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coolhandphil
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Beginner's Guide to Sex (2015)
Unsual, quirky comedy
This is a fun, kooky comedy with countless killer one-liners. Whitney Moore sells every scene, with a wonderfully manic and endearing performance. The running 'jump' joke was nuts and had me laughing to the end.
American Dreamz (2006)
This movie is so bad that I want to stab myself in the face!
I've seen some bad movies. I've seen some real bad movies. Going into this thing I knew I was in for one but I can honestly say this is in the top ten of my all time worst movies.
The basic ingredients are there for a watchable movie, a fairly decent cast, a satire on TV, America and government that even the least informed will know well. Mandy Moore's ample cleavage. Then how can it be that leaving the theatre, I'm only satisfied with one of my expectations? (Thanks Mandy!) Horrible, horrible move! I'm as anti-bush as the next man, so when Hollywood can't even get that right, you know you're in trouble. The satire in this movie wasn't close enough to the real thing to be entertaining. Anyone who's watched an episode of American Idol will enjoy the real thing far move than this silly affair. Indeed, halfway through, the filmmakers seem to admit this by flashing through, from the beginning of the contest to the final in a few seconds. Evidently they were as keen to get it over as I was.
The story never really got going and as it reaches its end I was gladder to be walking out of the theatre as I was to reach the pointless conclusion.
Much more can be said about this pitiful movie, but so much less is deserved. So we must try to pick up the pieces and move on with our lives. At least the trailer for Superman Returns was a pleasure to see (for the twenty fifth time).
Inside Man (2006)
Brilliant, brilliant movie
Unlike the trailer to this brilliant, brilliant movie I'm not going to ruin a thing by giving any spoilers. Instead I will just say what a fantastic movie this is! The story is gripping from start to finish, the acting top notch and Spike Lee's direction is a pleasure to watch. This film is a wake up call, showing that every film doesn't have to look and feel identical.
Perhaps the best thing that can be said about this movie is that there is not one single cliché in the whole movie. Characters never say or do anything that they would in every other movie made in the last ten years. So many times in modern cinema, if they were to pause the scene you could finish the end of the character's sentence or complete the ending. The dialogue rings true in every instance and the plot and characters are both highly intelligent and compulsively interesting.
This movie is a ride that you don't get off until you're fumbling for your car keys, replaying the plot in your head. I found myself giggling with delight as I watched the story unfold with so much expertise that it made me ask why the hell can't there be more movies like this? Spike Lee has made films of this quality before but never with so much pure enjoyment to be had. This movie shames every other movie made in the last few years and is the sort of movie that should be winning all the Oscars. It's original, smart and doesn't take ANY cheap tricks which spoil most movies.
While I've seen some other good movies in the last year or two, this is the first film where I've walked out of the cinema wanting to walk straight back in. See this movie. If you've seen it, go and see it again!
The 'Burbs (1989)
My favourite Tom Hanks movie
I first saw this movie at the cinema as a kid. I've seen it more than any other movie (except Die Hard) and while most people will probably think the movie misses, I can't help but love it. The characters are hysterical. Some of the lines they come out with crack me up every time I see it. The Naps, `Pinocchio, where are you going?', `Soldier', just the banter being passed around. It's such a hard movie to describe because the situation is just funny to watch. But see this movie, buy this movie, because this could be your neighbourhood.
PS I'd trade ten Saving Private Ryan's for one 'Burbs.