
Blog



The Avengers has many characters, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), not to mention S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives like Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Despite such a large cast, the movie provides enough backstory to fully develop each character without detracting from the almost constant action and stunning visual effects. The Avengers is not simply a superhero movie, it is THE superhero movie.

Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) is a young teacher very much in love with fellow teacher Sarah Bracknell (Brooke Adams), who is very much in love with Johnny. While coming home from a date, Johnny gets into a horrific car accident. He goes into a coma and when he awakes, he finds he has lost five years. He is physically disabled in that he has very limited walking abilities, and he finds that Sarah has married and has a son. As crushing to his spirit as this is, he soon finds that he has undergone another dramatic change. He finds that when he holds a person’s hand, he can see a part of either that person’s past or their future.
Walken gives a great performance. There is a haunting melody that plays off and on through the movie and for its time, there are some great special effects. The film is an adaption of Stephen King’s novel The Dead Zone. Many people have described this movie as the best adaption of a King novel and I agree. If you have never seen the film or read the book, I suggest you do both.

So what makes this film so special? It's the story, the acting, the musical score, and
perhaps the cinematography. And it contains maybe one of the scariest scenes you'll ever see in a film that does not involve a monster, a slashing knife, or something that jumps out at you.
And a word of warning, you may have trouble sleeping after you see this film, but if
you haven't seen this film, you should. Also, just before you do go to bed, you might
want to check your basement, under your bed, in your car, and any other place in or
around your home where a body might be waiting.
Check out a Wired.com interview with screenwriter Ben Ripley.

This is a fun movie. It works very well as an old fashioned 1950s sci-fi movie set in the "Hollywood West." Daniel Craig gives a wonderful performance as Jake Lonergan, a bad guy turned good who sets out to right past wrongs. It's as though James Bond was sent to the past without a memory of who he was, what his mission is, or any of his special gadgets except one, which he does not know how to use. But he retains his martial arts ability and his ability to "think on his feet."
So sit back and enjoy.

Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, and Jonah Hill provide the voices in the latest animated film from DreamWorks. When the (sort of) evil Megamind destroys his nemesis, the perfect Metro Man, he takes over Metropolis. But without someone to battle, Megamind gets bored and creates a new superhero Tighten.
When Tighten fails to work for the good of the city, Megamind finds himself in the unlikely position of potential hero. With reporter Roxanne Ritchie as his moral compass, Megamind fights to save Metropolis.
A laugh out loud adventure for the whole family.

I’ve never seen the original Star Trek series. You don’t have to know anything about Star Trek to enjoy this film; I’m proof of that.
Occurring in an alternate reality to avoid continuity issues with the original series, Star Trek follows a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) as they learn to coexist to battle the evil Nero (Eric Bana). The film exhibits smart dialogue, witty humor, engaging friendships, and explosive special effects.
If you want to escape for a couple hours, I recommend discovering the new generation of Star Trek – and then you’ll be ready when the sequel comes out in 2012!
This futuristic thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio operates on the premise that your mind can be hijacked while you are sleeping and your thoughts can be both stolen or changed by dream invasion. This film earned almost $300 million at the box office to prove how worthy it is, but the film falls flat for me (check out Rotten Tomatoes to see what the critics think). Although the special effects are dramatic (and Oscar worthy), the plot is confusing and character development is ignored.
Director Christopher Nolan’s talents are much better displayed in the Batman film The Dark Knight (2008) starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger or in his groundbreaking film Memento (2000) which is told from a backwards point of view.
The dinosaurs are loose because the power goes out and it’s up to these scientists to survive the battle. Adventure awaits in every corner.
The movie is based on the book by Michael Crichton. Two thumbs up!
If you enjoyed this film, you may also like E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Jaws.

Takes place at a future time when the only young child has just died. Pregnancy is currently unheard of, making childbirth a distant memory. It is a gripping tale of an idealistic woman who at that time and place can trust only one man to follow through with a plan and he must trust no one. Is there any hope? Both my husband and I thought it was great!
Starring Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine. Based on the 1993 novel by P. D. James. Check out reviews from Roger Ebert, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly.
5ive Days to Midnight (2004)
A sharp mystery! A physicist receives a file about his murder in the future. He has five days to solve his own murder before it becomes reality. Fast paced and very suspenseful, fans of The X-Files will enjoy this miniseries.