It's a Wonderful Life

I assumed this all around “Christmas classic” would be the same, so I was shocked when I realized It's a Wonderful Life wasn't quite what I thought it to be.

I always knew it was about George Bailey who had spent his life sacrificing his dreams to stay in his small hometown to take care of the family business. And then on Christmas, he wants to kill himself and an angel without wings shows him what life would be like if he'd never been born, at which time George realizes the impact his life has had on others and Clarence the Angel gets his wings.
What I didn't know was that the film doesn't even bring in Clarence (in physical form) nor much of Christmas until the last half hour, and that first hour is glimpsing various tough moments in George's life over three decades, making it the most depressing two hours of holiday fun one could imagine.

I understand that in order to know why George ended up on that bridge, we had to witness what kind of life he's had, but at times it felt to be a bit much with his self-sacrificing attitude and very little joy. It left me wondering why it took him so long to hit a breaking point. I also take issue with the main message about how the world would be a horrible place if this one ordinary man hadn't been born. Clarence couldn't let him think the world would've kept on spinning without him or then the film would've really been depressing.

All that being said, I loved the movie, I teared up at the end when the entire town comes to George's aid to save the family business, which embodied the Christmas spirit more than anything. I also feel that it made a better point of showing George how his selfless acts touched the people around him, much more than showing him a world where he'd never been born. Though It's a Wonderful Life still held some surprises and the joyous end justified the depressing means, I can tell you it’s a great movie to watch with the family during christmas.

The House Bunny

The House Bunny tells the the story of Shelley (Anna Faris), a peppy, sunny Playboy model sabotaged by a friend of her’s on her 27th birthday. Unfairly kicked out from Hugh Hefner’s mansion, she finds her way into a new and highly unlikely career as a house mother at Zeta Alpha Zeta, a horrible sorority house full of freaks and geeks, including Emma Stone, American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee and Rumer Willis. Unless Zeta’s unpopular gang of nerd-girls can come up with a plan to recruit 15 new members, its doors will shut forever. Shelly (Anna Faris) proceeds to give the girls, their house, and even their snotty arch-rivals the makeovers they all deserve. That is, when she’s not falling head over heels (quite literally) for Oliver (Colin Hanks).Directed by the stand-up comic-turned-moviemaker Fred Wolf, and written by the pink-powered screenwriting team that brought you Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You and Ella Enchanted, is Hef himself.But Faris’ considerable comic talents and endless frilly outfits fluff this workaday cautionary tale into an easy-watch whirl of sweetness and light colors. It’s not the star vehicle our leading lady truly deserves, but she gamely rides it for all it’s worth. Ken McIntyre Faris’ comic talents make this an easy-watch whirl of sweetness. If you like comedy and stupidity at its finest I suggest you watch The House Bunny, don’t underestimate this movie. You’d be surprised at how great it is, on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest id give it a 81/2.

Paranormal Activity 2

After moving to a new house in California, the new home of Daniel Rey is broken into. Daniel is buys security cameras that are put everywhere inside and outside the house. Soon, the family will realize that robbers are not responsible for the mess inside the house. It might be something even more frightening...
If you enjoyed movies like "The Blair Witch Project", then this movie might be for you. Shot with a perspective point of view. I must admit that I did not enjoy "The Blair Witch Project". I thought it was amateur, not very scary, quite long and boring actually. When presented with the opportunity to watch director's Tod Williams sequel from the first "Paranormal Activity". Unfortunately, it's not the case. The plot of this film is simple and not very interesting. I honestly don't really care since it's not the main purpose of this kind of movie. The big problem is that nothing really scary happens in the first 45 minutes of the movie. It's a long introduction for a movie whose main goal is to scare the audience. There are a few good sequences in the last 15 minutes of the movie, but it was a little too late in my case. I understand the fact that it's important for a film like this one to set up characters, but a few chills along the way would've been nice.

Due Date

The critics have been way too harsh on the movie “Due Date,” claiming that the performances by Robert Downy, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis were not up to their full potentials. But I beg to disagree with them.
The film relies on the juxtaposition of the roles of Downy and Galifianakis, a quite strange duo. “Due Date” uses characters who are complete opposites just like “Cop Out” and “The Other Guys” except “Due Date” is way more fresh than the crappy slapstick jokes of Tracy Morgan and Will Ferrell. Although the storyline of going on a road trip with a crazy travelling partner has become a little bit old and boring, the plot is not tired enough to write off “Due Date” as nothing more than a mediocre comedy.
Downy plays a high-strung and ambitious architect who wants nothing more than to get back to Los Angeles to see the birth of his son. But, due to Galifianakis’ character’s actions, Downy is kicked off of his flight and lands himself on the no-fly list. Also, his wallet took the plane ride without him, so he’s forced to ride with Galifianakis from Atlanta to Los Angeles and somehow, Downy figured out a way to get rid of his attitude 
Galifianakis plays an nasty and bizarre wannabe actor who aims to score a role in “Two in a Half Men.” No surprises about Galifianakis’ character his way of humor has nearly cornered him into playing a very specific type of role. But, in all of his successful movies, his magic relies almost entirely on interacting with other actors. Galifianakis performs well with Robert Downy, Jr. in “Due Date” as he did with Bradley Cooper in “The Hangover.”
One important thing to keep in mind about “Due Date” is its attempt to fill the comedic void that 2010 has offered. With all of the incredible action and drama films released this year, the best Hollywood comedy of the year before “Due Date” was arguably “Dinner for Schmucks,” which isn’t saying that much.
Instead, 2010 has presented more movies like the pathetic attempt at lame laughs in “Grown Ups” and the  unnecessary sequel of “Get Him to the Greek.” And lets not forget to mention “Furry Vengeance” with Brendan Frasier or any of these so called “comedies” starring Michael Cera. But all in all this is a great movie to watch with friends to get out a good laugh, from its ridiculous scenes to its hilarious one liners, id say you should definitely think about watching this movie

The Jerk

One of Steve Martin's funniest films, The Jerk was far ahead of its time it was part of a genre of off-the-wall, ridiculous comedies that dominate the box office throughout the 90s. In The Jerk unfortunate events happen to the outcast reject, and the audience laughs. It's just an extension of the old Charlie Chaplin or Three Stooges genre of film. But The Jerk is definitely a funny movie. Navin Johnson played by Steve Martin is a kind and well grounded man. Born in Mississippi, Navin is adopted into a black family, but he remains clueless in regards to his origins. When Navin turns eighteen, he decides to strike out on his own; which takes the entire day since he decides to hitchhike and hours pass before the first car drives by. Navin finally gets a job at a service station where owner Harry Hartounian played by Jackie Mason.
Eventually, Navin moves on to work for a carnival where he meets his future wife Marie played by Bernadette Peters. Navin and Marie are in for the ride of a lifetime when a salesman passing through Navin's old service station turns one of Navin's inventions into a product. The royalties make Navin a multimillionaire, but money cannot buy everything, and Navin and Marie must work together to be happy.
Some of the scenes from The Jerk, such as when Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters are  lying in bed, and Martin says "It feels like I've know you forever..." (and then he continues with his endless monologue) can stand alone in making The Jerk worth any viewer's time. It's funny when Navin gets "published" in the phone book only to have a killer randomly select him for death. The Jerk has its high points, and I recommend watching it once just to see if it's your cup of tea. With a number of unforgettable scenes, The Jerk is a well written; from a comics point of view, screenplay which keeps the people laughing. Steve Martin is brilliant in his description of innocent Navin Johnson. The character's endless quest to please makes him an instantly likeable character that the film viewers would want to root for. The Jerk is a must-see film. If you haven't seen, then you don't know what you're missing.

Get Him To Greek

Evidently a sequel to the very funny Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek sees Russell Brand release his Aldus Snow character, but Jonah Hill plays a more prominent role than the film's annoying waiter. With writer/director Nick Stoller returning to helm, all the pieces were there to replicate the laugh quota on 'Marshall', and this very funny comedy. The setup is decidedly livelier than anything else Judd Apatow's shingle has put out before; there are tones of improvised gags, just with more physical comedy than before.

It's been ten years since Aldus Snow played at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and his show there still remains one of the best selling live albums of all time. But Aldus has gotten lost up in his own world, and released self-indulgent albums like 'African Child', which has caused his fans to drop, and he begins on a down ward spiral to chaos. Jonah Hill's up and coming record executive still believes in him, and convinces his scary boss that a reunion show would make them a fortune in revenue for the label. So, off to London he goes, tasked with bringing the impetuous rock star to LA in 72 hours when the show at 'The Greek' will start.

A stand-alone comedy, that can be enjoyed equally as much by those who have seen 'Sarah Marshall' or those just simply looking to head to the flicks in search of comedy, this film will still depend on your opinion of Brand. The rather brilliant entertainer is in front for the majority of 'Greeks' running time, and he isn't playing a character a million miles away from his public persona. For some that will be complaining, while others will be laughing to the sheer brilliants of the film. Whatever way you look at it, Brand is very good, even in his quieter moments.

Despite the global success of Superbad, Hill is mainly turning up in magnifying cameos and supporting roles. Here, he's the man pushing forward, but still finding time for his own gags. The plot is predictable, but as with most comedies, that goes out the window when laughs are delivered and they certainly are here; surprisingly often through P.Diddy who is great as the boss who knows the industry inside out.

Get Him To The Greek is funny people scattering lines from a funny script, directed by someone with amazing timing. A feel-good and amusing comedy that will delight fans of Russell Brand, a man who should soon find himself amongst the Hollywood elite.

But I Am A Cheerleader

This "indie film" an independent film, meaning not from the regular Hollywood system, is a comedy about a teenager named Megan. Initially, she seems like a typical high-school student. She has a boyfriend. She's on the school cheerleading squad. But her parents come to suspect that she's a lesbian, and so they ship her off to a camp run by an organization called True Directions. The intent of the True Directions camp is to "rehabilitate" young gay people into being straight.

Life at the camp is not fun and games. It's run like a 12-Step Program, where the residents earn privileges based on how many steps they've made it through. Megan’s reaction is to deny that she's a lesbian. After all, she has a boyfriend; even though she fantasizes about the other cheerleaders when she's kissing him. But now, in the camps rehab program, she is forced to admit that she really is gay... and she realizes that there's nothing wrong with that, and what the camp is trying to do is wrong.

As I said, this is a comedy, and it has an element of portraying groups such as True Directions and their intentions. Megan befriends a fellow female inmate who goes by the name of Graham; Graham teaches Megan how to work the system, so that she can show and tell the camp counsellors what they want to hear while remaining true to herself. Megan and Graham ultimately begin a secret relationship. At a secret midnight outing to a local gay bar, they meet residents of a "free house" for refugees from True Directions, who work to undermine that organization's work while providing a safe house for those who manage to escape from the camp. Megan and Graham are offered home there, but the two decide to return to the camp and work from inside the camp.

This movie is a lot of fun. On the surface, just looking at the plot, "Lesbian teenager is taken to a camp where gays are reprogrammed", it may seem a bit homophobic, but the film is quite the opposite. And there are some great bits. The manager of the camp, a brutal woman named Mary Brown, she seems completely oblivious to the fact that her grown son, who works as a handyman at the camp, is probably gay himself. And one line had me just about falling off the couch, I was laughing so hard: in a class where the boys are learning basic car-repair skills, the instructor has a line, "Add a little more oil and shove it in and out". The instructor, incidentally, is played by RuPaul, attempting to play it straight, even thought he secretly want him.

Overall, this is a great little film. It may lack some things, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in a comic satire. A good script and some great performances make this one a winner.

Despicable me

For many lovers of animation, the word ''despicable'' will always belong to the epic Daffy Duck, who often said it, with immense, rampaging fury.

Gru, voiced by Steve Carell speaks in hushed tones that sound like a cross between Boris Badenov and Bela Lugosi; physically he's a mixture of lines and curves, with a rounded body, skinny legs and sharply pointed nose. It’s like gothic characters if you think about it. He's an inspirational evil-doer, a lugubrious wannabe-bad guy who's having trouble living up to his job description. He's good at skipping coffee queues or upsetting small children, and he's done a few fiendish things. But they've failed to capture the public imagination, and the manager at the Bank of Evil is reluctant to extend any more credit.

Gru has plenty of support including a technical wizard; Dr Nefario voiced by a surprisingly low-key Russell Brand, but is hard of hearing and prone to error.  He is asked to produce a dart gun, for example, he comes up with a weapon that is bitter rather than piercing. Gru also has an army of what are known as Minions, who are a bit like Santa's elves; their cute, small, busy Simpsons-yellow round things with enormous heads and goggle eyes, they wear blue overalls and communicate in chattering squeaks that make you laugh. For Gru and his crew, things are going down hill. He's an old-school type of vilian, and there's a new kid on the block, Vector, voiced by Jason Segel, who is young, nerdy and ambitious, and is ste

pping on Gru's toes when it comes to attention-grabbing evil. For example steeling the pyramid. To anger Vector and to pursue his impossible dream, Gru gets the help of three small girls from a children's home, the organized Margo voiced by Miranda Cosgrove, the wry Edith voiced by Dana Gaier, and the diminutive and eccentric Agnes a nice, unpredictable performance voiced by Elsie Fisher. And, in a good piece of casting, Julie Andrews plays Gru's mean-spirited, belittling mother.
As the film continues the relationship between Gru and the three little girls starts to change. A highlight in the film of this gradual transformation is a scene that involves Gru reading them a story about three little kittens from a book that comes with its own finger puppets. This movie is has busy and energetic work that packs a lot of detail into the frame, and uses 3D, although there's something almost harsh and inevitable about the inclusion of a roller-coaster ride, no matter how well it's done. Over all this is an engaging movie that feels to be aiming for the bright discovery of the Pixar studios. It is funny and likeable without ever feeling fresh and original. Something for everyone to watch.

Sin Nombre

Edgar Flores plays the lead role of Casper in the film.  He is a member of the vicious street gang Mara Salvatrucha that commands and gets full control of its part of the city.  The boss of the gang is “Lil Mago” who is played by Tenoch Huerta Mejia.  Although Mago’s character doesn’t have a lot of screen time like the other leads; he’s the type on gang leader you don’t want to mess with.  But by over doing his authority he loses the respect of his fellow gang member Casper and in the end he steps over the line. In the beginning of the film a young boy named Smiley is introduced to the gang and viscously initiated by other gang members.  “Smiley” is played by Kristian Ferrer.  In the end of the movie he has to make a decision; He has to choose between killing a friend that wins the respect of the Mara or be forever banned and posted a dead man. Thos film had a lot of graphic violence; its very gang related and rated R for real. So this isn’t a film to watch around little kids. Paulina Gaitan Play “Sayra”, an innocent teenager that trying to escape poverty by taking an extremely dangerous train ride to the U.S. After many years with out seeing her father and brother they all have a tender moment after years and years of not seeing each other. While together they all promise to never leave each other as they make their way though dangerous places. But destiny determines their lives and only one of them lives.
This film is shot in mostly handheld camera work, which makes it more realistic for the viewers. The barrio scenes are amazing and with the techniques of different camera work they really capture the brutality of the life their living. The more time they spend with the gang, the more it reveals their darkness. Their leader little Mago is very well Like most talented military dictators, his crazy tattoos foiled with the baby he’s holding in his arms make it hard to understand what his intentions are.
Sayra her father and brother are refugees that hope to get themselves to the states and have a better life.  Most of the time their on top of railroad box cars where they ride for hours on end dealing with the unbearable weather and being hit by branches. The camera work on those scenes are great, they show how real some things can be when being an immigrant trying to get to the states.
“Sin Nombre” is a fun, but has its tough points, yet a great film to watch if your into that gang related stuff. As Casper becomes the “Public Enemy” mobster, his odds are stacked against him. Although he might survive like smart Rambo or he might even die like the outcast mob boss of the 1920’s.  You’re just going to have to watch the movie and find out for your self.