“Mr. Brooks”

Kevin Costner
Demi Moore
Dane Cook
William Hurt
Marg Helgenberger
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Danielle Panabaker
Aisha Hinds
Lindsay Crouse
Jason Lewis
Reiko Aylesworth
Matt Schulze

R           120min           2007

Mr. Brooks is a successful businessman, a generous philanthropist, a loving father and a devoted husband. Seemingly, he is perfect. However, Mr. Brooks has secret – he is an insatiable serial killer, so lethally clever that no one has ever suspected him – until now.

“Mr. Brooks”is a thriller that really showcase Kevin Costner’s acting talent. It is smart and well thought out. Most of this film is a “how to…” to be a successful serial killer. “Mr. Brooks” does a great job of doing what it sets out to do.

Kevin Costner really flexes his acting muscle. His Mr. Brooks is the man on the street that sets off your spider sense and you do not know why. His portray is just that brilliant. It shows that Costner still has the chops. So much of what makes this film successful is the nuisances of his performance.

“Mr. Brooks” is an film that makes very few mistakes in the plot. Every move the character makes is thought out and is plausible to the success of a serial killer. Even when his moves aren’t apparent to the audience that work to his advantage. As an audience member the intelligent of the script makes you never question the motives of Mr. Brooks at any point.

Another point that makes this film successful is that it is a plausible ho to become a serial killer. Many points are observed that are plausible to the success of serial killing. It always shows the mental stability that makes someone able to kill serially.

I give it 4/5 Gs.

“A Mighty Heart”

Angela Jolie
Dan Futterman
Irrfan Khan
Archie Panjabi
Will Patton
Denis O’Hare
Gary Wilmes

R           108min           2007

Based on an event that shocked the world, A Mighty Heart tells the story of Mariane Pearl, a devoted wife, journalist and expectant mother, who must race against the clock in a desperate attempt to locate her missing husband, Daniel, a Wall Street journal reporter who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan.

Based on the novel of the same name by Mariane Pearl, A Mighty Heart shows the amazing range the Angelina Jolie. Seeing interview of Mariane Pearl, Jolie truly captures the spirit of her.

“A Mighty Heart” is a strong drama that will move many emotions in your soul once the gravity of the reality hits you. This movie makes a statement that is strong and powerful. Even with the horrendous acts of the terrorist, she preaches forgiveness for them. She is amazing person with character far beyod the average.

“A Mighty Heart” is the most emotional draining and heart retching film for me. Having seen the actual video, it made me feel reprehesible in that I was complicit with the terrrorist for watching this video. It made me feel condemned for giving the terrorist the power to create the reaction of their terror.

I give 5/5 Gs.

“Planet Terror”

Rose McGowan
Freddy Rodriguez
Josh Brolin
Marley Shelton
Michael Biehn
Jeff Fahey
Naveen Andrews
Michael Parks
Bruce Willis
Stacy Ferguson

Unrated           105min           2007

Director Robert Rodriguez Is back with a rip-roaring, zombie-infested roller coaster of a movie that “sure as hell keeps you hanging on for the ride” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Bruce Willis, and an all-star cast fight for their lives in the ultimate showdown between an army of fleshing-eating mutants and a motley group of rag-tag survivors. Featuring one of the most memorable screen heroines ever and the now-legendary mock Machete trailer, “Planet Terror” is a total blast – funny, gloriously gory and over the top” (Christy Lemire, Associated Press).

“Grindhouse Presents, Planet Terror – Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)” is one half of the immensely under appreciated Grindhouse double feature. The original Grindhouse harbinger back to the 70’s films when movies were not widely release but moved around the country. This version is a complete film with the missing footage that you did not see in the theater.

“Planet Terror” is a stylized over-the-top zombie action film. Coming from the mind of Robert Rodriguez, it works. All the violence and hilarity works because of the context of the film. It has supposed to be over the top and campy that was how films were from the seventies.

Keeping in mind if you never saw a grindhouse film from the seventies, then the concept may be lost to you. Take the time to consider where the film comes from and you may appreciate the films even more. “Planet Terror” as a standalone film is not a blockbuster but it is an entertaining film. If you did not give Grindhouse a shot then give each of them there own shot, as the films have been separated.

I give 3/5 Gs.

“Scream 2″

David Arquette
Neve Campbell
Courtney Cox
Jamie Kennedy
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Laurie Metcalfe
Timothy Olyphant
Jada Pinkett-Smith
Omar Epps
Duane Martin
Liev Schreiber

R           120min           1997

Away at college, Sidney Prescott thought she’d finally put the shocking murderts that shattered her life behind her… until a copycat killer begins acting out a real-life sequel! Now as history eerily repeats itself, ambitiious reporter Gale Winters, deputy Dewey and other Sream survivors find themselves trapped in a terrifyingly clever plotline where no one is safe – or beyond suspiciion! – from the back cover

“Scream 2” is the sucessful sequel continuing the saga of Sidney Prescott. This time Sidney and company have survived the Woodsboro Massacre and are facing copycat killers. This sequel is just as good as the first. It has a better plot switch than the first.

Sidney and company are battleworn so to speak. They have survived and are trying to put their lives back to some normancy. They are intelligent to the designed and are still one step behind the killer. As with sequel the rule are in play for every character.

The rules that were so successful in the first are redefined to the audience. The are laid out making the audience ‘aware’ of what is to come, in the smart and witty dialogue, that is the trademark of Williamson’s horrors. The deaths are more shocking and the killers the first time reveal is more shocking than the original. You see how Williamson really thought out the action of “Scream 2”.

I give it 4/5.

“Deep Impact”

Robert Duvall
Tea Leoni
Elijah Wood
Vanessa Redgrave
Morgan Freeman
Maximilian Schell
James Cromwell
Ron Eldard
Jon Favreau
Laura Innes
Mary McCormack
Richard Schiff
Lee Sobieski
Blair Underwood
Dougray Scott

PG13           120min           1998

A teenage astronomer and his teacher discover an object amongst the stars at night. Little do they know that it is a comet on a direct collision course for earth. After the teacher dies in a car crash trying to report his findings, the President announces the comet’s existence. He also states that there is no need to panic, because NASA is going to send astronauts on the space mission, Messiah. Their mission is to destroy the comet before it gets too close to the earth. When Messiah backfires, the President announces that special caves will have to be built, and the government will have to have a lottery-of-fate to randomly select 800,000 ordinary American citizens to go along with 200,000 scientists, soldiers, and other officials. These 1,000,000 people will be set aside to save the population from extinction when the comet hits.

“Deep Impact” is what I call the companion film to “Armageddon”. It came out about four months from “Armageddon”. They both deal with similar plots: Earth destroyed by asteriods. This is where the film similarity ends.

“Deep Impact” takes it story from the human perspective. It is more character driven than action drive. Showing how the people deal with their impending doom. It also shows a more realistic aproach than “Armageddon”.

“Deep Impact” is more of a character ensemble piece giving screen time, to what is more important, to the story than the big name actors, in the movie. I find that the movie is more relavant to real life. I think that it will not be some be explosive attack of mini meteroids that alerts us but some kid somewhere in the world looking up at the sky, by accident.

I give it 3/5 Gs

“Dead Man on Campus

Tom Everett Scott
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Poppy Montgomery
Lochlyn Munro
Randy Pearlstein
Corey Page
Alyson Hannigan
Mari Morrow
Jason Segel
Linda Cardellini

R           96min           1998

Two college roommates go out and party, resulting in bad grades. They learn of the “if your roommate dies, you get an A” clause, and decide to find someone who is “on the verge” so to speak to move in with them. – from imdb

“Dead Man on Campus” is a comedy that is ridiculous and funny at the same time. Why it is funny is that its exploiting an urban legend for its laughs. If a college had a rule like that, its removal would have happen a long time ago.

The significant note of the film is that is one of the first films for Mark-Paul Gosselaar post “Save by the Bell”. This helped to redefine his career into his NYPD Blue days. “Dead Man on Campus” has a little humor and only works because of the way they get away with it.

“Dead Man on Campus” is a comedy where as another film on the same subject is a darker film, “The Curve”. It also has a cast of actors that ended up finding their ways to many of America’s famous television shows.

Poppy Montgomery can be seen in “Without a Trace. Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel both star in “How I Met Your Mother”. Both of these shows are on CBS. Linda Cardellini is on of the stars on ER which is on NBC.

I give it 2/5 Gs.

“Good Advice”

Charlie Sheen
Angie Harmon
Denise Richards
Jon Lovitz
Rosanna Arquette
Estelle Harris
Barry Newman
Lisa Rinna

R           93min           2001

Ryan is a womanizing stockbroker whose unethical business practices cost him his job and his trader’s license. Unable to find another job, he is forced to move in with his equally self-involved (and completely oblivious) girlfriend, Cindy, an insensitive advice columnist on the cusp of losing her own job due to her poor advice and slow work habits. Finding that the truth behind his moving in has nothing to do with romance, Cindy runs off with another man. Ryan decides to stay in the apartment and earn a living by doing Cindy’s job. Ryan establishes himself with Cindy’s editor, Page, as Cindy’s gofer, collecting Cindy’s paychecks and mail and delivering “her” columns. Initially as hopelessly inept as Cindy in giving advice, he nearly gets the column canceled. However, he rapidly grows into the job and the combination of forced introspection, research and the growing knowledge that he is touching other people’s lives transforms him. The column becomes an amazing success. Ryan finds his initially superficial attraction to Page growing into love, but he cannot reveal his feelings while he is a deceptive fraud. Meanwhile, Cindy becomes aware of “her” growing fame, and returns to cash in, at the same time that the owner of a rival newspaper chain attempts to force Page to sell “Cindy’s” column to him. – from imdb

“Good Advice” introduced Charlie Sheen to Denise Richards. It is one of my guilty pleasures. Angie Harmon is a stark contrast to Denise Richards. Charlie Sheen goes from a watered down version of his ‘Wall Street’ character to a man with a conscious.

The story works because all the main actors are comfortable with the characters play. Harmon plays the hard nose woman with a heart of gold. Sheen plays the playboy looking to reform. Richards play the materialized bitch.

It is a simple little romantic comedy. It is one of those stories that got lost in all of the romantic comedies. Because the actors are comfortable with their characters, it works and is believable. It is romantic where it needs to be and funny where it needs to be. Estelle Harris holds the majority of the funny in “Good Advice”.

I give it 3/5 Gs.

“Mr. Fix It”

David Boreanaz
Alana de la Garza
Scoot McNairy
Pat Healy
Lee Weaver
Terrence Evans
Rodney Rowland
Herschel Bleefeld
Gemini Barnett
Daniel Smith
Paul Sorvino

R           95min           2006

Lance Valentine (David Boreanaz) makes a living as “Mr. Fix It”, a man who gets hired by men that have just recently been dumped bu their girlfriend. Lance dates the guys’ ex-girlfriend and becomes the worst date possible, sending then girl back into her ex-boyfriend’s arms. But when Lance gets hired by Bill Smith (Pat Healy) to get Sophia Fiori (Alana de la Garza) back, Lance, for the first time, starts falling for one of his marks. – from imdb

Mr. Fix It is a film that under-performed to its potential. It just did not click with me. I expected more. This film needed more work before its release.

The acting clashed with the script. The lines, action, and plot was cheesy and over the top. Boreanaz and de la Garza did not have any chemistry on film. It was just two beautiful people acting and that is what it felt and looked like.

Nothing in Mr. Fix It seemed believable. The low budget of the film hurt the film. As a viewer you become accustom to certain things in the films and when they are missing its comes blaringly across. Most of all the scenes felt artificial.

If you only familiar with Boreanaz as Angel or Booth you should check out this film, it gives another character in his resume. If you are a fan of Alana de la Garza, you will not be disappointed but she does set the on fire.

I give it 1/5 Gs.

“In the Land of Women”

Adam Brody
Kristen Stewart
Meg Ryan
Olympia Dukakis
Mackenzie Vega
Elena Anaya
Dustin Milligan

PG13           98min           2006

Aspiring writer Carter Webb escapes to suburbs of Michigan to care for his ailing grandmother and to work on a book after a recent break-up. The women in the neighborhood help Carter discover that what felt like an end was only just the beginning of something else.

In the Land of Women is a “chick flick” that I could not get. I did not understand the point of this film.

It felt like the characters were not developed and that the filmmakers were trying to hard to put them in real world situations. I did not believe any of the responses the characters had, except for the crazy grandmother played by Olympia Dukakis.

I give it 1/5 Gs.

“Scream”

David Arquette
Neve Campbell
Courtney Cox
Matthew Lillard
Rose McGowan
Skeet Ulrich
Jamie Kennedy
W. Earl Brown
Joesph Whipp
Liev Schreiber

R           111min           1996

A teenage girl (Neve Campbell) becomes the target of a killer who has stalked and killed one of her classmates. A tabloid news reporter (Courtney Cox) is determined to uncover the truth, insisting that the man who raped and killed Campbell’s mother one year earlier is the same man who is terrorizing her now. Campbell’s boyfriend (Skeet Ulrich) becomes the prime suspect.

“Scream” redefined the horror genre. It showed that horror could be intelligent and plausible to watch. It put David Arquette, Neve Campbell on the map and Courtney Cox a superstar. It also made Kevin Williamson a household name.

“Scream” took everything that the genre had made clique and redefined it. It starts a new wave of horror spawning multiple copycats, so just as successful and others that should have left it to the orginial. It also lead to many spoofs. “Scream is that film that change the horror industry for the better.

“Scream” made major stars out of David Arquette, Neve Campbell, and Courtney Cox. Their stars rose in the late 90’s and burned for a few years into 2000s. It also leads to the marriage of David and Courtney. It also made Kevin Williamson a household name leading him to create ‘Dawson’s Creek’.

I give it 5/5 Gs.