Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Review: The Interview

I was amazed how bad this movie was. This is a movie that even the President was talking about and perhaps, only because of the subject matter of trying to kill the dictator of North Korea, is the most controversial movie of all time. This movie from beginning to end, was total garbage.

As far as being a comedy, this movie violates the cardinal rule of comedy - its just NOT funny! Nobody was laughing in the theater, nobody. There are scenes of violence and death, including defecation and biting off fingers that were very disturbing.

For some reason, James Franco was acting very strangely in this movie and you had the impression that both Seth Rogan and Franco probably thought that him acting so strange and abnormal would be funny. On top of all this, this movie made no sense. There are plot changes and conclusions to scenes that made absolutely no sense.

I only saw this movie because of all the news reports about it, and I now regret that decision. This is clearly one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Avoid this movie at all costs.

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Saturday, December 27, 2014

Review: Big Eyes

Despite the topic of this movie, which is about a woman artists that creates paintings of children with big eyes, I thought that this was a strange title for this movie. This is a very good movie on the study of human nature and just how bad some people can get. The husband of this woman artist lost no sleep when it came to stealing and taking credit for someone else's work. I am a retired software developer and I have seen things like this in the past, when a co-worker takes credit for someone else's work and has no problems doing something like this many times over. This is a true story with a very good ending but very often in real life the "right thing" does not always happen. The phrase Nice guys finish last comes to mind.

My only big knock against this movie was the non-stop smoking in so many scenes by Amy Adams, who played the main character in this movie. Even though smoking was much more prevalent in the 1960's and 70's there was absolutely no reason to show so much smoking in this movie. Showing smoking in movies should have been banned many years ago.

I thought this movie was good and I do recommend it.

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Thursday, December 25, 2014

Movie Review: The Gambler

I have to admit, even though Mark Wahlberg is a very unlikable actor that in this movie the acting on his part and on the part of John Goodman was first rate. The story is both very believable and depressing as it reminds all of us that a horrible gambling addiction can be just as life ending as alcoholism or any disease. There were no slow moments in this movie and it flowed very well throughout and I thought that the story was told very well overall. I also think that there is a strong possibility for academy award nominations for both Wahlberg and Goodman.

I definitely recommend this movie.

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Movie Review: Unbroken

Overall I was very disappointed with this movie. I felt many times throughout the 2 hours that I was watching a TV movie or biography rather than the movie depiction of a great book also called Unbroken which was written by Lauren Hillenbrand . The novel Unbroken is one of the best books I have ever written and it took 7 long years of research for Hillenbrand write this book. Considering those 7 years of hard work and research about the incredible story of survival that she wrote about the life of Louie Zamperini i definitely expected a much better than average movie but unfortunately the movie Unbroken is only an average movie.

There are some moments worth seeing in Unbroken, but overall I recommend reading the book as it is much better and pays a much better homage to this incredible story of survival.

RB Screenwriting

Monday, December 22, 2014

Movie Review: Night at the Museum 3

What is the point of this movie or the previous 2 movies in this series? Its all about Museum exhibits becoming alive and who cares? I was very bored during the first 2 movies and this one, hopefully the third and VERY LAST in the series was mindbogglingly boring! The plot was slow and boring and ridiculous. While watching this bad movie you have the feeling that you are wasting your life away with this garbage. On top of this it was depressing to see the great Robin Williams choosing this movie as the last movie he will ever make.

This movie was not funny, the special effects were boring and there was no point to this movie at all.

This was a stupid movie and I hope the last in this series.

So yourself a favor and try to miss this miserable long and boring movie.

RB Screenwriting

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Review: Wild

I thought this movie was highly unusual and very good overall. This movie did not follow the normal Hollywood formula and instead used flashbacks to explain why the main character in the movie was hiking 2500 miles through the what is called the PCT - Pacific Crest Trail. This is a true story and it is understandable that a woman who just lost her mother who she was very close with would go through and ordeal like this to try to get over a horrible loss. I for one can identify with doing something like this.

I liked the fact that the movie completely departed from the normal formula type of movie that we are all so use to, and its been a long while since I have seen a movie told in this manner. I also enjoyed learning about this huge 2500 mile hiking trail and you have to respect anyone who had the courage to make a walk that long through some very dangerous terrain.

I highly recommend this movie.


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Friday, December 19, 2014

Review: Foxcatcher

While watching this movie I was thinking that it really didn't follow the Hollywood formula and then at the end I realized that it did have the story arch that is typical of most movies. However, everything else about this movie is not like any other movie you have ever seen. The acting is first rate but highly unusual. The main character John Dupont played by Steve Carrel has virtually no personality at all and is rather monotone and shows no emotion for almost the entire movie. It was one of the most unusual characters I have ever seen in any movie. While the movie progresses you wonder if Dupont is gay and definitely is showing signs of some kind of mental illness, perhaps even Autism.

The acting of the Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo is first rate and the wrestling scenes are very believable. At times this movie moves along slowly and some of the motivations of some of the characters was not fully explained, most especially the shocking scene at the end of the movie.

Overall I thought this movie was good and I do recommend it.


RB Screenwriting

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Review: Exodus, God and Kings

We have seen this movie every Easter on TV and it was made in 1956 and it was called The Ten Commandments. This is essentially the same movie with some of the differences being God coming to Moses as a young boy, rather than talking to him through a burning bush, etc.

There is nothing unique enough or worth while enough to have made this movie or to go see it. It was slow in parts and too long, almost 2 1/2 hours.

The end of the movie was also a little disappointing when the director decided to not show the actual parting of the Red Sea, as it was more of a receding of the Red Sea instead. After this the water came back through tornadoes and some other special effects which were good, but not good enough to make up for the rest of the movie.

I cannot recommend this movie.

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Friday, December 12, 2014

Review: TOP 5

All the commercials about this movie were saying that Chris Rock has finally made a funny movie. There was talk about huge laugh out loud funny scenes in this movie. Those huge funny scenes were just disgusting scenes and were never funny.

This movie was boring, unfunny, way too long and mostly disgusting. Its one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Nobody in the audience laughed even once. At the end Rock did some stand up, which was somewhat good, but that was far too little to save this horrible movie.

Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this horrible movie.


RB Screenwriting

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Review: The Theory of Everything

Overall I did like this movie but it was very slow and long in some areas and of course watching Steven Hawking die of Lou Gehrig's disease is a very depressing thing to sit through. What was never explained in the movie was how when he was in his 20's and was told he was only going to live 2 years that he was able to live to age 72 and is still alive today. Something should have been said about this medical miracle that he was able to achieve.

I was impressed with the machine that was invented that allowed Hawking to speak and write which for him was a major live saver and is definitely one of the reasons why he is still alive today and still working in science.

The actress in the movie who played his wife, Felicity Jones is very good in the role with her acting but she is miscast because she is far too attractive to be involved with the lead actor in this movie or Steven Hawking. I also thought that more should have been shown about Hawking's genius and more of his discoveries.

I do recommend this movie.


RB Screenwriting

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Review: Horrible Bosses 2

This movie actually made me laugh out loud about 6 different times and in my experience going to comedy movies that is VERY rare.

The dialog is certainly stupid but its supposed to be stupid and the stupidity of 2 out of the 3 main characters in this movie becomes very funny over time. Jason Bateman is perfect and funny being the straight main to the two other main characters in the movie. The overall plot is mostly good too, its ridiculous but not too ridiculous as to be unbelievable as a plot of a comedy movie.

One thing to remember is that this is NOT a kids movie and there are some very sexual dialogue in this movie mostly from Jennifer Anniston's very oversexed character. If your planning to bring your 13 year old boy or girl to see this movie, think again.

I recommend this movie.


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Saturday, November 22, 2014

Review: The Hunger Games Mocking Jay

So what is the Mocking Jay anyway? This is never explained in this entire very bad movie.

The sign of a good movie that was derived from a popular book is that a person who has not read the book or books would understand what is going on in the movie. In none of these 3 very bad Hunger Games movies so far, nothing is ever really explained. On top of this why an original book and movie entitled the Hunger Games would ever become so popular considering that it is based on the premise of a TV show where children murder other children is beyond all comprehension. I will never understand the mass popularity of this story when you consider how outrageous the entire idea is.

In this 3rd and unfortunately not last installment of the Hunger Games series, there is no TV game show where young children are killing other children. The main premise is a deal made between Jennifer Lawrence's character to be the Mocking Jay to save some of her friends. Again, what a Mocking Jay is, is never explained. There are some scenes in the movie which make no sense and have no connection between other scenes and in the end there is a 2 hour movie that makes absolutely no sense. This is part one of Mocking Jay, which suggested there could be 1 or 2 more Mocking Jay movies in the future.

The biggest mystery about this entire movie series is why I keep going to see them.

This is a bad movie, avoid it at all costs.


RB Screenwriting

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Review: Beyond the lights

This movie is essentially a re-do of the Bodyguard with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. That movie was very good, this movie was average.

There is a sub-story that makes no sense for this movie, with the security guard/police officer involved with some domestic violence issue which has no place in this movie. The resolution of this story line made no sense and was rather strange and made no sense.

The female lead in this movie was very attractive and some of the singing was good.

We have seen movies like this many times, and this one is just not worth the money.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie.


RB Screenwriting

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Review: Dumb and Dumber To

This is a bad movie.

In over 20 years I was amazed that even with a collaboration of writers they could not really come up with a story and a story line that was almost exactly the same as the one 20 years ago. Its a road movie with some criminal traveling with them, they play a gag on him he dies, they are in pursuit of a woman, this time they think its the daughter of Harry Dunne.

Some of the sight gags were funny, but not funny enough, but most were not funny at all. This was a very disappointing movie and I cannot recommend it.


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Saturday, November 8, 2014

Review: Whiplash

Excellent movie - 100% WILL RECEIVE multiple academy award nominations, perhaps even best picture. However this movie is hard to watch because of the depictions of constant abuse of power and horrible abuse of a group of young men and specifically one young man.

The best example in a movie I have ever seen of "Power corrupts absolutely". The acting is great throughout the movie and the scenes of abuse are both powerful but hard to sit through.

I highly recommend this movie.


RB Screenwriting

Friday, November 7, 2014

Review: Interstellar

Very obviously a very good movie and a very good idea for a movie.

However, in the attempt to be new and different, several of the story directions and scenes either made no sense or were so unbelievable or convoluted that they just made no sense or were just too far fetched.

While its definitely very hard to be new and different, you kind of wish that more thought was put into a better ending and as far as one ending - I completely knew that this would happen long before I saw this movie.

This movie is very good, but I thought that the main point and the actual conclusion just didnt make much sense.

I recommend this movie

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

Movie Review: Birdman

I can certainly understand the need for any new movie to be new and different. Thats why a studio takes a risk to make a movie because its going to be something never seen before. Unique is definitely one word I would use to describe this movie - however - good is not a word I would also use. This movie definitely falls into the artsy category, but its just too weird to make any sense.

The acting is very good on all levels and it was unusual to see an entire movie shot inside an old Broadway theater in New York, but most of this movie didn't make much sense.

At the end of the movie your left wondering why they made it in the first place? Its different and strange but it leaves you feeling empty because you don't really get the point of the whole thing.

See this movie for the acting and because its different, but I cannot recommend this movie because overall its just not that good.

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RB Screenwriting

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Movie Review: Nightcrawler

This movie is highly unusual and different and has never been done before. Just one of the most unusual things about this movie is that its mostly about just one main character, the one played by Jake Gyllenhaal. He is very poor and desperately trying to get a job and is turned down by everyone and even turns to collection scrap and stealing a watch after assaulting someone to make money, in the beginning of this film.

What he does find out is that he can get a police scanner and take videos of crimes in progress or the aftermath's of car accident or major crimes. What does not surprise you in this very good film is that he degrades into a person who would do anything to make the big score, because a local television station will pay him more money, the more dangerous and sensational his films are.

I have never seen a movie like this before, and as a screenwriter I remember while watching this movie that I wished I would have thought of this idea as myself because this is a great idea for a movie.

This movie was well done and I highly recommend it.

RB Screenwriting

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Movie Review: Saint Vincent

The problem with this movie is that the main character - Vincent has a life that is so depressing that any attempt at being funny or different or having great dialog is going to be lost in light of his incredibly depressing life.

He has no money, he has just run out of all the money in his reverse mortgage. Whatever money he might make gambling on horses he just loses again. His wife is in a nursing home and has dementia. She later dies. He sees this hooker and pays her money, the hooker is played by Naomi Watts, and you will barely recognize her in this depressing move.

Later Vincent has a stroke but somehow after therapy is able to get better, which in light of his horrible life and no money is hard to believe.

Vincent does befriend a neighbor's kid and there are some positive moments there, but again you are back into the depressing life of this guy and for those main reasons I cannot really recommend this movie.

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Friday, October 24, 2014

Movie Review: John Wick

This is a highly unusual movie in that it has a minimal story and action that we have seen before, but not at this pace and not this fast.

There is not much to say about the acting because its mostly all about the violence and action and blood. If you like violent fast paced action movies this is for you, if not, then stay home.

Overall, I recommend this movie.

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Sunday, October 19, 2014

Movie Review: The Best of Me

As far as Nicholas Sparks movies go, this one is not run of the mill. Its different enough from all the others I have seen. The acting was good and the story while formulaic like all of the Nicholas Sparks movies was somewhat predictable but different enough to take you by surprise in certain areas of the film.

The ending was emotional and it was not easy to get through.

I do recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Movie Review: FURY

Saving Private Ryan which came out in July 1998 will always be the #1 and best movie about the horrors of war. This movie will rank probably in the top 10 of all time, because when it comes to showing the violence, death and the worst parts of humanity, on that front it does score a high grade.

The acting in this movie is very good and it was good to see the return of Shia Labeouf after he has gone through several years of having some emotional problems in his personal life.  Brad Pit did a very good job as the leader of the group under impossible circumstances of non-stop life and death which is what war is all about.

There was a scene early in the movie when they showed the partially severed face of a man who was killed in the tank which i thought perhaps was a bit too much, but when it comes to war, you can never try to lighten how bad it was for the young men who fought in a war.

I highly recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Review: A Walk Among the Tomstones

I cannot recommend this movie.  Overall, the acting was OK but it was a drab depressing movie that did not have enough new things that we have not seen before.  This movie came off mostly as a retread of tired old themes from many other movies.

Please also visit my other blog about screenwriting

RB Screenwriting

Movie Review: The Judge

This movie was very well acted and there could be 2 academy award nominations for this movie, one for Robert Downy Jr. and another for Robert Duval.

The Dialogue was very well written throughout, and this movie will surprise you in a number of places.

I highly recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting

Movie Review: Gone Girl

This movie is the main reason why I see so many movies every year.

Extremely well done. The phrase “ONE THE NOSE DIALOG” does not apply here. Every line was original and well thought out.

Huge surprise ending that you would never expect in this movie. You will never seen this coming.

By far the best movies of the year so far in 2014.

I highly recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting

Review: The Drop

This movie was James Gandolfini’s last and what a horrible loss for everybody who loves movies because he was a great talent.

I thought this movie was slow in parts and rather boring overall.   It also came off as too dark as it seemed it was always overcast or raining in every scene, which added to the slowness and the overall dark depressing nature of the movie. The acting was good, but it was not a memorable  enough movie to recommend it.

I cannot recommend this movie.

Movie Review: This is where I leave you

I thought this was a good solid movie and funny in some places.

Good acting throughout and it was nice to see Jane Fonda again in a movie.

I do recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting

Review: The Expendables 3

I thought this movie was surprisingly good.  The best one of the 3 Expendables movies.

Very good action throughout and a good story overall.

There will be more Expendables because this one was so well done.

I definitely recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting

Review: The Equalizer

This movie was quite good – of course it was violent but the interesting thing about this movie was that it made
many violent themes we have seen before very unique and the action turned into some things that we have never seen before in a movie.

I definitely recommend this movie.

Please also visit my blog about screenwriting.

RB Screenwriting

Movie Review – SKELETON TWINS

I thought this movies was funny in some spots but mostly it was depressing and not very good.

I cannot recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting

Movie Review: Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

I was surprised this was made into a movie. Its a farce, but not a funny farce. There is nothing here that merits a movie, or anything here that is interesting enough to keep your attention throughout the almost 2 hour run time.

Considering the difficultly and cost of getting a movie made, much less a screenplay read, i was surprised that this movie held so little value.

I cannot recommend this movie.

RB Screenwriting