Elliott, I loved both of those movies! And I am positive that you will feel as strongly about Hugo as I did. Let me know when you see it, and we can discuss!

I too, recently saw "Tangled" for the first time. I thought the tear thing was kind of out of the blue as well, since they had been going with the "magic hair" plot for the rest of the movie, BUT, in the original story it is Rapunzel's tears that heal her husband's blindness when she finds him again, so I guess that kind of ties it to the original. I didn't get to see all of it, just most of it, as I was working but I thought it was cute. I don't think it is the BEST ever or anything, but nothing will really beat Little Mermaid, BATB, Aladdin, and Lion King for me.

( I also saw Breaking Dawn. I liked it. Suck it. )



Elliott, please tell me more about the second half of "A Single Man". I started watching it but didn't get to finish and then had a really really awful dream inspired by the movie and have been afraid to finish it!

^ Been meaning to see Breaking Dawn. I heard it's actually worth seeing...so I'll have to work in a day to swing by the movie theater.

I saw (endured) the first three Twilight movies. I will not be seeing this one. (As it will likely test me beyond my endurance)

Fans liking it while critics rip it apart isn't particularly surprising.

This particular review convinced me not to see it. I agreed with it in that the films seem to have been getting better...until this latest installment apparently.

I have been observing the progress of the Twilight films over the years, and I can understand how the first one ended up being the worst. While Twilight itself may be a little cliche, the story line must have been difficult to adapt directly onto the screen. Casting was a whole other matter entirely, given the multitude of personalities and looks of the characters Meyer created. The reason why movies like Harry Potter were more successful was because of who was hired to put the movie together, not actresses like Kristen Stewart, though she may have been a small part of the problem.

That being said, I did hate Twilight for some time because of her, but recently I found that to be an unreasonable excuse and changed to a more respective view of the vampire romance franchise. Stehpanie Meye may claim she wasn't writing for a particular age range, but her books attracted a certain age range anyway because of the subject matter.

I'll be seeing Breaking Dawn regardless of public opinion, because I think it's just ridiculous to be going along main stream. I can make my own choices, and if anyone says a word about it, tough on them. I don't care if they don't like Twilight, they aren't the ones being forced to see the movies, so why should they oppose others who are?

Just got back from Hugo. Sad to say that this movie will become an underrated classic. I mean it has everything that a good film should have. Have a clever story, great performances, great cinematography, and great driection from Martin Scorsese. Even the 3-D was great and I HATE 3-D. But sadly Breaking Dawn is still playing and even families were seeing it. I kid you not! Kids were going in there....EVEN GRANNIES WERE GOING THERE!!!! *Sighs* Well anyway if you have a chance to see this movie, please do so.

An amusing, albeit negative, take on the story of Twilight's Bella Swan. (Goes into the entire story from the books, not just from the the four movies)

Spoiler's beware: Twilight's Dawn Be Broken

Vampires...*sigh*

50/50 (2011): 4.5/5 / A-
A cancer comedy? And it's good!? It sounds like a stretch, but Jonathan Levine's 50/50 is both very funny and very moving when it's supposed to be. While Will Reiser's wicked smart script gets plenty of chances to shine through the talented cast (Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston), it's Joseph Gordon-Levitt's show through and through. He's simply superb. Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a typical late-twenty-something with a steady relationship with his girlfriend, an overbearing mother, and a ridiculous best friend. His life takes a tailspin when Adam is informed he has a rare kind of spinal cancer. Gordon-Levitt is brilliantly unaffected here, conveying Adam's numb calmness at first and then his gradual descent into a full-on meltdown as his chances of surviving shrink. This is a mostly quiet performance, but he gets his big moments as well, but they don't feel phony in the least. The movie on its own is quite good, and the rest of the cast, particularly Anjelica Huston in an all-too-brief role as Adam's mother, but the best thing about it is easily Gordon-Levitt's brilliant performance.
Dir: Jonathan Levine

Taxi Driver (1976):: 5/5 / A+
What a powerhouse of a film! Martin Scorsese's 1976 masterpiece Taxi Driver is a disturbing look at the hellish world of the decaying New York City. Robert De Niro is Travis Bickle, one of the most iconic film characters ever, a cabby who is on the brink of a full-on mental breakdown. Much has been written about the film and its apparent central theme of connection and anything I try to write will be embarrassing blather, but in short, everything about this film is just astounding. De Niro is chilling. A very young Jodie Foster gets a great chance to shine as well, playing a teenage prostitute. Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks, and Harvey Keitel round out the cast, but it's De Niro, Foster, and Scorsese who truly own the film. Simply magnificent.
Dir: Martin Scorsese

A Prairie Home Companion (2006): 4.5/5 / A-
Legendary director Robert Altman's very last film is the magical elegy A Prairie Home Companion. Following the cast of a radio show on the night of its final broadcast, the film overflows with music, corny jokes, and a rather unsettling scent of death. The names in this film alone are ridiculous: on top of Garrison Keillor, the real-life creator of the radio show A Prairie Home Companion, the ensemble is peppered with the likes of Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, John C. Reilly, Tommy Lee Jones, Virginia Madsen, Woody Harrelson, and Maya Rudolph. Everybody, even the few not-so-big-names, is simply wonderful. The entire cast seems to be having a blast in each other's company. Beautifully written by Keillor himself and under Altman's gifted direction, this swansong is very touching.
Dir: Robert Altman

The Help (2011): 4/5 / B-
I'd be lying if I said The Help wasn't entertaining. It's almost two-and-a-half hours long but it definitely doesn't feel like it. That is mostly because of the supremely talented cast. Let's be honest for a second. Objectively, it's not very good. It's broadly written, the characters are all more or less archetypes (the white guilt, the racist cretin who gets her come-uppance, the strong-silent black woman, the sassy black woman, et cetera ad nauseum), and it's such a white-washed version of history that it makes Forrest Gump look authentic. But like I said, I'd be straight-up lying if I said it wasn't fun to watch. Aesthetically, it's nice to look at: colorful, shiny, everything we've been made to think the 1960s were, if you watch movies. But it's all about the actors here, and while they're all more than competent, it's four who stand above the others. First is Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays Hilly, the "cretin who gets her come-uppance." She's venomous here. With this and her performance in the comedy 50/50, Howard's having a good year of playing cold-hearted heartbreakers. Next is Jessica Chastain, who came out of nowhere to be featured in no less than six major films this year, and she's terrific in all of them. Here she plays Celia, a ditzy blonde woman who is shunned from the social circles of Jackson. She's simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking, and an Oscar nomination could be in store for her. Even more memorable is Octavia Spencer, whose sassy Minny gets arguably the best scene in the film (I won't go into detail, but it's awesome). Saving the best for last, Viola Davis. Incomparable. Davis plays Aibileen Clark, the central maid character. Davis is able to convey so much emotion through her eyes in such a way that the audience knows exactly what she is feeling and thinking at that very moment. Davis is such an inclusive actor to watch and it's a rare and beautiful thing. Like I said, the film isn't particularly good if we're being honest. But it's fun, and just well-made enough and easy to digest that it's obvious why it's had no problem becoming a huge hit.
Dir: Tate Taylor

I watched horrible bosses on the train home, it's absolutely hilarious. If you like things like superbad or the hangover definitely watch it. Jennifer Aniston's character is so far from her usual type but she's excellent.

I don't know about you, but it seems more than a coincidence that BOTH Harry Potter and the final Tilight movie are two-parters and in 3D.

I saw Breaking dawn the night it came out It was sooooo amazing XD ^-^
Kristen did an amazing job and Robert looked less nervous then he did in the other movies and looked a lot sexier
My favorite part was probably when Edward could hear the babies thought because that was so damn sweet, or the part where he was "in shock" or the part when she came out in the sexy outfit and he put his face in the pillow xD It was too adorable.
It was the best movie ever, I absolutely loved it!

*sigh* The fanbase...


There's money to be made!

I'm looking forward to the 2-part Hobbit...