Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (2011) Children & Family Comedy Starring: Indie Spirit nominee Heather Graham (Drugstore Cowboy) & Jaleel White ("House M.D."). Directed by: Sundance Grand Jury Prize nom John Schultz (Bandwagon). Written by: 2X Emmy winner Kathy Waugh ("Peep and the Big Wide World") & Megan McDonald based on McDonald's "Judy Moody" book series. Plot: Never-dull third-grader Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty) embarks on a summer adventure with her brother, Stink, and always-up-for-fun Aunt Opal (Graham). Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2767494425/ Review: I love these young kid adventure films in the reign of Harriet the Spy and The Babysitter's Club. Can't help it. It makes me nostalgiac. Will let you know what I think after I watch this. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
The Tree of Life 2011 Independent 20th Century Period Piece Drama Starring: 2X Oscar nominee Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), 2X Oscar winner Sean Penn (Milk), Jessica Chastain (The Help), & Joanna Going ("Criminal Minds"). Written & Directed by: 2X Oscar nom Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line). Plot: Cannes Palme d'Or winner set in the 1950s about a confused man named Jack (Penn), who sets off on a journey to understand the true nature of the world. Growing up in the Midwest with two brothers, Jack has always been torn between his mother's (Chastain) guidance to approach everything he encounters with an open heart and his father's (Pitt) advice to look after his own interests. Now, Jack must find a way to regain purpose and perspective. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi612735001/ Review: I've been very curious about this film for a while. Can't wait to watch it. I've heard that's it's slow and musing so don't watch this when tired. Will update when I watch it. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Beautiful Boy 2010 Independent Social Issue Drama Starring: Indie Spirit nominee Maria Bello (Downloading Nancy), Emmy nom Michael Sheen (The Special Relationship (TV)), Kyle Gallner (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Alan Tudyk (Transformers: Dark of the Moon), Moon Bloodgood (Terminator Salvation), & Meat Loaf ("Glee"). Directed by: Shawn Ku (The American Mall (TV)). Written by: the director & Michael Armbruster. Plot: Bill Carroll (Sheen) is contemplating separating from his wife, Kate (Bello), when the unimaginable happens: Their 18-year-old son, Sam (Gallner), commits mass murder at his university before killing himself. While coping with their grief, Bill and Kate must deal with the insatiable media, other parents furious at them for their son's actions and their own questions about their culpability. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1283693849/DVD Features: deleted scenes Review: The subject matter of this film touches a nerve with me. A high school friend of mine was killed in the VA Tech massacre. This was a hard one to watch. I often wonder about the family of the man that murdered my friend. The shooter's name was Seung-Hui Cho, and I know why he murdered my friend. What I don't know is why the campus didn't have better security measures. Why did so many people died that day when they didn't have to? Is the family also somehow partly responsible? This film raised the same questions that I have been asking myself since April 16, 2007. I doubt I will ever have the answers. This film didn't answer them either. That's the part I didn't like about it. That and Bello, who's usually amazing, was unbelievable in this film. Sheen was amazing as always and stole the show to me. Thoughtprovoking and heart -breaking though I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Rating: Noteworthy. Watch with: Elephant.
The Trip 2010 British Indie Mockumentary Starring: Steve Coogan (The
Other Guys) & Rob Brydon (MirrorMask). Directed by: 3X Cannes Palme
d'Or nominee Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People). Written by:
Frank Cottrell Boyce (Code 46). Plot: Mockumentary about a pair of
actors (Coogan & Brydon) who embark on a foodie road trip across
England. Mostly improvised and highlighting the duo's penchant for
dueling impressions of famous actors, the film follows them as they
test their friendship while sampling the best restaurants in
Northern England. Trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3607534873/ DVD Features: making-of
featurette; trailer; deleted scenes. Review: I love food movies!
Looking forward to this. Will update after I watch it. Rating: TBD.
Watch with: TBD.
Horrible Bosses 2011 Comedy Starring: 2X Oscar winner Kevin Spacey (American Beauty),
Colin Farrell (The Way Back), Indie Spirit Nominee Jennifer Aniston (The Good Girl), Emmy
nom Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development"), Lindsay Sloane (The Other Guys), Jason
Sudeikis ("SNL"), Emmy winner Donald Sutherland (Citizen X (TV)), Ioan Gruffudd ("Ringer"),
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Ray), Emmy winner Julie Bowen ("Modern Family"), Isaiah Mustafa
("Charlie's Angels" 2011), Wendell Pierce ("Women's Murder Club"), & Ron White (Sex and the
City 2). Directed by: Seth Gordon ("Community"). Written by: Emmy nominee Michael
Markowitz ("Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man"), John Francis Daley ("Bones"), & Jonathan
M. Goldstein ("$#*! My Dad Says"). Plot: Disgruntled buddies Nick (Bateman), Kurt (Sudeikis)
and Dale (Day) can't leave their miserable jobs, so they cook up a creative strategy for eliminating
each other's micromanaging and maniacal employers (Aniston, Farrell, Spacey) instead in this
crackpot comedy. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi8756249/ Review: It's nice to
see Aniston in a role other than a rom com. I like the premise of this film. Let's see if it pans out.
Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Café 2010 Indie Drama Starring: Madeline Carroll ("Grey's Anatomy"), DVD Exclusive Award winner Jennifer
Love Hewitt (The Hunchback of Notre Dame II(V)), Jamie Kennedy ("Entourage"), & Alexa Vega (Spy Kids:
All the Time in the World 4D). Written & Directed by: Marc Erlbaum. Plot: For the up-and-comers on Philadelphia's west side, West Philly Grounds is the place to be. There, Claire (Hewitt) serves wisdom along with the coffee and scones. The clientele comes to her with advice in love, life and careers. But even the neighborhood's favorite gathering place has a dark side. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1058380825/ Review: I was intrigued by this
film. It's exciting to see JLH in an Indie movie. She's a fantastic actress who doesn't get enough credit. Just watch
her in "Law & Order: SVU" episode 12.3 "Behave" if you don't believe me. I've been waiting for it to come out for song long. Stupid local movie theaters that don't play
Indie films grr. So I watched it. JLH was great in it as usual. I love films about how strangers are all connected. THe
problem I had with this film was that it could'nt quite decide what it wanted to be. It seemed to have a scifi element
with some Christian undertones, but it never completely explained or explored it. It seemed to cop out, especially in the
end. Christianity isn't exactly popular in Hollywood so filmmakers tend to avoid the subject matter. That's fine. Whatever
floats your boat, but by not choosing either genre the movie's ending made no sense. It kind of ruined a film I was enjoying.
I think maybe if the twist had been revealed at the end instead of the beginning, I would've liked it more. I liked this film
up until the ending. I'd still recommend seeing it, because of it's thought-provoking nature and well as the fact that the
only part that I didn't like about it was the ending. Others may like the ending. Rating: Kinda like an inkblot test. Might
be good to some, but just didn't get it. Watch with: Gamer.
Call Me Mrs. Miracle 2010 Family Fantasy Starring: 5X Emmy winner Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves
Raymond"), Jewel Staite ("Wonderfalls"), & Emmy nominee Lauren Holly ("All My Children"). Directed by:
Michael Scott ("Touched by an Angel"). Written by: Nancey Silvers based on the book by Debbie Macomber.
Plot:When hardships befall both a NY department store and its customers at Christmastime, "Mrs. Miracle"
(Roberts) steps in to magically set things right. Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2435357721/
Review: Ok I know I'm a huge dork for adding a Hallmark made for TV Christmas movie, but I secretly like
Christmas movies. I like how it's a Christian Christmas film, which is rare so it has me curious. There I've explained.
Will update when I watch it after December 1st, cuz I'm not gonna be like Walmart and skip over Thanksgiving.
Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
Video Girl 2011 drama Starring: Oscar nominee Ruby Dee (American Gangster), La'Myia Good
("Judging Amy"), & Meagan Good (Saw V). Directed by: Ty Hodges (actor in The United States
of Leland). Written by: Datari Turner. Plot: sweet small-town girl Lorie Walker (M. Good) thinks
all her dreams have come true when she becomes a famous hip-hop video star, but she soon finds
herself spiraling down into a dark world of drinking and drugs. Trailer:
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1734974489/DVD Features: behind-the-scenes
featurette; cast and crew interviews. Review: Being an actress, I like movies about fame &
stardom. I wathc and take notes lol. Megan Good actually looks like she has some talent in this
one, at least by the trailer. I've never liked her as an actress. She's always come off as mediocre,
but this film might change my mind. We'll see. Rating: TBD Watch with: TBD.
Penguins of Madagascar: The All Nighter Before Christmas 2011 Family movie Voiced by:
Carl Reiner (Ocean's 11). Plot: holiday-themed episode from the animated TV series follows
Skipper, Rico and their lovable penguin pals as they scramble to locate a yuletide tree and Santa to
give the zoo's baby animals a Christmas to remember. Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV-IRIste7A- Review: The penguins were the only things I liked
from the first film. I didn't even bother to watch the sequel. I will watch this for them. We'll see if I like
it. Rating: TBD. Watch with: TBD.
The Princess of Montpensier 2010 French Drama Starring: Mélanie Thierry (Babylon A.D.), Lambert Wilson ("The Philanthropist"), & Gaspard Ulliel (Hannibal Rising). Directed by: Cannes Best Director award winner Bertrand Tavernie (A Sunday in the Country). Written by: the director, Jean Cosmos & Francois-Olivier Rousseau based on the short story by Madame de La Fayette. Plot: Nominated for a Cannes Palm D'Or for best director. Aristocrat Marie de Mézières (Thierry) loves the dashing Duke Henri de Guise (Ulliel), but her father (Philippe Magnan) forces her to marry a prince she doesn't know (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet). With her new husband at war, Marie's passion for Henri grows stronger than ever. Trailer: http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movie/trailer/486949 DVD Features: trailer; cast and crew interviews. Review: I wanted to watch this film, because I am a huge fan of French cinema as well as Gaspard Ulliel. I'm Creole so my family speaks French. I spoke it well when I was young, but have lost a lot since then. I'm trying to get re-acquainted with it. I pretty much hate films with adultery. There is simply never an excuse for it. The writing, however, did make me feel some sympathy toward the main character. Then the infidelity starts, and it's hard to continue to root for her. This film was well-acted and beautiful to watch but depressing as hell. Proceed with caution. Rating: Not the brightest crayon in the box but sure is pretty. Watch instead: The Young Victoria.
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