127 Hours

"I chose this. I chose all this. This rock... This rock has been waiting for me my entire life."

Directed by Danny Boyle

2010

Date Viewed: May 13, 2011

I put off seeing this movie because it sounded just so boring. Its the true story of Aron Ralston who went canyoneering and got his arm caught under a boulder. Really? an hour and a half of watching a guy be stuck? That sounds so boring! Too bad Danny Boyle is an awesome director! This movie was very far from boring! Aron's present is mixed with his past and with his hallucinations in a very interesting way. James Franco was fantastic as Aron and definitely deserved the Oscar nom that he got for this role. I know that I heard this a thousand times before finally caving, but seriously, listen to me, go rent this movie! It's really really good! A

The Hangover Part II

"We made a pact, Wolfpack only."

Directed by Todd Phillips

2011

Viewed May 2011

If you enjoyed the Hangover part 1, then you'll probably enjoy this one as well. Yes, it follows the same basic plot as the first part, yes some of the same characters randomly pop up, but I think part 2 holds its own against part 1. I can't decide which one I enjoyed more! For those who aren't familiar with the plot... The 4 guys go to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu insists on not having a bachelor party because of how badly that turned out for Doug in the first movie. So instead they have a bonfire and a couple of beers. The next morning Stu, Alan and Phil wake up in Bangkok with no memory of what had happened the night before. Also, Stu's future brother in law (and also his future in-laws pride and joy) is missing. They have to piece together what happened the night before in order to find Teddy. Hilarity ensues.  B+

Bridesmaids

Directed by: Paul Feig

2011

Rated R

Date Viewed: Saturday May 21, 2011

There is no way to pick a quote from this movie. Every single one of them has that "had to be there" feel to it. If you do see this movie then let me know how you feel about "It's coming out like lava!!!!"... Anyways, this movie is about Annie who is asked to be Maid of Honor in her childhood best friend Lillian's wedding. Annie is broke and single and is trying to keep up with the other bridesmaids, one of which is extremely wealthy. There's some rivalry between the wealthy bridesmaid and Annie over who is Lillian's real best friend and it's all pretty hilarious. This is a really funny movie. Kristin Wiig is fabulous and I just love her often dry delivery. The supporting cast is really funny as well. My favorite character was Megan who is the bride's future sister in law and who provides quite a few laughs. There is a bit of raunch so if that's not your thing, you're warned. From speech rivalry to food poisoning during dress fittings to destroying a big cookie, this movie is definitely a barrel of laughs. A-

No Strings Attached

"I'm warning you, if you come any closer I'm not letting you go."

Directed by Ivan Reitman

2011

Date Viewed: May 16, 2011

So the premise of this movie is a little gross... Adam and Emma try to have a purely physical relationship but don't have any interest in falling in love or having a real relationship. Eventhough I don't really agree with relationships like that, I did really enjoy this movie. It's cute and funny and even romantic at times. I'm usually not a huge Ashton Kutcher fan, but he was adorable in this movie as Adam who ends up falling for Emma and tries to get her to want more from their relationship the same way that he does. Natalie Portman as Emma is also fantastic. I didn't know that she could be funny! The supporting cast is really great too and includes Kevin Kline as Adam's estranged father, and Olivia Thirlby as Emma's sister. B

Unstoppable

Directed by Tony Scott

2010

Unstoppable is about a train, that because of stupidity, got away. Conveniently, this train that was so carelessly left running while the conductor hopped out for a second was carrying a bunch of cars filled with a toxic substance that would explode on impact. A lot of the movie is about them yelling at each other and trying to figure out how to stop the train and the other part focuses on two conductors on a train, an old guy and a young guy, who are snippy toward each other until they are forced to come together and help stop the runaway train...

This movie is soooo Tony Scott, the coloring, the camera work, the use of slow-mo, and the random police car that is driving so fast the it just all of a sudden flips over.... However, this movie was way better than I thought it'd be. I think it's one of the better Tony Scott films of late. C+

Sons Of Anarchy Season 1 and 2

" A true outlaw finds the balance between the passion in his heart and the reason in his mind. The outcome is the balance of might and right."

Viewed March 2011

I have to admit that I was very skeptical of this show and refused to watch it for a long time. I had heard that it was really good, but come on, a show about a motorcycle gang? Not for me. My siblings eventually became obssessed with it which was really weird, and my brother ended up putting it on my ipod over Christmas break (he always loads my pod full of movies and tv shows for me, so I'm kind of at his mercy). After I had watched everything else that was on my ipod I reluctantly started in on Sons. I wasn't sold after the first episode. In fact, I had a hard time even paying attention cause I bored and still overly skeptical. I texted my younger brother and asked if it was really worth it and he assured me it was. So I watched another episode. Then another. Then another until finally I was really hooked. This is not a show about a bunch of long haired, tattooed, Harley loving thugs who drive around on their motorcycles all day and cause trouble.... Except it sort of is... But it's even better. The Club is involved in many legal and illegal business ventures and the ATF is on to them. The first season deals mainly with the ATF trying to bring them down, and the second season mainly deals with another "business" man coming into town and trying to take over all the illegal activities in Charming. There are brawls and gun battles and plenty of motorcycle riding, but there's also some romance and some hard issues as well (I even got all choked up in one episode!). Sons of Anarchy has a butt load of really great under rated actors as well including Kim Coates, Ron Perlman and Tommy Flanagan (just to name a few). I now definitely love this show and the second season was even better than the first, so I hope that it continues to get better and better! Oh, and when did Katy Segal become super hot!? A

The Hunger Games (book)

"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Written by Suzanne Collins

I've decided to start writing about books as well... I've read 7 books since January since I have way too much down time at work.... So here it goes...

The Hunger Games takes place in the dystopian country of Panem. Panem is split into districts (there were 13, now only 12) that each serve the Capitol. The Capitol is rich and it's people are extravagant. District 2 is a little less so. Each district is poorer and more impoverished than the one before it. Every district is basically enslaved and provides the Capitol with a natural resource. Before this book begins, District 13 staged an uprising and rallied the districts to revolt against the Capitol. They failed and the Capitol retaliated by first destroying District 13 and then creating The Hunger Games to remind them of their disobedience and how powerless they are against the Capitol. The hunger Games is a fight to the death that takes plae every year and is televised throughout the country. One boy and one girl
(called tributes) from each district between the ages of 12 and 18 are randomly chosen to participate. The last one standing at the end of the Games is the victor.

Katniss Everdeen is the main character. She is 16 years old, lives in District 12 and takes care of her frail mother and her younger sister Prim. During The Reaping (the ceremony where the tributes are chosen) Prim's name is pulled and Katniss rushes in to take her place in the Games. Katniss is brought to the Capitol along with Peeta (the boy tribute) and Haymitch (District 12's only past victor who serves as a mentor) for training and then the Games. Katniss must survive many horrors and must kill or be killed in order to survive.

I loved this book, actually I loved this entire series. I think this is my favorite young adult series. I might get beat up for saying this, but I loved The Hunger Games more than Harry Potter. This book is super intense, so definitely not for those who don't like suspense. Katniss is sometimes a frustrating character, and a little dense as well. She has a fiery temer and over reacts/over analyzes frequently. She makes up for it by being a really strong female character though. There were a few plot points that I had figured out, but Katniss took longer to realize, but I also remembered that Katniss was 16 and not 27, so maybe that was ok. What I liked the most was the attention to details. For example in the arena Katniss is searching for water and gets dehydrated and her lips get dry and her tongue swells and she gets a headache and sluggish. Its details like that that make the whole story seem more real. It's also told from Katniss' perspective so you really seem to feel what she's feeling. This is definitely a must read. A