All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (Advance Review)

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane was a film due for release well over a year ago but the Einstein company shelved it and are releasing it this May into theaters. Oh joy!

Thankfully I've suffered for you and have now watched the first film of 2008 so far. I could sit here and tell you it was interesting, well acted and had a very deep script.

But it doesn't have any of those things. The characters suck and are too stereotypical for their own good. The plot is dumb as it's about a once average girl becoming hot one summer and going with a bunch of cool hip teens to a ranch for a weekend. Sex and other shit happens and people start to die.

Then the ending came and I was confused, the filming for this title is atrosiouc and didn't help my understanding of the convoluted plot twists and other shit they try to throw at you.

Just a god awful film. Save your money and pretend you never heard of this piece of shit. Hell, now that I think about it the god damn title doesn't even make sense for this film.

Entertainment Value - 1/2 / 5

Movie - 1/2 / 5

U2 3D Concert (Bonus Review)

I love U2. I wouldn't say I worship them but I do buy all of their cds and when I heard about this 3D concert I had to run out and see it and for once I was able to drag someone along.

No plot here, just a concert filmed in Bores Aires. It's 80 minutes of U2 awesomeness. It won't make you think, Bono shoves his politics down your throat and you'll love every moment of it.

The 3D won't amaze you but my female companion squealed with joy when Bono's hand came out to her and he sang just to her... Or so she claims...

Either way any U2 fan should make time to see this concert because I doubt you'll get another chance to see it in 3D.

Entertainment Value - 4/5

Movie - ****/ 5

My Oscar 2008 Predictions

With the Oscars just a few hours away and me heading to a party I figured I'd better get this bad boy up. It's a mix of what and who I think should win and what I hope wins. I'm usually 50% or more correct all around.

Best Picture: Atonement

Best Lead Actor - Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Best Lead Actress - Ellen page - Juno

Best Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men

Best Supporting Actress - Saoirse Ronan - Atonement

Best Director - Coen brothers - No Country For Old Men

Best original Screen Play - Lars & The Real Girl

Best Previous Screen Play - Atonement

Cinematography - Scaphandre et le papillon, Le

Editing - No Country For Old Men

Art Direction - Sweeney Todd

Costume Design - Atonement

Make Up - Pirates 3

Original Score - Atonement

Original Song - Falling Slowly - Once

Sound - Transformers

Sound Editing - There Will Be Blood

Visual Effects - Transformers

Animated Film - Persepolis

Foreign Film - 12

Documentary - Sicko

Documentary short - Corona, La

Animated Short - I Met The Walrus

Live Action Short - The Tonto Woman

Vantage Point

Vantage Point was going to be my February savior. It was to make it all worth while. The terrible films given a meaning by the one truly awesome film for the month.

Okay, maybe I put too much faith into the film but it's kind of a let down but not in ways one would expect.

Tons of action? CHECK. Good acting? CHECK Lots of twists and turns? CHECK

So what's the problem? Well imagine watching the same 8 minutes over and over (or better yet, view the trailer for those 8 minutes smudged together) and then imagine the finale which is about twenty minutes.

Sure each persons 8 minutes is different but with common moments. The problem is that it feels a bit too disjointed and a bit too gimmicky to really work the magic one would hope for.

In case you haven't seen the bazillion trailers in the past 5 months then this film is about 8 points of view when the president is shot.

It's a cool idea but I can't help but feel a bit cheated out of it all. Yes we are getting a cohesive plot but again the gimmick wears thin and by the third or fourth person I was tired of it and just didn't care.

However I can't help but say this would make an excellent rental. It's worth a single viewing but I doubt I'll look back at the end of the year and say this was one of the best films of the year for it's genre. I'll most likely forget all about it as it just doesn't do it correctly, but it's close.

Entertainment Value - 3/5

Movie - *** / 5

Be Kind Rewind (advance review)

This film actually caught my eye after I viewed the trailer. it looked funny and the plot seemed good. So when I had the chance to see this a whole day before release I jumped on it.

Sadly it let me down like so many other films released so far in this lackluster year. The premise is a good one. Some guys work at a video store, one gets magnetized and erases all of the VHA tapes in the store. So they end up making their own 10 minute versions of the films and showing them.

I won't go on with the plot but it tends to bring up a few sub plots here and there and then never deal with them. Instead we get a rehash of the trailer and the funny bits from the trailer are still funny but nothing else in the film is.

It's a rather dry movie and maybe I was just expecting a lot more from the guy who brought us "Science of Sleep". The performances are half way decent but nothing Earth shattering and the films biggest problem is that if you don't know films like Robocop and Driving Miss Daisy than the humor may also fall on deaf ears.

It's not for everyone but it still stays with the theme of mediocrity that this years comedies have started. Maybe we'll get a good comedy at some point but right now I'd rather be doing something else.

Entertainment Value - 2/5

Movie - * 1/2 / 5

Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (Bonus Review)

I'm not a Hannah Montana fan. To be honest I've seen 2 minutes of an episode of the tv show and hated it. I do however find the song "GNO" to eb highly entertaining.

I actually felt guilty for not viewing this in the theater as some are calling it a movie. Well I broke down and paid the horrid $15 to watch a 76 minute concert/documentary.

A few things stick out for me during the viewing of this. The 3D is only used in a limited capacity and if it hits dvd then I doubt much will be lost in the translation to a normal viewing.

Second the songs were rather catchy but I did enjoy the Jonas Brothers songs more than the girl's songs.

However a few other things came to mind. If Miley really writes these songs then more power to her but sometimes I doubt it. Not only that but why does Miley dress like a whore and Hannah dresses like a normal girl. We even get panty shots near the end of the concert of Miley.

But let's ignore that. girl will love this concerts and guys will feel castrated. But I had a few problems with it as a whole though. See, the sound is rather terrible for this concert. The first 2 or 3 songs have such strong bass and instruments that the lyrics can be barely heard. A minor flaw but when I'm wishing for subtitles you know it's bad.

Secondly I have to say that Kenny Ortega wil soon rule the world. This man is a genius when it comes to knowing simple, cheesy and fun moves to get kids attention. Sure it isn't as good as say Step Up 2's dance moves but this is the same guy who brought us High School Musical 1 and 2 and while laughably cheesy the moves are entertaining. For an overweight gay man he sure can move in the practices...

Anyway, it isn't worth the theatrical price but if it hits dvd then check it out, your daughters, wife or phedo husband may really enjoy it.

Entertainment Value - 3/5

Movie - *** 1/2 / 5

Step Up 2 The Streets

To be honest I have no real recollection of seeing the original Step Up but I know I did as it's not on my too see list and it came out when I worked at a rental store.

So the question is, will I remember Step Up 2? Well, hell no. It's a rather forgettable hip-hop dance film and it sticks with the typical garbage we get fed every week this year so far.

However we get some awesome dialog like "This isn't High School Musical". Erm... Yeah....

The dance moves are fairly entertaining though so that's a plus. The story is the typical token white chick in a black suburb who needs to lie about x and x and gets into dancing and blah blah blah. This crap is tiresome.

Okay, so here's how you know if this movie is for you. Do you like teen dance films? If the answer is yes then by all means run out and witness this masterpiece that I'm sure it will be in your eyes. If your answer was no then by all means skip this run of the mill film.

It's nothing new. It's nothing special and it does absolutely nothing interesting but I can't deny the dance moves were some what entertaining.

Entertainment Value - 2/5

Movie - * 1/2 / 5