“In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet-or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive. Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles. Written by Warner Bros. Pictures”

User Review

Let’s leave it all at the door here. I loved Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Batman. Hated Batman Returns, Alice in Wonderland, and Willy Wonka. Could care less about Nightmare before Christmas and Sweeney Todd. Okay, so I’m not a Tim Burton hater. I’m not a huge Tim Burton fan. I think in this situation, I’m as close as you get to the average movie goer. No agenda, no attachments. That being said, this film is terrible. Burton spent so much effort and time worrying about making this film Gothic and off pace, stuffing his favorite actors into the film even though half of their parts were pointless, he forgot he was making a film. It’s a simple and fun idea but it feels like ego and “showiness” kept them from making the plot even make sense. We get it Tim! You are weird! Don’t ruin a good performance by Depp and a fun idea for a film because you have to live up to your own Gothic standards. Grow up. So much talent is wasted on these films having the same look, cast, and feel to them. Take that talent and make something fresh! Stretch yourself just a tad out of that Hot Topic comfort zone will ya? This movie was long, boring, and ruined. All of the funny scenes were in the trailer. By the way…. wasn’t this supposed to be the 70′s? Other than a shot or two of trees and a hippie van it was just like the set of Sweeney Todd. The whole film felt like London in the 40′s. That’s bad film making whether your name is Tim Burton or not.

“Five teenagers head off for a weekend at a secluded cabin in the woods. They arrive to find they are quite isolated with no means of communicating with the outside world. When the cellar door flings itself open, they of course go down to investigate. They find an odd assortment of relics and curios but when one of the women, Dana, reads from a book she awakens a family of deadly zombie killers. Theres far more going on however than meets the eye as the five campers are all under observation. Written by garykmcd”

Trivia

Shot in 2009, but not released until 2012.

User Review

There are no words to express how amazing this movie was. What one would assume would be a typical horror cliché is actually treated to one of the most creative movies I’ve ever seen. Although most people could expect what the movie contained from the previews, as I did, they will still be blow away by this movie. Not from the acting or directing or anything like that, but from the pure originality of the movie. The last horror movie I remember seeing that was this original, inventive, and down right badass was Scream, and with a equally satisfying deliverance of it’s gritty, gory, grisly, and tongue in cheek attitude. Anyone who goes to see this movie will surely get their money’s worth and then some.

“In high school, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was a dork and Jenko (Channing Tatum) was the popular jock. After graduation, both of them joined the police force and ended up as partners riding bicycles in the city park. Since they are young and look like high school students, they are assigned to an undercover unit to infiltrate a drug ring that is supplying high school students synthetic drugs. Written by Douglas Young (the-movie-guy)”

Trivia

Jonah Hill lost over 40 pounds for his role since he and Channing Tatum are required to do a number of physically demanding stunts.

User Review

So if you like Jonah Hill and comedies with really great cameo appearances, I think you would definitely like this film.

I must admit I expected this to be at the same standard as maybe The Change-Up or The Hangover Part II which weren’t terrible movies, but they weren’t the funniest movies I have seen either. This movie is more on par with The Hangover (the first installment), Superbad and Anchorman.

The chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum is brilliant, and it’s nice to see Tatum in something other than his standard rom-com or “rom” setting. I was already laughing from the first scene, which is generally hard to do and the humour was the correct balance of wit and slapstick. There were actually a lot more clever jokes than I expected and there were some scenes were I couldn’t even control my laughter in a full cinema.

All in all, I’m not saying this movie is for everyone but the way I would tell you to see it is if you like Jonah Hill’s ridiculous dialogue with sometimes unnecessary swears and you have no expectations of it being anything like the original TV show, I would definitely recommend this one! Best comedy film I’ve seen at the cinema in 2012.

“Despite his tarnished reputation after the events of The Dark Knight, in which he took the rap for Dents crimes, Batman feels compelled to intervene to assist the city and its police force which is struggling to cope with Banes plans to destroy the city. Written by WellardRockard”

Trivia

Anne Hathaway has said that she desperately coveted the role of Catwoman, and was a complete nervous wreck after her audition. The first time her agent phoned after her screen test, he said he had good news and asked if Hathaway was sitting down. Hathaway immediately screamed “I’m Catwoman!” and ran around the room in a frenzy. Unfortunately, her agent had to calm the actress down–he had called to let her know that she’d been invited to host the Academy Awards. Hathaway has said she was so shocked she went numb at the offer. Fortunately, shortly thereafter, her agent phoned again to let her know that she had been offered the part of Catwoman as well.

“After a beloved King vanishes, his ruthless wife seizes control of the kingdom and keeps her beautiful 18-year-old stepdaughter, Snow White, hidden away in the palace. But when the princess attracts the attention of a charming and wealthy visiting prince, the jealous Queen banishes the girl to a nearby forest. Taken in by a band of rebellious but kindhearted dwarfs, Snow White blossoms into a brave young woman determined to save her country from the Queen. With the support of her new friends, she roars into action to reclaim her birthright and win back her Prince in this magical adventure comedy that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over. Written by Relativity Media publicity”

According to Julia Roberts, Mirror Mirror is the first film that made her young children aware that their mother was a famous film actress. Even though her children showed a large amount of enthusiasm about the Evil Queen, Roberts did not let them see the film for they were “too young.” In fact, Roberts kept her work a secret from her children while Mirror Mirror was filming. “They’re too young for it (the movie) and I think they would find it (me) disturbing,” she said.

User Review

I saw this movie last night.

The bad…

1. The writing wasn’t very good, or else the directing failed.

2. The connections (references to previous scenes or dialog) seemed forced.

3. Julia Roberts is only a half-believable Antagonist. (Is this her first move as an Antagonist? It looked like it.)

4. The attempts at humor were there but most attempts fell flat.

5. The alteration of the Snow White story went too far.

6. The acting by Armie Hammer (Prince Alcott) was poor and I didn’t feel he embraced the Prince role but the scenes he was forced to act in might actually be to blame, not his acting.

7. While leaving we saw a poster for Snow White and the Huntsman and my wife said something like: “I want to see that one. I hope it is better than this one”.

The good…

1. It was very clean and child friendly. – No vulgarity and few innuendos. – The violence was little more than playful sword play. – Only the very end was there a seen that would be intense for a child.

2. The costumes were beautiful (at least my wife kept talking about them).

3. The absurdity of the movie was the best part about it.

4. It was just barely good enough to entertain me not bore me.

5. Lily Collins was the star (no Julia Roberts and I like Julia a lot). She was beautiful and out acted every other character in the movie. Her starring role “might” be enough to keep this show from flopping.

6. Some of the attempts at humor were actually quite funny.

I would recommend it for families with kids as it is a light story that you can follow while distracted.

“Trapped inside her family’s lakeside retreat, a young woman finds she is unable to contact the outside world as events become increasingly ominous in and around the house.”

Trivia

The entire movie was shot to mimic one continuous real-time take, with no cuts from start to finish. It was shot in roughly 10 minute segments then edited to hide the cuts.

User Review

Horror movie fans including myself were amazed by the acting ability of the younger Olsen sister Elizabeth Olsen. She is gorgeous and quite talented. The movie that blew Horror fans or just plain moviegoers of all genres away last year was Martha Marcy May Marlene. It was a modern landmark of a film and is possibly Elizabeths Magnum Opus performance. She really deserved at least a nomination at the Sad sad sad excuse of the Academy Awards held in March 2012. She got almost every nomination possible excluding a Golden Globe or Oscar Nod. What I’m trying to say is she is the last hope of any Olsen to have a successful acting career.

Now lets get back to this movie. Now of course I don’t want to give any major plot points away so you can sit back and enjoy the ride for yourself. Now heres the mainline of the story. Sarah(Elizabeth Olsen) is trapped inside a house. She is unable to find a way out and cannot find a way to contact anyone outside. Its almost supernatural as things begin to go bump in the night and entities chase her around. Sure this isn’t original but its pretty terrifying. This was, shall I say, one of the better horror movies of the last 10 years. It is probably gonna go through hell with the ‘professional’ critics but forget them. They are losing credibility each year with their biased reviews. It can sit alongside Saw(only the first two), The Ring, High Tension, Martyrs, Insidious, and a few others. I’m not saying its a ‘great’ movie. But its pretty good. you have to give Elizabeth and the crew some major credit for this piece of horror art. This isn’t ‘found footage’ but at times it could feel like it. The movie was shot in the risky ‘single shot fashion’. That means they started recording and didn’t press stop until the last moment of the movie was filmed. No cuts, just one long shot. This takes real talent and discipline. So if anyone messed up, they would have to start the entire filming process over again. It really is amazing if you think about it. Plus it gives you a much more intense gut feeling during the jump scenes. Many people are saying the claim of this being entirely one shot is a bluff, but I like to believe it is. Makes the experience more intense. You will truly feel like you are there with Elizabeths character trapped in the house. You will most likely jump during the loud shock value scenes so make sure you have your Kung Fu grip on your drink and pop corn. I was in a theater full of people and I felt like a little kid. This doesn’t happen to me often. So that is me saying this will creep you the heck out. If you don’t choose to see it in theaters, even though thats the best experience for this movie, then at least buy it on Blu Ray or DVD when it comes out. Watch it in the dark with your friends or girlfriend/boyfriend. You wont regret it.

P.S. I gotta say again how hard it must have been to make this entire movie in one single long shot. Whew.

“A visionary sheik believes his passion for the peaceful pastime of salmon fishing can enrich the lives of his people, and he dreams of bringing the sport to the not so fish-friendly desert. Willing to spare no expense, he instructs his representative to turn the dream into reality, an extraordinary feat that will require the involvement of Britains leading fisheries expert who happens to think the project both absurd and unachievable. That is, until the Prime Ministers overzealous press secretary latches on to it as a good will story. Now, this unlikely team will put it all on the line and embark on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible, possible. Written by Anonymous”

User Review

Enjoying a film like “Salmon Fishing In The Yemen” is similar to acquiring a taste for actual fishing. Like the sport that some find invigorating while others find it dreadfully dull, this film has its draggy moments. However, there are also enlightening points to the movie that come when you least expect them.

Of course, that is not to say that you have to actually LIKE fishing, or understand it, to enjoy “Salmon Fishing In The Yemen”. Fishing serves as a crucial plot point, but you don’t have to be a card-carrying member of Cabella’s or L.L. Bean to enjoy it.

The film has elements of romantic comedy, environmentalism, foreign relations drama, and insightfulness that makes it difficult to concretely categorize. Fortunately, all these facets combine to create a story that’s far from predictable. Just like a current, there are times you don’t know where the story is going.

Ewan McGregor plays Fred Jones, a fisheries expert for the British government who receives an odd request from legal representative Harriet Chetwode-Talbot (Emily Blunt). Harriet represents a wealthy sheik (Amr Waked) who resides in both Great Britain and Yemen, and has an unusual fondness for salmon fishing. He wants to take a healthy population of salmon from the British lakes, and transport them to the Yemen River to live and breed.

The reason this plot does not make for good cocktail party small talk or water cooler chatter is because it takes such a long time to describe the rationale behind such an ambitious task. For instance, can salmon, who thrive in cold water, even survive in the Middle East, where it’s obviously hot? Plus, why would people from Yemen even be interested in fishing? The film answers these questions and others very well, and allows the story to breathe better as each subplot reveals itself. Nothing is rushed in this movie, which, while a few parts drag here and there, is overall a welcome departure from certain high-octane multiplex drivel that passes as entertainment.

Once you actually listen to the characters and hear their reasoning, a lot of the story makes sense. This fact is especially true for Amr Waked, who is not yet a well known actor, but whose character has a profound impact on the film.

Western audiences are not used to seeing a Middle Eastern character that is not a terrorist, let alone one who credibly connects fishing and faith better than any PBS show even could. Waked, who is Egyptian in real life but whose character is Yemeni, does so incredibly well, and is truly the breakout star of this movie. It’s a shame that Oscar season just ended, because the early release of this film alone hurts his chances of receiving a Best Supporting Actor nomination, although he deserves it.

The inevitable love story in the movie is also unpredictable, if only because you’re not sure whether McGregor and Blunt should be together. McGregor’s Fred is married, and Blunt’s Harriet has a boyfriend who is sent off to fight in the Afghanistan War. There are plot twists for both characters, but even you, the audience, remains unsure whether the two characters working together so well to bring salmon to Yemen means they should be together. It creates a necessary tension few romantic comedies dare to address.

As for their performances, McGregor seems to play a more mature leading role than in other films he’s made before. His character here is more practical than idealist (as in “Moulin Rouge” (2001)), more professional than playboy (as in “Down With Love” (2003)), and knows where his morals lie (unlike “Trainspotting” (1996)). While he was good in those other films, he can only play those roles for so long.

Emily Blunt also delivered a balanced, multi-layered performance, and worked very well off McGregor. I thought there would be an explanation for why her character’s last name was hyphenated, as you almost never see characters with two last names in movies. Could there have been a failed marriage in her past, perhaps? It wasn’t ever explained, nor was it really crucial to the plot.

Kristin Scott Thomas also provides some unexpected comic relief as a press secretary for Parliament who chats with the British Prime Minister on Instant Messenger. Her character spearheads the campaign to transport the salmon to Yemen in order to divert public attention from the Afghanistan War. Again, a crucial subplot, but one that has to be seen, not explained second hand.

“Salmon Fishing In The Yemen” is enjoyable like some find fishing to be: there’s a lot of calm to it, but when the funny parts happen, they can be as surprising and as fulfilling as catching a big fish. Also, if you actually listen to Amr Waked’s character the same way some expert fisherman have pearls of wisdom, the movie’s enjoyment may even come as a bigger surprise.

“Belle is a girl who is dissatisfied with life in a small provincial French town, constantly trying to fend off the misplaced affections of conceited Gaston. The Beast is a prince who was placed under a spell because he could not love. A wrong turn taken by Maurice, Belles father, causes the two to meet. Written by Tim Pickett quetzal@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au”

Trivia

Disney was originally going to have Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid also provide the voice for Belle. However, it was decided that Belle needed a more “European” sounding voice. Howard Ashman remembered working with Paige O’Hara and suggested she try out for the part.

User Review

The only animated movie to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, and it deserved it.

Magic from the opening prologue to the final credit, “Beauty and the Beast” is the last real classic to come from the Disney crew before John Lasseter came along. This was one of the few movies I happily paid to see twice in the cinema, and sitting in a sparsely-populated Friday night audience (I was living in Barbados at the time, and it was hardly the most artistic place on Earth… it was a crying shame that there was hardly anyone there while “Home Alone 2″ went through the roof) the second time, the magic remained.

You all know the story, so apart from pointing out the movie’s one flaw (the prince’s spell had to be broken before he turned 21 or he would remain a beast forever; so if it was cast ten years before the events of the movie, wouldn’t that mean he was 11 when the spell was cast…?), let’s look at how well the movie works. You have a monster who’s more human than the movie’s medallion-man villain; you have a heroine who’s PC but engaging with it; you have a supporting cast of magic utensils who wisely never upstage the couple at the centre of this love story (and despite the Disney animated trappings, it IS a love story); and you have a captivating story, beautifully told.

The movie’s also got wonderful design of its French setting and characters, with the ballroom scene a standout (the tiny but appreciative audience were impressed by the sight of the Beast and Belle in their evening wear – the only time I’ve ever seen cartoon characters get wolf-whistled in a cinema); and Alan Menken’s score is his finest work for the Mouse, with matchless lyrics from the late and much lamented Howard Ashman – how many musicals can you name where ALL the songs are brilliant? But ultimately it’s the movie’s very real heart that makes it a keeper; the cliche “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry” is all too true in this case. A lot of movies called ‘classic’ don’t deserve that appellation, but this one does.

I’ll be slaughtered by anime fans, but what the hell… one “Beauty and the Beast” is worth a thousand “Akira”s. And “Shrek”s. And, I’m willing to bet, “Treasure Planet”s. This is a truly adult animated feature that’s also one for the entire family. Forget “The Silence of the Lambs” – this is the real best picture of 1991.

“Over a decade has passed and the gang return to East Great Falls, Michigan, for the weekend. They will discover how their lives have developed as they gather for their high school reunion. How has life treated Michelle, Jim, Heather, Oz, Kevin, Vicky, Finch, Stifler, and Stiflers mom? In the summer of 1999, it was four boys on a quest to lose their virginity. Now Kara is a cute high school senior looking for the perfect guy to lose her virginity to. Written by Kad”

Trivia

Chris Klein did his own dancing for Oz’s “Celebrity Dance-Off” routine. Klein went to dance workshops with choreographers as well as adding his own moves to fit with his character. However, his routine was shortened in the final cut.

Goofs

Continuity: The reunion in the school gym is held at night however when Jim and Michelle go to the music classroom to have their tryst sunlight is clearly seen through the large windows.

User Review

Caught a preview screening of this movie tonight in NYC. I am 26 years old now, so I was in 8th grade when the original came out.

Thought the first two were awesome but thought the third noticeably drifted away from what made the first two special.(A little too much Stifler).

For American Pie 4, when I saw the preview I was excited to see them all back together, but I didn’t know what to expect. I know Hollywood loves destroying sequels and I didn’t know how they were going to create a story line out of characters that really haven’t been together in forever.

Fear not. I though this movie was almost as good as the original. Two hours of non-stop cracking-up, but none of it was forced. They brought back all the characters, but in a way that didn’t seem thrown together or in-genuine. It was about 2 hours and 15 minutes long, but not once did I think this was dragging. They did a nice job explaining where everyone has been and it didn’t really seem awkward.

The best part of it is, the story is about all 5 of the original guys, and their relationship with women and sex at their current juncture (31 years old). Each have their own issues (too married, have kids, hate their jobs, hate their lifestyle, etc.) and the movie is kind of about them all resolving their that over the course of a reunion weekend. It’s the American Pie which is most similar too the first one. All the old couples from high-school (Oz/Heather, Kevin/Vicky, Jim/Michelle) re-hash their past feelings.

Another great thing about the film is that Stifler’s character is written back in the style of American Pie 1 and 2, which I loved. His part is not over bearing like the Wedding. Kevin, Finch (and Oz) play much bigger roles than they did they did in the third.

There a couple new characters but none of them are annoying or take up too much of the story, all those parts are well cast. Jim’s Dad and Stifler’s Mom are hilarious on screen together. Jim’s Dad is the funniest he has ever been- but again- not in an over the top way. All in all, it’s a well-written, well-rounded film with some good plot twists. Tons of references too the old films. Literally, all of the obscure characters from the first two make an appearance at some point.

BOTTOM LINE: 9/10. If you are a fan of the American Pie films (especially 1 & 2) your going to LOVE this movie. Worth the $.

“Left on the doorstep of an orphanage run by nuns, newborns Moe, Larry and Curly grow up finger-poking, nyuk-nyuk-nyuking and woo-woo-wooing their way to uncharted levels of knuckleheaded misadventure. Now their childhood home may have to close due to financial difficulties. But Larry, Curly and Moe, employed as the foster homes inept maintenance men, are determined to come to the rescue. Only The Three Stooges could become embroiled in an oddball murder plot – while stumbling into starring roles in a phenomenally successful TV reality show. Written by Press kit”

User Review

This movie was a lot of fun. It remains very true to the Stooges form. So, if you are looking for some mindless laughs and a fun evening at the movies, you will enjoy this one from start to finish. Some of the reviewers here seem to have been looking for something more than this film ever promised.

If you are looking for an art house film, or an important and significant film, this one isn’t it. If you are looking for a film to be as fresh as the stooges were in their time, this one stays too true to form to fit that bill. Slapstick, not sophistication is the hallmark of this film.

But if you understand the Stooges, and are just looking for some laughs, you can’t go wrong here.