what has already happened, watch this movie! It is not appropriate for the children, but it is a good watch. Keep in mind it is rated R for a reason. I would definitely watch this again, this is the perfect example of an Indie film down right!

Fun Size

Fun Size, what a fitting name, not because of the pint size actor, Jackson Nicoll, who steals the show, but because that is about how much fun you can expect from this movie. Before I hate on this movie a great deal, I do have to point out that it was not made for a 26 year old.

I know that "kid movies" are not made just for kids anymore. For years the industry has been revolutionizing how kids movies are made so that parents/aunts/uncles/grandparents/etc don't feel bored during the movie and can enjoy it as well.

This movie doesn't necessarily do that, it has some adult humor in it so I'm not sure it is really for kids under about 10, but I'm not sure those over 15 would enjoy it, so small demographic is a let down. I pretty much only watched it to see Chelsea Handler, I didn't expect miracles from this movie but I didn't laugh nearly the amount I would have liked to.

Was it worth the money I spent at Redbox? Yes. Did it help me not be frightened since it was my follow up movie to a "scary" (Mama) movie? Sure. Was it a movie I would want to sit through again with my nieces and nephew, probably not.

So, if you have children between 10 and 15 who may want to watch this movie, go ahead and allow them. It's not necessarily a pass, but I'm not rushing out to watch it again.

Spring Breakers

Oh my gosh! I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to watch this movie. I guess my thinking consisted of, "Hey, I like James Franco and it would be interesting to see Vanessa Hudgens do something outside of High School Musical."

The sad reality would appear that she was so desperate to escape that stereotype she decided to take part in this horrific film. Words truly cannot express how awful this movie was.

I had high hopes for Ashley Benson of Pretty Little Liars, but will never look at her the same either after this movie. My suggestion would overwhelmingly be, skip this movie! I wish I had even one good thing to say about this movie but I don't. So, I'll keep this review short and (bitter)sweet.

On this movie, I'm going to have to take a hard pass.

Mama

Apologies that it has been so long since I have blogged about the movies I've been watching. I have been keeping track though and I watched this one back in July when my best friend and I wanted to watch a scary movie.

We perused Redbox looking for the perfect choice and I believe this one was chosen because we both knew who the actor Jessica Chastain. It's fair to say that I will watch almost any movie that she is in.

I'm trying to find the words to describe my watching experience during this film and am struggling! It was... different. I would not really say this is a "scary movie." It did capture my attention pretty quickly but I was extremely disappointed in the ending.

However, instead of it seeming like a supernatural horror film where there is this creepy "mama" type figure raising the children, it reminded me of the stories I read about feral children. My mind definitely took the movie a different way than the producer/director had planned.

All that being said, I'd skip it. I liked the whole movie until the ending and unfortunately the ending is so awful that I wished I'd not watched the movie all together.

Sunrise

For this review please check out my other blog:

http://meliestowright.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

White House Down

Mmmmm... Channing Tatum. Oh excuse me, I thought I was alone. No but for real, he was the draw. I didn't expect much from White House Down. You would think I would have learned my lesson about picking films just because Tatum is in them after Magic Mike, but I didn't and in this case it worked out okay!

Going into the movie I thought okay this is another "the terrorists take over the White House," but that's not really the case. I wondered if Tatum could pull of the dad figure in the movie and I'd say he did well. Something tells me that the young actor Joey King makes it easy for anyone to act as her parents. She is adorable and honestly I almost felt like she stole the movie from Tatum and Foxx. She's at times that obnoxious kid that you see and you're like why does she call her parents by their first names but by the end you just love her.

Tatum and Foxx have their fun moments with this movie, which I feel is a reflection of who Foxx must be as a person, not too serious. It's a movie that I feel like both women and men can enjoy together, it's not necessarily for anyone under the age of 12 or 13.

The only part I struggled with during this movie were a few scenes where it is so clear they are not actually at the White House. Now, before someone jumps all over me, I know it's not the White House, but I also know how far we have come in film and some of those scenes could have looked a lot better. Overall though it was a decent movie. I wouldn't pay for it again in theaters, but I'd definitely rent it to watch with friends or family. I loved that the movie made the president a real person which I know a lot of people struggle to remember he's just a normal guy, fictitious or not. The end of the film is adorable and I was happy it came to completion the way it did.

So, rent it... it's a good action movie with a little bit of humor

The Heat

A-maz-ing! Okay, I've obviously seen a lot of movies already this year, but so far this is my favorite! I saw it the day it came out and went again for my birthday because I just couldn't get enough! I'm struggling to find words to even explain how I feel about The Heat, mainly because I just freaking loved it!

Let's be real for a second, I wondered what this duo could do together. I was fearful that the commercials would give away all of the funny parts. And after seeing Identity Thief I was really worried that it would end up not being funny at all. I love Bullock, I'm down with watching any of her films and McCarthy, love her too. You see, McCarthy and I go way back, we go back to the Gilmore Girls days, so when I say I am a fan, I'm not a new Oh I saw her in Bridesmaids fan. All though, I did love her as Megan!

So with much excitement and anticipation I saw the movie... and loved it! It is so funny these two ladies play off of each other so well you will be laughing the whole way through. I rarely get a good laugh out of films and this one had me laughing so hard I was tearing up. The concept, delivery, and execution were just phenomenal and this is a movie that I really hope has a part two.

I have recommended this film to everyone who asks and not once have I had someone come back and say they were disappointed. It is the perfect funny summer movie! If you hadn't gotten the hint by now, I love love love this movie! I cannot say enough good things about it, especially without ruining it for you. So... GO, go now and see it in the theaters. You won't regret it!

A Perfect Ending

This was a movie I was asked to watch by one of my Twitter followers. I had no hesitancy since I like watching all types of film, but I've found that most film companies that produce gay/lesbian are not known very well. This is unfortunate because it means that most people side step the films out of fear they will fall into a bad indie film.

I watched the preview before actually watching the film and all though I wasn't very interested in it after that, I watched it anyways. I'm going to be brutally honest in saying that I did not enjoy this film at all. The only part I liked were the scenes with the attractive children of the main character. I don't know which part of the movie I struggled with more, but honestly I believe it had less to do with the characters and more to do with the concept.

I strongly dislike movies where there is cheating happening, even if one of the characters is not being sexually satisfied, that is not a reason to cheat. I struggled with the intimate scenes between Niven and Clark, I didn't feel the chemistry that should be there and felt sort of like I was watching porn. I know that it is more and more acceptable for those extremely intimate scenes to be shown in movies and even television but I like it better when something is left to the imagination. I also had a hard time because at times I felt like the relationship was less sexy and more mother comforting her broken daughter which led to me feeling uncomfortable.

There are so many, what feels like, subplots to this movie that it makes it difficult to navigate everything. I didn't understand why the daughter had to be messed up for there to be that final connection at the end of the movie. Honestly, there was just too much going on. I think the movie was shot well, just not my kind of movie.

I hate to say it, but if you've read my other reviews and you agree with me typically, skip it. If you think my reviews are terrible, go ahead and watch it.

That 70's Show

First review for a TV show, hooray! I said I would occasionally review TV shows and since I just finished watching every episode of That 70's Show I figured I should probably review it.

Now, when That 70's Show started airing I was only eleven, but for the next 7 years I would watch it off and on, you know how it goes, junior high and high school were really busy so I wasn't able to see them all. But, when I saw it became available on Netflix Instant (thank you), I decided it was time to watch those unseen episodes but not only that but in order!

I love this show. I think regardless of where you are at in life almost everyone who was a typical teenager can relate to this groups antics. I love all of the characters and I would have to say Red was definitely one of my favorites and may on occasion want to put my foot in someone's ass.

I think one of my favorite things became the license plate and how the year changed, especially for that final episode. It was the closing the year 1980. Now this is going to contain some spoilers but if you haven't watched it by now, my guess is you don't really care to. I really liked the series finale. There are so many shows that end terribly now and every time I'm left so frustrated that I've invested all this time, energy and emotion into a show (even a simple sitcom, don't lie you get caught up too) to have the writers be like eh, screw it, it's over here's your ending. I love that Eric and Donna are together and I loved that even if it was just for the finale all the main characters came back.

This is just a side note, but I have a really hard time not being irritated with the characters that Wilmer Valderrama now chooses to play. You should have just stopped with Fez. Also, I still want to know where Fez was supposed to be from! If you're bored and you want a TV series to watch that will cause you to laugh, check it out.

This is the End

Oh how I wanted this to be funnier than it was. There is a good chance that other's will disagree with me on my review but that's why it's my blog and not theirs! I think maybe I expected too much from these guys. Sometimes, for me, when a movie gets a lot of hype I end up being really disappointed. Now I was not really disappointed but I wasn't overjoyed either.

There are definitely some very funny parts to this movie. Although it was in the commercials the part with Emma Watson definitely made me laugh. I also love that Baruchel's character (himself but not, I'm assuming) hates the other guys with the exception of Rogen. There is something about him that I think is adorable and I could totally picture him being the odd man out.

Franco's obsession with Rogen is also pretty funny, don't worry I don't think I'm ruining anything here, it's not a plot point! However, I'm going to discuss some SPOILERS now so just beware. The part with Channing Tatum was ridiculous! I'm still not sure whether to think it was good ridiculous or bad ridiculous but I laughed none-the-less. The second spoiler is the that I thought it was completely unnecessary to show the Devil's junk. I did not find it funny and that is not because I'm a prude. SPOILERS COMPLETE

I couldn't help but think throughout the movie that if Kirk Cameron wanted to scare people that maybe he should have made his Left Behind series a little more like this movie, fire all over and a scary Satan. Anyways, all that to say, did I need to see it in the theater and would I recommend you to? No. I would save your money, have some friends over and rent it.

Now You See Me

I've always been a sucker for magic. I remember going to Vegas as a kid with my parents and begging to see a magic show. So, when I saw the preview for this movie months ago, I knew I wanted to see it! This was the first movie in months that I have really been excited to see.

I am a big fan of Isla Fisher & Woody Harrelson so a film that combined the two sounded lovely! I also am growing very fond of Dave Franco, even though the Franco brothers talk funny. I really didn't know much about this film other than it was magicians who robbed a bank, but there is more to the plot than that. This film is fun and interesting and it is different from other movies that are coming out right now.

I have to say that my mom and I rarely really enjoy the same movies. Usually she loves it or I love it, but this was one film that we both walked out of and really enjoyed.

I watched two interviews regarding this movie before I saw it. The first interview I saw was just snippets and it was an interview with Eisenberg and then commentary about how he was less than nice with the interviewer. I didn't pay much attention to it, the one thing I did notice is that it seems Eisenberg has been typecast. Now, I'm not sure if that is because he is actually like those characters in real life or because he enjoys being the opposite of who he really is. Either way he did the role well. The second interview which I watched was with Chelsea Handler and was with Isla Fisher. That interview was actually fun to watch and she said that when she was doing her own stunt in the water tank she had to learn to hold her breath for two and a half minutes. She also spoke about how her chain actually got stuck and she was panicking but they just thought that she was acting really well and she had to pull the safety release for herself! Either way, Fisher, whether you were acting or actually... drowning... you did a great job. Kudos to you for learning to hold your breath for that long, because to me it seems like eternity.

This movie is theater worthy for sure! If you don't want to spend the money to see it in the theater, add it to your Netflix list now!  

The Hangover: Part III

I am so glad this was not like Part II. I was reluctant to see Part III but decided I would anyways, especially with a little encouragement from my niece. I only somewhat liked Part II, I hate when movies repeat what happened in the first film and try to play it like it's a different film. We all know it was the same plot just a different country!

Okay, my bitterness aside about Part II, I also wanted to see Part III because they shut down the freeway by my house in CA to film a small part of this film. It's fun to recognize things in movies that are right by your house.

So, I did not read too many people's reviews about this movie because I did not want to be corrupted one way or the other. Needless to say, I laughed quite a few times during the movie. There are several parts that are just so ridiculous you can't help but find yourself chuckling. If you've seen the movie, one of my favorite scenes is Galifianakis with "Carlos." If you haven't seen it then I guess you should enjoy it when you rent it.

The guys are up to some of their same old antics and of course Ken Jeong has a part in this film. Honestly, he usually really irritates me, he is over the top and most of the time unnecessary. That's not to say I loved him in this movie, but he was more tolerable, again especially compared to Part II.

I don't know if I could possibly say this is better than the second one anymore, apologies for being repetitive but it's truth! Anyways, I got some good laughs and that is what I was hoping for and I was okay with the fact that I saw it in the theater. I would say if you enjoyed the first movie, definitely rent this one!