Monday, October 31, 2011

Podcast: Episode 26

Head over to sutmspod.wordpress.com to hear the latest episode of Shut Up! The Movie's Starting, the official podcast of Cucu for Movies.

In this episode Michael and Russell discuss the movies In Time (in theaters now) The Rum Diary (in theaters now) and Red State (available on Netflix Streaming). They also discuss Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Margin Call, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Lorax trailer, Logan’s Run remake, Samuel L. Jackson, WB is getting greedy and much more.

Short Review: The Rum Diary

Grade: A-

A man consumes lots of rum while working at a failing newspaper in Puerto Rico.

Fun movie. Based on a great Hunter S. Thompson novel.

Johnny Depp, Michael Rispoli, Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi, more.

Attention span must last 2 hours to enjoy.

Short Review: In Time

Grade: B+

Time is money... literally.

Fun sci-fi movie with an interesting premise and a bit of a message.

Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, more.

Attention span must last 1 hour 49 minutes to enjoy.

Short Review: Margin Call

Grade: B+

During the early stages of the financial crisis, key people at an investment bank realize they are losing more money than they are making.

Very interesting movie. Well written and well performed.

Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Simon Baker and more.

Attention span must last 1 hour 47 minutes to enjoy.

Short Review: The Three Musketeers

Grade: B+

Three guys find a fourth and try to save the Queen's reputation.

Surprisingly fun. Pretty funny at times. Great swashbuckling.

Matthew Macfadyen, Milla Jovovich, Luke Evans, Ray Stevenson, Logan Lerman, Orlando Bloom, Mads Mikkelsen.

Attention span must last 1 hour 50 minutes to enjoy.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Podcast: Episode 25

Head over to sutmspod.wordpress.com to hear episode 25 of Shut Up! The Movie's Starting, the official podcast of Cucu for Movies.

In this episode Michael and Russell discuss the movies The Three Musketeers (in theaters now) and The Trip (available on Netflix Streaming). They also talk about Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Sleepy Hollow, Haunted Honeymoon, Young Frankenstein, Poltergeist, their general lack of interest in horror movies, Hunter S. Thompson, the ultimate badass: Han Solo, Steve Coogan, the always great Elizabeth Shue, their anticipation of upcoming movies including Piranha3DD and so much more!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Short Review: The Thing

Grade: B

A group of scientists encounter a shape shifting alien.

Takes place before the 1982's The Thing. Pretty good. Fun to watch. If you like the 1982 movie, check this one out.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Eric Christian Olsen and more.

Attention span must last 1 hour 43 minutes to enjoy.

Short Review: The Big Year

Grade: A-

3 guys compete to spot the most species of birds in North America in one year.

Surprisingly good. Funny. Good story. Worth watching.

Jack Black, Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and many many more.

Attention span must last 1 hr 40 minutes to enjoy.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Podcast: Episode 24

Head over to sutmspod.wordpress.com for the latest episode of Shut Up! The Movie's Starting, the official podcast of Cucu for Movies.

In this episode Michael and Russell discuss The Big Year (in theaters), The Thing (2011) (in theaters), The Perfect Host (available on Netflix Instant Watch), AVPR: Alien Vs. Predator Requiem and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The two also talk about The Avengers trailer, Red State (Available on DVD/Blu-ray (and maybe Netflix Streaming) October 18), Resident Evil, Scream 4, David Hyde Pierce, Catastrophes in Colorado, the possible R-rated Wolverine Movie, Their desire for a third Alien Vs. Predator movie, Their lack of interest in the upcoming Man of Steel movie, Mortal Kombat, Michelle Rodriguez’s ability to escape death in movies and much more!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Short Review: Real Steel

Grade: A

A man bonds with his son while their robot beats up other robots.

Fun. Exciting. Great story.

Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lilly, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand, more.

Attention span must last 2 hours 7 minutes to enjoy.

Full Review: Real Steel

Grade: A

In the near future robot boxing is the biggest sport in the world. Charlie, a former boxer, is a down on his luck robot boxing promoter who discovers that he has a son, Max. He makes a deal with Max’s aunt and uncle, who feel it would be best if they took custody, to take the 11 year old boy on the road with him as he makes one last desperate attempt to make some money in the cutthroat world of robot boxing. The two find an old sparring bot in a dump and fix it up so they can start teaching it to box. As the bot wins bout after bout, father and son form a strong bond.

Real Steel is based on the classic game “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots” and because of that most people seem to hate this movie sight unseen. I thought it looked fun and I ended up enjoying it way more than I thought I would. Real Steel is a fun, futuristic Rocky-like movie. The characters are surprisingly well written and the robot fights are tons of fun to watch. In fact, as the movie went on, I found myself getting more and more involved in the story and with the characters so much so that by the climactic fight, I was on the edge of my seat dying to just jump up and cheer for Charlie, Max and Atom, their robot. This movie is entertainment for entertainments sake and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Hugh Jackman (X-Men, The Prestige) plays the lead role of Charlie Kenton, a former boxer in financial trouble. Jackman was great in this movie, he was funny and tough and pretty emotional when he needed to be. He did a great job with this role and made Real Steel as much fun to watch as it is. Newcomer Dakota Goyo plays the role of Max, Charlie’s estranged 11 year old son. Goyo was great in this movie and did a great job acting alongside Jackman. Evangeline Lilly (The Hurt Locker, TVs Lost) plays the role of Bailey, a friend of Charlie’s and owner of Tallet’s Gym. She was great and very enjoyable in this movie. It was nice to see her in a bigger role in a movie. The movie also features Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand, Hope Davis, Karl Yune, Olga Fonda and more.

Real Steel is a surprisingly fun and entertaining movie. I personally felt that it was very effective and got me to be completely involved in the story. Just because this movie won’t win or be nominated for any Oscars doesn’t mean it’s not worth watching. This is a movie that almost anybody could enjoy. In fact, if you like movie’s like Rocky, check this one out.

Podcast: Episode 23

Head over to sutmspod.wordpress.com for the lastest episode of Shut Up! The Movie's Starting, the official podcast of Cucu for Movies.

In this episode Michael and Russell discuss the movies Real Steel (in theaters now) and Rock Slyde (available on Netflix Instant Queue). They also discuss AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Ides of March, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, some movie news, the awesomeness that is robot boxing, political dramas, enjoying movies simply because they are fun to watch and more.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Short Review: The Ides of March

Grade: A

An idealistic young staffer on a presidential campaign gets a crash course in dirty politics.

Great performances, great writing, interesting story.

Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Max Minghella.

Attention span must last 1 hour 40 minutes to enjoy.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Short Review: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Grade: A+

While helping his friend fix up his new vacation home, a man falls in love with a woman while her friends try to kill them.

Hilarious from start to finish. A fantastic take on the horror comedy genre.

Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine, Katrina Bowden and more.

Attention span must last 1 hour 30 minutes to enjoy.

Full Review: 50/50

Grade: A+

Adam is 27 years old, has a job he loves in radio and a seemingly great girlfriend. However, his life gets turned upside down when he finds out that he has a cancerous tumor on his spine. He is forced to go through chemotherapy to try to reduce the size of the tumor and on top of that he finds out that the survival rate of this particular type of cancer is only 50%. He also starts to go to a therapist who is rather new to the position and his mother is overly protective. Thankfully he has his best friend Kyle on his side to help him cope and get through this hard time as everything in Adam’s world seems to be falling apart.

50/50 is an inspiring movie that is based on the true story of its writer, Will Reiser. It is unlike any movie I have ever seen. It manages to perfectly blend the drama of the main character having cancer and the humor that many people use to help cope. It is the most honest movie about cancer that I’ve ever seen. The balance was absolutely perfect, I was laughing through most of the movie with moments that caused me to tear up a bit. The writing for this movie is amazing and all of the characters in it are very real. I am glad to see a movie like this because I feel that it’s the first movie that really understands this subject matter. By that I mean that just because it’s a movie about cancer doesn’t mean that it has to be completely serious and devoid of any kind of humor.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, 500 Days of Summer) plays the lead role of Adam. He was absolutely amazing and gave what I would call an Oscar worthy performance, if the Oscars paid attention to comedies. I am a huge fan of his and this is my favorite performance of his and probably his best performance to date. All the subtle nuances in his character are part of what make it so great. Seth Rogen (The Green Hornet, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) plays the role of Kyle, Adam’s best friend. I think that this is the best performance Rogen has given as well. He was perfect as the worried friend who doesn’t always know how to handle the situation and hides behind his humor. Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Up in the Air) plays the role of Katherine, a young therapist still working on her doctorate. I am amazed every time I see her in a movie. Let’s not hold the Twilight movies against her because outside of those she is absolutely amazing and just keeps getting better. She is wonderful in this movie and again, because it’s the only word I can think of, she is perfect in this movie. Angelica Huston (Choke, The Royal Tenenbaums) gives an awe-inspiring performance as Adams mother. The movie also features Bryce Dallas Howard, Phillip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer and more.

50/50 is easily one of the best movies of the year. Every moment of this movie is simply amazing. It will make you laugh then question why, in a good way. It is very inspiring, emotional, hilarious and it will make you think. I cannot recommend this movie enough to absolutely everybody.

Great quote: “I smother him so much because I love him.”

Short Review: 50/50

Grade: A+

A 27 year old finds out what matters most in life after he finds out he has cancer.

One of the best movies of the year. Hilarious and emotional.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Angelica Huston, Bryce Dallas Howard, Philip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer and more.

Attention span must last 1 hour 40 minutes to enjoy.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Podcast: Episode 22

Head over to sutmspod.wordpress.com for the latest episode of Shut Up! The Movie's Starting, the official podcast of Cucu for Movies.

In this episode Michael and Russell discuss the movies 50/50 and Tucker and Dale vs Evil (Available in theaters now) as well as Troll Hunter (Available on Netflix Instant Watch). The two also talk about Predators, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, What’s Your Number, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, The Mechanic, Nightmare in Red, White and Blue, Michael’s love and Russell’s hatred of documentaries, the sad box office results, actors who work better as supporting stars and so much more.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Short Review: Killer Elite

Grade: C

An assassin assassinates other assassins while an assassin tries to assassinate him.

A really long build up to not much of a pay off. Action scenes are fun though.

Jason Statham, Clive Owen, Robert De Niro, Dominic Purcell, Yvonne Strahovski.

Attention span must last 2 hours 5 minutes to enjoy.

Short Review: What's Your Number?

Grade: B

An unemployed girl is helped by an unemployed guy to track down her ex-boyfriends and the two seem to have unlimited resources.

Very fun and funny for the first half, then it turns into a typical rom-com.

Anna Faris, Chris Evans, others.

Attention span must last 1 hour 45 minutes to enjoy.

Full Review: What's Your Number?

Grade: B

Ally has just gotten out of a bad relationship. On top of that, she has just lost her job in marketing. On her way home she comes across an article stating that women who have more than 20 sexual partners have a hard time finding a husband. She discovers that she is at 19 and is determined to stop sleeping around until she finds a suitable mate to settle down with. This is when she meets and befriends her neighbor, Colin, who is good at finding people, so she has Colin track down all of her exes because she is convinced that they must have changed and one of them must be compatible with her now. All the while, she spends a lot of time with Colin and the two form an interesting relationship.

What’s Your Number? isn’t all that different from many other romantic comedies like it. The lead female has found some ridiculous piece of information that convinces her she must stop and find a man to settle down with. The gimmick in this movie is that she has possible slept with too many people and if she sleeps with one more man she will never find a husband. Ally’s sister is getting married and while she never directly says it, she seems determined to find this man before the wedding, because nothing is worse than going to a wedding by yourself.

However, Anna Faris (Take Me Home Tonight, Observe and Report), who plays Ally in the movie, is absolutely hilarious throughout the movie. I have always liked Anna Faris and she was really enjoyable in this movie. This is the funniest I think I have ever seen her be. Chris Evans (Captain America, Sunshine) plays the role of Colin, Ally’s neighbor who is helping her track down her ex-boyfriends. He can be really funny and he is hilarious in this movie. The two works together and play off each other so well in the movie. The movie also features Ari Graynor, Blythe Danner, Ed Begley Jr. and more.

My problem is that the humor and the fun happy-go-lucky relationship that Anna Faris and Chris Evans have in the movie is so much fun to watch and so funny for the first half of the movie. Then the movie takes the turn of the typical romantic comedy; the two realize that they have feelings for each other but at least one of them is stupid and convinces themself that it won’t work then the entire third act of the movie is the person slowly realizing that their feelings for the other person are strong, it will work and then begging for forgiveness.

I really enjoyed the first half of this movie. I laughed a lot more than I thought I would and I actually enjoyed the way the movie was playing out, it really surprised me. However, once the movie took that turn that I mentioned, I began to quickly loose interest. This movie is a pretty typical romantic comedy but it is really funny at times. If you are looking for a fun date night movie, I would recommend this.