More Rants and Ravings:

Well, I saw a lot of movies over the past week, and I would like to start with the most recent one:

First off, I saw Paul Balart: Mall Cop at my sister's house yesterday. It was a bit on the crude side, and perhaps a bit childish in some parts, but there is a certain heartwarming and actually funny concepts to it. Kevin James gave a solid performance. It was rather entertaining, and I don't care much for comedies like this. I give it Two and a half stars out of four.

Then, I saw Shadow of a Doubt, the film which Alfred Hitchcock considered to be his best efforts and the favorite of his films. It is thrilling, well-acted, and the story is superbly crafted. If you think about it, it is quite scary to think that a murderer is living right in your house - and actually paints himself as a gentle, selfless stranger. I love Joesph Cotten and he is indeed the most underrated actors in Hollywood history. Three and a half Stars out of four.

Finally, I saw The Lady Eve, and this one was also for the first time as well. The chemistry between Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanywck was pitch perfect. It was lighthearted, good-fashioned fun and the story was very interesting. The directing was also top notch. Overall, a very entertaining romantic comedy. Three Stars out of Four.

That's all for today, folks - till next time!

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Review

On Saturday, I saw Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs with my nieces on Saturday. It was an entertaining and often hilarious film. The voice cast was excellent and the visuals were lovely. While it is not the best film in the Ice Age movie series (For me, the best installment is the second film), it was still worthy of the the first two installments. I rated the film Three stars out of Four.

Last week, I also saw Harvey with Jimmy Stewart once more. It is a touching, entertain film with unforgettable performances piratically by Jimmy himself. Elwood P. Dowd is so lovable, I think it's unfair of Miss Kelly to choose the doctor over him, LOL. Overall, a tender, entertaining film.

That's all for today, till next time!

More Rants and Ravings!

Well, I have been quite busy the past two weeks. Besides watching An Affair to Remember for the gazillion time, I decided to watch the 1939 original. Although I love both Cary Grant and Charles Boyer, I have to say, Cary Grant would be my choice. Both films are touching and romantic, but perhaps in their own way despite their similarities. The children however were less annoying in the original than in the remake, LOL. Overall, the original is just as great as the 1950s remake and I give it Three and a half stars out of Four.

I also saw Stage Door for the first time. I liked the girls' spunk and determination. I liked the story behind it - the pressure of success and trying to achieve it in a very difficult time. I was shocked on one fact, though: even though Katharine Hepburn is one of the greatest actresses ever produced by Hollywood, the show belonged to Ginger Rogers here. It was a fascinating performance in part due to the fact that it was a huge departure from her musicals with Fred Astaire. Entertaining and with solid performances, I give the firm Three and a half stars out of Four.

Finally, I head for Alfred Hitchcock's Rebeca. This one, however, was not the first time, but it has been a long time since I saw it. I remember It was the first movie I saw with Laurence Olivier, and I became interested in him and his work. It is still very intriguing, even though I was familiar with the various twists and turns the story takes. I loved the performances. The story was entertaining and even though it was barley your typical Hitchcock thriller, it still had certain touches from him and it demonstrated his capacity in handling different kinds of stories. Great film.

Well...that's all for today! I am off to see yesterday's episode of the 8pm soap opera on Univision.
Till next time!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen review

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen last night. I have so much to say: the movie was loud, rowdy, and not engaging. The direction was terrible, and just as I was thinking that Michael Bay had started to redeem himself after watching the first Transformers film, he goes back to his mindless, in-your-face action roots. The acting was also as terrible, particularly Megan Fox. She and her character are so shallow, that she seems to exist in the film for the sole purpose of eye candy for macho high school and college freshman males. The story and visuals are a mess: you can hardly tell what is going on and the story is incoherent and childish, and is filled with useless, childish moments (A transformer who transforms into a human female? WHAT?! Really? Lame and disgraceful to the classic cartoon.) and unfunny and corny comedic relief: Humping dogs and robots? What WAS THAT ABOUT?! Scenes with Sam's crazed mother at her son's fist day at college were completely childish, stupid and unnecessary. Sam's roommate was annoying and not very interesting. And Shia Labeouf's performance was shallow and dull. As I was sitting my chair, I kept looking at my cell phone, watching the clock, desperate for this mindless, loud action "spectacle" to end. It was way too long for its own good, because the movie dragged, piratically towards the ending.

The first Transformers was solid, popcorn munching fun. It even made you feel for the Autobots. In this one, not even - SPOILER - the death of one makes you feel or shed a tear. It was actually almost laughable. This one is not even worthy of being called its sequel. It was childish, stupid, incoherent and I actually want to think to myself, "What were they thinking?". If I could rate the film no stars, I could, but I have to rate it 1 out of 4 stars.

That's all for today, till next time!

Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Okay, so over the weekend, I was able to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire, two of this year's Best Picture nominees at the Oscars, with the latter winning the prize.

First up, Benjamin Button: I thought the story was quite creative and well constructed, although a little strange for my tastes, but creative and entertaining, nether less. It features great performances and a lovely look all its own. It was a story with a lovely meaning behind it and I enjoyed the haunting score. I give the film Three stars out of Four.

Up next, Slumdog Millionaire, the winner of this year's Best Picture Oscar. While, in my opinion, it did not really deserve to win, it was an entertaining picture, it had solid performances and the film managed to hold my interest until the end. The soundtrack really rocked, too. While the story was a bit slow to develop, it developed well in the end. I liked the look of the film, it seemed like a film straight out of Bollywood. I also give it Three Stars out of Four.

Finally, I decided to watch Gaslight again with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. While Ingrid won the Oscar and gave a great performance, I couldn't take my thoughts off of Charles Boyer. It was a marvelous performance, and man, does his accent make me melt! I was a little annoyed by Angela Lansbery's accent, but she gave a good performance and it was her feature debut. Thrilling and entertaining film with a beautiful look and wonderful performances.

That's all for today, everyone - till next time!

Up Review

Yesterday, I saw Disney and Pixar's latest film, Up. As I came out of the theater, I could not help but think, is there anything Pixar can't do? Can Pixar ever disappoint? The answer, for me, is no. The guys and gals at Pixar are geniuses of animation - storytelling and visual marvels who break new ground with every film that they make. I also though that there traditional animated short shown before the actual film was the best animated short they have created - it's Partly Cloudy, and it was cute, funny and poignant. Entertaining, funny and extraordinarily poignant, the film is indeed the best animated film since Wall-E, another Pixar film. Its creativity and excellent story makes for a fun and visually stunning film with valuable life lessons - certainly Pixar can do no wrong, and here's hoping for more animated gems from them. I give Up Four stars out of Four.

At home, I saw Roman Holiday for the millionth time. It is still a timeless, romantic and heartwarming romantic comedy. I love Gregory Peck's performance - and Audrey Hepburn was so cool and classy. It is one of my favorite romantic comedies, and even though the ending was not what you expect, it was fresh and realistic.

Well, that's all for today, till next time, enjoy!

Rants and Ravings - 6-10-09

This weekend, I saw for the God-knows-how-many-times The Maltese Falcon and It Happened One Night. First up, The Maltese Falcon never gets old. It's still exciting, fresh and darn, does Bogie kick serious booty! The only thing that bothers me about the film is Mary Astor's haircut...it may have been seen as stylish to some, but it is horrid, in my opinion. Thank God that it does not distract much from the film - unlike Tom Hank's hair in The DaVinci Code...LOL. It's great fun and it is suspenseful all the way, even though it is best the first time when you do not know spoilers - because the fill has various plot twists, but at the same time, even if it's your 1,000th time seeing it, it is still very entertaining and one of the great classic Film Noirs. Indeed, it is "the stuff that dreams are made of".

Next up, It Happened One Night. A witty and charming romantic comedy. Man, oh man - was Clark Gable HOT. And man, could he act! He and Claudette Colbert had a very strong chemistry. I admit I was a little upset that they did not kiss in this movie, but at least their feelings are acknowledged. All in all, it is one of the most romantic movies of the 1930s and of all time.

Also, a few days ago, my nieces persuaded me to watch Hotel For Dogs with them. The story acting and dialogue were overly corny for my tastes, but not so much as 2001's Cats and Dogs, and it was much more realistic. Furthermore, it is a typical film for children and animal lovers, and it is a film which they could identify with and I suppose that is why my nieces like it. However, there is really nothing adults would like, with corny performances by charming actors like Don Cheadle and Lisa Kudrow - although I do not blame them, I blame the writing and story. Overall, it was charming for children, lame for adults. One Star and a half stars out of Four.

That's all for today, folks, till next time!

To Catch a Thief/High Society

This weekend, I had a mini Grace Kelly marathon and saw To Catch a Thief once again...it is a rather suspenseful and witty thriller with awesome performances by both Cary Grant and Grace Kelly (The rest of the cast was great, too), and they had a strong chemistry - their love scenes were pitch prefect. I loved how Hitchcock lightened up the story with witty and smart comedy - there were a couple of scenes that made me chuckle (SPOILER: The final scene is one...). Overall, it is a great as I remembered it and it remains a great Hitchcock thriller.

Next up, I saw High Society and this one was for the first time. I liked the nods to The Philadelphia Story, and how some things are more fully explored (IE, The relationship between Connor and Liz, Dexter's and Tracy's honeymoon ext.) - however, I can't help but liking Cary Grant and James Stewart better than Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and Grace Kelly - who was awesome in the film - had better chemistry with Cary and Jimmy in To Catch a Thief and Rear Window. That's not to say I do not like Bing and Frank, though. Overall, I did enjoy the film and I though it was very cute. Three stars out of four.

Till next time, fellow movie lovers!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review

Well, everyone, I finally I had the opportunity to see X-Men Origins: Wolverine last night, and well, I have got to say, I thought it is not as bad as the critics make it seem. However, there is something curious about the movie that I found very intriguing: some critics say that the movie starts off well and that it falls apart as it progresses, but for me, it is exactly the opposite: the beginning was a bit disjointed and somewhat flat, but as the movie progressed, I got more interested. Everything seemed to be getting more engaging. I must admit - it was nice to see an X-Men movie dominated mostly by the guys - especially hot ones like Hugh Jackman and Taylor Kitsch =D! Speaking of Taylor Kitsch, I loved his performance as Gambit - a character I have been waiting for since the first X-Men film back in 2000. I wish we could have seen more of him, though. But he and Hugh Jackman dominated the film and they brought the fun into what could have been a lifeless film. I was also shocked at the scene where the adamantium is surgically inserted into Wolverine, it was a rather difficult scene to watch - and I thought it wouldn't be since the film was PG-13. Overall, it was an entertaing popcorn flick typical of summer fun at the movie. I give the film Two and a half Stars out of Four.

That's all for today, folks! Till next time!

Taken Review

Hi, everyone!

So I had the opportunity to see the international hit Taken yesterday. I thought it was an entertaining thriller and if you're looking for some tough-guy action, this movie is for you. The camera movements during some of the fist fights annoyed me a little bit, but that's just a minor detail. The story was fast-paced, although it developed smoothly, and I was hoping that the movie would last a little bit more than 91 minutes, but still, it's the running time most films like this have. Although the plot deals with your typical kidnap-and-rescue story, you will somehow feel a certain twist. And I came out with one major confirmation: Liam Neeson kicks major butt - and I love him more than ever. It's a shame that he lost his beloved wife (actress Natasha Richardson) so close to his celebration of his new film's success. While there was nothing really fresh about the father/daughter relationship, it was still a bittersweet story arc. The film was very entertaining and I give it Three and a half stars out of Four stars.

Also, I caught another viewing of The Philadelphia Story. It is my favorite movie with Katharine Hepburn. I enjoy the witty dialogue and heartwarming story. James Stewart won Best Actor for his performance, although I think he deserved it more for It's A Wonderful Life or Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Still, it is a well deserved Oscar. However, I will never understand how Cary Grant did not get a nomination, while Katharine Hepburn and James Stewart did. I think it is one of Oscar's biggest crimes not giving him at least a nomination. He was absolutely engaging and excellent in the film, and it will not be the only time that Cary Grant was not recognized by the Academy the way he deserved, for he did not win the two times he was nominated and there were many performances that were overlooked. Even with no Oscars, he is widely beloved and is considered one of the greatest actors who ever lived - and I fully agree with that.

Till next time!

TCM's Classic Films Union

Hi, everyone!

Just wanted to let you know that Turner Classic Movies has a brand new member service called the Classic Films Union. You can go to it here. It is basically a way to share your favorite actors and films and media with others. You can also post your favorite pictures and videos and share it with others. As you have guessed, I joined, and you can view my profile here.

During this long Memorial Day Weekend, I decided to watch two Alfred Hitchcock films: Suspicion and Spellbound. I had not seen them in a long time and I loved them - thrilling, edge of your seat suspense and only Hitchcock could bring you that. What intrigued me was the dream sequence in Spellbound, which was designed by Salvador Dali - it was beautiful, and really looked like a Three-Dimensional piece of art. It was ahead of its time, and it must have been as stunning as 3D animated films and CGI effects seem today when it was released in 1945. It is still stunning and unique, even today, and the dream sequence is one of the most visually creative scenes in movie history in my opinion. It was truly a terrific touch to a thrilling and creative film. I read somewhere that Hitchcock was not overly impressed with the final film, but I think it stands as one of his most visually stunning. My favorite Hitchcock film is however North by Northwest. I will try to check it out again as soon as I can.

That's all for today, see ya!

Happy Mother's Day/Monsters VS. Aliens review

First off, let me wish all the wonderful mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day. I love you, Mom =)!

Lastly, I spent the day with my nieces and my sisters yesterday and watched Monsters VS. Aliens with them. It is a creative and amusing film and I think that DreamWorks Animation is starting to make better films (Bee Movie and Shrek The Third were a bit disappointing to me). The animation was visually striking, and since I had the opportunity to see in 3D, it looked even better. Story wise, I though it was charming, creative and interesting - it is the type of story I haven't really seen and it is easily appealing. The voice cast was pretty good, and I particularly loved Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D. Overall, it was an entertaining film and fun to watch - so I rate it Three stars out of Four.

By the way, if you want to see how I rate films I have previously seen, you can go here. Films I have rated vary from classic films to recent ones I have seen, such as Monsters VS. Aliens. You may not agree with some of the ratings, so it's only my two cents.

That's all for today, folks! Till next time!

Blu-Ray News/Twilight Review

Two classic films celebrate their 70th anniversary this year - Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. It seems that Warner Bros. is planning a Blu-Ray release for them. You can visit the new Wizard of Oz site here. Pre-Order Gone with The Wind here.

Well, it's hard to believe how time files, but the Summer Movie Season begins Friday with X-Men Origins: Wolverine! It is quite possibly the most exciting season of the year for movies and I can't wait to get started! Although I feel there is not much variety in the blockbuster world due to last year's Writer's Strike, it should be a very interesting season this year.

In other news, I recently saw Twilight on DVD. It was an entertaining picture with solid performances from the two leads, but the romance and some of the dialogue between Bella and Edward seemed too come dangerously close to childish and cheesy at times, at least for me. The movie felt a little too short and left me wishing it could have lasted a bit more, but keep in mind that I have never read the novel. It was an enjoyable film, but I was not crazy about it as my older sister is, but I do understand, however, why Tweens eat the film up, because it was probably made in part made for them. I am probably in the minority in thinking that Robert Pattinson is not hot - I have seen better, but this is just my opinion. I rate it Two Stars out of Four.

Well, that's it for now. Till next time, have a nice day!

Cool YouTube Videos/Watchmen Review

Just a little note: you can view cool videos I have in my favorites and subscriptions (A lot of them about movies, by the way)....check them out here if you are interested...

In other news, I finally had the opportunity to see Watchmen yesterday. As a fan of the graphic novel, I believe you couldn't get a more visually stunning adaptation, but director Zack Snyder (300) decided to actually exaggerate the violence and love scenes too much - and I guess I saw that as a weak point of the movie because in some points, this tracks away from plot and character development. The movie also omitted some scenes from the graphic novel (which I will not mention due to of spoilers) that could have made the film seem more coherent. In terms of acting, the movie belongs to Jackie Earl Haley, who plays Rorschach in an awesome performance. I also enjoyed Jeffrey Dean Morgan's performance as the Comedian. However, I was greatly disappointed with Malin Akerman's performance as the second Silk Spectre - I found her neither convincing or moving - and this is important because she was the main female character. In short, it was a decent adaptation, but it was too over the top and the story may seem sloppy and incoherent to some viewers who have not read the graphic novel. If you're expecting something in the likes of Iron Man, Spider-Man or The Dark Knight, prepare to be disappointed. I give the film 2 stars out of four.

Till next time!