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Reviews
Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008)
Poor production value, a great expanse between tidbits of information
If you have any knowledge of production or editing, or a passion for storytelling in general, here's the first thing that comes to your mind upon watching "Journey to the Edge of the Universe":
"Okay, we hired Alec Baldwin for 15 minutes, and we have to make an hour-long program...how many meaningless and poorly-executed warps through space can we cram into this baby??"
The lazy, simplistic, and cheap visuals aside, there's not many shows quite so boring as this one. Watching the show for ten minutes yields one or two facts about the universe, which you'll hear over and over again before the program concludes. My mates and I found ourselves laughing hysterically at the number of times the camera "traveled" through "space"; by the end, it was inappropriately out of hand.
Don't waste your time with this one, there's plenty of great productions out there that will truly expand your outlook on the universe and life itself.
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
Completely Entertaining
I've made a habit of writing my more recent reviews only on films that I truly enjoyed. Why not? What's the point of clouding the airwaves with my attempts at rationalizing why a movie sucked? It's not hard, however, to rationalize why "(500) Days of Summer" was a fantastic movie: it was bold, different, and completely entertaining. THE DIRECTOR: Brashly and uniquely told through the eyes of relatively green music video director Marc Webb, the plot continuously jumps through the 500 days of Tom and Summer's relationship. Webb uses a smörgåsbord of directorial techniques, from split-screens to musical numbers, all beautifully meshing together to tell one surprisingly cohesive story. All of your questions are eventually answered, a beautiful parallel between lives is drawn, and you leave the theater entirely satisfied. THE LEAD PLAYERS: Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt have fantastic chemistry, apparently developed off the set according to Fox Searchlight. Additionally, Gordon-Levitt's charming and off-beat buddies provide comic relief and context throughout the twists and turns of an extremely realistic relationship. THE BIG PICTURE: "(500) Days of Summer" is a movie whose intention is to have you watching from between your fingers one minute, and laughing aloud with your friends the next. You support the characters, you pity them, and if you've ever been in a relationship, you certainly identify with them. Enjoy this movie with a date as I did, it will not only renew your sense of true love and destiny, but also raise your spirits in a lackluster summer of movies.
The Hangover (2009)
Genuinely Funny
It's always great when you can share a movie experience with an entire theater of strangers. When an entire crowd can burst out in a unison of laughter, all the while making you appreciate each gag for its originality and authenticity. "The Hangover" is one of those rare movies where the audience becomes an extension of the group of buddies with which you went to see the movie. Not to mention, it's f**king hilarious. The unity with strangers aside, this movie is wholly satisfying as a comedy. Biased though I am (a Zach Galifianakis fan for years now), I enjoyed this film for everything it is: a gut-buster, brimming with laughs not only farcical in its whimsy, but deep-rooted in the stellar casts' interplay. Galifianakis is brilliant as the somewhat-disturbed third wheel thrust upon the bachelor party, almost all of his lines memorable and quotable. Cooper is spot-on as the dis-likable man-boy, ultimately redeemed through his belief in friendship and a renewed relationship with his wife. Helms somewhat continues his role from the office, an overly preppy suburbanite with a wild side (not to mention, wholly committed to the wrong woman), and uniquely hilarious nonetheless. So here's the kicker: I'm a film graduate, raised on uppity purebred master cinema, praising the work of the "lowest" form of entertainment: comedy. This movie was thoroughly entertaining, engrossing, and above all, absolutely hysterical. Shouldn't my reason for purchasing a ticket to be entertained? Isn't that what this movie did? Did it not unify a roomful of complete strangers with its unabashed hilarity? What then, is so wrong about this relationship?
Transformers (2007)
The perfect July 4th Movie
Let me start this off by saying that I'm one of these people who thinks of himself as a film critic. If I dislike something, I'm honest about it. If I feel something is contrived, cliché, or well-worn territory, I'm vocal about it. Transformers is a movie that blatantly violates many of my 'good- movie-criterion', and yet I've seen it twice already in the 4 days since it's premiered. And I plan to see it again. It's fantastic. Whether you grew up on the cartoons like myself, or if you don't know an autobot from a decepticon, Transformers is the ultimate crowd-pleasing July 4th blockbuster. I can't find many people who don't start smiling as they watch massive transforming robots fire missiles at each other in slow motion on a two-story movie screen. I think I saw everyone in the theater half- stand up out of their seats when Barricade chased down Bumblebee while "Pretty Handsome Awkward" by The Used assaulted our senses. And, twice now, have I seen a standing ovation given to a movie as the credits roll. Normally, like many of you, I'm in the mood for a film that makes me think, makes me question, and features profound writing and acting. If you want to take a break from that for one night, however, and enjoy some massive action that will leave you dumbfounded, strap yourself into the theater seat, and watch the best guilty pleasure flick of the past three or so decades
The Sweetest Thing (2002)
Just an awful attempt at comedy
I'm a lover of films, especially one that can make me laugh. I try not to be too harsh with my opinions, in that I am a documentary maker myself, but I was shocked to read through the user comments for this movie, and find many of them praising this poor excuse for entertainment. I regrettably sat through this slow, simple, forced comedy, never once so much as cracking a smile. The plot was nonexistent (something to be expected and excused in this genre), but in a comedy, there is typically...comedy. Every gag seemed to be derived from a funny inside joke, like the old food in the car. Nothing is worse than going to a movie and consistently getting that "guess you had to be there" feeling. My only pity of this movie was for the fantastic Jason Bateman, who must have been slipped a mickey to have signed onto this project. Now that the movie has been out of theaters, I don't need to say "don't waste your money"...I can simply say don't waste your time.
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Brash, disturbing, and overall, hilarious
"And f**k youuuu, pretty boy!!!!"
A couple things you should know before seeing this film: -You will flinch -You will laugh -You will get that feeling at the end, that feeling that screams "Why did I watch this, I shouldn't have watched this, I'm confused, I'm uncomfortable...what a great freakin' movie".
The stars of the film are the most dedicated to their craft that I've ever seen. Even those who have no lines or only appear for one scene are utterly convincing. If you want to see a true director's visionary interpretation of a great book, where all the actors give some of the best performances of their careers, and if you want to be shaken to your very core, then by all means, watch "The Rules of Attraction".