DVD : 1/5 Rating : Hoodwinked

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this the other day - and don't ask why but i also saw the extras on the dvd. the extras 'making of hoodwinked' i thought was more interesting then the movie iteself.

it explained how they came up with the story - got an illustrator to do some very basic drawings and then sat around a table with some friends and recorded the script. they quickly edited the sound and drawings together and then showed it to some local kids ranging from 4-10 year olds.

i can't say if the kids will like this movie or not but if you're an adult you won't. it isn't like shrek. the story is kinda boring and the 'who dun it' is really simple to figure out... but then again they did target audience for 4-10 year olds.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Love Me If You Dare

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this yesterday. rented this based on it's trailer - it looked like a romatic comedy, and it started out as such but then mid way changed.

this movie reminded me of bitter moon - where the story explores love, both it's happy side as well as it's dark side.

this movie starts out with two kids, one with an ailing mother and another a porlak from a poor family which everyone teases. they become friends and to make each other happy they play a game of dare. initially it's cute, then funny and as they grow older you see that they have something very very special.

then the turning point when the girl can not distinguish if the boy truely loves her of if it's all just a game... then the story turns very very dark.

it's a great story and well told, just not for the faint of heart and not for those looking for a happy ending. it is NOT like 'when harry met sally' as much as it seems so in the beginning.

watch it, but be forewarned it isn't your typical love story.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Ichi the Killer

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IMHO REVIEW : *WARNING*
another ultra-violent movie. if you liked old boy this would be it for stylized cartoonish violence. not for the faint of heart.

the reason i have a warning on Takashi Miike is known for doing ultra violent movies and pushing the boundaries. his other famous movie is 'The Audition' - but unlike that movie this is just trying to show you the gore. there are moment's when the violence seem cartoonish - especially towards the end. but this movie is not for the faint of heart.

what is the plot? it's basically about a sadistic gangster whose boss (also a sadistic bastard) was murdered - very messy like. so this gangster is out to try to find the killer. you later learn that this killer is 'Ichi.' in addition to this the gangster (his the guy on the cover) goes about trying to find his bosses' killer by torturing random / various people.

mind you there are moments when i thought - damn, that's pretty creative (and very very creepy) but there are more moments when you just have to look away.

Ichi the Killer combines sadism and a murder mystery. it's an entertaining watch - but be WARNED it's amazingly visually violent.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Saving Face

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IHMO REVIEW :
i'd also add if you're asian it'll make your cringe - the mother character reminded me of my mother... ooo ouch... yikes... pow...

FYI for the fellas - rent this movie to show you're a caring individual who loves romatic comedies with heart. then watch it for the asian lesbian scene. ho ho!

the story of this movie is very typical of asian culture - as you go older in generation it becomes more and more strict. the movie about the interaction between the lesbian daughter and her mother - and her mother to her parents. the mother (who is a widow) becomes pregant - which is a huge no no. she is kicked out of her parents house (the grandparent's house) and is told that she MUST marry.

the mother goes to live with her daughter whose a med student/doctor + lesbian which her mother refuses to believe and constantly tries to set her up with single men.

it's an interesting story of how past cultures are mixed with that of american culture and where children who grew up here must live a mixed cultured life - what makes the movie so interesting to watch (and i don't just mean the lesbian scenes) is the movie looks at what happens to those cultures as they are faced with personal desires which are contrary to what they were raised with.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Dave Chappelle's Block Party

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IMHO REVIEW :
just got this today from netflix - watchin it RIGHT NOW! so excited. it's unrated + it has EXTENDED PERFORMANCES!!!! WOOOOOT!!!!

after watching the DVD i was a bit disappointed. the extended performances should have been called 'extended performance.' there was only 1. :( plus the extras (which i had hoped would be additional performance footage) were makings of... and following some peeps who were invited... interesting, but not what i was hoping for.

i was hoping for the full concert! each artist played 5 songs each! there were 9 main performers - that's 9 x 5 = 45 songs!!!! where are they! what were they! doh! why isn't it featured in the DVD / soundtrack???? i would have loved to have this DVD be a 2 DVD set - the first being the movie and the second just cover the concert. :( oh well.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

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Blue Dot

IHMO REVIEW :
saw this last night (yes after i saw Superman Returns) and was surprised to like it. not a big fan of Robert Downey Jr. but he was likeable in this movie (i thought). it's from the same peeps who did the 'Lethal Weapon' series and has the same feel. so if you liked lethal weapon - you'll probably like this movie as well.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Everything is Illuminated

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this last night and enjoyed it very very much. it's your typical story of a boy who goes on a travel to find himself... well - find his past... well his grandfather's past.

the story - on the cover - is Elijah Woods, but in truth the story isn't really about him. his more of a catalist for what happens. the story is really about a grandfather and a grandson who happens to be driving Elijah's character around in the Ukraine.

storytelling is great. the first half of the movie is humorous and then there is a moment in the movie as things slowly change. the second half is a tear jerker.

this movie is about the past, about objects, about people and about how it all interwines.

RECOMMENDED

DVD : 3/5 Rating : The Matador

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IMHO REVIEW :
just watched this a few days ago - here's my review. it's an entertaining movie with a great setup! but then ends too quickly... and too conveniently...

the premise. a hitman is getting old in his years... and as he starts to notices that he doesn't have anyone in his life... he feels lonely. the salesman comes into his life - but i'll skip that so i don't give too much away.

the cool bit for me (the setup) was that this hitman, because he feels so lonely in his line of work starts to screw up... his basically burnt out... his starting to freak out and needs help... but where does he go, who can he ask for help, how can he solve this when he is so alone.... great setup! fantastic! (i think)... so how does he solve this?

well that's the disappointing bit - the movie solves these problems in 15 min (give or take) minutes... and at least to me it wasn't very convincing and i thought that they coulda done more with the premise. oh well - all in all, not a bad flick - i just wish they woulda done more with the overall premise.

THEATER : 2/5 Rating : Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this movie earlier with my dad - it was what i was expecting. not bad but by no means great. it had it's moments, it had all the various special effects - it left a lot of stuff hanging... pretty much what i expected reading some of the reviews on bluedot.

noticed kids in the movie theater watching this - was wondering how they could sit through all 2 1/2 hrs of this without getting tired. was shocked the kids seemed to enjoy it - there were some movie gore, but they didn't seem to mind. go figure.

my recommendation - watch it only if you have nothing else to watch and you really wanna go watch a movie. otherwise, go grab a beer.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Must Love Dogs

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IMHO REVIEW :
must love dogs should be titled 'must love crap.'

yes yes, it's pretty harsh - BUT IT'S TRUE! i felt the need to watch a romatic comedy - don't ask why - so i had must love dogs and alfie on my netflix que. they came, i watched - and here's my review.

do not waste your time with this movie. this movie had average ratings on both amazon.com and netflix.com but the movie is just plain aweful. the jokes were forced, the 'insightful' look into the dating world was cliche and the heart to heart moment between diane lane's character and her dad was just plain... stupid.

why you ask? well her dad is posting ads online - then dating all these women, he dates three women at once, his daughter (Diane Lane) speaks to him of how unfair this is to the women and how she feels his hurting one in particular. his response - i've lost the love of my life, now i'm just trying to keep busy so i won't have to remember her. WTF - that just means (in the wise words of snoop) we don't love them hoes.

with this answer of course Diane Lane is all cryin' and crap. whatever. it's a real shame considering that i think john cusack & diane lane are great actors, but the story is crap - and it felt like the actors just didn't care - there was nothing.

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!

DVD : 2/5 Rating : Alfie

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this movie some time ago - here's my review

it had promise... too bad it didn't have the right cinemontographer, director, etc... what do i mean by that? to my surprise the story wasn't that bad! i say this because the reviews i had seen / heard when this movie was in theaters were aweful. so i wasn't expecting much... but to my surprise the overall story was pretty darn good - the acting (especially by jude law) was pretty good as well... so why did i not love this movie.

well for one - the bloodie heavy handedness of the visuals. the random large words - which is suppose to look like ads? but is just over the top messaging by the bloodie director. YUCK! it insults me as a viewer that they have to be so blunt. the look of the movie... the bloodie thing had three different looks! WTF! that's right - in the beginning it's got a slick MTV look to it - meaning the lighting is over the top, everyone looks beautiful, etc.. etc.. then suddenly the lighting changes to be drab, cold, etc... the change is too harsh, again - very heavy handed.

the overall story is the same ol story. player luckie enough to find good women - but screws it up cause his selfish and is constantly looking for something better - when he loses what he had then he comes to the realization... oh shit i had something good.

bottom line - it's an 'eh' movie - it did make me curious about the original though - gonna que the original on netflix.

DVD : 5/5 Rating : Me And You And Everyone We Know

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IMHO REVIEW :
i've heard so much about this movie... and then finally i watched it. i loved this movie - so much so i'm having a hard time mailing it back to netflix.

why you ask? well the movie is so well written - the transitions are beautiful and it's very artsy! did i mention the acting? it's wonderful. i especially liked John Hawkes who plays the shoe salesman... he has the ability to look crazy, sad, happy all with his eyes. it's creepy and wonderful at the same time.

FYI - one of the main characters who is also the writer and director Miranda July is a filmmaker, performing artist and writer and it shows in this movie.

i really can't go into the details of why i love it so... you'll just have to trust me and watch it. i've added a plot summary (at the bottom from amazon) but trust me. if you like indie + artsy movies with beautiful visuals and transitions + great story that's handled with care - you'll love this movie too.

Plot Synopsis from Amazon.com : 'Me and You and Everyone We Know' is a poetic and penetrating observation of how people struggle to connect with one another in an isolating and contemporary world. Christine Jesperson is a lonely artist and "Eldercab" driver who uses her fantastical artistic visions to draw her aspirations and objects of desire closer to her. Richard Swersey (John Hawkes), a newly single shoe salesman and father of two boys, is prepared for amazing things to happen. But when he meets the captivating Christine, he panics. Life is not so oblique for Richard's seven-year-old Robby, who is having a risqué Internet romance with a stranger, and his fourteen-year-old brother Peter who becomes the guinea pig for neighborhood girls -- practicing for their future of romance and marriage.'

DVD : 2/5 Rating : Junebug

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IMHO REVIEW :
just finished watching this movie... it was tooooo slow for me. the overall movie is about relationships - between married couples, between brothers, between newly weds, between family, between 'city folk' and 'country folk' - the overall story was interesting - the story very very slowly told - it was just too slow for me...

i understand that the portral of your typical family was done well in this movie, but i just felt the movie just stated the obvious - it didn't really shed anything new about that theme.

it can also be that i just wasn't in the mood for a slow 'deep' emotional story - especially just recently having seen the warrior.

overall - acting good - story okay - pace super slow.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Failure to Launch

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this yesterday - to my shock it was pretty good. mind you i went into it thinking it was gonna suck. i had very very low expectations - didn't expect to get anything from it, perhaps a few random chuckles at best.

and that's exactly what i got. a silly unrealistic romantic comedy which had a few laughs.

all in all - expect nothing special - but it is entertaining to watch.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Pretty Persuasion

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IMHO REVIEW :
saw this yesterday as well - very interesting movie. it starts out like a horrible piece a poo movie - then quickly changes into a sharp comedy, then revenge then drama...

the first 3/4 of the movie is funny - very smart dialog.
FYI - do not watch this with your kids / parents. it'll make you uncomfortable.

also - James Woods is bloodie fantastic in his small role as the girls father.

here is what amazon had to say about the plot :
Manipulative high school sophomore Kimberly Joyce leads her friends Brittany Wells and Randa Azzouni in bringing charges of sexual assault against Percy Anderson, their English and drama teacher at an exclusive private school in Beverly Hills. Meanwhile, local reporter Emily Klein, originally assigned to do an insignificant piece on the school, hopes that the scandal will launch her into celebrity in the television news business, while Kimberly's bigoted father, Hank, is concerned primarily with the effect that his daughter's accusations may have on his business.

DVD : 0/5 Rating : Game 6

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IMHO REVIEW :
tried watching this the other day... got about :10 minutes into it and had to stop - it was that aweful.

if someone was actually able to finish this movie and thought it was good - do let me know.

THEATER : 2/5 Rating : Talladega Nights The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
saw this movie with my dad today - had pretty high hopes considering peeps on bluedot seemed to have enjoyed it + the overall rating on rottentomatoes.com was pretty good.

watched the movie and found it was.... eh. there were funny moments - but that's what it was, just funny moments with random stuff put in between. i'm getting to the point were i'm starting to believe that all of will ferrell's movies are movies of funny moments.

my personal recommendation would be if you're looking for some chuckles this is an option - but i'd say a rent option.

DVD : 4/5 Rating : Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle

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Blue Dot

IMHO REVIEW :
just finished watching this - and i gotta say, it's bloodie good / goofie / funnie / out of control.

it's journey tale of two stoners in search of the perfect food - white castles. it makes me so wish there was a white castle in seatle - with that stated i'm going on a road trip to NY in septemeber and needless to say... we are so gonna stop for white castle!

here's what amazon had to say bout the movie :
Two twenty-something stoner roommates -- one a Korean American investment banker; the other an Indian American medical school candidate -- go through a life changing journey, as they spend a night roaming the state of New Jersey in search of White Castle hamburgers.

THEATER : 4/5 Rating : Beerfest

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IMHO REVIEWS :
saw this movie on Sept. 4th - before hitting feierabend for beers.

first off - bloodie brilliant movie! if you like old school, wedding crashers, harold and kumar, etc... also watch it with a bunch of your friends who are around 25 - 30 years of age who likes to be silly and drink - A LOT.

luckly went to see it with harold, jesse, rob and pawan and it was brilliant. we laughed our asses off - there were inside jokes which we only got - but that was okay. as we walked out there was a young kid who stated 'i wish i was 21.'

BRILLIANT! needless to say - by the middle of the movie we were all thirsty for beers (minus pawan of course).

this movie has all the things that will make it a cult hit for 25 - 35 year old guys. boobs + booze + really offense jokes + middle aged guys who act like total asses / kids = instant classic amongst 25 - 35 year olds.

DVD : 3/5 Rating : Phat Girlz

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IMHO REVIEW :
i know... i know...

phat girlz? good grief why the hell would anyone watch that? well to be honest i was wanting a low-brow comedy with no redeeming quality. what i found - was a shock.

mind you this movie isn't fantastic by any means - but it isn't horrible, and perhaps because i was going into this with super low expectations i'm giving it a 3/5.

the story is to be expected - the plot has been played out - the fat jokes are typical. but the movie tries to show different aspects of what beauty is, of what 'thick madams' have to go through in the US culture where thin = beautiful.

an additional shocker - they actually let Mo'Nique act - meaning there are scenes where she goes into a fit of self hate and starts to cry her eyes out. anyone knowing her standup act will be suprised that she actually pulls this off.

mind you - the movie is super low budget (it looked to me) but a good watch. the overall message of self confiedence regardless of your look + not hattin' on those who look differently then you is also a plus.

again - nothing new here folks - but was surpised that there was an actual 'black' movie where it wasn't stereotypical pot heads / gangstas / baby's mamas dramas / etc... you get the picture. i honestly believe if the movie had a larger budget this coulda been a mainstream romatic comedy.

would recommend this movie if you have very little selection in the rental isle and you're looking for a feel good flick.