Caitlin's Top Ten Movies of 2008

I'm sorry, but Eric had it wrong (in my humble opinion).

#1 spot IS the DARK KNIGHT. (It just is, come on Eric, stop whining about the time, especially if you saw Benjamin Button! Hello three hours!)

#2 IRON MAN (A very surprising movie. Def. one to buy for your collection)

#3 CLOVER FIELD (I know a lot of people thought this movie sucked. But I loved the simplicity! I could watch it over and over!)

#4 QUANTUM OF SOLACE (Very action packed.)

#5 GHOST TOWN (One of my favorite comedies this year for sure.)

#6 BABY MAMA (I saw this twice in the theatres. That's saying a lot for me.)

#7 HANNAH MONTANA THE MOVIE
The real #7 INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (Was it the best of them? No, but honestly I really liked it and think people were a tad harsh. I think if people were true fans of the others, they will realize this was a lot like them. Entertaining and funny. Plus Indiana Jones movies are always classics!)

#8 FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (I am putting this on my list, because I really didn't see as many movies this year as I usually do, and this was the best of the ones I saw. And I refuse to put others on that I didn't like. I'm stubborn that way.)

#9 BE KIND REWIND (I liked how different this movie was, and it was funny. A little weird, but overall, really funny. I'm a Jack Black fan myself though.)

#10 HANCOCK (But only the first half of it, the rest was stupid.)

I didn't get a chance to see a lot of movies this year, hopefully in 2009 I will change that. I have a movie gift card that I am excited to use.)

Happy 2009!

Eric's Top Ten Movies of 2008

Okay, here it is. The Top 10 movies I saw in 2008. There are a few movies that came out this past week that I have yet to see but I don't think any of them will crack the top 10 so here we go.

1. Wall-E: This movie and Ironman went back in forth between first and second. What landed Wall-E here is the originality of its story and its humor. It truly gets better with each viewing and it is a visually stunning movie.

2. Ironman: I did not go into this movie thinking I would like it. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the cast, the smart writing and the special effects. This was not only a fun summer movie but a smart one at that. A rare combo.

3. The Dark Knight: A great follow up to Batman Begins and another movie on this list with a great cast and even better special effects. The only thing that kept this movie out of the top spot was its running time. I really felt every minute of it's almost 3 hour running time. Still a great movie.

4. Role Models: A heart warming tale hiding in a crude, funny movie. I am sure this movie is not for everyone and the language is piled on but if you can get past that you are in for a treat and a lot of laughs.

5. Cloverfield: A monster movie that you either loved or hated. I loved it! It was simple and different and a great distraction. That is the reason I go movies to escape and be entertained and this movie came through on both.

6. Pineapple Express: Another one that is not for the kids, but it was truly funny and enjoyable from beginning to end.

7. Wanted: This movie was violent and not very plausible but that is the reason I enjoyed it as much as I did. It was mindless entertainment that also had a wicked sense of humor.

8. Quantum of Solace: Not quite as good as Casino Royale but better then all the other Bond movies other than that.

9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: This movie is different from anything else I have seen this year. It reminds me of Forest Gump in a way, but the reason I liked this was because the story was different and original. Plus it has a good message at its heart about never giving up and over coming obstacles.

10. Ghost Town: This movie wasn't seen by many and that is a shame. It was another great funny movie that wins you over with its charm. Maybe the dry humor kept some away but I really enjoyed it.

And there you have it, my Top 10 movies for 2008. Feel free to rip my list apart and tell me what movies you think should be included or shouldn't have made the list at all.

-Eric

Earth (Coming Earth Day 2009)

This preview was found on the Prince Caspian DVD, I know I am a geek since I really enjoyed this. Some of the images are from Planet Earth and we all know how much I liked that series. Enjoy!

Bolt and Four Christmases

Okay so I have been slacking and have meant to post reviews for Bolt and Four Christmases awhile ago but since I haven't you get two reviews for the price of one! Lucky you.

First up: Bolt

I must say that I was hesitant going into this as it was a Disney movie without Pixar, which as of late have not been the greatest movies. Bolt, however, manged to over come my skepticism.

Bolt is the story about a dog who is the star of his own action TV show. Problem is that he thinks it is all real which causes quite a problem when he thinks his person is in danger and goes off the lot looking for her. Bolt ends up in NYC and recruits a cat to help him get reunited with his person. Along the way the pick up a hamster who is a huge Bolt fan and is ready to help in anyway he can.

Bolt is a real winner and it is the supporting animals that make this movie as enjoyable as it is. The movie felt like it dragged just a bit in the middle but that could have been the turkey kicking in as this was seen on Thanksgiving. Overall Bolt is a good story (shock!) that is fun to watch. Go for the hamster, stay for the cat.

Round Two: Four Christmases

This is your typical story of a couple who can't stand there families so of course they end up having to spend the holiday with them. The twist here is that both parents are divorced so there is four families to visit.

If you are a fan of either Vince Vaughn or Reese Witherspoon you will most likely enjoy this movie. The two work surprisingly well together. Vaughn gets to show a little more depth here then in previous films he has been in and it is nice to see Witherspoon let her hair down and have some fun.

The thought of visiting four families may seem like the recipe for a very long movie but you are given just the right amount of time with each family that they don't wear out their welcome. I have to say that I laughed out loud quite a few times during this movie and thought it was a really fun holiday treat. I mean you are not expecting Masterpiece Theater here and if you go in looking to have a good time, I think you will.

-Eric

Quantum of Solace

As most of you know Quantum of Solace it the new Bond movie and even after seeing it I have no idea what the title means. In doing some research I learned that it is mentioned in one of Ian Flemming's Bond novels, so there is that.


On to the movie. This is the first Bond movie that is a direct squeal picking up right where Casino Royale left off. James is after revenge for everything, and against everyone, that happened in Casino Royale. I would highly recommend watching that movie before going to see Quantum. I re-watched it after and it made the new movie a little clearer.


This movie is much more action packed then Casino, it grabs you from the first scene, a car chase in Italy, and doesn't stop until the last scene in Bolivia. That's right you get a world tour with this movie, if only you could keep the frequent flier miles. As in Casino Daniel Craig makes us wonder why anyone else would play Bond. He brings a human element that has been missing in previous Bonds. Then there are the Bond girls, oh yes the Bond girls. Here we get two very intriguing girls who are anything but helpless.


Quantum gives us more information on why Bond is who he is. It just does it in between all the action sequences. Make sure you are not sitting too close to the front as the action can be a lot to take in. That being said this is defiantly a must see on the big screen.

-Eric

Top 10 Christmas movies I'm looking forward to..

I have a strict policy.. no Christmas songs, movies, shows, decorations, etc.. until the day after Thanksgiving. For two reasons.. (1) Thanksgiving is an important holiday, and needs to be given the attention it deserves. and (2) I get sick of Christmas if it's around too much, and I LOVE CHRISTMAS, so I hate to get sick of it. I am one of those crazy people, that the whole month of December I drench myself in Christmas, I fill up a bathtub full of Christmas and bathe in it. SO since I am getting excited for Christmas, I thought I would put together a list of the ten Christmas movies I am looking forward to. (Feel free to add any to the list.)

1. A Christmas Story (Not a Christmas goes by that I don't watch this, and laugh the entire time.. "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out".)

2. Scrooged (Bill Murray is possibly my favorite comedian.)

3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (When Chevy Chase gets on that sled, I crack up every time.. Classic!)

4. Elf (It always gets me in the Christmas mood.)

5. The Family Stone (I know Eric will vehemently argue with this one, but I can't help it.. I love it!)

6. Home Alone 1 & 2 (Does this make me sad? Oh well, bring it on! I think it reminds me of when I was little and would watch it at my Grandmommy's house.)

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated version)

8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (I put these together since I usually watch them all together.)

9. A Charlie Brown Christmas

10. Nightmare Before Christmas (I know this is sort of Halloween-ish too, but I didn't get a chance to watch it for Halloween, so it's going to be watched for Christmas!)

Well there it is.. do you hate some of these? love them? Comment and tell me what I missed.

Role Models

Role Models is the story of two guys (Rudd and Scott) who work for an Energy drink company that goes from school to school teaching kids to stay off drugs. That is until Danny (Rudd) has a bad day and rams the Energy drink truck into a school statue and causes a big scene with his buddy Wheeler (Scott) along for the ride. Instead of jail time the two are sentenced to community service at a Big Brother/Big Sister type organization. Once there they are teamed with two of the so called "littles" to be "bigs" to. Only problem is that these littles are the "runts" of this litter and no seems able to connect to them or stick with them.

The rest of the plot is very straight forward and they aren't many deviations from that. What sets this movie apart is that it is basically a kids movie with a lot of bad language. Definably not one for younger viewers as it truly earns its R rating. That being said I laughed a lot during this movie and it really does have heart, it's just that its heart is more street then most. If bad language isn't a turn off for you then you will most likely enjoy this movie. Also the two kids playing opposite the leads are laugh out load funny in every scene they are in and they steal this movie from their more well known co-stars. If you are looking for a good laugh and can get past the R rated humor this may be the movie for you.

-Eric