Salt

Angelina Jolie (Evelyn Salt)

Liev Schreiber (Ted Winter)

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Peabody)

Andre Braugher (Secretary of Defence)

Setting: Present Day

I know that it's guy's opinion, but, for what it's worth, don't go see "Salt" on the big screen. As a matter of fact, don't see it on any screen! The first 10 minutes of it were intriguing. The last hour and a half were bitterly disappointing. Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is working the CIA. A spy tells her that the President of Russia is about to be killed. And it goes down hill from there. I would say - Skip It. I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010-PG-13)

Inception

Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur)

Ellen Page (Adiadne)

Tom Berenger (Browning)

Michael Caine (Miles)

Lukas Haas (Nash)

Setting: Now (Sci-Fi)

Another hit for Leonardo DiCaprio! Although I don't want to give anything away, "Inception" is the story of where our dreams take us. After 2 1/2 hours I came out of the theater and wasn't sure where I was. Amazing acting by DiCaprio and the rest of the ensemble. Be sure and see it on the big screen! I would give it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010-PG-13)

City Island

Andy Garcia (Vince Rizzo)

Emily Mortimer (Molly)

Alan Arkin (Michael Malakov)

Julianna Margulies (Joyce Rizzo)

Setting: Modern Day Bronx

A guy (Andy Garcia), his wife (Julianna Margulies), and their two children inhabit a place called City Island in the Bronx. He hires a guy to be his handyman. Come to find out, that guy is his son from another relationship. I've liked it! I would give it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009-PG-13)

Knight and Day

Tom Cruise (Roy Miller)
Cameron Diaz (June Havens)
Peter Sarsgaard (Fitzgerald)
Paul Dano (Simon Feck)

Setting: Present Day

I don't know why everybody said they didn't like the movie. I liked it just fine! Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) is an agent who has gone rogue. He is assigned to protect Simon Feck (Paul Dano), a man who has built a battery that doesn't go dead. June Havens (Cameron Diaz) is set to go home for her sister's wedding. She meets Miller in the airport and gets on a plane with him. Further hijinks result. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010-PG-13)

The Karate Kid

Jaden Smith (Dre Parker)

Jackie Chan (Mr. Han)

Wenwen Han (Mei Ying)

Setting: Beijing

Exactly the same thing as the other "The Karate Kid" movie. Only this time it's in China, and Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) is substituted with Mr. Han (Jackie Chan). Oh, and it's kung fu instead of karate. I didn't get to see the end of it because my bus was early by 15 minutes. But let me guess, the karate kid prevails and the other participant's teacher is made to feel like a fool. I would say see it on the big screen! I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010-PG)

Jonah Hex

Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex)

Megan Fox (Lilah)

John Malkovich (Quentin Turnbull)

Will Arnett (Lieutenant Grass)

Setting: United States in 1876

For one thing, more Megan Fox. And for another thing, more Megan Fox. Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is an ex-Confederate officer searching for Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich), the possessor of all horrible new weapon. Then Megan Fox appears. Something, something, something. And then Megan Fox appears yet again. Something, something, something. The End. I would wait for it to come out on video. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2010-PG-13)

Splice

Adrien Brody (Clive Nicoli)

Sarah Polley (Elsa Kast)

Delphine Chaneac (Dren)

Setting: Present Day

Clive (Adrien Brody) and Sarah (Elsa Kast) are to of them there scientists. All though none of them are doctors, they head the genetic research lab at a company. Unbeknownst to anyone, Clive and Sarah experiment with cloning. They succeed! But they can't let anyone know what they've done. They spirit the female clone to Sarah's farmhouse. While there, Clive takes part in the first act of intra-species love with Dren (Delphine Chaneac), which is nerd spelled backwords. Next, the clone turns into a man. Then everybody dies except for Sarah. Come to find out, she is pregnant with the clone's baby. The End. Kind of ridiculous. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2009-R)

Killers

Ashton Kutcher (Spencer)

Katherine Heigl (Jen, Jennifer, or Jenny)

Tom Selleck (Mr. Kornfeldt)

Catherine O'Hara (Mrs. Kornfeldt)

Rob Riggle (Henry)

Setting: Present Day

A guy (Ashton Kutcher) and a girl (Katherine Heigl) get married. Three years later, the girl finds out her husband was a CIA assassin. Further hijinks ensue. I liked it! I think my favorite line is: "Let's just say I worked for the blah blah blah and they gave me a license to blah." I would rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010-PG-13)

Prince of Persia

Jake Gyllenhaal (Dastan)

Ben Kingsley (Nizam)

Gemma Arterton (Tamina)

Alfred Molina (Sheik Amar)

Setting: A long time ago

Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) is plucked up by the King of Persia and his brother (Ben Kingsley) because he is orphan. Years later, his ersatz brothers and he capture Alamut, a holy city. They succeed. However, his father is killed and Dastan has to flee, along with Princess (Gemma Arteton), because they think it is him. While they are trying to prove him innocent, they join forces with Sheik Amar (Alfred Molina). Two hours of Jake Gyllenhaal speaking in an English accent is more than I can take. I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010 - PG-13)

Iron Man 2

Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark)
Mickey Rourke (Ivan Vanko)
Sam Rockwell (Justin Hammer)
Scarlett Johansson (Natalie Rushman / Natasha Romanoff)
Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts)
Don Cheadle (Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes)

Setting: Present Day

Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) is back! This time it's a Russian he is up against. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) has an Iron Man weapon himself. Vanko teams up with Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) to sell the Army a version of I.M. The big finish is when Iron Man and his cohort, 'Rhodey' Rhodes (Don Cheadle), team up to take Vanko down. Look, you either like it, or you will be bored to tears with it. I liked it! I gave it 3 3/4 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010 - PG-13)

Death at a Funeral

Chris Rock (Aaron)
Martin Lawrence (Ryan)

Danny Glover (Uncle Russell)

Luke Wilson (Derek)

One of the worst movies I ever seen! And to top it all off, the theater was empty and this guy came in late and sat directly behind me. He thought that everything was funny (even though it was not), and he brayed throughout the entire picture. What happened to "guy manners"? Aaron (Chris Rock) and Ryan (Martin Lawrence) are holding a funeral for their father. Further hijinks ensue. I would rate it -3 (that's right, I said a minus 3) out of 5 stars. I absolutely hated it. The End. (2010-R)

Kick-Ass

Nicholas Cage (Damon Macready/Big Daddy)

Chloe Grace Moretz (Mindy Macready/Hit Girl)

Aaron Johnson (Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass)

Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Chris D'Amico/Red Mist)

Setting: Present Day New York City

Be forwarned. The first hour and a half are disappointing. However, the last half an hour is, dare I say it, kick-ass! That is the time when Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) takes over. I think that Hit Girl would have been a much coherent film than Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson). A guy thinks it would be cool to be a super-hero. So he does just that. Along the way he meets Hit Girl and Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage). Wait for it to come out on video! 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. The End. (2010 - R)

Date Night

Steve Carrell (Phil Foster)

Tina Fey (Claire Foster)

Mark Wahlberg (Holbrooke)

Ray Liotta (Joe Moletto)

James Franco (Taste)

Mila Kunis (Whippit)

Kristen Wiig (Haley Sullivan)

Mark Ruffalo (Brad Sullivan)

Setting: Today in New York City

Phil (Steve Carrell) and Claire Foster (Tina Fey) are an average couple living in the suburbs with two kids. They keep their lives interesting by going on "Date Nights" where the two of them go out sans kids. One night, instead of going to a local eatery, they head into the city. Phil and Claire are mistaken for somebody else. Further hijinks ensue. A strong showing by Tina Fey and a host of stars add to this run-of-the-mill comedy. I must admit there were several parts I laughed at, but I would wait for it to come out on video. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. But seriously, I would wait for the DVD. The End. (2010 - PG-13)

Clash of the Titans

Liam Neeson (Zeus)

Ralph Fiennes (Hades)

Sam Worthington (Perseus)

Setting: A long, long time ago

A 3-D movie. The worst I have ever seen. Instead of using Claymation effects, they used a green screen. That is the only difference I saw between the 1981 version and the present version. Perseus (Sam Worthington) is a demi-god who is raised by a fisherman and his wife. Zeus (Niam Neeson) is the real father. I don't know the rest of what happened. It was very confusing. At one point, Perseus beheads Medusa. He then shows the head to Hades (Ralph Fiennes). But Hades doesn't die, he goes and rules the netherworld. Release the Craken. I would give it a 1 1/2 out of 5 stars. The End (2010 - PG-13)

Chloe

Liam Neeson (David Stewart)

Julianne Moore (Catherine Stewart)

Amanda Seyfried (Chloe)

Setting: Today

A Gynolgist...A Gynokogist....A Gynecoljist....An OB/GYN (Julianne Moore) and Professor husband (Liam Neeson). She thinks he is having an affair so she hires a woman named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to spy for her. Chloe ends up seducing her. In the end, Chloe admits she is making it all up (the part where David is unfaithful), falls out a window to her death. Soft-core porn. I would rate it 2 1/4 out of 5 stars. The End. (2009 - R)

Repo Men

Jude Law (Remy)

Forest Whitaker (Jake)

Liev Schreiber (Frank)

Alice Braga (Beth)

Setting: In the Not to Distant Future

Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker) are repossession agents working for Frank (Liev Schreiber). Frank sells body parts (artificial livers, artificial kidneys, artificial hearts, etc.) with a buy now, pay later policy. But if you don't pay later, the repo men pay you a call and take back the property. After a near fatal shock, Remy wakes up with an artificial heart owned by Frank. After falling behind on his payments, Remy must watch out for the repo man. Not quite there. I would rate it a 3 out of 5 stars. The End.

Green Zone

Matt Damon (Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller)
Greg Kinnear (Clark Poundstone)
Amy Ryan (Lawrie Dayne)
Brendan Gleeson (Martin Brown)

Setting: Spring of 2003 - Baghdad,Iraq

Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) is on a search for WMD's in Iraq. The Special Assistant to the President (Greg Kinnear) and a CIA agent (Brendan Gleeson) are at odds whether WMD's are even in Iraq (the spook doesn't think they are). Along the way, Miller finds out that a reporter (Amy Ryan) has not even bothered to get confirmation on a story she has written about WMD's, and in fact took the White House's word. Oh, by the way, they don't exist. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. The End.

Alice in Wonderland

Mia Wasikowska (Alice)

Johnny Depp (The Mad Hatter)

Helena Bonham Carter (The Red Queen)

Anne Hathaway (The White Queen)

Setting: In the Land of Make Believe

I have one word for it. Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. This time, Alice (Mia Wasikowska)is 20 years old. She is about to entertain a marriage proposal from Hamish (Leo Bill). Before she accepts, she makes a journey down the rabbit hole. She meets all sorts of characters including the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp),Tweedledee and Tweedledum (both parts played by Matt Lucas), and the Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman). The 3-D effects are awesome. I would rate it as a 4, but because the 3-D are stupendous, I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. You must go and see this movie immediately! The End.

Valentine's Day

Ashton Kutcher (Reed Bennett)

Taylor Swift (Felicia)

Julia Roberts (Capt. Kate Hazeltine)

Jamie Foxx (Kelvin Moore)

More Stars Then The Universe

Setting: Present Day

The most positive thing I can say this film is I GOT IN FOR FREE! Oh, I got a free soda, too. About every two months I get a free movie because of the points I have accumulated with my Regal Crown Club card (but I had to use it today). Now, it all takes place on Valentines Day, and it is all interconnected. It would take too long to tell you about all the subplots in this movie. Suffice it to say, that every one is happy in the end except for Dr. Copeland (Patrick Dempsey). I think I would have liked it more if I were a girl and about 16. It definitely is a chick flick. I would rate it as 2 3/4 stars out of 5 stars because it had all the stars in it. The End.

The Crazies

Timothy Olyphant (David Dutton)

Radha Mitchell (Judy Dutton)

Joe Anderson (Russell Clank)

Danielle Panabaker (Becca Darling)

Setting: Present Day

Years ago, when I was running a sheltered workshop, there was a client who was convinced that everything was a government conspiracy. I couldn't help but think of him when I watched "The Crazies". A George Romaro film, I think I liked him best when he does zombie pictures instead. ("Night of the Living Dead", "Dawn of the Dead", "Day of the Dead", "Land of the Dead", "Breakfast of the Dead", etc., etc.) The place is a rural town somewhere in Iowa, where something gets in to the drinking water. Slowly but surely, the whole town is driven mad. (Hence the name, "The Crazies"). The sheriff (Timothy Olyphant) and his wife (Radha Mitchell) attempt to flee before madness overtakes them. They're are so many inconsistencies, I can't begin to count them. Oh yeah, look away from the atomic blast, not towards it! I would only give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars. The End.

Shutter Island

Leonardo DiCaprio (Teddy Daniels)

Ben Kingsley (Dr. Cawley)

Mark Ruffalo (Chuck Aule)

Max von Sydow (Dr. Naehring)

Setting: 1954 America

The most "Stephen King" screenplay ever written. I had the Internet to see if it was not one of Stephen King's nam d' plume. It was not. Dennis Lehane, the author, also wrote "Mystic River". But getting back to "Shutter Island". Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCapino) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are U.S. Marshals sent to investigate a disappearance of a patient on Shutter Island, a hospital for the criminally insane. The guards and hospital staff, including Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Dr. Naehring (Max von Sydow), aren't cooperating with their investigation. As a storm approaches, Teddy feels if he can see the records it would solve the case. I won't tell you how with the movie ends, but it is a surprise! I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. The End.

The Wolfman

Benicio Del Toro (Lawrence Talbot)

Anthony Hopkins (Sir John Talbot)

Emily Blunt (Gwen Conliffe)

Setting: 1880's England

Such a dark movie. No, I mean it, it was dark (meaning not a enough light)! I had the same complaint with Sherlock Holmes. Everything was lighted by candlelight. Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) is an actor giving a performance in London. He get word that his brother has been killed. He goes to the family house and the meets his father (Anthony Hopkins). While there, he gets bitten by a werewolf. He falls in love his brother's fiancé ( Emily Blunt), who swears to help him out no matter what as befallen him. It turns out that his father has passed the werewolf gene to him. In the end, his brothers fiancé shoots him with a silver bullet. He dies. The End. I gave away the ending so that you wouldn't have to see it on the big screen. Wait till it comes out on video. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars.

Crazy Heart

Jeff Bridges (Bad Blake)

Maggie Gyllenhaal (Jean Craddock)

Robert Duvall (Wayne)

Colin Farrell (Tommy Sweet)

Setting: Present Day

Crazy Heart is the story of a burned out country singer (Jeff Bridges). He plays in the worst dives, and he is an alcoholic who smokes like a chimney. One day, he meets a reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who does a story on him. She falls in love with him, but he disappoints her. He loses her young son one day while he is taking care of him. He reaches bottom, and decides check in to an alcohol rehabilitation program. He gets better, and decides to write some songs for Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell), the biggest country star in the world. I liked Colin Ferrell doing a Texas twang instead of his usual Irish Barogue. Robert Duvall also stars. I would rate it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. The End.

Legion

Paul Battary (Michael)

Dennis Quaid (Bob Hanson)

Charles S. Dutton (Percy Walker)

Setting: Present Day

Mary, I'm sorry, Charlie (Adrianne Palicki) is pregnant. Joseph, I'm sorry, Jeep (Lucas Black) is not the baby's father, but he sticks with Charlie. An angel named Michael (Paul Battary) comes down to help Charlie, Jeep, Bob (Dennis Quaid) and Percy (Charles S. Dutton) against the undead, including the Ice Cream Man. Mary, I'm sorry, Charlie has the baby. Michael and Gabriel (Kevin Durand), another angel, have a fight in the kitchen. Mary and Joseph, I'm sorry, Charlie and Jeep, along with the baby, escape, and Jeep grows some tattoos. Later on, Charlie and Jeep ride around with guns in the back of their car. The End. I would give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

I will post about "Legion" when I get to class next week. It is really exciting.

The Book of Eli

Denzel Washington (Eli)

Gary Oldman (Carnegie)

Mila Kunis (Solara)

Malcolm McDowell (Lombardi)

Setting: Thirty years after the apocalypse

It was very confusing. Basically, A man named Eli (Denzel Washington) is heading west on foot. He comes to a town where Carnegie (Gary Oldman) and his group of henchmen are staying. They find out that Eli has a book, which Carnegie wants. After spending the night, Eli says that he is not going to sell the book to Carnegie. A fight erupts. It turns out that Eli is invincible. After laying waste to Carnegie's crew, Eli continues his way west. When he gets to San Francisco, he meets a man called Lombardi (Malcolm McDowell). He then starts translating the book. It is the Bible. I would give it a 5 for the scenery, but a 2 for the plot. For one thing, how did Solara make it out of the locked room. Another thing,who taught him braille? All and all, I would give it a 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. The End.

Daybreakers

Ethan Hawke (Edward Dalton)

Willem Dafoe (Elvis)

Sam Neill (Charles Bromley)

Claudia Karvan (Audrey Bennett)

Setting: 2018 America

It the future and everyone is a vampire except for a few that are "food suppliers" and a few roaming free. Edward Dalton (Ethan Hawke) works for Charles Bromley (Sam Neill). They are vampires. As supplies dwindle, they try and come up with a blood substitute. Audrey (Claudia Karvan) and Elvis (Willem Dafoe) lead a band of human beings from their vampire stalkers. They are helped by Edward, who comes up with the "cure" for being a vampire. Not every one would enjoy the film, but I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. Bloody good! The End.

Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey, Jr. (Sherlock Holmes)

Jude Law (Dr. Watson)

Rachel McAdams (Irene Adler)

Mark Strong (Lord Blackwood)

Setting: 19th Century England

Let me see if I can get this out. It is quite involved. Basically, in the beginning, Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) catches a murderer named Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). Blackwood is to be executed. On the day of his execution, Dr. Watson (Jude Law) certifies he is dead. But in fact, he is not. The high point is when Lord Blackwood is going to kill all the members of Parliament unless they swear allegiance to him. It is quite exciting. I am going to give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. The End.

Up in the Air

George Clooney (Ryan Bingham)

Anna Kendrick (Natalie Keener)

Vera Farmiga (Alex Goran)

Jason Bateman (Craig Gregory)

Setting: Present Day

I wouldn't like Ryan Bingham's (George Clooney) much. He fires people! He works for a company that handles downsizing. And he is good at it. But Bingham's boss (Jason Bateman) decides he will start firing people through the Internet instead of doing it personally. Along the way, he gets romantically involved. But in the end, it doesn't work out. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. The End.

Avatar

Sam Worthington (Jake Sully)

Zoe Saldana (Neytiri)

Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine)

Stephen Lang (Col. Miles Quaritch)

Giovanni Ribisi (Parker Selfridge)

Setting: Some time in the future

I have seen the future, and it is "Avatar"! A James Cameron film, I saw it in 3D, but not in IMAX. Basically, it takes place on the planet Pandora, which is inhabited by a race of people called Na'vi. They are 10 feet tall, blue skinned, and have tails. Naturally, the Earthmen want the supply of "Unobtanium", a rock, which is located on Pandora. Jake (Sam Worthington), in the form of an avatar, attempts to make peace with the Na'vi. The best picture since "Star Wars". I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. The End.

Invictus

Morgan Freeman (Nelson Mandela)

Matt Damon (Francois Pienaar)

Setting: 1990's South Africa

I really liked this movie. Clint Eastwood does it again! Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela is superb. It has to do with a professional rugby team from South Africa and it's quest for the 1995 World Cup. Only one of the players is Black, the rest are Afrikaners (Whites from South Africa). It is an inspiration. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. The End.

New Moon

Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan)

Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen)

Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black)

Dakota Fanning (Jane)

Setting: Present day Forks, Washington

I have two words to say about the movie: teen angst. The second in a three part series concerning a girl, vampires,and werewolves. This time, Bella (Kristen Stewart) takes up with a pack of werewolves including Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Bella finds Edward (Robert Pattinson) in Italy, where he says that he will change her into a vampire. I had to force myself to stay awake during the movie. But the part with the werewolves was cool! I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. The End.

The Blind Side

Sandra Bullock (Leigh Anne Tuohy)
Kathy Bates (Miss Sue)
Quinton Aaron (Michael Oher)

Setting: Present day Tennessee

Sickeningly-sweet tale of Michael Oher taken in by (gasp) Republicans. A feel-good movie, it follows Michael (Michael Oher) from his days as a homeless youth until he got drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. Along the way, he gets taken in by the Tuohy's who help him realize his true potential. Sandra Bullock is tailor-made for the roll of Leigh Anne Tuohy. I would rate it 4 out of 5. The End. (2009 - PG)

Precious

Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)

Mo'Nique (Mary)

Paula Patton (Ms. Rain)

Mariah Carey (Mrs. Weiss)

Setting: New York City

I wanted to see "The Blind Side",but when I got to the theater the performance was canceled. So I went and saw "Precious" instead. It's about a teenage girl (Gabourey Sidibe) in New York City. Horribly abused by her mother (Mo'Nique) ,and pregnant by her father, she gets help at a local A.B.E. (Adult Basic Education) center. Little by little, with the help of teacher, Blu Rain (Paula Patton), she comes out of her shell. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. The End.

Pirate Radio

Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Count)

Bill Nighy (Quentin)

Kenneth Branagh (Sir Alistair Dormandy)

Setting: 1960's -- off the coast of England

During the 1960s, Britain controlled the radio waves. Rock 'n roll was banned. A few enterprising individuals headed out into international waters and had what were known as pirate radio stations. They played rock 'n roll. This is the story of one of them. I gave it an extra point for the music. So I would rate it as 4 out of 5 stars. The End.

Law Abiding Citizen

Jamie Foxx (Nick Rice)
Gerard Butler (Clyde Shelton)

Setting: Present Day Philadelphia

A Phildelphia inventor, Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler), witness his wife and daughter being murdered. Assistant District Attorney, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), gets the best deal he can. He gets one of the killers the death penalty, but the other one gets only 10 years. So Clyde Shelton plots his revenge. After the 10 years has passed, he gets busy! He first goes after the killers, and then goes after the District Attorneys Office. Rated "R" for violence, it is the tales of Clyde Shelton's revenge. I would rate it as 4 out of 5 stars.The End.

Amelia

Hilary Swank (Amelia Earhart)
Richard Gere (George Putnam)
Ewan McGregor (Gene Vidal)

Setting: 1930's America

I saw "Amelia". The End. Now I wouldn't necessarily say that "Amelia" was a bad movie, but I didn't think it was good either. It was so so. I would rate it as 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. I wouldn't go see it at the big screen. It is about Amelia Erhardt. It takes place in the 30's. Big surprise -- she dies in the end. The End.

I went on vacation this week. I went on the train to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and stayed with my sister and brother-in-law. On the way down, we were almost an hour and a half late. I showed up at Penn Station with 10 minutes to catch my next train. By that time I got to the track, there was less than one minutes be for the train took off. While I was there, I went to the play "Dial M for Murder". It was an excellent play. The whole thing was done in black and white. I really enjoyed it. Also, I went to the "Dosie Dough" for breakfast a couple of mornings. I had Black Russian bagels. On the fourth day, I came home to Rochester. It was a pretty uneventful trip. That is, in till I got here. While I was waiting for my bus, I was robbed! I was sitting by myself at the station. The two clerks were in the back. I looked up, and there was a man standing in front of me. He said, "Give me your wallet". I resisted but the only thing I could get out was "No!". He then shoved a knife in my ribs and said "I will cut you". By that time the clerks had shown back up. I gave him my wallet, but I had a death grip on it. He had to use two hands to take it. The last thing I saw of him, he was headed for St. Paul Street. The police were there with in three minutes. A K-9 went looking for him -- but to no avail. I finally got home at 11 o'clock. Tuesday, I will go see "Amelia" at the movie theater.

I am going on vacation next week. I shall write about my adventures when I get back.

Zombieland

Actors: Woody Harrelson.
Abigail Breslin
Bill Murray

Jesse Eisenberg

Billy Murray

Main Characters: Tallahassee
Little Rock

Columbus

Little Rock

Setting: Present-Day USA

A film about a family with several crises before them. The symbolism of their ongoing struggles, and the Yin and Yang of..... Just kidding. IT'S ABOUT ZOMBIES! Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) are going on a cross-country trip to kill zombies. Along the way, they meet Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). The two girls fool Tallahassee and Columbus into giving them their car. A little while later, the four meet up again. They decide to go to an amusement park in California. Once they are there, they stay in Bill Murray's house. Finally, they go to the amusement park. They almost get killed by zombies. In the end, the four recognize that they have made a new family. I would rate it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.The End.

Nothing today. I will go see "Zombieland" on Tuesday. I will write about it next day.

Surrogates

Actors: Bruce Willis
Ving Rhames
James Cromwell

Main Characters: Agent Greer
The Prophet
Cantor

Setting: Very Near Future

FBI Agent Greer (Bruce Willis) and his partner are called to the scene of a murder. Murders don't happen very much in the future. During the investigation, Agent Greer discovers a vast conspiracy. He must shed his "Surrogate" self and go after the murderer alone. I highly recommend this movie. I would rate it as 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. It took me about 15 minutes before I knew what was going on. Go see it on the big screen. The End.

Whip It

Actors: Ellen Page
Marcia Gay Harden
Kristen Wiig

Main Characters: Bliss Cavendar
Her Mother
Maggie Mayhem

Setting: Present Day Texas

Bliss (Ellen Page) is a small town Texas girl. Her mother (Marcia Gay Harden) keeps entering her in "Poise Pageants". One day while buying some shoes, Bliss spots some roller derby girls. She decides to try out for the team. She makes it, and becomes a "Hurl Scout". Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) is the leader of the team. The championship game is scheduled for the same time as the pageant. What is Bliss supposed to do? I highly recommend this movie. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. It is the first time that Drew Barrymore has directed a film. It also stars Juliette Lewis, Daniel Stern, Drew Barrymore, and Jimmy Fallon. Go see it immediately! The End.

Jennifer's Body

Actors: Megan Fox
Amanda Seyfried
J.K. Simmons

Main Characters: Jennifer
Needy

Setting; Present day Devil's Kettle (they didn't say where it was)

Needy (Amanda Seyfried) Is a Plain Jane. Her best friend is Jennifer (Megan Fox), the most popular girl in school. One night, Needy and Jennifer go to a bar to hear a band play. Jennifer goes off with the band. She returns later that night, but she has changed. She is evil. And as Needy says, "She's actually evil. Not high school evil." Although I am glad that it was closed captioned. It was in "Teen Speak", so I had to keep looking down at the closed caption. It was written by Diablo Cody. She was the same person that wrote "Juno" (which I thought was pretty good). Or as some teens would say, "OMG". J.K. Simmons was the high school principal. I would rate it 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars. If you are more than 20 years old, skip it! I am going to see an advanced screening of "Whip It" Saturday. I will write about it next day. It stars Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore. The End.

The Informant!

Actors: Matt Damon
Scott Bakula
Joel McHale

Main Character: Mark Whitacre

Setting: Decatur, IL in the 90's

Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon) is an executive with ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) in the 90's. He gets wind of a price fixing scheme within ADM so he goes to the FBI (Scott Bakula and Joel McHale). He becomes an informant. About a half an hour into the show some lady got a heart attack in front of me. I am not making this up! She was alert but they carried her out on a stretcher. The lights went up for about a half an hour. I think she was okay but they took her to the hospital. So I didn't the last 10 minutes of this movie because my bus came. (Remember the half an hour while they took care of the heart attack victim). I got a free ticket, though. I think I will go see Jennifer's Body starring Megan Fox on Thursday. I will wait and see The Informant! when it comes out on video. It is very hard to explain. It's a true story. The End.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Actors: Asa Butterfield
Jack Scanlon

Main Characters: Bruno
Shmuel

Setting: World War II Germany

Bruno (Asa Butterfield) is an eight year old boy. His father is head of an extermination camp. Bruno is inside his house. Four walls surround his house so he cannot leave. He can only play in the front yard. One day he sees what he thinks is a farm and he devises a way to get outside the four walls and go and explore the farm. When he does so he discovers an extermination camp. He befriends another eight year old boy who is inside the extermination camp. He is named is Shmuel (Jack Scanlon). Bruno asks Shmuel why he wears striped pajamas and he says "we are Jews and every body wears striped pajamas inside this camp". Bruno says he would like to explore the extermination camp. They devise a plan to burrow under the electrified fence. Bruno puts on striped pajamas to look like the Jews. Once Bruno is inside he goes looking for Shmuel's father. He and Shmuel go in to a building and a voice says "everybody outside". They go to another room where everyone is killed. Bruno's father noticed he was missing. He goes to look for him and the death camp but it is too late. The End.

Sunshine Cleaning
Actors: Amy Adams
Emily Blunt
Alan Arkin
Main Characters: Rose
Norah
Setting: Albuquerque

Rose (Amy Adams) makes a living cleaning houses. She finds out through her boyfriend that she can make a lot of money doing crime scene cleanup. She hires her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt) and the two of them go into business. At one point, Norah accidentally sets fire to a house that they had been hired to clean. Rose things that she is going to go out of business, but her father (Alan Arkin) helps her out. The End.

Rachel Getting Married

Actors: Anne Hathaway

Main Characters: Kym
Rachel (Kym's sister)

Setting: Their home in Connecticut

Kym is addicted to drugs and alcohol. She gets out of a residential rehabilitation program. Then she goes home to Connecticut where her sister is getting married. Kym is disappointed that she isn't going to be the maid of honor. She bitches to her sister about it and finally Rachel says that Kym can be her maid of honor.

The night before the wedding Kym goes to confront her mother, (who is married for a second time) to find out why the mother put Kym in charge of her younger brother. Ten years ago, Kym got high while she was driving her brother. They got into a car accident and he was killed. So Kym and her mother fight about it. Kym leaves her mother's house and she gets into another car accident. The next morning Kym wakes up and she is still in the car. The police come and do sobriety tests. Kym passes them and is brought home.

The next scene is Rachel's wedding. I liked the wedding the most out of any other part in the movie.

Kym stays sober during the wedding. Earlier on, Kym slept with the best man. He happened to be a recovering alcoholic who had been sober for seven years. Kym wanted to be like him. So Kym wants to go back to rehab. She wasn't ready to be around the day to day stress.

The last scene is the day after the wedding. Kym opens the front door and the woman from the rehabilitation center is there to take Kym back. The End.

Taken

Actors: Liam Neeson
Famke Janssen

Main characters: Bryan -- an ex-CIA "Preventer"
Kim -- his daughter
Setting: Paris

Bryan (Liam Neeson) is an "Ex-Preventer" in the CIA. One night he is hired to guard a female singer, Sheera. He saves her from a nut job fan. Then his daughter Kim asked him if she can go to Paris with a friend to look at museums. Finally he and his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) agree. So his daughter goes to Paris and she is kidnapped to be sold as a sex slave. Bryan is on the phone with Kim when she is taken. He flies to Paris to find her. Finally he goes to a place where they bid on the girls, his daughter being one of them. He is outbid by The Sheik. Bryan goes to The Sheik's boat and gets his daughter back. He kills allot of people. His daughter and he return to America and visit Sheera. She says come in and sing for me. The End.