Movie Info:
Writer: Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith
Director: Gil Junger
Cast: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, Gabrielle Union, Larry Miller
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Touchstone

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: March 31, 1999
DVD Release Date: January 5, 2010
Online Availability: Amazon for $

It’s hard to believe it has been over ten years since 10 Things I Hate About You was released in theaters. I remember actually going to the theater and seeing this movie. I was 18 years old and while my older brother took my niece and nephew to Cedar Point every year, being in a wheelchair and having no car/ability to drive, I was forced to take them to a movie as our “bonding” time. He got the amusement park. I got movie time, and it was always their decision as to what movie we would see.

I’m only 4 1/2 years older than my niece and 6 1/2 years older than my nephew. While that does not seem to matter much now that we are all in our 20s, it does make a difference to be 18 and hanging out with a 13 and 11 year old. This means I never was particularly happy about the movie choices they picked. I saw Titanic (I admit, it grew on me) with my niece 4 times in the theater when it came out because she kept wanting to go back and see it again, and my nephew often wanted to see stupid comedies.

I fully admit when my niece wanted to see 10 Things I Hate About You, I scoffed at the idea. She was 13, and teen comedies are all the rage when you are a young teen. I confess, I have not been fond of teen-geared flicks since John Hughes left the game. I knew I was going to hate this film and went into the theater ready to throw popcorn at the screen. Alas, the talent and acting of a guy I’d never heard of before, who would go on to make Jack Nicholson’s Joker look like a pansy, saved this movie for me.

I actually liked 10 Things I Hate About You. It was funny. The story was pretty good. The acting was great. Both Joseph Gordon Levitt and Heath Ledger went on to be in some really great movies that are some of my favorite films. I even liked Julia Stiles in this. For an actress around my own age, I respect the work she has done. It wasn’t really a lame teen movie, and I am glad I was able to enjoy this movie with my niece. It makes me look like the great uncle I am if I can appreciate the movies she likes.

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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:
Writer: Diablo Cody
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Simmons, Adam Brody, Sal Cortez, Ryan Levine, Juan Riedinger, Kyle Gallner
Rating: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: September 18, 2009
DVD Release Date: December 29, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.99

I’m just going to get this right out of the way before delving into this review. I thought that Jennifer’s Body was going to absolutely suck. I had extremely low expectations for this film. The people I knew who had seen it in the theater had said it was pretty stupid. Sure, I’m fond of the work I’ve seen of Diablo Cody in the past, but perhaps this was her “Baby’s Day Out” and like the late, great John Hughes, she ran out of good ideas, only to disappear into past Hollywood fame obscurity long before her time was up.

In this mindset, I was disappointed Amanda Seyfried, a young, talented, budding actress, wasted her time on Jennifer’s Body. Still, I thought I’d give the movie a chance for her sake and what a surprise. I actually liked Jennifer’s Body. I didn’t just like it, I thought it was a quirky, fun, dark comedy that had some rather brilliant moments amidst the high school lame-o speak the actors indulge in throughout the film. Cody redeemed herself after my unfounded doubts, and I have newfound appreciation for her warped sense of humor.

Jennifer’s Body is a dark comedy. This means it really is not meant to be scary like a traditional horror flick. As any good comedy should, Jennifer’s Body made me laugh. Some of it was at the ridiculousness of the characters, their speech and the situations they are placed in, but that is the ENTIRE POINT of Jennifer’s Body. It is supposed to be ridiculous. The teenagers use stupid slang, which makes those of us over the age of 21 cringe. That’s the way kids sound to us old folks, so no big deal there.

Megan Fox is given some meaty material she can actually sink her teeth into. Fox admits she’s not used to this kind of acting, and she tried to have fun with it. Well, it seems the girl has a bit of natural talent. Sure, she’s no Robert DeNiro, but he wouldn’t have made a very good Jennifer now would he? Fox was the eye candy in Transformers, but in Jennifer’s Body she has to rely on more than just her svelte figure (though it does play a prominent role in this film, as well) to entertain the audience. I already knew Seyfried could act, so it was no big surprise to see her perform well. Fox and Seyfried had nice chemistry and that is what really helped to make this film work.

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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:
Writer: Mike Judge
Director: Mike Judge
Cast: Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Clifton Collins Jr., Dustin Milligan, David Koechner, Beth Grant
Rating: R
Studio: Miramax

Release Info:
Original Theatrical Release Date: September 4, 2009
DVD Release Date: December 22, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $24.49

I expected more from the creator of Beavis and Butthead. I grew up watching what Mike Judge had to offer, so coming in with the knowledge that he was the brains behind Extract made me want to see this movie. From the trailer, it looked funny. I’m not a huge comedy lover. I like cartoon-style comedy or cynical comedy more than any other type. So, I was expecting that same sarcastic style of humor Judge is known for through the other work he has done. Not so. While Extract has some so stupid they’re funny moments, on the whole, the movie is an epic fail.

The cast isn’t bad for a comedy. There are likable actors in this film and nary an actor gives a bad performance. Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, and J.K. Simmons have all succeeded, at some point in their career, when doing comedy. However, Extract isn’t exactly their shining moment. Yes, I did laugh in certain parts. Yes, the actors have their moments of funny, but the cohesiveness of these moments does not translate to a particularly funny script. I was expecting laugh out loud, humor along the same vein of Judge’s other stupid but funny works. This was certainly stupid, but it wasn’t near funny enough.

Where I feel Extract fails the most is in the script. The acting, as I said, only suffers because the actor’s do not have anything funny to work with. The direction Judge was going in is clear. The script, the writing, the storytelling if you will sends the movie into some fairly unfunny places. I especially found the ending to be particularly lame. I don’t expect comedies to typically be based in reality because most of them could never ever happen in a lifetime. I do expect them to not sink to beyond moronic levels though and the entire ending (from Suzie cleaning the pool onward) is just to lame=brained for my intelligence to appreciate.

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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:
Writer: Kevin Smith
Director: Kevin Smith
Cast: Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonhauer, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Ben Affleck, Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams, Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Will Ferrell, Judd Nelson
Rating: R
Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: November 17, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $53.99

I have been a huge fan of Kevin Smith since I saw the movie Dogma. I was a little too young to get into the Clerks craze when it first came out (I was 13), so I didn’t even know about the comedic genius of Smith until I saw Dogma. As a practicing Catholic at the time, I found this movie quite hilarious, familiar and awesomely funny. From that moment, I became interested in Smith. Of course, I never got the opportunity to see another Smith film until I saw Clerks a few years later.

When Dogma came out there was no IMDB that I knew of, and the internet wasn’t as widely used as it is today. It was harder to find out about who Smith was and his other works. While I owned a VHS tape of Dogma and watched it many times, it wasn’t until I caught Clerks on a premium station late at night that I realized this had to be another Kevin Smith movie. It was Jay and Silent Bob who gave it away. From there, I actually pursued finding other Smith movies at the local Blockbuster.

After seeing Clerks, I saw Chasing Amy and when Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back came out, I bought that on DVD right away. Since then, I’ve been a loyal fan of Smith, who speaks to a generation I understand. Excluding Jersey Girl, I am a big fan of the movies he has written and directed. There is nothing like Clerks out there, and because of this the story, the jokes and the unique, yet every day Joe characters never grow old or tired.

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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.

Writers: Greg Mottola
Director: Greg Mottola
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Kristen Wiig, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Martin Starr, Jesse Eisenberg
Rating: R
Studio: Miramax

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 3, 2009
DVD Release Date: August 25, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99

Reviewing movies gives me a certain advantage over others. I see a lot of trailers I wouldn’t usually see. For example, I never happened to catch advertising for Adventureland on television, but I saw the trailer so many times on other Miramax DVDs I reviewed, it guaranteed I knew about this movie. I was intrigued by the trailer. It looked funny, had an 80s vibe, and didn’t seem to be too cheesy.

Let me say it now. I was disappointed. Adventureland had great potential. It had a great setting, a semi-interesting story and potentially interesting characters. The one thing it didn’t have was the ability to come through on all this film promised to be. It ended up dragging on, building up to nothingness, and fading into oblivion even before the ending of the movie came.

The first problem is that while the film is set in the 80s, and there are some obvious signs of the 80s, it isn’t 100% 80s. It was like Greg Mottola said, “Let’s throw in Ronald Reagan, “Rock Me Amadeus,” a few 80s dance moves, a few 80s outfits and we’ll call it 80s.” Truthfully, it isn’t 80s enough to capture the 80s vibe the way it should have. The most 80s character is Lisa P. She is actually pretty funny, but everyone else just sort of wears t-shirts and jeans, which might have been 80s, but it’s also popular today, so I felt like the film was set today with a few 80s caricatures, if that makes sense.

The second problem is the plot. The plot revolves around James Brennan. Initially, he’s involved in a triangle with Em and Mike Connell, but then it turns into a quadrangle with Lisa P. coming into the picture. This entire he/she/he/she love affair thing dragged the movie down. The triangle made the movie interesting, but the entire inclusion off Lisa P. into the relationship aspect of the movie was ridiculous. Honestly, I liked her as the mysterious, untouchable, cool 80s girl who loved to dance in that 80s way. Letting her have excessive amounts of dialogue kind of ruined the mystique.

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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: John Hamburg, Larry Levin
Director: John Hamburg
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Sarah Burns , Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Jane Curtin, J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg, Rob Huebel
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: March 20, 2009
DVD Release Date: August 11, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.99

I mention in every comedy movie review that I write that I am not a huge comedy fan. On the whole, I prefer the dramas. Still, as I saw the promotion for I Love You, Man through trailers and other assets both online and on the television, I couldn’t help but want to see this movie. It looked funny, but I was hoping that the funniest moments weren’t stuck to just what was available in the trailer, which I found can be true of a lot of comedies out there.

John Hamburg, the writer, director and producer of this movie, calls it a smart comedy, and I think that’s a fair description. For the most part, the humor is funny, but not stupid. Sure, there is some crude, adult humor, but this is about guys and what is funny to a guy isn’t always as mature as what is funny to the ladies (granted, I know a few girls who like the crude humor, but on the whole men tend to be cruder then women). I found a message in this movie dealing with how we perceive genders, what is right and what is wrong for a person based on their gender, cliches, and stereotypes.

Hamburg rips away all those stereotypes. He makes the gay male masculine, in touch with his manly side and just one of the guys. On the other hand, the straight male who is obviously in love with his girlfriend, takes on those roles we normally see as effeminate. Seriously, real men are supposed to be oblivious to the concerns and needs of women, so when a guy is a listener, thoughtful and can fit in with a group of girls better than he can the guys, he’s often looked upon as either gay or weak. Gender isn’t always black and white. People act how they act, and this movie points out exactly why society shouldn’t set such stringent gender roles.

Beyond all the philosophical stuff, I Love You, Man is actually rather funny. Women will want to go and see it for the underlying love story, and the humor, and men will be in it for the humor. I found myself nodding my head (or shaking it) throughout most of the movie. It is a smart comedy. It has the ability to make you think, and yet the message is subtle enough that it is not preachy. It’s just the kind of comedy I like.

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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: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler
Director: Frank Coraci
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler, Fairuza Balk, Jerry Reed, Rob Schneider, Larry Gilliard Jr.
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 6, 1998
DVD Release Date: August 4, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99

Adam Sandler is one of the best comedians making movies today. His best comedies were in the 90s. Prior to making films, he was on SNL, which is how he became famous with skits like Canteen Boy, Opera Man, Cajun Man and the gay beer guy. Sandler was on SNL with a great group that included Dana Carvey, David Spade and Chris Farley to name a few, but Adam went on to become the most famous in the movie industry. It’s not that the others failed, but it didn’t help much when Chris Farley died, and David Spade sort of faded into oblivion as a result.

Sandler is still making movies, but not all of them are straight shooting comedies like his work from the 90s. He’s expanded into family comedies (Bedtime Stories), more serious roles (Reign Over Me), politically-inspired comedies (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan) and even the occasional flop (Click). I still love what Sandler is doing, but in a different way. In the 90s, it was all about the laughs, and that’s what makes the comedies he made in this time period classics. It was a simple formula: Be Funny and the Audience will Laugh…and we did!

The first Adam Sandler film I remember seeing was Mixed Nuts, though I didn’t really realize that was Adam Sandler until much later on. He also wasn’t the main character. The first actual Sandler film I saw was Happy Gilmore. This movie was absolutely hilarious. From there, I watched The Waterboy, The Wedding Singer, Billy Madison and Big Daddy. All of these films were funny in their own way and Adam only helped to enhance the funniness of the film. Today, I have DVDs of every single Adam Sandler 90s comedy. They are just too good not to own.

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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: 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.

Movie Info:
Writers:David S. Ward
Director: David S. Ward
Cast: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton, James Gammon, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, Charles Cyphers, Chelcie Ross, Dennis Haysbert, Andy Romano, Bob Uecker, Steve Yeager, Peter Vuckovich
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: April 7, 1989
DVD Release Date: May 12, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $20.49

David S. Ward is a name with which I was not all that familiar. As a director he’s only handled a handful of movies. As a writer, he has more experience, but tends to be a little hit or miss. One of his first projects will always remain one of his best though and that is Major League. The first time I saw this was around the time that it first came on television. It’s likely that I caught it on HBO or some other pay network. At the time, I was not a fan of baseball (now I love the Tigers) and comedy was not my favorite genre of movies, but I instantly loved Major League.

It’s been about twenty years since this movie was first released and watching it again, after not seeing it in years, I’ve found that it’s still as funny as it ever was. I still love this movie as much as I did when I watched it back in the 80s. The same parts still make me laugh out loud and I still want the same couples to get together and the same to break up. Nothing has changed about this movie or my feelings for it. That alone, makes it pretty special. It’s so easy to watch something and like it and then revisit it only to wonder what the hell you were thinking. That wasn’t the case here at all.

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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:Mike Myers
Director: Stephen Surjik
Cast: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Christopher Walken, Tia Carrere, Chris Farley, Ralph Brown, James Hong, Rip Taylor, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: December 10, 1993
DVD Release Date: May 12, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $17.99

At some point you just have to say no to sequels. This is one of those times. It doesn’t say a whole lot for a movie or a re-release when a reviewer stares at the box and knows damn well that they have seen the movie, but cannot tell you one thing about what happened. This is what happened to me. I don’t have a bad memory, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember anything about this movie. In fact, for a few minutes I questioned whether or not I had even seen it. I was absolutely lost.

Let’s face it, when it comes to sequels there are three categories. Category one is what were they thinking, and these are where most sequels fall. Category two is well, it wasn’t as good as the first, but it was still okay. There are some of those, but there aren’t as many as the first category. Finally, category three is where the sequel is on par or better than the first. This is where your Godfather II’s come in. Wayne’s World 2 on the other hand falls in the first category of sequels.

You see, it’s not that Wayne’s World 2 is bad. It’s just unnecessary. You’re dealing with two stoners that lack purpose, so giving them more time to lack purpose ends up getting old real quick. By the end of the first movie we know all there is to know about Wayne and Garth. We don’t need a refresher course. The same laughs are present, but they aren’t as funny because we already heard them. When the best you can offer is more of the same your sequel is doomed before it even begins.

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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.