Dell's Good, Bad & Ugly Movie Reviews

[dell71]

Jennifer's Body
Directed by Karyn Kasama.
2009. Rated R, 109 minutes.
Cast:
Megan Fox
Amanda Seyfried
Johnny Simmons
Adam Brody
Sal Cortez
Ryan Levine
Kyle Gallner
J. K. Simmons

Plot: Head cheerleader/hottest girl in school Jennifer (Fox) goes off with a rock banc immediately after the club they were playing in burns to the ground. When she resurfaces later that night she's just a little different. By different, I mean she's now literally homicidal and cannibalistic.

The Good: There is something to be said for a movie not taking itself too seriously. This one doesn't and definitely tries to inject humor whenever possible. Occasionally, it succeeds. The emo-fused funeral scene is a thing of beauty and wraps up this movie's snipes at the Twilight franchise rather nicely (then again, I might be the only one who took it that way). It also establishes it's premise pretty quickly and maintains a nice pace. This is important because that premise is actually good, as horror movies go, offering the potential for a solid high school angst hack flick or even a girl-power gore-fest, which it tries. As our heroine, the aptly named Needy, Amanda Seyfried gives us a strong performance.

The Bad: The movie is written by Diablo Cody, who also penned Juno. In that flick, the dialogue was inventive and witty to most and grating to a few. Here, it's grating to most and only clever to a few. Instead of being cool, it comes off like it was written by an adult trying to invent slang terms on the fly that she thinks is cool. Fox's valley-girl style delivery of every line doesn't help. The story itself, while based on a strong premise, turns out to be a poorly executed metaphor. The movie fails visually, as well. The cgi is unconvincing, at best, and often worse than much of what can be seen on YouTube. There's also the strong hint of a very interesting story that could possibly lead to a showdown between Jenny and her one-handed teacher Mr. Worbloski. One of the great character actors, J. K. Simmons handles the role. However, the movie completely wastes him by setting him up to appear he's going to do actually do something then ignoring him before he actually does. And how is it we only meet Jennifer's mom once, and at "that" precise moment.

The Ugly: Why Jennifer had to sit on a bag of frozen peas.

Recommendation: It wants to be a horror movie with a dark sense of humor. From time to time, it manages the humor. However, it doesn't manage it nearly enough to make up for the total lack of horror. You may find it to be so bad, it's awesome, but it wasn't quite good/bad enough for me to grant it such lofty status. You may also be infatuated with Megan Fox. In that case, I say "enter at your own risk."

The Opposite View: Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

What the Internet Says: 5.4/10 on imdb.com (2/10/10), 42% on rottentomatoes.com, 47/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 3/10

[Buzzman]

I was so pissed about that movie, the way it started if could have been pretty good, but then it just started falling apart 45 mins in.

Also that song through the trees is very catchy.

[Fox1994]

What movie? Jennifer's Body looked like shit from the previews...

I'm never gonna understand dudes who watch movies for eye candy. We have the internet guys. 2+2=?

[A Tasty Burgerr]

What movie? Jennifer's Body looked like shit from the previews...

I'm never gonna understand dudes who watch movies for eye candy. We have the internet guys. 2+2=?

5

[KillaK]

What movie? Jennifer's Body looked like shit from the previews...

I'm never gonna understand dudes who watch movies for eye candy. We have the internet guys. 2+2=?

lmao, my friends are just like that. I say tell them the movie looks stupid and their like are you gay? I guess they would rather spend money to see a girl in a movie clothed than find free naked bitches fucking on the internet.

[dell71]

Sunshine Cleaning
Directed by Christine Jeffs.
2009. Rated R, 91 minutes.
Cast:
Amy Adams
Emily Blunt
Alan Arkin
Jason Spevack
Steve Zahn
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Clifton Collins Jr.
Eric Christian Olsen
Kevin Chapman

Plot: Rose (Adams) starts a potentially lucrative business cleaning up messy crime scenes with the help of her sister, Nora (Blunt).

The Good: The story unfolds in a manner that's a bit quirky but still genuine. Therefore, it's humor is derived simply from the situations these people find themselves in, not manufactured zaniness. It also does an excellent job showcasing a relationship between sisters that's both loving and fragile. Amy Adams, as the older Rose, again proves to be an outstanding actress. However, she is upstaged by the excellent work turned in by Emily Blunt as younger, less stable sister Nora. She hits the right notes in showing us both her character's tough exterior and delicate interior. In a role reminiscent of the one he played in Little Miss Sunshine, Alan Arkin is again a blast as a no-nonsense but not quite straight-laced grandpa. Perhaps not so coincidentally, both movies were produced by Jeb Brody.

The Bad: Too often, Rose crosses the line from being pitiable, like the film wants, to being pitiful. Her life seems to be the explicit result of bad decisions. This alone, isn't so bad. However, the fact she makes these decisions knowing full well she should do the opposite poses a problem. It makes her stubborn, selfish and less likeable. That's an odd method to try and get you on her side like it so obviously wants to. The numerous fringe characters could've been used a little more and added more of both humor and sadness.

The Ugly: Rose's encounter with Mac's (Zahn) wife.

Recommendation: SC is about a pair of sisters with a grisly occupation but it's the emotional hazards that carry the movie. It's a solid "dramedy" that will have some of you reaching for the tissue box, others of you saying "that wasn't bad" and you ultra-macho remainders rolling your eyes.

The Opposite View: Dan Zak, Washington Post

What the Internet Says: 7.1/10 on imdb.com (2/11/10), 71% on rottentomatoes.com, 61/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6.5/10

[Fox1994]

I saw that shit. I'd give it a 7, maybe... The dark humor does it for me. Plus me and my uncle were making hella jokes about it... The women (my mom, my auntie) were way more into it...

 

Like when the dude is fucking the girl while she's on the phone... The chick says "Get off". My uncle's like "That's what he was tyring to do." Haha. Priceless.

[Buzzman]

Dell you think you could give your interpretation of the ending of A Serious Man? and why Arther was in the bathroom so much, i saw the pump thing but didnt know what it was.

[dell71]

Dell you think you could give your interpretation of the ending of A Serious Man? and why Arther was in the bathroom so much, i saw the pump thing but didnt know what it was.

I'll give you two from earlier in this thread...one from dope & one from me.

what was your interpretation of the ending?

 

it's pretty basic but its kinda like the worst is yet to come...that is mine...however you can also look at the whole movie as a modern telling of job...that the whole time he tried to be "a serious man" and do what was right in black and white terms...then when he finally broke his own rules and changed the grade for the korean god punished him with the doctors call and the tornado coming for his son. kinda the sins of the father type of deal. also the story of the teeth and how the priest said "who cares" meaning who cares what happens or why things happen....they just do and you should just "receive with simplicity everything that happens to you"

Pretty much the same except...

 

I don't think it was really comparable to Job (though lots of people agree with you, btw). The difference is Job was merely a pawn in a pissing contest (for lack of a better term) between God & the Devil who are deliberately testing his faith. Here, we have a guy going through some hard times but nothing suggests he's purposely being singled out by superior beings. He's just going through many of the things lots of us go through and dealing with the temptations we all deal with. His consequences seem a little steeper than normal when he falters but that's because he does something he absolutely knows is wrong. So more or less, I'm saying I saw it as the consequences of evil actions.

As far as the bathroom thing, I can't remember off hand what exactly was wrong with him but he did use the pump to drain...something. They did say it, I just can't remember it right now.

[strahanfan92]

Sunshine Cleaning
Directed by Christine Jeffs.
2009. Rated R, 91 minutes.
Cast:
Amy Adams
Emily Blunt
Alan Arkin
Jason Spevack
Steve Zahn
Mary Lynn Rajskub
Clifton Collins Jr.
Eric Christian Olsen
Kevin Chapman

Plot: Rose (Adams) starts a potentially lucrative business cleaning up messy crime scenes with the help of her sister, Nora (Blunt).

The Good: The story unfolds in a manner that's a bit quirky but still genuine. Therefore, it's humor is derived simply from the situations these people find themselves in, not manufactured zaniness. It also does an excellent job showcasing a relationship between sisters that's both loving and fragile. Amy Adams, as the older Rose, again proves to be an outstanding actress. However, she is upstaged by the excellent work turned in by Emily Blunt as younger, less stable sister Nora. She hits the right notes in showing us both her character's tough exterior and delicate interior. In a role reminiscent of the one he played in Little Miss Sunshine, Alan Arkin is again a blast as a no-nonsense but not quite straight-laced grandpa. Perhaps not so coincidentally, both movies were produced by Jeb Brody.

The Bad: Too often, Rose crosses the line from being pitiable, like the film wants, to being pitiful. Her life seems to be the explicit result of bad decisions. This alone, isn't so bad. However, the fact she makes these decisions knowing full well she should do the opposite poses a problem. It makes her stubborn, selfish and less likeable. That's an odd method to try and get you on her side like it so obviously wants to. The numerous fringe characters could've been used a little more and added more of both humor and sadness.

The Ugly: Rose's encounter with Mac's (Zahn) wife.

Recommendation: SC is about a pair of sisters with a grisly occupation but it's the emotional hazards that carry the movie. It's a solid "dramedy" that will have some of you reaching for the tissue box, others of you saying "that wasn't bad" and you ultra-macho remainders rolling your eyes.

The Opposite View: Dan Zak, Washington Post

What the Internet Says: 7.1/10 on imdb.com (2/11/10), 71% on rottentomatoes.com, 61/100 on metacritic.com

MY SCORE: 6.5/10

This guy would have been a better choice for the main character:

[dell71]

Gunnin' For That #1 Spot
Directed by Adam Yauch.
2008. Rated PG-13, 90 minutes.
Cast:
Michael Beasley
Brandon Jennings
Kyle Singler
Jerryd Bayless
Kevin Love
Tyreke Evans
Donte Greene
Lance Stephenson
Bobbito Garcia

In September of 2006, the mecca of streetball, otherwise known as New York City's Rucker Park, puts on it's first ever "Elite 24" game. This is a game involving 24 of the highest ranked high school basketball players in the nation. This documentary focuses on eight of the players, a number of whom have already moved on to the NBA. Director Adam Yauch, of Beastie Boys fame, has chosen his subjects wisely. They're from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of personalities. The first two thirds of the movie does a nice job showcasing this. We also get some insight into how the sometimes shady people who run recruiting websites work and how the often shadier agents and shoe companies try to hook these kids young. There's even a nice pre-game speech given by then New Jersey Nets head coach Lawrence Frank. I highly suggest watching the full length version of the speech, found among the special features on disc 2, especially if you're an aspiring ball player. On the court, we get the sort of high energy and acrobatic game, enhanced by the never-silent courtside MC Bobbito Garcia that we've come to expect from Rucker Park events. Though, admittedly this isn't the constant trickeration of an And 1 tape. Still, many of the plays are amplified by terrifically done sound effects and the soundtrack is a lively mostly hip hop affair (lots of Jay Z, by the way). The unquestioned star is current Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley. From what we see, he appears to have been the best player on the court that day but that's not what makes him the star. What does it is his big-time, motor-mouth driven personality. With good reason, he was mic'd for the game. He talks and talks and talks. Then he talks some more. Most of it is pure basketball smack. However, we still like him because he comes off similarly to NFL wide receiver/showman Chad Ochocinco. Even when Beasley is saying something harsh, you get the sense that it's all in fun. As proof, in this machismo charged atmosphere no one seems to even bat an eye over his more venomous barbs. There does seem to be a little mano y mano between him and current Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love. Still, even as they try to stare each other down they both appear on the verge of uncontrollable laughter. All said, we have a solid basketball documentary. It's not emotionally charged like Hoop Dreams but it's an excellent watch for b-ball fans. Look for current Cleveland Cavalier J. J. Hickson and Kansas star Cole Aldrich, who are two of the players not chronicled. There are also brief appearances in the crowd and after the game by Jason Kidd, Ben Gordon and Steve Nash. If you're not into basketball, don't bother.

MY SCORE: 7.5/10

[Fox1994]

Gonna check that out.

[Fox1994]

This guy would have been a better choice for the main character:

"Is there a sign outside my house that says 'Dead ****** Storage'?"

[young2rice]

Man I just watched Paranormal Activity for the first time...talk about over-hyped. I kept waiting the whole movie and in the end I was just pretty much left thinking "That's it?...."

[strahanfan92]

Hey Dell, have you ever seen the movie, Funny Games? It's about two psychos who take a family hostage at their bay-side house.. Decent slayer/thriller that I enjoyed however I bet I could guess what your "The Bad" section would include..