The Pull of Gravity

The buzz surrounding this film has been growing for months, and the buzz was not made up. This movie is one for this cinema history books. With visual effects that make you feel like you are actually in outer space, acting that is so realistic it pulls at your heart strings, and directing that is so good it can only be dreamed about by other directors. The initial buzz around the film was how would they pull of the actual filming of the movie. With a visionary/ director such as Alfonso Cuaron, the film was destined for greatness. Cuaron is a master of visual movies like these, and turning simple plots that could be messed up by another director into something magnificent. Another huge buzz, that is also proven true, is the performance of Miss Sandra Bullock. Her acting skills are put to the test, with most of her scenes performed by herself, and she is forced to act most of her scenes with just body movement and facial expressions. This could end very badly for some actors, but with Bullock it may just end with an Oscar. This performance, she plays Dr. Ryan Stone, is one of the best in cinema history and I expect nothing short of multiple award season wins, eventually leading her to win the Oscar for Best Actress. No one could shine nearly as bright as Bullock did, and without her the movie would not be the same. Honorable mention to George Clooney, who does a heck of a job playing Lt. Matt Kowalski. Any movie Clooney appears in he could easily steal the show, but this time he let Bullock have her moment and yet still could obtain his own Oscar for Best Actor. The predictions are starting for the 2014 Oscars. With the pull that Gravity has, it will be a no brainer when it eventually wins the awards it so rightfully deserves.     

Five Frightful Films

Halloween, the time to dress as your favorite ghoul or ghost, the time where the word “diet” does not exist, and the time for horror movies. Some may enjoy a good slasher flick; others enjoy the pop up scares, but whatever you are into everyone knows watching a horror movie on Halloween is a must. I’m here to give a run down of some of my favorites, with a variety of genres in the horror community to choose from for your own personal enjoyment.
1.      For the slasher lover: A Nightmare on Elm StreetOne, Two, Freddy is coming for you…and then the nightmares start. The iconic Freddy Krueger, played by the marvelous Robert Englund, is a must for slasher freaks. The movie plays on the idea that if you die in your dreams, you die in real life. That idea alone is one of the scariest plots in horror movie history. Plenty of gore and mayhem in the movie, and if you love the slasher genre, you will love this.
 2.      For the dark comedy horror lover: The Cabin in the Woods
A very new movie on this list, yet to be is a classic. Joss Whedon is the master at original concepts and ideas for anything fiction. This movie has a perfect amount of comedy, gore, and scares to last a decade, but is perfect for the average movie night. The idea is original and funny, and will surely surprise you to the very end.
 3.      For the pop up scare lover: The Conjuring
Not yet on DVD, but I’m sure you can find in somewhere in the meantime. This movie is also very new, but will scare you to the very core. The visuals and directing style of the film leave you with an eerie sense of dread the whole time. The scares are constant and surprising; not meant for the new horror movie lovers.
Special Mention: Paranormal Activity and Insidious: Both movies are good for a nice fright night.
 4.      For the cheesy horror movie lovers: The original Fright Night
This movie isn’t so much cheesy, as it is slapstick hilarious. The jokes in the movie make it more on the funny side then on the scary one, yet are enjoyable for a variety of viewers. The acting is well done, the jokes are made with perfect timing, and the makeup for it make it very impressive for its time.
Honorable Mention: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil: A newbie, yet great for a good night full of laughs that never cease.
 5.      For the classic horror movie lover: Poltergeist, The Exorcist, The Evil Dead (the original), and Dead of Night
All amazing movies, I could not simply choose. Each is a game changer for all of the genres listed above. Poltergeist is a good pop up scare movie, and The Exorcist could also fall in the pop up scare category as well. The Evil Dead is a combination of dark comedy, Cheesy horror movie, and the slasher genre. It also contains pop ups. The Dead of Night is a trendsetter, with a combination of all of the categories listed above, and set the field for numerous horror movies to come. All of these movies are bloodcurdling and great for Halloween night!
 So if you are in the mood for some ghoulish fun, sit back and enjoy the terrifying… I mean terrific show.  

Who is John Harrison?

​The new Star Trek movie came out with a bang this past weekend, making Trekies out of the young and old. I must admit, I did like the Star Trek movies and I found immense enjoyment from the reboot four years ago, but I was worried. How would a sequel for a movie that came out four years ago do against the heavily anticipated movies such as Iron Man 3 and the Great Gatsby? Well the answer to that question was pretty well! The movie had excellent performances by the wonderfully talented Benedict Cumberbatch, who was made famous for his portrayal as Sherlock Holmes, and Zachery Quinto as the loveable, yet irritable Spock. Benedict held his own against the other actors and made a chilling debut as the new villain of the movie John Harrison or as some may know him as…well see the movie for that if you are interested. He played a cold, yet almost humane character, one that you were scared of, yet at the same time you also felt bad for him. His performance was something to talk about and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him run across the screen and show off his fighting moves, as he yelled out biting remarks that were stinging and clever all at once. Chris Pine played a wonderful Captain Kirk and you really felt he was becoming the captain we all know and loved. Another honorable mention would have to go to Simon Pegg as Scotty, who provided much of the films comedy aspects. His scenes were hilarious and you could tell by the audience’s reaction he was a fast fan favorite. The fights scenes were extremely well done in the movie, and the visuals were stunning. The plots did seem to ramble on and get mixed up fairly quickly, but the performances of the actors quickly resolved this problem and still made the film a fun ride. If you aren’t a Star Trek fan I still suggest giving this a watch, it’s not hard to follow and it’s just so exciting that you won’t care if you know the characters or not, you will know them by the end of the movie. So Trek on and buy yourself a ticket, you won’t regret it.

Bloody Good Listening : A True Blood Playlist

Well it's that time again..... time for sex, blood, violence, and more sex! The crazy Bon Temp folk are at it again and this time I have a play list set for it. Here are ten songs I feel will represent Season 6 the best. (True Blood airs on HBO on Sunday, June 16).

1. Sacrilege- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
 This song is perfect for season six! With its lyrics that fit the season all too well and the catchy chorus in the back singing as loud as they can, this song is a sure fit for the season with the villain being a vampire god! It's heresy to not listen to this song while praising the almighty Billith!

2. Not in Love- Crystal Castles
This is my all time favorite song for Eric and Sookie. Soric shippers alike can appreciate the lyrics to this song while screaming at the TV for these two to just makeup already and get down to business!

3. Bottom of the River- Delta Rae
As some may know this was the official song put into the True Blood season 6 trailer. Give it a listen, their is a reason it was put in True Blood!

4. Hanging On- Active Child
A perfect song for any of the couples on True Blood. Discussing how hard it is in a relationship and trying to make it work even though they know they shouldn't, or can't.

5. The Lightening Strike- Snow Patrol
Another perfect fit for season six! It feels perfect as a score for an upcoming battle and as all Trubies know....the battle is coming.

6. Alive with the Glory of Love- Say Anything
The song has a strong sexual vibe about it, making it just right for the people at Bon Temp!

7. The Funeral- Ban of Horses
As some die hard Trubies may know, a big death is about to happen. So to prepare myself I listen to this song...and hope everything will be alright.

8. I Wish I was the Moon Tonight- Neko Case
I always have to put this on my True Blood Playlist, all thanks to Eric and Sookie. (This was the song they first made love too).

9. Mr.Brightside- The Killers
One of my top Eric songs! Filled with angst and jealousy over someones love being with another man....sounds like Eric to me!

10. Seven Devils- Florence + The Machine
Another battle song and we all know Season 6 is all about war....war with humans or war with vampire gods... either way this season won't end without a couple devils dying on the battle field.

Take a listen to all of these songs... I of course have much more songs to give, (being a Truebie and all), but I wont bother you all with that. Tune into True Blood this season, because this season will surely be a bloody good time!

Jack Harper, Jack Reacher, Staccee Jaxx, or just plain Jack....

Tom Cruise in Oblivion

Back in the 80's, Tom Cruise was America's action sweetheart. Playing the hero in all of his movies seemed to be his calling, and boy did he live up to that calling. From being in a range of action movies back in the day, each of his movies were full of an excitement that only "The Cruise" could supply...but now and days it seems a little stale. Each of his characters resembles the last in an almost identical way, leaving most, especially me, unsatisfied. In this movie it is no different from his others, even playing ANOTHER character named Jack. This movie, to me, felt like another action movie where Cruise plays the "troubled" hero looking for answers about himself. I've seen Cruise play such great characters, (ie: look at Born the Fourth of July and Magnolia), but this movie left me with an empty feeling, a feeling of when will this movie be over. The movie felt way too long and the writing for it was just not good. The characters developments were not played out in a way where I felt sorry for them or related to them in any way.

Roger Ebert: In Memoriam (A short article dedicated to my idol)

Roger Ebert

June 18, 1942-April 14, 2013

Roger Ebert

            Mr. Ebert was not only an extremely talented critic, but he was also my idol. His wise words, humorous take on movies, well thought out critiques, and dedication to the art of reviewing movies inspired me. After reading my first review by him, the review for the recent horror comedy smash Cabin in the Woods, I knew I wanted to do the same thing. From that review and on I was hooked. I found myself looking at his old reviews and continuing to follow up on his recent ones. One thing never changed and that was his humor. It was a special, sarcastic brand that only a few got, and when you got that humor there was no turning back. Each review was more thought out then the other and you could tell that the man behind these articles was someone who cared, someone who wanted you to know the truth behind the movies, and someone who truly was just a simple movie man at heart. From his first review to the last, his pride and love for the art shined throughout each article. Even when ill, Ebert was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, salivary cancer, and other forms of cancer which resulted in his loss of speech, he never failed in sharing his reviews with the world. Ebert’s success became widely known after his show, “At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert” came out and after Siskel’s death he began to host his own show, “Roger Ebert and the Movies”. In 2000, however, Ebert finally found another host for his show in Richard Roeper. The show was titled “At the Movies with Ebert and Roeper” and was a huge success. During all of this he lost his speech during surgery and never recovered it, but still kept his voice through his reviews and his loving wife, Chaz Ebert, who translated his thoughts during presentations. One day before Ebert’s death, he took to his blog to tell everyone he was diagnosed again with a form of cancer and would be dialing back the amount of reviews he did for the sake of his health. He told of his dreams to actually just review the movies he wanted to review, but said that he would still be present in reviews. In the article on his blog, the “Leave of Presence” sounded more like a farewell to good friends. The article brings tears to my eyes, knowing these were some of the last words written by my hero, but I do not fret. I know where ever he may be now; he is still watching the movies he loves and looking down on us with a smile on his face for all the up and coming critics who looked to him for inspiration. In my career I hope to become half as successful as him and to tell people twenty years from now when they ask who got me started on my path to becoming a critic, I can say Ebert, Roger Ebert. Now just like his last words, I leave you all with just a taste of Ebert. I look up from the laptop I am writing this from, with a smile planted on my face and I say to you Mr. Ebert, “I’ll see you at the movies.”           

Good, Bad ....She's the girl with the chainsaw

(Warning some slight Spoilers)

When I first heard that they were remaking "The Evil Dead" I was disheartened. Why would they touch a masterpiece such as the original "Evil Dead". When Ash himself came out and said it wasn't so much a remake more like its own movie, I felt a bit better. So I got ready, put on my big girl pants and went to see the movie....and boy am I glad I did. Now before I go on with my review, I will say the movie isn't perfect. Far from it....some parts are a bit dull and predictable and the gore is a bit excessive, but what it lacks in that department it makes up for in the well acted performances of a bunch of unknowns and the scary outlook that surrounds the movie. It mixes a perfect amount of terror and funny that it made me smile with memories of the old movies. It does not have a blatant show of funny like the other movies, but it is funny in its own way. Some parts did make me jump, in particular the performance of Jane Levy as Mia, the female "Ash" of the story. She portrayed a terrifying demon for most of the movie and a  terrified young recovering drug addict for the other half. She was believable in both parts and I'm excited to see where her character goes in the sequel (which was announced shortly before the premiere of the movie.) The other performance I particularly enjoyed was that of the young actor Lou Taylor Pucci as Eric, one of Mia's close friends. He seemed to be the voice of reason and knew almost immediately what was going on. If we are being critical, he appears to be the reason of all of this and he knows it. He tries to get everyone on board with what is happening and at first they all ignore his ideas, but when blood starts to hit the fan they begin to realize his pleas and Mia's were right all along. He gives a funny, yet startling scary performance. You feel bad for the guy and you know his voice of reason shtick is either just going to get him killed or it may save him, you never know see the movie! But either way I enjoyed his character, and he became my fast favorite. The movie is a completely different entity from the other "Evil Dead's" but it does have a couple of winks to the other movies. For example, they show the famous necklace that was featured in the first two "Evil Dead's", they show Ash's old car, they show the possessed "hand" from "Evil Dead 2", and of course the power tools are not far behind every character, especially the famous chainsaw. Now with all of my enjoyment for the movie one thing seemed to bother me....Where was the female Ash we were promised? I loved Jane Levy in the movie, but in the beginning I didn't see the Ash in her I was expecting. But I was wrong. Towards the end, she became a fighter and therefore the Ash I was waiting for. With chainsaw in hand she was no longer the damsel in distress and was cursing off demons and killing them at a college level. She was a bad-ass and I was happy to see it. If you are interested in seeing this movie, I say think no longer and go. It's worth it and I promise you will enjoy it. Keeping reminding yourself though, if you are a fan of the original "Evil Dead's"...this is not those movies, it is different and should be accepted as such. Go to see a new movie, not a remake and I promise you will enjoy it.
~Pop Culture Darling