The Prestige

The Prestige is a 2006 mystery-thriller directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Michael Caine. The film is about two rival magicians, who go to great lengths to out do the other magician. They both want to create the greatest magic trick. The film is an adaptation of Christopher Priest's novel of the same name.

If you enjoy movies with twists, this is the movie for you. It has multiple twists and after you finish watching you'll want to watch again to catch all the clues. The acting is spectacular and does not disappoint. The visuals are well done and captures the 19th century time period perfectly. The film does have a lot of twists and maybe hard to follow at times but is enjoyable.

American: The Bill Hicks Story

American: The Bill Hicks Story is a documentary film about a stand up comedian named Bill Hicks, who passed away in 1994 at the age of 32. He was never well known in mainstream America but has gained a cult following since his death. If you enjoy controversial comedians like George Carlin, you will really enjoy Bill Hicks. The documentary does an amazing job capturing his unique life. From starting comedy as a young teen to being diagnosed with cancer, he has a very interesting but short life. The documentary is very well made and utilizes still photos from his life with animation. Friends and family talk about Bill, while his stand up routines are played in between interviews. If you have heard of him and are a fan, this is a great documentary to watch to understand him more. If you haven't, you might be a little uninterested but it might make you a fan of him.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 2011 spy drama. It has an ensemble cast including Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth and John Hurt. It takes place in the 1970's and is about a Soviet spy in the British secret service. It is a adaptation of a novel of the same name written by John Le Carre.

First of all, the film is very slow paced. The slow pace might be a negative aspect to the some but the story should keep you interested. The acting is absolutely top notch. Every actor in this film does a very believable job. Gary Oldman is the lead and gives a brilliant performance as usual. It is very suspenseful and makes you try to figure out who is the mole until it is revealed at the end of the film. This alone kept me interested in watching this slow paced film. If you enjoy a good suspenseful spy film with amazing acting, you will enjoy this film.

Cabin in the Woods

Recently, I have yet to watch a new horror film that I really liked. This is all changed when I saw Cabin in the Woods.  Cabin in the Woods was released on April 13. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Bradley Whitford and Kristen Connolly. Most of the cast are not household names, which is usually a good sign for horror movies. It was written and produced by Josh Whedon, who is directing the new Avenger movie.

The film looks like a typical slasher horror film. Five teens go on vacation into the woods and stay at a cabin. It has all the ingredients for a slasher film, until halfway through the film it is clear this is not the case. What makes this movie great is the fact it has a great twist at the end. It is hard to give a great review without giving the twist away. The twist really makes the movie enjoyable. The acting is terrible but in this case it works since most old horror movies have bad acting. The film is very gory, which is always good in a horror movie. Most horror movies these days are rated pg-13, which takes away from it being enjoyable. Cabin is rated R, and the gore really flows because of this. If you are a fan of horror movies and want to watch one with a great twist than this movie is for you.

Terminator 2

One of the few movies that can still hold up after 20 years is Terminator 2. The film came out in 1991 and is directed by James Cameron. It is the sequel to the 1984 science fiction film, The Terminator. Terminator 2 stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick.

The film takes place eleven years after the first film. Two Terminators are sent back in time. One is sent to kill a young boy who is destined to lead a human resistance army against artificial intelligence machines in the future. The other Terminator is sent back to protect the boy.

Even though the film is over 20 years old, the special effects were so advanced for the time that they still hold up well. The movie has a lot of great action scenes, but it also has a well written script. The film is very character driven and has very deep impacting dialogue. It questions whether a machine could ever be human. It does have a lot of violence but it is well done. This film is up there in my favorite films list.

Captain America

With the Avengers movie coming out soon, I decided to watch and review Captain America. Captain America came out in 2011 and stars Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving. It was the final Avenger super hero film before the Avengers movie coming out this May. The film shows the origins of the Marvel superhero, Captain America.

If you enjoyed the other Marvel superhero movies like Thor and the Iron Man movies then you will probably enjoy this film. The film is very action packed, which is of course common place in super hero films. What gives this movie a unique aspect is that it takes place during World War 2. There is plenty of laughs in the film, which gives it more entertainment value than just action. The acting could be better but it is decent enough not to take away from the film. The fact the villains in the movie were nazi's, made you really root for Captain America to win the fight against them. It wasn't the best Marvel super hero movie, but it was definitely entertaining, especially if you are planning to see the Avengers movie next month.

Dracula (1992)

Dracula is a 1992 horror-romance film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves. It is another telling of Bram Stoker's classic story of Dracula. This adaptation of the story has some differences from others, such as Dracula having a love interest.

The film was very entertaining. It was shocking and gruesome in some parts but beautifully shot in other parts. The special effects were very convincing and still hold up 20 years later. What really makes this film a must watch is the acting from Gary Oldman as Dracula. I was amazed at how convincing he was as the count. Sadly, Keanu Reeves acting is absolutely terrible and really hurt the film because it was hard to watch him act. If you are a fan of the horror or the Dracula story, you will love this movie because for the most part it stays true to the book besides Dracula's love interest plot.

Warrior

Warrior is a 2011 action drama directed by Gavin O'Connor. The film stars Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte. The film revolves around two estranged brothers, who join a Mixed Martial Arts tournament to win 5 million dollars. One brother is a loner and former Marine and the other is a physics teacher with a family. Nick Nolte plays their father who is a recovering alcoholic who is trying to rebuild his relationship with his two sons.

First off, the plot itself is very cliched and recycled. The plot definitely isn't that unique. The thing about the film is that it doesn't really matter because everything else is done very well. The acting is very top notch and the fight sequences are very realistic. It is also very emotional driven for a movie with so much fighting and action. If you are a fan of MMA and the UFC, you will like it but it has enough other qualities besides the fighting that anyone can enjoy.

Super High Me

Super High Me is a 2007 documentary about marijuana use on the body. The documentary stars comedian Doug Benson and is similar to the 2004 documentary about eating Mcdonalds, Super Size Me. In the film, Doug Benson is a casual marijuana smoker and decides to take a 30 day break before smoking marijuana all day for 30 days to see if it takes a toll on his body. During the cleansing period and during the marijuana use period, he goes through physical and mental tests. The film also shows how medical marijuana works in California and interviews with activists, medical marijuana dispensary owners and politicians.

The film gives viewers a glimpse into how medical marijuana works in California. It shows how people really need this medicine and how the government cracks down on patients, even though they obviously benefit from it. This documentary has a lot of comedic parts but also has some serious parts. It was interesting to see how constant marijuana use did not do anything to Doug. It makes you question why marijuana is even illegal in the first place, at least for medical reasons. I really enjoyed this documentary and if you have any interest in medical marijuana culture, you will enjoy it also.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a 2010 comedy directed by Edgar Wright. The movie is based on a graphic novel series of the same name. It star Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kieran Culkin. The film follows a young musician, as he falls in love with a girl and must defeat her "seven evil exes" before he can begin dating her. The film has a video game/comic book style and look to it.

This movie did really badly at the box office when it first came out which is really a shame. It is a shame because it was a very fun film to watch, at least for me. It made me laugh and the visuals really struck me. There are plenty of video game style fight sequences that will make action fans happy. I can see where some of the jokes might go over the heads of older generations but if you are under 30 this movie should make you laugh. The jokes can seem a bit juvenile but it really works in this case. It was definitely one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while.

Inglourious basterds

Inglourious Basterds is a 2009 fictional war film directed and written by Quentin Tarantino. The film takes during World War 2 in Germany and follows multiple storylines that eventually combine at the end of the film. The film stars Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth and Diane Kruger. Christoph Waltz would be win a number of awards for his performance in the film.

The film focuses on fictional assassination attempts on Adolf Hitler during World War 2. One plot involves a group of American Jews led by Brad Pitt's character, Aldo Raine. The other involves Jewish French cinema owner. Another important character in the film is Christoph Waltz's character, Hans Landa, who hunts for Jews in Nazi occupied territories.

Like most Tarantino films this film has a great mix of comedy, violence and great acting. Christoph Waltz is amazing in this film. He steals the show from the other actors. The rest of the actors do a great job as well. The violence is graphic but in a somewhat comedic way. If you are familiar with Tarantino films you will not be surprised with this film. It is a typical Tarantino film except taking place in World War 2. If you like his previous movies you will love it.

Conan O'Brien Can't Stop

This 2011 documentary follows Conan O'Brien after his departure from his short stint of hosting NBC's The Tonight Show. Following his departure he is not allowed to be on TV for 6 months. Conan and his team create a live stage show called, "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour". The tour would go across the entire US.

This was a very interested documentary. If you are a Conan O'Brien fan it is interesting to see what exactly happened after Conan left NBC. You get a intimate look at how Conan and his team come up with the jokes that will be used in the tour. The most interesting part about the documentary is seeing Conan nervous about how the tour will be received by critics and audiences. Off stage Conan continues cracking jokes, especially with his personal assistant. This documentary might not be interesting if you are not a Conan fan but if you are you will not be disappointed.

(500) Days of Summer

(500 Days of Summer) is a 2009 Romantic Comedy, directed by Marc Webb. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. The film follows the character of Tom, who tries to forget his failed relationship he had with a girl named Summer. The film shows this by jumping back and forth in time between different times in the relationship and the present time.

The film utilizes a bunch of different visual techniques throughout. During one scene, Tom breaks out in a song and dance with people from the city. In another shot, a scene is turned into a drawing. The way the story is told, is a bit all over the place but the film makes do a good job not confusing viewers by displaying the number of the day within the "500 Days". The film utilizes a great soundtrack that really makes the viewer feel emotion along with the great visuals.

It was refreshing to see a romantic movie from a guys perspective for once. I really enjoyed this film because it is hard to not feel emotional after watching it. It is so well made and the pace is perfect. I never felt bored while watching it. I usually do not like "romantic" type films but this one is so unique that is really enjoyable. If doesn't matter if you love or hate romantic films, you will enjoy this film. It has something for everyone.

Religulous

I recently watched the documentary, Religulous. I haven't reviewed a documentary yet on here so this would be a good one to start with. It follows comedian Bill Maher and his quest to understand religion. It is basically a documentary about religion from the eyes of an atheist, with a comedic aspect to it. It was directed By Larry Charles.

The documentary begins with Maher describing his upbringing with a Catholic Father and Jewish Mother. From there, we watch as he interviews people from different religions about their own religions. He travels all over the world to conduct interviews. Some of the people he interviews are Catholic Priests and former Mormons. Maher intertwines humor within the interviews. Most of the humor comes from video clips mixed in with Maher's jokes.

This documentary will definitely be enjoyed by Agnostics and Atheists. Religious people with a sense of humor will probably also enjoy it. I can see some religious people being offended by the film. It does poke fun of religion a lot. The title of the film should give that away though. It was one of the recent documentaries where I have watched and really enjoyed.

The Machinist

The Machinist is a 2004 film directed by Brad Anderson. It is a psychological thriller. It stars Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The movie is famous for Christian Bale's performance. Christian Bale lost 62 pounds to play the main character, Trevor. He would end up weighing only 120 pounds and risked his health to play the part.

The film is about a machinist named Trevor, who has not slept in a year. He is suffering from severe insomnia and because of it he has lost a lot of weight. Trevor also suffers from paranoia and the viewer feels this along with him. He suspects a new coworker of sabotaging his life. As the movie goes on we find out that Trevor's life may not be what it seems to be.

The movie has a really dark tone. It is also very disturbing at times and has very graphic imagery. It is a great movie to watch if you love movies with twists. It does have some slow parts but is still entertaining. Christian Bale's appearance and performance is worth the watch alone.

Requiem for a Dream

Requiem for a Drama was released in 2000 and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Aronofsky would go on to direct recent successful films such as The Wrestler and Black Swan. The film stars Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans and Ellen Burstyn. 

The film shows the lives of four characters, who battle addiction in the span of three seasons. The film starts during the Summer. Three of the characters battle addiction to illegal drugs such as heroin, while the other played by Ellen Burstyn battles an addiction to diet pills. The film starts with all the characters lives being positively effected by using and/or dealing drugs but eventually it shows the decline of their lives because of the use.

What really helps this film is the way Aronofsky shoots the film. He uses split screen shots and other unique filming techniques to really make the film stand out from others. The score of the film is amazing because Aronofsky uses composer Clint Mansell with the Kronos Quartet. The acting is great, especially from veteran actress, Elen Burstyn. 

The film is a vary graphic portrayal of the negative effects hard drugs can do to someone. It may be too much for some viewers. In my opinion every high school student should watch this movie so they can see that hard drug use has very bad consequences. 

Overall I really enjoyed the film. It will probably make you depressed but it was not a boring film. I've heard from others that did not enjoy it because it felt "too artsy". You be the judge. 

Evil Dead

Evil Dead is a low budget horror movie released in 1981. It spawned two sequels, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness. Since it was made with a low budget, most of the actors were all virtually unknown actors at the time. The main character, Ash is played by Bruce Campbell and is the only actor in the film who would go on to have a somewhat successful movie career. He also stars in both sequels to the Evil Dead.

The movie's plot involves five college students, who go away to a secluded cabin in the woods. While there they find an ancient book called "The Book of the Dead" in the basement of the cabin. They also find a audio recording, which they play and it releases a demon. Eventually one by one each of the students are possessed by a demon. At the end of the film Ash is the only one left as all the others perish.

Since the film was made with such a low budget, the acting is pretty bad at times and it isn't much to look at. It is very gory and graphic which will either make you want to watch it or avoid it. If you are a fan of campy classic horror movies then definitely check it out. As a horror fan myself, it is definitely one of my favorites.

Inception

Inception is a science fiction film that was released in 2010. It was written and directed by Christopher Nolan, who has directed blockbusters such as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine and Cillian Murphy.

The film is about a team lead by DiCaprio's character, Cobb, who go into a persons dreams to extract information for paying clients. In Inception, Cobb must lead his team to put an idea into someone's mind. This is not easy since "inception" is thought to be impossible. Cobb is wanted for murder and cannot return to the United States, where his kids are, unless he does this inception mission. If his team completed the mission he will be granted a new life in the United States with his family.

The film has a ton of special effects. Just watching for the special effects alone would be worth it but the movie has much more than just special effects. The plot is very unique and is a breath fresh air with recycled plots in Hollywood right now. The cast is very diverse and all are amazing in their roles. The plot maybe confusing to some people but a second viewing would still be entertaining if it is needed to understand the movie better. If you are looking for a smart film that is also visually stunning than Inception would be a great movie to watch.

Batman Begins

Batman Begins was released in 2005 and is a reboot of the Batman story. It was directed by Christopher Nolan and is a much darker film thematically than the previous Batman films. What sets Batman Begins apart from the others is it goes in depth into the origins of how Batman came to be. Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman and does an amazing job basically playing two different characters in one film. It also stars Michael Caine as Bruce Waynes butler, Alfred. Liam Neeson plays the main villain in the film, Ra's Al Ghul. Gary Oldman plays a police officer who assists Batman in the film. The only acting that falls flat is that of Katie Holmes, who plays the love interest in the film.

Christopher Nolan does a good job bringing Batman into the "real world" instead of some fantasy comic book world with over the top super villains. In this film Batman is shown to be more of a detective with gadgets and martial arts training than a superhero. Even the famous Batmobile gets a "real world" makeover, it is more like a tank in this film instead of a unrealistic fantasy car like in other Batman films.

The dark elements of this film might be a little too much for kids to enjoy. It could be frightening to some viewers. However, those unfamiliar with the Batman story will enjoy this film because it does a good job telling that story. This isn't just a over the top super hero movie. It has something for everyone. Action scenes are prevalent in the film but there are also a lot of emotional aspects to the film.  This is one comic book movie everyone should watch.

Halloween (1978)

Halloween was created in 1978 and written and directed by John Carpenter. The film was created on an extremely low budget but did very well in the box office. It was one of the first films in the Horror sub genre of “slasher” films that would become popular from here on. Although it is classified as a “slasher” film, it has many unique qualities that are hardly seen in today’s horror movies. The films plot is very simple, which is common place for most horror movies. A young boy named Michael Myers kills his older sister and is sent away to a mental institute. After fifteen years, Michael escapes the Asylum and returns to his home town and in the process begins to kill teenagers on Halloween.

Although the film’s plot is simple, it is how the film is shot that makes this movie a horror masterpiece.  Carpenter does a good job at keeping the audience in suspense. One way he does this is by using the camera to give the viewer Michael Myers perspective when he is stalking his next victim. Michael Myers wears a mask and when the camera shot is supposed to be his point of view you can hear Michael’s heavy breathing as he watches his victims. This puts the viewer in the body of a serial killer. Another way the film suspense is utilized is by creating tension in the viewer. Carpenter uses quick edits to make the audience jump in fear.  In one scene Michael Myers hides in a closet and unexpectedly jumps out and kills a male character. Leading up to this scene we see Michael watching from outside the house and then surprisingly is inside and then murders. The score of the film also creates a lot of suspense and tension.  It is a simple piano key played over and over with some synth mixed in that creates an eerie feel to the movie. Carpenter does a good job paying homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

For such a small budget movie, the acting is really top notch. The only seasoned actor involved in the film who is somewhat known is Donald Pleasance. The veteran actor does a really good job playing Michael Myers former psychiatrist who tries hard tracking Michael down and stopping him from killing. The movie was also Jamie Lee Curtis’ first movie in which she does a good job playing the studious main teenager in the town who is stalked by Michael. The other actors in the movie are decent but some of the other teenage actors in the movies acting leave a lot to be desired in the acting department.

Halloween is one of the best horror movies ever made. Its influence in the horror movie genre is still felt today which shows how great it is. Even though the film was made in the late 1970’s it holds up really well to today’s standards. Young horror fans and even non horror fans can appreciate the film.