Zero Dark Thirty

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Year: Jan 1 2013
Running Time: 157 Minutes
Staring:  Jessica Chastain, Joel Egerton, Chris Pratt
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.4 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 93% Audience: 80%
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE
This movie chronicles the decade-long hunt for al-Queda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks and his death at the hands of the Navy SEALS Team 6 in May 2011.

MY REVIEW:
From the very beginning this movie takes you on the hunt, shows the value of the importance of it as well as the sheer desperation. It's thrilling and unbelievable. I did wish there was more backstory of the characters involved. Seemed like there would be more interest in the people themselves and not jus the story. Other than that, this was a great movie.

Django Unchained

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 25 December 2012
Running Time: 165 Minutes
Staring:  Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many more.
Rating? R (Well deserved Might I say)
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 8.5 of 10
MY RATING: 9 of 10

MY REVIEW:
I loved this movie. Yes, it was violent and bloody, but so was the history of the United States.

OMG Amazing acting skills in this! Jamie Foxx leads the ensemble cast as Django, a freed slave. He's partnered up with Dr. King Schultz {Christoph Waltz} on the hunt for his wife Broomhilda {Kerry Washington} who is still a slave who was sold to an unknown owner. We find Broomhilda now in the care of Calvin Candie, {Leonardo DiCaprio} a crass rich plantation owner who treats people like trash. Calvin Candie lives on his plantation called Candieland and is assisted by his manservant Stephen {Samuel L. Jackson}. Just a few more stars in this movie: Walton Goggins, Don Johnson, Tom Wopat, Jonah Hill, and many many more!

Violence was a large part of this movie and it was prevalent throughout the whole movie. At first I thought it was over the top, but the longer the movie went on, the more I realized that it was warranted. More than warranted. Necessary. This is a very hard Rated R and deserved. Then writing was excellent and the dialogue was a perfect element the movie needed. Quite good.

On a personal note... I took a few pictures... Happy Holidays from Boomer and Spot.

Jack Reacher

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 21 December 2012
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Staring:  Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike
Rating? PG-13
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.0 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 62% Audience: 67%
MY RATING: 6 of 10

MY REVIEW:
I hate to review a movie when I really loved the book and I was indifferent to the movie, but here goes. I feel that the book flowed very nicely together, but that didn't translate to the screen as nicely as I had wished. There was a ton of action and I enjoyed some of the sequences that seemed comedic, but there seemed to be a lack of any real THRILL. I liked the idea of Jack Reacher being Tom Cruise. He fit the bill rather nicely.

I was indifferent to most of the casting choices until Rosamund Pike. I just feel like she was not the Helen that I would have liked to have seen. I just really didn't find her scenes much less than good and a little annoying really. She's not a horrible actor, but i just think they could have come up with a better person to play this character.

Overall, this was a decent movie. Average. It was a good story and as long as you're not looking for an intellectual feast for the brain, this will be a good movie to view. It's entertaining and visually interesting.

Safety Not Guaranteed

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 10 Mar 2012
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Staring:  Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.0 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 90% Audience: 80%
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE
Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.

MY REVIEW:
My interest was piqued at the idea of a movie in the genre of time travel. I'm a huge H. G. Wells fan so the idea has always fascinated me. This movie made the serious pieces and the funny bits all fit together in a manner befitting the genre.

This was definitely not the traditional time-travel sci-fi type film that one may find. Not typical is a VERY good way! It's complex and interesting and the lengthy narratives build and build the developing characters before your eyes. Each one is so complete that it makes it so easy as the watcher to become engrossed and invested in them as the  hour and  a half whips by!

Loved it. Definite find this movie and watch!!

Paranormal Activity 4

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 19 Oct 2012
Running Time: 88 Minutes
Staring:  Stephen Dunham, Katie Featherstone, Matt Shipley
Rating? R
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 4.6 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 24% Audience: 35%
MY RATING: 5

MY REVIEW:
Not as good as the first 3. Still good. It doesn't really add to the plot development from the first three. There weren't really the same pieces that made me like series. This is the mild PG-13 version that no one really wanted to see. The family was not bad and it did play into the ideas set the first two. Just didn't set the right tone for me. I gave it a 5 because anything less felt too low and anything higher felt like a lie.

Sinister

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 12 Oct 2012
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Staring:  Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance
Rating? R
SPOILERS? N.

REVIEWS
IMDB: 6.8 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: X% Audience: X%
MY RATING: 7

STORYLINE
A true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm home movies that suggest the murder he is currently researching the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960's.

MY REVIEW:
This movie had be scared right from the start. This movie is definitely chock-full of scenes that seemed to be here purely for the shock value. Story is decently presented and I was intrigues by the theory behind the killings. I felt like it was a new story.  I have to admit, I jumped a few times. Lost some points for me on the plot. I did see a lot of the points coming and was not completely blinded by the ending.

Truth or Die

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 9 Oct 2012
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Staring:  Tom Kane, Liam Boyle, Jack Gordon
Rating? UNRATED?
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 5.6 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 22% Audience: 29%
MY RATING: 1

MY REVIEW:
Let me just say that this is a HORROR movie and it's UNRATED!!

Nightmare Factory

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 5 Oct 2012
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Staring:  Documentary
Rating? Unrated TV Movie
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.3 of 10
MY RATING: 9

STORYLINE
In 1989, Greg Nicotero quit medical school and headed fro Hollywood to pursue a dream of making monsters. Together with gore masters Howard Berger and Robert Kurtzman, Nicotero went on to create KNB EFX Group, one of the most prolific makeup effects studios in the world.

MY REVIEW:
Love love love loved this movie! It was a look inside the special effects life that has intrigued me since the first time I saw Salem's Lot. This movie is a definite recommendation to any of my fellow horror/gore lovers out there! The non-digital magic that is made under the KNB umbrella is amazing. Loads of "making of" type stuff and a ton of special appearances and Walking Dead. Great movie!

Pitch Perfect

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 5 Oct 2012
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Staring:  Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson
Rating? R
SPOILERS? NO

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.3 of 10
Rotten Tomatoes: Critics: 81% Audience: 83%
MY RATING: 8

STORYLINE
Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining the Bellas, her school's all-girl a cappella group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, the Bellas take on their male rivals in a competition.

MY REVIEW:
You know, I watched this movie because someone else wanted to see it, not Terry. If you fall into one of the following criteria, you will love this movie. I loved it and plan on watching this multiple more times when it is on Netflix.

1. A Girl between the ages of 10 and 60.
2. An a cappella nerd from high school or college
3. Watched and enjoyed Glee.

An American Ghost Story

 Original Title: Revenant

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 1 October 2012
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Staring:  No one you'll know
Rating? UNRATED
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 4.3 of 10
MY RATING: 2 of 10

STORYLINE
When Paul, an unemployed writer, decided to rent and live in a house that's rumored to be haunted, he puts his life and his relationships in grave danger as he obsessively attempts to get the story that will finally make his career.

MY REVIEW:
Again, why did I decide to watch an UNRATED horror movie? I should know better, but since I am on this self-imposed quest to locate the best horror movies available.. I keep watching... in vain it seems..

There is some sort of story that seems to have been tied together with a shoe string. Lets take the main character Paul {Stephen Twardokus}, he wants to write the perfect ghost story and has moved into a house where murders occurred because he thinks that there might be a ghost. Then there;'s his live in girlfriend Stella {Liesel Kopp} has absolutely no problem with this even when he decorates the house EXACTLY like it was when the murders occurred. Sure, lets just assume she's a crazy person as well.

My issues arise about halfway through the movie when the intentions for "finding the truth" are apparently gone. The owner has disappeared and there is no explanation of what did happen to the family. All we see is furniture moving in the dark and a person (or ghost) whatever under a bed sheet.  The movie doesn't even discuss or discover who the supposed ghost was supposed to be.

I gave this movie a 2 because the music and simplicity, as well as a good couple of moments that kept me holding my breath.