Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser #2

Movie Review: Trust Me

I do. I really, really do.

I suppose it's no surprise given last week's Hottie of the Week post that I purchased a digital copy of this as soon as it went live on Amazon. I mean, literally as soon as it did. I may have been refreshing the page a little. Don't judge me. 

In any case, I finished watching a few minutes ago, and I really enjoyed myself. To start off, this movie has a fantastic cast. Even the smallest parts are played well, and the leads are all stellar. I confess fully to being biased when it comes to Clark Gregg, who I already adore (and who, it should be noted, wrote and directed the movie in addition to starring in it), and the ever-lovely Amanda Peet, but even actors I was less familiar with and the handful of newcomers really shone. Saxon Sharbino (how cool is that name, people?!) was especially fantastic. I fully expect to see her pretty much everywhere soon.

One caution: don't walk in expecting all laughs. It's a dark comedy, which means you'll feel like grabbing for the tissues as often as the popcorn. The balance between the two is handled with real grace, and what the movie sometimes lacks in subtlety, it easily makes up with substance and heart. Well worth the time and money - you won't be disappointed. So go buy it.

Tunes Tuesday: "Pure Imagination"

Movie Review: Iron Man 3

I could pretend that I'm going to do an in-depth, thoughtful review here, but we don't really need that, do we? If you're going to go see Iron Man 3, you're going to go see it.  You're either a fan already or you're being dragged by someone, but either way, it's a done deal. So here's a quick guide to my highlights and lowlights.

The Good

• The characterizations are fabulous. RDJ is in fine form and perfectly bitchy with everyone from Pepper to small children. Really, he calls a small child a pussy. It's amazeballs.
• The action is great. I'm not big on CG replacing physical action, but it's really well done here. The textures on the armor alone are enough to be impressive. I love that it's never pristine. Excellent attention to detail.
• Ben Kingsley. I can't even tell you WHY he's so great without spoiling things, just trust me.
• Gwyneth Paltrow's abs. Sorry, they're so rockin' they deserve their own entry. Wow. I need her to be my personal trainer. 
• Despite the production team screwing with the audience by making the credits last 10 minutes, it's pretty worth it. The closing credit sequence is done in an 80s TV show style, and after that it's all about spotting fake names. Enjoy! Besides, the after credits scene is hilarious and well worth the wait.

The Bad

• Suspension of disbelief is part of all movies, especially superhero movies, but I found it VERY difficult to ignore that they didn't mention Captain America once. It made perfect character sense for Tony to not ask for help, but the overall danger and plot of the movie really cried out for Cap to step in - asked or not. If he wasn't going to be there, they needed at least a quickie cover story for it.
• Some of the danger wasn't as,  y'know, dangerous as it could have been. Too often it was too obvious that everything would be fine and why. But that's a super generic hero movie complaint, so it's a minor quibble. 

Basically? It's a super fun entry into the new Marvel catalogue, and fans will be pleased to see that they've raised their game since Iron Man 2, which was distinctly "meh" with the exception of some interesting character moments. Now, get thee to the theater, fellow geeks!

Evil Dead 2013

Let me apologize for taking so long to get this up. Hubby and I actually got the chance to see an early screening of the Evil Dead remake last Thursday. As excited as I always get when seeing a new movie (especially a new horror movie), I had reservations. I love the original Evil Dead trilogy. It's campy and fun and silly. It's got Bruce Campbell. When I originally heard they were doing a remake, I was horrified. When Bruce nicely asked fans to give it a shot before judging... oh, come on, like YOU could say no to Bruce Campbell.

I'm glad he paved the way for an attitude change on my part because I have to say I was pleased. While I find some of the movie's intro to be a bit slow (some of the acting is, as in the original, a bit iffy, so being asked to do nothing but watch it...), but once things heat up, they stay that way. The horror unfolds quickly, and there are plenty of squeamish "I can't look!" moments, which is saying something since I hardly had to glance away during the Saw franchise.

What I found most heartening is that the movie's sense of playful, dark humor is fully intact. While this is definitely not a slapstick romp like much of the original trilogy, there are definitely moments that will make you chuckle. Old school fans will appreciate all the nods to the original. There's respect here. Despite being a remake, this isn't a movie asking you to forget the past and pretend it never happened - and I'm cool with that. If you're a horror fan who enjoys a bit of darkness, blood, and offbeat humor, do yourself a favor and check this out when it hits theaters in April.

Movie Review: Struck by Lightning

The greatest compliment I can give Struck by Lightning is that I wasn't thinking about Glee at all as I watched it. Obviously like most people, I fell in love with Chris as Kurt on Glee (he was my favorite character by about 10 minutes into the pilot). While I always want to see actors I love succeed in their endeavors, I'm sure I'm not alone in having butterflies in my stomach when they move away from what I fell in love with them in. It can be scary because you know that you're sitting down to watch the moment when you might fall out of love with the actor to a degree and realize you're just in love with a character.

Thankfully, that is not the case here. Chris is a fluid, adept actor. Apart from one brief "Kurt" look in a daydream sequence, you won't be thinking about sequins and show tunes. At all. I'll take a moment here to confess that as a former struggling small town school newspaper editor and writing fanatic myself, I saw a lot of me in Carson. A lot, right down to the absentee dad (who thank god never put me in the position Carson's dad put him in - I lack the grace to have handled it so well). Thankfully I had a mom who always read my work, supported me, and smoothed over a lot of those rough times.

This movie is a downer in a lot of ways. You start the film off knowing you're about to spend an hour and a half falling for a character who is already dead. This isn't a spoiler: the movie opens with him dying. But that doesn't matter, really, because the point is the experience. The point is seeing how easy it is to give up on your dreams and how hard and painful it can be to fight for them - and how much it's worth it. Every single performance is honestly wonderful. Chris Colfer is brilliant (again, I was relieved and pleased and giddy about that), Allison Janney is heartbreaking and messed up and amazing as Carson's mother, Polly Bergen will make you want to call and spend time with grandparents you don't even have, and Rebel Wilson is a total scene stealer (despite not having an American accent totally under her control just yet).

Basically, if you don't mind some sniffles and tears along with your revelations and moments of zen and humor, this movie is entirely worth your time. Hell, to support Chris and company, I vote that you click the link at the top of this puppy and rent it whether that's your cup of tea or not. I walked away from SBL inspired, shaken, and incredibly excited to see what Chris has in store next.

Movie Review: I Love You Phillip Morris

I Love You Phillip Morris_01, originally uploaded by Celine.Q.

After being intrigued by this movie when I first heard about (as I am with pretty much anything featuring Ewan McGregor) and then having several friends tell (especially Halo - hey, girl!) me I had to see it... I finally did.

And it was just as weird and strange and kinda awesome as I thought. If you're a fan of offbeat romantic comedies or black comedies (think A Life Less Ordinary or Clay Pigeons... or some bizarre marriage of the two with some gay sex thrown in), you'll dig it. If you're freaked out by dudes making out, this is soooo not the movie for you (also probably not the blog for you, just fyi). In other words? I'd say most of you reading this now will probably be fans, so check it out! Currently available for instant view on Netflix.

Movie Review: Easy A

When I first saw the ads for this one, it didn't look all that thrilling to me. Cute, sure, but not that great. Friend after friend said otherwise, though, and I finally gave in when it showed up on Netflix for instant viewing.

I'm really glad that I did. This is a cute, fun, entertaining flick. Truly the best teen comedy/romance kinda movie that I've seen in years. As my friend Damon pointed out, it's definitely an homage to John Hughes in a lot of ways - which is always a nice place to start. The cast is fun, the story is cute, and it's totally worth watching. Check it out!

Movie Review: Apartment 1303

This movie started out really, really well. Yes, standard horror - and even more standard Asian horror - in a lot of ways, but the acting was strong, and, let's face it, when all the chicks who move into a particular apartment start offing themselves, it's interesting. Y'know, in movies. Stay with me, people.

Truthfully this movie stays strong and interesting up until the climax. Then suddenly things fall apart a bit. I don't know if they suddenly changed directors or if their director went on a bender and lost the script or... what. It flat out got messy. There were suddenly beach bunnies in maid costumes and a chick who looked like a hair monster and a conclusion that was both unsatisfying and poorly written.

So while the first 3/4 of this film is fun to watch, I can't *quite* say I would put it on my list of films to run out and get. Unfortunately it's a bit messy in its ending for that. But if you just want some Asian horror and have already exhausted most of what else Netflix has to offer on instant view (precisely my issue) in that vein, give it a shot... but consider turning it off when you see the beach bunnies and just making up your own ending. I promise it'll be better than what they came up with.

Pin

This is one weird movie. I don't remember what originally led me to throw it on the ol' Netflix queue, but I'm kind of glad I did. While it had some typically 80s awful background music, fluffy hair, etc, it's a genuinely creepy story.

The basic premise is that these super white bread kids grow up in a super spic 'n' span household with their super repressed parents. The dad uses an anatomical dummy of his to speak to the kids about difficult subjects. The girl eventually catches on that he's using ventriloquism, but the boy... he's nuts. He thinks Pin (the dummy) is a real, living being.

One thing leads to another and their parents die in a car crash.... but crazy boy? He's not ready to give Pin up. This isn't a gory film, though there is a little violence (not explicitly shown). Great when you're in the mood for a "whoah, that's fucked up" factor without any gore.

Dear Zachary

If you ever want to be totally and completely depressed and disturbed, watch this movie. I won't say too much about it because I think it's important to see it unfold. It's available for instant view on Netflix. Scary stuff. Remind me not to watch depressing documentaries while working anymore. Being sniffly at work when it's self-inflicted is dumb.

Sick Nurses

Yes, more Asian horror. This time it's a supernatural Thai horror flick about some sexy nurses and a screwed up doctor who kill people and sell their bodies on the black market.

I always appreciate a horror film that doesn't have a lot of pretensions. Sick Nurses gets right down to business and starts in on the action right away. Rather than an hour of preamble before anything happens, any backstory needed is shown through flashbacks between gory bursts of revenge.

The imagery for the vengeful spirit hits on some of the usual cliches (yep, the hair), but I have to say that the make-up and overall look were unusual. Every culture has its crutches, so it's nice when a film that chooses to use them tries to at least tweak the visual or delivery.

Naturally there are love triangles and dark secrets and all that good stuff. And in this case? The spirit in question isn't just a put upon victim who is killing off the people who wronged her. Okay, she IS that... but she also smirks and leers and seems to be enjoying the HELL out of tormenting the ditzy, oversexed chicks who screwed her over. The extra little bit of bite in the form of humor on the part of the spirit and the movie itself definitely bumps this one up as something different from the norm and very entertaining. Death by hair, cat's literally getting your tongue, and killer embalmed embryos - this film truly does have it all ;)

It's strange, violent, almost slapsticky at times, and I definitely recommend it to the horror fans out there.

Vietnamese Horror Goodness

I think it's pretty firmly established that I dig Asian horror. It's got a great, moody feel, and they tend to spend more time on characters than their American counterparts. It's nice CARING when someone gets murdered by the crazy ghost or killer or whatnot.

The Art of the Devil series is the first Vietnamese horror that I've seen, and it was interesting. I'd describe it as a marriage of traditional Asian horror flicks and Saw - so, obviously, I was sold right away. I watched the trilogy out of order. I saw the second (and strongest) film first, then watched the first (which is really unrelated to the other two except that it deals with Cambodian black magic as the evil too), and then the third (which, confusingly, is labeled as 2 in the title sequence and is actually a prequel to the second film).

The second film is probably the most interesting in terms of story, twists, and plot. That isn't to say that it doesn't have its odd moments, but overall it's a strong horror flick that's creepy and intriguing. The third film is the most gory and violent (*I* even had to look away sometimes), and while it's very interesting, I ended up finding myself confused as to how the timeline of it works with the second film. I may have to give them another viewing to piece it together. The first movie is fine. It's interesting enough, has some good creepy moments, but it captivated me a bit less than the other two.

In the market for some unusual Asian horror? This is a great place to start - though I'll caution again that it has a heavy dose of Saw or Hostel-style gore along with the creepy black magic, so if that isn't your thing, buyer beware.

The Butcher

This is another Asian horror flick - this time some torture porn out of Korea. I admit that I'm a pretty huge Saw fan, and I enjoyed the Hostel films too, so you know already that I have a fairly steady stomach when it comes to super gory horror flicks. And this one? I had to look away sometimes. This is a very short movie (it runs just over an hour), but it's a very intense hour. The pace drags sometimes, but when things start happening, they happen quickly. While this is definitely NOT a movie for everyone, folks who enjoy their horror extreme and don't get queasy easily will probably find it a very interesting entry to the genre.

Marebito

Now this is a weird Japanese horror flick. It's actually one of the more original and freaky horror flicks I've seen in awhile. It starts out Lovecraftian/sci fi and then veers into vampire territory then careens off into psychological thriller. The pace was slow at first, and it almost lost me, but I'm *really* glad that I stuck with it. Definitely worth the watch!

Amber Does Dallas

So we finally got out and did something! Wes and I spent Friday evening seeing Amber Does Dallas, DFW's rockin' cool Repo! the Genetic Opera shadow cast.

Given that we met at Rocky, doing midnight movies is a pretty big thing for us. It's fun, it's weird, and it's the bestest of the best places to meet strange and interesting new people (plus see friends we don't get to see that often).

And as you can see? There's more than just a tiny bit of awesome going on. Can't wait to do it again! We're hoping to hit up their Pop Icons show in March too if all goes well. The cast performs bi-weekly at the AMAZINGLY beautiful Lakewood Theater in Dallas.

More Asian Horror

This is definitely a classier flick than Cinderella was. It's an intricate plot that actually requires thought even if in the end it's not the most original thing in the entire world. Very well executed and genuinely suspenseful sometimes. And, yes, it hits the biggest Asian horror cliche in the world - the woman with long hair hanging down over her face. Can't do without that one.

Cinderella

The first half of this movie fell into more of a teen scream feel than I'm used to from Asian horror, but it still had the basics. Yep, there was long hair obscuring faces and crawling across the floor. There was a creepy, off limits basement and possible human experimentation.

For most of you who watch horror often, you'll probably see a lot of what's coming before it gets there. That said, it's still an enjoyable film with some interesting imagery even if it DOES get a little confusing in the end. I'm not sure if they really lost track in the editing room or if some of what seemed to be overlapping action was done to make things feel trippier and more suspenseful. Still, worth seeing.

Shutter Island

I walked into this one with high expectations because I've been seeing trailers for it for awhile. If I'm not mistaken, the release date actually got pushed back at some point.

In any case, this is an excellently uncertain thriller. There are horror elements - creepy setting, creepy people, thunderstorms in graveyards - but I'd say it's really overall more of a neo noir thriller. Great acting, great direction... I enjoyed this one every bit as much as I thought I would even if I did guess some of the punchlines before they got there.

The Red Shoes

I watched this one on Netflix instant view over the past couple of nights, and if you're a fan of weird, creepy Asian horror? Check it out! This is a Korean feature, and I have to admit that it kept me guessing until around halfway through. I watch a lot of horror, so that's no small feat. And even once I'd gotten a feel for what was happening and why, I still wanted to watch it through to see how they played everything out.

For those who have already hit up some Japanese or Korean horror before, you'll see the standards: creepy kids, jilted lovers, stringy hair hanging in front of people's faces. This is not a ground-shakingly original flick, but it's definitely one worth seeing for horror fans.