We had been calling it Murderball, but you can't market Murderball to corporate sponsors.

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

One of the classes I am taking in my college experience is Journalism 102: The Documentary-A Social Force. Pretty much everyone went into the class thinking it was the easiest A they are ever going to earn but I came into it hoping to see more of a genre of film I tend to avoid. That's right people, I dont like documentaries. Maybe it was growing up watching the bad history channel ones or the ones I was forced to watch in 1st-8th grade but to me they were just overwhelmingly boring. There was one exception though and that man's name was Michael Moore. I am a huge fan of his mostly because he takes an uninteresting (for the most part) category of film and makes it interesting and accessible to the everyman. In my Documentary class I am slowly learning that more and more really gripping and exciting documentaries are being made. One of those is MTV film's Murderball (2005)

If you have no idea what Murderball is, thats fine. A lot of people didnt even know it exsisted. One part Mad Max, one part speed, and one part endurance, this sport has slowly gained popularity and is one of the funnest to watch at the olympics. That's right, the olympics. But there is one thing that really sets it apart: the players are quadriplegic. Murderball's technical name is Wheelchair rugby. The US olympic team has also been the highest ranking team for a long time with such great names as Mark Zupan and Joe Soares. While they may not be household names to some, they are definetly hose hold names to a lot of people.

Murderball essentially is broken up between three different story paths. One focuses on the US paralympic team and its players as they train and battle leading up ultimately to the 2004 paralympic games. You hear the stories of how they got injured, how their lives are, how they cope and how they perservere. This movie drips hope from an IV and straight into your body. Even if you think you are having the worst day possible, these guys get out of bed every morning happy and excited for the day...AND THEY CANT WALK...so SUCK IT UP!

The second tier focuses on Joe Soares, once a great player for the US team, after growing older and slower, is kicked off the team. In a huff he joins Team Canada as their coach in hope of whupping the pants off of Team USA. From minute one you KNOW he is the antagonist and proud of it. He essentially betrays his country because of a grudge. And while you want to hate Joe, the movie also shows his home life and you become closer to Joe and realize maybe he's just a tragic hero. A man who had it all and than it was taken away and at the first gleam of hope grabbed it. The moments with his wife and son are both hillarious and touching.

The third tier focuses on newly paralyzed Dirtbike racer Keith. With Keith you get an idea of how life is in the beginning. How you can go from so much to so little. An adult to a child in one fell swoop having to relearn everything. This is where issues like moving, mobility, changing clothes and even sex are discussed so that we get an idea of what its all like. We even see the mindset of hopelessness and hope at the same time:hopeless that he will never walk again but hope that he will. Its later on in the movie in an extremly touching scene, that we see how wheelchair rugby can really bring you out of a slump.

With great music, fast cuts, great personalities from everyone, this feels like a sports movie shot in a documentary style, not just a documentary. Even if you dont like documentaries, this movies overall theme of hope and the excitement that comes from watching these guys play, should be more than enough to garner picking this one up in the nearest bargain bin.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

It makes me hate war, but it doesn't make me believe that we're in a world that can live without war yet.

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

I know it seems a little odd to be doing a film that has been out for a while but this is the benchmark for a little change in format. I will review old movies as well as new ones: I am the movie ENCYCLOPEDIA aren't I? Well we watched this film in my Intro to mass media class and I was supposed to write a review on the movie: I figured "Hey if Im gonna turn in a review I might as well let my readers see what it is. So you can pardon me if it sounds a little foreign, my blog speak and paper speak are quite different. Oh well hope you enjoy.

Control Room (2004), a film by Jehane Noujaim, showcases the opening days of the invasion of Iraq in 2003 from the perspective of Al Jazeera, an Arab news network, and its reporters. Al Jazeera itself was introduced in 1996 as Al Jazeera satellite. It is located in Doha, Qatar and its main producer is Samir Kahder. Al Jazeera focuses on Arab issues and concerns in a way that is extremely controversial not only to Americans but to the Arabs as well. Especially during the opening days of the Iraqi war, Al Jazeera would not hesitate to show how troops act, what people thought of the invasion as well as the aftermaths of some of the bombings. Samir (the producer) strives to show people the absolute truth without being censored, even if the images may be disturbing. He also believes that the people, American and Arab, have a right to KNOW the truth and hopefully from it will be able to take action. If they weren’t to show those pictures it would be detrimental to finding truth. Meanwhile throughout the film, when they aren’t following Al Jazeera, they follow the exploits of Lt. Rushing and his change of attitude during the war. In the beginning he believes that Al Jazeera is bias towards Saddam and is evil but as he self reflects on the idea of being moved when American soldiers die but being emotionally numb when Iraqis die, he realizes that he hates war. After we see Rushing’s change of heart and have followed Al Jazeera’s large influence on the Arab society, we see the third and most terrifying act: the friendly fire attack on Al Jazeera’s news station as well as other news stations and hotels. A few journalists die in the process but America seems to care less if an Arab dies. In the film during this time it makes the American military out to be nothing but a heartless monster that will do whatever it wants. To make up for this potentially derailing “mistake” the whole statue of Saddam falling thing happened. There was only one problem: it was staged.

This film did a really good job of showing Al Jazeera as it really is: a hardworking group of journalists who are trying to spread the truth. Despite their bias, I respect Al Jazeera’s ability to try to find truth in a pile of lies. Anyone who is trying to be a journalist can learn a lot from these guys. The film really has a nice gritty feel to it; it doesn’t feel like it was touched up or like it was trying to make things out to look like they weren’t. If the city was in rubble and there was dust and blood and crying, you saw all of it. The handicam style of everything really added an element of being in their shoes as well. So not only were you in their environment, but you also felt like you were right there with them, thinking what they think, believing what they believe. That is where the one major flaw I have with this movie comes out. Then again all documentaries have this problem. Bias. Now yes you see the bias in their news reporting but they are fully aware of that in the movie. The main problem with documentaries is they don’t always do a great job explaining both sides, making you sympathize with one and hate the other.

The commentaries from the different personalities was also extremely interesting. Hassan Ibrahim (the large man) had a true belief in the American constitution in the beginning and throughout the film you see that belief slowly slip away and you see his earning to know what all is going on. Meanwhile Samir is trying to keep a smile on his face and a business-like perspective on the whole thing. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind at all and if things aren’t going right or you bring on a bad guest, you hear all about it later. But the most interesting of all is Rushing. He has this hard headed America is always right and never wrong mentality and is one of the first to say and think that Al Jazeera is full of crap. He thinks they are extremely bias and always wrong. But like I said before in the opening paragraph, once he sees the dead Iraqis and the dead Americans, you really see a transformation. He talks slowly and surely and you see in his face the shock and awe at what is coming out of his mouth. His numbness towards the death of Iraqis astounds him. And when he utters “It makes me hate war,” coming from a Lieutenant in the marines, it’s a real mind blower. But the film really lets you take everything in. That’s one of the other big things I like about it is that you really feel this sense of absorbance. The movie isn’t very fast cuts, Michael Bay-esque, but slow and steady and when you hear bombshells like the hate war comment or see the missile hit the studio or the statue being pulled down and its aftermath, you really feel like you are watching and processing it right along with them.

But this movie also brings up a giant question to American viewers: Should we see authentic images of war’s effects? You know what I think? Definitely. I think, not only as Americans, but as people, we have the right to see and know the truth. If that means seeing mangled and dead bodies in fiery ash then so be it. “But what if it offends somebody?” Good. That means its doing what it’s supposed to be doing: getting a response out of us. If it moves us or disturbs us than that means the message we need to get is being put into our heads. Would you rather have it that we stay in the dark forever thinking that the world is sunshine and rainbows? That is no way to live. We should not be sheltered from the knowledge we deserve. As the old saying goes, Knowledge is Power, and if we have the ability to hear the truth and see these images, then our power is potentially limitless.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

In a world where everyone can tell the truth...this guy can lie

Greetings and Salutations! I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will watch it, I will. How many people reading my blog have ever heard of the Office? Not the Steve Carrel remake but the original Emmy Award winning hit show, The Office starring and written by Ricky Gervais? Fine...not a lot of people...How about extras? Or maybe his stand up he did in Grand Theft Auto IV? Either way Ricky Gervais is arguably one of the funniest British people to ever live. Why is that you ask?

Here's a bit of his stand up


If you dont laugh than there is something wrong with you. And I picked this clip in particular for a reason and youll hear it later.

Ricky Gervais has become famous for his great writing, great timing, wit, and dry sense of humor. Last year he released the commercially mediocre but critically loved film Ghost Town. Now he's back with another movie bluntly and descriptively titled THE INVENTION OF LYING. TIOL (The acronym) is about a world in which man has not evolved enough so they have never developed the ability to lie. Everyone tells the truth and blurts out everything without thinking about it. This can be both good and bad for people but its especially hard for Mark. Mark is a screenwriter but more importantly he is fat and ugly. People in this world dont care what you do or who you are as a person. As long as you look good you will get far and ultimatley get married while all the fat people will die lonely. And they tell this to Mark without any hesitation. Its hard being a screenwriter in this world because every "movie" is nothing more than a history report read out loud on a teleprompter. And because of his looks Mark is stuck with the 1300s which was famous for the Black Plague...yay for Mark. Its here that we meet our major players. Jennifer Garner plays Anna McDoogles, a woman who knows her beauty but is quite shallow and extremly blunt. In fact her first sentance involves telling Mark that he interrupted her masturbating and it left her quite frusterated. If you can handle that much bluntness than youll be fine in this movie.

Mark pines over Anna, despite her not being interested in him because he lacks good genetic code. After his sad date he returns to work to find out that he is fired. His secretary and co writer are extatic (played by Tina Fay...in a great bit role...and Rob Lowe...great as always) while his boss (Jeffery Tambor, wonderful) is depressed.

He returns to his apartment to find his friend Frank (Jonah Hill in a clean but funny role) still contemplating suicide and his rent is due. When he goes to the bank, knowing he doesnt have enough money, he somehow, someway, lies and says he has the right amount. Eureka...lying has invented! Thus the films plot picks up and we learn what the world would be like if one man could lie to get anything he wants. And for the most part its all hillarious.

Its in the latter half of the movie though that the film really gets a deep meaning when Mark makes his biggest lie of all: he invents God. Everyone believes when they die thats it. But Mark says that we all go to a great place when we die where we live forever, unless we are bad than we go to a bad place. Its all done very tounge in cheek but its also really thought provoking and it really is done in a great way.

The acting is extremly good in this film. Ricky is hillarious as always (I seriously cried laughing during a few parts), Garner is sweet, funny, and does a really good job. Lowe plays a great villain and Louis CK does a great job as the sidekick.

Its the cameos that really steal the show though.

You have Tina Fay playing the overly blunt and rude secretary who is so laugh out loud funny, as Fay always seems to be.

You got Jeffery Tambor as the boss doing a great and hillarious job.

But what got me was 3 cameos in particular: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Bateman, and Edward Norton. You read that right. Those three are in this movie. They are in it for about five minutes a piece but they are all definite show stealers.

My three favorite scenes involve them. Ed Norton plays a cop with a cocaine problem but its done in a way that is so funny that you CANT NOT LAUGH. You wish you could control police officers that way. It also helps that Norton is the greatest actor ever!!

anything he is in is automatically great.

Hoffman however plays a dopey bartender in what could be the greatest comedic scene of the 2000s. Gervais, CK, and Hoffman are in a bar and Gervais is trying to explain how lying works. What results is the greatest back and forth "Whose on first"esque ive seen in a long time.

And Bateman comes in another great scene playing Mark's mothers doctor. It makes you glad doctors can lie to you or let you down easily.

With the phenominal cameos, the fantastic writing, the great moral story with religious undertones and the romantic comedy subplot, this is probably one of the better comedies of the year.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT (cant give it an own it because I probably wont buy it but I give it the highest SEE IT I could give)