Movies that entertained me in 2012

In no particular order, movies that entertained me in 2012:

This Means War
Beauty is Embarrassing
21 Jump Street
Friends with Kids
The Five Year Engagement
The Avengers
The Intouchables
Moonrise Kingdom
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Safety Not Guaranteed
Your Sister's Sister
The Dark Knight Rises
Ruby Sparks
Celeste and Jesse Forever
Pitch Perfect
Searching for Sugarman
End of Watch
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Argo
End of Watch
Looper
Silver Lining Playbook
A Late Quartet
This is 40
Django Unchained

Les Misérables

What I liked:

• It has a talented cast: Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, and Samantha Barks.
• The costume and set design was great.

Django Unchained

What I liked:

• Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz are just fantastic.
• It is written and directed by Quentin Tarantino.  It's your basic good vs. evil story but Tarantino always knows how to put an interesting spin on it.  If you liked his previous films, you will probably like this.
• Leonardo DiCaprio plays a wonderful evil plantation owner.
• It also stars Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson, Bruce Dern, M.C. Gainey, and Jonah Hill. 
• 1980's flashback with Johnson and The Dukes of Hazzard's Tom Wopat.
• LOST's Mr. Friendly!
• It has an interesting soundtrack.
• It's quirky, funny, and can make you squirm in your seat all at the same time.

The Guilt Trip

What I liked:

• Barbra Streisand was lovely and funny.
• Seth Rogen was his usual sarcastic and humorous self.
• The characters were believable as a mother and son.
• It also stars Kathy Najimy, Yvonne Strahovski, Colin Hanks, Brandon Keener, Brett Cullen, and Nora Dunn.
• Gilmore Girls reunion: Gypsy and Jackson!

This Is 40

What I liked:

• Leslie Mann is beautiful, funny, and she can act.
• Paul Rudd is always lovable.
• Maude and Iris Apatow are talented kids with great parents.  I think it makes the story a little more believable that their movie mom is their real mom.
• Fantastic supporting cast: Jason Segel, Annie Mumolo, Robert Smigel, Megan Fox, Charlyne Yi, Graham Parker, Michael Ian Black, Chris O'Dowd, Lena Dunham, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Billie Joe Armstrong, Ryan Adams, and Melissa McCarthy. 
• It was written and directed by Judd Apatow based of the same characters from Knocked Up.
• It is funny but it is also real, complicated, and serious.  It's a dramedy.
• I LOVED all of the LOST love.  
• A Mad Men shout out!
• Great soundtrack including an incredible new Fiona Apple song.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

What I liked:

• It was beautifully made.  Most everything looks real.  The special effects are great.  
• Hair, makeup, and costumes are excellent.
• It has a great cast: Iam McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Andy Serkis.

Parental Guidance

What I liked:

• Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei are all funny and fun.
• Tom Everette Scott!
• The kids are adorable and talented: Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, and Kyle Harrison Breitkopf.
• The story is funny and smart.
• It's appropriate for all ages.
• Love all the baseball talk.

Hitchcock

What I liked:

• It is an interesting look at the making of Psycho and the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife.
• Anthony Hopkins played Alfred Hitchcock very well.
• Helen Mirren was great as Alma Reville.
•  Scarlet Johansson was a fantastic Janet Leigh.
• It also stars Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Jessica Biel,  James D'Arcy, Richard Portnow, and Kurtwood Smith.
• Michael Stuhlbarg was born to play characters from the past.  He just has that perfect look.
• The Karate Kid , Ralph Macchio?!
• There were beautiful flower arrangements everywhere!

Playing for Keeps

What I liked:

• Noah Lomax is super cute and a good actor.  
• Jessica Biel was ok.

Anna Karenina

What I liked:

• Amazing choreography.
• Beautiful set designs and costumes.
• Fantastic art direction.
• Great cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Emily Watson.

Barrymore

What I liked:

• Christopher Plummer is always wonderful.  He originally performed Barrymore on stage which goes to show you that his memory is still as sharp as ever for a man in his 80's.
•   It also stars John Plumpis.

Life of Pi

What I liked:

• It is a very interesting and spiritual journey.
• Great directing by Ang Lee.
• Superb acting by Suraj Sharma.
• Great supporting cast: Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Ayush Tandon, Gautam Belur, Adil Hussain, Tabu, James Saito, and Andrea Di Stefano.
• Beautiful cinematography.  Loved the use of light, colors, and 3D special effects.
• It makes you think.
• It is based on the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel . 

Lincoln

What I liked:

• Daniel Day-Lewis did an excellent job looking, sounding, and acting like Abraham Lincoln.
• The supporting cast is amazing: Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrooks, Tommy Lee Jones, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Haley, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, Joseph Cross, Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Peter McRobbie, Gulliver McGrath, Gloria Reuben, Jeremy Strong, Michael Stuhlbarg, David Costabile, Lukas Haas, Dane DeHaan, Adam Driver, and S. Epatha Merkerson.
• I never knew that Lincoln was such a comedian.  It was funny to hear him tell jokes.
• The set design, make up and costumes were fantastic.
• It is directed by Steven Spielberg.
• It was written by Tony Kushner based of the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

What I didn't like:

• It was too slow and a little borring.
• Because that cast is so large, each person gets only a small amount of screen time.
• I would have liked to have seen more of Gordon-Levitt and Driver.

Grade: B+  

Rise of the Guardians

What I liked:

• They have some great voices to go with these characters: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher, and Hugh Jackman.
• The animation is fantastic.
• The story is creative and interesting.
• It is a fresh take on some old tales.
• It is fun for the whole family.
  

Red Dawn

What I liked:

• Chris Hemsworth is a beautiful man.  And he can act!
• Joining Hemsworth are Adrianne Palicki, Josh Hutcherson, Josh Peck, Isabel Lucas, Jeffery Dean Morgan, Connor Cruise, Edwin Hodge, Alyssa Diaz, Brett Cullen, Michael Beach, Will Yun Lee, and Matt Gerald.
• It's got action, romance, and humor.
• Cruise (son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) did well for his first film.

A Late Quartet

What I liked:

• Superb acting by Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Mark Ivanir, and Imogen Poots.
• Wallace Shawn!
• An interesting premise for a story.  The Quartet gives structure to look at the relationships these four have with themselves and others.

Skyfall

What I liked:

• Javier Bardem was hands down, my favorite part of this film.  He was crazy good.
• Daniel Craig makes for a nice Bond.
• I enjoyed Ben Whishaw as Q.
• Albert Finney!
• Great special effects.
• Lots of action.
• Adele's Skyfall is lovely.

Happy Birthday YHG!

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Silver Linings Playbook

What I liked:

• Bradley Cooper is fantastic in this role.  When watching him, you forget about his other roles and that he is Bradley Cooper.
• Jennifer Lawrence is bold and real.  She has come a long way from Katniss.
• Robert De Niro is wonderful as usual.  It is a very interesting role for him.
• Jacki Weaver is a great scene stealer.
• Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Shea Whigham, (Felicity alum) Dash Mihok, John Ortiz, and Anupam Kher also star.
• It is an interesting look at mental illness.  
• It's serious, funny, deep, touching, and heartfelt.  

Flight

What I liked:

• Denzel Washington was good as an unlikeable guy.
• Great supporting cast: Nadine Velazquez, Tamara Tunie, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, John Goodman, and Don Cheadle.
• Really good soundtrack.

Chasing Mavericks

What I liked:

• There are some great shots of the sea, above and below the surf.
• It shows how far dedication and hard work will get you.
• It's base on a true story.
• Great '90's soundtrack.

Cloud Atlas

What I liked:

• The hair, makeup, costume design, and special effects teams that it took to make this group of actors into multiple characters is Oscar worthy.
• It's fun to try to figure out which actor is playing which characters.  Some are pretty obvious and some are harder to spot.
• Fine acting by all: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, James D'Arcy, Xun Zhou, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant.
• Most of the stories had interesting lessons and food for thought.
• I thought it was pretty easy to follow the stories...just give yourself the first 30 minutes to get use to it all.

Fun Size

What I liked:

• It was filmed in Cleveland!  The story takes place in the city as well so there are some nice shots of the suburbs, the Metro Parks, and downtown.
• Victoria Justice plays a smart and caring teenage girl.
• It also stars Thomas Mann, Chelsea Handler, Thomas Middleditch, Kerri Kenney, Ana Gasteyer, Abbey Elliott, Riki Lindhome, and Johnny Knoxville.
• Jackson Nicoll does well as Albert.
• There are a few funny lines.

Nobody Walks

What I liked:

• It has a fantastic cast: Olivia Thirlby, John Krasinski, Rosemarie DeWitt, Justin Kirk, and India Ennenga. 
• This is a darker role for Krasinski to play and he did it well.
• Ennenga is beautiful and talented.  I can't wait to see what she does next.
• It was written by Lena Dunham and Ry Russo-Young.
• All the stories compliment each other nicely.

28 Hotel Rooms

What I liked:

• The year of Chris Messina continues!
• Marin Ireland is lovely.
• Messina and Ireland hold your attention as they are the only two on screen for 98% of the film.  They also have great chemistry together.

Alex Cross

What I liked:

• The movie was filmed in Cleveland (although the story takes place in Detroit).  It was cool the see the city in the background.
• It appears that Edward Burns found the fountain of youth because he looks great.
• Dr. Cox!
• Cicely Tyson!

The Sessions

What I liked:

• John Hawkes is just awesome. 
• William H. Macy is wonderful as usual.
• It also stars Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, Adam Arkin, and Rhea Perlman.
• The story takes an unusual situation and handles it with grace and dignity.
• It's based on a true events.

Argo

What I liked:

• It is an interesting and intense story based on true events.
• Wonderful cast:  Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scott McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Zeljko Ivanek, Titus Welliver, Richard Kind, and Philip Baker Hall.
• Affleck not only acts in it but also directed it.
• Messina is having a Mark Duplass year!
• The film looks old school.  The sets, the props, the wardrobe, hair and makeup, everything looked authentic.
• Fantastic casting.  The six look just like the real deal.
• It has a great balance of being funny, sincere, and serious.
• Stay through the beginning of the credits to see actual photographs of these events.

Looper

What I liked:

• This could be the most interesting story of the year.
• Lots of twists and turns and they all come together and make sense!
• It was written and directed by Rian Johnson.  He had a vision and stuck with it till the end.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt was amazing.  His transformation into a young Bruce Willis was fantastic and a little spooky.  That's how good he was.
• Emily Blunt played a convincing Kansas farmer.  Who would have thought that she could wield and ax like that?
• Pierce Gagnon could possibly be the best child actor ever.  He could be better than the Dakota girls.
• Bruce Willis!
• Paul Dano!
• Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels, Noah Segan, Qing Xu, Tracie Thoms, and Garret Dillahunt also star.
• The special effects were top notch.
• In the future, there is street art everywhere!
• 2044 still has libraries - just super cool ones.
• Is there a religious undertone referring to Jesus, Judas, betrayal and silver?  So much to ponder.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

What I liked:

• There is something to be said when an author gets to write the screenplay for his book.  It just makes everything better.  Stephen Chbosky did a fantastic job.
• Logan Lerman is wonderful as Charlie.  Every bit of emotion can be seen through his eyes.
• Ezra Miller is magnificent and steals every scene that he is in.  I wish they could do a spin off movie of his character.
• Emma Watson is adorable and touching.
• Paul Rudd!
• Johnny Simmons, Mae Whitman, Dylan McDermott, Kate Walsh, Nina Dobrev, Nicholas Braun, Tom Savini, and Melanie Lynskey also star.
• The story is funny, sad, touching, heartbreaking, and everything in between.  
• Great soundtrack.
• "We accept the love we think we deserve."

Frankenweenie

What I liked:

• Great cast: Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, and Charlie Tahan.
• Creative story.

Last Call at the Oasis

What I liked:

• This film is here to educate you on the fact that we are running out of water and not there is not a lot of people doing anything about it.
• It gives examples from all over the U.S.A, not just one specific area.
• It points out the flaws in the government and EPA.
• It really makes you second guess your need for a 20 minute shower or that hamburger.

Liberal Arts

What I liked:

• Josh Radnor wrote, directed, and stars in this film.  He's got skills.
• Elizabeth Olsen is not only stunning but a wonderful actress.
• Allison Janney has the best character and lines in the film.
• Richard Jenkins!
• Did you know that Zac Efron is in the movie?!  He might have the 2nd best character after Janney.  One of his best roles ever.
• LOVED the Twilight jokes.
• Great dialogue.
• It was filmed at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

64th Annual Emmy Awards

• Zooey, Christina, and Mindy?  Love it.
• Lena...LOL!
• Ellen :)
• Jimmy Kimmel looks nice.
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Eric Stonestreet for Modern Family.
• I was rooting for Max or Bill. 
• Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series - Louis C.K.
• Lena Dunham was robbed.
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series -  Julie Bowen.
• Sigh...I am over Modern Family.  Let others win.

Live Blogging the Red Carpet for the Emmy Awards

Live Blogging the E! Red Carpet for the Emmy Awards

• Kat Dennings looks ravishing in red.
• Mayim Bialik looks nice.  A little matronly.  
• I do not like Hayden Panettiere's dress.  She needed something a little more youthful and fun.
• Amanda Peet - Zzzzzz.  Very boring look.
• I really like Leslie Mann's dress.  Elegant but fun. Beautiful pearl top, tangerine skirt and turquoise jewelry.
• A mani cam?  This is your fault, Zooey Deschanel!
• Schmidt!!! Max Greenfield looking classy.  New New Girl on Tuesday!

The Master

What I liked:

• You can't can't your eyes off of Joaquin Phoenix.
• Philip Seymour Hoffman is fantastic as usual.
• It's a darker role than I am use to seeing Amy Adams in.
• Ambyr Childers, Rami Malek, Jesse Plemons and Laura Dern also star.
• Great casting choice for Plemons as Hoffman's son.
• Beautiful cinematography.

End Of Watch

What I liked:

• Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña make for believable cops and have great chemistry together.
• Great supporting cast: Natalie Martinez, Anna Kendrick, David Harbour, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera, and Cody Horn.
• It is interesting and disturbing.
• Great dialogue between Gyllenhaal and Peña.
• A lot of different types of camera work is used.  It makes you feel like you are almost there.
• There are times when things get pretty intense.

Searching For Sugar Man

What I liked:

• Really interesting, true life story.
• The soundtrack is fantastic.  Rodriguez is extremely talented and all around good guy.
• It's a great topic for debate: Would things have been better or worse for him if he had known what was going on in South Africa?
• Great cinematography and graphics.

Pitch Perfect

What I liked:

• I do enjoy me some a cappella.  All the music in the film was really great.
• Anna Kendrick held her own in a lead role and can sing pretty well.
• Skylar Astin played the lovable guy next door.  His facial expressions are perfect.  And he can sing.
• Revel Wilson was entertaining as ever.
• Ben Platt, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Adam DeVine also star.
• John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks were hilarious.
• It's a cute RomCom.  Cheesy at times but still smart and funny.
• All the dialogue is well thought out and witty.
  

Arbitrage

What I liked:

• Richard Gere is quite good.
• Brit Marling holds her own.
• Tim Roth, Susan Sarandon, and Nate Parker also star.
• Super Model, Laetitia Casta.
• Former Party of Five alum, Paula Devicq.
• Clever story with interesting twists and turns.

For A Good Time, Call

What I liked:

• Ari Graynor gives a very genuine and sweet performance.
• Lauren Miller not only stars in it but also co-wrote it.
• Mark Webber, Nia Vardalos, and Justin Long also star.
• I love how the relationship between Lauren and Katie develops.  It's nice to see two females on screen who aren't competing for the affections of a boy.
• Kevin Smith, Seth Rogen, and Ken Marino!

Bachelorette

What I liked:

• This cast had so much potential: Kirsten Dunst, Rebel Wilson, Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fisher, Andrew Rannells, Hayes MacArthur, Kyle Bornheimer, James Marsden, Adam Scott, and Horatio Sanz. 
• There is a great shout out to My So-Called Life.
• There are actually a lot of cool pop culture references.
• It was nice to see Marsden in more of a "cocky jerk" type of role.

The Words

What I liked:

• Jeremy Irons was fantastic.

Sleepwalk With Me

What I liked:

• It was an interesting story with an inside look at the life of a struggling stand up comic.
• Mike Birbiglia wrote it, directed it, and stared in it.
• Great supporting cast: Lauren Ambrose, James Rebhorn, Carol Kane, Alex Karpovsky, John Lutz, Marc Maron, Cristin Milioti, David Wain, and Kristen Schaal.

Celeste and Jesse Forever

What I liked:

• Rashida Jones is stunningly beautiful, smart, funny, and a wonderful actor.  She's just fantastic in this role.
• Jones co-wrote the film with Will McCormack, who also stars in it.  The story is smart, funny, touching and realistic.
• Andy Samberg is great.  It's nice to see him play a sensitive, more reserved role than we are use to seeing him in.
• Jones and Samberg have great chemistry together.  
• Superb supporting cast: Ari Graynor, Eric Christian Olsen, Rob Huebel, Elija Wood, Chris Messina, Emma Roberts, Rececca Dayan, Rich Sommer, Chris D'Elia, and Sarah Wright.
• Chris Pine!
• I loved the opening.  It really captured the rise and fall of their relationship in warp speed.
• Excellent soundtrack.

Won't Back Down

What I liked:

• Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal make a great team.
• Great supporting cast: Holly Hunter, Rosie Perez, Oscar Isaac, Lance Reddick, Emily Alyn Lind, Ned Eisenberg and Ving Rhames.
• It's a touching story.  No one wants to see a school or their child fail.

Trouble With The Curve

What I liked:

• When I saw the trailer, I thought that Justin Timberlake might be the weak spot in this film considering he is acting opposite Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams.  I was wrong.  JT was the only life in this film.
• Matthew Lillard!
• Nice cinematography.
• They used some cool special effects by using old footage of Eastwood to do a flashback.

Lawless

What I liked:

• Fantastic cast: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, and Gary Oldman.
• Hardy can rock a cardigan on an outlaw like no other.
• It engaged the audience pretty well.  They laughed out loud at the funny parts, cheered when the bad guy was hurt and shrieked when the good guy was hurt.
• Beautiful cinematography.
• It was based on a true story of the three brothers.

The Campaign

What I liked:

• John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd as scheming political brothers?!  This should have been the movie.
• Karen Maruyama is a pretty hilarious Mrs. Yao.
• Dylan McDermott plays a great snake.
• Katherine LaNasa is a great political wife.

The Queen of Versailles

What I liked:

• If nothing else, this film should make you appreciate what you have, make you want to live within your means, and inspire you to recycle and donate your unwanted items.
• It is an interesting look at how the time share market and banks work.
• Jackie Siegel has a heart.  She did take in her niece and try to help out a friend in need.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

What I liked:

• Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton play convincing want-to-be parents.
• CJ Adams is super cute and talented.
• Great supporting cast: Rosemarie DeWitt, Shohreh Aghdashloo, David Morse, M. Emmet Walsh, Lois Smith, Dianne Wiest, Ron Livingston, Common and Odeya Rush.
• One lesson that is taught - Be careful what you wish for.
• Glen Hansard has a song in the credits.

Spoilers ahead...

Hope Springs

What I liked:

• Meryl Streep is so good that she didn't have to speak for most of the film.  Her facial expressions said everything.  She kept this role understated and it worked well.
• Tommy Lee Jones is a funny, grumpy old man.
• It is funny because it is real.  It was also sad because it is real.
• I liked that they portrayed the average American.  She worked at Coldwater Creek and shopped at Barnes and Noble.  Product placement, yes, but also better than her shopping on Rodeo drive.  He complained about a $10.95 breakfast.  Their anniversary gifts to each other were a new water heater and an upgraded cable subscription.  This is the world as I see it.
• Elisabeth Shue!
• I enjoyed the soundtrack.
  

The Bourne Legacy

What I liked:

• It has a great cast: Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Scott Glen, Stacy Keach, Albert Finney, David Strathairn, Joan Allen and Corey Stoll.
• This movie starts off at the end of The Bourne Ultimatum. There are a few plot points and characters that carry over.
• Some of the action scenes are pretty cool.

Ruby Sparks

What I liked:

• Paul Dano is fantastic as Calvin.  He makes you feel for his character.
• Not only did Zoe Kazan write this delightful screenplay but she also dazzled as Ruby.  She can go from being quirky, to adorable, to sad, to childlike in a blink of an eye.
• Dano and Kazan are a real life couple and their chemistry shines through on screen.
• The story is heartfelt, witty, interesting, funny, magical, and creative.
• Chris Messina is great as Calvin's older brother and the voice of reason.
• Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Aasif Mandvi, Steve Coogan, and Elliott Gould make for an impressive supporting cast.
• Maeby Funke (Alia Shawkat)!!!
• It has a fun soundtrack.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

What I liked:

• Quvenzhané Wallis was wonderful as Hushpuppy.  Her performance was natural and innocent.  It's hard to believe that she was only 5 years old when they filmed this.
• Dwight Henry had great chemistry with Wallis.  They seemed to have a natural father/daughter relationship.
• The story was interesting, laced with metaphors, imagination, and a dose of reality.
• It makes you grateful for everything that you have.
• Beautiful score.

Killer Joe

What I liked:

• The real star of this film is Juno Temple.  She can balance being innocent and wise beyond her years very well.
• Matthew McConaughey seemed to really enjoy his role.
• For most of the film, Thomas Haden Church seems to blend into the background.  It is not until the end when he takes his turn to shine.
• Gina Gershon has a very difficult scene to do but does so with as much dignity as one could have.
• It is surprisingly entertaining and even funny at times.

The Watch

What I liked:

• It has a good cast: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, Rosemarie DeWitt, Will Forte, Billy Crudup, and Nicholas Braun.
• It has a decent soundtrack.
• There is a Christopher Cross "Sailing" ringtone.
• It is sometimes funny.
• It takes place in Glenview, Ohio.  In Bob's man cave there are Indians, Browns, OSU, and Blue Jacket memorabilia.
• There is a cameo from The Lonely Island's Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer.

The Dark Knight Rises

What I liked:

• Fantastic cast: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Matthew Modine, Daniel Sunjata, Nestor Carbonell, Brett Cullen, Reggie Lee, Juno Temple, Will Estes, William Devane, Joey King, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Desmond Harrington,David Monahan, and Jillian Armenante.
• The Wire's Aidan Gillen and Robert Wisdom.
• I enjoyed Christopher Nolan's direction and interpretation of the story.
• This film was heavier on the story than on the action.
• Loved the ending!

2012 Emmy Nominations

My initial reaction to the Emmys-

-So happy for Lena Dunham and HBO's Girls on their nominations!
-New Girl gets some love!  Nominations for Zooey Deschanel and Max Greenfield!
-Surprised by all of the Veep love.
-Mayim Bialik gets an Emmy nom for her hilarious role as Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory.
-Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader (SNL) get nominations!
-Mad Men love for Jon Hamm, Elizabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, and Jared Harris.
-No love for John Slattery.

The full list can be found here http://www.emmys.com/nominations

To Rome With Love

What I liked:

• Great cast: Roberto Benigni, Alison Pill, Judy Davis, Alec Baldwin, Carol Alt, Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Penelope Cruz, Ellen Page, Flavio Parenti, Alessandra Mastronardi, David Pasquesi, and Fabio Armiliato.
• Italy makes for a beautiful backdrop.
• There are some funny moments.  Baldwin has the funniest part by far.
• The stories teach interesting lessons.

Ted

What I liked:

• Seth MacFarlane showed some restraint.  It wasn't as juvenile of a movie as one would think.
• Fun cast: MacFalane, Mile Kunis, Joel McHale, Patrick Warburton, Matt Walsh, Bill Smitrovich, Patrick Stewart, Alex Borstein, Ralph Garman, Norah Jones, and Sam J. Jones.
• Giovanni Ribisi plays creepy so well.
• Ryan Reynolds!
• Tom Skerritt!
• It's funny and original.

The Amazing Spider-Man

What I liked:

• Andrew Garfield was a fantastic Spider-man.  He seemed like a natural high school kid who discovers that he has super powers.  He showed a range of emotion and really made you believe.
• Garfield had wonderful chemistry with Emma Stone.  I hope these two kids stay together a long time.
• Rhys Ifans was spectacular as usual.  
• The rest of the supporting cast was great: Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, and Campbell Scott.
• Fabulous special effects.
• It was fun and entertaining.
• Spider-Man graffiti art.
• A shout out to Stouffer's Mac and Cheese!

What I didn't like:

• Peter Parker's backpack was there, then it wasn't, and then it was back again.  The continuity was off.
• The story line had some holes and wasn't very creative.

Grade: A-  

Savages

What I liked:

• Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Johnson were great.  Not only are they easy on the eyes but they can also act and play well off of each other.
• Laguna Beach makes for a beautiful backdrop.
• Respectable ensemble cast: Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, John Travolta, Demian Bichir, Emile Hirsch, and Shea Whigham.
• Impressive special effects unless you have a weak stomach.
• Interesting story.

Your Sister's Sister

What I liked:

• The characters and the story lines felt real and modern.
• Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt and Mark Duplass are fantastic.  They make you believe in these characters in such a way that you can easily justify their actions.
• It's funny, charming and thought provoking.

Safety Not Guaranteed

What I liked:

• The premise of the film derives from a classified ad that appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
• The story lines are full of heart, hope, love, and a dash of crazy.
• The dialogue is great and makes all of the characters feel real.
• Aubrey Plaza shines as Darius.
• Jake Johnson makes Jeff lovable.  Plus it doesn't hurt to see Nick Miller around.
• Mark Duplass is one talented guy.  What a year he is having!
• The supporting cast of Karan Soni, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jeff Garlin, Jenica Bergere, and Kristen Bell are all great.
• Great soundtrack.  Could Duplass get an Oscar nom for "Big Machine"?
• Beautiful use of natural light.

Magic Mike

What I liked:

• It's Tampa, baby!
• Channing Tatum has skills on the dance floor.  There is no denying that.
• Matthew McConaughey lets out his trademark "alright, alright, alright..." about a dozen times.
• McConaughey could get an Oscar nomination for Best Song as he wrote the one that is feaured in the film.
• The supporting cast if full of eye candy.

What I didn't like:

• Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello had about five lines in the film.  Adam Rodriguez had maybe 10 lines and he isn't even featured on the poster.
• Bomer looked scrawny next to everyone else and his dance moves looked pretty terrible next to Tatum.  If they weren't going to have these guys speak a lot, I don't understand why they just didn't hire professional dancers.
• The story line starts out fun but then goes a little dark and then just gets boring.  I felt like this movie was 5 hours long.
• I was very disappointed in the directing by Steven Soderbergh. The film felt choppy.  Scenes started and ended without a smooth transition.
• Cody Horn and Tatum didn't have any chemistry together.
• Alex Pettyfer was ok but didn't really do anything to stand out.
• Olivia Munn goes topless for no good reason.
• McConaughey looks old and creepy next to these youngsters.

Grade: C- 

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

What I liked:

• Steve Carell was great.  He made me believe in his character.  Reminded me how good Dan in Real Life was. 
• Keira Knightley played her role well but it reminds me of every role that she has that isn't a period piece.
• It had an interesting story line with some twists and turns that I don't think most people expect.
• I liked that the characters expressed a variety of natural human responses after learning that the world was ending.
• Great supporting cast: Nancy Carell, Mark Moses, Rob Huebel, Adam Brody, Connie Britton, Rob Corddry, Melanie Lynskey, Patton Oswalt, William Petersen, T.J. Miller, Gillian Jacobs, Derek Luke, and Martin Sheen.
• Great music.  Vinyl records!
• There is a very lovely and romantic moment.
• I was very happy with the ending.

Moonrise Kingdom

What I liked:

• It has the perfect trailer.
• It's quirky, fun, and fancy free.
• Fantastic cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel, and Bob Balaban.
• It was the first film for Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward.
• It was written and directed by Wes Anderson.
• Great music.

Brave

What I liked:

• It stars a curly haired girl! 
• It's not a love story.  There is no romance.
• It has the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Waters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, and John Ratzenberger.
• It's Pixar so the animation is outstanding.
• Merida is a strong willed, independent girl.
• Again with the archery!

What I didn't like:

• The trailer is misleading.  The main story line is about the relationship between the princess and the queen.  It's not really about Merida gaining her independence.
• The princess seems terribly young to be getting engaged in the first place.
• There are a lot of naked butts for a children's movie.
• There is no big song and dance number.
• There is action but I am not sure it is enough to hold a child's attention.

Grade: B-  

Rock of Ages

Glee + Burlesque + Chicago = Rock of Ages

What I liked:

• Tom Cruise plays intense really well.  He also did a good job singing.
• Diego Boneta has a nice voice.
• Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand played well off of each other.
• Catherine Zeta-Jones rocked it.
• Paul Giamatti!  
• Malin Akerman was great.  Who knew that she could sing?
• Will Forte, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Cranston, T.J. Miller, Debbie Gibson, and Sebastian Back!
• A cameo by Constantine Maroulis, who starred in the Broadway version of Rock Of Ages.
• The pole dancers were amazing.
• The screenplay was written by Justin Theroux, Chris D'Arienzo, and Allan Loeb.
• Directed by Adam Shankman.
• It's a lot funnier than I would have thought.
• I liked the song mash-ups.

The Intouchables

What I liked:

• Great camera work and directing in the opening scene/title sequence.
• Fantastic acting by Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy.  Together they have wonderful chemistry.  A modern day odd-couple, their friendship seemed to develop right before our eyes.  Separately, Cluzet deserves a special kudos for being able to sit so still for so long.  Sy was so wonderful in this role that he won the César Award for Best Actor (the French version of the Oscars) beating out Jean Dujardin for The Artist.  (Sy was also the first actor of African descent to recieve this award.)
• The story has heart.  It's entertaining and amusing.  A real crowd pleaser.  
• It's based on a true story.
• The dialogue was believable and natural.
• The supporting cast was very good, including, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, and Clotilde Mollet.
• Great song selections.

That's My Boy

What I liked:

• Andy Samberg cleans up well.
• The supporting cast is eclectic: Susan Sarandon, Eva Amurri Martino, Leighton Meester, Vanilla Ice, James Caan, Milo Ventimiglia, Will Forte, Rachel Dratch, Nick Swardson, Luenell, Ciara, Todd Bridges, Ian Ziering, and Ana Gasteyer.
• Did I mention Vanilla Ice and Steve Sanders?!

People Like Us

What I liked:

• Wonderful cast: Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Wilde, Jon Favreau, Mark Duplass, Philip Baker Hall, and Michael Hall D'Addario.
• Great dialogue, especially between Pine and Banks and Pine and Pfeiffer.
• It has an interesting story.  At times it is heartwarming and funny.
• I like how music was almost used as a character instead of just something that the audience hears.

Snow White and the Huntsman

What I liked:

• Visually stunning.
• Wonderful cinematography.
• Fantastic special effects.  They made full grown men look like dwarfs!  They aged and then made younger, Charlize Theron, in a blink of an eye.  The whimsical forest with all of it's unique creatures was so life like!
• I am not a fan of Kristen Stewart but I liked her in this role.
• Charlize Theron never looked better.  She played the perfect evil queen.
• Chris Hemsworth was born to swing around a hammer or ax.  I can't imagine him playing a modern day character but I hope he does.
• Sam Claflin reminds me of a young Michael Vartan.
• The rest of the supporting cast was great: Sam Spruell, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris, Brian Gleeson, Vincent Regan, and Liberty Ross.
• There is a great battle scene.  It reminded me of Games of Thrones.
• Loved the lighting.  When it was dark, it was dark and when it was light, it was natural and beautiful.
• Wonderful score.  Florence + The Machine was the perfect choice to sing the closing song.
• The story pays homage to the classic Disney one that we all grew up on but adds it's own unique twists.
• I am always down with a good heroine.
• Has archery become popular in schools again because it is very popular in the movies.  We have William in this film, Katniss in The Hunger Games, and Hawkeye in the Avengers.
  

Sound of My Voice

What I liked:

• It has an interesting story.
• It stars Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius, Brit Marling, Davenia McFadden, Richard Wharton, Kandice Stroh, Christy Meyers, Alvin Lam, Costance Wu, Matthew Carey, David Haley, and James Urbaniak.

Men in Black 3

What I liked:

• Josh Brolin was great at playing a young Tommy Lee Jones.
• Jermaine Clement! Michael Stuhlbarg!  Bill Hader!  Alice Eve!
• Sometimes the special effects were very cool.

Darling Companion

What I liked:

• Outstanding cast: Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass, Ayelet Zurer, Sam Shepard, Lindsay Sloane, and Jay Ali.
• It's a feel good movie.
• It has a cute story.
• It has some humorous parts.

What to Expect When You're Expecting

What I liked:

• I really liked the fact that some scary/bad/sad things happen to these people because not everything goes right in the real world.
• It stars Elizabeth Banks, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro, Joe Manganiello, Rob Huebel, Thomas Lennon, Amrir Talai, Rebel Wilson, Wendy McLendon-Covey, Dwyane Wade, Whitney Port, Megan Mullally, Cheryl Cole, Taboo, and Tootie aka Kim Fields!
• It's a huge cast and just about everyone gets equal screen time.
• I enjoyed the Biggest Loser and Dancing With The Stars spoofs.
• Food trucks are really in this year.

The Dictator

What I liked:

• It's highly inappropriate and politically incorrect.
• If you compare it to Borat or Bruno, it's pretty tame.
• Fun cameos by John C Reiley, Megan Fox, J.B. Smoove, Chris Parnell, Edward Norton, Gary Shandling, Aasif Mandvi, Bobby Lee, and Kathryn Hahn.
• Sir Ben Kingsley!
• It has an interesting soundtrack.
• Most of the scenes in the trailer are either missing or have been tweaked in the movie.

Dark Shadows

What I liked:

• Great cast - Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Grace Moretz, Gulliver McGrath, Christopher Lee, and Alice Cooper.
• Fantastic special effects.  They made a person look like they were a busted up porcelain doll.  It was pretty amazing.
• Fun '70's soundtrack.

What I didn't like:

• The story wasn't all that.  It is based on a tv show that, from what I heard, wasn't even that great.
• All the funny parts are in the trailer.
• Depp is suppose to be in love with this woman but they barely have any scenes together.

Grade: C  

Damsels In Distress

What I liked:

• Analeigh Tipton and Aubrey Plaza were in the same scene together proving that they are not the same person.
• Dukie (Jermaine Crawford) from The Wire.

The Avengers

What I liked:

• Obviously, the incredible characters: Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, The Black Widow, Hawkeye, Loki, Agent Coulson, Agent Hill, Nick Fury, and Pepper Potts!
• Well played by Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Stellan Starsgard, Paul Bettany, Alexis Denisof, and Stan Lee.
• Chrissy from Growing Pains and Jim Walsh from Beverly Hills 90210!
• It filmed two really big scenes in Cleveland!  Check out pictures from my visit to the set here.
• It was funny.  Smart funny.  Geeky funny.
• Joss Whedon did a fine job directing.  I liked how he mixed things up with some interesting shots from the ground, looking up.
• The graphics, animation, CGI, and 3D Effects were all great.
• Stay through the credits.  Watch all 5 million names go by and then be rewarded with a humorous little clip.

Think Like a Man

What I liked:

• Based on the best selling book by Steve Harvey - 
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think about Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment
• It has an entertaining and beautiful cast: Michael Ealy, Meagan Good, Terrence Jenkins,  Taraji P. Henson, Romany Malco, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Jerry Ferrara, Gabrielle Union, La La Anthony, Arielle Kebbel, Steve Harvey, Chris Brown, Wendy Williams, Sherri Shepherd, J.B. Smoove, Kelly Rowland, Morris Chestnut and Keri Hilson.
• Turtle is looking good.
• The writing is funny and smart.
• Great soundtrack.

We Have a Pope

What I liked:

• It is an interesting look at the Vatican.
• It's funny and entertaining.
• It's different...you don't really know where the story line will take you.  
• You could probably come up with a dozen other scenarios that could have made for equally interesting films.
• It begs the question - to tell the truth or not?
• Great acting all around.

The Five-Year Engagement

What I liked:

• I loved the characters.  They were real, funny, and flawed.
• Emily Blunt and Jason Segel make a great couple.  Lots of chemistry.
• Segel co-wrote the script.
• Fantastic supporting cast: Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Lauren Weedman, Mimi Kennedy, David Paymer, Jacki Weaver, Jim Piddock, Brian Posehn, Dakota Johnson, Rhys Ifans, Mindy Kaling, Chris Parnell and Kevin Hart.
• I thought the story was great.  Very realistic, modern, funny, and touching.
• Wonderful soundtrack.

Bully

What I liked:

• It's a conversation starter.  You can't help but want to talk about this film and it's contents, good or bad.
• It shows you that there is a problem not only with bullying but also with adults not knowing how to handle it.
• It's a documentary.  These are real kids, real parents, real school officials all dealing with this problem.  No actors.  No written story.
  

The Lucky One

What I liked:

• Blythe Danner is delightful.
• Zac Efron makes for nice eye candy.
• Taylor Schilling was ok in her first major motion picture.
• The soundtrack was ok.
  

Being Elmo

Being Elmo is probably my favorite documentary of 2011 (read my review here).  PBS will be showing it on Thursday night as part of their Independent Lens series.  I highly recommend that you set your DVRs.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

What I liked:

• Fantastic cast: Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Dev Patel, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie.
• I would have preferred a smaller cast with more of a focus on Graham's story.

Beauty Is Embarrassing

What I liked:

• It's an entertaining and fascinating look at the life of artist, Wayne White.
• Fantastic footage, interviews, and images.
• It brings up a good point: Why do people have a hard time thinking that something that is funny can't be considered art?
• "Is There a Ghost" by Band of Horses

Missed Connections

What I liked:

• It's a hilarious take on the modern dating world.
• The dialogue was smart, funny, and real.
• The acting was well played.
• I like all of the serendipitous moments.
• It was written by and stars Kenny Stevenson.
• It also stars Dorien Davies, Shane Elliott, Alex Enriquez, Abraham Smith, Julie Mitchell, Avi Rothman, Samantha Klein, Scott Beehner, and Mitch Sipla.
• It has a great soundtrack.
• There's a running joke about Three Men and a Baby.

What I didn't like:

 ...

http://missedconnectionsmovie.com/

To see a clip from the film, click here

Winner of the American Independent Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival.
Check out Dorien Davies' blog about her experience at CIFF here.

Grade: A

Mirror Mirror

What I liked:

• The opening animation sequence was delightful.
• Lily Collins is lovely.
• Armie Hammer was wonderful when under the Queen's spell.
• A nice supporting cast of Mare Winningham, Jordan Prentice, Mark Povinelli, Joe Gnoffo, Danny Woodburn, Sebastian Saraceno, Martin Klebba, Ronald Lee Clark and Sean Bean!
• Creative costumes.
• There's a modern twist to the movie.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

What I liked:

• Great acting from Amr Waked, Emily Blunt, and Ewan McGregor.
• Kristen Scott Thomas steals every scene that she is in.
• It's an interesting story based on the book Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday.
• Lovely writing full of witty and sarcastic humor.

Being Flynn

What I liked:

• Wonderful acting by Paul Dano, Julianne Moore, and Robert De Niro.
• Great supporting cast of Olivia Thirlby, Lili Taylor, Victor Rasuk, Liam Broggy, and Wes Studi.
• Interesting story based up the book Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir by Nick Flynn.

Nesting

What I liked:

• It's an entertaining story about how to connect the person that you use to be with the person you are now.
• Written and directed by Cleveland native, John Chuldenko.
• Great acting by Todd Grinnell, Ali Hillis, Kevin Linehan, and Alexi Wasser.
• Erin Gray!
• Realistic, smart, and funny dialogue.
• Fantastic soundtrack.

Be Carried Away - The 36th Cleveland International Film Festival

American Reunion

What I liked:

• The old gang was back together!  Jim, Michelle, Oz, Kevin, Vicky, Stifler, Heather, Finch, the MILF guys, Stifler's mom, Jim's Dad, Jessica, Nadia, and even Sherman!
• They paid a lot of respect to the first movie.
• Props to Jason Biggs for going there.
• Great '90's soundtrack including "Sway" from Bic Runga.
• It was gross and funny and gross again.
• 30 Rock's Katrina Bowden
• Rebecca De Mornay?!
• NPH!
  

The Movie Rating System

I have never understood the movie rating system.  I don’t understand the criteria that the board uses to rate a film.  It doesn’t appear to be consistent or in the best interest of those that it is meant to protect. 

I bring up this topic because it’s in the media a lot right now because of two movies: Bully and The Hunger Games.   Bully, a movie about kids being bullied, has been given an R rating by the board due to language.  Full disclosure: I haven’t seen Bully yet so I can’t talk specifics.  I have, however, seen the Academy Award Winning film, The King’s Speech, which was also rated R for language.  The King dropped one too many F words for the board’s liking.

The Hunger Games, a movie about kids forced to fight each other to the death, has been given a PG-13 rating.  This doesn’t make sense to me.  How can language be worse than violence?   

The Hunger Games

What I liked:

• Great job on casting.  Jennifer Lawrence is terrific.  Watch Winter's Bone to she her breakout role.  
• Wonderful supporting cast of Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Wes Bentley, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Toby Jones, and the almost unrecognizable, Elizabeth Banks.
• It's an interesting story.
• Fantastic costumes.  Loved Katniss' red dress and everything that Effie wore.

DVD Day

New to DVD:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Grade A-
Read full review here

The Muppets - Grade A-
Read full review here

The Sitter - Grade B
Read full review here

Carnage - Grade B+
Read full review here

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Grade B
Read full review here

Jeff Who Lives at Home

I have a soft spot for films that have to do with fate and destiny and this was no exception.

What I liked:

• It was nice to see Jason Segel and Ed Helms play more dramatic roles without losing their comedic flare.
• Susan Sarandon was great as an unhappy single mother of two grown men.
• Judy Greer!
• I thought that the story was interesting.  I liked the twists and turns that it took.

Friends With Kids

What I liked:

• Fabulous cast: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Edward Burns, and Megan Fox.
• Kelly Bishop!
• Westfeldt not only starred in it but also wrote and directed it.
• The writing was fantastic.  The characters felt real.  They talked, thought, and acted like people that I know.
• The story was very current and fresh.  A modern day, funny, RomCom.
• Great soundtrack.

A Separation

What I liked:

• It's a fascinating story with an interesting look at life in Iran.  
• Wonderful acting by everyone involved: Peyman Moadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shahab Hosseini, Sarina Farhadi, Merila Zare'i, and Ali-Asghar Shahbazi.
• Won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Project X

What I liked:

• I think what helps sell this movie is that the actors are relatively unknowns: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Brady Hender, and Nick Nervies.
• Miles Teller!
• Martin Klebba!
• Fantastic party soundtrack.
• Full of "college humor".
• It's a great example of why parents should never leave their teenage kids home alone.

21 Jump Street

What I liked:

• Oscar Nominee, Jonah Hill, was great and heavily involved as he co-wrote it.
• Channing Tatum is good at playing the dumb pretty one.
• The supporting cast is filled with stars from the small screen:
• Nick from New Girl (Jake M. Johnson)
• Erin from The Office (Ellie Kemper)
• Ron from Parks and Recreation (Nick Offerman)
• Rob Riggle from The Daily Show
• Cole from Scrubs (Dave Franco)
• Ice Cube from Barbershop
• Kate from United States of Tara (Brie Larson)

Movies + Basketball = Love

DVD Day

New to DVD:

Hugo - Grade A
Read the full review here

Live Blogging the 2012 Academy Awards

Hit refresh and repeat...

• Morgan Freeman as a warm up act for Billy?  Nice.
• Bieber!
• I love Billy's opening skit.
• His song medley is amusing.
• I like the set design for the Oscars.
• Best Cinematography - Hugo
• Best Art Direction - Hugo
• I do not like Meryl Streep's gold dress.
• That JC Penny commercial was awful.
• Best Costume Design - The Artist

Live Blogging the Red Carpet for The 2012 Academy Awards

Hit refresh and repeat...

• Kudos to Melissa McCarty for not wearing black.  
• I love Shailene Woodley's look.  The cream dress and hair are perfect.
• Jessica Chastain looks lovely in the strapless black and gold dress.  
• I like Giuliana Rancic's white dress.  This could be her best look to date.
• I like Ellie Kemper's dress but not the hair.
• I do not like Bérénice Bejo's dress or hair.
• Michelle Williams looks lovely in coral red while her BFF, Busy Philipps looks lovely in black.
• Viola Davis looks lovely in an emerald Vera Wang gown.
• So happy to see that Rooney Mara didn't wear black.

My Oscar Picks 2012

Leading Actor: Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Leading Actress: Viola Davis for The Help
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer for The Help
Animated Feature: Rango
Art Direction: Hugo
Cinematography: Tree of Life
Costume Design: The Artist
Directing: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Documentary Feature: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

2011 Razzie Nominations

Worst Picture

• Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
• Jack & Jill
• New Year's Eve
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I

Worst Actor:

• Russell Brand - Arthur
• Nicolas Cage - Drive Angry 3D, Season of the Witch, Trespass
• Adam Sandler - Jack & Jill, Just Go With It
• Taylor Lautner - Abduction, Twilight
• Nick Swarson - Bucky Larson

Worst Actress

• Martin Lawrence (as "Momma") - Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
• Sarah Palin (As "Herself") - Sarah Palin: The Undefeated
• Sarah Jessica Parker - I Don't Know How She Does It, New Years's Eve
• Adam Sandler (As "Jill") - Jack & Jill
• Kristen Stewart - Twilight

2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards

Act of Valor

What I liked:

• It is based on true events.
• The film stars actual, active duty US Navy SEALs and SWCC.
• It is action packed!  There is not much down time in this movie.
• The special effects and footage of real weapons and equipment are fantastic.

Wanderlust

Maybe if you drink the kool aid, you will like it too...

What I liked:

• It has a great cast: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Alan Alda, Malin Akerman, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kathryn Hahn, Kerri Kenney, Lauren Ambrose, Michaela Watkins, Jessica St. Clair, David Wain, and Michael Ian Black.

DVD Day

New to DVD

The Way - Grade A
Read full review here

J. Edgar - Grade B+
Read full review here

Tower Heist - Grade C
Read full review here

Martha Marcy May Marlene - Grade B
Read full review here