Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Rob Marshall
Screenplay: Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio
Starring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, and Ian McShane
Captain Jack Sparrow is back and finding what he does best, trouble. His newest adventure finds him at the mercy of the infamous Blackbeard and dragged along on a quest for the Fountain of Youth. Though Blackbeard’s mystical powers and preferred zombie henchmen might be the obvious choice to keep poor Jack on his toes, it is Blackbeard’s beautiful daughter, Angelica, who is the main cause of his concern. Jack leads this gang of unlikely allies to the fountain facing dangers like mermaids that have a deadly taste for man and the British Empire being captained by old foe Captain Barbossa. How will Jack make it through his latest adventure alive? By doing what he always does, improvise.
Everything you could possible love about the Pirates series is back and just as entertaining. I don’t think I will ever getting tired Jack Sparrow and his comedic frolics. With all the trouble Jack seems to find himself in the middle of time and time again, he seems to still have so much fun that the idea of becoming a pirate is very appealing.
I did have a couple of concerns about the new movie before I saw it. One, how could the story possible hold up against the last three films? And, two, how could this film be as good without character favorites, Elizabeth and Will? The last two films seemed determined to one-up the previous with bigger effects and an even more massive plot. The idea of the fountain quest seemed intriguing, but I wasn’t so sure that it could compare to the rest of the series. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the more compact adventure the quest for the fountain was. There was no need to scour every inch of the world meeting danger upon danger. This film achieved focus much like the original film and stuck to it. As for the second concern, I am personally a fan of Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom, but their characters story had such a satisfying ending from the last film that they just were not missed. With the story having such a specific focus it would be hard to fit Will Turner and his own ship of souls into the plot. Of course, I have also come to the conclusion that it doesn’t really matter who is in the film as long as Captain Jack is present.
This film is fun and highly entertaining. Whether you’re being mesmerized by action and effects of the film or laughing at the antics and dialogue, you will definitely not regret seeing this movie. I recommend spicing up your Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides experience by seeing the film in 3D.
I give this film 5 Buttery Kernals.
Shaun of the Dead
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Edgar Wright
Screenplay: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Morgan, Penelope Wilton, and Bill Nighy
Shaun lives his life catering to his best friend, Ed, with no want for a bigger picture, which is why his girlfriend, Liz, leaves him. While trying to embrace the fact that Liz is gone and yet still concocting a plan to get her back, something darker is happening to the world around him. People are turning into zombies. As soon as Shaun accepts this new dilemma, he is determined to rescue Liz and his mother with the help of Ed and get them to the only safe place they can think of, the pub.
I really adore British movies and the dry humor, so when it was mixed with horror, I fell in love. Yeah, they’re fighting zombies, and they’re laying all their hopes on a beloved pub that will be their sanctuary. Who needs to figure out why there are zombies or how to take care of them. This doesn’t seem to be a good recipe for success, but this film actually works. Plus, although brief, the addition of Bill Nighy to a cast is never a bad thing. This movie is good fun if you enjoy dry humor and can laugh at blood and flailing limbs.
There is one problem that I did have with this film. At the end Shaun is faced with the horrible reality that his mother is about to turn into a zombie and that he will probably have to kill her. A tough matter regardless the zombie situation, yet this is a comedy. They did not however choose to lighten up the situation, but chose to make it very dramatic. The scene was so out of place compared to the rest of the film that I was completely removed from the main plot and then thrust abruptly back into the hilarity. I just felt that they needed to make the transition a little more harmonious to the rest of the tone of the film.
I give this film 3 Buttery Kernals.
Director: Edgar Wright
Screenplay: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Morgan, Penelope Wilton, and Bill Nighy
Shaun lives his life catering to his best friend, Ed, with no want for a bigger picture, which is why his girlfriend, Liz, leaves him. While trying to embrace the fact that Liz is gone and yet still concocting a plan to get her back, something darker is happening to the world around him. People are turning into zombies. As soon as Shaun accepts this new dilemma, he is determined to rescue Liz and his mother with the help of Ed and get them to the only safe place they can think of, the pub.
I really adore British movies and the dry humor, so when it was mixed with horror, I fell in love. Yeah, they’re fighting zombies, and they’re laying all their hopes on a beloved pub that will be their sanctuary. Who needs to figure out why there are zombies or how to take care of them. This doesn’t seem to be a good recipe for success, but this film actually works. Plus, although brief, the addition of Bill Nighy to a cast is never a bad thing. This movie is good fun if you enjoy dry humor and can laugh at blood and flailing limbs.
There is one problem that I did have with this film. At the end Shaun is faced with the horrible reality that his mother is about to turn into a zombie and that he will probably have to kill her. A tough matter regardless the zombie situation, yet this is a comedy. They did not however choose to lighten up the situation, but chose to make it very dramatic. The scene was so out of place compared to the rest of the film that I was completely removed from the main plot and then thrust abruptly back into the hilarity. I just felt that they needed to make the transition a little more harmonious to the rest of the tone of the film.
I give this film 3 Buttery Kernals.
Drag Me to Hell
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Genre: Horror
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenplay: Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, and Lorna Raver
Christine is a nice girl with the boy of her dreams and always living by the rules. She is competing with another coworker for a promotion. Trying to take a more assertive role to make her look like the ideal candidate, she denies a loan extension for an older woman. Because of this, the woman ends up cursing her. Struggling between belief and ridiculousness, she begins seeing things and is attacked by the unknown. Now she has to figure out the curse before it takes her life.
This is the first horror film that the Raimi brothers have done since the Evil Dead trilogy. Because I love Sam Raimi just as much as I love Bruce Campbell, I immediately ran to the theaters to see it. I was not disappointed. It was just the kind of fun that is expected out of Raimi. The film had plenty of gross moment that made you squirm, yet were so gross at times that you were cracking up, which was the point. Raimi does enjoy his horror, but he also enjoys making you laugh.
There was just one thing that disappointed me thoroughly about the film. Ted Raimi was of course in the film, which I fully expected since he is a Raimi. Bruce Campbell was not, however. I was just shocked that Raimi was doing another horror movie that he wrote and no cameo from Mr. Campbell? I mean he did cameos for the Spiderman movies. I just hope that there was a schedule conflict, because that would be the only reason I’d let Mr. Campbell off.
I give this film 3 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Shaun of the Dead
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenplay: Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, and Lorna Raver
Christine is a nice girl with the boy of her dreams and always living by the rules. She is competing with another coworker for a promotion. Trying to take a more assertive role to make her look like the ideal candidate, she denies a loan extension for an older woman. Because of this, the woman ends up cursing her. Struggling between belief and ridiculousness, she begins seeing things and is attacked by the unknown. Now she has to figure out the curse before it takes her life.
This is the first horror film that the Raimi brothers have done since the Evil Dead trilogy. Because I love Sam Raimi just as much as I love Bruce Campbell, I immediately ran to the theaters to see it. I was not disappointed. It was just the kind of fun that is expected out of Raimi. The film had plenty of gross moment that made you squirm, yet were so gross at times that you were cracking up, which was the point. Raimi does enjoy his horror, but he also enjoys making you laugh.
There was just one thing that disappointed me thoroughly about the film. Ted Raimi was of course in the film, which I fully expected since he is a Raimi. Bruce Campbell was not, however. I was just shocked that Raimi was doing another horror movie that he wrote and no cameo from Mr. Campbell? I mean he did cameos for the Spiderman movies. I just hope that there was a schedule conflict, because that would be the only reason I’d let Mr. Campbell off.
I give this film 3 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Shaun of the Dead
Evil Dead
Friday, October 29, 2010
Genre: Horror
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenplay: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly
Ash and his friends decide to take a trip to a cabin looking for some fun and relaxation. After arriving, strange things begin to happen, but that’s the warm up. After finding a strange book and recorded tapes in the basement, they decide to play the tapes and evoke an ancient evil.
I had listed in my top 10 favorite Halloween movies Army of Darkness. Well you rightly cannot do a real review without doing one about this film. That is why I chose to do this one instead being that it is the first of the trilogy, Army of Darkness being the last part. This is the brain child of Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert, longtime friends that decided to take the movie business into their own hands. They proved what a strong will and determination can really create, and it doesn’t matter if you live in Hollywood.
The film became successful, but to say that it was good is an entirely different matter alone. I guess it would have been considered alright for the time, and their budget was considered insignificant compared to the studio backed films. The film does have a place of honor as one of the original great scary films of the 80’s. There have been talks of a remake, which would really sadden me, because I don’t think anyone can imagine Ash as anyone else other than Bruce Campbell. The movie and character have spawned two more sequels, video games, and even a feature in comic books. When Marvel Comics decides to go zombie, of course they had to do a special version in which Ash gets thrown in the middle battling the zombie-fied superbeings, a drastic change from his usual “deadites.”
This is the film that started Bruce Campbell’s typecasted career of random horror films and guest appearances of several “weird” television show. I’m not complaining, because I love the guy so much, but I am glad that he has his role on Burn Notice. I would really love to see a guest appearance on Superntatural, especially before time runs out on that show. I would like for him to be given more of a chance with straighter roles, because I think he can more than handle it. He’s actually inspired a story for me that I base a straight character around him. I read about how he would love to handle a role like that, and the story came to me. Not that it will ever come to actual fruition as a movie, but hey, if he can inspire me to do that, he’s got to be a decent actor.
I give this film 2 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Drag Me to Hell
Director: Sam Raimi
Screenplay: Sam Raimi
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, and Theresa Tilly
Ash and his friends decide to take a trip to a cabin looking for some fun and relaxation. After arriving, strange things begin to happen, but that’s the warm up. After finding a strange book and recorded tapes in the basement, they decide to play the tapes and evoke an ancient evil.
I had listed in my top 10 favorite Halloween movies Army of Darkness. Well you rightly cannot do a real review without doing one about this film. That is why I chose to do this one instead being that it is the first of the trilogy, Army of Darkness being the last part. This is the brain child of Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert, longtime friends that decided to take the movie business into their own hands. They proved what a strong will and determination can really create, and it doesn’t matter if you live in Hollywood.
The film became successful, but to say that it was good is an entirely different matter alone. I guess it would have been considered alright for the time, and their budget was considered insignificant compared to the studio backed films. The film does have a place of honor as one of the original great scary films of the 80’s. There have been talks of a remake, which would really sadden me, because I don’t think anyone can imagine Ash as anyone else other than Bruce Campbell. The movie and character have spawned two more sequels, video games, and even a feature in comic books. When Marvel Comics decides to go zombie, of course they had to do a special version in which Ash gets thrown in the middle battling the zombie-fied superbeings, a drastic change from his usual “deadites.”
This is the film that started Bruce Campbell’s typecasted career of random horror films and guest appearances of several “weird” television show. I’m not complaining, because I love the guy so much, but I am glad that he has his role on Burn Notice. I would really love to see a guest appearance on Superntatural, especially before time runs out on that show. I would like for him to be given more of a chance with straighter roles, because I think he can more than handle it. He’s actually inspired a story for me that I base a straight character around him. I read about how he would love to handle a role like that, and the story came to me. Not that it will ever come to actual fruition as a movie, but hey, if he can inspire me to do that, he’s got to be a decent actor.
I give this film 2 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Drag Me to Hell
Bubba Ho-Tep
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Don Coscarelli
Screenplay: Don Coscarelli based on the short story by Joe R. Lansdale
Starring: Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis
After trading lives with an impersonator for a less complicated life, Elvis is now old, worn out, and left to a nursing home. Strange occurrences and deaths ignite a spark of purpose within him that he long thought dead. With the help of a friend, one that believes he is J.F.K., Elvis investigates what exactly is happening to the nursing home and comes face to face with a mummy.
This is probably one of my favorite movies ever. The story is so ridiculous yet so well put together that you’re compelled to watch the movie at every moment. The idea of Elvis in a nursing home fighting a mummy with a walker seems like cheap comedy, but alas, the quality of the film is what actually gets you, not to mention decent acting. The story and characters are so good that I can care less about the mummy. The film is quirky and meant to be entertaining which it exceeds fantastically.
Best of all is the acting. I am a huge fan of Bruce “Don’t Call Me Ash” Campbell, because I am a girl that appreciates sarcasm, an attribute Mr. Campbell perfects. I personally feel that this was his best work yet. Of course the Elvis character is miserable and humor is created through sarcasm and crankiness. Bruce Campbell has got that, but Elvis is also a well rounded, emotional person, a character. This is foreign territory for Campbell, but he made it seem as if he had been doing it for years.
Finally, I have to give a shout out to Ossie Davis. This is the type of film, no one would have ever expected him, a phenomenal actor, to be a part of, especially playing J.F.K. His performance alone is worth seeing this film for. He is fantastic!
I give this film 4 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Evil Dead
Director: Don Coscarelli
Screenplay: Don Coscarelli based on the short story by Joe R. Lansdale
Starring: Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis
After trading lives with an impersonator for a less complicated life, Elvis is now old, worn out, and left to a nursing home. Strange occurrences and deaths ignite a spark of purpose within him that he long thought dead. With the help of a friend, one that believes he is J.F.K., Elvis investigates what exactly is happening to the nursing home and comes face to face with a mummy.
This is probably one of my favorite movies ever. The story is so ridiculous yet so well put together that you’re compelled to watch the movie at every moment. The idea of Elvis in a nursing home fighting a mummy with a walker seems like cheap comedy, but alas, the quality of the film is what actually gets you, not to mention decent acting. The story and characters are so good that I can care less about the mummy. The film is quirky and meant to be entertaining which it exceeds fantastically.
Best of all is the acting. I am a huge fan of Bruce “Don’t Call Me Ash” Campbell, because I am a girl that appreciates sarcasm, an attribute Mr. Campbell perfects. I personally feel that this was his best work yet. Of course the Elvis character is miserable and humor is created through sarcasm and crankiness. Bruce Campbell has got that, but Elvis is also a well rounded, emotional person, a character. This is foreign territory for Campbell, but he made it seem as if he had been doing it for years.
Finally, I have to give a shout out to Ossie Davis. This is the type of film, no one would have ever expected him, a phenomenal actor, to be a part of, especially playing J.F.K. His performance alone is worth seeing this film for. He is fantastic!
I give this film 4 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Evil Dead
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Genre: Musical
Director: Jim Sharman
Screenplay: Richard O’Brian and Jim Sharman
Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brian, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, and Meat Loaf
Brad and Janet have no choice but to seek help from a creepy old mansion. They didn’t expect to find a showcase of the strange and free spirited residents. The strangest of all is the leader of the crazy menagerie. How are Brad and Janet going to escape? That is if they really want to.
Chocked full of music, fun, and crazy, this movie is a wild ride. Known for being a cult hit and enjoyed by millions, this may not exactly be the film for everyone. It will immediately take most out of their comfort zone. I wouldn’t dare go near this movie if you like staying in your comfort zone, since the basic theme of the film is sexuality. The merit of the film is encouraging people to be comfortable and not be afraid of being themselves no matter how normal or strange it may seem to other people.
There are several examples of great acting in this film, but I think the one person people always seem to remember from this film is Mr. Tim Curry. This is probably his breakthrough role and the one he is most famous for. In my honest opinion, had this film been made today, Curry probably would have been nominated for an Academy Award. Sadly, that was just not the case for the time period of the film.
If you are willing to keep an open mind, I think that you just might enjoy this film.
I give this film 3 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Bubba Ho-Tep
Director: Jim Sharman
Screenplay: Richard O’Brian and Jim Sharman
Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brian, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, and Meat Loaf
Brad and Janet have no choice but to seek help from a creepy old mansion. They didn’t expect to find a showcase of the strange and free spirited residents. The strangest of all is the leader of the crazy menagerie. How are Brad and Janet going to escape? That is if they really want to.
Chocked full of music, fun, and crazy, this movie is a wild ride. Known for being a cult hit and enjoyed by millions, this may not exactly be the film for everyone. It will immediately take most out of their comfort zone. I wouldn’t dare go near this movie if you like staying in your comfort zone, since the basic theme of the film is sexuality. The merit of the film is encouraging people to be comfortable and not be afraid of being themselves no matter how normal or strange it may seem to other people.
There are several examples of great acting in this film, but I think the one person people always seem to remember from this film is Mr. Tim Curry. This is probably his breakthrough role and the one he is most famous for. In my honest opinion, had this film been made today, Curry probably would have been nominated for an Academy Award. Sadly, that was just not the case for the time period of the film.
If you are willing to keep an open mind, I think that you just might enjoy this film.
I give this film 3 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Bubba Ho-Tep
Moster Squad
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Genre: Family
Director: Fred Dekker
Screenplay: Shane Black and Fred Dekker
Starring: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr, Tom Noonan, Brent Chalem, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank, Michael Faustino, and Mary Ellen Trainor.
When Sean is given the diary of Van Helsing by his mother, he doesn’t realize just how important it is. He and his friends have created a Monster Club due to their love of the great monsters from stories and film. When they are faced with the challenge to actually fight real monsters, Sean discovers that the diary holds a spell that will rid them of the evil beings. There is just not a lot of time left to complete it.
Basically, this film tries to put The Goonies and Ghostbusters together and hoped that it would be a smash hit. It did not however live up to expectation. What we are left with is an alright movie with a couple of memorable lines and a bad theme song, but it was the 80’s. Theme songs were big in the 80’s as well as creating songs just for the film’s entire soundtrack. I kind of miss that in films these days.
The acting and special effects are not really spectacular, but hey they did what they could. This film has to be put in the nostalgic category, for films that we loved as kids but were too naïve to realize how bad they actually were. That being said there is still some fun, especially involving the relationships between the kids and especially when Frankenstein is invited into their group.
I give this film 2 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Rocky Horror Picture Show
Director: Fred Dekker
Screenplay: Shane Black and Fred Dekker
Starring: Andre Gower, Robby Kiger, Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr, Tom Noonan, Brent Chalem, Ryan Lambert, Ashley Bank, Michael Faustino, and Mary Ellen Trainor.
When Sean is given the diary of Van Helsing by his mother, he doesn’t realize just how important it is. He and his friends have created a Monster Club due to their love of the great monsters from stories and film. When they are faced with the challenge to actually fight real monsters, Sean discovers that the diary holds a spell that will rid them of the evil beings. There is just not a lot of time left to complete it.
Basically, this film tries to put The Goonies and Ghostbusters together and hoped that it would be a smash hit. It did not however live up to expectation. What we are left with is an alright movie with a couple of memorable lines and a bad theme song, but it was the 80’s. Theme songs were big in the 80’s as well as creating songs just for the film’s entire soundtrack. I kind of miss that in films these days.
The acting and special effects are not really spectacular, but hey they did what they could. This film has to be put in the nostalgic category, for films that we loved as kids but were too naïve to realize how bad they actually were. That being said there is still some fun, especially involving the relationships between the kids and especially when Frankenstein is invited into their group.
I give this film 2 Buttery Kernals.
Coming Soon: Rocky Horror Picture Show
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