tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63981649122814757942024-03-05T10:10:06.488-08:00Hit-or-Miss ReviewsNolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-56253578813823172172010-09-20T15:21:00.000-07:002010-09-20T15:21:15.211-07:00Raging Bull<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUWLiM6b37gSnjJmc7vCP0rBsAKmLSdqrgeW5ouGfFHKGUltoRTle9YuctByuVtwqgl0W_OUT7f1kyChr_gs16yKYwXGOZ2clYi1VDFueQ3He2kM5fM9iWsMowt-vnUZkYGrsYydiDP6W/s1600/raging1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUWLiM6b37gSnjJmc7vCP0rBsAKmLSdqrgeW5ouGfFHKGUltoRTle9YuctByuVtwqgl0W_OUT7f1kyChr_gs16yKYwXGOZ2clYi1VDFueQ3He2kM5fM9iWsMowt-vnUZkYGrsYydiDP6W/s320/raging1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake and Joey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On the outside, ‘Raging Bull’ appears to be a movie about boxing, at least that’s what I always thought, but it offers a much deeper story that really draws you in. ‘Raging Bull’ is about a man named Jake LaMotta (Robert DeNiro), a rising star in boxing in the 1940’s trying to work his way to getting a shot at the middleweight title. Jake is a very angry man who doesn’t seem to be able to connect with people on any meaningful level, even his relationship with his brother/manager Joey (Joe Pesci) seems tense most of the time. People are nothing but objects to Jake, the fact that he is married doesn’t stop him from courting a young girl, Vickie, whom he eventually marries after he gets rid of his current wife. Once married, Jake treats Vickie as nothing more than a servant to him. She should be doing nothing but taking care of him and thinking about him and anything he perceives as her not being 100% committed to him sends him into jealous rages.<br />
<br />
Jake is more like an animal inside and out of the boxing ring, reacting on impulse rather than thinking things through. He doesn’t seem to have any objection to throwing a boxing match because it will get him one step closer to the title. He’s constantly accusing his wife of thinking about other men or doing things behind his back without any evidence. He beats Joey up in front of his family after his wife sarcastically told him she slept with him. These impulses lead to the dissolution of any relationship he’s had which results in him being an angrier and more depressed person. But Jake can’t seem to see, until later in the movie, that he is the cause of his own anger and depression, that he’s holding himself back professionally and personally. <br />
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Eventually, Jake does realize that he has done a lot of wrong in his life and his way of making up for that is by letting one of his boxing rivals hit him, but this doesn’t really change him. Jake goes through tough times after he retires, his wife divorces him, he’s thrown in jail and he begins a stand up comedy career in clubs that seem to get worse and worse. By the end of the movie when Jake is standing in front of a mirror practicing boxing moves and saying ‘I’m the boss’, we’re not really sure if he has changed.<br />
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I really enjoyed ‘Raging Bull’, much more than I expected. The movie really draws you in because you’re never quite sure how Jake will react to any given situation. He may punch somebody, he may cry, he may laugh, it’s a constant roller-coaster with him. It’s sad to see him bring about his own problems which eventually ruin him but it’s hard to sympathize with him because he seems so blind.<br />
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Score: 8 out of 10Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-33707345061148227432010-09-02T18:25:00.000-07:002010-09-02T18:26:28.014-07:00Mulholland Drive<div class="MsoNormal"><object height="245" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VFtqxpL1sG8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VFtqxpL1sG8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="245"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal">‘<st1:street><st1:address>Mulholland Drive</st1:address></st1:street>’ is a head trip. I remember thinking to myself that this movie feels like 4 different good stories that the writers just couldn’t finish. So, instead of trying to complete the scripts, the writers just combined them into one long movie that just didn’t seem to fit together. What’s interesting about ‘<st1:street><st1:address>Mulholland Drive</st1:address></st1:street>’ is that you’re supposed to feel this way, it isn’t supposed to make sense. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The movie starts out with a woman in a limo being taken somewhere. The limo makes an unexpected stop and the driver asks the woman to get out of the car, as she is getting out the limo is struck by a car racing down the street. The woman manages to survive but has amnesia and sneaks into an empty house. This empty house is where Betty (Naomi Watts) is headed. It’s her aunts house and she is going to stay there while he aunt is out of town, plus she gets the chance to audition for some movie roles since her aunts house is in <st1:city><st1:place>Hollywood</st1:place></st1:city>. Betty arrives to find the strange woman, who calls herself Rita because she can’t remember her name, showering in her aunt’s house. Betty eventually gets Rita to confess that she doesn’t remember anything and Betty decides to help her piece her story together - who she is, what happened, etc. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Want to hear the funny part? What I described doesn’t really have anything to do with what the movie is about. Everything I described is what the main character, whose real name is Diane (we think), is dreaming. There is no real plot to this movie, it’s basically just a conglomeration of scenes with no real direction. And just when you think those 4 stories I talked about are starting to come together, another scene is thrown in that blows the whole thing up. Characters switch roles, people aren’t who you thought they were, most of the scenes didn’t really happen, maybe some of the characters never existed. Confused yet? Well, try watching the movie and see how you feel then. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I get the feeling that most people who have watched this movie said they hated it. People tend not to like movies that aren’t wrapped up in a neat little package at the end. The fact is, ‘<st1:street><st1:address>Mulholland Drive</st1:address></st1:street>’ is a dream. Dreams generally don’t make sense - they’re either totally off the wall or details are missing. You wake up knowing you had a dream and vaguely know what happened in that dream, but can’t describe what that dream was about. ‘<st1:street><st1:address>Mulholland Drive</st1:address></st1:street>’ captures that feeling perfectly.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Just a note to anyone who is going to watch the movie: the acting throughout most of the movie is bad on purpose, so don’t turn it off half way through because of it. Anyone who has already seen the movie probably knows what I’m talking about.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Score: 8 out of 10</div>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-39991073151770620302010-08-31T15:41:00.000-07:002010-08-31T15:41:49.004-07:00Oldboy<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sEnTSU1EUU6OmOxeBLLVwsXiNwpilMeJ4MSwd3LJij0WMASfI51kvPAwLyEcyraCBQ9ica682cdLk8rAYBnWemZtLUplj-y6clrJMmHcfJoFs3Em0xaw_NaSyRYcXij_7kBxnbjh4YMG/s1600/oldboy4bh3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8sEnTSU1EUU6OmOxeBLLVwsXiNwpilMeJ4MSwd3LJij0WMASfI51kvPAwLyEcyraCBQ9ica682cdLk8rAYBnWemZtLUplj-y6clrJMmHcfJoFs3Em0xaw_NaSyRYcXij_7kBxnbjh4YMG/s320/oldboy4bh3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'd look like that if you were locked up for 15 years too</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">‘Oldboy’ starts out with a man named Oh Dae-su being locked up for drunk and disorderly conduct.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, he is bailed out by his friend who then decides to use a payphone to call Oh Dae-su’s wife and daughter, whose birthday he is missing because he was in jail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While at the payphone, Oh Dae-su is kidnapped and locked in a small room with only a bathroom, bed, and tv for 15 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is fed fried dumplings for every meal and every so often is gassed, only to wake up and find his room has been cleaned, his clothes changed, and he’s been given a haircut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As his years of confinement add up, Oh Dae-su’s desire for revenge against those responsible grows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He begins training in his room, mostly by punching the walls, and starts carving into the walls in an attempt to dig his way out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually, and for seemingly no reason, Oh Dae-su is set free and given a wallet full of cash and cell phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He eventually meets a sushi chef name Mido and receives a call from the man who captured him giving him 5 days to determine why he was captured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mido brings him to her house, after a weird scene in which Oh Dae-su eats a live squid and then passes out, and begins forming a relationship with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This sets in motion the crazy revenge tale that is ‘Oldboy’.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The description above only covers about the first 45 minutes or so of the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to continue describing it would risk giving away some of the plot twists that make this movie memorable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing I really liked about this movie is that, despite the somewhat unrealistic plot in parts, it is actually a very believable movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I mean by that is the characters and the reactions seem like things that would happen in real life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The extreme joy Oh Dae-su feels when he is released and sees his first person in 15 years, despite the fact the man is trying to jump from a building, is believable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh Dae-su looks as if he is going to kiss the man, but manages to hold it back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he gets in fights he, and the people he’s fighting, actually get tired, almost to the point of not being able to fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it a little bit of a stretch that he fought 10 people at one time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe, but it shows how desperately he wants to get revenge on the people who did this to him, so much that he could take on 10 people while he has a knife in his back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants to be able to trust someone but any little thing can set him off, especially if he thinks you were involved in his capture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s extremely violent at times, but his situation and state of mind call for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything he goes through seems completely logical, he’s been locked up to the point of madness for 15 years and his quick, unpredictable, change in emotions reflects that.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The only real negative thing I have to say about this movie is that the dubbing is pretty bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would much rather watch a foreign movie with subtitles than have to sit there and listen to someone do an interpretation of the film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, unfortunately, Netflix didn’t give me the option to watch it with subtitles (at least I don’t think so).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is one of those movies where everything comes together at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You find out why Oh Dae-su was imprisoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You find out if Oh Dae-su got his revenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also find out a few more things that I won’t give away but they add a nice twist to story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve got Netflix, watch this movie instantly and see what you think and let me know.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Score: 8 out of 10</div>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-60332198876855646592010-08-28T06:46:00.000-07:002010-08-28T06:50:53.798-07:00Antichrist<div class="MsoNormal"><object height="245" width="500"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LO-TNfPzh_k?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LO-TNfPzh_k?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="245"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal">Let me preface this review by saying that if you are easily offended by graphic violence or pornographic imagery, then you shouldn’t watch this movie. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is going to be a tough review for me because there seems to be lots of metaphors in this movie that I’m not really sure I understood. Maybe someone more versed in the bible or in cinema would follow it better, but it seems like you could come up with 50 metaphors that all fit for this movie. But, I’m going to do my best here and tell you what I think this movie was about, whether it’s right or wrong. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First, ‘Antichrist’ it a title that I think would turn a lot of people away, specifically those who don’t like the horror genre. I wouldn’t quite classify this as a horror movie, though, despite the fact that there are some scary scenes. What’s scary about this movie is that it’s all about human nature and the potential evil that lives inside us all, so it’s not entirely unbelievable that these events could occur.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe it would help if I gave a little explanation of what this movie is about. Our two unnamed characters (credited as ‘He’ and ‘She’ and played by Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg respectively) open the movie with a pretty explicit sex scene during which their young son climbs out of his crib and falls out an open window to his death. Is there irony in the fact that their child loses his life while they were performing an act that creates life? Maybe, or maybe I’m just trying to think about this movie too hard. Anyway, ‘She’ goes through a long period of extreme depression and grief and ‘He’, being the therapist that he is, decides that her doctors are not helping and that he is the only one that can counsel her through this. The therapy starts in their home, where she reveals that he has been distant toward herself and their son. It’s interesting to watch Willem Dafoe’s reaction in this scene because he treats it very much like a therapist would, giving no personal reaction and simply asking why she feels that way. Eventually, he decides that the in-house therapy was a bad idea and that what she really needs to do is begin facing her fears, which turns out to be their cabin in the woods in a place called <st1:city><st1:place>Eden</st1:place></st1:city>. Some very weird events begin happening when they get to Eden, specifically when ‘He’ encounters a fox disemboweling itself and then speaking the words ‘chaos reigns’. Somehow, these events don’t get him to think that maybe this place isn’t where his wife needs to be right now, further reinforcing his distantness to his wife. He seems to be trying to help her, not because he wants her to get better, but because he wants to prove to himself that he is the only one that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> help her. In the meantime, she seems to be getting more crazy and unpredictable, eventually lashing out at him and herself in very violent ways.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The cinematography in this movie is actually very pretty at times, with extreme slow motion shots that bring out some of the colors of the woods, and black and white shots during some of the movies key moments (the opening scene being one of them). But this is contrasted against some very un-pretty images, the fox, for example, disemboweling itself (which isn’t even close to the most violent part of the movie). There are interesting camera tricks, mostly involving the woods appearing to warp in interesting ways, and extremely short flashes of things to come, almost like subliminal messages. This is a movie that makes you want to analyze every little thing to catch the ‘real’ meaning. But I think that is this movies downfall because you try to make this movie smarter than it is and come out saying “what the hell was that movie about?” Ultimately, though, I think it’s about the evil that we all have inside us and how traumatic events can warp our view of the world and cause us to do irrational and unspeakable things. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I can’t say I loved this movie or that I completely understood it, maybe you’re not supposed to completely understand, but I enjoyed it enough that I would recommend people watch it (instantly on Netflix) and see what they get out of it. Just be aware that you’ll see some things in this movie that you probably don’t want to see; don’t say I didn’t warn you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Score: 6 out of 10<o:p></o:p></div>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-78756544063414415572010-08-25T16:09:00.001-07:002010-08-25T16:09:56.989-07:00Surrogates<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMThfWyNHASzRfyhemVrQR0TctH8T6ybFNZMrtnRnA9-9438N3dmIcdpFIt9q7bNVA6EsPVKHF1GibcxJ5GdihpZ9PDY-AduZhqc2E51q9SrfeqFXpu9umeizKn4wFyU8eK_1FIOvvcbm/s1600/surrogates-movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMThfWyNHASzRfyhemVrQR0TctH8T6ybFNZMrtnRnA9-9438N3dmIcdpFIt9q7bNVA6EsPVKHF1GibcxJ5GdihpZ9PDY-AduZhqc2E51q9SrfeqFXpu9umeizKn4wFyU8eK_1FIOvvcbm/s320/surrogates-movie.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do they look a little funny to you?</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Do you ever really sit back and think about how the future might be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How much will technology advance in the next 50 years or so?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Surrogates’ gives us a glimpse of what the future might be like, but ultimately fails to impress.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In ‘Surrogates’, most people have robots (surrogates) that are their exact twins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People can lie in a little bed, hook some sensors to their head, and have complete control over their surrogate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone seems to live their everyday lives through these surrogates; they go to work, hang out with friends, and drive around like normal people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can be whoever you want to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you 45 and 100 pounds overweight?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just buy a surrogate that looks like a 25 year old supermodel and go have a good time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even better, crime is almost non-existent because killing a surrogate doesn’t kill the actual owner….until now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep, someone created a weapon that can kill the surrogate and the operator at the same time and Bruce Willis gets the job of getting the weapon out of the hands of the bad guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Honestly, there’s not much that I really liked about this movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story seems choppy – one minute Bruce Willis is chasing a guy through the streets and the next he’s at his wife’s beauty shop talking about why their marriage is falling apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The special effects are pretty crappy, borderline sci-fi channel at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I can’t really say I cared about any of the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding out who created the weapon and why just didn’t really interest me that much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that said, there are a few things I liked in this movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a weird effect they give the surrogates so that you can tell who is a surrogate and who is a regular person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surrogates seem to have little emotion in their face, they walk and sit very rigidly, and their skin has a very Ken Doll look to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I liked the idea that the technology hasn’t been perfected yet, that there is something to humanity that hasn’t been totally replicated and may never be.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For such an interesting concept, it’s too bad that this movie couldn’t have been better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re really not that far away from having something like surrogate technology be available to everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m just going to have to wait for a good movie that can really dig into some of the ethical questions that this type of technology could bring up.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Score: 3.5 out of 10</div>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-75264161867766953482010-08-22T12:19:00.000-07:002010-08-22T12:19:19.344-07:00Taxi Driver<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlSffVfTUtfyIwoJ6wmN999wdNkzzcy2Syi5Kraq7sJwuABES8aRt4RL_a528L0pTQRycNIGqzCTzQUNBmsi-8GWo_12BELw8QJj9-2IkqGtWod-tF5URc3zufx5ZDXMxTIHg34uDSCrM/s1600/taxidriver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlSffVfTUtfyIwoJ6wmN999wdNkzzcy2Syi5Kraq7sJwuABES8aRt4RL_a528L0pTQRycNIGqzCTzQUNBmsi-8GWo_12BELw8QJj9-2IkqGtWod-tF5URc3zufx5ZDXMxTIHg34uDSCrM/s320/taxidriver.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'You talkin' to me?' Yeah, that's from Taxi Driver</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I think my expectations for this movie were way too high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Taxi Driver’ was one of those movies that I thought of as a classic, heard so many good things about, and noticed a 98% rating on rottentomatoes.com.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I just assumed that I would watch the movie, be thrilled by every second of it, and give it a 10 in my review.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, this movie isn’t going to get a 10, not even close.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Robert DeNiro plays Travis Bickle, a new taxi driver in the city of <st1:city><st1:place>New York</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travis can best be described as a lonely guy, he doesn’t really seem to fit anywhere in the grand scheme of things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get the feeling that Travis thinks he’s more than just a normal guy, that everyone should notice him but for some reason they don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travis works the late shift, roughly <st1:time hour="18" minute="0">6 pm to 6 am</st1:time>, and gets to see all the scum that <st1:state><st1:place>New York</st1:place></st1:state> has to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, like all of us, Travis does his job and tries not to let it get to him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travis comes into contact with two women in this movie who have a major impact on his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is Betsy who works at campaign headquarters for presidential hopeful Charles Palantine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travis takes her out for coffee one afternoon and she actually seems to like him….that is until the second date when he takes her to a porno theater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t talk to him anymore after that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second is Iris (Jodie Foster), a 12 year old prostitute whom Travis feels the need to save.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There is a transformation in Travis at some point in this movie where he decides he wants to kill some people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can pinpoint the scene where the transformation seems to happen but I can’t really tell you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">why</i> it happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In case you’re wondering, the scene I’m referring to is when Travis picks up a guy (Martin Scorsese) who claims he’s going to kill his wife because she’s cheating on him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, Travis buys a bunch of guns and tries to kill senator Palantine but fails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So instead he decides to go kill Iris’ pimp and the people associated with her becoming a prostitute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Travis has a big shootout with the guys, gets shot in the neck and seems like he’s about to die as the scene ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, he doesn’t, in fact he is glorified in the newspapers for being the one who helped Iris to get back to her family and took some bad guys out in the process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would seem that Travis finally got what he always wanted, which was to be noticed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I think the thing that bugged me about ‘Taxi Driver’ was that I never really understood why Travis decided he needed to kill these people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was it his rejection by Betsy that set him off?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was he sick and tired of the lowlifes he had to drive around at night?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was he really that obsessed with being noticed that he had to go to such an extreme?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I know is I’m going to try and keep my expectations low for the next “classic” I watch, maybe I’ll get better results.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feel free to give me your opinions on this one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There must be some reason why everyone thinks this movie is so good.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Score: 6 out of 10</div>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-80012037537901191392010-08-20T19:46:00.000-07:002010-08-20T19:46:41.626-07:00The Vicious Kind<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiET8JqCUc46gdVQHwlb3iTFixIN-rzrIWPufxL-iB2G0skOyPgmZiSw6C0PSIRXXN3Wziz9XiVF6_NxhBeIzF9RscNmJ_COrf-xEivj9a75kB-0jJPNhqVdZsnhPvh6s_ks6qKIu7HNRk3/s1600/viciouskind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiET8JqCUc46gdVQHwlb3iTFixIN-rzrIWPufxL-iB2G0skOyPgmZiSw6C0PSIRXXN3Wziz9XiVF6_NxhBeIzF9RscNmJ_COrf-xEivj9a75kB-0jJPNhqVdZsnhPvh6s_ks6qKIu7HNRk3/s320/viciouskind.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adam Scott as Caleb</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
‘The Vicious Kind’ was a movie I just happened to come across on Netflix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I noticed the cover had an actor from a tv show I liked, so I thought I would give it a shot and see how he was in regular movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><div> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">‘The Vicious Kind’ is about Caleb, a severely depressed guy who has a terrible view of women and major issues with his dad, who he hasn’t talked to since his mother died 8 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caleb has to bring his brother, Peter, and Peter’s new girlfriend, Emma, to his dad’s house for Thanksgiving and along the way we see just how miserable Caleb is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the very first shot of the movie is a shot of Caleb on the verge of tears trying so hard to hold everything together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first we’re not really sure why Caleb is so sad and angry but we soon find out that Caleb had a bad breakup with his girlfriend, the reason for the breakup is never revealed but it must have been pretty bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the short flashbacks we see of Caleb’s ex-girlfriend it’s hard not to notice that Peter’s new girlfriend closely resembles her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, Caleb starts to have feelings for Emma as he gets to know her but doesn’t want to do anything to hurt his brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, Caleb warns his brother numerous times to watch out for Emma because he feels she has a reputation and will probably break his heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as Caleb’s lust for Emma grows, his protection of his brother becomes selfishness for his own desires.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As much as this review has focused on Caleb’s relationship with Emma, I don’t think that’s what this movie is really “about”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caleb is realizing that as much as he hates his dad for things he has done in his past, he is becoming his dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘The Vicious Kind’ really boils down to reconciliation and the paths you take to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s very interesting that Caleb hurts his brother, on what amounts to a one night stand, but inadvertently starts rebuilding his relationship with his father because of it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t watch too many independent films but this movie makes me want to start watching more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The acting is spot on with Adam Scott as Caleb, Brittany Snow as Emma, and J.K. Simmons as Caleb’s father.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam Scott does a great job portraying the transformation Caleb has from being the depressed, asshole brother to the sensitive, vulnerable son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have Netflix, put this movie in your instant queue, if not then try and rent it somewhere, it’s definitely worth watching.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Score: 7.5 out of 10</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></div>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-65858347951702299472010-08-18T20:19:00.000-07:002010-08-18T20:19:38.835-07:00Kick-Ass<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui-87lVVYnGmTxvBNr4cYPO7Qj61SoZDwDc9z6aHU3pAZeKI9fUjeTgBg-kXrXFGoRcti_988MVihaquRu8nze-WWoufE7-GVDT45En-dAyzCz3jtbmdQ-4tA0viPnyPjhmiw4kyUBDx9/s1600/kickass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgui-87lVVYnGmTxvBNr4cYPO7Qj61SoZDwDc9z6aHU3pAZeKI9fUjeTgBg-kXrXFGoRcti_988MVihaquRu8nze-WWoufE7-GVDT45En-dAyzCz3jtbmdQ-4tA0viPnyPjhmiw4kyUBDx9/s320/kickass.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kick-Ass, Hit Girl, and Big Daddy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">If you remember the previews for Kick-Ass, you will undoubtedly be surprised when you actually get around to watching this movie. At first look it seems to be a comedy about a nerdy guy who decides he wants to be a superhero, and for the first half-hour it is exactly that. Enter Hit Girl and her sidekick/father Big Daddy and the movie quickly changes pace in a very good way. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">Nicholas Cage plays Damon MacReady (Big Daddy), a man whose life was ruined by Frank D’Amico – head of the local drug cartel. Damon has been training his daughter Mindy (Hit Girl) in everything from how to take a bullet, to martial arts, to knife throwing in order to help him get revenge on Frank and his gang. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">David (Kick-Ass) is the other main character in this movie. He is the typical nerdy, misfit, high school kid who is in love with a girl who happens to think he’s gay. Dave always wondered what it would be like to be a superhero and finally gets tired of being ignored at school and mugged on the streets, so he decides to give it a try. After a brutal attack on his first day as Kick-Ass, he is left with nerve damage all over his body, which really just gives him the ability to take harder beatings. Word eventually spreads of the new hero in town and Kick-Ass eventually meets up with Hit Girl and Big Daddy and the story progresses from there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">The thing that was very surprising to me was the amount of violence in this movie, which is not a complaint. The violence is actually taken very light heartedly in the movie but is mostly dished out by the 11 year old Hit Girl. She has no problem stabbing, dismembering, and putting bullets in more than a few brains, which I’m sure will turn some people away. If you don’t take it too seriously, though, you’ll have a lot of fun and will probably find Hit Girl to be a bit of a bad ass (I did).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">I have to admit that I really loved this movie. The story lines are interesting and the characters are fun. Plus, you’ve always gotta root for the nerdy guy to get the hot girl in the end. It may not be for everyone, but if you’re ok with lots of violence, bad language, comedy, and the always wonderful Nicholas Cage then you should definitely see it. I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’ll be seeing a Kick-Ass 2 sometime in the future. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;">SCORE 9.0 out of 10</span></span>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6398164912281475794.post-57222691871728804272010-08-17T17:01:00.000-07:002010-08-18T20:19:55.280-07:00Orphan<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!!!!!</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX4CoNJkZonJi5zQAmDc1oFk-Jd3PTH-H64UgxqHqFayBLFVQLw4Q_LRqeyypoHxlezbgcKarBf_cowIGTAAb0JwBsrNmgSg7S3W0qreSl9VqH_4T7mEYgiziPmeDYX0TiKQF19JLUrBh/s1600/orphan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX4CoNJkZonJi5zQAmDc1oFk-Jd3PTH-H64UgxqHqFayBLFVQLw4Q_LRqeyypoHxlezbgcKarBf_cowIGTAAb0JwBsrNmgSg7S3W0qreSl9VqH_4T7mEYgiziPmeDYX0TiKQF19JLUrBh/s320/orphan.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look out! Shes got a hammer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Wow, did anyone really see that coming? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If you have no idea what I’m talking about and don’t want the entire reason for watching this movie to be ruined then stop reading. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Let me start, for those of you who haven’t seen the movie but are still reading, by giving a little background on this movie. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>John (Peter Sarsgaard<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">)</span></span> and Kate (Vera Farmiga) are a happily married couple with two children: their son Daniel and their younger daughter Max (who may be the cutest little kid I’ve ever seen in a movie and coincidentally is deaf and speaks no lines). <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We find out very early in the movie that Kate had a stillbirth a few years back and struggled with drinking because of it. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Kate is just now getting over her alcohol problems and feels ready to complete the family so she and John decide to adopt. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As with every movie of this variety, they pick the seemingly normal kid, in this case Esther, who turns out to be nutso and things go horribly wrong. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At this point I’m 20 minutes into a 2 hour movie that I feel like I’ve seen 10 times before.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> In fact, it seems like a total rip-off of ‘The Omen’ except it’s going to be the daughter of the devil instead of the son. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The fact that it feels like you’ve seen this movie before is actually what makes ‘Orphan’ stand out above the rest, don’t worry, I’ll get to that. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Throughout the movie you’re given subtle and not-so-subtle hints that something isn’t quite right with Esther.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Subtle:</span></div></div><ol start="1" style="background-color: black; color: #999999; margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li class="MsoNormal">Esther wears ribbons around her neck and wrists that she<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><u>will not</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>take off</li>
</span></ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Not-so-subtle:</span></div></div><ol start="1" style="background-color: black; color: #999999; margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<li class="MsoNormal">She smashes a pigeon with a rock</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Pushes a bully off a slide breaking the bully’s ankle</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Kills a nun with a hammer and hides the evidence</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Threatens her new brother with a box cutter to crotch</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Picks flowers from the memorial Kate set up for their unborn child</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Puts the car in neutral while her new sister is in the back seat</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sets the tree house on fire with her brother inside</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Tries to smother her brother while he’s in the hospital from being injured (see #7)</li>
</span></ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Ok, most of this is not subtle at all, seems like the perfect candidate for daughter of the devil, right? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Doesn’t it seem like only a criminal mastermind could possibly get away with all this, not an 11 year old girl? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This is where ‘Orphan’ gets very interesting. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It turns out that Esther was actually in a mental hospital and has a very rare disease that I can’t remember the name of, but the concept is proportional dwarfism. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Esther is actually 33 years old but is stuck in the body of a normal 11 year old! <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>All she really wants is to get with John (in a very awkward scene) and when he rejects her everything comes apart, literally. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Esther takes her makeup off, takes her fake teeth out, lets the straps go that hold in her chest and thighs, and goes on a killing rampage. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>But, as with all of these movies, only two people are killed (John and Esther) and everyone else is more-or-less ok.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">About 90 minutes of this movie is pretty standard horror/suspense while the other 30 is actually pretty cool and unexpected, which is why I ended up liking this movie. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It’s nice to see a familiar concept taken to another level, it can really make the whole movie seem fresh instead of just the last 30 minutes. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I’m also going to point out that the acting in this movie is actually quite good considering it relies so heavily on a young, unknown actress. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The girl who plays Esther does a great job of giving you clues that Esther is older than she looks, particularly in the scenes where she kills the nun and when she threatens her brother with the box cutter. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>‘Orphan’ is definitely a movie worth seeing, I’m probably going to give it a higher score than it deserves, solely based on the fact that it actually surprised me.</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">SCORE: 7.5 out of 10</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: black; color: #999999;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Well, what do you all think of my first post? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Would you rather not have the spoilers? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Was it too much of a synopsis and not enough of a “review”? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Did you find my wit too funny? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I’m up for any suggestions and feel free to discuss the movie all you want!</span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span>Nolan Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17062896302897183249noreply@blogger.com7