Breaking Dawn - Movie Review

Don Wake is a troubled soul whose secrets run deep. As the medical student assigned to the case pushes Don to reveal the true events that lead to his mother's murder, the mention of a menacing figure named Malachi leads her to believe that Don's paranoia has reached new heights. As a strange figure begins to stalk the suspicious student's every move, she is forced to question whether Don is telling the truth about the mysterious Malachi, or her overactive imagination is suddenly getting the best of her.

I watched this film on a whim and had no expectations, but I was very impressed. It's a low budget film and I'm not sure if it was even released in the theater or just straight to DVD. The acting, however, is top notch and stars Angelina Jolie's brother along with Kelly Overton who hasn't done any movies of note which makes it even more of a find. If you like psychological thrillers, this one's for you. It will confuse you in the beginning, become even more confusing in the middle and make perfect sense in the end. I doubt you'll be able to guess the ending before you get there which is a big plus in my book and it never gets too frustrating that you want to give up on it before the payoff. Bonus: If you're a Comcast digital cable customer, you can see it for free On-Demand which is how I came to watch it. So, you have nothing to lose - except your sanity...

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Kelly Overton, James Haven, Sarah-Jane Potts

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Overview of My First 300 Movie Reviews

Below is a collected list of my first 300 movie reviews (from best to worst). The first column is my rating (out of 5). The second column is my answer to "Would I watch it again?" The third column is the name of the movie with a link to my original post.

4.5 - Yes - Hotel Rwanda
4.5 - Yes - Sin City
4.5 - Yes - The Aviator
4.5 - Yes - Saving Private Ryan
4.5 - Yes - Capote
4.5 - Yes - March of the Penguins
4.5 - Yes - The Godfather: Part II
4.5 - Yes - Million Dollar Baby
4.5 - Yes - American History X
4.5 - Yes - Cinderella Man
4.5 - Yes - Cars
4 - Yes - The Jacket
4 - Yes - Saw II
4 - Yes - Oldboy
4 - Yes - Coach Carter
4 - Yes - Crash
4 - Yes - 11:14
4 - Yes - Saw III
4 - Yes - V for Vendetta
4 - Yes - The Godfather
4 - Yes - Walk the Line
4 - Yes - Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
4 - Yes - Stephen Hawking's Universe
4 - Yes - Murderball
4 - Yes - Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
4 - Yes - Murder on a Sunday Morning
4 - Yes - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
4 - Yes - Lucky Number Slevin
4 - Yes - Donnie Brasco
4 - Yes - Hoop Dreams
4 - Yes - Hide and Seek
4 - Yes - Miracle
4 - Yes - South Park: The Passion of the Jew
4 - No - The Constant Gardener
4 - No - King Kong
4 - No - The Island
4 - No - Ladder 49
4 - No - Thank You for Smoking
4 - No - World Trade Center
4 - No - Stevie
3.5 - Yes - The Machinist
3.5 - Yes - Eternal Sunshine of the spotless Mind
3.5 - Yes - Rent
3.5 - Yes - The Da Vinci Code
3.5 - Yes - Taking Lives
3.5 - Yes - Stay
3.5 - Yes - A Lot Like Love
3.5 - Yes - Matchstick Men
3.5 - Yes - Syriana
3.5 - No - Kinsey
3.5 - No - Born Into Brothels
3.5 - No - Guess Who
3.5 - No - Madagascar
3.5 - No - Batman Begins
3.5 - No - Lords of Dogtown
3.5 - No - Memoirs of a Geisha
3.5 - No - Munich
3.5 - No - North Country
3.5 - No - Domino
3.5 - No - United 93
3.5 - No - Bridget Jones Diary
3.5 - No - Wordplay
3.5 - No - The Sentinel
3.5 - No - The Devil Wears Prada
3.5 - No - Cold Mountain
3.5 - No - Something's Gotta Give
3.5 - No - An Unfinished Life
3.5 - No - The Guardian
3.5 - No - X-Men
3.5 - No - Akeelah and the Bee
3.5 - No - The Illusionist
3.5 - No - Glory Road
3.5 - No - Assault on Precinct 13
3.5 - No - Something the Lord Made
3.5 - No - Tsotsi
3.5 - No - 16 Blocks
3.5 - No - Over the Hedge
3.5 - No - Eight Below
3.5 - No - Troy
3.5 - No - Hostage
3.5 - No - Cellular
3.5 - No - Match Point
3.5 - No - The Chronicles of Narnia
3.5 - No - RV
3 - Yes - Constantine
3 - Yes - The Ring Two
3 - Yes - The Motorcycle Diaries
3 - Yes - Clerks
3 - No - Ocean's Twelve
3 - No - Friday Night Lights
3 - No - Seabiscuit
3 - No - Mr. & Mrs. Smith
3 - No - Grizzly Man
3 - No - Melinda and Melinda
3 - No - Without a Paddle
3 - No - War of the Worlds
3 - No - Final Destination
3 - No - Wedding Crashers
3 - No - Hustle & Flow
3 - No - The Interpreter
3 - No - Four Brothers
3 - No - Good Night, and Good Luck
3 - No - End of the Spear
3 - No - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
3 - No - Mrs. Henderson Presents
3 - No - Brick
3 - No - What the "Bleep" Do We Know?
3 - No - Two For The Money
3 - No - The Transporter
3 - No - The Horse Whisperer
3 - No - Failure to Launch
3 - No - Fantastic Four
3 - No - Pirates of Silicon Valley
3 - No - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
3 - No - 8 Mile
3 - No - Firewall
3 - No - Little Miss Sunshine
3 - No - The Matador
3 - No - Snatch
3 - No - Malena
3 - No - After the Sunset
3 - No - Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator
3 - No - The Polar Express
3 - No - Beyond the Sea
3 - No - Why We Fight
3 - No - Brokeback Mountain
3 - No - Hard Candy
3 - No - Final Destination 3
3 - No - Get Shorty
3 - No - Close Your Eyes
3 - No - Running Scared
3 - No - The Butterfly Effect 2
3 - No - Around the Bend
3 - No - Green Street Hooligans
3 - No - Pride & Prejudice
3 - No - The Squid and the Whale
3 - No - Flightplan
3 - No - The Omen
3 - No - Prime
3 - No - Poseidon
3 - No - Just Like Heaven
3 - No - Crank
3 - No - King Arthur
3 - No - Chocolat
3 - No - Grosse Pointe Blank
3 - No - Derailed
3 - No - Team America: World Police
3 - No - The Haunted Mansion
3 - No - School of Rock
3 - No - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
2.5 - No - Finding Neverland
2.5 - No - In Good Company
2.5 - No - Shall We Dance?
2.5 - No - Last Holiday
2.5 - No - The Transporter 2
2.5 - No - The Producers
2.5 - No - Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
2.5 - No - Inside Man
2.5 - No - Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
2.5 - No - Aeon Flux
2.5 - No - The Final Cut
2.5 - No - Monster-In-Law
2.5 - No - The Perfect Storm
2.5 - No - The Skeleton Key
2.5 - No - Click
2.5 - No - The Benchwarmers
2.5 - No - Beyond the Gates of Splendor
2.5 - No - Fun With Dick and Jane
2.5 - No - Clerks II
2.5 - No - You, Me and Dupree
2.5 - No - Just Friends
2.5 - No - Corpse Bride
2.5 - No - Suspect Zero
2.5 - No - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
2.5 - No - Grandma's Boy
2.5 - No - Trapped
2.5 - No - Find Me Guilty
2.5 - No - Lord of War
2.5 - No - Devil's Playground
2.5 - No - A Scanner Darkly
2.5 - No - Jarhead
2.5 - No - Love Actually
2.5 - No - Undiscovered
2.5 - No - A History of Violence
2.5 - No - The Wild
2.5 - No - The Godfather: Part III
2.5 - No - Cheaper By the Dozen 2
2.5 - No - Half Light
2.5 - No - The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
2.5 - No - Downfall
2.5 - No - The Last Kiss
2.5 - No - The Longest Yard
2.5 - No - Spanglish
2.5 - No - The Break-Up
2.5 - No - Little Voice
2.5 - No - Art School Confidential
2.5 - No - From Hell
2.5 - No - Elizabethtown
2.5 - No - The Ringer
2.5 - No - Born Rich
2.5 - No - London
2.5 - No - The Family Stone
2.5 - No - The Pink Panther
2.5 - No - Stay Alive
2.5 - No - House of Sand and Fog
2.5 - No - The 40-Year-Old Virgin
2.5 - No - Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
2.5 - No - Black Cloud
2.5 - No - Twisted
2.5 - No - Home on the Range
2.5 - No - The Upside of Anger
2.5 - No - The Passion of the Christ
2.5 - No - Chicken Little
2.5 - No - Wimbledon
2 - No - Dukes of Hazzard
2 - No - Nacho Libre
2 - No - Sahara
2 - No - Scoop
2 - No - National Treasure
2 - No - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2 - No - Be Cool
2 - No - Transamerica
2 - No - Monster House
2 - No - The Ice Harvest
2 - No - Must Love Dogs
2 - No - Freedomland
2 - No - Dark Water
2 - No - In Her Shoes
2 - No - Beautiful Girls
2 - No - Eight Crazy Nights
2 - No - Rumor Has It
2 - No - Raising Helen
2 - No - Trauma
2 - No - Fever Pitch
2 - No - Snakes on a Plane
2 - No - Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
2 - No - Monster's Ball
2 - No - Final Destination 2
2 - No - About Schmidt
2 - No - Curious George
2 - No - Havoc
2 - No - Milwaulkee, Minnesota
2 - No - Cache (Hidden)
2 - No - The Black Dahlia
2 - No - Hostel
2 - No - Hard Luck
2 - No - The Ant Bully
2 - No - Wolf Creek
2 - No - Win a Date With Tad Hamilton
2 - No - Yours, Mine & Ours
2 - No - Everything Is Illuminated
2 - No - John Tucker Must Die
2 - No - Best in Show
2 - No - Hoodwinked
2 - No - Proof
2 - No - Mini's First Time
2 - No - Christmas with the Kranks
2 - No - Alfie
2 - No - Shopgirl
2 - No - The Hills Have Eyes
2 - No - An American Haunting
2 - No - The Wedding Date
2 - No - A Sound of Thunder
2 - No - Red Eye
2 - No - Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
2 - No - Edmond
2 - No - Alexander
2 - No - The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
2 - No - The Brother's Grimm
2 - No - Down in the Valley
2 - No - Date Movie
2 - No - The River King
2 - No - Open Water
2 - No - Loverboy
2 - No - Imaginary Heroes
2 - No - Waiting
2 - No - A Very Long Engagement
1.5 - No - Bewitched
1.5 - No - Annapolis
1.5 - No - Mr. 3000
1.5 - No - The Weather Man
1.5 - No - The Lake House
1.5 - No - The Ladykillers
1.5 - No - Factotum
1.5 - No - White Noise
1.5 - No - The Great New Wonderful
1.5 - No - Slither
1.5 - No - The Pacifier
1.5 - No - Master of Disguise
1.5 - No - The Cat in the Hat
1 - No - Pulse
1 - No - Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
1 - No - Napoleon Dynamite
1 - No - When a Stranger Calls
1 - No - The New World
1 - No - Subject Two
1 - No - Criminal
1 - No - Friends With Money
1 - No - The Cave
1 - No - Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow

From Hell - ACE Train Movie Review

In 1888, a ruthless and cold-blooded killer begins hunting prostitutes in East London, and while the murderer's work is savage, the mutilation of his victims suggests the fiend has an extensive medical background. Amidst a background of political unrest and barely contained scandal among the royal family, the murderer's grisly exploits shock and frighten all of England, and one of Scotland Yard's top inspectors, Fred Abberline, is put on the case, along with his partner, Peter Godley. As Abberline and Godley investigate the neighborhood where the crimes occur, they become acquainted with the prostitutes and street people who were friends and compatriots of the victims, and Abberline finds himself falling in love with Mary Kelly, a beautiful Irish streetwalker. As Abberline tries to identify the killer before Mary Kelly can become the next victim, he and Godley have to contend with Sir Charles Warren, their superior who is keen to pin the murders on a culprit who isn't British, and Sir William Gull, a respected physician who has his own ideas about the murders and the benefits of psychosurgery.

This film was OK - nothing special. The story of Jack the Ripper is fascinating because the killer did his dirty work in semi-public places, but was never caught. Similar to the more recent Zodiac Killer, there were several suspects that could have been the killer, but nobody was ever brought to justice. The film was speculative and was based on the graphic novel by the same name, but it didn't do the story justice. It was pretty bland and not full of the type of emotion I would expect from a case of this magnitude. Johnny Depp and Heather Graham didn't do a bad job, but I just wasn't drawn into the story and wasn't on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next. Seeing that the graphic novel was award winning and good enough to inspire a film, maybe I should have just read that.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Guardian - ACE Train Movie Review

Ben Randall was the best swimmer of his graduating class, but upon surfacing as the sole survivor of an Alaskan rescue mission attempted during a Category Three storm, his outlook on life has grown increasingly jaded. Now, as hotshot young swimmer Jake Fischer arrives at Coast Guard rescue school looking to accomplish something meaningful with his life, he will be forced to endure the rigorous training methods of a man who expects nothing less than the very best in order to become a member of one of the most elite rescue squads on the planet.

This is a good movie that shows the US Coast Guard in a very positive light. The plot is pretty interesting, although a bit predictable. Kevin Costner did an excellent job playing an aging Coast Guard diver approaching the end of his career. I wasn't as impressed with Ashton Kutcher's performance, however. He seemed too nonchalant with the situations he was presented with - not cocky, which he was supposed to be, but a little goofy like he was going to punk someone. Anyway, this film will ensure that you appreciate the lengths the Coast Guard will go to save the lives of strangers who get into trouble at sea. They're a rare breed and it makes for a pretty intense movie.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Sela Ward

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Pulse - ACE Train Movie Review

A doorway between the human realm and the spiritual realm has been opened, and now the technology that once made humankind the ruler of the planet has become its digital Achilles heel. With every call made and every e-mail checked, life is slowly being stolen from the living and claimed for the dead. With no way of turning off the connection and no means of reasoning with a force they cannot understand, a desperate group of college students must discover a means of stopping the takeover before the entire planet is transformed into a cosmic haunting ground for wayward souls in search of a home.

It's difficult to make a good horror film and this is the perfect example of a great idea, but bad execution. The thought of evil spirits using the information superhighway as their literal highway to wreak havoc on humanity is a good plot for a horror film. However, there has to be some substance (i.e. multiple plotlines and/or deep characters) to round out the movie. Instead, the monsters start attacking the characters without developing the characters enough to really make the audience care about the fact they're being knocked off. Also, the movie is full of horror film cliches like "I'll go break into the the apartment of the guy who just killed himself, by myself - I'm sure nothing bad will happen" and "I'll walk TOWARD the books flying off the shelf at the library - I'm sure they just dropped by themselves." So, take that, add a sucky ending, throw in a pinch of "not scary" and you have the recipe for a horror film disaster.

Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Kristen Bell, Rick Gonzalez, Zach Grenier

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

X-Men - Movie Review

Psychic Professor Xavier leads a school of skilled mutants called X-Men, a peacekeeping force to safeguard the world against a race of genetically mutated humans known as Homo Sapiens Superior. However, Magneto, a mutant with a powerful magnetic charge, has also begun to organize a team to strike first against what he believes to be a threat from humanity. When he kidnaps Rogue from the X-Men's compound, Xavier and his forces must rescue her, even as they continue to vie with Magneto for the fearsomely strong mutant battler Wolverine. Both Xavier and Magneto also have to contend with Senator Kelly, a heartless political leader who wants a final solution against mutants on both sides.

This is a pretty good action/sci-fi film and if you're into comic books, you won't be disappointed as it stars one of the most popular superhero teams. They did a very good job using special effects to create each character's "super powers." The fight scenes were pretty cool and used some unusual camera angles to capture the action. The plot is straight from the comic book, so it's a little out there, but it was entertaining none the less. Of course, now I'll have to watch the second and third parts of the trilogy to complete the story.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Rebecca Romijn

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

SJ Stealth vs. Chicago Shamrox - 1/26/07

For those that don't know, the Stealth are the National Lacrosse League team based in San Jose. Lacrosse is comparative to hockey in that it's fast paced, the players are always moving and it's definitely a contact sport. I had season tickets for their first season in 2004, but it's a little difficult getting to every game while living in Tracy, so I don't go to every game now. For this particular game, I went with Dan, Kelley and Andrew. It was Andrew's first lacrosse game and, being 4 years old, it was a test of how long he could last before pooping out. We ate a Peggy Sue's prior to the game, then made our way to the arena for some high scoring, fast action, fun.

The game started on the wrong foot as the Shamrox scored less than 90 seconds in and continued to score the next 2 goals to put the Stealth in a 3-0 hole. The Stealth finally got on the board with 90 seconds to go in the first quarter to close the gap 3-1. However, the second period started off with Chicago scoring 2 goals in the first 2 minutes to put the Shamrox up 5-1. Being the streaky sport that it is, the Stealth responded with 3 consecutive goals of their own to get back into the game 5-4. The first half ended with a Chicago goal that put them up 6-4.

The second half started on a promising note for the Stealth who scored 2 goals in the first 4 minutes to tie the game at 6 apiece. The teams then traded some goals until the Stealth scored twice in a row to take the lead 9-8 at 11:33 of the third quarter. That lead was short-lived as Chicago struck back 1 minute later to knot it up at 9. The fourth quarter started with 2 Chicago goals which ultimately put the game out of reach as San Jose could only manage one more goal to lose the game 11-10.

Despite San Jose's slow start, it turned out to be a very good and close game (San Jose outshot Chicago 51-47). Even though there were only 3 goals scored in the fourth quarter, it was filled with action and some great scoring chances - especially when the Stealth pulled their goalie for a extra attacker. As for Andrew, he had a great time, gave high-fives every time the Stealth scored and stayed all the way to the end of the game, although I'm sure he bonked in the car on the way home.

Score: L 11-10
1st Quarter
Chicago - Bryan Kazarian (unassisted)
Chicago - Bill McGlone (Mat Giles, Brandon Miller)
Chicago - Cody Jacobs (PP) (Bill McGlone, Drew Candy)
San Jose - Cam Sedgwick (PP) (Luke Wiles, Gary Rosyski)
2nd Quarter
Chicago - Jason Clark (Mat Giles, Matt Marchildon)
Chicago - Bill McGlone (Jason Clark)
San Jose - Callum Crawford (Jeff Zywicki)
San Jose - Gary Rosyski (PP) (Luke Wiles, Jeff Zywicki)
San Jose - Colin Doyle (Jeff Zywicki, Tim Booth)
Chicago - Josh Wasson (Bill McGlone, Jason Clark)
3rd Quarter
San Jose - Callum Crawford (Cam Sedgwick, Gary Rosyski)
San Jose - Colin Doyle (PP) (Jeff Zywicki, Luke Wiles)
Chicago - Chris Panos (PP) (Josh Wasson, Jon Harasym)
San Jose - Luke Wiles (Jeff Zywicki, Kyle Neufeld)
Chicago - Bill McGlone (SH) (Josh Wasson, Jason Clark)
San Jose - Gary Rosyski (PP) (Colin Doyle, Jeff Zywicki)
San Jose - Jeff Zywicki (Luke Wiles, Gary Rosyski)
Chicago - Chris Panos (Thomas Montour)
4th Quarter
Chicago - Mat Giles (Bill McGlone)
Chicago - Thomas Montour (Brandon Miller)
San Jose - Jeff Zywicki (Gary Rosyski, Colin Doyle)

San Jose SOG: 51
Chicago SOG: 47
Winning Goalie: Brandon Miller
Losing Goalie: Anthony Cosmo

Tickets: Section 201 Row 9

Saw III - Movie Review

Picking up directly where its predecessor left off, Saw III finds Jigsaw near death and fighting to stay alive for one final game. Determined to show his protege, Amanda, what it truly means to carry out his deadly game, the ailing Jigsaw instructs his apprentice to kidnap unsuspecting doctor Lynn Denlon in order to ensure that he survives long enough to see how his latest victim Jeff fares when faced with the prospect of imminent death. As Lynn and Jeff both struggle to beat the clock and carry out their tasks before Jigsaw draws his final breath, a much larger plan begins to emerge that shows just how cunning the legendary killer can truly be.

This is the goriest Saw yet. I must admit that in the first 15 minutes, I was questioning whether the writers had run out of clever ideas and gone for the shock and gore factor. However, after completing the film, I realized that everything happened for a reason and it all made perfect sense. That's the incredible thing about the people who make these films - they are thought through from beginning to end and little events that seem meaningless at first glance become connected as the film progresses. They definitely found new ways to torture people and managed to produce a multi-layered "game" that was only revealed in the last 15 minutes to knock your socks off. This is one of the very best series of films being produced right now. I hope they're not done yet, because the creators are so sick, twisted and clever - I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Bahar Soomekh, Angus MacFadyen

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Lake House - ACE Train Movie Review

Kate Forster is a doctor who lives in a beautiful home by a lake. Forced to move elsewhere, she requests that any correspondence that arrives at the lake house be passed on to her new address. To her surprise, she soon receives a romantic note from Alex Burnham, an architect who lives in the cottage she once called home. However, a look at the postmark on the letter reveals that he lived at the home two years before she did, and that somehow they've come in contact with one another through a space in time.

If the synopsis of this film sounds cheezy and lame, there's good reason - it is cheezy and lame! Give me a break. A man and woman who live two years apart in time(one is in 2004, the other in 2006) can communicate by placing letters in the mail, but can't see each other. Let me be clear, when they are both standing at the mailbox in front of the lake house, one of them writes a note, places it in the mailbox and lifts the flag. The other person can see the flag being raised, reads the letter that was just left and responds right back. So, even though they are 2 years apart in time, they can "converse" through letters in real time. There's just so many things wrong with that (and missed opportunities) that I don't know where to begin - so I'll just end by saying don't waste your time.

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Green Street Hooligans - ACE Train Movie Review

Matt Buckner is a journalism student from America who is expelled from college when his roommate sets him to take the fall after drugs are found in their dorm room. Needing time to sort out what his next move should be, Matt travels to London to visit his sister Shannon, who has married British Steve Dunham. Matt ends up spending his first evening in the U.K. with Steve's brother Pete. Pete hangs out with a "firm" of friends who call themselves "the Green Street Elite" and are passionate fans of the West Ham United football club. Pete has little use for Matt until the Green Street Elite get into a dust-up with another firm; Matt turns out to be a fierce if inexperienced fighter, and discovers he enjoys the kick of street brawling. Matt is cautiously accepted by Pete and the other members of the firm, and is soon absorbed into the very British world of violent football fandom. But when Pete and his friends learn that Matt studied journalism, they begin to suspect he's a reporter doing an undercover piece on hooliganism, and they set out to teach him an ugly lesson about loyalty.

This is a violent and bloody film. Not that I'm against that sort of thing, but Elijah Wood is a bit of a stretch to play a violent hooligan. He just doesn't look like a hooligan and it's awkward to see him beating people up. The rest of the hooligans are completely believable and make up for Elijah Wood's "toughness." With that aside, it's not a bad film and there's plenty of action to keep you entertained. Some of the fight scenes are so real that you can hear noses being broken and teeth being lost. Not for the faint of heart, but an intense depiction of passionate soccer (oops, I mean football) fans and their "firms."

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Scoop - ACE Train Movie Review

Sondra Pransky is an American journalism student who travels to England to visit friends. While in London, she attends a magic show where magician Sid "Splendini" Waterman brings her on-stage as part of a trick in which he makes her disappear. However, while waiting to be "de-materialized," she's visited by the ghost of a murdered reporter, who passes along the scoop of the decade. The spirit claims that Peter Lyman, the wealthy and handsome son of a well-known aristocrat, is leading a double life as "the Tarot Card Killer," a serial murderer who has been terrifying the nation and eluding police. With the magician's help, Sondra begins investigating the story and is able to piece together some incriminating evidence against Lyman. However, the more she learns, the more dangerous her investigation becomes - especially when she falls into a romance with the suspected killer.

This is an odd film, but that's what you should expect when Woody Allen is involved. Woody Allen's style is very distinct and this movie is no different. His mumbling and rambling is in full force during this difficult to categorize film (comedy, romance, mystery & suspense?). The story is easy to follow and provides some funny moments, but overall it's just really strange. Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman play their parts perfectly for this style and Woody Allen is the glue that holds this dark adventure together. The ending comes abruptly and isn't very surprising - much like this review.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Crank - ACE Train Movie Review

Chev Chelios was one of the most skilled assassins in the West Coast crime syndicate. When he hung up his guns in the middle of a job to run off with his new girlfriend Eve, however, the man who was once the hunter now becomes the hunted. Awakened from his slumber by a telephone call informing him of his precarious situation, Chelios soon discovers that the only way to save Eve from certain death at the hands of his nemesis is to stay two steps ahead of his killers, keep his heart-rate high enough to stay alive, and blast through the streets of Los Angeles in search of an antidote.

If you like Jason Statham in Transporter and Transporter 2, you'll like this film. Heck, if you're a fan of action movies at all, you'll like this film. From beginning to end, there is non-stop action - seriously. That's the plot - if Jason Statham's character stops, he dies. So, he's always moving around and doing something to keep his adrenaline pumping. The plot itself isn't the greatest, but it never gets dull - that's for sure.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Eight Crazy Nights - ACE Train Movie Review

Davey Stone is a twentysomething man with a short temper and a reputation for causing trouble who lives in the small New England town of Dukesberry. Davey has a particularly bad attitude about the holiday season, and on the first night of Hanukkah, he goes on a tear that lands him in front of a judge. The judge, who has dealt with Davey before, is prepared to send him to prison, but Whitey, an eccentric but kindly old man, persuades the judge to give him a chance to turn Davey into a more responsible citizen. Davey doesn't think much of Whitey's charitable nature, but when his trailer home burns down, he's forced to move in with Whitey and his perpetually nervous sister, Eleanore. Between Whitey and Eleanore's nonstop kvetching and the reappearance of his old girlfriend Jennifer, Davey is being driven to distraction by the Hanukkah season, but in time Whitey learns the truth about why Davey has such a problem with the Festival of Lights.

As I was watching this movie, I could picture how it was written - Adam Sandler sitting on the couch with Rob Schneider and Kevin Nealon, smoking pot and thinking of everything that would be "funny" to see on film. Since it was animated, anything was possible including a herd of deer helping push a car stuck in the snow, then laughing so hard at a joke that their bowels released everything in their colon. That's the type of "comedy" you should expect. Needless to say, I wasn't very impressed and didn't laugh very much. I should note that I'm usually a fan of Adam Sandler, but this movie just wasn't very funny.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: The voices of Adam Sandler, Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Everything Is Illuminated - ACE Train Movie Review

Jonathan is a lifelong collector of any and all objects pertaining to his family, and he has become obsessed with a woman he's never met. The woman saved the life of his grandfather Safran during World War II, when the city in the Ukraine where he was born was destroyed by Nazi troops. Wanting to know more about the woman, Jonathan flies to the Ukraine, where with the help of a driver who has claimed to be blind since his wife's death, a good-natured but tongue-tied tour guide and translator named Alex, and a dog named Sammy Davis Junior Junior, he searches for the meaning of the present that lies buried in the past, unexpectedly shedding the same such light on the lives of those around him.

This is a very boring film until the very end when everything comes together. The first 90 minutes, however, is so painfully slow that I was starting to feel sleepy. That being said, the story is about the Holocaust and seems so personal that I felt a bit guilty that I was bored. Then I remembered, it's a movie based on a novel, so it's a work of fiction - although there's plenty of reality built in. But, being a movie, it's supposed to be entertaining, which it wasn't. It was so dry and bland that it was tough to swallow. The only saving grace is Alex (the tour guide and translator) who is funny, energetic and provides a bit of light in an overall black hole of a film.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Elijah Wood, Eugene Hutz, Boris Leskin

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Hannibal Rising - Book Review

Hannibal is eight years old at the beginning of the novel (1941), living in Lecter Castle in Lithuania, when Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union suddenly turns the Baltic region into a part of the bloodiest front line of World War II. Hannibal, his sister Mischa, and his parents, along with some servants, escape to the family's hunting lodge in the woods to escape the advancing German troops. After three years, the Nazis are finally driven out of the countries, occupied by the Soviet Union. During their retreat, however, they destroy a Soviet tank that had stopped at the Lecters' cottage looking for water. The explosion kills everyone but Hannibal and Mischa. They survive in the cottage until six former Lithuanian militiamen led by one Vladis Grutas, on the run from their Nazi masters and dressed as Red Cross agents, storm the cottage and loot it. Running out of food, they kill and cannibalize young Mischa. Hannibal blacks out and is found wandering and mute by a Soviet tank that takes him back to Lecter Castle, which is now a Soviet orphanage.

After two years, Hannibal's uncle Robert, a painter living in France, comes to Lithuania and takes the young Hannibal to live with himself and his wife, the Lady Murasaki Shikibu. While in France, Hannibal flourishes as a student among other pastimes. He divides his time between being the youngest person ever admitted to medical school in France, and hunting those who killed and cannibalized his sister.

This is definitely the weakest of the 4 Hannibal books (the other 3 are Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal). At just over 300 pages (and fairly large type), it's a quick read, which is part of the downside. It's so short that the characters are never fully developed and it seems rushed. The other 3 books are frightening and real page turners, but this one doesn't have the same draw. It's rather bland and shallow. As a big fan of the Hannibal books/movies, I was excited to read about the "birth" of Hannibal, but was left disappointed with the answer. Thomas Harris is a great writer and created one of the most evil characters ever, but he missed the boat with this one. Oh, and the movie comes out in February - cha ching!


Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

Hannibal Rising
by Thomas Harris
Hardback: 323 pages
Released: 2006

The Illusionist - ACE Train Movie Review

Though the ill-fated childhood romance between cabinetmaker's son Eisenheim and upper-class Sophie von Teschen eventually resulted in the heartbroken young man leaving Austria to explore the world, his dreams of one day reuniting with the beautiful duchess never faded. Upon returning to Vienna fifteen years later as a talented and renowned illusionist, Eisenheim's hopes of a reunion seem dashed when he learns that Sophie is currently engaged to the Crown Prince Leopold. As the tensions between the Eisenheim and Leopold elevate, urbane Chief Inspector Uhl finds his sympathy toward Eisenheim growing despite his formal obligations to the powerful prince.

This is a very clever film. Of course, the title clues you into the fact that all is not what it seems. The special effects are spectacular - not in a King Kong way, but more of a subdued, eerie way. The whole look of the film is cool and distinct. The actors do a great job portraying the social structure of the early 1900s, European upper-class. The only thing over the top and a bit unbelievable is the main plot line, but I'll chock it up to artistic expression and say that the story is a good one and although not completely realistic, it's certainly entertaining.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Benchwarmers - ACE Train Movie Review

Clark, Gus, and Richie are three geeky guys who have spent most of their lives being humiliated by bullies and taunted by people with greater hand-eye coordination than they possess (which is nearly everyone). While the three guys love baseball, they've been treated like losers on the diamond ever since their days riding the pine in Little League. One day they stop by a softball field at a local park and a bunch of kids practicing for Little League tryouts try to heckle them into going home. Clark, Gus, and Richie challenge the kids to a game - three against nine - and miraculously don't entirely humiliate themselves. Mel, a guy with an athletically-challenged son of his own, is impressed with the nerdy trio's nerve, and offers to set up a tournament in which the three inept grown-ups will take on the best Little League teams from around the state. Clark, Gus, and Richie accept the offer, and they soon become unlikely heroes to the bullied, clumsy, and awkward everywhere.

What do you get when you combine Deuce Bigalow, Napoleon Dynamite and Joe Dirt? That's right, The Benchwarmers. If you liked all of those movies, then you'll love this one as each of the lead actors from those films are together for this comedic masterpiece. Just kidding on the masterpiece part, but it's not as bad as you think it will be. At least, it exceeded my expectations which were very low. Yes, there's slapstick comedy and potty jokes, but there's also a little substance to their message - not much, but a little. It's not a great film, but I found it difficult to look away (and it's only 1 hour 20 minutes long, so it's not a big time suck).

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Rob Schneider, David Spade, Jon Heder, Jon Lovitz, Craig Kilborn

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - ACE Train Movie Review

Ricky Bobby is a national hero with a "smokin' hot" trophy wife, pair of borderline-abusively precocious sons, and an endless line of endorsement deals filling his mansion with toys and driveway with sports cars and Hummers. His racing partner and lifelong friend Cal Naughton, Jr., never fails to provide him with a hand on the racetrack, frequently performing their trademark "slingshot" maneuver to shoot Ricky into first place, leaving Cal in second. While the public loves these buddies, a wedge comes between the two, as Ricky Bobby's longstanding winning-streak is broken by flamboyant French Formula One driver Jean Girard, robbing Ricky of everything in an instant as the trauma leaves him unable to drive. Ricky's wife takes his fortunes while Cal takes his wife, and now he's back with his mother and long-estranged father. Things look bad for Ricky, but his father was once a race car driver himself, and now with the help of a training montage, a live cougar, and the courage to drive without his gleaming white Wonder Bread endorsement, Ricky might be ready to face the track again.

This film is exactly what you would expect from Will Ferrell. It's silly at times, ridiculous at times and hilarious at times. Most of all, it's filled with a bunch of one-liners that are meant to shock you and make you squirm or scratch your head while laughing. The 2 kids provide the most shocking moments and Sacha Cohen provides the most "scratch your head" moments. Some of it works and some of it doesn't. Of course, that's what you'd expect with a film where the dialog seems to be ad-libbed (one of the special features shows take after take where the actors kept throwing out different one-liners and I guess they chose the one they thought was best). If you're in the mood for a silly comedy and like Will Ferrell, you won't be disappointed with this one.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

World Trade Center - ACE Train Movie Review

Sargeant John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno were two officers assigned to New York City's Port Authority who were working their beats on a quiet day in early fall when they received an emergency call. The day was September 11, 2001, and McLoughlin and Jimeno were among the policemen who attempted to evacuate the World Trade Center towers after they were struck by airliners piloted by terrorists. Both McLoughlin and Jimeno were inside the fifth building of the World Trade Center when the towers fell, and were two of the last people found alive amidst the wreckage. As McLoughlin and Jimeno struggled to hold on to their lives as rescuers sifted through the rubble, their spouses - Donna McLoughlin and Allison Jimeno - clung to the desperate hope that their husbands would survive and be found. As the McLoughlin and Jimeno families waited for word on the fate of the two men, they watched as a city and a nation came together with strength and compassion in the face of a tragedy.

This is a very difficult film to watch, but it is also an excellent piece of work. When the real events happened, I watched all the news reports along with everyone else in disbelief. It was such a horrific act that it was tough to comprehend what exactly happened. Maybe it's a coping mechanism, but my mind couldn't wrap around the fact that over 2,700 people died that day in New York. This film does a nice job of taking a bite size chunk of that day to make it more comprehensible. In a way, it was almost tougher to watch the movie than the real thing because the movie only focused on a couple of families instead of the overall tragedy. This made it very personal as you saw each family member dealing with the potential loss of a loved one in their own way. It also highlighted the rescue workers who put their lives on the line to save others from the aftermath. This is not an enjoyable film to watch, but it makes it easy to put life's little hiccups into perspective.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Maggie Gyllenhaal

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

We're Pregnant!

I haven't officially annouced it on my blog, so there you go. Shawnna and I are having a baby. She is about 15 weeks along and the due date is July 3, 2007. Needless to say, we are both very excited and can't wait until the little person enters into this crazy world. I have set up a blog specifically for the baby where Shawnna and I will both be posting our adventures throughout the pregnancy and beyond. It's called Baby Hooey and can be found here: http://babyhooey.blogspot.com/.

The posts from Baby Hooey will also show up at the bottom, right hand column of this blog - take a look, they're there :-)

An Unfinished Life - Movie Review

Einar Gilkyson was a once successful rancher whose spread went to seed after he developed a serious drinking problem. Now on the wagon, Einar looks after what's left of his spread with his friend Mitch, a one-time cowhand who never fully recovered after being mauled by a bear. Einar once had a son named Griffin, but he died in a car wreck while Griffin's wife, Jean, was driving; Einar never forgave her for the death, and he had never met the granddaughter she was carrying until she arrived at his doorstep 11 years later. Jean has become involved with a violent man named Gary, and seeks refuge on Einar's ranch for the safety of her daughter, Griff. Einar reluctantly takes in Jean and Griff, giving them a place to stay as Jean looks for work and tries to put her life back together. But old trouble makes its way back to town in two ways - Gary tracks down Jean and wants to make her pay for leaving him, while the bear who attacked Mitch comes down from the mountains looking for new prey.

This film is definitely not for the action lover. However, it is a very good drama starring a couple of classic, top-rate actors at their best. Although not a lot of action happens on screen, Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman make the most of their dialog and expressions - they have the ability to say so much without speaking. Jennifer Lopez holds her own and is very convincing as well (not sure if she had a real life experience to call upon, but she did a great job). The plot is a complex story of loss, grief and forgiveness, ending with a positive message. In other words, it has all the ingredients to make it a good drama and one I'd recommend watching - keeping my beginning caveat in mind.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Lopez, Josh Lucas

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Factotum - ACE Train Movie Review

Perpetually unemployed, alcohol-swilling Hank Cinaski drifts through the city streets in search of a job that won't come between him and his first love, writing. Consistently rejected by the only publishing house he respects but driven to continue by the knowledge that he could do better than the authors they continually publish, Cinaski soon begins sleeping with fellow barfly Jan, a kindred spirit he meets while drowning his sorrows at a local watering hole. When a brief stint as a bookie finds Hank abandoned by the only woman with whom he is able to relate, a brief fling with gold-digging floozy Laura finds him once again falling into a morose state of perpetual drunkenness and unemployment.

This film drags on and on and on and on and on - get the idea. I really thought that the movie would end with an uplifting message that you can succeed through adversary if you keep trying and put your heart into it. However, it ended the way it began - with a drunk loser who can't hold down a job while trying to figure out how he's going to buy his next bottle of booze. It got old after about 20 minutes, but lasted 1 hour 30 minutes. Don't waste your time on this one. It's boring and depressing.

Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Matt Dillon, Lili Taylor, Marisa Tomei

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

SJ Sharks vs. Detroit Red Wings - 1/4/07

I went to this game with Shawnna and it was the last game I bought tickets for at the beginning of the season. So, this could be the last game I attend this season unless something changes (anyone offering free tickets :-) Whenever one of the Original Six hockey teams comes to town, there are always plenty of fans that come out of the woodwork to attend the game and tonight was no exception. There were Red Wings jerseys peppered throughout the sea of teal to watch what turned out to be one of the most exciting games I have ever witnessed.

The game started out rough for the Sharks as the Red Wings took a 1-0 lead when Jiri Hudler scored 3 minutes in. Five minutes later, Tomas Holmstrom scored a power play goal to increase the lead 2-0. Less than 3 minutes after that, Jason Williams scored an unassisted, breakaway goal to put the Red Wings up 3-0. At that point, Evgeni Nabokov, who had given up 3 goals on 12 shots, was pulled and replaced with Vesa Toskala to try to shake things up. It seemed to work as the Sharks finally got a goal 3 minutes later when Josh Gorges scored his first goal in the NHL to close the lead 3-1.

The second period was much better for the Sharks as they kept their momentum going from the end of the first. Jonathan Cheechoo scored a power play goal 5 minutes in to make it a one goal game and Ryane Clowe scored just over 1 minute later to tie it up. The Sharks weren't done yet as Christian Ehrhoff scored at the 14 minute mark to give the Sharks the lead and Joe Pavelski added a power play goal 3 minutes later to pad the score 5-3.

Unbelievably, the Sharks still had more in them during the third period. Mike Grier started things off with a power play goal 6 minutes in to double-up Detroit's score 6-3. Patrick Marleau added his own power play goal 1:30 later to increase the lead 7-3. Mike Grier struck again 4 minutes later for his 2nd power play goal of the game and 4 minutes after that, Ryane Clowe scored on the power play for his second goal of the game which finished the Sharks run of 9 goals in a row. The Red Wings got a meaningless goal with under 2 minutes left to make the final score 9-4.

This game set several records. The Sharks set franchise records for the most power play goals (6) and longest one-game scoring rally (9). Also, Patrick Marleau became the all-time leading point scorer for the Sharks passing Owen Nolan. Personally, I have never witnessed so many goals scored in one game and the Sharks fans were more aggressive to the Red Wings fans than I have ever seen them be to any opposing team fans. When the Red Wings went up 3-0 in the first period, their fans were very vocal - standing and cheering at what seemed like the beginning of a rout. When the Sharks rallied back and started running up the score, the Sharks fans began chanting, "Go home Red Wings!" When Red Wings fans started to leave after the 7th, 8th and 9th goals, the Sharks fans cheered and heckled them very loudly - even the women. Moral of the story - no lead is safe and don't cheer too loudly if you're in the opposing team's building.

Score: W 9-4
1st Period
Red Wings - Jiri Hudler (Niklas Kronwall)
Red Wings - Tomas Holmstrom(PP) (Mathieu Schneider, Henrik Zetterberg)
Red Wings - Jason Williams (Unassisted)
SJ - Josh Gorges (Joe Thornton, Mike Grier)
2nd Period
SJ - Jonathan Cheechoo(PP) (Joe Pavelski, Marc-Edouard Vlasic)
SJ - Ryane Clowe (Marcel Goc, Curtis Brown)
SJ - Christian Ehrhoff (Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau)
SJ - Joe Pavelski(PP) (Jonathan Cheechoo, Milan Michalek)
3rd Period
SJ - Mike Grier(PP) (Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton)
SJ - Patrick Marleau(PP) (Joe Thornton, Christian Ehrhoff)
SJ - Mike Grier(PP) (Patrick Marleau, Scott Hannan)
SJ - Ryane Clowe(PP) (Doug Murray, Patrick Rissmiller)
Red Wings - Brett Lebda (Johan Franzen, Kris Draper)

SJ SOG: 31
Red Wings SOG: 30
Winning Goalie: Vesa Toskala
Losing Goalie: Dominik Hasek

Tickets: Section 220 Row 4

Snakes on a Plane - ACE Train Movie Review

Neville Flynn is an FBI agent handling what seems like a routine assignment - serving as bodyguard for Sean Jones, a Hawaiian surfer dude who is flying to California to testify in a high-profile criminal trial after witnessing mobster Eddie Kim murdering one of his underlings. However, Flynn's job gets a lot more challenging when he discovers Kim's associates don't want Jones to talk, and have devised a unique way to ensure his silence. A cache of highly dangerous poisonous snakes has been hidden on board the jet, and is released using a timed mechanism once the flight is well underway. The snakes quickly attack several members of the flight crew and are eagerly eying the passengers when Flynn decides its time to get medieval on the reptiles.

This film easily has one of the worst titles in major motion picture history. However, I tried to see past that and actually watched it, but I must say that the movie wasn't much better. The plot is so over the top and it could never happen in this day and age with all of the airport security checks, but let's pretend that hundreds of deadly snakes could be snuck onto an airplane - the ensuing chaos was more comical than scary. A snake biting a woman's fake breast, another one taking a bite of a man's johnson, or a boa constrictor attempting to eat an entire person starting with their head - that's funny stuff. If this was marketed as a comedy instead of a scary drama, I might have rated it higher, but some of the scenes (and actors) were so ridiculous that the "scary" scenes were laughable. If you go in thinking this is a spoof of action movies, you might actually enjoy it.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Julianna Margulies, Nathan Phillips

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Little Miss Sunshine - ACE Train Movie Review

When a pudgy, bespectacled seven-year-old, Olive voices her desire to take home the coveted Little Miss Sunshine crown at an upcoming beauty pageant, her wildly dysfunctional family sets out on an interstate road trip to ensure her a clear shot at realizing her dreams. Despite early career success as an outspoken motivational speaker, family patriarch Richard continues to cling to his "Refuse to lose" philosophy, much to the chagrin of his increasingly annoyed spouse, Sheryl. Add into the mix a Nietzsche-reading teenage son who has taken up a vow of silence until he finds his fate as a fighter pilot; a horny, heroin-happy grandfather with a penchant for creative profanity; and a suicidal genius and Proust scholar still reeling about losing both his male lover and his MacArthur Foundation genius grant - and the stage is set for a road trip in which sanity is sure to take the back seat.

This is an odd little picture that ends better than it begins. Although it's listed as a comedy, there's a lot of drama and dark scenes particularly in the beginning. If you're a Steve Carell fan, don't expect him to provide the comedy in this film - he plays a depressed, suicidal, gay guy. Most of the comedy comes from the circumstances that the family has to contend with, not from the actors themselves. However, the little girl has a hilarious scene at the end of the movie. I think the appeal of this film is the fact that it seems to portray real people with real problems and ends with a positive message.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

A Scanner Darkly - Movie Review

With stratospheric concern over national security prompting paranoid government officials to begin spying on citizens, trust is a luxury and everyone is a suspected criminal until proven otherwise. Bob Arctor is a narcotics officer who is issued an order to spy on his friends and report back to headquarters. In addition to being a cop, though, Arctor is also an addict. His drug of choice is a ubiquitous street drug called Substance D, a drug known well for producing split personalities in its users.

This is one of the strangest movies I have ever seen. The style of animation used is completely original and that's the only reason I gave it a fairly decent rating. The story itself is odd to say the least and not really my cup of tea. It almost had a "Matrix" feel to it, but didn't hit the mark like The Matrix did. I was definitely more impressed by the animation than the plot and maybe it was a distraction, but I think it was a positive distraction if any. If you like government conspiracy stories and paranoid, drug induced craziness, you might enjoy the film, but I didn't find it very interesting. However, I would recommend watching it to check out the rotoscoping animation which required 500 hours of work to create 1 minute of animation - impressive.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey, Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.