Creep Show: Review for "Vacancy"

The thriller Vacancy is your standard issue slasher film, but it's better. Amy (Kate Beckinsale) and David (Luke Wilson) are on the verge of divorce. They've recently come from their parents' wedding annivarsary when they need to stop at a strange gas station to get some help. The guy who "fixes" their car makes it worse and it breaks down a mile or so down the road. They decide to stay the night at a hotel. While watching some of the videos, they see people getting killed in a low-budget horror flick way, but at the same time rather ghastly. They find out that people were killed in the same room. These sickos were watching them all along, like a sick peep show. But these victims are smarter and create a plan to get away. What follows is a cat and mouse game of high tension. This film was excellently writton, directed, and acted, though the ending was horrible. Very scary and exciting.

Grade: B+

The Bets: Who I Think Will Win

Best Actor will definately go to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood. He's a brilliant actor and he's given a great performance. But I think Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd deserves it. He's scary and he slashes and he sings. Best Actress is a tough one, with the brilliant Julie Christie as an Alzheimers patient in a heartbreaking performance in Away From Her, Marion Cotillard in an outstandingly realistic portraylal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose, Ellen Page may also take it as witty Juno. But if I know the critics, I think it will be Christie. Best Supporting Actor is a no contest for Javier Bardem, who has gained many critics awards for his role as a hit man in No Country for Old Men. Best Supporting Actress is a little trickier, but young Soairse Ronan from Atonement has no chance. Gone Baby Gone's Amy Ryam gave a tremendous performance as well as Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton, Cate Blanchett as a Bob Dylan-esqe character in I'm Not There, and a short but sweet performance by Ruby Dee in American Gangster. Best Director may go to Joel and Ethan Coen for No Country or Paul Thomas Andreson for Blood and even Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Best Picture I think may go to No Country, which has been well received by critics. We'll have to see the winners Sunday night at 8/9 p.m. est LIVE from the Kodak Theater on ABC.

You Can Never Have Too Much "Spam": Review for "Spamalot"

Spamalot is somewhat an adaptation/remake of Monty Python's hilarious Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The original tale revolves around King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The title is a pun on "Camelot" and the long running Python gag "Spam", which, if you dot already know, is canned meat. There were several differences from the movie, which, in essence, shouldn't matter. Eric Idle, one of the originals, wrote the book and the lyrics for the play. The Lady of the Lake character is very funny, and the actress who plays her has a tremendous voice. Her rendition of "What Ever Happened to My Part?" is hilarious, in which she complains of not being on the stage for long and makes fun of Posh Beckham. However, in the style of those dirty minded comedians, there's plenty of swearing and ladies showing lots of skin. The show, though advertised for families, is not exactly family friendly. There are very funny parts in the second act when it was like the original film with the Ones Who Say "Nee" and the Black Knight scenes. Lancelot, who falls in love with Guenivere in the original tale, falls in love with Price Herbert. That doesn't bother me in the slightest, it was just the style that they did it in. A funny line that Lancelot said at the end of the show about same sex marriage is "To think that 2000 years in the future this will still be controversial." It is true and put very frankly. There are very clever scenes in which they use a projector. The play is clever, funny, and sometimes hilarious!
Grade: B+

All You Need is Love: Review for "Across the Universe"

Note: My mom is a big fan of The Beatles, so she kind of helped me understand this film. This blog is to reccomend films to people, but this one is hard. It really depends. There are many things to consider. If you are a Beatles fan, you may love how creative this film was, or you may hate it for butchering the classic songs with new performances and new interpretation. You may also not enjoy iy for its portrayol of the Vietnam War, radicalism, and drugs. If you are a Liberal, you might enjoy it. If you are a Conservative, you may think otherwise of this film.

Across the Universe is a film by Julie Taymor, who previously directed the Broadway hit The Lion King. The film is a compilation of Beatles songs. The story is intertwined with songs. Jude (Jim Sturgess) is on his way from Liverpool to America to find his father. If that makes you cringe, just wait, every character in this has a name from a Beatles song. He meets Max, who then become best friends. He invites Jude to dinner and meets his sister, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). Max drops out of college and go to NYC. They stay in an apartment, who's landlord is named Sadie (Dana Fuchs). She's a singer. The Vietnam War is raging and Max gets drafted, and he looks at Uncle Sam. He stars singing I want you... and grabs Max. Lucy starts working for a radical pamphlet. Jude and Lucy's relationship goes on the rocks, but then she discovers "All You Need is Love".

The film is overall well done. The new renditions are very good. Sexy Sadie's voice reminds me of Janis Joplin. Though some of the songs included in the film feel as if they have been just thrown in there to complete the Beatles' circle, with no real purpose to the storyline. Jim has a very good voice, and Evan has a really good voice. The most spine-tingling song is sadly the least needed in the film. The cast's rendition of "Because" is haunting. Bono makes a cameo singing "I Am the Walrus" (he plays Dr. Robert) and the "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" at the end credits. Other cameos are from Eddie Izzard (The Riches) who performs "Being the Benefit of Mr. Kite" and Joe Cocker who performs "Come Together". The film is visually stunning and is great.

Grade: B+

Pencil Pushers: News on the Strike

The Writers Strike may be coming to a close. The WGA will vote Saturday. If they vote to end it, that will mean that in a couple of weeks, we may see Betty, Grey, those Desparate Housewives, Samantha and even Oscar could be in the lime light. Cross your finges for the whiny brats to vote to end it all!

Big (Stupid) Brothel: Review for "Moulin Rouge!"

I know that those who know Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann will hate me for saying that I hate his movies. I have so far seen his MTV-era adaptation of William Skaespeare's Romeo + Juliet and his love story-filled-with-old-songs tale Moulin Rouge! and have been so scarred from those viewings, I'm scared to see his first film Strictly Ballroom. I just don't like his executions, though his ideas are interesting.

Moulin Rouge! is the story of a young man, Christian (Ewan McGregor), who has come to Paris in 1899. He gets mixed up with some weird Bohemians and ends up in a night club/brothel/I-have-no-idea-what-it-is trying to persuade a beautiful courtesan named Satine (Nicole Kidman) to have him write a play called Spectacular Spectacular. He falls in love with her, but *gasp* she has TB and is dying!

There are several problems with this film. One is that the use of old songs of yesteryear are not well executed. Sure, it's a great idea, but destroying songs such as Madonna's "Like a Virgin" (which was rather offensive to begin with) is just plain wrong. Not only have they mixed songs together (The "Elephant Love Medley" consists of about ten different songs.), they have even changed the lyrics to fit the storyline. I think that jukebox musicals are an interesting, but dangerous idea. Nicole Kidman is really the "Sparkling Diamond" she is supposed to be and her voice is pretty good, while Ewan McGregorr is fine. My favorite duet between the two is the song "Come What May". The cinematography is appalling. During FatBoySlim's "Can Can", you may actually get dizzy or naucious from watching the twirling camera angles of petticoats and garter belts.

Though there is one thing I can say that I liked about this film. One of the famous numbers in the film is "El Tango de Roxanne", which is a visually and inspriring number. It's actually a new version of The Police's "Roxanne", which is in a way shocking. The song runs chills up your spine. That's about it.

This film is not very good, but you might enjoy it. There were a few parts I did enjoy, I guesse.

Grade: C+

"Quantum" Physics?: News About the 22nd Bond Film

The title of the 22nd Bond film has been released. It will be called Quantum of Solace. The title originates from an original Ian Fleming short story in his collection called For Your Eyes Only. The movie continues about 20 minutes after Casino Royale, Bond has shot Mr. White. The phrase actually means "a measure of comfort". Solace will be released in theater on November 7, 2008.