365 Movie Challenge - Week 13

Week thirteen was a light week due to a busy work schedule.

Below are my movies of the week:

March 24

              Jackass 3 (Directed by Jeff Tremaine) First movie I watched on my new TV and I felt like I was in the movie. I might have even ducked during the flying Dildo scene.

              Tower Heist (Directed by Brett Ratner) Stupid Premise with a mostly B list cast but I still had fun watching it.

              Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Directed by Guy Ritche) Strong follow-up by Guy Ritchie in his new Sherlock Holmes franchise.

March 25

              Ratatouille (Directed by Brad Bird & Jan Pinkava) Top quality Pixar film that on the surface doesn't look very special but under the surface it is a very heartwarming and original story.

March 27

              Hancock (Directed by Peter Berg) I liked this a lot more the first time I saw it. Now it feels like the movie was made by combining numerous ideas that don't really work.

March 29

              Blade Runner (Final Cut) (Directed by Ridley Scott) I admit I had never seen this movie before John Sheridan suggested it. I have heard the Final Cut is the way to go the first time you watch it and I have to agree. It was a strong & creative story from Mr. Scott.

March 30

              G.I. Joe: Retaliation (Directed by Jon M. Chu) The sequel to Rise of Cobra was a fun Popcorn action flick. Spoiler Alert! I will say I was happy that Channing Tatum didn't make it past the first 15 minutes. The Rock could have been his own G.I. Joe character back in the 80's so it makes perfect sense why he was the focus on this movie.

              Rock of Ages (Directed by Adam Shankman) This movie was a lot of fun. I have never seen the Broadway musical it is based on but I of course know all the songs. Tom Cruise puts in a quality performance.

365 Movie Challenge - Week 12

Week twelve was a mixed bag of movies.

Below are my movies of the week:

March 17

              Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000) (Directed by Dominic Sena) I have yet to see the original version of this film but I really like the Nic Cage version. It was the first Blu-Ray I ever bought and was one of the first ones I re-bought after my others were stolen.

              The Greatest Game Ever Played (Directed by Bill Paxton) I do not play golf other than going out to the driving range and hitting some golf balls with my dad years ago but I do enjoy watching it being played on TV or on the big screen. This movie based on a true story shows a good look at how golf was perceived by people in the early 1900's. Disney knows how to do true story sports themed movies right.

              Beverly Hills Cop (Directed by Martin Brest) Did someone say Banana in the Tailpipe?

              Rollerball (2002) (Directed by John McTiernan) I didn't realize how many movies from John McTiernan I was going to watch but hopefully this is the worst one I watch. I'm not totally sure what I watched actually.

March 18

              Vamp U (Directed by Matt Jespersen & Maclain Nelson) Stupid fun Indie film about a vampire who is a college professor and bites a student who resembles his long lost love and turns her in to a vampire. She then goes on a killing rampage draining people left and right while turning her fellow sorority members in to more vampires.

              Ghostbusters (Directed by Ivan Reitman) Who You Gonna Call? I still remember most of the lines years after last seeing it.

              Last Action Hero (Directed by John McTiernan) What if you got to meet your favorite movie character but they didn't know they were a movie character?

March 22

              Olympus Has Fallen (Directed by Antoine Fuqua) Very fun action flick that remined me of the original Die Hard. Solid plot helped carry the story along during the non-action scenes.

March 23

              Rise of the Guardians (Directed by Peter Ramsey) I originally saw this last Thanksgiving but thought I would watch it again and I wish I hadn't. What I originally liked about it in the theater I no longer found cute. The movie seemed to drag on a bit now.

              Man on the Ledge (Directed by Asger Leth) Fun popcorn action flick.

              Up (Directed by Bob Peterson & Pete Docter) Pixar at its very best. So many emotions wrapped up in this movie.

              John Dies at the End (Directed by David Wong) Heard lots of good things about this movie from the internet community and after watching it I have to question their sanity. The movie was very confusing as it played out. I think I know what they were going for but in the end they failed miserably at it.

              Varsity Blues (Directed by Brian Robbins) In Texas, Football is a way of life. Jon Voight took it a bit too far though. Hard to believe that this movie is from MTV Films, it is so good.

              Red (Directed by Robert Schwentke) Graphic Novel turned Motion Picture with an All Star cast. Fun to watch over and over again.

365 Movie Challenge - Week 11

Week eleven saw me turn 31 and have a bit of a slow movie watching week.

Below are my movies of the week:

March 10

              Despicable Me (Directed by Chris Renaud & Pierre Coffin) I didn't want to see this movie initially because of the stupid trailers but in the end I really enjoyed it.

              Happy Gilmore (Directed by Dennis Dugan) Classic Adam Sandler fun.

March 12

              Ocean's Twelve (Directed by Steven Soderbergh) My least favorite of the Ocean's Trilogy. Has some fun moments but overall the movie feels like it tried to hard to match the fun from Ocean's Eleven.

March 14

              Kick-Ass (Directed by Matthew Vaughn) I saw this before reading the graphic novel a few years ago. I re-read the graphic novel before watching it recently and it still holds up big time. I am looking forward to the sequel this summer even though I am not a fan of the second Graphic Novel,.

March 15

              Megamind (Directed by Tom McGrath) Another home run from Dreamworks!

              Parental Guidance (Directed by Andy Fickman) Meet the Parents but in reverse. The movie had very brief moments of humor but overall it was difficult to watch at get through.

March 16

              G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Directed by Stephen Sommers) Growing up I was a fan of G.I. Joe, the action figures (not dolls) and the cartoon. This movie is fun for me because it reminds me of my childhood and it makes me feel like I am a kid again. I prefer Marlon Wayans over Channing Tatum in it but deep down I knew that if they made a sequel it would most likely have Channing Tatum in it and not Mr. Wayans.

              Super Troopers (Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar) I still remember the first time I saw this movie. I went to see it based on a recommendation from my friend Andy. I laughed so hard I started to cry back then and this time I came close.

              X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Directed by Gavin Hood) When I first heard this movie was coming out I was excited because I am a big fan of Wolverine. The subtitle for this movie should be "20th Century Fox has taken NUMEROUS liberties with this 'origin' story."

365 Movie Challenge - Week 10

Week ten was filled with more childhood classics and classics in general.

Below are my movies of the week:

March 3          

              Empire Records (Directed by Allan Moyle) Damn the Man! Save The Empire! This movie featured a pretty good list of "Before they Were Stars" actors in Rory Cochrane, Robin Tunney, Renée Zellweger, Ethan Embry and Liv Tyler. I wanted to work in a record store after seeing this movie but sadly by the time I was 16 there were very few left. I still enjoy listening to the movie's soundtrack from time to time.

              Death Race 2 (Directed by Roel Reiné) This was the first Direct to Video prequel to the Jason Statham remake. Fun action movie that gives more back story to the origin of the Frankenstein character.

              Death Race 3: Inferno (Directed by Roel Reiné) Another prequel to the Statham remake but this one was stretched a bit to far in my opinion. Some of the characters were still interesting but the plot was a bit out there even for a Death Race movie.

March 5

              Supercross: The Movie (Directed by Steve Boyum) I originally saw this movie because of Sophia Bush from One Tree Hill. I watched this movie again now because of Sophia Bush from One Tree Hill.

March 6

              Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Directed by Rupert Wyatt) This prequel to the Planet of the Apes was one of favorite movies of the year when it came out. The only problem I had with it was James Franco. I don't hate him but I have a hard time dealing with him for long periods of time in movies.

March 8

              Wreck-It Ralph (Directed by Rich Moore) Video Games + Disney + 80's Child Mindset = Pure Gold!

              Masters of the Universe (Directed by Gary Goddard) Throwback to my childhood when I was feeling nostalgic. This movie is so very bad that it is extremely enjoyable. The special effects and story are both cheesy but it is still a fun movie to watch 20+ years later.

March 9

              Red Dawn (2012) (Directed by Dan Bradley) I didn't find this remake to be as bad as people thought it was. I actually enjoyed it more than the original.

              Dazed and Confused (Directed by Richard Linklater) This movie is 20 years old this year, that makes me feel old. I remember seeing it as a teenager and loving the story and visuals. The soundtrack might be one of the best ever to tie in with the content of a film.

              Hot Tub Time Machine (Directed by Steve Pink) The cast for this movie wouldn't be my first choice but in the end it worked out and they delivered a fun time travel comedy.

              Mission: Impossible (Directed by Brian De Palma) Though the most recent sequel in this film franchise is a lot of fun, the original is still the best in the series. It brought to life the old TV show feeling.

              Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Directed by Brad Peyton) Not as fun as the first movie in the series but I can always enjoy a fun movie with The Rock.

365 Movie Challenge - Week 9

Week nine was a cold snowy week which means more movies!

Below are my movies of the week:

February 24

              Les Misérables (Directed by Tom Hooper) This was the last of the major Academy Award nominated movies I had yet to watch. I honestly knew nothing about this story before watching it. The cast was very strong but it still felt a bit disconnected on screen. I am not much of a musical fan but I enjoyed that part of the film and felt it fit in nicely.

              Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (Directed by Stephen Herek) Another classic from my childhood. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter star as 2 slackers on the verge of flunking high school and thus losing all hope of becoming rock gods. That’s when they get help from a time traveling phone booth and George Carlin.

              Basic (Directed by John McTiernan) Military drama starring John Travolta and Sam Jackson from the director of Die Hard. I like the mystery and conspiracy that this movie creates. However, one big drawback has to be the scene with Travolta interviewing a suspect and he is lying on a table posed like a Playboy playmate. No Thanks John!

              Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny (Directed by Shannon Hartman) Another funny Kevin Hart comedy special. His bit about Shaq’s flopping skills in the NBA was my favorite part.

February 25       

              The Man with the Iron Fists (Directed by RZA) Very fun Kung Fu movie directed by RZA of The Wu-Tang Clan. Over the top death scenes and interesting characters help make this movie a success in my eyes. I would love to see a sequel or a series of sequels come from it.

February 27    

              Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (Directed by Michael Pressman) For my ninth birthday my parents took my brother, my best friend and I to the arcade and then to see this movie. Compared to the first TMNT movie this one was a lot more kid friendly. Though it is very cheesy this is still my favorite of the original trilogy. After the movie the 3 of us all pretending to be our favorite turtle (I was Leo) tried to re-enact the Ninja Rap dance to a Vanilla Ice tape I had.

February 28    

              Meet the Robinsons (Directed by Stephen J. Anderson) One of the best non-Pixar Disney movies I have ever seen. The animation and colors were beautiful. The story was original and very heartfelt.

              For A Good Time Call (Directed by Jamie Travis) I decided to watch this because Justin Long was in it and I am a fan. The premise of this movie is a bit crazy; two rivals become roommates and start a phone sex hotline. The character development between the rivals was a bit predictable but the hotline calls and callers more than made up for it.

March 1          

              Galaxy Quest (Directed by Dean Parisot) What if the cast of Star Trek were needed to save an alien race in the "real world"? Tim Allen stars in this Sci-Fi comedy about the cast of a former space exploration show that tours the convention circuit but are then needed to help save an alien race that believes the show was real.

March 2          

              The Day After Tomorrow (Directed by Roland Emmerich) Mr. Emmerich loves to make disaster movies. He also loves to make crazy over the top disaster movies. This is the first of many disaster movies from him I will be watching this year.

              Real Genius (Directed by Martha Coolidge) Yes I was only 3 when this movie came out but it is still lots of fun to watch. Val Kilmer stars in this comedy as a child genius on the verge of graduation college who with another child genius work on creating a laser that unbeknownst to them will be used by the military.

              Minority Report (Directed by Steven Spielberg) Mr. Spielberg knows how to make a futuristic Sci-Fi film. The storyline and technology really sold me on the movie. I still remember this was the first movie I saw in theaters shortly after I had my second brain surgery.

365 Movie Challenge - Week 8

Week eight was filled with comedy classics and a couple BAD movies.

Below are my movies of the week:

February 17    

              Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard (Directed by John Moore) As far as Die Hard movies go this was BAD. As a Die Hard style action film it was ok. Very bad ADR at times and the scene editing didn't make sense. There one attempt at being nostalgic to the original Die Hard failed miserably.

              Dodgeball (Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber) If you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball. Very fun comedy featuring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn.

              Bridesmaids (Directed by Paul Feig) After being asked by my friend time and time again if I have watched Bridesmaids I finally gave it a shot and I have to say that I see what all the hype was about. The airplane scene and the bridal shower are 2 of the funniest scenes I have watched in some time.

              Batman: Under the Red Hood (Directed by Brandon Vietti) Another well done DC Animated feature. Batman takes on The Joker and the Red Hood who might or might not be someone from his past.

February 18    

              The Watch (Directed by Akiva Schaffer) BAD BAD BAD!!! Enough said. They changed the title before the release but they should have just cancelled the release all together.

              Land of the Dead (Directed by George A. Romero) 20 years after Day of the Dead was released George S. Romero is back with Land of the Dead. What happens when they walking dead learn how to communicate and handle machinery?

              Journey to the Center of the Earth (Directed by Eric Brevig) Fun adventure movie following along the lines of the classic Jules Verne novel. Nothing overly special about the movie but it is enjoyable to watch and has good re-watch qualities.

February 21

              Kung Fu Panda 2 (Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson) The Dragon Warrior is back as he tries stop the evil Lord Shen from destroying all Kung Fu while also trying to figure out where he came from. A very solid sequel to Kung Fu Panda and left wide open for a third film.

              The Wizard (Directed by Todd Holland) I am a child of the Nintendo generation so this movie following 2 brothers and a friend traveling the road to get to a video game championship in California peaked my interests. Looking back this movie is totally unrealistic when you think 3 kids can cross 2 states with just a couple bucks and a skateboard between them. Lots of video game references and the introduction of Super Mario Bros. 3 are present in this movie. It has a strong Rain Man for children vibe to it.

February 22

              Premium Rush (Directed by David Koepp) Who knew Bike Messengers were so tough and lived dangerous lives. As a friend put it, this movie is like a Live Action Looney Toons cartoon. This is one of those movies that will do much better on video then it did in the theater. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon both put in solid performances.

              BASEketball (Directed by David Zucker) Because of South Park I am a big fan of Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Being a fan I like to see anything these guys release including this sports comedy. The movie premise is pretty stupid but it is still enjoyable. The game of BASEketball is one that I would enjoy playing and watch being played.

February 23

              Airplane! (Directed by Jim Abrahams & David Zucker & Jerry Zucker) If you haven't seen this movie then there is something very very wrong with you. This is one of the best satirical comedies ever released. I wasn't born until 2 years after this film was released but I still get most of the references.

              Waiting for Lightning (Directed by Jacob Rosenberg) Until a few years ago the biggest name in pro skateboarding I knew was Tony Hawk, then I learned of Danny Way. Danny Way is the creator of the Mega Ramp that has been featured at the X-Games for a number of years now. This documentary features a number of Way's accomplishments in the world of skateboarding and how he got in to the sport.

              Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Directed by Steve Barron) Growing up in the 80's one of my favorite cartoons was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and when they came out with a live action movie you can bet I was excited. Almost 23 years later this movie is still fun to watch and in comparison to its sequels it was also the darkest which is interesting considering it was geared towards kids. It also took me until this viewing to realize that Sam Rockwell plays a head thug with a very cheesy mustache in the film. Monsters vs. Aliens (Directed by Rob Letterman & Conrad Vernon) This is what I was hoping Escape from Planet Earth would be like. The movie features a creative story with a strong vocal cast to back it up. Stephen Colbert as the President might be my favorite character in the movie. His scene with the electric keyboard was hysterical.

365 Movie Challenge - Week 7

Week seven of my movie challenged included a Best Picture winner and a some fun comedies.

Below are my movies of the week:

February 10

              Grown Ups (Directed by Dennis Dugan) I know Adam Sandler is hit and miss with people but I am still a fan for the most part. I really like that he always puts his friends in his movies and this is the ultimate Buddy comedy for him. Childhood friends reunite following the death of their youth basketball coach. All the friends are in different places of their lives but one thing is still constant, they know how to rip on each other and still have a great time.

              Kevin Hart: I'm a Grown Little Man (Directed by Shannon Hartman) Stand-Up special featuring one of the most popular mainstream comedians. My dad is a fan of his so we decided to watch this special and it was very funny. Wide range of topics and the audience was included in some of his bits. There is one more Kevin Hart special in my Netflix Queue which I will be watching soon.

              Argo (Directed by Ben Affleck) Ben Affleck has become a top tier director in my opinion. HIs take on a true life escape story is one of my top 5 movies for 2012. The story alone feels like a Hollywood movie but to know that it really happened is amazing. I can see this movie winning Best Picture at the Oscars but sadly Ben Affleck won't win Best Director seeing as he was snubbed a nomination.

February 13    

              Kung Fu Panda (Directed by John Wayne Stevenson & Mark Osborne) Very fun animated movie from Dreamworks. Great cast headlined by Jack Black as a Panda Bear who is chosen to be the new Dragon Warrior. Sadly he lacks all martial arts skills and most basic functioning skills in general.

February 14    

              D3: The Mighty Ducks (Directed by Robert Lieberman) The final movie in the Mighty Ducks trilogy. My least favorite of the series but not all movies end on a super high note. It was a bit cheap of Disney to reuse actors from the previous movies as different characters; the top Iceland player from D2 became the teen goalie for the varsity team in D3.

February 15    

              Escape from Planet Earth (Directed by Callan Brunker) I was very disappointed in this movie. I was hoping for something similar to Monsters vs. Aliens but it didn't even come close. The story was weak and the voice cast was missing star power in my opinion.

              Unstoppable (Directed by Tony Scott) Not the best Tony Scott film but also not the worst. Good action story based on true events. The cast was pretty strong all the way around too.

February 16    

              Hit and Run (Directed by Dax Shepard & David Palmer) Surprisingly good comedy featuring Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell and Bradley Cooper. Guy decides to leave witness protection to drive his girlfriend to Los Angeles for a new job. That is when all hell breaks loose and comedy ensues.

              Pitch Perfect (Directed by Jason Moore) I admit I was a fan of Glee for the first season but it soon grew old. I was afraid this movie would be a lot like that but I was wrong. It was more of a comedy with singing thrown in. I also have a major crush on Anna Kendrick so that was a plus for this film.

              How to Train Your Dragon (Directed by Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois) One of Dreamworks best films in my opinion; great original story along with a funny cast. I still remember the first time I saw this movie and I still enjoy it just as much with each viewing.