Review: Right At Your Door

I watched Right At Your Door on TV last night. I saw the trailer years ago, but I don't think the movie ever got released here. At least, I didn't notice the DVD in the videostore or regular store. Anyways, the movie started at midnight and I thought I would just watch the beginning and then go to bed. WRONG! Once the shit hit the fan, I was hooked.

The movie opens slow. Rory Cochrane (Lucas from Empire Records!) stars as Brad, an out of work musician and loving, but needy boyfriend of Lexi (Mary McCormack). He makes her breakfast, wakes her up and then she gets ready for work. Not long after Lexi has left for work, bombs go off in LA. Brad, worried for Lexi's safety, goes out looking for her and tries to call her numerous times without any luck. Over the radio he hears the bombs are dirty bombs and there are toxic clouds spreading over the city.

Brad and the neighbor's handyman (don't ask) follow the news reports that advise them to stay inside and seal the house. After a while, Lexi, covered in ashes and coughing badly, shows up at the house, asking Brad to let her in.

Moral dilemma: would you let your loved one in knowing he/she is infected?

The movie does a good job putting you in Brad's shoes. Cochrane was fantastic. I could really feel he was torn by his decision to leave her outside. As I initially disliked his character (not for leaving her out, but his neediness), I was surprised I ended up caring for him as much as I did. Cochrane bravely carried this movie with his credible performance. I felt McCormack was on/off and didn't care much for her character.

The ending really shocked me. Maybe not entirely realistic, but it was well done. I also liked the opening credits sequence. That was a nice change from all the boring ones! What I really didn't like about the movie were the fade to black transition shots. I kinda got sick of them after a while.

I was never bored watching this movie. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how it would end. And the thought that this could happen in real life just added to the suspense. A 4/5.

Review: Sherlock Holmes

I had no interest in watching Sherlock Holmes, but a friend of mine wanted to see it and I thought: 'why not, I haven't seen Rachel McAdams in anything in ages anyways.' Bad idea, Gwen, bad idea.

It's not a horrible film, not at all. It has its moments and I feel that's all it has: moments. I thought the movie was quite lacking in the story department, which is rather strange for a movie based on characters from a ton of books!

Robert Downey Jr. tries to charm his way through the whole thing. Jude Law hasn't been interesting since The Talented Mr. Ripley. Rachel McAdams looks pretty, but doesn't have much to do.

The whole look of the film is too bleak for my taste, but I did like the costume design. Overall, worth a look if you like this sort of thing. I was rather bored though. A 3/5.

Piranha 3D pushed back

When when when will I get to see the Piranha 3D trailer in all its HD glory?! Damn you Weinsteins for pushing this movie back to August! I don't even want to see it in 3D (I hate 3D!), just make it Piranha 2D and release it already! You guys just want the extra bucks! Which makes me wonder how much money Avatar has really made so far if you don't count the higher ticket price for 3D.

The movie sounds like a hilariously fun ride! I want to see Christopher Lloyd back on the big screen! I want to see Richard Dreyfuss' cameo! I want to see Jerry O'Connell getting eaten by piranhas (no offense, Jerry, you're awesome)! I want to see Adam Scott period!

Piranha 3D (I love saying the title!) stars Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Adam Scott, Ving Rhames, Jessica Szohr, Christopher Lloyd and Richard Dreyfuss.

Trailer Park: The A-Team

BRADLEY COOPER! That is all.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

I didn't think it was possible to have more love for Mary Elizabeth Winstead, but the girl is rocking the blue hair. I really want to see Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Too bad Michael Cera is in it. BUT! To compensate, it also stars: Chris Evans! Mae Whitman! Jason Schwartzman! Kieran Culkin!

And it's co-written by Michael Bacall! Which is funny to me cause I was just thinking this morning 'isn't Bacall writing something?' This after seeing him in Death Proof last night and thinking about his career. (I have this thing about people who were on Buffy and Bacall guest starred in the season 2 ep "Some Assembly Required", which means I think more about Bacall than the average person - yes, I am a dork).

Trailer Park: Tucker & Dale vs Evil

Tucker & Dale vs Evil is about two good hearted hillbillies (Reaper's Tyler Labine and Firefly's Alan Tudyk) who are accused of being psycho killers by a group of college kids when they go camping in the same area. Kids end up dead, but not because Tucker & Dale are trying to kill them. The trailer is the funniest thing I've seen in a long while! Seriously, I'm surprised no one came up with this idea before. How many movies have there been about killers stalking teens in the woods? Nice to see the tables turned for a change. Just because these guys may look creepy, doesn't mean they are psycho killers.

I think this movie has potential to do well. If marketing and the release date won't epically fail. It's high up on my must see list!

2009 Round Up!

It's the end of the year so it's time to look back at the movies I've seen this year and pick favorites. I haven't seen a lot of movies this year so it's tough picking.

Movies I saw in the theater (in chronological order):
Friday the 13th; Confessions of a Shopaholic; Wolverine; 17 Again; Star Trek; The Hangover; The Proposal; G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; Inglourious Basterds; The Final Destination; Up

Movies I saw on DVD (in alphabetical order):
Bride Wars; The Last House on the Left; My Bloody Valentine 3D; New In Town; Obsessed; Taken

Movies I wanted to see, but didn't get around to seeing (in alphabetical order):
(500) Days of Summer; 2012; Adoration; Adventureland; All About Steve; Amelia; Away We Go; The Box; Brothers; Carriers; Couples Retreat; Drag Me To Hell; Fanboys; Fired Up!; The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past; The Haunting in Connecticut; He's Just Not That Into You; I Love You, Beth Cooper; I Love You, Man; Jennifer's Body; Julie & Julia; Knowing; Land of the Lost; The Lovely Bones; My Sister's Keeper; New York, I Love You; Night at the Museum 2; Observe and Report; Pandorum; A Perfect Getaway; Post Grad; Precious; Push; Race to Witch Mountain; Sorority Row; The Stepfather; Sunshine Cleaning; The Time Traveler's Wife; Transformers 2; The Ugly Truth; Where the Wild Things Are; Whip It; Whiteout; Zombieland

My Five Favorite Films of the Year (notice how I say favorite and not best):
1) Inglourious Basterds
2) Star Trek
3) Up
4) Confessions of a Shopaholic
5) G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

My Least Favorite Movies of the Year:
1) Bride Wars
2) The Final Destination
3) New In Town
4) My Bloody Valentine 3D
5) Wolverine

Ten Favorite Performances of the Year (in alphabetical order):
1) Ali Larter (Obsessed)
2) Bradley Cooper (The Hangover)
3) Chris Pine (Star Trek)
4) Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
5) Daniel Brühl (Inglourious Basterds)
6) Isla Fisher (Confessions of a Shopaholic)
7) Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds)
8) Oscar Nuñez (The Proposal)
9) Ryan Reynolds (The Proposal)
10) Sienna Miller (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra)

Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2010:
The A-Team; And Soon the Darkness; The Back-Up Plan; Black Swan; Blue Valentine; Case 39; Chloe; Clash of the Titans; Cop Out; The Crazies; Date Night; Dear John; Don McKay; Eat, Pray, Love; The Expendables; The Experiment; Frozen; Going the Distance; The Good Guy; Gulliver's Travels; Holy Rollers; The Joneses; The Kids Are All Right; The Killer Inside Me; Killers; Knight and Day; Leap Year; Letters to Juliet; Life As We Know It; The Losers; Love & Other Impossible Pursuits; Machete; Piranha 3D; Red Dawn; Repo Men; The Resident; The Romantics; The Roommate; Scott Pilgrim vs. the World; Shelter; She's Out of My League; Shutter Island; Somewhere; The Tooth Fairy; Toy Story 3; Tucker and Dale vs Evil; Valentine's Day;