Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Truth only means something when it's hard to admit! Don't you get that?


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Destiny Hope Cyrus is destined for mediocrity. Just like her father Billy Ray, Destiny started off as a singer, got an acting gig, decided that she could move into movies, releases really bad CD after really bad CD, and decides acting is more important and quits music. Destiny...dammit...she changed her name didn't she? It's Miles something...Miley! That's right...she gets to be special because she's a celebrity. Anyway Miley has a new film out everybody! You know what that means right?:
  • A bunch of screaming 4-14 year old girls are going to rush to the theater
  • Parents will be dragged along wishing for death to come soon
  • Creepy, middle aged guys in trenchcoats will occupy the rest of the seats
  • Nicholas Sparks gets millions of dollars
  • Miley and everyone involved gets millions
  • Critics will hate it but kids will love it
  • I have to see it
Yeah, because of my credo I thought "This can't be THAT bad can it?" Well Bounty Hunter was better...

Well here is the story: Veronica Miller (nicknamed Ronnie) is a piano prodigy who got accepted into Julliard. Well because her parents got divorced and because she is a teenager of the 2000s, she decides to rebel, not talk to her father, refuse to play piano, be moody, and not go to Julliard. Ronnie's mom decides to send Ronnie and her brother over to their fathers new house for the summer. Ronnie is mopey, purses and bites her lip more than Kristin Stewart, crosses her arms and humphs, rejects her father trying to reconnect with her, and treats everyone like crap complaining about everything. She acts like this till she meets a boy named Will. They go to a Sea Turtle Rally and fall in love. Guess the rest...The story is not that bad. I rather like Nick Sparks' books and think he is a good author. He was also given the job of writing the movie and simplifying his book down into a 107 minute film. He also had to think about the target audience. So the majority of the good stuff in the book had to be cut out in favor of more mushy, unexplainable crap that makes no logical sense and is totally out of whack to anyone above the age of 14. The director isn't that bad either as the cinematography and direction is pretty good. Not good by any other movies standards but it didn't fall on it's face.

No the main problem is the acting. Miley has stage prescience and charisma and brightens up the screen but every time she opens her mouth I cry a little and every time she tries to be dramatic I grab the nearest sharp object. It doesn't help that the brother is an annoying one-liner generator, Greg Kinnear wonders what happened to his career, Liam Hemsworth is also painfully bad with his soap opera background shining away. The acting is just painful all around.

There is no way I can recommend seeing this movie. It's horrible, cheesy, corny, boring, unexplainable, badly acted and a waste of screen time. Now I'm going to go look for something blunt to wipe my memory clean of this film.

MY VERDICT: ABOMINATION TO CINEMA

Monday, March 29, 2010

*300th post*- As long as it doesn't have a hatch or a smoke monster I'm fine

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Andy over at Fandango Groovers has started up something that all film lovers/enthusiasts have thought or have been asked before "If you were stuck on a desert island what are the eight films that you could not live without?" I personally have been asked this question many times and to be honest with you it is quite hard. I have seen over 2000 movies both good and bad and eight is a really hard number to dwindle it down to.

I could go for the simple and just list off my top 8 films of all time but really that seems like a giant cop out. Instead I took a more in depth look at my film collection and decided upon 1 film from each genre that I consider important. Some overlap in terms of genre but overall I tried to diversify it as much as possible. Do some of my top 8 make it in? Yes in fact half of them ARE in my top 8. That being said I DID want to do films that weren't in my top 8 but four HAD to be in there.

*WARNING- I realize that this is not a list that everyone will agree with. This is my opinion and my opinion alone. If you don't like it tell me why in the comments but THIS is my definitive list. I am sad that some of my favorites couldn't make it but I WAS trying to think outside the box. Hopefully that never happens again*

PS: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART THERE IS STILL TIME TO JOIN. JUST GO TO THE LINK ABOVE FOR FANDANGO GROOVERS AND COMMENT ON THE POST. AND ON APRIL 11th THEY WILL ALL BE POSTED SO HAVE IT IN BY THE 9th. THEN THE LINK WILL BE http://fandangogroovers.wordpress.com/?p=4322

Anywhoo....onto the list:

First up is "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the ANIMATED film I couldn't live without"
MULAN-
Yeah this was actually probably the toughest category for me. I have grown up with SO many animated films that it was hard to choose one over any others. I was half tempted to put The Hunchback of Notre Dame because of it being the darkest and arguably the deepest Disney film ever made. Another part wanted to put anything Winnie the Pooh related since it was my favorite and still is my favorite cartoon to this day. And then part of me wanted to go with something more recent like Princess and the Frog. I love Princess and the Frog but in all honesty it's still too young to really be the ONE movie. And then there was The Lion King. I was ten seconds away from putting the Lion King when I heard something today.

While at college (university for other folk) I heard someone utter the phrase "Let's get down to business." To some that is just a term that a lot of people are used to hearing but for any 90s kid one thought/response always pops into our heads "To defeat...the Huns." Because of that I decided to choose Mulan as my ONE animated movie. It's memorable, entertaining, exciting and a blast to watch to this day.



Second is my "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the MYSTERY film I couldn't live without."
CLUE-
A highly underrated cult classic, the film version of the famous board game has always been one of my favorite movies. It's great use of character actors like Christopher Lloyd and Tim Curry as well as it's witty dialogue, intriguing mystery, multiple endings and subtle nuances that work as foreshadowing (guy looks up at chandelier when he walks in and later it almost falls on him) this is one film I just can't live without. This is a choice I had picked from the beginning and was the second movie that popped in my head when I heard "Film you couldn't live without."



Third is my "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the ROMANTIC COMEDY I couldn't live without."
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE-
I swear this isn't cheating. If you are one of the people who has seen this film than you can understand WHY I chose this as a romantic comedy. Yes it's a gross out, vulgar, crude, foul comedy like the many dime a dozen nowadays but it also has HEART. The character development between April and Adam is reminiscent of classic 80s Rom Com's like 16 Candles and Pretty in Pink. The struggle Nick has with whether or not he is cheating even though his wife cheated is one we see in many Rom Com's nowadays like It's Complicated and Extract. Then we have the swinger Lou who is reminiscent of Stiffler's before him and the nerdy guy who is the comic relief like in SO many movies. And it does it all between non stop laughs and an almost awwww inducing ending. Overall it's a great film and the closest I ever want to come to EVER having a Rom Com on my desert island.



Fourth is my "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the SCI-FI film I couldn't live without."
CLOVERFIELD-
I could have chosen from the hundreds and hundreds of sci-fi films over the years but I ended up choosing this one. You know why? Because it has longevity and it's brief.

Films like the Star Wars series couldn't work because I could only take 1 (or all five...er six but screw over some other films) and films like Blade Runner and Brazil couldn't work because they are too long to take in one sitting so I decided to go with Cloverfield because without credits it is about 76 minutes which is short and sweet.

It also helps that it showcases why the cinema verite' (First Person Films) work and how films that are mysterious or have hidden messages in their credits, screen, background or poster are extremely effective. It also showcases the "Jaws" monster way of doing monster films by briefly or only showing you bits and pieces of the monster so when you get the full reveal it's quite breathtaking.

It also helps I have seen it 7 times and it NEVER gets old.



Fifth is my "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the ACTION movie I couldn't live without."
FIGHT CLUB-
Do I need to really explain why this is on here? The writing is witty, smart, sophisticated, funny, tongue in cheek and entertaining. The acting is brilliant showcasing some of the best acting from both Brad Pitt and Edward Norton and the action is raw, intense and gritty. It's a FIGHT CLUB for Pete's sake so people are going to get the crap beat out of them. Altogether Fight Club is an extremely quotable film that is action packed, well written and acted and really IS a film I CAN'T live without.



Sixth is my "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the DRAMA/THRILLER I couldn't live without.
THE DEPARTED-
Martin Scorsese's best film since Goodfella's and arguably one of his all time best, The Departed is a smart and gripping crime drama that is exciting from start to finish. Jack Nicholson's part is intense, sometimes tongue in cheek and quite disturbing at times. Matt Damon, whom viewers of my site know I can't stand, is quite good as well. Leo DiCaprio is brilliant, Martin Sheen is brilliant, Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin are brilliant, everything that has to do with this movie is brilliant.

Now there are a lot of dramas I could have chosen from but in all honesty none have as much longevity or are as entertaining as The Departed. A deserved spot on the list.



Seventh is my "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the COMEDY I couldn't live without."
SHAUN OF THE DEAD-
I know what most of you are thinking: "Travis you have used comedies in your list already so why have a separate category for comedy?" I'll tell you why: BECAUSE SHAUN OF THE DEAD IS THE BEST COMEDY EVER. Here is why.

  • Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the dynamic comedy duo
  • Edgar Wright wrote and directed it and he is an amazing writer and director
  • The story is simple and sweet but OH SO FUNNY
  • Zombies...nuff said
  • Action scenes
  • Homages to other films like Reservoir Dogs and all George A Romero films
  • Queen is in the soundtrack
  • It's British therefore it is funnier
  • It's highly quotable
Need anymore reasons? Didn't think so. It's the best comedy ever and my favorite movie ever. And I've seen it 58 times...that has something to do with it.



Last but not least is my "If I was stuck on a desert island this is the FOREIGN film I couldn't live without."
OLDBOY-


Action speaks louder than words and I think this scene proves exactly why it deserves to be on the list. Great acting, great writing, a mindf***ing twist ending, great action and a plot that is entertaining from start to finish. The best foreign film ever in my opinion and one that shouldn't be missed. A great and deserved film on the list.



WELL...that is my list. What to watch on a desert island by Travis McCollum. Some surprises, some not so much. Tell me what you think in the comments below and I will see you all next time

PS: Thanks for your continued support of The Movie Encyclopedia. I wouldn't have made it to 50 let alone 300 posts if it wasn't for all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And don't call me Shirley


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

It was only a matter of time before I reviewed this movie. But I figure with the death of Peter Graves not that long ago and with most of to all of the actors being between 50-85 now I might as well review it while SOME are still alive. Airplane is arguably one of the top five funniest films of all time. Even after countless viewings Airplane remains funny to this day, even IF some of the jokes are outdated. The delivery, the acting, the nonsensical plot, it all works well in this amazing comedy.

The plot of Airplane jumps around like crazy but is focused on one main story: Ted Stryker is an ex military pilot who was traumatized in an accident during the war and lost the love of his life Elaine. Elaine is a flight attendant and in an act of desperation Ted hops aboard the plane to try to win back Elaine. While on the plane the film shifts between flashbacks of Ted and Elaine, the antics going on the plane (patient transfer, flirting) and eventually the film picks up when the captain and the crew get food poisoning from bad food. Now it's up to Ted and Elaine to try and land the plane and save everyone's life. Sounds like it could pass for a serious drama right? Well that's just it. The film is very serious about itself and that's what makes it so funny. Everyone is SO deadpan or straightfaced whenever they say the stupidest things.

It's only helped by the great acting. Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielson and Peter Graves are just some of the big names in the film and they all are great. Leslie is classic now for the above quote and his deadpan is still trying to be imitated to this day. The late Peter Graves plays the captain of the airplane and my God...he and Nielson make the movie. I still say the line "Timmy do you like Gladiator Movies?" all the time. It's also in part thanks to the sharp and witty dialogue which is just brilliant throughout.

Overall Airplane! is a movie that EVERYONE must see because you WILL laugh and you WILL have fun watching it. See this NOW...or I will do this:



MY VERDICT: TOP FILM

The Demented Encyclopedia Episode 3- HE TRIED TO KILL ME WITH A FORKLIFT!



Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Well another Saturday has gone by and you know what that means! A new episode of The Demented Encyclopedia! This time we decided to shake things up a bit by adding a guest host for this episode: Rachel Thuro from Rachel's Reel Reviews!!!

After a quick plug promoting her blog, Rachel's insight proved to be most helpful as we discussed the ever popular Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the ongoing sensation that sprang from it...Rifftrax. We gave an overview of the show/program and how it worked, talked about our favorite episodes, personal stories involving MST3K/Rifftrax, which ones to AVOID, shorts, and lost episodes.

After that Nick and I jabbed on about American Idol and Survivor. That didn't last long as we just reiterated our points that Siobhan is hot, Russell is king of Survivor and the power rankings are just funny when it comes to Tim Urban.

Then we moved on to our Recommend A in which Rachel promoted her friends comic, Nick promoted a Harry Potter musical and I promoted Defendor starring Woody Harrelson.

Finally it was time for our monologue of the week, which Rachel was more than happy to do with us. Nick took a short piece from the criminally underrated "The Faculty," I did the "Analyzing Ezekiel" scene from Pulp Fiction (where he talks about WHY he says the quote) and Rachel took a piece out of the classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I'd like to thank Rachel once again for helping us out and next week we tackle this:





SEE YOU NEXT WEEK FOR A MONSTROUS SHOW!!

RECOMMEND A LINKS-
http://bluffinthepines.blogspot.com/ (Rachel's Friend's comic)

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Do what you do best...chase after the girl!


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

For years I have heard about the B movie studio juggernaut known as The Asylum. Since 2000 they have made mockbuster (spoof on blockbusters) after mockbuster. To tell you the truth most of them suck pretty bad. I will give Asylum credit for going outside the box though with what little budget they actually have. One of the more recent mockbusters that has come out is a film simply known as "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes." No this is not the Guy Ritchie version with Robert Downey Jr. (although its funny how Holmes brother calls him Robert) and Jude Law, no instead this one focuses on Sherlock Holmes vs Dinosaurs, Octopuses and Dragons...

...I'm serious. The plot is that a ship carrying gold was attacked by what some bystanders called a monster. Nobody believed it really since monsters seemed like a preposterous idea, that is till the giant octopus showed up as well as a dinosaur and a dragon. It's hard to dismiss THAT as preposterous after that. Well its up to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to defeat these creatures and find out what's going on. Twists and turns are abound as not only do they fight these creatures but ROBOTS as well. It's honestly hard to take this plot TRULY seriously but considering it IS a B movie and that it's actually more loyal to the book series (if you'll believe that) the story is almost better than the Downey version. Granted I enjoyed the Downey story better but I was at least entertained and shocked when the twist came.

The acting is...well they're acting. It's not that it's bad but if you can accept the movie for what it is than it's really not that bad. Like I said, it's closer to the books and entertaining and if nothing else T-Rex vs Holmes is a funny situation to see, although like the Cloverfield monster I have no idea how it sneaks up on people considering its size.

Overall the Asylum has crafted one of their better mockbusters even with an absurd plot and spotty acting. If nothing else it's entertaining, fun to watch and it's certainly action packed. A decent film and great B movie overall.

MY VERDICT: RENT IT

Friday, March 26, 2010

Survivor Heroes vs Villains Interview with James Clement


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

After a one week hiatus, probably due to the NCAA basketball tournament, Survivor is back with a very special episode. No it wasn't a recap but the first double elimination of the season! Those are always exciting and even more so for me since that means I get two interviews to do! My second interview was with the gravedigger himself James Clement!

The Movie Encyclopedia: Thanks for taking time to talk with me.
James: It's nice to meet you sir and thank YOU for having ME.


TME: Thanks. I got to ask-how is the leg holding up?
James: It's coming along but it doesn't seem to be healing right. I pulled my ACL and my meniscus and they went in and did surgery on it but I must have gotten some sort of jungle rot or something so they have to do surgery on it again. It's funny since I went 32 years without going into the hospital and now I seem to get injured all the time. I'm too old to be falling apart like this!


TME: Do you think it was smart that they kept you around another week over Tom on account of your busted leg?
James: I'm glad they kept me and I think that I was still an important part of the team and the rest of the tribe seemed to agree with that. I have nothing personal against Tom but I think I was the better player for the team.


TME: Do you think you were ultimately voted off BECAUSE of your leg though or was it because of your social game?
James: I think that because I lost the race, I wasn't competing at 100% and wasn't doing my best ALONG with my bum knee I think that is what sent me home. I told my team that my leg wasn't going to heal anytime soon and that it would be the most beneficial to the team to vote me out. Colby is stronger and I think at that point he would be better for the team then I could be. I told them to do what they thought was right and honestly I'm glad they voted me out.

Before, when Tom was still in the game, I thought my leg was fine. There was no swelling, no pain and really I just couldn't walk all that well. I told them last week too that if they thought Tom was better for the team that they should vote me off. But I told them my leg wasn't that bad and I guess they took that as a cue to vote Tom off. As the night and the morning went on though my leg got worse and by that tribal council I knew that it would be better to keep Colby.

As for my social game I think I DID come as a bully. But that's not true! Take the Stephenie incident for example. I was trying to give a speech on teamwork and working together so we could be a better team but the editors LOVE to pick and choose bits and pieces and piece it together to look like I'm a bully. I realize I DO have tone issues, meaning I sound aggressive or mean when I'm really saying something calm, but I'm also an adult and will stand up for myself. I do not apologize. If I am treated aggressively I will treat you the same way. If you were to listen to that speech over again and CAREFULLY listen to my words than you would know I am not trying to be mean and I certainly wasn't being mean to Stephenie. I mean me and Stephenie are never going to be friends and if she WAS offended I refuse to apologize but I'm not the guy you want to get in a shouting contest with and I always finish what I started.


TME: Well what about calling Colby "superman in a girdle" or throwing the bag at Randy?
James: Look, Colby was one of my heroes on Survivor. When I played Survivor the first time I wanted to be just like him. He was my idol and who I looked up to and strived to be. I thought he was the best example of how you should play if you go on Survivor. But he just didn't care this time. He was too busy "embracing nature" staring at the water or the trees half the time. He wasn't pulling his weight and he couldn't hold his own. He was just so passive aggressive and that just enraged me. It was like seeing Superman again except this time his girdle had burst and all that was left was a wimpy, passive ball of mush.

As for Randy I thought I was being funny. It was supposed to be a joke but then when he threw mud in my face I got kind of pissed. I realize I am a big guy but I have met older guys who could take me out on any given occasion. Shoot my sister used to beat me up all the time and girls used to beat me up all the time. So I never take anyone's age, gender or race for granted. I thought Randy was going to be more of a challenge and I didn't want to take any chances. I will admit I was kind of aggressive towards him but I was having fun. I was worked up and pumped! We won! I didn't NEED to throw the bag at him but I meant it as a joke. Randy doesn't seem to have a sense of humor.


TME: Who did you get along with the best? Who are you rooting for?
James: I got along great with JT, Rupert and Amanda. Amanda is my favorite Survivor of all time now. She is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. She is a great women, she is going to be a great doctor and she is doing quite well with her life. I didn't talk to him that much but when I did I thought Russell was a pretty good guy. He comes off as a snake but he's good people. He's always very level headed and calm and he is a Louisiana native so we got that in common too. As for who I'd like to see win? Probably Amanda, Rob or Russell. Amanda because she deserves it, Rob because he is the smartest and has the most heart and Russell because I always love to see some Louisiana pride (laughs). I will say this though: I would love to see Pavarti win too though if nothing else than to piss everyone off (laughs hard).


TME: I have to ask-how do you stay in such great shape? I mean your biceps are larger than your thighs!
James: I get it from hard work. I still work at the graveyard and I'm still digging graves and really that's what keeps me in such great shape. I never really exercise all that much so all my muscles are from digging. As for my biceps size, yeah I am pretty sure that they are bigger than my thighs. Once again thanks to digging graves (laughs).


TME: Do you think with your history of injuries now that you will play the game again if you were asked to?
James: Any opportunity to play the game and potentially win the million dollars? I'm down for that. I'm still healthy and this leg WILL heal up eventually so of course I'd love to play again when and if the time is right. I'd go on any reality show though. Probably the two I'd love to do most are the Bachelor and Big Brother. The social element of Big Brother has always been interesting and what guy wouldn't want 25 girls after him. That would be such a humbling experience.


TME: So what did you do with the money you won?
James: Simple: I invested it. I invested it in my business and in my family. The only thing I ever BOUGHT with the money was a truck but that was about it.


TME: I was about to eat a banana but it seems I am all out. Do YOU have any bananas?
James: Get your own bananas! If you are hungry and you need something to eat, get up and get your own dang bananas. Now if I did have any bananas I would be more than happy to offer you one because that is the politically correct way of handling bananas. But I only have one so I will give you a piece. We share bananas here in a politically correct world. In all seriousness though I think the "banana etiquette" situation was pretty funny and I laugh every time I see those little bananas at Ralph's.


TME: Any final thoughts?
James: I'd like to apologize to my fans for getting injured and I'm sorry if I came off as a bully. Hopefully I'll be back for another season and can win back your trust if I lost it. I really appreciate all the support you've given me over the years and for voting me fan favorite and I hope to see you soon. Have a great weekend!

Survivor Heroes vs Villains Interview with Tyson Apostal


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

After a one week hiatus, probably due to the NCAA basketball tournament, Survivor is back with a very special episode. No it wasn't a recap but the first double elimination of the season! Those are always exciting and even more so for me since that means I get two interviews to do! The first interview I conducted was with none other than Tyson Apostal. Tyson is on a self appointed quest for manhood and is a very vocal blogger and tweeter. His twitter @tysonapostal is full of very smarmy, sarcastic one liners that are both hilarious and sometimes borderline offensive. His blog however blog.tysonapostal.com is a little deeper however showing video documentation of his quest for manhood as well as his deep analysis on toilets, drifters and other assorted mishaps. Needless to say he is a very vocal contestant and my time spent talking with him was both funny and intriguing. Without further ado...Tyson Apostal:

The Movie Encyclopedia: Hey Tyson thanks for talking with me.
Tyson: Hey dude. I realize it must be tough dealing with both James and myself but I can tell you I am quite good at James impressions so I could kill two birds with one stone.


TME: Really?
Tyson: Yeah. "Hi I'm James. The first two times I played I was edited to look awesome and stoic but this time I looked like the jackass I really am but that doesn't matter because I eat for free because people still think I'm hot."


TME: Wow. I guess you didn't like James.
Tyson: I just thought it was ridiculous that he stayed over Tom. I realize Tom was older but he was actually in pretty good shape. James was a freakin' cripple. No wonder we kept winning challenges because the villains were the only ones using their brains.


TME: What were you thinking about during tribal council?
Tyson: How delicious hot dogs would taste. Seriously though? I thought that Pavarti needed to go home because of the alliance she had with Russell. With HER out of the picture Russell would turn to me and make me his right hand man. That and if we got rid of her NOW then that would mean down the line when it came to the merge I would have a better chance of winning.

The weird thing too is I think Russell thought he was going home. I mean he knew that people would probably have voted against him and that he would HAVE to play the idol which means that the next week he would be voted out for sure. So I guess he wanted to look good for the TV by giving the idol to a "lady" and not looking like a total jackass all the time.

As for my vote flip (trust me if you didn't ask now you would down the line) I did it because I genuinely wanted Pavarti gone. It was a split decision really. I got up to the pulpit (awesome name) and thought long and hard and in the end I wrote Pavarti. When I sat down I figured that if Danielle and Pavarti had a brain in between their thick skulls that they would vote for Russell and get him sent home. I figured that I am the GOD of Survivor and my vote was the one that mattered the most since the most people depended on my vote. But when I saw Russell panic and hand the idol to Pavarti I was like "This is so not happening right now." Essentially I had just voted myself out. If they WOULD have kept me they would have realized what a badass I am. But that was not the plan I guess. I'm still a badass though.


TME: So on the Idol screw up meter you rank?
Tyson: Probably number two. I think that Eric Reichenbach was the biggest screw up in history but I'd like to think that maybe because I didn't KNOW until Russell got up that I was going home and Eric knew immediatley that I may get number one. I mean I've been number one so many times in my life I figure why shouldn't I keep that trend going.


TME: What do you think sent you home?
Tyson: . I think they voted me out because I was the biggest threat. I was a HUGE swing vote, I was extremely good looking, strong, smart and better than everyone else. I think they couldn't handle that and if they couldn't get rid of Russell or Pavarti then they had to get rid of the strongest person...me!


TME: When you and Coach were talking about things that Sandra had said at tribal council it showed a totally different side to you. A "nice" Tyson. Were you and Coach tight?
Tyson: Coach and I were tight. I mean I was his assistant coach. Actually I was higher up than that I was co-coach. Actually no I think in the end I was coaching Coach. That's what...a general manager right? I was Coach's general manager! He's a cool dude though.

As for "nice" Tyson...I honestly I don't think TV displays who you are as a person all the way. You got to see the awesome badass that is Tyson but I'm also a really deep and compassionate person. I was slightly worried that I might lose my hard image by them showing this on TV but then I thought that the ladies love a sensitive guy as well as a tough guy. Add in my looks and you got the complete package!


TME: So what did you do after you were eliminated?
Tyson: I thought to myself "Well I may not get hot dogs but they feed you better when you get eliminated. And you get beer!" I mean the food HAD to be better than coconuts and bananas which I ate religiously on the island so I'd take anything. I think when you are starving like we all were, pretty much any food sounds good. So I got to the area where we eat and had some kick-ass ahi tuna and lava cakes. Granted I had really bad diarrhea afterwards but it was SO worth it to have some good food.


TME: I would say TMI but I've heard worse. So do you have any favorites? People you WANT to win? How about favorite Survivors?
Tyson: I think there are still too many people in the competition to really determine who will win. That and since I'm not getting anything out of this experience I could really care less about who wins. But I think Rob certainly has the most heart out of any of the other players. Maybe Sandra or Courtney too since they were part of my alliance. As for favorite Survivors? Probably myself and if I can't choose myself than probably Jesus. Yeah Jesus.


TME: I gotta ask-do you get recognized a lot?
Tyson: All the time baby. Every morning when I look in the mirror I'm like "Aren't you the stud from Survivor?" and whenever I'm cycling around Europe or in my hometown people always notice me and want a piece of Tyson.


TME: So how is/was living in Europe?
Tyson: While I was doing my cycling I got the opportunity to move to Europe and I've always liked Europe so I thought "Why not?" and moved there. The people there are really nice and friendly, the food is good and the scenery is beautiful, but it does get old after awhile. That and believe it or not I DO get homesick.


TME: So how was the experience?
Tyson: It was a lot of fun. A very different vibe this time around and a little more stressful since you KNOW or have heard of the people in the game. It's easier to play with strangers in my opinion. It was a blast though and you all got to see me on TV and I think that was the greatest gift I could give. All I know is if I got asked to do it again I would do it in a heartbeat. That and I know you all would miss me after a while.


TME: Any final thoughts or words for your fans?
Tyson: I actually hate this question...ummm no, not really. Maybe Mormons Rule?


TME: Works for me. Thanks for gracing me with your prescience.
Tyson: You're welcome.



Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile.


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

You know what? I may be almost 19 but I still love watching animated movies, especially if they are good. You know what else I love? Viking movies? And would you believe I love dragons too? So basically this seems like it would be the best movie ever for me right? Well How to Train Your Dragon IS a pretty good movie but has a very uneven screenplay.

The story follows Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Jay Baruchel), a young teenage viking who doesn't fit in. He has an offbeat sarcastic sense of humor and he is quite bright, something that all the other vikings can't stand. It doesn't help that they are also at constant war with evil dragons that are trying to kill them. Hiccup's father who is the chief (Gerard Butler) is disappointed in him but puts him in dragon training anyway thinking it will help him out. Gobber the Belch (Craig Ferguson) is the head of finding new recruits and along with Hiccup recruits a bunch of people, one named Astrid (America Fererra) whom Hiccup befriends. One day however Hiccup entangles one of these "evil" creatures and befriends it. He nicknames it Toothless and tries to train it to become his pet. This angers his father but Hiccup is determined to change his ways.

The writing is really odd for me. The screenplay is both really deep and really shallow at the same time. There are some really good character developments and really good twists and turns but for some reason it seems like it's been done before in other "Coming-of-age" films. The writing is hilarious at times and sometimes groan inducingly cheesy. HTTYD suffers from being a kids movie that wants to be more than that. It wants to take that edgy Shrek approach that bordered on adult and kid movie but the movie tends to teeter more on the kids side, leaving some of the writing to seem out of place. That being said the film is only 98 minutes so it's not like your sitting through an overly long film. The pacing is quite good and a good story is told. It just seems uneven at times.

The acting is great and its interesting to see such a huge star studded cast full of comedians. You have Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, TJ Miller, Craig Ferguson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and David (DOCTOR WHO) Tennant who are hilarious comedians and then you have America Fererra who is good but not great and Gerard Butler who actually sounds normal in a movie for once (aka not talking out of the side of his mouth).

Overall HTTYD is a good kids movie with great 3D effects and great acting that suffers from an uneven screenplay. Worth a look for kids and adults.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Do I really gotta be the asshole who says we got in this thing and went back in time?


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

To say I had LOW expectations for this movie would be an understatement. The title alone almost guarantees that it will be a piece of crap or at least a B movie and the actors don't thrill me. You have the comedy sidekicks of the world teaming up with John Cusack and giving them free reign to be silly. I thought this movie would be horrible. But oh I was wrong. If you take this movie seriously I will punch you but like the Hangover before it, Hot Tub Time Machine proves to be a balls to the wall laughfest that kept me enjoyed from start to finish.

Here's what happens: Lou (Rob Corrdry) is a party animal and heavy drinker who passes out with the engine on. His friends think he's suicidal, despite what Lou keeps telling them, but jumps at the opportunity to go back to an old ski lodge where they used to party back in the day. Problem is the ski lodge, the rooms and the hot tub have turned to crap and it's NOTHING like they remember it. But nostalgia, some beers and a hot tub repair later change all of that as they get in the hot tub and are transported back to the 80s. From there they have to figure out how they got there, how to get back and how much alcohol they can hold in one sitting. The hijinks are hilarious and the nostalgia is at a fierce peak in this movie. If you were born or know stuff from the 80s its in here. Some of the funniest stuff involves paradoxes and time problems like conversations involving emails and a call from Craig Robinson to his wife who is still in grade school.

The acting is actually pretty good for the most part. Corrdry brings that Daily Show background and provides great deadpan and sarcastic humor to it all. He says the stupidest and raunchiest stuff with the straightest face and with such sincerity and with such earnest. Craig Robinson is always funny and continues to be hilarious in this. Cusack does good but maybe that's because its from the people who made Grosse Point Blank. And Clark Duke is funny but mostly provides the nerdy stereotype to every situation. It was actually nice to see Chevy Chase though since he brings that Community esque "crazy old man" vibe. He's always funny though.

It's stupid, full of F-Bombs, raunchy and dirty but it is hilarious. Not since the Hangover have I seen a male bonding raunchy comedy that was THIS funny. People will hate it but I loved it.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

"Youth is wasted on the young." "I'd go further...life is wasted on...people."


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I get it. Not all films are supposed to be exciting and engaging. Sometimes films with little to no plot are often pretty well received by most artsy film critics. I get sometimes films are trying to portray REALISM and show REAL LIFE situations handled as REALISTICALLY as possible. And I understand not all films need likable people. Sometimes totally unlikeable people can be fun to watch. Greenberg is all of this. The only problem is it sucks.

Here is what I gathered from the plot. Roger Greenberg is a drifter type who lives life however he feels like it. He is cynical, pessimistic, narcissistic, indulgent, rude and quirky. He returns to LA to do some house sitting for his brother. He's trying to find a purpose for everything but doesn't care enough to do anything about it. He feels out of place like he doesn't belong with society. But one day he calls their family assistant Florence who knows where everything is and how everything works around them. Florence just broke up with someone and wants to stay away from relationships. She is a college grad who can't find a real job. She is as out of place as Greenberg. They do stuff... Really stuff is the only way to describe it because half of it is boring, mundane stuff with a few chuckles.

I will say though the acting is great. Ben Stiller IS Roger Greenberg to the core and the role is perfect for him. Greta Gerwig is brilliant and so is Rhys Ifans and Mark Duplass. The direction, or what little there is besides "Go!" is pretty good and the scenery is nice. So why is it bad? It's mundane and boring and has no point. The writing is dull and ALMOST humorless and Greenberg and for that matter most of the characters are totally unlikeable. I wasn't the only one because about 3/4 of the audience left during the movie. God I hate my credo sometimes.

It wasn't abysmal though and the acting is quite good. But I just didn't get the film and it was too artsy for my taste. Blandness is blandness no matter what you smear on it.

MY VERDICT: AVOID IT

Thursday, March 25, 2010

"What's that?" "A jar." "What's it supposed to do?" "Very little...except contain a swarm of angry wasps!"


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

What do you get when you put Woody Harrelson, an actor who has made a huge comeback with great films like The Messenger (with Nick's favorite Ben Foster) and Zombieland, and let him be himself in a costume? You get one of the quirkiest, most funny dark comedies I've seen in years that sadly got ignored by America.

You see here is the story. Defendor was written in 2005. But because of it's odd story, studios would not accept it and kept pushing it away. In 2007, Darius Films and Telefilm picked up the film and promised to fund a good portion of film. It suffered another setback when, in 2008, it was pushed back until 2009. It filmed in 2009 and was shown at the Toronto Film Festival where Sony Pictures picked it up. The only problem was that Sony did not want to release it in the US but instead everywhere else. Darius Films did not like that so in February it was shown at a limited number of theaters. Luckily they played it at my local artsy theater for one week so I was able to see it, although it IS coming out on DVD quite soon from what I hear.

The plot to Defendor is this: Arthur Poppington is your normal guy. The only problem is he's a violent, delusional psycho who believes he is a superhero named Defendor. Defendor is dressed in black with raccoon eyes and a giant D duct taped on his chest. His main goal is to take town Captain Industry, the evil mastermind of his delusion. In the process he pisses off the wrong people but, thanks to his MacGyver esque traps and weapons along with a young prostitute (Kat Dennings) they are able to try and fight Captain Industry.

The humor is drop dead, roll on the floor funny. Harrelson outdoes his Tallahassee performance as not only a badass but a tongue in cheek deadpan comedian. Every line is just either totally over the top or so deadpan its ridiculous. The entire quote at the top is said quietly and very serious although it is totally hilarious to watch. Defendor's interactions with everyone are hilarious and overall he is just brilliant to watch. I would go so far to say that its HIS best performance. Dennings is also quite good and pretty underrated. Sandra Oh and Elias Koteas are also quite good as well in their supporting roles. Overall acting is top notch.

The action is great, the humor is phenomenal and so is the acting and its a treat to watch from start to finish. You must get this when it comes out, you won't be sorry.

MY VERDICT: TOP FILM

As much as it pains me to say this...and it really does..I gotta take you to jail

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Can I make this review as short as possible? Butler is funny but still can't do a good American accent, Aniston hit her peak in 2000 and the plot is terrible and unfunny. Don't see it....

...Fine I will do a full review. The Bounty Hunter is the story of two people: Nicole and Milo. Nicole is a newspaper journalist who is being stalked by her creepy co worker Stewart whom she made out with at the Christmas party. Nicole is also investigating a story that could involve corrupt cops. Nicole was also arrested for assaulting an officer and has officially missed her court date. Who do they send after her? Why her ex husband Milo. Milo is a smarmy tool who used to be a cop. When he was kicked off the force he took a job as a bounty hunter because it was the closest thing to being a cop he could think of. He is also a gambling addict and has an 11 thousand dollar debt he needs to pay. So when he learns that he will be offered 5,000 to bring in his ex wife he is ecstatic. But things get wacky when Milo gets dragged into the whole corruption investigation and he must HELP Nicole...while also trying to bring her in.

The plot is pretty formulaic and you know EXACTLY what will happen every scene. It's been done to death and honestly its not funny anymore. Jason Sudeikis as Stewart is funny but not funny enough to make the movie worth watching. The acting is also abysmal too with stereotypical actors doing stereotypical roles. Honestly Gerard was the only good actor in the whole film..and even I'm (a devout Butler fanatic) willing to say that's not exactly a great thing, especially with his last few movies (besides Law Abiding Citizen).

Butler needs to pick better movies, Aniston needs to stop acting and these kind of rom coms need to stop being made. Please avoid this one...please?

MY VERDICT: ABOMINATION TO CINEMA


A job is a job right?


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Alright I will get the obvious out of the way first: Yes this is a rip off of Repo! The Genetic Opera. The differences being that there is no singing in this one and while the story is similar, they branch off in different ways. This is more a rip off in the "ideas" department than plot, although they are similar. That being said if I complained about every unoriginal movie that stole ideas and plot points from other movies, I'd still be arguing about Avatar. It's not that it doesn't bug me but I think people need to realize that Hollywood rarely has original ideas unless they steal or adapt it from something or another. In fact my favorite film of all time Shaun of the Dead rips off pretty much every zombie movie ever made. But I still love it. Anyway I thought I'd get that out of the way so I never have to bring it up again.

Repo Men is the story of Remy (Jude Law) who works for the Union. His job is simple: if you are having problems with a body part and need a replacement the Union will give you a new artificial limb and/or organ. They usually tend to cost a lot of money but people can make pretty good monthly plans. The problem is that if you can't pay and get past due they will send a repo man to get you. The repo man will shock you with their futuristic taser and then remove said limb/organ leaving you to die of blood loss. Remy's best friend and partner is Jake (Forrest Whittaker). Jake is a little less serious than Remy and is certainly much stronger than Remy making them a pretty good duo. One day however on a routine trip, Remy gets shocked and damages his heart. He gets an artificial heart put in by the Union and freaks out when his boss (Liev Schreiber) makes him pay for it. Now knowing he is past due, Remy must escape and find some way to keep himself from getting Repo'd

It's a good story for what its worth although it does have some serious tone problems. I personally thought the film was a comedy while my friend and podcast partner Nick thought it was a gory action drama. Well to be honest with you the film could be either. There is a LOT of gore and bloody action scenes (including one awesome homage to Oldboy) but then for every one of THOSE scenes there are three comedic scenes. The dialogue is usually always funny and very tongue in cheek, there are scenes that are really funny (like a little girl yelling "Yay" when she does surgery) and a soundtrack that is eye openingly out of place (Feeling Good? 50s music? Classical?). But I laughed more than I did cheer so I thought it was a comedy. The acting is decent but it seems like Forrest outdoes all of them. His character has the most depth in my opinion out of the rest of them. Law is good but mostly growls and monotones a good portion of his lines. Liev is good but he just plays himself in every movie so its hard to say that he can't play himself.

It's no award winner by any means, the tone issues, violence and somewhat weird twist ending could put some people off but I actually enjoyed it for what it was. A rip off yes and not as good as the Opera but still worth seeing in my opinion.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Demented Encyclopedia Episode 2- "Alright number 12-Tim Urban...No. It just says no...huh"


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

If you couldn't already tell in the sidebar or by the download icon popping up on iTunes, there has been a new episode of The Demented Encyclopedia!

This week Nick and I tackled the idea of Book/Video Game to Movie Adaptations. We took on this massive topic mainly focusing on what makes a bad, an average and a great adaptation. Mostly it ended up being a long, drawn out Harry Potter discussion, but we sprinkled in the Resident Evil, Doom, and Silent Hill Films as well as Stephen King novels and Fight Club. We found out similarities, patterns and repeat offenders. Eventually though we decided enough was enough and moved onto our next topic: The D-Bag.

The D-Bag is where we go onto our Facebook fanpage (become a fan NOW!) and read off comments that had to do with our main topic of the week. Remember if you don't have Facebook you can always email me at tjmac510@hotmail.com. After analyzing a few comments we moved onto one of our favorite topics (even if people don't like the show) Reality Round-Up. Sadly there WAS no Survivor on this week so most of our discussion was talking about American Idol and how the top 12 finalists did. We also both professed our love for Siobhan Magnus aka


the female Adam Lambert.

After that segment we did a quick Recommend A... in which we both took a look recommended music, me Lee Dewyze's two pre-American Idol albums and Nick Kamelot. Here's a quick look at both:




First Kamelot


and now Lee (it's live but oh well)


After that we did our Monologue/Dialogue of the week in which we took on two scenes from The Princess Bride.

If you haven't already, download our podcast off iTunes and review/rate it. We have new episodes every Saturday and hopefully you can join us down the rabbit hole.

BTW our PLUGS OF THE WEEK WERE

Friday, March 19, 2010

You dogs would be lucky to get a gig singing in the shower. Go sell girl scout cookies.


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

The Thursday before last on my segment "Trailer Talk Thursday" featured on the LAMB site (Large Association of Movie Blogs) I talked about this movie. Little did I know that my indie theater would RELEASE this movie today and after coming back from the show I'm primed to review it. But before I do here is what I said about the film from Trailer Talk Thursday:

"If you know me then you know I love classic rock. 8 out of my top 10 favorite bands of all time are from the 80s or before. There is just something about that music that has changed from back in the day to now. Music used to be a lot more passionate and intense, rock stars weren't just glittered up pretty boys (Jonas Brothers) and the music was a lot better. There was a time when 'Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll' was cool and people could experience great events like Woodstock back when it was great. And while there is still good music today, I think the best days are behind us.

Joan Jett is my favorite female singer of all time. Her ability to be a true female warrior who really doesn't give a crap what people think, even to this day, is amazing. Even now she is still as good live as she was years ago. But what some people, especially people in my era, don't know is that she used to be part of the first successful all-girl rock band known as The Runaways. Started up by Joan Jett and Cherie Currie and managed by Kim Fowley, these three proved that girls can really rock and stand toe to toe with the boys. Cherie Currie, years after the band broke up wrote her autobiography called Neon Angel. This would be the source material for the film version of The Runaways, which is directed by Floria Sigismondi and produced by Jett."

The plot follows the book's outline and focuses on the life of Currie as a young teenager, Jett's Bowie inspired desire to be in a rock band and Fowley's drill Sergeant approach to managing and his willingness to do anything and exploit anything to make money. It shows the origins, the rise and the eventual fall of The Runaways and how the band affected each member of the band's life. It's less of a biopic like people expected and more of an overview of the band. It never goes really too deep into the character and mostly focuses on Cherie, her life at home and the music itself. That's not exactly a huge problem for me but some of the best films based on music legends (Walk the Line and Ray) really have an in depth and deep look into ALL the aspects of their music and lives. This kind of makes the plot overall seem a bit shallow compared to the two previously mentioned films but for what it's worth the script is good and what IS there is well written.

The acting is where this film really shines and makes any other problem, like the script's depth, seem like nothing. Dakota Fanning is phenomenal as Currie, really getting into her head and into the persona of Currie and her singing voice is quite good as well. Some may worry about the over sexualization of Fanning but she is such a seasoned vet of film already that she knows what she can and can't do and part of what makes Fowley so devious is the fact that he wanted Currie to be a jailbait sex kitten. But it never felt uncomfortable which is what kind of worried me.

Kristin Stewart as Jett...wow. Stewart is on my radar as a great actress now. She's no Streep by any means but as far as I'm concerned she is up there with some of the best young actresses. Despite her real life problems: pot, cigarettes, dating life, her inability to stand up straight, her mumble and biting of lower lip, you never notice it in this movie. She IS Joan Jett. She shows that side of herself that we saw in Adventureland...the one that can act. If it wasn't for those Twilight films damning her acting career I think she could have the potential to be an Academy Award winner down the line. I was extremely impressed with Stewart. And Michael Shannon, Academy Award nominee for Revolutionary Road and a great character actor does wonderfully with Fowley as well making him totally unlikeable and likeable at the same time. A great cast overall.

So despite it's lack of depth and weak plot, the film makes up for it with a great cast that brings this film to life. Maybe not the biopic we all expected but still a good movie.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Okay, just to be clear here, our options are: die here, die in the tunnels, or die in the streets. That pretty much it?


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

If you have been a consistent reader of TME then you would know I hold great respect for films that take the cinema verite approach to making films. It's really easy to make big budget films, just ask Michael Bay, but it's really hard to make a big budget film that LOOKS like it was made cheaply and make it seem believable. Films like REC (and its sequel) and Quarantine got that idea down and Paranormal Activity, whether you liked it or not, did too. But one film that ignored for the longest time was probably one of the first cinema verite movies in MY lifetime to become popular, Cloverfield. Whether it was the supposed Dramamine inducing headaches, the warnings on the theater doors or my general distaste for monster movies, I stayed FAAARRR away from this movie. But one day I found this film in the bargain bin of my local store and, after doing some intensive studying on the film, I figured what they hey and picked it up. If nothing else I'd get an 75 minute (its 80 with credits) monster movie I could make fun of. But after watching all the behind the scenes stuff and how much work they put into it, as well as actually sitting down and watching this movie I realized "Wow...this is actually a really good movie!"

The plot is simple and works because of that. Rob is going to Japan and is thrown a surprise party. Rob's brother Jason and his fiancee Lily are assigned to record testimonies for the party from friends of Rob. Well Jason has the attention span of a newt and pushes the camera onto Hud, Rob's sarcastic and pessimistic best friend, who takes the job after he learns his crush Marlena is going to be there. Things seem to be going well until Rob's ex girlfriend Beth shows up. They fight, she leaves and the lights go out. From then until the end it's basically Hell on Earth as Rob, Hud, Lily, and Marlena run around the city trying to avoid whatever is attacking the city and save Beth.

A lot of people will complain that you don't see enough of the creature or that the first 18 and a half minutes are totally boring. I would have to disagree. I think the mysteriousness of the creature and the fear of the unknown really add to the tension of the film. That and when you DO see it, it's pretty badass. As for the first 18 minutes...yeah they are really slow but they work. Most to all of the character development as well as most of the plotline are IN that 18 minutes and unless you wanted a bunch of first person people running around for an hour, those 18 minutes are necessary.

As for the acting, I thought it was quite good. I found it funny how much of the cast from She's Out of My League was in it, but for the most part the acting is great. They are realistic, believable, not stupid (for the most part) and don't make idiotic decisions. It's like if someone was experiencing this for real instead of on film. And I think that really works in the film's favor. The effects are brilliant and the monster design is great.

My only concern and issue is that with most POV films and that is the shakiness. It never really bothered me but it bothered everyone else watching it with me. It's a bit dizzying at time and there are a few moments where I thought the film had froze and that was only the special effects used for the camera. But these irks aren't that bad to me but could piss a lot of people off.

A film that I had previously given no chance turned out to be a great, cheap, thriller that was entertaining from start to finish. An ingenious movie. Give it a look.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

"Yippie-ki-yay, m****rf****r!" "...I've never seen that movie before."


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I have always been a huge fan of Kevin Smith not only as a director/writer/actor but as a person as well. He's outspoken, fun to listen to, speaks his mind and doesn't take crap from anyone. That being said I was worried when I heard about Cop Out. First off it was NOT written by Smith. Smith, whether you like him or not, has a great sense of life and humor in the real as well as great tongue in cheek wit that can't be beat. But Cop Out is NOT that. Cop Out is a mildly entertaining and harmless buddy cop comedy that has great direction but lacks direction (if that makes any sense).

The story is this: Jimmy and Paul are two police officers who have been partners for a long time. One is more reserved and badass and the other is a mumbling incoherent idiot (or maybe that's just Morgan's acting). They get suspended after a bad night and soon after Jimmy learns that his daughter is getting married and its going to cost a lot of money. Jimmy plans on selling his favorite baseball card but things take a turn when Dave (Sean William Scott) steals the card and Paul's favorite gun. Things turn into a drug/gang thing and that's about it. It's decently written but has some oddly serious moments as well as some weird scenes that could have been cut. There is also, in my opinion, too many poo jokes. How old are the writers 3?

The acting is subpar at best. Willis wonders why he's in this, Morgan is idiotic and Scott is actually probably the funniest thing about the movie. Otherwise it's mediocre acting with a few shining moments but not many. It has some funny parts but overall the comedy like I said is very immature.

It's worth a rent but honestly I expected a whole lot more out of Smith. Then again I can't really blame him since he didn't write it...right?

MY VERDICT: RENT IT

Monday, March 15, 2010

What you wear makes a statement to women and your statement is "Hi welcome to Blockbuster!"


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Indie romantic dramas can either be hit or miss. Sometimes we have flops like Moonlight Sonata and then sometimes we have 500 Days of Summer. Well the Good Guy is neither. It's not a piece of crap but it lacks that serious umph to make it truly memorable. But thanks to a good cast and witty writing it does make it at least worth watching.

The Good Guy is the story of Beth. She is an urban conservationist and Manhattanite who is just trying to have the perfect life. She wants the great high paying job, she wants the friends that are always there for her and of course she wants a great guy to spend time with. One day he meets Wall Street hotshot Tommy. He's a good guy with a bit of an ego. His best friend Daniel is a little more sensitive and sweet than Tommy but they get along great. Beth falls for Tommy but soon finds herself in a bit of a predicament when she also falls for Daniel. Complications arise and now she has to figure out who is really the best guy for her. The plot then turns into your usual romantic comedy/drama fare but that's not exactly a bad thing.

It's really hard not to like Alexis Bledel. Sure she isn't the greatest actress but she always does a fairly good job and if anything all she has to do is act cute and bat those gigantic blue eyes at the screen and the audience will fall for her. This movie is no exception. Scott Bryan and Bryan Greenburg do a good job as Tommy and Daniel but they seem a bit stereotypical and predictable. Overall though the acting is decent and there aren't any real hitches.

It's forgettable, sweet and mildly entertaining at most. If you like chick flicks or indie romantic comedies than give it a look. It can't hurt.

MY VERDICT: RENT IT

Underwear would be fine...if I were wearing any


Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Everybody has that kind of film. That film that they inexplicably love. The one that others may hate and some can't understand why you love it but you don't care, you love that film. She's Out of My League is that film for me. It mixes all of my favorite things about comedies as well as romance films, throws in some great acting and writing, a kick ass soundtrack and it was the first film in a while that made me CRY LAUGHING OUT LOUD more than once.

She's Out of My League is a sweet but sassy comedy from first time director Jim Field Smith and written by Sean Anders and John Morris (of Hot Tub Time Machine, Sex Drive and the underrated Never Been Thawed). It stars one of my favorite up and coming comedians (and a dead ringer voice and mannerism wise for my cousin Jimmy of Diary of A Mad Film Fan) Jay Baruchel who plays Kirk, a hopeless romantic and TSA agent with dreams of becoming a pilot. He works with his three best friends Stainer (TJ Miller), a foul mouthed Hall and Oats cover band singer, Devon (Nate Torrence), the sappy sweet guy who is inexplicably the only one married, and Jack (Mike Vogel), a laid back ladies man with a heart of gold. One day after being denied yet again by his ex, Kirk meets Molly (Alice Eve) a total babe. Molly accidentally loses her phone and Kirk has to return it. Upon returning it Molly starts to fall for Kirk, something Kirk, his friends and family, and the audience cannot understand.

From there hi jinks ensue that are sweet, raunchy and totally hilarious. Most of them you probably have seen in the trailers like arriving too soon in his pants or him losing it on the plane but this film is full of hilarity. It's also really a sweet movie too that shows that even if you're an unattractive guy that if you be yourself than you can get even the hottest British models (yes Alice Eve is a model and British).

It's a raunchy comedy with heart like Role Models and I Love You Man. The acting, writing, directing, comedy and pretty much everything are top notch. I can see why some may not like it either it's too cartoony, too raunchy, too over the top or too sappy...but I love this film and even after a second viewing it's still just as funny. A great date night movie and a great comedy altogether.

MY VERDICT: TOP FILM