Movie Info:
Writers: Michael Nitsberg, Kevin Elders
Director: Greg Marcks
Cast: Shane West, Edward Burns, Ving Rhames, Yuriy Kutsenko, Sergey Gubanov, Martin Sheen, Steven Elder, Tamara Feldman, Jonathan Pryce
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 12, 2009
DVD Release Date: July 21, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $27.99

It’s hard to screw up an action picture. The guidelines are fairly simple. There has to be plenty of explosions, a pretty girl, and some semblance of a plot (generally meaning a beginning, middle, and end). Most importantly, the movie needs to be at least semi-plausible and it can’t be boring. Echelon Conspiracy fails in the action genre for a number of reasons. These issues are a million little things and when you put them all together it just means that this movie was never worth being made in the first place.

Greg Marcks is a relatively new director. He received some Indy acclaim for his work on 11:14, but Conspiracy is his first bigger budget action flick. I know that every director has a film in their lineup that ends up being one of those…”What was I thinking” kind of films, but it seems a little early in his career after winning a student Academy Award and receiving such acclaim for his first movie to end up with something so flat.

If this were to keep up he might not end up doing many action flicks or at least not any major ones. The director always gets the brunt of the bad review because it is their job to make sure the movie as a whole comes out looking good. Marcks seems to overlook the glaring plot holes, the sinkholes of boredom, and the lack of interest in each of the characters. You can explode as much as you want, but at the end of the day it doesn’t mean much if people want the entire movie to explode just so it will end.

The acting was touch and go. Shane West was completely unbelievable as the computer expert. He couldn’t even manage to trace a cell phone call. Not to mention you barely see him working on a computer at all in the movie. For a few minutes you see him finishing up a job and swinging some electrical cord, but other than typing you don’t get anymore computer action from West. Burns is a little more believable as the lawman turned casino security head. Of course, this is a part, in some way, that we have seen him play before. He’s tough, loud, and no nonsense. All good, but you can’t save a movie with one guy.

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Movie Info:
Writers: Adam Simon, Tim Metcalfe
Director: Peter Cornwell
Cast: Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan, Sophi Knight, Ty Wood, Erik J. Berg, John Bluethner, D.W. Brown, John B. Lowe, Adriana O’Neil
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Lionsgate

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 27, 2009
DVD Release Date: July 14, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

“Based on a true story” movies can be a funny thing. I often see that tagline on horror movies though when you see the flesh eating cannibal come out of the woodwork it’s easy to see that it’s based about as far as one of the character’s names and the city that they live in. However, every now and then a movie will come around that is filled with falsities, but has a little bit of truth to it, too. The Haunting in Connecticut is one of those movies.

This is supposed to be based on a true story. The people that lived it swear by their story, though others do not believe the story to the lengths that it has been told. The movie version has the basic details correct. The house is in Connecticut, the boy begins seeing and feeling the presence of the ghosts/demons first, and the details in that respect are basically how things went.

In real life, the story goes a little bit differently. According to the parents, the house, which was once a funeral home, did contain the presence of demons. Not only that, but the demons apparently raped them. Obviously moments like this are not in the film. The family claims that after the mother learned that the home had been a funeral parlor her son began exhibiting weird behavior. How much of the family’s story is true may never be known. Some people believe their story and others claim that they cannot keep their stories straight and deem it as being unreal. Whether or not you believe it is strictly up to you.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Lois Duncan, Trey Callaway
Director: Danny Cannon
Cast: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Brandy Norwood, Mekhi Phifer, Muse Watson, Bill Cobbs, Matthew Settle, Jeffrey Combs, Jennifer Esposito, Jack Black
Rating: R
Studio: Sony

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 13, 1998
DVD Release Date: July 14, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $14.99

“I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is not a screamfest, but it is goofy enough with decent acting to make a perfect, fun film during a date night.”

Once upon a time there was a man who wrote Scream. It became a huge success. Then, he sold an earlier script of his called I Know What you Did Last Summer. He’s not the guy who wrote this movie, but without him, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer would not exist. Whether you want to thank him or not for this remains to be seen.

Around this time, Jennifer Love Hewitt was all the rage. The first film, I Know What You Did Last Summer featured Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. (Mr. Sarah Michelle Gellar), Ryan Phillipe, Bridgette Wilson, Anne Heche, and Johnny Galecki. I recognize every single name, and these characters made the movie a viable horror flick. Well, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer features some notable names besides Prinze Jr. and Love Hewitt, who return, but I can’t say this movie is credible as a horror film.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer features Brandy, Mekhi Phifer, Matthew Settle (Rufus from Gossip Girl), and guest starring appearances by Jack Black (with dreads – he rocks!), Jennifer Esposito (Samantha Who’s best friend), and Bill Cobbs. This means the acting is pretty good. This isn’t one of those horror flicks that make you giggle like a school boy (or girl) from the sheer cheesiness of the acting. Instead, you’ll giggle at the sheer cheesiness of the plot.

What is it with the evildoers in horror movies not dying? Ben Willis is a modern day Michael Myers when it comes to the bad guy not dying. He was thrown overboard how many times? He had his hand cut off (the one with the hook), and he was shot multiple times. This dude doesn’t die. I get it with Freddy and Jason. They’re kind of like other worldy beings, but Ben Willis (much like Michael Myers) is just a human guy who has this evil hatred consuming him. I guess that kind of thing guarantees immortality in horror.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Movie Info:
Writers: James Gray
Director: James Gray
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vinessa Shaw, Isabella Rossellini, Moni Moshonov, Elias Koteas
Rating: R
Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: February 13, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 30, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $

This film could have gone terribly wrong. It could have been bad in all of the wrong ways. Luckily, thanks to a near-perfect script and some incredibly solid acting there is only one thing wrong with this movie. It’s said to be Joaquin Phoenix’s last picture. Knowing that someone as talented as Phoenix is walking away from acting is nothing short of a bummer, but seeing that this is where he chose to end the line, cannot help but make you feel good. Two Lovers is a romantic drama about a set of perpetually flawed characters.

Phoenix plays Leonard. He’s a guy with some mental problems. At the least he suffers from depression, though his mom calls it Bi-polar and if you know anyone that has it, you’ll probably agree. He lives with his parents and works for their dry cleaning business. His mom is a strong, Jewish mother. She is always in his business, but it’s clear that it is because she loves him and wants the best for him. Then there are the women in his life. One is dependable and though she has received a bad break with men in the past, it’s obvious that she has a good heart. The other, makes bad choices, indulges in various drugs to kill the boredom and is a complete mess in all of the wrong ways.

One of the biggest morals of the story is that people in love only see what they want to see. Leonard makes excuses for Michelle, the girl that’s a mess. He doesn’t care about her problems because she is amazing. Meanwhile, Sandra, the more dependable option, settles for Leonard, in a way, because he’s the best (or only) option available to her and she doesn’t want to be alone. It’s obvious that she cares about him, but there is no real indication to show that if Sandra had someone else she would still be with Leonard.

Two Lovers is anything but your modern day romance. This is a thinking man’s picture. It’s told through the eyes of Leonard, or with him as the main character. Some might say that these women are weak, but I don’t see that as the case. If anything, I think they all suffer from the same weaknesses. Michelle has forced herself into a bad decision and has low self-esteem. She hangs on the comfort of one man, stringing him along and controlling the relationship while waiting for another that offers her no stability or control.

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look.

Movie Info:
Writers: Tracey Jackson, Tim Firth
Director: P.J. Hogan
Cast: Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Krysten Ritter, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, John Lithgow, Kristin Scott Thomas, Fred Armisen, Leslie Bibb, Robert Stanton, Julie Hagerty
Rating: PG
Studio: Touchstone Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: February 13, 2009
DVD Release Date: Jun. 23, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $27.99

“You know that thing when you see someone cute and he smiles and your heart kind of goes like warm butter sliding down hot toast? Well that’s what it’s like when I see a store. Only it’s better.” – Rebecca Bloomwood

I’m the type of guy who isn’t into romantic anything. I don’t like the romantic comedies. I’m more the rough and rugged type. Give me an action packed, thriller movie and I’m content. Occasionally, I will watch something funny for what I like to call ’shits n giggles’. Well, that’s pretty much why I decided to review Confessions of a Shopaholic. It seemed funny enough for me to watch it with the girlfriend without being bored to tears or annoyed enough to watch to the point where I want to stab my eyes out with sporks.

The trailer for Confessions of a Shopaholic captures many of the funniest scenes. Luckily, they aren’t the only funny scenes in the movie, Otherwise, I would have been terribly disappointed. I’m not going to say I loved this film, because that would be a lie. This movie has romantic cliches and plenty of cheesiness; the kinds of things that make me shy away from reviewing movies deemed romantic comedies. But, the funny moments are interspersed enough throughout the movie to engage and entertain even those guys like me who won’t stomach another Cameron Diaz movie, even if the girlfriend begged (luckily, mine detests Cameron Diaz, but that’s neither here nor there).

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.