The Family that Preys (2008)

I am a huge fan of Tyler Perry's films.  The first one I saw was "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," and it was a terrific movie.  "The Family that Preys" was much more serious in nature, mainly due to the absence of Madea's crazy character.  Nevertheless, it was a pretty good movie.  The film follows two families, a white upper class family led by Kathy Bates and an African-American family led by Alfre Woodard.  Both matriarchs are struggling with their adult children, and their lives have become even more intertwined then they would ever have imagined.  Even though the two women seem opposite in nature, they have been friends for over 30 years.  There are several sad moments throughout the film, and you genuinely despise a few of the characters, but in the end, the good characters triumph.  I would give this film 3 ½ out of 5 stars.

Ondine (2009)

Colin Farrell stepped outside his comfort zone when he took the role of a fisherman in "Ondine."  This film is about a recovering alcoholic Irish fisherman who pulled a suspicious girl out of the water one day.  The girl thought she had died and insisted that she shouldn't be seen by anyone and couldn't remember her past.  That same day, the fisherman tells his sick daughter the story and she insists that he found a sea creature.  I really wish that the film had followed the whimsy set up in the beginning of the film, but alas it's an Irish film about the gritty reality.  Throughout the film, you are shown the fisherman's struggle with his alcoholic ex-wife who has custody of his very sick daughter as well as a mysterious and creepy man out to find Ondine.  This film only gets 3 stars out of 5 because of the more somber moments that appeared in a film that I thought would be much more based in fantasy than reality.  However, it does have some surprisingly uplifting moments, so I would recommend it to see a different side of Colin Farrell.

In the Loop (2009)

"In the Loop" is a British political satire poking fun at how the Americans used the British as puppets when making the decision to invade a certain Middle Eastern country.  While there were some witty moments, I found the movie to be somewhat depressing just because of how much of the political satire matched reality.  One of the funniest recurring themes throughout the film was the foul-mouthed Scottish politician dealing with the straight-laced bumbling English politician.  There was lots of misinformation and many politicians switched opinions throughout the movie.  Overall, I give it 3 out of 5 stars, because it did have funny moments and it was a movie that needed to be made.  However, I wish it had been more fiction than reality.  If you want a real biting satire, I recommend watching "Wag the Dog."

Hot Fuzz (2007)

It would appear that Simon Pegg is starring in every strange British comedy, and "Hot Fuzz" is no exception.  This is a dark comedy at best with some action sequences, and a bit of unnecessary gore and violence.  I expected a little more quirky British humor and a lot less gore, even though it came from the makers of "Shaun of the Dead."  In this film, an overachieving police officer in the British police force is forced to leave London because he is making everyone else look bad.  They relocate him to a seemingly perfect small town where the officers appear to have never arrested someone before.  However, people keep dying in "accidents" and the new officer starts to suspect that there may be foul play involved.  Former Bond portrayer Timothy Dalton plays a creepy store owner in this town.  I'll give this film 2 ½ out of 5 stars because I didn't laugh very much at this dark comedy, there was too much gore, and there was really only one good action sequence at the end of the film.

The Favor (1994)

Thanks to Netflix and a Friday night in, I watched "The Favor".  I remembered seeing bits and pieces of it years ago on television, but didn't remember the whole story so I gave it another shot.  It's a very quirky romantic comedy about a woman who has been married for ten years, but has been fantasizing about her boyfriend from high school.  She sent her single gal pal out to sleep with him so she could report what happened to him after all those years.  Things get even more complicated when the husband feels his wife is having an affair, the gal pal becomes pregnant, and there's another guy thrown into the mix.  The case features some familiar faces like Bill Pullman, Elizabeth McGovern, Harley Jane Kozak, and a very young Brad Pitt.  Like I said, it's a goofy romcom with a few funny moments, but I probably won't watch it again.  It gets 3 out of 5 stars for the laughs it did provide.

Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill (1999)

In case you don't know, Eddie Izzard is the British transvestite (executive version) comedian.  I remember first seeing "Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill" when I was in college, and I cracked up through the whole routine with my roommate.  My husband and I watched this again last night, and it was just as funny.  He makes fun of Brits as well as Americans and their obsession with guns.  He also picks on the lack of knowledge history by most Americans.  He makes statements about politics, including the European Union and President Clinton.  I will warn you that this routine is not for the easily offended.  However, it is so funny and relevant even when watched ten years later.  Because it is one of the funniest stand-up routines I have ever seen, this gets 4 ½ out of 5 stars.

Freaks and Geeks

I recently finished watching the entire television series "Freaks and Geeks."  Sadly, it wasn't too hard to watch all the episodes because it was cancelled after only 18 episodes.  Each episode is a gem, and it is a series definitely worth watching.  Judd Apatow brought us this series about a group of "freaks" and a group of "geeks" dealing with high school in 1980.  The family of older sister and freak Lindsay and younger brother and geek Sam is also hillarious.  You will see many familiar faces in this series including James Franco, Busy Philipps, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel.  I was in high school when this show was televised, and I would have loved it then probably even more than I loved watching it now.  It is a real shame that this show was cancelled after one season because it is one of the best ever made.  I highly recommend taking the time to watch each episode to reminisce about the 80s, remember the stereotypes of high school, and think about your first crush.

The Infidel (2010)

"The Infidel" was an interesting comedy about a British Muslim family man who discovered that he was actually born Jewish.  He identified himself as Muslim, but hated the extremists of his religion.  This becomes even more complicated when his son wants to marry a girl whose new stepfather is the head of the strict Muslim order.  Most of the movie was spent on stereotypes of Jews which were not amusing.  The film did look at racism and stereotypes across the board, but was only funny at times.  It did have a good moral story hidden beneath the rough surface.  It gets 3 out of 5 stars.

Letters to Juliet (2010)

"Letters to Juliet" was a delightful romance, but was definitely a chick flick.  The story is based on a legend where women write letters to Juliet in Verona, Italy, and Juliet replies to them about their romantic woes.  Amanda Seyfried played an engaged American who found a 50 year-old unanswered letter, and when she finally replied, the woman came from England to find her first love.  On the road trip to find the love, her grandson and the American quibble and start to possibly like eachother.  It was a fairy tale story that is hard to believe in real life, but leaves you feeling happy at the end.  I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Stepfather (2009)

"The Stepfather" was surprisingly well-done for a horror film.  The oldest teenage son in the movie really stole the spotlight.  Sela Ward played the mother who stayed oblivious to the evil of her husband-to-be, which annoyed me to no end.  However, she did redeem herself at the end of the film.  I would classify the movie as more of a thriller than a horror film, and there really isn't any blood or gore to worry about if you are sqeamish.  Truthfully, the most disturbing part of the film occurred in the first five minutes.  The rest of it just kept you on the edge of your seat.  I'd recommend this if you want a light-weight horror film that delivers more suspense than gore.  This film gets 3 ½ out of 5 stars.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

I found "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to be very disturbing when I first saw it in high school, and it has only become mildly less disturbing with time.  I understand that it is a cult classic, but I really am repulsed by a lot of the film.  There are a couple good songs thrown into the musical, but the plot really disappears as the film progresses and becomes more and more about weirdos dressed up in racy attire.  It's not at all scary except for having to see Tim Burton as a transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania.  The recent homage to the film on "Glee" made me watch it with my husband, but I'll never make that mistake again.  It gets 2 ½ out of 5 stars simply because it was groundbreaking and edgy when it came out in 1975.

The Saint (1997)

"The Saint" is one of my favorite movies, even though others might find it a little cheesy.  This film is full of mystery, crime, and action without gore.  Val Kilmer plays a professional thief and master of disguises with a mysterious past, while Elisabeth Shue plays a brilliant scientist who is one of the thief's targets (professionally and romantically).  Throw in the Russian mob, some cold fusion, and Interpol, and you are left with this delightful film.  I could watch this film over and over again and never tire of it.  It gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Lower Learning (2008)

"Lower Learning" is a film that I could have gone without seeing.  I was lured in by Jason Biggs, Rob Cordry, Monica Potter, and Eva Longoria Parker, but was repulsed by the lack of humor in this "comedy."  There were a couple funny moments, but Jason Biggs played the usual spineless wimp, which contributed very little to the film.  The movie was about an underachieving elementary school with a corrupt principal, an alcoholic teacher, and a drug-abusing superintendant.  The premise is much funnier than the movie.  I'd skip watching this dud.  It gets 2 ½ out of 5 stars.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)

Speaking of the Netflix film that sat on my shelf for weeks, I finally decided to watch "Prince of Persia" last night.  Aside from being incredibly busy over the last few weeks, I think I was avoiding this movie due to all the bad press it received when it was in the theatres.  Sure, it was not a good as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, but it was still a pretty good movie.  Like most Disney films, this one also revolved around a plot that involves a little magic.  In this case, Jake Gyllenhaal plays an adopted prince of Persia who discovers a magic weapon that has the ability to turn back time.  He goes off on an adventure with a princess to try to keep the weapon out of the hands of those who wish to do evil.  The acting was not terrific throughout the film, which was surprising considering my love of most of Gyllenhall's films.  However, it was entertaining and fun to watch.  I give this film 3 stars.

Red (2010)

I have not written a review for quite some time, and that is mainly due to the fact that I haven't seen a movie in quite a while.  We received our next video from Netflix, but it sat in the envelope for weeks before we watched it.  I also haven't been to the theatre in at least a month, so my husband took me to see "Red."  This movie followed a few retired CIA agents as well as former spies from Russia and England, most notably played by Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, and Helen Mirren.  For some reason, the government decided to take out certain former operatives after all these years of retirement.  They buddied up to find out why and to exact revenge while staying alive.  The movie was mainly a spy action film, but there were some funny moments dealing with "old people" jokes.  I would give the film 3 ½ out of 5 stars, because I would definitely see it again and would enjoy it the second time around.

Temple Grandin (2010)

I finally got around to watching "Temple Grandin" last night, and it was a terrific movie.  The movie definitely earned all the Emmys it won.  Claire Danes starred in this biopic about a bright autistic woman, Temple Grandin.  Temple's mother (played by Julia Ormond) pushed for her to have a normal life and refused to have her institutionalized as a child.  This movie focused on Temple's life from high school through her early success in her chosen career as a researcher in animal husbandry.  The movie was very well done, the story is inspirational, and the acting was terrific.  This made-for-television movie gets 4 ½ out of 5 stars.  You should definitely make time to watch this film.

Brothers & Sisters Season 5 Premiere

"Brothers & Sisters" has definitely taken a turn for the worse.  I'm not going to sugar coat this one.  I really despised the first episode of the new season.  Instead of killing Robert off quickly (which everyone knew about since Rob Lowe not so quietly left the show), they had him lingering in a coma in the first episode.  To top that off, Rebecca left her marriage to Justin and the show just as quickly.  In addition to the departure of Tommy (due to his drug addiction off the set), that leaves three major characters that are missing.  There's no way this show will return for another season.  It's one thing to watch a show about a family wealthy from their business with their petty quabbling, and it's another to watch them magically find land worth millions and live with all their failed marriages.  This season premiere was the most disappointing of all the shows on television (including pilots that will probably not make it).  Sally Field is too good for the crap they are now penning for this show.  Hopefully, the show will be good enough so I can stick with it through the end.

Desperate Housewives Season 7 Premiere

"Desperate Housewives" was one of my favorite shows on television for a while, but the season premiere really made me dread the upcoming season.  Paul Young returned to the neighborhood after being released from prison, and that should provide some interesting drama.  Vanessa Williams also might be moving into the neighborhood, which should bring more cattiness to the block.  Other than that, the premise of the show fell flat.  Susan was looking into doing soft porn for money (no surprise to me), and Gabby and Carlos were keeping secrets from eachother (no surprise again).  The breakup of Bree and Orson just left me feeling depressed.  I'm guessing that this could be the last season for this show.

Wall Street (1987)

In light of the sequel appearing in theatres this weekend, I decided to finally sit down and watch the original "Wall Street."  Michael Douglas earned an Oscar for his role while Charlie Sheen had a serious performance with real-life father Martin Sheen playing his dad in the film.  It followed the rush of the greed and stock market envy of the 1980s.  The film did a great job of investigating insider trading and the effect of money and greed on the human soul.  I thought the movie was well-done, very insightful for its time, and had a great ending.  I'd give this modern classic 4 out of 5 stars.

Grey's Anatomy Season 7 Premiere

"Grey's Anatomy" returned after the shooting spree at Seattle Grace in the season finale.  No surprise deaths occurred between seasons.  In the premiere, the surgeons were seeing a therapist to determine whether or not they could be cleared for operations again.  It was obvious that the physicians were dealing with the PTSD in different ways, some much more destructive than others.  Meredith was still hiding her miscarriage while her twisted sister was delving into something much more serious.  Lots of relationships were strengthened or broken by the traumatic event.  I won't reveal which ones in case you didn't see the episode yet.

Community Season 2 Premiere

Betty White guest starred as a crazy anthropology professor on the season premiere of "Community."  This sitcom is about a bunch of misfits from different walks of life who got together in a study group at a local community college.  In the premiere, Troy set up a Twitter account to track all the crazy things Pierce (Chevy Chase) said.  There were also shenanigans involving Brita, Annie, and Jeff, but you should watch the episode to see how that panned out.  It was great to see this show back for a second season.  The potential for Senor Chang to join the study group could provide for some great laughs later on this season. 

Modern Family Season 2 Premiere

After "Modern Family" took home many Emmys after its first season, everyone was looking forward to its second season premiere.  The episode played up the idiosyncrasies of its varied characters and had a great story.  Phil and his family had a story that revolved around a station wagon reminiscent of the one from National Lampoon's "Vacation."  Jay tried to save son-in-law Cameron from another home project disaster caused by the clumsiness of Mitchell.  Gloria struggled with Manny choosing potential girlfriends over his own mom.  The show continues to create great laughs, and the opening episode proved why Eric Stonestreet deserved the Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy.  ABC's Wednesday night shows knock the competition right out of the park.  I'm glad these series are all back for a second season.

Cougar Town Season 2 Premiere

"Cougar Town" is another underrated show that made its second season premiere last night.  Courtney Cox plays Jules, a 40-something wine-loving divorcee who is overly attached to her son who is about to go off to college.  Her best friend Ellie (Christa Miller) is bitterly sarcastic and a great character.  Her other younger friend (Busy Phillips) is a ditzy blonde who is always getting picked on by Ellie.  Add a lurking ex-husband to the mix along with new boyfriend Grayson, and you have a whole lot of funny drama.  In the season primere, Jennifer Aniston (Cox's costar from "Friends") made a guest appearance as Jules's new age therapist.  True to fashion, Jules smothered her therapist the way she smothered her son.  Hopefully, the second season will not disappoint even though son Travis may not be a series regular once he goes away to college.

The Middle Season 2 Premiere

The season priemere of "The Middle" was by far the funniest show I have seen in a long time.  I'm not sure why this show is so underrated.  In case you don't follow this show, it tells the story of a family with three children living in the middle of nowhere in Indiana.  The oldest child (Axel) is a typical lazy teenage boy, the middle child is a girl (Sue) who tries desperately to be popular, and the youngest child (Brick) is very unique.  This first episode featured the rush that happens on the first day of school.  Frankie (Patricia Heaton) tried to get her family more organized and "normal" in this episode.  As a great surprise, Heaton's costar from "Everybody Loves Raymond" (Doris Roberts) made a cameo as Brick's new teacher, and she was disapproving of Heaton's mothering style.  This is a great show to start watching each week.

Cop Out (2010)

I'm wondering how a Kevin Smith and Cullen Brothers film starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan could turn out to be such a dud.  Bruce Willis was not the only top actor who got sucked into "Cop Out".  This was supposed to be a funny cop flick, but it fell flat, especially in comparison to "The Other Guys."  To sum it up, two cops got suspended, while suspended one gets robbed, and then they end up dealing with a major Mexican drug ring.  While there were a few funny jokes, there were not enough to redeem this film.  I would recommend watching either one of Bruce Willis's real cop movies or one of Kevin Smith's earlier creations.  This film gets 2 ½ out of 5 stars. 

Glee Season 2 Premiere

I'll proudly admit that I am a Gleek!  I've been awaiting the return of this show all summer.  "Glee" is back with its second season, and the only thing disappointing about the premiere was the music selection.  Maybe my age is showing, but I loved all the Journey medleys last season.  They were obviously trying to attract a younger audience with all the popular music in the first episode (most of which I had never heard).  A couple new characters were introduced in the episode as well, which should cause a lot more drama.  Sue Sylvester and Mr. Shue also teamed up briefly to get back at Mrs. Bieste, the new female football coach.  Emma didn't make an appearance in the episode, but hopefully she'll be back soon.  Two thumbs up to one of the best shows on television!

Parenthood Season 2 Premiere

"Parenthood" started midway through last season, and it is loosely based on the movie by the same name.  There are several familiar faces on this show including Lauren Graham, Monica Potter, and Craig T. Nelson.  This series follows one big family with four adult kids.  One daughter is recently divorced and living at home with the grandparents along with her two teenagers.  One son is happily married but found out that his youngest son is autistic.  Another daughter is a successful lawyer with a stay-at-home husband.  The other son is struggling to grow up, living like a bachelor, but recently found out he has a son from a previous relationship.  It's a very interesting family drama with several humorous moments throughout.  I'm glad the series is back this fall, and I'm looking forward to many more episodes to come.

Two and a Half Men Season 8 Premiere

I was delighted that "Two and a Half Men" returned this season with Charlie Sheen.  In spite of his many antics off the set, I find this show to be one of the funniest on television.  In a clever jab to his personal life, Charlie quit drinking in the season premiere (but continued to imbibe beer and wine).  In the episode, Jon Cryer continued his relationship with Jake's friend's mom (and Herb had a few funny things to say about that).  Berta the housekeeper continues to be one of the funniest sidekicks on television.  I am very much looking forward to the rest of this season.

The Scarlet Letter (1995)

In light of my recent review of "Easy A," I figured I should also review "The Scarlet Letter" which I watched several years ago.  The Demi Moore version of the film could easily be characterized as soft porn.  What the Hawthorne novel left to the imagination, the film covered in much detail.  The film did a great job of making you feel sympathy for Hester Prynne, the adulturer.  The movie version spent much less time dealing with the Puritan moral standards and societal impact of Hester's actions than it did on the forbidden love between Hester and the Reverend.  While the movie adaptation strayed from the novel, it was a compelling love story.  It gets 3 out of 5 stars.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (2005)

Especially in today's economy, it's hard to avoid hearing about Wal-Mart, the superstore.  The fact that I watched "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" probably alludes to some of my persuasions, but it is a film worth mentioning.  Naturally, the documentary discussed the negative impact of Wal-Mart on small-town America as well as the conditions of the workers making the products in Asia.  The more interesting parts of the documentary focused on aspects that I hadn't really thought much about including government tax breaks for the stores, the percentage of Wal-Mart workers on Medicaid or Welfare, and the appalling corporate policies regarding unions.  The most disturbing aspect to me is that the CEO and board members make millions each year and give little to charity, but the average Wal-Mart worker lives below the federal poverty level and has to rely on government support due to the lacking benefits at Wal-Mart.

While I found the "Frontline" version to be much better and more research-based, this was still worth watching if you are clueless about the situation.  It gets 3 out of 5 stars.

Easy A (2010)

It had been a long time since my husband and I saw a movie in the theatre, so we ventured out yesterday and saw "Easy A."  This is the high school comedy update of "The Scarlet Letter," and as Emma Stone mentioned several times throughout the movie, the original, not the Demi Moore version.  I enjoyed the movie and the moral of the story, particularly the references to John Hughes and the insane adults in the movie.  However, the strong start of the movie dwindled as the movie came to a close.  I would probably watch this film again, just not in the theatre.  It gets 3 ½ out of 5 stars.