moviesmarts1988 Reviews

Reaper (2007–2009)

Funny as Hell

[9/10 · 14 October 2007]

The CW has really stepped up on there line-up of shows this season and this is an example. Sure, a kid who plays bounty hunter to the escapees from Hell, it doesn't sound funny. Its sounds like a... well, something deep and dark. And that's what you would expect, but don't. The show takes you out of the land of religion and plops you in sunny suburbia, with a guy who just can't get things right, and then finds out he has to work for the devil. That would suck. That's the appeal of an average college dropout battling hell with his friends at his side. That's where the real fun comes in: Sam has great friends. He has his bud Bert "Sock" Wysocki who is loyal and just goes with his friend's new gig. There's Ben, who is more of the brains of the outfit. And, of course, there's the girl, in this case, Andi. She works at the same Home Depot-like store with the guys and is going part-time to college. Oh, and she has no clue that Sam is in love with her. That's all pretty typical of a twenty-something TV comedy. But the fact that they throw in the Devil and his needs takes it from "Friends" to "Buffy" – real life is hell. But it can be funny too. This fall, don't miss "Reaper" on the CW.

Gossip Girl (2007–2012)

Gossip is a Guilty Pleasure

[9/10 · 14 October 2007]

A perfect blend of "The O.C." in Manhattan, modern "Cruel Intentions" with new players, and "Veronica Mars" wit; all wrapped into a modern blog commentary narrated by the anonymous, omnipresent character Gossip Girl (played by Mars' Kristen Bell). Rich kids with too much time, outsiders, the relatively "poor" family, mystery, blackmail, sex, and modern pop hits—all a staple for teen drama—all here for your viewing pleasure.

The characters are deep, layered. Serena has issues. Blair is upset that her best friend just left her. Dan is lovable and a moral compass for the audience. His sister Jenny is in over her head and doesn't know it. Nate is just trying to make things right and doesn't like that's he privileged (poor him). Eric, Serena's brother, is the victim of this culture. And Chuck is just a jerk with cash. And I can't get enough of any of them. Their tangled lives are truly entertainment.

I can't wait to know the characters more. And will we ever know who Gossip Girl is or will she (if she really is a she) always be a mystery.

And the best part is if you miss a show, no worries. Just catch up online anytime. Gossip Girl, you're right, we do love you. XO.

Gossip Girl, Wednesday, The CW -- be there.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Will Provoke Thinking...

[9/10 · 17 November 2006]

I loved this movie because it not only speaks to those of us who are writers, it speaks about humanity and life in general. If you are a writer, you must see it. If you are any other human, you should also see it if you want to laugh, feel move, and see just how strange/weird/boring the creative process really is. Emma Thompson is the prefect writer without an ending, and true to how we writers are very odd and always looking at things differently than most people. How often do you find yourself in a hospital looking for people about to die? If you do, that just weird.

Here's something to think about: What if you are a character in somebody's novel? Are you a tragedy or comedy? Fantasy or Science Fiction? What if someone already has an ending planned for you, what would it be? Happily ever after or random tragic death; love or loss. Can you write an ending yourself, e.i., are you in control of your own fate or is it in control of you. I'm not giving my answer because it may or may not offend some one and this isn't about what I think, it's about the theory of it, which may never be clearly concluded...

On a lighter note, if you want to see a good movie well worth the money, this is for you. And don't worry if you're not a Will Ferrell, he is not his usual self in this film. He is a thousand times better; a real, normal, loser of a grown man who lives a very boring life filled with only numbers as company. You will feel sorry for Harold Crick because he is just so lame to begin with, his life is a sad boring routine that would drive many normal people crazy out of their heads.

The story, the narrative bit a least, is almost in the vein of JK Rowlings, in it's style and way of letting the little things play out in a funny way. Thompson's English accent makes her the prefect Narrator, similar to how Morgan Freeman made a cool God in Bruce Almighty. And you can't beat a grown man talking to his toothbrush and shower head while insisting that he is not crazy.

I could go on and on, but I might give something away. So I will say this: Go see the movie for yourself and see what you think of the ending...

Read It and Weep (2006 TV Movie)

Not what I expected, way better!

[7/10 · 21 July 2006]

Read It and Weep is like every freshman's experience in high school. But Read It makes it way more interesting. Some of the turns were expected and so lines bordered on corny but the sum of it was by far better than advertised. The suddenly famous writer, Jamie, is not the master of her character but more a puppet for what Is's dark side wants. Is is not the hero, she is more like a villain, just as bad as the head Popular, Sawyer. Here's the reason I say that it's better than I had thought: it's not just a high school drama, it's an exploration of the pressures and emotions that happen to every high school student in America, despite what they say. High School students, especially you up-coming freshmen, watch Read It and Weep and prepare yourself for what is to come. High school is not for the weak.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Watch Only to See Scarlet

[6/10 · 30 April 2006]

Lost In Translation, definitely a fitting name. By the time the credits rolled I had lost interest. I kept hoping that something big would happen and it never really did, the story did take you very far, so it just was there... There were a few high points, though: Govanni Ribisi, a usually rough and tuff guy cleaned up to play Scarlett Johansson's hubby, the culture clash- USA vs. Japan made for some situational comedy played up by funny-man Bill Murray. And Scarlett Johansson's performance is very impressive for anyone less than 20 and in that role, making her rise to extreme stardom a sure bet. Just read a list of her movies and the people she has worked with—from Rob Reford to Thora Birch—her star friends alone are enough to give her major props. So definitely check out her other films, which will surprise many with the range of acting. Some people have just "discovered" her but she's been on my list of "make-it"s for a while. So congrates on your rise to household name, Scarlett, enjoy the long career to come.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

I Loved It

[10/10 · 30 April 2006]

An A+, I wish there were more movies like this one (of this quality) out in the world. You would think that the two older kids were really related, they look so much alike. But they are not. However, they really work well together as Emily Browning stars in her first US blockbuster and she defiantly carries it well. The boy, Liam, has done some kid movies that had talking dogs and such, but he shows he can act as he plays the boy that reads everything. It's a great movie, as it reaches all levels and appeals to all ages. Jim Carrey is the guy you love to hate. Timothy Spall is the mindless Mr. Poe, the one who is suppose to be smarter than the children. Billy Connolly is the cool-head uncle. Meryl Streep is the paranoid, air-head aunt. The whole movie feels like a mix of Dr. Seuss and A Nightmare Before Christmas, it is Gothic but charming. You start to feel that it is really, more like a place in Europe than a part real/ part fantasy land. To add to the greatness, Jude Law voices the all watching Lemony Snicket, the writer of the unfolding story, who feels awful for having to tell this story, which is not about magic elves, but of painful and sometimes joyous events. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a must-own. I have seen it twice and I would gladly go again. It is defiantly a movie for the ages, from the beginning (when you think you've enter the wrong theater) to the end (where even the credits are uniquely cool). In short, I loved it and so has everyone else I know how has seen it.

Smallville: Thirst (2005) Season 5, Episode 5

Buffy Sanders = Buffy Summers

[28 April 2006]

Does anyone else find that this is a tip of the hat to Buffy the Vampire Slayer? I mean, come on, of all the names in the world they choose Buffy for the lead vampire. If not, than some writer doesn't know his/her television history. I think this is an obvious nod that the sneaking writers added to see if anyone would run up the red flag and go, "hey, Buffy!" Tricky, tricky. And the fact that the episode stars one of the former cast of Buffy, James Marsters, who played Sunnydale's resident "Big Bad" Spike, makes it even more delicious. Plus, several former staff members of Buffy now work on the Smallville staff (eg- Steven S. DeKnight). I'm just saying this must be an ode to Buffy or a major mix of coincidences.