Leap Year (2010)

I love romantic comedies and got really excited when I recently saw the preview for Leap Year. I love Amy Adams and remembered Matthew Goode from a few other movies(Chasing Liberty, Watchmen, Match Point). Lately, there have been a lot of romcoms that don't do it for me, they're just lacking the heart, that certain something. Thankfully, Leap Year had heart, laughs and was just all around a well done movie. 24 hours after seeing it, my boyfriend and I were still talking about how much we liked it.

The premise is that Anna(Amy Adams) has been dating her doctor boyfriend for 4 years, they're buying an apartment together in Boston, and she wants to get engaged, but he hasn't asked. So she plans to surprise him in Dublin while he's away on business on the one day in Irish tradition that says the woman can propose to the man, Feb 29th of a leap year. Of course, her trip doesn't go as planned, and she ends up needing help getting to Dublin from Declan(Matthew Goode).

While predictable as far as romantic comedies go, it was fast paced, funny and romantic. We both really liked Matthew Goode's character and his sense of humor. He was excellent as a multi-faceted leading man. I love Amy Adams because she seems like a regular girl(funny, sweet, not a twig)and she was perfect for the role of Anna. The scenery of Ireland was gorgeous, and makes you want to take a trip there. Definitely a great date movie, worth paying to see.

Unfortunately, no good special features on the DVD, only some deleted scenes. I'm a sucker for "making of" featurettes and thought they might at least have done a little something about filming in Ireland. You'll only find a bare bones DVD here.

This is one of the cleanest funny movies I've seen in a long time. Even with its predictable ending, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Tell me....why can't Hollywood make more of these movies instead of the garbage they usually make. Can't wait till it's released on DVD.

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LEAP YEAR

STARRING: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow and Noel O'Donovan

WRITTEN BY: Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont

DIRECTED BY: Anand Tucker

Rated: PG

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: 08 January 2010

Review Date: 26 May 2010

When Leap Year slid past me in the theaters from doing so horribly at the box office and being plagued by rumors that it was horrible; I wasn't all that let down that I missed it on the big screen. Having recently seen it on video, I was shocked at how amazing it was and wished I had gotten the opportunity to catch it in theaters.

The sensational Amy Adams stars as Ann; a woman so many women can relate to: she's dating a guy who may never commit. Her boyfriend of quite some time, Jeremy (Adam Scott) is far too consumed with bettering his career to even stop and consider marriage let alone actually pop the question.

When Jeremy rushes off to Ireland for a career opportunity, Ana is left alone wishing there was something she could do. Upon hearing about an Irish tradition, she realizes there is something she can do. She can fly to Ireland and propose to Jeremy herself, as each leap year allots for this to be customary there.

If you are at all like me, you are already skeptical by the premise and if you've seen the trailer, it only adds to such skepticism. However, film works magic with its weak supposition and the trailer fails to provide it with any solitude.

Ana had no idea just how difficult it would be to track Jeremy down. Between being caught in nasty storms, missing trains and being barricaded by a heard of wild animals, it seems she may never reach her love. All is not lost though, as she is accompanied on these miss-adventures by her unbeknownst to her true, true love, Declan, played by Matthew Goode.

The two can't stand each other for the majority of the film, but we can see their underlying chemistry behind all their bickering. Soon enough, having shared a few moments, and after they let their guard down to one another, they will see it too.

Leap Year was written by the team who crafted such hits as Made of Honor and Can't Hardly Wait. And it has some of the best cinematography of the year, displaying magnificent shots of the Irish countryside that will have you booking a flight there during the movie.

This is the kind of film that evokes thoughts of fate and as a huge advocate for fate, I find this refreshing in films. If you've ever been touched by destiny in your life, then you know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes we kick and scream at the sight of the path we find ourselves on, only to realize later, and sometimes much, much later, that it is in fact the path we prefer.

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Leap Year is charming for several reasons. One. It is primarily set in Ireland and the lush scenery makes it visually delicious.

Secondly, the classic storyline is freshly retold. A girl who is on the cusp of living her perfect-for-her fairy tale life, lacks one thing, an engagement ring. Her charming, but irresponsible father, reminds her of an Irish tradition. Every leap year, a woman is able to propose to the man she loves and then her dreams will come true. It had worked for a member of Anna's (Amy Adams) family.

When Anna's cardiologist boyfriend fails to propose (oh, he delivers diamonds, but of the earring variety) the night before he leaves for a medical conference in Dublin, Anna decides enough time has passed and she'd grab hold of her dreams and use the Leap Year legend to make it happen. After all, Jeremy is already in Ireland, so there must be a wee bit of fate involved.

Finally, there is serious heart in this movie. Declan (Matthew Goode) plays the angry, wounded bartender who agrees, after a series of travel mishaps, to haul Anna to Dublin. Anna, determined to create the secure life she never had as a child, begins to break down Declan's walls. As the two interact, they soften towards each other and begin to understand one another. There are a couple of satisfying scenes when realization dawns and both actors silently emote feelings that can't be put into words. Leap Year is an old-fashioned romantic story that didn't involve sex first, love later or require a lot of four letter words to make a point. Comfortably PG.

Of course, this is romantic comedy/chick flick territory so there are predictable and yeah right moments. But when the movie is this sweet, does it matter where Declan got clean clothes that fit, or that the intelligent, savvy, extremely methodical Anna didn't think about electricity issues in Europe? Not at all. When this movie releases on DVD I will purchase it.

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I was so happy to find a romantic comedy that I could enjoy with my 11 year old daughter. We both loved it! Beautiful shots, great acting and fun story...nice, clean, romantic fun!

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Copycat (2011)

If you like suspense, mystery, a good story, and for the most part, good acting, then this movie is a good choice. What I like about Copycat (besides Sigourney Weaver) is how it seems to come full circle. It feels complete to me. It starts at the beginning, doesn't backtrack with flashbacks or start in the middle and leave you wondering what's going on. You're able to follow along and not get distracted by unnecessary gore (sure there is some, but not much). It's a psychological thriller, and I like that much better than the slash and dash type of movies. It makes you think and allows you to try and figure out what the outcome will be.

Sure, you expect the star to live, but it's not always a given. The ending kind of hints at a sequel but as far as I know, there isn't one. If they can make one as good as the first, I think it would do well (at least those who enjoyed this one, might see the second). It's rather interesting to see the Harry Connick Jr. play a serial killer. He's pretty creepy.

Here you have two tough broads, a good cop and the nastiest of killers. How can you lose? Actually, the pairing of Sigourney & Holly is wonderful, in this age of films so lacking in strong women's roles. Sigourney, in particular, after years of kicking alien-butt, withdraws as the victim of an almost lethal attack and subsequent nervous breakdown. Her house-bound recluse still shows fire and rage, well-controlled and centered; a really great performance. Holly, too, in a slightly less showy role, shows drive and command of her role. These women are magnificent, in their own ways, and carry this film through plot-twists and strange turns that are always compelling. Also compelling is the very taut direction of John Amiel, never missing a chance to include the audience in everything, though you don't realize it at the time. A very handsome Dermot Mulroney makes an auspicious presence as an "almost" sex-object for the women, and William McNamara is greatly effective as the ultimate center of the film. Harry Connick, Jr. has impressed me as an actor many times, but not so much as here. With rotten teeth and an oily, snake-like presence he is given a few memorable moments. This film has been compared to "Silence of the Lambs", but it really has its own character and drive. The tension is high, the plot well presented and the acting is superlative. I like this film a lot.

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Amidst all the suspense, shocks, and chills of this superbly made thriller stands the awesome performances of Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. Ever since she pioneered the "female buttkicker" in the Alien movies, Sigourney has stretched her range to show the immense amount of talent she possesses. Her role as agoraphobic Helen Hudson is one of her finest; she lets us feel every nuance of her frustration, her terror, her anger, her intense ability to be strong even when she admits she's weak. Matching her performance is the understated portrayal of cop M. J. Monahan by Oscar-winner Holly Hunter. Hunter's bravura etching of this likeable cop is extremely effective in counterbalancing the tormented Weaver. Although the fate of Dermot Mulroney as Monahan's partner is questionably appropriate, it does serve as a motivating factor in Hunter's pursuit of the serial killer. William McNamara's performance as Peter Foley may seem underplayed, but it serves to heighten the normal-ness of this obviously demented young man. Like life, the good guys don't always come out unscathed. The film is dark, brooding and its ending is chilling in that Harry Connick Jr.'s imprisoned psycho is obviously going to continue his quest for revenge on Weaver. A sequel would have been nice; I would have also liked to have had at least one scene with Weaver and Hunter after the explosive ending. But, as far as thrillers go, this is a great addition to a small set of classics.

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Serial killer psychologist who survived a strangulation some years prior is enlisted by the local police force when a serial killer starts patterning himself after other famous killers. Much better plotted and ran through than Se7en, this film is much more interesting and slicker. Doesn't use full scale gore and torture techniques to produce scares and even packs a few laughs.

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This is one of those movies that I watch several times a year. There's not one specific thing I can point to as my reason for liking the movie so much, it's a combination of little things. The plot is original; the killer is a copycat killer who copcats a variety of other serial killers. I am a huge fan of Holly Hunter and she does not disappoint in this movie. Sigourney Weaver manages to portray a woman who is both strong and fragile. Harry Connick Jr., though playing a serial killer, is one of my favorite characters. He makes the most of his role and manages to stand out in the movie.

I could have done without the back story of Hunter and her exlover/ expartner but all in all it's a pretty good movie.

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The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

"The Pursuit of Happyness" is an unabashed tearjerker about the American Dream and commitment to family in the face of great odds. It was inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, who spent some time in the 1980s homeless while trying to care for his young son and make it through a stockbroker internship. The film is fictionalized but stays true to Gardner's struggle for success and dedication to his son. Gardner's autobiography, which goes by the same title, was actually published after the film was written. In San Francisco, 1981, Chris Gardner (Will Smith) can't make ends meet selling portable bone density scanners, while his embittered wife Linda (Thandie Newton) waitresses 2 shifts a day. Chris spies a man with an enviable sportscar on the street one day and asks him what he does for a living. He's a stockbroker. So Chris decides that's what he'll be. He must be at the top of his class after 6 months in Dean Witter's competitive internship program to be hired. Meanwhile, Chris has no wife, no money, no paying job, and a 5-year old son (Jaden Smith).

A story of hardship and hard work, paternal love and frustration, could easily be too saccharine for words. It's saved from this fate by Chris Gardner's desperation. Behind his indomitable pluck, Gardner is truly desperate. He has no money, no home, uncertain prospects, and the responsibility of providing for a young child. He hides his circumstances from his colleagues. He's spends an inordinate amount of energy chasing errant bone scanners around town. He compromises his ethics. His single-mindedness eventually takes a toll on his son. Chris is struggling for his life. And his financial problems are something the audience can understand and may themselves fear. That's why "The Pursuit of Happyness" works so well. Credit is due Will Smith's Oscar-nominated performance and Italian director Gabriele Muccino's understanding of intense emotions painted with small strokes.

The DVD (Sony 2007): There are 4 featurettes, the song "I Can" by Bebe Winans and Dave Koz (5 min, audio), and a feature commentary. "Making Pursuit: An Italian Take on the American Dream" (17 min) interviews Gabriele Muccino, Will Smith, and the producers about choosing Muccino to direct. Muccino talks about filming in San Francisco and working in English. "Father and Son: On Screen and Off" (7 min) recounts casting Jaden Smith after auditioning hundreds of other children, and Will Smith talks about working with his son. "The Man Behind the Movie: A Conversation with Chris Gardner" (12 min) interviews Gardner about his participation in the film, and Will Smith talks about learning from him. "Inside the Rubik's Cube" (6 min) is a fun short documentary on the persistent popularity of the Cube. There is a nice audio commentary by director Gabriele Muccino, in English. Muccino tells us how he got the job, discusses themes, recreating the 1980s, Will Smith's trust, locations, and some technical details. Subtitles are available for the film in English, French, Spanish. Dubbing available in French.

Those who have written reviews for this movie of anything less than 5 stars have NO idea what it means to be lower than low, at the absolute bottom with no visible way out. You see, in order to understand the struggle, you have to have LIVED it. I understand this movie because I HAVE lived it. Some other review cited that it took far too long to display the epic struggle that left us no time to relish the moment of success. I submit that were it not for the INTENSE struggle he faced, there would BE no reason to celebrate his ultimate success. It would have less meaning. I have NEVER cried so hard as I did at the end of this movie. During the course of the film, you FEEL his pain of wanting to be just that little bit more than what he felt himself to be. You yearn for him to experience that one bit of happiness to know that he doesn't HAVE to sell his blood anymore to make a few bucks to be able to fix a light in a bone density scanner he sells to provide a meal and a place to live for a few weeks for himself and his son. This man went through more tribulations than any of the other reviewers here have seen in their own lives or the family and friends that surround them. If you want to see a film that TRULY lifts you up by the climax, see the pursuit of happyness, and IGNORE the many discouraging reviews from people who have no clear understanding of personal anguish and eventual triumph. Will Smith would be hard pressed to ever again be handed a script for a more heart wrenching and satisfying movie. 5 stars +++

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The one film that sticks out in my mind as the best movie of 2006 is The Pursuit of Happyness starring Will Smith. This movie is based on a book of the same title authored by Chris Gardner.

In the movie, Gardner is a medical product salesman who ends up splitting up with his wife and ends up homeless with his 5 year-old son. Determined to not give up, Gardner endures homelessness and ends up pursuing an internship for a stockbroker position at a major Wall Street investment firm. Despite the trials and tribulations Gardner went through, not only due to the lack of a roof over his head but also the hard work related to his internship and even an IRS seizure of his money to boot, Gardner's endurance and hard work pays off.

The movie, and I am sure the book, is a testament to how anyone can get themselves out of poverty and become wealthy with hard work, persistence and determination. Gardner had an even bigger reason to work hard due to the need for him to provide a good life for his son.

The story of Chris Gardner's going from rags to riches is an inspiration for us all and all of the elements of this film makes for one heckuva great flick!

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Will Smith takes a departure from his usual daredevilry to star in this most emphatic story about a man trying to make it in the world. Chris Gardner (Smith) has made a bad business decision: He spends his entire life savings on a batch of bone density scanners that he can't sell, and now his family is in deep financial jeopardy. His wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), is forced to work two jobs and his son is placed in a day care facility that looks like a makeshift sweatshop. Chris himself travels from clinic to clinic, trying (but failing miserably) to sell what looks like a giant paperweight.

On one of his daily escapades, Chris finds himself in front of the San Francisco Stock Exchange and has an epiphany that will change his life. He wants to be one of those happy people that seem to pour out the double doors everyday with their smiling faces, shining cars, and jingling pockets. In a last ditch I've-got-nothing-to-lose effort at "happyness", Chris enlists for a non-paying internship at a brokerage firm, armed with only a high school diploma and the ability to solve the Rubik's cube at a mind-boggling speed. However, the hits keep on coming: Chris loses his home, his wife and a few of his colossal paperweights while he and his son brave unbearable odds on the streets of San Francisco.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" will make you laugh, cry and empathize with a character that is executed to three dimensional perfection. Chris is a man who is willing to stake everything to go for a dream that most people would say was far beyond his reach. He is sick of hearing "no" all his life; he is fed up with having no money all the time; and he is tired of being emasculated by his embittered wife everyday. Chris' only source of inspiration is his eight year old son, a mascot egging him on with the simplest of smiles. No obstacle is going to deter him, even if it means sleeping in a public toilet. Will he make it? You have to watch the film!

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*No spoilers*

Inspirational movies touch your heart. They have something that tells about ourselves and things we can relate to. "The Pursuit of Happyness" is the most inspirational film of 2006. Not only because we understand and care about the main characters, but also there is an important message which is to follow your dreams no matter what. The road might be difficult--maybe to the point of despair--but if you finish the journey, your life will change forever.

Story:

The movie starts in San Francisco in early 1980s. Family man Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is going through difficult financial problems. He is an unsuccessful salesman who struggles everyday trying to sell a medical machine--bigger than a microwave oven--that not many doctors want. He carries one everyday. Unfortunately, his wife Linda (Thandie Newton) doesn't make much money either. They have a five-year-old son Christopher (Jaden Smith) who Chris takes to a day care center everyday. Things go from bad to worse; the money they make is not enough to sustain them. Chris sees an opportunity, he wants to become a stock broker and gets an internship, but there is no pay until he is chosen. Linda cannot stand the poverty they live in and decides to leave him for good. Chris wants to stay with his son in San Francisco, she doesn't fight back. Now he has to take care of him and pursuit a dream to become a stock broker and leave the poverty they are in. "Will" he make it?

Review:

A compelling film, "The Pursuit of Happyness" follows the old dramatic underdog formula that most of us are used to by now, but it's done correctly this time around because you really care about the main character. In other words, Will's performance is what makes this movie great. We see Chris going through a lot of problems, not only economically but emotionally as well. Linda is sick and tired of dealing with all his issues--she is a mean and unlikable character to say the least--and poor little Christopher is always asking questions. These situations create moments of despair to Chris throughout the film. Although it seems for moments that the whole city is against him, Will Smith's character never gives up his hopes. He is smart, likable and persuasive--he is also excellent at the 80s famous Rubik's cube which gives the audience a feeling of how smart this guy is. He sends the right message to the audience of what he is about.

We appreciate the credibility and realism of this film due to great photography and costume design--the look and feel of the subway scenes are excellent. These elements give us the impression that we are back in the 80s. There are some moments where the movie drags a bit and it might feel soapy for some, but those small little flaws do not affect the final product.

The Verdict:

Probably an Oscar contender for best actor, "The Pursuit of Happyness" is a touchy film that gives us lessons of perseverance, love and the American dream. Great acting, inspiring story, and the survival factor make the film one of the best dramas of 2006. We recommend it.

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Further DVD & Blu-Ray Combo Pack and FREE Bon Voyage Snowboarding Movie ($30 Value)

Well this defintly is a good movie but there is defintly better like Ski Movie or There's Something about McConkey. This sure is a good movie but it could use some more riders but overall a solid movie and a must get for ultimate skiers.

The catch about this movie is that it is different and it shows a lot more about the adventure side than the technical tricks and flips behind some movies. I know that the riding is very technical, but I enjoyed it more for the back story of how long it took to get to certain places and what conditions they must endure for a unique experience. I found it to really hit a deeper part of the "calling" in me that is the endurance athlete and adventurer and I'm glad I bought the movie. I read that there will be a third movie so I can't wait. One thing I'd like to really also acknowledge is the family sacrifice that Jeremy makes to do these movies. I'm his age and have children that appear to be similar in age and when I see how he stays gone for such a period of time to do these scenes, I really respect that level of commitment. Glad I bought the movie and I can support the continued adventures.

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Further is an awsome movie which has the perfect balance of big mountain and new school skiing. It features some of the years best moments in skiing. The scene where Candide Thovex hits a 118 foot gap or when Tanner Hall hits a rail at the top of a cliff are insane. The heli skiing scenes are breathtaking and the soundtrack rules. Their is also alot of cool park and pipe footage. If you are a two plancker, buy this movie right now!

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This film takes on more of a documentary feel than many snowboard movies, which is a good thing. Jones always find interesting places to ride and interesting people to ride with. His status as a legend is well earned.

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I actually bought this as a gift for my boyfriend who is a snowboard filmer and editor, and he really liked it. I don't personally snowboard, but I found it really interesting and fun to watch. Would recommend to anyone!

American Pie 2 (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2001)

Don't you hate sequels that are just clones of the original movies with ten times the action and one one hundredth the plot? Well, then you'll be happy to hear that American Pie 2 isn't one of those movies. The plot, which doesn't play a significant part in either, is different: the four friends, back from their first year of college, have decided to rent a lake house on Lake Michigan and throw the biggest and best party that the town has ever seen. Also, Jim (Jason Biggs) is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth) the hot Czech girl that he almost scored with the previous year, and he is taking lessons on how to please girls from Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), his prom date. During these sequences, we, the audience, begin to realize that Jim and Michelle are meant to be, and part of the fun is watching how oblivious they are to it. But the best part is, the entire cast is back, although, there is a shift in importance of characters. The four main guys don't change much, but Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) does get a little weirder. Stifler (Seann William Scott) becomes a bigger character in this one, though. He still isn't part of the group, but he is in more scenes and he's in on the deal this time. The girls are a whole different story. In the first movie, they were given significant screentime and they appeared in scenes by themselves. Now, the only girl who you can say has "significant" screentime is Michelle, the girl (of the five main ones) who had the smallest role in the first one. Also, there is only one big scene with only girls, and it is with Vicky and Jessica (Tara Reid and Natasha Lyonne). Michelle is by herself for a few moments at the end, but then Jim arrives to whisk her away. All in all, this movie is hilarious, just as good, if not better than, the first. As I said, not too much story, but (1) there is more plot in this movie than in most other teen movies combined, and (2) that isn't what fans are looking for in an American Pie movie. Enjoy, and prepare for Shermination.

Man, there are few movie sequels that are as good (or better) than the original movie, but AP 2 is one of them!

I laughed a lot, the general feeling is that the cast is really enjoying themselves and is tuned to the task ahead. Very good indeed.

heard they are preparing a third one (Called AMERICAN WEDDING, I guess). I hope the third part of the "trilogy" be as godd as the frst two movies.

Also, this was a message to the Wayan Brothers, who [messed] up totally the second SCARY MOVIE. It proved that they could have written a better sequel.

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The first American Pie started the trend, but American Pie 2 has even more laughs. And it has retained and amplified one important aspect of the original, a somewhat cornball sentimentality that offers a nice counterbalance to the gross sight gags and pervasive atmosphere of salaciousness.

Jason Biggs continues to throw himself into the most embarrassing of situations with admirable gusto, and the movie hinges on his ability to play Jim's most humiliating shenanigans with an odd but appealing, dogged dignity...even when wearing only his drawers. His comic timing is even better than last time, and the movie's best moments come of his straight-faced delivery. And in this sequel you can see how Alyson Hannigan managed to walk off with the most famous line in the original: Given much more weight in American Pie 2, Hannigan is a delight, playing Michelle's offbeat geekiness but hidden warmth to perfection. And her deadpan delivery (the "trumpet" line is bound to become another classic) is beautiful as always. Shannon Elizabeth is surprisingly lacklustre, and Tara Reid is still stuck with the most boring character of the bunch, but otherwise the rest of the supporting cast (Seann William Scott is especially good, reprising uber-jock Stifler) is great, and the sight and verbal gags come faster and tighter than in the original, with the benefit of familiar characters. The famous central gag (won't give it away) had me belly-laughing for a solid minute, something I haven't done since the first time I saw Clerks.

No, it's not cerebral, nor is it an unprecedented classic. But for a good rowdy night of teen comedy, American Pie 2 hits the spot.

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American Pie was such a smash hit in 1999, the sequel of 2001 is just as good. The five mains guys: Finch, Oz, Stiffler, Kevin and Jim return as college men.

The story starts out with Jim on his last day of his college freshman year. His nerdy father is coming to pick him up and as he walks in Jim's dorm, he's getting laid with a blonde chick. So Jim goes home, Nadia calls him and says she's coming to see him at the end of the summer.

Now, Jim must prepare himself for Nadia because she wants to sleep with him. Now the five guys go out and rent a beach house for the summer to party and meet girls. He doesn't know how good he is in bed so he goes to find the band geek that he got lucky with after prom last year. She tells him he [isn't good]. So she decides to help him out.

Meanwhile, the guys are painters working on a house where two chicks live that Stiffler thinks are lesbians. So see what the guys do to find out. A lot of funny stuff happens here. Now at the end of the summer, the guys have a major blowout and Nadia is here and Jim is ready for her. But now after all the help the band geek gave him, he fell in love with her.

Will he score with Nadia or go for the band geek? Remember Sherman "The Sherminator"? See who he actually gets lucky with. This is the great sequel to first Anerican Pie. It is a must watch.

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I'm not a big fan of sequels. It's usually a frantic attempt of hollywood to squeeze more big bucks out of a successful first movie, and they usually fail miserably, especially where the story is concerned. American Pie 2 is no exception in regards to the story. It has a pretty flimsy plot, and seems to drag some of the gags on a little too long. However, AP2's gags are even funnier than the original movie! Which, to me, makes AP2 even more enjoyable than the original! After all, when I watch movies such as these, I don't really expect any great stories in them. I only look forward to the laughs, and AP2 delivers superbly!

However, the biggest problem I had with this movie is with a few of the characters. To be precise, the character of Heather, portrayed by Mena Suvari. In the original, she was a main character in the story, and played it brilliantly. In AP2, she's reduced to barely a supporting character, and most of her lines are spoken through phone conversations with "Oz". And what did the producers do to her appearance? She was extremely cute in the original, but in this movie her appearance is less than appealing, and seems to get worse as the movie progresses. I know I'm being a bit picky here, but I had to give a reason why I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and this was the main reason.

However, it certainly doesn't take away from the laughs in the movie. If you liked the first movie, you'll love this one. Jason Biggs is the perfect actor to play a guy in which bad and embarrassing things happen to. Eugene Levy as his father is just as funny in this movie as well.

There will be an American Pie 3 (American Wedding), due for release in August 2003. I get a sinking feeling that they should've quit while they were ahead, as half the cast will not be in the 3rd movie. Without all the regular characters, any future sequels can't possibly equal the first 2 movies. But, I could be wrong after all, I wasn't expecting a lot from AP2.

Recommended to all American Pie fans.

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Cabaret (2013)

This is a very good movie, although deeply disturbing. Set in the great city of Berlin in 1931, a time of economic depression and political crisis, this movie constructs an image of the decadence and delusion of the late Weimar period as German society is plunging through a kind of moral and social decay into the nightmare of Nazism.

The film is based on "The Berlin Stories" by Christopher Isherwood (written between 1935 and 1939), who lived in the city in the early 1930s. He had seen both the decadence and the dangerous hunger for a kind of national "purification" among many "respectable" and "moral" middle class Germans, who already had been traumatized by military defeat, hyperinflation, and mass unemployment. The film, following Isherwood, weaves together the stories of the marginal characters who live in this troubled city at the very edge of the great moral catastrophe of the 20th century.

Liza Minnelli is brilliant as "Sally Bowles", an Americanized version of the British Sally who appears in Isherwood's book, and her energy (and visible angst)drive the film as other characters wander aimlessly through a narrative heading all the time towards disaster. Michael York is effective as "Brian", the fictional stand-in for Isherwood himself, and the other characters present believable and even moving representations of people wandering through the impending nightmare as through a fog.

The nightmare itself is suggested by the increasing visibility of the Brownshirts and the sinister swastika, the authentic posters and grafitti from the period, and the passing visual allusion to the street fights and storm troopers. These allusions effectively evoke the sense of uneasiness and danger in the air, an effect reinforced by Sally's deep desire to scream her heart out. The smug and complacent self-assurance of the conservative aristocrat Maximilien, played by Helmut Griem, provides a clue to the almost wilfull blindness of even (perhaps especially) educated Germans to the moral danger posed by the Nazi movement. The anti-Semitism of the movement is also effectively displayed from several angles, most movingly through the love story between Fritz and Natalia.

But the strangest character is the Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub, played brilliantly by Joel Grey. His character has a sinister ambiguity; is he mocking the Nazis by his farcical musical satires, or rather is he reinforcing the anti-Semitic prejudices of his audience through such pieces as, "If you could see her as I do . . ."? Is his decadence ignoring the danger and plunging his head like an ostrich into the sand, or is it a critical commentary on the pseudo-morality that worries about cabarets while ignoring Nazis? By the way, the entertainment at the movie Kit Kat Klub is first-rate (far, far better than the actual entertainment at the real Kit Kat cabaret, according to the later testimony of Isherwood, commenting on Liza Minnelli's performance). But this Bob Fosse-choreographed spectacle underlines both the brilliance and the moral danger of the cabaret.

In historical fact, most Berliners were not Nazis; it was a largely working class town with strong Socialist and even Communist neighborhoods and a powerful left-wing tradition (which is why Hitler hated Berlin). But it was not immune to the Nazis. The Nazis themselves liked to contrast the supposed "healthy" vitality of a romanticized rural and small-town Germany against the decadence of urban Berlin, a point that is made in the film when young Nazi youth leaders at a beer garden lead an increasingly Nazified crowd to join in song celebrating nature and the volk. The film effectively plays out the irony of this contrast between a "moral" rural Germany increasingly drawn to the appeal of a profoundly immoral and murderous movement, and the "immoral" decadence of urban Berlin, many of whose cabaret performers would probably wind up in concentration camps within a few years. Hitler, after all, was big on public "morality." It's just that this kind of "morality" didn't stop him from screaming hatred, fanning murderous resentments, murdering millions of Jews, and plunging Europe into the most catastrophic war in history. Cabaret performers, however otherwise decadent, could not be blamed for that. And decadent Brian even manages to get into a fist fight with some Nazi Brownshirts.

This is a great film. It doesn't tell you what to think about the Emcee, or poor yearning but lively Sally, or even Brian himself. But whatever their tales, we know where the story is going. We know what those brownshirts and swastikas mean when we see them reflected in the glass at the end of the film. "Life is a Cabaret," as Sally tells us in her climactic song, but even the best shows sometimes have the darkest endings.

It's often been said about old musical movies that they went too far in the conceit of people "bursting out in song" during a scene. Well, in his film version of Kander & Ebb's masterful Cabaret, Bob Fosse completely got around that problem by presenting the songs on stage. It was handled brilliantly, the choreography was incredible, and the movie just plain works.

Cabaret the movie doesn't share many songs in common with the original stage version it still has "Willkommen," "Two Ladies," "Tomorrow Belongs To Me," a German version of "Married," "If You Could See Her," and "Cabaret" but that's it. A few new songs were added "Mein Herr," "Maybe This Time," "Money, Money," but for the most part it's a lot less sung than the staged version. A lot of musical numbers dealing with the world outside the Kit Kat Klub were used as underscoring, preserving John Kander's great tunes. But this doesn't detract from it being one of the best filmed musicals out there.

Fosse's direction is a big help; it has a great eye for early 1930s Berlin, and presents the decadence and foreshadows the Nazis brilliantly. Fosse created great, sensual choreography for the film, and it is completely entrancing to watch the musical numbers. And the rest is worth it, too.

Flipflops aside, the couples are presented well; Liza Minelli's portrayal of Sally Bowles is definitely the acting part of a lifetime. She was just completely *convincing* as Sally, from end to end. Michael York as Brian is very reserved, very British, and very studied. Helmut Griem is entirely convincing as Max, who creates tension between the couple after befriending them. The secondary couple is played to perfection by Fritz Wepper and Marisa Berenson, as opportunistic Fritz Wendel who falls in love with the rich young Jewess Natalia Landauer, respectively. And, of course, Joel Grey is spectacular as the haunting, Puckish Emcee.

In general, this movie presents itself as a stunning revelation to viewers of a story that will stick around for a very long time. It's a virtuoso interpretation of one of the greatest American musicals, and deserves to be seen.

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The 2003 DVD re-release of Cabaret is just a re-packaging of the original DVD. Though the new package details state that it is "enhanced for 16 x 9," this DVD is a non-anamorphic, matted widescreen presentation. So if you were thinking of trading up to this new edition of Cabaret for your new widescreen TV, hold on to your money. I was not so fortunate. I now have two copies of Cabaret with lousy transfers. Whats up with Warner? They screwed up the release of Giant also. This film is a classic and deserves better treatment.

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One of the most politically and socially significant films ever produced, Cabaret is as unsettling as it is exhilarating. This 8-time Academy Award-winning film based on the controversial Broadway musical, tells the disturbing story of a fourth-rate American cabaret chanteuse trying to survive in Berlin during the final days of the Weimar Republic. The overriding concept of the film actually serves as a biting and painful metaphor for a morally bankrupt and self-indulgent society so intoxicated by its own rotting decadence and corruption that it fails-or more appropriately, refuses-to realize that it is about to dive head-first into the fires of an apocalyptic nightmare that will ultimately cost the lives of over 11 million people. Liza Minnelli is astounding in her star-making role as the deluded and self-absorbed nightclub singer Sally Bowles, based on the infamous character of Christopher Isherwood's novel, "Goodbye to Berlin." Bob Fosse deserved his Best Director Oscar for creating a hyper-stylized visualization of Berlin as it was rotting to the core in the early 30s just as the Nazis were gathering in the wings. But the real show-stopper here is Joel Grey, the horrifyingly demonic and sneering Master of Ceremonies, shrugging his shoulders and smirking at us through the camera with a disturbingly hypnotic twinkle in his eye acknowledging that we all know exactly what history has in store.

Cabaret can be thought of more than just a musical. Unlike the unrealistic musicals of the 40s and 50s in which the characters burst into song out of the middle of nowhere, the musical numbers here are strictly prohibited to stage numbers at the Kit Kat Klub, an alteration from the Broadway version that significantly adds to the reality of this spectacle. Furthermore, if you want to get the entire message of the film in a minute and a half, pay particular attention to the scene when Sally, Brian and Max are driving through downtown Berlin. Listen closely to their conversation juxtaposed against what they are observing on the street outside the car. If taken into social and historical context, the scene is so unnerving, you'll be left speechless.

Overall, if you want to watch a film that is not only an important lesson on the fragility of humanity, but could also be a mirror for contemporary society, then don't miss Cabaret. The movie's ending will leave you (as it did me the first time I saw it) in stunned silence, thinking twice about social apathy in the context of the potentially devastating nightmare we are now experiencing at the dawn of the 21st century.

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I too had great expectation of this reissue and the main reason I purchased it was for the stated anamorphic enhancement which it definitely is not. With all the interest in Kander & Ebb at the moment, this was a perfect opportunity to revamp a truely classic movie and address the poor transfer of the original issue. Warner are clearly just jumping on the promotional bandwagon with little concern for the value of the movie itself. This is Liza's finest moment and a critic's dream of cinematic metaphor and constructionit deserves better than this. It saddens me to think that it is unlikely to be issued againthe best Warner can do is recall this rerelease and do the job properly. I now own three versions on DVDthe region 2 uk release is even more washed out than the USA issue!

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Animation - Space Battleship Yamato 2199 (Uchu Senkan Yamato 2199) 2 BCXA-486 (2012)

I was in the 3rd grade when the original "Space Battleship Yamato", dubbed and Americanized as "Star Blazers" aired on my local independent TV station. I was hooked. At that time, it was by far the best TV animation I'd ever seen. A real story, with both long term plot and character development, was unheard of in 1970s children's shows. Now, 35 years later, I see "Yamato 2199," a re-imagining of the story, in Hi-def Blu-Ray, with English sub-titles right out of the gate. Truly awesome. If anything, the plot and characterizations are more gripping, more developed than the original. The animation is a nice mix of 2D and 3D styles. The original full orchestral score, another great feature of the original, is maintained and expanded here. My only complaint is now, having seen the first 6 25-minute episodes on the first 2 discs, I have to wait for who knows how long for the next to be released. I got the first disc as a birthday present and had to immediately use my gift cards to buy the second. Best present in a long time. I can't say enough good things about it. Buy it; you won't be disappointed.

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 is a remake of the almost 40 year old Japanese Anime, Space Battleship Yamato. For those in the know, this original series, which was actually 3 series total, was what was made into the US and Australian release called Star Blazers. That "little known" series, Star Blazers...

Story goes that the Earth is in its death throes, as the planet is being attacked by Gamilians, an advanced race of beings similar to humans with the exception of their skin color. The Earthlings have been instructed by Starsha, who has sent her 2 sisters to Earth, to use the Wave Motion Engine to journey to her home planet, Iscandar. There they will supposedly find the means to restore the decimated planet Earth to its former glory.

The episodes on this disc we get the first use of the Wave Motion Engine, first use of the Wave Motion Cannon (called Wave Motion Gun in subtitles), the Yamato answering a distress call where Kodai finds a fallen hero, Yuki and Kodai get a little closer and a fight against the Planet Bomb system. And we are introduced further to Lord Dessler, the leader of the Gamilians.

There are 4 episodes on this disc.

I've reused some of the text from my previous review of 2199 disc 1, since the video/audio/pakaging stay pretty much at the same quality.

To help those that aren't Japanese readers/speakers, to turn on subtitles you can do it 2 ways.

1) Wait for the main program to start

2) Press the subtitle button on your remote and switch on English

The other way:

1) wait for the main program to start

2) Press your Pop Up Menu option

3) Press DOWN on your remote (ON, which appears on the pop up menu, should turn GREEN)

4) Press ENTER on the remote

5) Press Pop Up Menu again and you should have subtitles

BLU RAY REGION ENCODING: from all my testing, all of the Yamato 2199 discs released so far are Region Free and should play in any player.

Video:

One thing you can hand to just about any Japanese release is that it will have the highest quality possible, even if it might be something you wouldn't notice in practice. Yamato 2199 is no exception.

The video is encoded in AVC. The bit rate sits strong at 35 39 mbps. Given the audio is in LPCM at 2.3 mbps constant bit rate, this is about as high as I've ever seen in video bit rates.

This translates into rock solid video quality, with no compression problems to be seen. Anywhere. Ever. Simply looks amazing.

Audio:

LPCM audio running at a constant 2.3 mbps. This is a Japanese audio track only. Music is clear. Dialog is clear. Stereo separation is very good as well and they use the sound stage well.

If you are looking for English audio, similar to what Gundam Unicorn has, you will be disappointed. This disc is Japanese spoken language only. There are English subtitles, which I discuss below.

I have to make a comment on the music. The music captures the 1970s sound perfectly. Well, just about as perfectly as you can capture it in 2012.

Subtitles:

I don't usually rate subtitles, but since this is a Japanese release, I felt it a good idea to add to my normal BD review format.

The subtitles are well done. White subtitles. The translations, for the most part, are spot on. They do a good job trying to capture English idioms with the translations, much the way localization generally happens when an Anime is licensed for US release. I believe the subtitle company is actually NYAV Post, which is also the company doing subs on Gundam Unicorn, which are also very good as well.

If you don't mind reading subtitles, you should have no problem understanding what's going on.

Extras:

The extras are, unfortunately, Japanese dialog only with no English subtitles. This is kind of disappointing since you pay so much for the discs, but they ARE targeted at the Japanese audience first and foremost.

On this disc, you have an audio commentary for episode 3. There is a 47 minute look at the launch of the series, with a look at the Japanese premier of the series. They show off what is, honestly, an amazing remastering of the original series for Japanese Blu Ray. Wish I had the cash for that... Sasaki Isao sings the theme live and more. Definitely worth checking out for that at least (he also sang the opening for the original TV series... for a 70 year old he looks and sounds good!). Also included is a 22 minute talk with character designer, director, and composer and some of the voice actors. Also worth watching.

You cannot turn on the audio commentary through the audio button on the remote, it has to be done in the extras menu. If someone needs help figuring that out, leave me a comment in my review and I'll do what I can to explain how to get there.

In terms of other extras, there is a nice printed booklet included. Inside are character and mechanical designs and a synopsis. If you can't read Japanese, you can just appreciate the nice design artwork.

Packaging:

If you were lucky enough to purchase this disc during the First Run, you would have gotten a nice cardboard slip cover. Otherwise, you get the cover artwork you see in the Amazon listing above. On the back is a synopsis, disc stats and a hand full of screen captures from the included 2 episodes.

Over all:

The show is... amazing. Absolutely one of the best Anime series I've seen in a long, long time. They did a fantastic job of following the old series but injecting newness into it. For me, the price was worth it (I actually ordered from Amazon Japan and got a few of the 2199 releases to save on shipping).

It is painfully expensive, but worth it if you can afford the luxury.

If you have the means, this is HIGHLY recommended. If it is ever licensed for domestic US release, buying it should become a no brainer for everyone.

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While I absolutely hate the character designs for everyone but Sanada and Okita, the acting, writing and direction is really top-notch with plenty of nods to the relative camp of the 70s version. The sound is well-mixed with voices being perfectly audible even if you're just using the two speakers in your TV instead of some fancy surround setup, and a lot of the old timey sound effects from back in the day are recycled for that true Yamato feel. I have a feeling this will confuse and annoy younger viewers who might not have been alive when the original series hit the airwaves, but such is life.

Beyond the content is the disc in the box, and Bandai did themselves many favors by rolling their own English translation right out of the gate. The fact that the US is now in the same "region" as Japan as far as Blu-Ray DRM is concerned is another serious win for everybody. There are some extras on each disc, but none of the ones I've seen have been all that engaging.

The price tags on the imports are definitely quite daunting, though that can be mitigated somewhat by ordering in batches through amazon.co.jp. All I can say is, if you are even *thinking* about committing the funds to these discs, you will not be disappointed by what you get for your money (unless you're one of those people who likes terrible dubs of course). There are no English menus, though, so be prepared to look some stuff up in your dictionary if you're not especially fluent.

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What always disappoints the fans of any show is that when there is a remake of the show they always take creative design and add something to the new version.

I liked the Movie that was made in Japan. Don't get me wrong. But sense I was just a kid when the original T.V. show was released here in the United States, I kind of expected more for the film. Not the least was to follow the original show. You kind of Expect more of the big things from the Series (Wave Motion Gun got one scene. Come on people, not what the fans looked for.)

The re-due was great. They followed the original show almost to a `T'. It did not disappoint as far as I am concerned. Even the things that were changed were great. The new ships hangar was made in a way that might even give you the idea that it could fit in the ship. I was not disappointed.

Truth be told, I actually ordered this disk by mistake. Now that I have it and have watched it with the sub titles, I don't regret clicking the wrong buttons.

My hats off to the creators of the story. I would like and hope that they intend to remake the entire Yamato line of shows from the original days.

If you liked the old show, or are a fan of Anime, I recommend these disks.

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Triple Dog (2009)

Cheesy and corny, I like! This movie is supposedly a horror movie, but its more like a Comedy-Thriller-Drama. I absolutely love Scout Taylor-Compton and she usually makes some good indie movies and I really liked this one. It's a very cheesy movie but I really enjoyed it. I recommend this one for tweens who aren't really into the Horror genre, this one is good fun!

Hilarious is a great word for this film. So many bad lines and confusing ones: one my favorites: "Yo would you guys Superman that Hoe for 20 bucks?" Midway through the film as one of the girls is doing the dare of urinating on the principal's porchmat the bad girl Chapin spouts out "Shes totally splitting the whisker!" What the hell does that mean? Lines like that make me think, do modern teenage girls actually say things like that? Probably not, but its very funny indeed. So heres my final thoughts about this: Its a stupid/very cheesy movie with lots of hilariously bad dialogue. Watch it with friends and beers and enjoy.

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High school? Premise suburban high school age girls, bored. Let's play dare. One dominant girl, the rest subordinate, like sheep. No drinking nor drugs to induce this stupidity, but completely willing to make poor decisions anyway. I kept waiting for the movie to get better or remotely realistic. It didn't.

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I hope this review doesn't damage my review credibility, I'm avid Movie Collector and collect all styles of movies, I some how came across the lone 5 star review on Amazon, went to Youtube checked out the trailer and was sold, there aren't many reviews online for (triple-dog) so I wanted to give this little gem Its due, I own a few cheesy quality Movies that flew under the radar that some men wouldn't want to be caught watching, (16 WISHES, WISH APON A STAR, READ IT AND WEEP) all made for Disney Channel Movies, but (triple-dog) has enough edge and fresh ideas that I can see grown men hiding this under there collection of Action Movies, I don't think it fair to judge this movie with Oscar level movies, like American Beauty, Slum Dog Millionaire, Titanic, its just too different, but if compared to modern teen or tween Movies I'll stand by the 5 star review.

This is a surprising rated R movie, I say 13+ is o.k, teens would see more Sexuality and Vulgarity in a episode of (Jersey Shore) than (triple-dog), the prevailing question is what really happened to the girl that jumped from the bridge ? and what does Chapin (skater girl with edge) have to do with it ?, who will get there head shaved ?, who will win the game of triple-dog ?, If you buy this movie for your teens,"Mom and Dad can be Cool for at least one night". A really good job by Brittany Roberts as the lead Chapin, a quality supporting casts, some amusing dares and it all will pay off in the end. really good Teen Drama for adults too.

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This was a great thriller! I love the acting and production of this film. I watched with my friends and it was a perfect way to end the night!

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Pitch Black (Unrated Director's Cut) (2000)

Pitch Black was arguably one of the most overlooked films of the early year. Although the setting of the film could seem routine to a casual viewer(space travelers stranded and bickering on a hostile planet infested with alien nasties), director David Twohy's wonderful use of color and stylistic flourishes more than makes up for any trivial complaints.

For those of you curious about the film's plot, it deals with a group of marooned space "passengers" who spend the majority of their time searching for a way to evacuate a harsh desert planet. Their efforts are unexpectedly forced to quicken however when they discover a particularly vicious type of nocturnal alien ready to emerge to the planet's surface during an eclipse.

Viewers can't help but like the film's villainous hero(played by Vin Diesel of Saving Private Ryan and Boiler Room)who brings to memory Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous role as the Terminator.

The film looks and sounds great and has more than a few moments of nail-biting tension thrown in for good measure. For Science Fiction fans this is a must-see. And as for the rest of you, try giving this fine movie a chance.

You'll thank me when you do.

I rate movies along simple lines. There are classics, there are flicks and there are horrible pieces not worth the film that they were printed on. I sorrily skipped Pitch Black in the theatre. The trailer was horrible. I couldn't make out *anything* about the movie and had no interest in seeing it. Thankfully, on vacation, I was holed up in a hotel that had Pitch Black on pay-per-view and decided to give it a try. I was stunned. Not only did I wish I had seen it in the theatre to truly appreciate the special effects but I enjoyed the quirky dialogue between the characters. I appreciated the seeming abandon with which character upon character is removed from the story line without my abilities of prediction serving me in the slightest. The dialogue is often cheesy. These people are space faring commoners and the movie revolves around the predicamnet they face and not their lives. Their lives form the substance to which I temporarily attached care for each. Short-lived as it may be, this care for the characters extended throughout the movie and left me feeling very satisfied. I recommend this movie as a flick. It should have been seen by all in the theatre but we weren't all so fotunate. Check it out by yourself and if you like it pull the friends around. Give it a chance. Van Diesel is what it's all about. You'll recognize him from Saving Private Ryan. The washed out scenes reminded me of Gladiator and Three Kings. The world as seen through the eyes of the aliens put me back in Fincher's Alien3. While ultimately the plot is fantasy I let this movie take me away, in much the same way we all let Star Wars (the first three) move us and Starship Troopers moved us (appealed to our collective bizarre fascist sensability or something). Have fun with it. I know I did.

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No need for a plot overview: If you're reading the reviews, you have probably already seen the movie that launched Vin Diesel's career. This was the very first Blu-Ray movie that I purchased from Amazon after getting a player last year, and watching it in High-Definition was simply amazing.

I had already seen Pitch Black on DVD, and based on the sounds and visuals, I figured that Blu-Ray would bring the movie to life. I'm glad to say that I wasn't the least bit disappointed. The colors look amazing, the audio is great, and the level of detail was just unreal. I did read a few comments from other reviewers about the Blu-Ray freezing up on them, but fortunately that has never happened to me. I've since purchased countless Blu-Ray movies, but Pitch Black is easily one of my favorites to watch in HDTV.

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With the release of The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) aka Pitch Black 2, Universal Home Video has decided to try and squeeze a bit more juice from the original film, releasing a Special Wide Screen Unrated Director's Cut edition. Is it worth it, for all of you out there who've already bought one of the numerous previous releases? I'll answer this question later. Pitch Black (2000) was directed by David Twohy, better known to me for his writing credits, specifically the Kevin Costner suck fest Waterworld (1995). Despite that particular credit, he did write and direct The Arrival (1996), which I did enjoy, but when the hole you're trying to exhume yourself from of is Waterworld, you have a lot of digging ahead of you. The most notable star in the film is Vin Diesel as Riddick, and, while not his first film, this is probably the one that really got him and his bald head noticed by the public. The film also stars Cole Hauser as William Johns, an actor I most recall from the 1993 film Dazed and Confused and sometimes get confused with Ben Affleck, who was also in that movie. Also appearing in the film is the delicious Claudia Black, a woman that any sci-fi aficionado would recognize as Aeryn Sun from the popular Farscape television series and Keith David, popular character actor I recognize mostly from John Carpenter films like The Thing (1982) and They Live (1988).

Anyhow, the film opens on a giant ship traveling through space. We see a number of people in cryo sleep, as since we all know, space travel takes a long time, so in order to pass the extended periods of time, people must be partially frozen, like green peas, and then thawed out when needed. Well, something goes wrong with the ship, and various peoples begin popping out of cryo sleep, as the computer, who probably screwed things up in the first place, now needs people to fix matters. But there's no fixing these particular matters as the ship makes a crash landing on a pretty crummy desert-like planet. As the surviving members of the ill-fated cruise extricate themselves from the wreckage, soon begin to learn more of these individuals. There's the Skipper, Mary Ann, the Professor...wait, that's not right...ah skip it...anyway, we do get to meet Riddick, the only passenger chained and bound during cryo sleep, who manages to escape his bonds, to which Johns begins to run around looking for him. As the others begin looking for water, a couple stay behind, one in particular to begin burying those who didn't survive the landing. As he's digging, he finds a hole, decides to stick his head inside, and poof, he's gone, leaving an awful lot of blood behind...where did he go? We see Riddick standing over the hole, to which everyone assumes he killed the man, but we learn pretty shortly afterwards that's not the case. An investigation turns up some pretty hideous (and hungry) creatures that can only venture out when the sun (or suns, as there's three of them on this world) is down. The stranded individuals eventually find water, in the form of a deserted mining camp. Also in the camp is a space skiff, a small ship capable of getting them off the planet and into space shipping lanes where they would most likely be picked up by a passing freighter. Only problem is the skiff needs power to operate, so heavy power cells from the crashed vessel must be transported to the skiff, and the distance is more than a hop, skip and a jump. Oh yeah, night is falling, causing the indigenous inhabitants to stir, and stir they do...by the millions...by the way, did I mention Riddick has some strange modification to his eyes that allow him to see in the dark? You can see where this might come in handy in the darkness of a planet inhabited by big, hungry, scary, carnivorous nocturnal creatures...

So, is this film any good? Being so inundated by B-movie flicks over the many years of my movie viewing existence, I was pleasantly surprised to find this was actually a very good film with better than average special effects. Okay, originality isn't its' strong point, but certain elements within the story makes it better than most, the key being that there is a coherent story throughout. And real, honest to goodness character development, to the point where I became unsure who was actually going to make it to the end of the film. The presentation of the character of Riddick, the anti-hero, was fun, and the notion of fighting evil with evil, as the tag line states seems a misrepresentation, as I really didn't see the creatures as being evil, only doing what they would normally do...the one character I found most annoying was that of Jack, given his whining and such, and sacrifices made to accommodate him. The element about the story I enjoyed most was that very little seemed to be what it appeared to be, specifically with the major characters and plot lines. Things get a bit topsy-turvy as revelations are made.

So, is it worth buying this version if you've already bought a previous DVD release of the film? Probably not...the special features included are commentaries by the director and stars Diesel and Hauser, additional commentaries by the director, the producer, and the guy in charge of the special effects, which were available on previous releases. The list of new features is listed on this website, but I found very little of them really worth my time, so if you already own a previous version (I didn't), you're not missing much. There was a free movie pass included in the DVD case, one for the new movie The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), so that's pretty sweet, give that going to the theater to see a new film has gotten so expensive.

Cookieman108

By the way, did they rename this film The Chronicles of Riddick Pitch Black? Was this done to help people remember it was the first film with the Riddick character? If so, it was a daft manuver...it will always be Pitch Black to me..

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Pitch Black is the story of a ship that crash-lands on a planet that is a scorching desert with three suns. The survivors of the crash include Fry the ship's pilot (Radha Mitchell), Riddick a prisoner (Vin Diesel) and Johns (Cole Hauser) who is guarding Riddick. While searching their surroundings the cast eventually finds some nasty aliens that live in darkness. And it turns out an eclipse is coming also. The story is relatively simple, however there are quite a few plot twists thrown in that keep the viewer constantly guessing. The effects are quite impressive for a movie of such a low budget. And Vin Diesel is one of the best anti-heroes. Keith David also provides solid support as a Muslim Priest.

The cut presented on the Unrated DVD is 3 minutes longer than the rated. There is no more violence then the R-Rated version. It is actually more character development and a few more scenes that only serve to add to the film. The picture on this DVD is quite impressive. Just watch all the colors that the three suns emit when they are walking along the horizon and you will see how impressive this DVD is. The sound is also very impressive. Especially the DTS track, just watch the opening crash scene with it on and get ready for a full on surround workout with amazing depth and clarity.

The extras however are not as impressive as the sound and video transfers. There are two audio commentaries, one with Twohy, Hauser and Diesel and another with the FX crew and Twohy. The first commentary is more casual were as the second is a technical one. Other than these two commentaries there is nothing of great value on the rest of the DVD. The 20 Minute Pitch Black Rave Event is a waste of space and should be avoided.

This is quite a good Sci-Fi film that is much better than Supernova and most movies that came out in 2000. The Unrated DVD presents the film with an excellent video transfer and two amazing soundtracks with limited extras.

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The Raid: Redemption (2012)

"The Raid: Redemption" is a movie that pulls no punches. Or maybe that's all it pulls. It's been a long while since I've seen a film so relentless, so brutal, and so unapologetically violent. Writer/Director Gareth Evans' film is a non-stop barrage of fisticuffs, shoot-outs, and explosions. It is a well choreographed exercise in action movie mayhem and it succeeds wholly in its intentions. If you want a nuanced screenplay, in-depth characterizations, or an intricate plot--"The Raid: Redemption" might not be your first choice of entertainment. Don't get me wrong, I like and expect those things too. But if you give yourself over to the visceral experience of this down and dirty movie, it provides more thrills and excitement than a slate of Hollywood blockbusters. If you like action films, this micro-budgeted indie flick shot in Indonesia (yes, it's subtitled but, believe me, the dialogue is relatively minimal) has got to be on the top of your must-see list.

Evans reunites with the star, Iko Uwais, of his previous film "Merantau." While "Merantau" showed promise, it was plagued with a relatively uninspired plot and some serious pacing issues. While I'd still recommend it to fans of the genre, it didn't fully come together in the way that I hoped it would. Both Uwais, as a martial artist and a screen presence, and Evans, as a creative force, have upped their game in "The Raid: Redemption." Uwais plays an upstanding cop who is part of a SWAT team in Jakarta. The plot is very simple on the surface. The officers must infiltrate a slum apartment building that houses a gangland overlord and his band of criminal mercenaries. But on their way to the penthouse suite, they must fend off countless attacks as their numbers dwindle. There is a little political back story, as well, with corruption and greed factoring into the equation as to just why the building is being raided in the first place. You need more plot? Too bad.

What you get instead is relentless action. The pacing is dynamic and the tension escalates throughout. There are some terrific combat scenes, lots of gunfire, and an endless array of hand-to hand fight sequences. The martial arts aspect to the fighting is exciting and extremely well done without being too over the top. "The Raid: Redemption" did quite well on the film festival circuit (winning audience awards in Amsterdam, Toronto, and Dublin) and with the majority of mainstream critics (including raves from the Los Angeles Times and USA Today). The reason seems very simple. The movie doesn't aspire to be anything other than what it is. Evans focused on making a brutal and exhausting bit of ultra-violent escapism. And that's exactly what he and his team delivers. Is it a perfect film? Not particularly. Could it have benefited from improved storytelling? Probably. But what it does provide more than compensates for what it doesn't. In the end, this movie may not be for everyone. That's perfectly fine. But I suspect that the film's reputation will only grow in certain circles making it a true cult classic a few years down the line. About 4 1/2 stars, I'll round up for the sheer madness of it all! KGHarris, 6/12.

Included Bonus Features:

Commentary with Writer/Director Gareth Evans

6 behind-the-scenes video blogs with Gareth Evans

Behind the Music: Featurette with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and composer Joe Trapanese

Inside the Score: A trailer teaser for Mike Shinoda's first feature score

An Evening with Gareth Evans, Mike Shinoda and Joe Trapanese feaurette

Conversation with Gareth Evans and Mike Shinoda: Details on the hard shoot, score, stunts, and themes

An Anatomy of a Scene: Outlines hole drop sequence

THE RAID TV Show Ad (circa 1994): Spoof of an actual 1994 Japanese anime TV commercial

Claycat's The Raid: Lee Hardcastle's UK claymation short film with a Mike Shinoda music score

Here's some fun math for you...This entire film cost as much to make as ~52 seconds of Transformers 3. I'll say that again. For the same price, you could make either a) the best action flick since John Woo's Hong Kong masterpieces, or b) 52 seconds of bloated PG13 mediocrity. Stunning.

In any case, the second collaboration between Gareth Evans, Iko Uwais, and Yayan Ruhian demonstrates just how far you can take the form. The plot is simple and straightforward, and set up with incredible economy. A few carefully edited scenes and a smattering of dialogue puts all the pieces in place, then it's 90-odd minutes of exquisitely crafted mayhem.

Technically, the film is very well shot. The camera work is both fluid and at times surprisingly creative (they pull off a great drop-down shot early on using one camera but two cameramen). Most importantly though, it's choreographed into the action itself. The camera is the 3rd (or 4th or 10th) player in the fight scenes, moving with the actors to give the audience a clear view of the lightning fast techniques while highlighting the incredibly kinetic nature of the fights themselves. And kinetic is the only way to describe the fighting. The choreography in The Raid is the some of the most aggressive I've ever seen. There's no dancing around, no sizing each other up, no slow-mo, and definitely no waiting around for a downed opponent to regain his feet so the fight can continue. The actors go after each other like their lives really are at stake, attacking relentlessly from whatever position they find themselves in, using whatever weapon is available. Silat (the primary martial art on display here) is a viciously practical close-quarters system, and it's full range of open-handed combination strikes, knees, elbows, and grappling techniques is on full display; along with some knife-work that's almost too fast to keep track of.

This is a particular treat for martial arts fans who have seen a lot of Karate, Kung Fu, or Muay Thai films. The mobility and variety of attack angles employed by Silat fighters is distinct and makes the already aggressive choreography doubly unpredictable. These guys never stop moving. The stunt work is top notch, and you really get a feeling throughout the movie that these guys are hungry for it. This is their big shot to bring Indonesian martial arts to a western audience, and they pull out all the stop to make it happen. While the level of violence has been criticized by some as being gratuitous and misanthropic, what I see is an incredibly driven crew of young, talented Indonesians going balls-out to earn their indigenous martial art a permanent place in the genre canon. As far as I'm concerned, they succeed and then some.

One final thing that sets The Raid apart from most other martial arts flicks is the weird but successful blending with the survival-horror genre. In between fights, Evans ratchets up the tension as the dwindling number of survivors try to evade roving bands of bloodthirsty killers. This alternation between tension building stealth and explosive action keeps you on the edge of your seat pretty much the entire time. It's a very smart way to do things, and avoids the usual curse of foot-taping "I'm bored, when's the next fight" the plagues a lot of genre films. Not that there's any shortage of fight scenes. I can think of plenty of martial arts movies for which the climactic showdown was less exciting than every single action sequence in The Raid.

Anyway, I've gone on long enough. This is the new high water mark for pure, unadulterated martial-arts mayhem. I can't wait to see what these guys come up with next.

Buy The Raid: Redemption (2012) Now

Writer/Director Gareth Evans learned his lesson from MERANTAU, his earlier collaboration with former truck driver and now budding martial arts star Iko Uwais. MERANTAU exhibited some first-rate martial arts mayhem but was crippled by Evans' meandering pace and flat explorations of the lead character's culture. In THE RAID: REDEMPTION (or "Serbuan maut") Evans sets us up with everything we need to know about premise and characters within the first five minutes. From then on, brother, it's best that you grab hold of something. Nerves will be jangled and eyes glued and behinds parked precariously on the edges of seats.

Sub-text and this film go together like Merchant Ivory cinema and Uwe Boll. And yet, sometimes, there's something to be said for guerrilla filmmaking. THE RAID: REDEMPTION is strictly no frills, production values-wise. But Gareth Evans makes the most of his shoestring budget and minimalist plot. He turns the focus on the action sequences. You know how, in martial arts films, the plot merely serves as a framing device for the fighty fights? Here, the plot makes a cameo appearance and then gets the ef out of Dodge lest it catch a vicious Iko Uwais boot to the head.

In the slums of Jakarta looms a squalid 30-story highrise, an apartment complex which the vile ganglord, Tama Rivadi, rents out to assassins, psychopaths, gangsters, and drvg traffickers. Tama's impenetrable sanctuary has long been regarded as a "no-go zone" for the police. Until today. Today an elite squad composed of twenty police officers has just gotten the go-ahead to infiltrate Tama's fortress and capture Tama himself. What are the odds they could do this on the Q?

The squad manages to systematically secure only the first few bottom floors before the cat is let out the bag. From then on, it's an apocalyptic fight for survival. There's a twofer in this one: RAID: THE REDEMPTION is most recognizably a martial arts film, but there are elements of the survival horror genre peppered in. Tama Rivadi is quick to offer lifelong tenancy to them residents what take out the coppers.

Get your raw thrills, get your jaw dropped. Gareth Evans and Iko Uwais have created something primal here, and credit Evans, too, for establishing an oppressive atmosphere. I would not want to be caught in that lethal tenement, with homicidal maniacs swarming up on me. THE RAID: REDEMPTION is an Indonesian film (with English sub-titles) and, as such, it gleefully showcases the nation's traditional martial arts discipline, Pencak Silat. What Evans constructs with the action sequences is stunning. He adeptly stages the tense gunplays. But when the ammo runs out and the firearms discarded, what's left is intense, close-quarters, I can smell your breath, hand-to-hand combat, and that's when the film achieves another level of excitement. Evans applies deft camera work to capture the speed, grace and brutality of Pencak Silat. Iko Uwais plays the unassuming rookie cop, Rama, who only wants to survive the mission and return to his pregnant wife. Uwais demonstrates a quiet appeal; he's certainly got more of an acting presence than Tony Jaa. And Iko Uwais in motion is something to behold. I'd put his electrifying marathon hallway fight and, later, his extended brawl with the machete gang against any other fight scenes captured on film. Uwais and Yayan Ruhian who plays Tama's vicious lieutenant "Mad Dog" choreographed the fights, and what they've come up with is UNREAL!

And just when you think the film's action couldn't top itself, it does. I don't know if these fighty fights are that original or inventive, but, damn, they're executed with such verve and swagger and shot with such clarity that they deserve all the plaudits and hyperbole. The pulsating score only punctuates the electrifying symphony of violence. I won't go too much into my favorite kill, only that it involves the jagged remains of a door and that one baddie gets rudely introduced to that.

The pace blisters. Even the quieter moments are laced with nervous anxiety. There's enough "acting" done that you do end up caring about certain characters and what befalls them. Ray Sahetapy nails it as the deliciously malevolent ganglord Tama. Joe Taslim lends solid presence as the experienced Sergeant Jaka, one of my favorite characters in the film. THE RAID: REDEMPTION won't escape comparisons to ONG BAK and DISTRICT B13, and that's fine. Moment for moment, in terms of relentless pace and sustained suspense, RAID is superior to those other two, especially ONG BAK. Is Tony Jaa still a hermit in the woods? Can he still handle a goon so that the poor bastard goes hurtling backwards on a trajectory across empty space and nearly cracks in half against a lower railing? Iko Uwais just did that.

Ear to the ground news is that there's already a sequel in the works. I'm not sure how Iko Uwais plans to top this film without setting himself on fire. Niche market, my butt. Even the more sophisticated crowds owe it to themselves to see this one. After all, THE RAID: REDEMPTION is an independent foreign movie. It's practically Merchant Ivory.

The DVD's bonus stuff (with English sub-titles):

Audio Commentary with writer/director Gareth Evans

6 Video Blogs: includes the cast undergoing military bootcamp, the cast rehearsing their fight choreography, behind the scenes of Rama's fight with the machete gang, Sgt. Jaka's fight with Mad Dog, the hole drop sequence, and much, much more (totals 00:39:30 minutes)

An Evening with Gareth Evans, Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park), and composer Joe Trapanese a moderated onstage interview (00:40:38 minutes)

Behind the Music with Mike Shinuda and Joe Trapanese (00:11:05 minutes)

Anatomy of a Scene with Gareth Evans the director talks you thru the process of shooting the Hole Drop scene (00:02:15)

In Conversation Gareth Evans and Mike Shinoda Q & A each other (00:11:31)

Inside the Score a short promo featuring Mike Shinoda, clips from THE RAID, and rave blurbs from film critics (00:01:22)

Claycat's THE RAID a claymation spoof of the film... with cats (00:02:56)

THE RAID TV show ad, circa 1994 (00:00:44 seconds)

Theatrical Trailer

Read Best Reviews of The Raid: Redemption (2012) Here

"The Raid: Redemption" is a much-talked about, highly anticipated movie that did not make it into my part of the region for a theatrical screening! I suppose the distributors had a rough time when they tried to distribute the movie because: (a) It was one of the best I've seen this year; (b) it wasn't a stupid, epically boring love story, or (c) it wasn't animated. Shows you where Hollywood's tastes really are: in their mouths.

"Raid" is a non-stop, b*lls-to-the-wall movie encompassing the maelstrom that 20 of the "best" cops are thrown into while they try to take over a 30 floor drug empire disguished as a tenament and arrest its sadistic boss. I was hooked after only five minutes which is basically all the movie takes in trying to deliver any "warm fuzzies." Once the policemen arrive at their location, the viewer is then privy to watching (and even more importantly ENJOYING) one of the best action movies ever made. You will be left speechless watching some of the fight choreography.

The movie is Indonesian with subtitles, so I'm not going to try to tell you any named actors because, well, I didn't recognize any! There is a plot twist that I did not anticipate, and that made the movie even more enjoyable. So, if you like your movies (like I do) to consist of a basic plot, tons of carnage, and LOTS and LOTS of action, this is the movie for you. It is unrated for lots of violence and language, but, really nothing you've haven't seen in many other movies. This one is just done WAAAAY better!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 8-20-12.

Want The Raid: Redemption (2012) Discount?

Anyone that gives this film less than 5 stars is a complete moron. I'm so sick of nit-pickers that can't just enjoy a movie for what it is. This movie is awesome and a repeat viewer.

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Yelling to the Sky (2011)

There is a rawness to the film "Yelling To The Sky" that is likely to evoke strong reactions with most viewers. At times humorous, at times brutal, this coming-of-age story from writer/director Victoria Mahoney has a palpable anger underneath its surface that really sets it apart from many comparable films. While I don't know enough about Mahoney to label this autobiographical in nature, there is a certain intimacy and truthfulness that make it feel like a cathartic self-examination of a life lived. While I appreciated this spirit, however, the overall experience ended up having less impact for me than individual components of the film. For my taste, some of the characterizations lacked definition. A drama about race, abuse, violence, and family dysfunction, "Yelling To The Sky" can be unrepentantly bleak. And as the central character spiraled out of control, I found myself as an outsider looking in on (and sometimes not believing) the harrowing circumstances before her.

The film opens with a brutal neighborhood attack as everyone seems aligned against Sweetness (Zoe Kravitz) and her friend, apparently because Sweetness comes from a mixed-race parentage. You don't get much explanation, really, but as the conflict is resolved--the film unleashes a powerfully visceral punch to your gut. From here, we get glimpses of Kravitz's home life. Her mother seems unstable, her father volatile, and her sister is in a troubled relationship. The screenplay never digs too deeply into the peripheral characters, we primarily see their actions through Kravitz's eyes. As she wants to fit in, poor choices and bad opportunities take her down an unpleasant road. Kravitz, thoroughly convincing as a girl becoming disconnected from her surroundings, isn't always as compelling as the troublemaker engaged in drugs, fighting, and other illicit behavior. A particularly unfortunate subplot involves Tim Blake Nelson as a caring teacher that she'll see in a new light. Just as all hope seems lost, though, the picture wants to affirm second chances. But it does so by redeeming certain characters that we didn't know enough about in the first place.

As a character study, I wanted a greater closeness and understanding of Sweetness and what went on in her mind. As a dramatic narrative, I wanted more information about the other major characters. Jason Clarke, as the father, has a great presence but I never knew who he was in any tangible way. Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) is relatively one-note in her performance as a bully who becomes a focal point of a vicious revenge plot. I did, however, love Antonique Smith as Kravitz's sister. She really captures the screen and I definitely wanted to follow her as she disappeared for large chunks of the movie. In the end, "Yelling To The Sky" is a well-intentioned movie that will likely connect with some. Mahoney has talent, some scenes are incredibly memorable. But, for me, the movie is a little muddled in its viewpoint. I felt that it should have shaken me to the core with its powerful story, but I remained remote as the picture never drew me into Sweetness' psyche. KGHarris, 2/13.

This beautiful debut by Victoria Mahoney captures you from the start. Sweetness (played by Zoe Kravitz) is a biracial child living in a harsh urban environment where "mean" girls often result to bullying for dominance and attention. Mahoney's artistic choices and direction in the film are stunning, as she reveals that the underlying need in each of her character's lives -including the transformation of the alcoholic father who comes 360 at the end and learns to embrace his daughter before she follows in his footsteps as well as the "mentally ill" mother played beautifully by Yolanda Ross -is love. Compelling performances and deeply engaging. Not to be missed! A beautiful coming of age narrative about a young teenager coming to terms with her heritage, culture, self, home, environment, and community.

Buy Yelling to the Sky (2011) Now

Sweetness (Zoë Kravitz) is a 17 year old girl growing up in the melting pot of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Filming Location). She is bullied. She is friendless at school. She looks up to her sister (Antonique Smith) who is pregnant and leaving, only to return months later with a baby and a bruised face. Dad is apparently a cab driver who has alcohol issues and is abusive when he drinks. Oh, not call DSS abusive, just an A-hole who breaks things, swears and shoves. Mom (Yolonda Ross) isn't mentally right. Her name is Rainy short for Lorene, which symbolizes her tears of sadness.

Sweetness feels trapped. Her escape is to become part of the drug dealing scene. She wants to deal just enough so she can get by, "right now." And as her sympathetic somewhat caring drug supplier warns her, "Right now keeps on changing."

The story is about hitting bottom, and recovery without having an epiphany or seeking special outside help. This is a well acted drama, although slow at times.

It is less about plot and more about character. A more believable inner city film then what we have been subject to here of late.

Parental Guide: F-bomb, brief sex. No nudity.

Read Best Reviews of Yelling to the Sky (2011) Here

This is a subject with huge potential by a director who is very capable, but I wish this movie would have been directed by Claude Chabrol.

Sweetness O'Hara (Zoë Kravitz) is a high school girl from mixed parents who lives in the projects. Her father is Irish and her mother is African American. She is not well accepted by the people in her rough neighborhood. She starts looking outside her home for a father figure and for friends and affection in general. When the person she considered friend and father figure gets killed in front of her, she realizes that if she doesn't changes her life-style and her friends, she is either going to die, or end-up in prison. She then correctly makes the decision to take her life in her own hands. It appears that the script is based on a true story.

This is a great subject that has great potential. In addition, the director Victoria Mahoney, appears very gifted and talented. But we have the impression that somebody rushed the movie. We have the impression that they run out of money and that they had to finish quickly. The characters are not well developed and we don't understand well the tension in Zoë's house. We need to know more about the Irish father and his brother and about the mother who appears to be constantly depressed. I wish the director would have watched some of the movies made by Claude Chabrol, and in particular "Le Boucher" or "Inspector Bellamy". There are two major things in a movie: the characters and the story. Once the director has a good story then he/she needs to develop the characters in order for us the spectators to better understand the script and the subplots. The film "Le Boucher" is about 90 min long and for the first 60-70 minutes we have the impression that it is a love story because of character development by Chabrol. At the very end of the movie we just realize that was the story of a serial killer who was involved with one his potential victims. "Inspector Bellamy" is more of the same. We spend so much time around the inspector, his brother, his wife and the primary suspect of the crime that we forget that there was a crime and somebody really died of horrific death.

I think that this movie lacks character development. The mother, the father, the sister, and the drug addict/dealer high school teacher are major participants in the plot and we don't know why and how they got there. In addition, her drug dealer friend appears to give money and food to the family. Is he doing this for all families in the projects or just hers? What are his criteria? Why is he doing it?

Three stars for a good story with good acting but with unfinished business.

Want Yelling to the Sky (2011) Discount?

There is a rawness to the film "Yelling To The Sky" that is likely to evoke strong reactions with most viewers. At times humorous, at times brutal, this coming-of-age story from writer/director Victoria Mahoney has a palpable anger underneath its surface that really sets it apart from many comparable films. While I don't know enough about Mahoney to label this autobiographical in nature, there is a certain intimacy and truthfulness that make it feel like a cathartic self-examination of a life lived. While I appreciated this spirit, however, the overall experience ended up having less impact for me than individual components of the film. For my taste, some of the characterizations lacked definition. A drama about race, abuse, violence, and family dysfunction, "Yelling To The Sky" can be unrepentantly bleak. And as the central character spiraled out of control, I found myself as an outsider looking in on (and sometimes not believing) the harrowing circumstances before her.

The film opens with a brutal neighborhood attack as everyone seems aligned against Sweetness (Zoe Kravitz) and her friend, apparently because Sweetness comes from a mixed-race parentage. You don't get much explanation, really, but as the conflict is resolved--the film unleashes a powerfully visceral punch to your gut. From here, we get glimpses of Kravitz's home life. Her mother seems unstable, her father volatile, and her sister is in a troubled relationship. The screenplay never digs too deeply into the peripheral characters, we primarily see their actions through Kravitz's eyes. As she wants to fit in, poor choices and bad opportunities take her down an unpleasant road. Kravitz, thoroughly convincing as a girl becoming disconnected from her surroundings, isn't always as compelling as the troublemaker engaged in drugs, fighting, and other illicit behavior. A particularly unfortunate subplot involves Tim Blake Nelson as a caring teacher that she'll see in a new light. Just as all hope seems lost, though, the picture wants to affirm second chances. But it does so by redeeming certain characters that we didn't know enough about in the first place.

As a character study, I wanted a greater closeness and understanding of Sweetness and what went on in her mind. As a dramatic narrative, I wanted more information about the other major characters. Jason Clarke, as the father, has a great presence but I never knew who he was in any tangible way. Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) is relatively one-note in her performance as a bully who becomes a focal point of a vicious revenge plot. I did, however, love Antonique Smith as Kravitz's sister. She really captures the screen and I definitely wanted to follow her as she disappeared for large chunks of the movie. In the end, "Yelling To The Sky" is a well-intentioned movie that will likely connect with some. Mahoney has talent, some scenes are incredibly memorable. But, for me, the movie is a little muddled in its viewpoint. I felt that it should have shaken me to the core with its powerful story, but I remained remote as the picture never drew me into Sweetness' psyche. KGHarris, 2/13.

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