Rating: 7
Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) is in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) but her parents have arranged for her to marry the rich kid in their small, rural village. Valerie and Peter are just about to run away together when Valerie’s sister is killed by a menacing wolf who decided that the usual animal sacrifices from the village aren’t enough. Outraged, the villagers hire the famous werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), to track down and kill the beast whom he claims is someone living in the village as a human by day.
The story had a unique twist on the old fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. There were several suspects to choose from which keeps you guessing up to the end. All in all, I would say this was a decent movie if you’re into super natural beings and murder mysteries. Gary Oldman is always good and with eye candy for both guys and girls, how can you go wrong?
Review by: Jim
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Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Rating 7 |
Tagged amanda seyfried, arranged, attack, billy burke, bite, full moon, gary oldman, grandma, julie christie, love, lukas haas, marriage, max irons, moon, runaway, shiloh fernandez, village, virginia madsen, werewolf, wolf, woods
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Rating: 6
Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) wants to find Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who murdered her father. She hires a drunken U.S. Marshall, “Rooster” Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help track him. When he seems too drunk to help, she goes to Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), who has his own reasons to track Tom Chaney. The three cross paths several times on the hunt for Tom.
I know this is based upon a classic novel but this film didn’t do much for me. The acting was pretty good, especially Hailee, the scenery was incredible, but there was just something missing. I don’t know if it was the direction, the characters themselves or the general style of this film, but it was actually pretty boring for me. I don’t know what I was expecting, perhaps too much, but I won’t be watching this film again. I won’t try to find a copy of the original film nor will I read the book. But who am I kidding, I wouldn’t read the book even if I liked the movie 
It’s not that I have anything at all against books, I just don’t get into reading fiction.
Review by: Jim
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Posted in Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Rating 6, Western |
Tagged 2010, american indian, barry pepper, classic, hailee steinfeld, indian, jeff bridges, josh brolin, journey, matt damon, murder, remake, tracking, west, wild west
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Rating: 8
Soul Surfer is based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a teenage surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack. She was determined to get back in the water and surf, but she had to learn how to balance and do everything with only one arm and one hand. With the support of her family, friends and her faith, she was able to do everything she could before.
An amazing cast who all gave stellar performances, great visuals and an incredible, inspirational story make this an excellent film. We can all learn something from the will and determination of a young girl who will stop at nothing to fulfill all her dreams.
Review by: Jim
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Posted in Biography, Drama, Family, Rating 8 |
Tagged 2011, accident, annasophia robb, arm, attack, bite, carrie underwood, christianity, craig t. nelson, dennis quaid, family, girl, helen hunt, kevin sorbo, lorraine nicholson, religion, shark, support, surf, surfer, surfing, Teen, teenager, teens, young
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Rating: 4
16 year-old Ginger and her 15 year-old sister, Brigitte, have an unusual hobby. They like to stage scenes of their own deaths (suicides and murders) and take photographs of them. On the same day that Ginger gets her first period she is bitten by something – a dog, wolf, something with four legs that howls. As the neighborhood dogs turn up slaughtered by some type of animal and humans begin to disappear, Brigitte enlists the help of the local pothead to help figure out what is wrong with her sister who has become the complete opposite of what she was just days before. Apparently this pothead has a knack for researching werewolves and quickly concludes what must be done to stop Ginger.
Why they ever made a sequel/prequel to this gem is about as good of a question as why I actually watched the entire movie. If you have nothing better to do with your time and are looking to throw away 90 minutes of your life that you will never get back, stop by the library and take this one home. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Review by: Jim
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Posted in Horror, Rating 4 |
Tagged 2000, chick, curse, dog, emily perkins, full moon, goth, halloween, High School, howl, katharine isabelle, kris lemche, mimi rogers, missing, slaughter, Teen, teenager, teens, werewolf, werewolves
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Rating: 8
I know this blog is called “The Movie Was Better,” but Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of those literary classics that stands the test of time. And if you rolled your eyes reading that sentence, don’t worry: This adaptation of Charlotte Bronte’s 1847 gothic romance was made with you in mind. Director Cary Fukunaga restructures the timeline of the story, turning it into as much of a mystery as a romance. A young girl is seen fleeing from an imposing mansion: This is Jane Eyre (played by Mia Wasikowska from Alice in Wonderland). She is taken in by a parish pastor and his family. Jane gives them a false name and tells them she is seeking employment: What is she running from? In a series of flashbacks, we witness the sadness of her childhood and her eventual employment as a governess at Thornfield. It is there that Jane meets the brooding, sarcastic Mr. Rochester (Michael Fassbender, recently seen as Magneto in X-Men: First Class), who, of course, has a deep, dark secret that torments him. If you are not familiar with the novel, this twist will certainly surprise you.
With supporting roles played by Judi Dench and Jaime Bell (Billy Elliott!), this is a gorgeous, well-acted adaptation that I recommend. If you are going to be stuck watching a British historical melodrama, you couldn’t do better. If you are a fan of movies like the recent Pride and Prejudice, Bright Star or The Young Victoria, you should really check this one out. Just make sure you lock your attic before you start watching the movie.
Review by: Nicole
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Rating: 10
Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) has always admired the made men in is neighborhood. They have cash, cars and respect and he wants to be one of them. As a teenager he starts working for them parking cars and hangs around them all the time. As he works his way up into the mob hierarchy, he becomes friends with Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and James Conway (Robert De Niro). When his friends are involved in one of the biggest heists ever, they have to do whatever it takes to avoid being caught. Meanwhile, Henry has problems of his own with his wife, mistress and a drug problem he developed while in prison. As things spiral out of control and bodies turn up just about everywhere, you have to wonder if Henry is next!
This is one of my all-time favorite films. I hadn’t seen this film in more than a decade so when I watched it again recently, I was amazed to see how many actors from this film ended up in The Sopranos. Besides an incredible cast of actors portraying some of the most sinister real-life characters, this film was Directed by Martin Scorsese. If you haven’t seen this film you’re missing out! Come see it on Friday, September 16th at the Main Library. Food arrives at 5:30 and the movie starts at 6:30.
Review by: Jim
Watch it @ the Library: September 16, 2011 (you must register)
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Posted in Crime, Drama, Guys Night Out, Rating 10, Review |
Tagged 1990, crime family, dea, drugs, FBI, heist, italian, joe pesci, lorraine bracco, made man, mob, new york, paul sorvino, prison, ray liotta, robert de niro
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Rating: 7
Sue D’num suggested this movie wasn’t worth watching so I wasn’t expecting much. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see two actors I’m not very fond of playing their roles fairly well. Dwayne Johnson is an ex-con out for revenge and to avenge the death of his brother. Billy Bob Thornton is a veteran cop with a sordid past who is put on the case when people start turning up dead. Add to the mix a crazy hit man and you’ve set the stage for a high-octane, violent thrill ride that keeps you guessing up to the very end. If you’re in the mood for a violent revenge film, I recommend you check this out.
Review by: Jim
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Posted in Action, Crime, Drama, Rating 7, Review, Suspense |
Tagged 2010, avengement, billie bob thornton, cop, dwayne johnson, hit list, informant, junkie, kill, maggie grace, metal plate, murder, prison, release, retribution, revenge, rob, steal, the rock
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Thanks to everyone how attended and a special thanks to everyone at Taco Loco for donating quesadillas, taquitos, wings, jalapeno poppers, chips, salsa and guacamole for our July and August Guys Night Out. Jason Statham was amazing in The Transporter and the food was equally amazing! If you’re ever in the mood for Mexican food or perhaps a margarita or three, stop by Taco Loco in Black Rock and tell them the library sent you. Next month’s movie is Goodfellas starring Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Brocco, Paul Sorvino and directed by Martin Scorsese.
Rating: 8
I faintly remember watching this film as a kid. My mother had a huge crush on Robert Redford. She used to drive by his house every once in a while. The only thing I really remember was Butch and Sundance jumping off a huge cliff into a river. Watching the film again 30 years later I got much more from it. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were outlaws back towards the end of the wild, wild west days. After robbing a train one too many times, they find themselves on the run from a posse that will stop at nothing to kill them. They eventually escape the USA to Bolivia and start robbing banks again. Word about them gets out and the posse from the US catches up with them. Once again they are on the run with nothing to lose. Why not watch the film to see if they get away?
Review by: Jim
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Posted in Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Rating 8, Review, Suspense |
Tagged 1969, bank, bolivia, cloris leachman, gang, george furth, gunmen, hole in the wall, horse, katherine ross, kenneth mars, outlaw, paul newman, robbers, robert redford, run, safe, strother martin, train, usa
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Rating: 6
David Norris (Matt Damon) is an up and coming politician with an eye on the white house. He’s smitten by Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt) a ballerina with amazing talent, but strange men insist they must stay apart. Fighting destiny itself, David will stop at nothing to see Elise again even though destiny has other plans for him and Elise. Who are these strange men and why do they risk everything to stop David and Elise from seeing each other again?
While the intrigue of who the strange men are and the promise of true love prevailing kept me watching, the end result was a bit disappointing to me. Since it kept me going until the end I gave it a 6, otherwise I would have rated it lower. I also found out after I watched it that the dancer double for Emily Blunt was the daughter of one of my cousins! Who knows, you might enjoy this movie. Why not check it out from the library for free and post a comment here so we can get another opinion about this interesting film?
Review by: Jim
Search for this movie @ the library. Read more about this movie on IMDB.
Posted in Action, Drama, Fantasy, Rating 6, Review, Romance, Sci-Fi, Suspense |
Tagged 2011, agent, ballerina, dancer, emily blunt, fate, governor, jon stewart, matt damon, politician, senator
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Rating: 7
