I have a beard and I love talking about movies. I do movie reviews that are short and sweet, top 10 lists from every genre possible as well as the latest movie news.
I just seen Don Jon yesterday and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado.......
This film tells the of Jon Martello (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is a modern day Don Juan who objectifies everything in his life, especially woman. His friends call him Don Jon because of his ability to pull in very gorgeous women (or 10's) every weekend without fail and also dives into Martellos weekly routine. He begins dating a woman who Martello quotes as "the most beautiful woman he has ever laid his eyes on" in Barbara Sugarman (played by Scarlett Johannsson). After a month of dating Sugarman eventually finds out about Martellos porn addiction but Jon is quickly able to cover it up. Soon after Jon brings Barbara to his parents house to introduce them (played by Tony Danza and Glenne Headly). Jon who is taking a night college class meets a strange woman named Esther (played by Julianne Moore) who is also in the class who ends up helping Jon (after his break-up with Barbara), see the bigger picture on sex and porn, while also learning more about life.
This is the directorial debut of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (he also wrote and produced the film) and he does a great job in front and behind the camera. Even though they are not on screen much, Tony Danza and Julianne Moore give excellent performances. Without a doubt I see Gordon-Levitt getting an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The major downfall of the film is its running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes as well as its abrupt ending, I left the film wanting to see a little bit more from the characters. The film though has some funny parts and I will say that if you were to make this a Date Movie with your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife some of you may want to not laugh at porn jokes because you may get in trouble. Overall though I give the film an 8 out of 10.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Don Jon, did you like it or dislike it, what did you think of my review, do you agree or disagree and what would you give the film? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard.
Everyone has there favorite movies and sometimes people will say a certain movie is their favorite of all-time when it really isn't. For the readers that know me very well, you already know what #1 movie is but I am here to give you my Top 10 Favorite Movies of All-Time. Now this list does not mean that I give every on of theses films a 10 out of 10. These films are the ones that I can sit and watch over and over again and not get tired of them. So without further ado........
10. The Breakfast Club-
This film really helped me in high school and it's one of my favorite films of all-time. Trapped in a day-long Saturday detention in a prison-like school library are Claire, the princess (played by Molly Ringwald); Andrew, the jock (played by Emilio Estevez); John, the criminal (played by Judd Nelson); Brian, the brain (played by Anthony Michael Hall); and Allison, the basket case (played by Ally Sheedy). These five strangers begin the day with nothing in common, each bound to his/her place in the high school caste system. Yet the students bond together when faced with the villainous principal (played by Paul Gleason), and they realize that they have more in common than they may think, including a contempt for adult society. "When you grow up, your heart dies," Allison proclaims in one of the film's many scenes of soul-searching, and, judging from the adults depicted in the film, the teen audience may very well agree. The Breakfast Club has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
9. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan-
I'm a huge Star Trek fan (not as big as a Trekkie) and this film is the reason why I am. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan is not only a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, it is a actually a sequel to an episode in the Star Trek TV series entitled "Space Seed". The plot feature James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise facing off against he genetically-engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (who was the villain in the episode and is played by Ricardo Montalban in both the episode and movie). When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the Enterprise must stop him from acquiring a powerful terraforming device named Genesis. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan has a rating of 91% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Pulp Fiction-
This film comes from one of the greatest directors in the modern era Quentin Tarantino. Pulp Fiction connects the intersecting storylines of Los Angeles mobsters, fringe players, small-time criminals, and a mysterious briefcase. Considerable screen time is devoted to conversations and monologues that reveal the characters senses of humor and perspectives on life. I love this film and Tarantino is one of my favorite directors of all-time and I love his non-linear storytelling by presenting the story in non-chronological order. Pulp Fiction was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing while winning only 1 (Best Original Screenplay) and it has a rating of 95% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Lord of The Rings: Return of the King-
This is the best film in my favorite trilogies off all-time and what many consider one of the greatest films of all-time. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King continues the story of the fellowship as they have gone their separate ways in the quest to destroy the one ring. As Sauron launches the final stages of his conquest of Middle-earth, Gandalf the Wizard (played by Sir Ian McKellen) and Theoden King of Rohan (played by Bernard Hill) rally their forces to help defend Gondors capital Minas Tirith from the looming threat. Aragron (played by Viggo Mortensen) finally claims the throne of Gondor and, with the aid of Legolas the Elf (played by Orlando Bloom) and Gimli the Dwarf (played by John Rhys-Davies) summons the army of the Dead to help him defeat Sauron. Ultimately, even with full strength of arms, they realize they cannot win; so it comes down to the Hobbits Frodo (played by Elijah Wood) and Sam (played by Sean Astin), to bear the burden of the Ring and deal with the treachery of Gollum (played by Andy Serkis). After a long journey they finally arrive in the dangerous lands of Mordor, seeking to destroy the One Ring in the place it was created , the volcanic fires of Mount Doom. I loved the trilogy and this film in particular and it was the film that made me absolutely love movies. Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Make-Up, Best Sound Mixing and Best Editing while winning all 11 awards it was nominated for and it has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
6. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
I am one of the biggest Star Wars fans in the world (but not to big in the sense I don't overly obsess over all of the merchandise). The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill), Han Solo (played by Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (played by Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (played by Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda (voiced by Frank Oz). Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones).Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Score and Best Production Design while winning 1 for Best Sound Mixing it has a rating of 97% on rottentomatoes.com.
5. Blazing Saddles-
The film is just absolutely hilarious and it is also my favorite comedy of all-time. The film satirizes the racism obscured by myth-making Hollywood accounts of the American West, with the hero being a black sheriff in an all-white town. Blazing Saddles was nominated for 3 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing and Best Original Song and it has a rating of 90% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. Mystic River
This film has an amazing cast an amazing script and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Set in an Irish neighborhood in Boston, Jimmy, Sean, and Dave are three childhood friends who are reunited after a brutal murder takes place. Reformed convict Jimmy Markum (played by Sean Penn) and his devoted wife Annabeth (played by Laura Linney) find out that their teenage daughter Katie (played by Emmy Rossum) has been beaten and killed. Jimmy's old friend Sean Devine (played by Kevin Bacon) is the homicide detective assigned to the case, along with partner Whitey Powers (played by Laurence Fishburne). Jimmy also gets his relatives, the Savage brothers (played by Adam Nelson and Robert Wahlberg), to conduct an investigation of their own. Jimmy and Sean both start to suspect their old pal, Dave Boyle (played by Tim Robbins), who lives a quiet life with his wife Celeste (played by Marcia Gay Harden) but harbors some disturbing secrets. Mystic River was nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay while winning two (Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor) and it has a rating of 87% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. American Beauty-
This film is magnificent and it really dives in the emotions of romantic and paternal love, sexuality, beauty, materialism, self-liberation, and redemption. Lester Burnham (played by Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides to reinvent himself as a pot-smoking, responsibility-shirking teenager. What follows is at once cynical, hysterical, and, eventually, tragically uplifting. American Beauty was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Score while winning 5 awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography) and it has a rating of 88% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. The Godfather Part 2-
This film is consideredthe greatest sequel of all-time and it serves also as a prequel as well. The Godfather Part 2 continues the story of Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) (the new Don of the Corleone crime family) trying to hold his business ventures together from 1958 to 1959. The prequel parts of the film are flashbacks to a younger Vito Corleone (played by Robert DeNiro), from his childhood in Sicily in 1901 to the founding of the Corleone crime family in New York City. I will admit that the film is a little over 3 hours long and for some people I can see why you might get bored or uninterested, but believe me when I say that the film needs to be that long because of the story they are telling. The Godfather Part 2 was nominated for 9 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, 3 for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction and Best Music while winning 6 (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Art Direction and Best Music) and it has a rating of 98% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. The Dark Knight-
Batman is my favorite superhero and a Batman film tops my list. In this film Batman raises the stakes on hi war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordan (played by Gary Oldman) and D.A. Harvey Dent (played by Aaron Eckhart), Batman (played by Christian Bale) sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind know to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker (played by Heath Ledger). The Dark Knight was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Make-Up, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects while winning only 2 (Best Supporting Actor and Best Sound Editing) and it has a rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of the list and what are your favorite movies of all-time? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard.
So I went and seen Prisoners over the weekend and I am going to bring you my review. So without further ado......
Prisoners tells the story of the Dover and Birch families who get together one thanksgiving for dinner. After the eating has stopped each of the families little girls who are around the same age decide to go outside and play only to be abducted minutes later. Keller Dover (played by Hugh Jackman) and Franklin Birch (played by Terrance Howard) decide to go looking for the girls with no luck in finding them. Detective Loki (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) is brought on to lead the search for the two girls.A suspect soon appears and is brought into custody in the form of Alex Jones (played by Paul Dano) who has the IQ of a 10 year old. After finding no evidence against Alex, Keller decides to take matters into his own hands by kidnapping Alex and torturing him into telling him where the girls are. The film then takes us on a journey through possible suspects that include a priest with a dark past and a man who likes to draw mazes. Also the cast in the film includes Viola Davis as Nancy Birch and Maria Bello as Grace Dover.
This film is absolutely amazing, all of the main actors in the film give masterful performances especially Jackman and Gyllenhaal who give the best performances of their lives. I wouldn't be shocked if this film receive a lot of Oscar nominations especially in the acting categories. The only problem I had with the film is that it felt a little to long but that still doesn't stop me form giving the film a 10 out of 10.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Prisoners, have you seen it, what would you rate it, and what did you think about the review? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard.
In film a lot of people can have a direct impact on how good a film can and can't be. In terms of a pecking order its director, studios, writer and then actors and actresses. Today I'm going to give you a list of my top 10 favorite actors of all-time. Included in this list with the actor will be my favorite three films the actor has done, I will also list notable awards the actor has won. So without further ado.............
10. Tom Hardy-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. Warrior
2. Lawless
3. Inception
Notable Awards: Winner of the BAFTA Rising Star Award (Inception) 9. Hugo Weaving-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. V for Vendetta
2. The Matrix Franchise
3. The Lord of The Rings Franchise
Notable Awards:
Winner of the AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Proof, Interview, Little Fish) 8. Samuel L. Jackson-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. Pulp Fiction
2. The Avengers
3. Coach Carter
Notable Awards:
Winner of the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Pulp Fiction)
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Pulp Fiction) 7. Jack Nicholson-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. Batman
2. The Shining
3. As Good as It Gets
Notable Awards:
Winner of the Acdemy Award for Best Actor (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, As Good as It Gets)
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Terms of Endearment)
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor (Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail, Chinatown, Prizzi's Honor, Ironweed, About Schmidt)
Nominated for The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Easy Rider, Reds, A Few Good Men) 6. Harrison Ford-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. Star Wars Franchise
2. The Fugitive
3. Indiana Jones Franchise
Notable Awards: Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Witness) 5. Patrick Swayze-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. Red Dawn
2. Road House
3. Dirty Dancing
Notable Awards:
Nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Dirty Dancing, Ghost, To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything Julie Newman) 4. Peter Sellers-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. Dr. Strangelove
2. The Pink Panther
3. The Return of The Pink Panther
Notable Awards: Nominated for the Acdemy Award for Best Actor (Dr. Strangelove, Being There)
3. Heath Ledger-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. The Dark Knight
2. The Patriot
3. 10 Things I Hate About You
Notable Awards:
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (The Dark Knight)
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor (Brokeback Mountain)
2. Daniel Day-Lewis-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. There Will Be Blood
2. Gangs of New York
3. In The Name of the Father
Notable Awards:
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor (My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, Lincoln)
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor (In The Name of the Father, Gangs of New York)
1. Al Pacino-
My Top 3 Favorite films of him- 1. The Godfather Part 2
2. Scent of A Woman
3. Scarface
Notable Awards:
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor (Scent of A Woman)
Nominated for the Acdemy Award for Best Actor (Serpico, The Godfather Part 2, Dog Day Afternoon, ... And Justice For All)
Nominated for the Acdemy Award for Best Supporting Actor (The Godfather, Dick Tracy, Glengarry Glen Ross)
So ladies and Gentlemen what do you think of the list and who are your favorite actors? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard.
In film today we see a lot of countless sequels that can sometimes be good or bad, some films will be lucky if they do get a sequel or even a trilogy. With that being said i'm going to bring you my top 10 favorite movie trilogies of all-time. For this list I have choose to ignore any films made after the original three film that are sequels, prequels, remakes or reboot. So without further ado... 10. Toy Story Trilogy-
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 3
It what is one of the most beloved children's trilogy, Toy Story 1,2 and 3 focuses on a group of toys that secretly come to life and end up unexpectedly on life-changing adventures. The third film in the franchise Toy Story 3 received a nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and the franchise has an average rating of 100% on rottentomatoes.com and has a worldwide gross of $1.9 billion.
9. The Matrix Trilogy-
The Matrix
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Revolutions
The Matrix franchise changed the game when it comes to visual effects. The series depicts a dystopia in which earth is dominated by sentient machines that were created early in the 21st century and rebelled against humanity. At one point, humans attempted to block out the machines' source of solar power by covering the sky in thick, stormy clouds. however, the machines devised a way to extract human' bioelectricity and thermal energy by growing people in pods. while their minds are kept under control by cybernetic implants connecting them to a simulated reality called The Matrix. The franchise has made $1.6 billion worldwide and has an average rating of 65% on rottentomatoes.com.
8. Indiana Jones Trilogy-
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of The Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
In what is a dream combination of filmmakers in Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas, the Indiana Jones franchise stars Harrison Ford as Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones who is an archaeologist who goes on adventures for historical artifacts "that belong in museums" (his answer to every bad guy). The first film in the trilogy Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark received an Academy Award nomination fr Best Picture A fourth film came out in 2008 entitled Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The original trilogy has made $1.1 billion worldwide and has an average rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
7. Spider-Man Trilogy-
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 3
In what is the first franchise to prove that superhero films can make big bucks at the box office, Spider-Man tells the story of Peter Parker who is bitten by a spider and becomes a web-slinging superhero who roams the New York City skyline. The franchise was rebotted and a film entitled The Amazing Spider-Man was released in 2012 with 3 sequels planned to be released in 2014, 2016 and 2018. The original trilogy has made $2.4 billion worldwide and has an average rating of 82% on rottentomatoes.com
6. Back to The Future Trilogy-
Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part 2
Back to the Future Part 3
In what is possibly the funniest trilogy of all-time, the Back to the Future franchise tells the story of Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) and Dr. Emmett Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd) who use a DeLorean as a time machine to travel around various points of history in Hill Valley, California. The franchise has made $957 million worldwide and has an average rating of 78% on rottentomatoes.com
5. Die Hard Trilogy-
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Die Hard with a Vengeance
" Yippie-ki-yay motherf*****!", Bruce Willis plays a foul-mouthed, wisecracking, no-nonsense New York City cop who thwarts evil and mad groups plans at terrorism. There are two sequels to the trilogy entitled Live Free or Die Hard and A Good Day to Die Hard. The trilogy has made $746 million worldwide and has an average rating of 71% on rottentomatoes.com.
4. The Dark Knight Trilogy-
Batman Begins
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight Rises
In what is the greatest superhero trilogy of all-time, The Dark Knight tells the story of Bruce Wayne and his journey to become the caped crusader known as Batman to defend the city of Gotham from some of the craziest and vengeful enemies known to man. The trilogy has made $2.4 billion and has an average rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
3. The Godfather Trilogy-
The Godfather
The Godfather Part 2
The Godfather Part 3
In what trilogy do you get 2 of the top 5 movies of all-time? The answer is The Godfather trilogy. That's right in The Godfather and The Godfather 2 are considered by many to be two of the top 5 films of all-time. The trilogy tells the story of the fictional Corleone Mafia family through the course of their history in the United States and in the their home country of Sicily. The first two films both won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1972 and 1974 respectively, while the third film was only nominated for Best Picture. The franchise has made $547 million and has an average rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
2. Original Star Wars Trilogy-
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of The Jedi
This is the trilogy that started them all. The Star Wars franchise is a fantasy space opera that depicts a battle of good vs. evil in the Jedi vs. the Sith and the Rebellion vs. the Empire. The franchise had a prequel trilogy released from 1999 to 2005 with plans of a sequel trilogy to start being released in 2015. The original trilogy had a film nominated for Best Picture at the Acdemy Awards which Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The trilogy has made $1 billion worldwide and has an average rating of 89% on rottentomatoes.com.
1. The Lord of The Rings Trilogy-
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
In What is considered to be one of the biggest and most ambitious film projects ever undertaken taking 8 years to film all 3 films back-to-back-to-back. Set in the fictional world of Middle-Earth, the three films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and a fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring. A prequel trilogy based on the first book (The Hobbit) has already been filmed with one film that has already been released (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) with another film set to be released later this year entitled The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. All three films have been nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards while Return of the King is the only film to win and also set the record for most wins at the prestigious awards ceremony winning all 11 awards that it was nominated for. The original trilogy has made $2.9 billion and has an average rating of 94% on rottentomatoes.com.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of the list, do you agree or disagree, and what are your favorite trilogies? Let me know in the comments and let your voice be heard. Also check out the YouTube channel Jonah Sparks for The Local Movieblog webshow, please like, subscribe and share the video. We hope to have more videos out soon.
