Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward (2000) Drama/ Romance 10/10

This movie has a fairly good cast. There are lots of actors/actresses that appear or have a decent portion of the film. Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment.. This is after Haley Joel Osment sees dead people in the Sixth Sense (M. Night Shyamalan). Spacey is the teacher of a grade 7 class. He gives the class a challenge “Think of an idea for world change, and put it into action”. This sounds like a daunting task and who would think a 12 year old kid would be able to make change in the world... BUT then there's Trevor (Osment). His mum's an alcoholic, working two jobs and never sees her son. He resents the fact that she is never around and decides that he is going to take matters into his own hands. He comes across the Pay It Forward model, which is something that he modifies so that he can make a change in the world. The model is a pyramid style but the goal is to make a significant change in 3 peoples lives. Trevor ponders and experiments with people that he can help or make a difference for. There are many trials and tribulations but Trevor's teacher, Spacey, is amazed by his determination to complete the challenge and also leave an impact on the world. Trevor does just that and makes his challenge come to life and work. This movie definitely got myself thinking because I somewhat feel like I partially do this challenge every day. Every day I try to do something nice for someone no matter what. Whether it's holding a door, making someone smile, helping someone in a certain way... there is always something you can do without having it cost you a million dollars (BUT if you have a million dollars and want to do something with it, GO RIGHT AHEAD!). This is a little bit more like random acts of kindness and the fact that I help/ do something every day doesn't mean that I am trying to make a significant change in a persons' life but I am doing something to help/ give hope for humanity. In a world where self-entitlement is running rampant, you need to be the change you want to see in the world AND every little bit counts. Below is the model of how the Pay It Forward model works.

 

Pay It Forward Trailer

Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) Drama/ Comedy 10/10

This is a cult classic because you get to witness Robin Williams at his best. He portrays a dad that is absolutely in love with his kids. He will do anything to make sure that they have the best time ever... and then Miranda (his wife played by a young Sally Field) comes in and has to be the 'heavy'. Miranda gets tired and says it's time for a divorce and puts Williams in the hole and tries to take the kids away from him. Enter Mrs. Doubtfire, a woman with a heavy British accent that becomes the nanny/housekeeper for Miranda and the kids. Williams goes through hoops to create a character that will entice Miranda and make her want to have Mrs. Doubtfire take care of her children. Little does Miranda know that there is a hitch with Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams does so many voices and ad lib characters that he should get all the credit in the world. He paints the picture that he will go to ANY lengths to be with his kids. His stance is “I've been with them since day one and to take that away from me and them is just plain cruel” (paraphrased of course). It's amazing how much he loves being a dad, it's like people need to take a page out of his character's book and learn the importance of love and having 2 parents that are willing to go to the ends of the earth. The make up is fantastic and the comedic relief is always present, even in the emotional times. Even though Robin Williams passed away, we need to honour his memory and contribution to the film industry because he was one of the greats.

Mrs. Doubtfire Trailer

G.I. Jane

GI Jane (1997) Drama/ Action 10/10

This is one of my favourite movies in the War/Military genre. I will say that if you are watching the dubbed version that is aired on TV it definitely takes away from the swearing moments because the words they use to fill in the 'bad' words are ridiculous ie. Suck my dick ----> Suck my stick. If you can get your hands on a version that isn't dubbed, this is one of those movies where the swearing is necessary. The cast is fairly decent with Demi Moore being the lead role, Viggo Mortensen being the Master Chief, Anne Bancroft as Senator Lillian DeHale and there are a couple other decent actors that hadn't quite peaked in their career (Jim Caviezel, Morris Chestnut, Jason Beghe, John Michael Higgins). This is the movie where Demi Moore does her infamous head shaving scene and she actually did have a shaved head in regular life, which was a testament to how committed she was to the role of Jordan O'Neill. This follows her through her journey through Seal Training and then eventually active duty. I cannot say for sure how real the drills were that they were putting the team through, but I know I sure as hell would not want to be signing up for that and I definitely would not be even remotely able to withstand the physical demands or mental ones for that matter. I will also state that this is one of the few movies that my Dad can watch over and over, he often forgets the last time he watched it but he LOVES this movie (and my Dad is not a repeat watcher for many movies). There's guns, PT training that is INSANE, combat/ fighting scenes, political moonlighting, and becoming a part of a team where you aren't necessarily wanted. There are a couple points that the movie drives home, the most prominent being that men couldn't stand seeing women blown up or injured in the field and it would cloud their judgment. I think this is a valid point and I'm sure at one time it was a very real problem but integration has happened and women are in various parts of the military as long as they can hack it and don't receive special treatment. This movie touches on so many situations and issues that are hot topics that I'm a sucker for it and LOVE it. Can't rave about this movie enough. If you haven't seen it, check the trailer below and see if it's the film for you!

G.I. Jane Trailer

Only the Brave

Only the Brave (2017) Drama 10/10

This film is based on the Granite Mountain HotShots that operated with the Prescott Fire Department in Prescott, AZ. (FYI – it is pronouced Pres-kitt, instead of Pres-Scott). This was another eye opening film for myself because I really didn't know the different levels of forest fire fighters and how insane it is to get certification. Josh Brolin gives an excellent performance and has a uncanny likeness to his character Eric Marsh, in fact majority of the actors that played their characters looked very much like them. The training for this film had to be super, duper because the realness that this film brought was incredible. The CGI images of the fires were amazing alone. The one thing that really impressed me was that when people are a part of such a team the idea is re-enforced by everyone in the station/fire house that everyone on the team is family. Family to call when your baby is sick and you don't know what to do. Family to share good times and bad with. Family there to support each other when the going gets rough. Miles Teller did an amazing job of playing 'Doughnut' Brendan McDonough. Preparation for forest fire fighting seemed to be just as, if not more, strenuous than a regular fire fighter aka Structural Fire Fighter. With wildfires burning in Canada (Northern Ontario, British Columbia), the US (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washingtom and Wyoming). These statistics are as current as August 12, 2018. Some of these states with fires are not severely in danger but the list was relating to states that are currently reporting large fires. (Here is the link for the information https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm). The website link also gives detailed information as to where in the individual states the fires are and whether they are new or contained plus how much acreage is being eaten by the fires. This film sheds light on what can be a forgotten and recognized part of the fire fighting industry and the HotShots deserve every bit of recognition they can get.

Only the Brave Trailer

Dr. Strange

Dr Strange (2016) Fantasy/ Sci Fi 4/10

This movie did absolutely nothing for me. There were only three things that I found interesting and they were: I really liked Tilda Swinton as the master teacher (or whatever she was), I liked the images when they were creating the time portals and stuff AND of course it had one of my favs, Mads Mickkelsen (Hannibal the Series). The images of the time portals, etc. were so cool and trippy while at the same time... magical. As for this being part of the Marvel franchise, I thought that it would be a good idea to watch it so that I knew the powers that Dr. Strange had and what his tie in to Avengers: Infinity War was. The rating is a 4 because there wasn't enough to bring it to a 5 and the story was BORING. I know true Marvel fans are going to give me shit or send nasty comments or mail but that's what I thought. That's the point of this blog, to voice my opinions/thoughts/ ideas regarding movies and books at this time.

Dr. Strange Trailer

Avengers : Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) Sci Fi/ Action 7/10

This movie is of course part of the Marvel franchise. This is the second movie in the Avengers part of the franchise. You get to see Thor with his witty comments, Captain America with his sense of unity and keeping the group together. This is the first movie where Tom Holland plays Spiderman (which I disagree with greatly). The battle is interesting and it has you shouting for different characters at different times. With the fourth instalment of the Avengers coming together to save the world after the Infinity War with Thanos, you really need to get your Avengers movies in check so that you don't miss anything with character relationships and delegation. If you can't pin the voice of the actor who is Ultron, I will skip to the chase and let you know it's James Spader. There's always something about Ulton's voice, I'm not sure if I find it soothing or what but it definitely doesn't sound crazy and diabolical. Maybe that's the thing, is it sounds so calm but then Ultron is trying to destroy and conquer the world. You get to meet Wanda and her brother for the first time. Wanda shows up in later Avengers films and you also get to find out her back story as to how she becomes an Avenger. This film is also the first mention of Thanos, which is a good starting point. The cast is stacked, the fighting/combat scenes are great, the witty humour and one- liners are there. All the makings of a decent superhero movie.  

Avengers : Age of Ultron

Mr. Holland's Opus

Mr Holland's Opus (1995) Drama/Family 8/10

This is a very good movie but it is a little too close to home for me because I had a music teacher that was just like Mr. Holland and he could turn in to an asshole in the blink of an eye. Craziness to the point of throwing batons, chucking music stands and verbally obliterating people. This was probably why I didn't take music after public school. Richard Dreyfuss plays the infamous Mr. Holland and Glenne Headley (Rip) plays his wife, Iris. They have a son but due to a strange account of events, Mr. Holland completely forgets his relationship with his son and continues to put his job and students first. He will go to any length to prove people wrong or try to get a point across. The ending is the best part and it really rounds out the movie well. 8/10 is what this movie gets for casting, story line, character development and the importance of family.

Mr. Holland's Opus Trailer

The Guardian

The Guardian (2006) Drama/Action 10/10

This movie is another one where every time I watch it I have issues because I always think the evacuation crews don't do enough to ensure the helos are in good condition to perform rescues and the ending gets me every time. The dynamic between Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher is great. The ability to believe in someone so much that you are willing to push them to continue and better everything they do is so powerful and this is demonstrated consistently with Costner and Kutcher. Both have pasts that have tainted their view on life or the demands of their job/ training. The meaning of TEAMWORK/ TEAM MATE is critical in having a successful rescue team. One thing that I found really interesting is the first time I watched it was I had no idea the training, practice, endurance and work it takes to be on the US Coast Guard Rescue division. Going in to crazy places like the Bering Sea where (if you watch the Deadliest Catch) it can be one crazy bitch to deal with. The craziness is kind of like The Perfect Storm but from a different angle, the rescuer and the victims/ people that need saving. This movie really hits home when it comes down to the choice of who you can save and who you can't. While you think this is an easy decision, there are questions and factors taken in to consideration to determine who is getting saved and who must be left behind. While this is not a true story or based on true events, EVERYTHING in this movie is a possibility and may happen in real life. This movie earns it's 10/10 status every time, and gives you an appreciation for what the US Coast Guard does and the lengths they go to.

The Guardian Trailer

Lady In The Water

Lady in the Water (2006) Fantasy/ Thriller 6.5/10

This is a very magical tale, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan created this story as a tale to tell to his daughters and changed it every so often. The story is now published and in the Young Readers section on GoodReads and hard copies are available. I always enjoyed this film because it brought a 'community', residents in a housing complex, together and helped to get the narf, Story, back home. Narf is the term for a sea nymph and a scrunt is a wolf-like creature made out of grass and greenery with red eyes (picture above). The scrunt is trying to keep Story from getting home and there is a certain time window when the Eagle will come to pick Story up and return her safely. The cast is a bunch of B and C listers with Paul Giamatti being Mr. Cleveland Heep and Bryce Dallas Howard as Story and M. Night Shyamalan casts himself in the movie also. This movie is not comparable to other hits that Shyamalan has such as Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Split but it's very magical which gives me a special feeling about it. It's not the best movie I've ever seen but it's also not the worst. I feel that a 6.5 is a fair rating.

Lady In The Water Trailer

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Fantasy/Sci Fi 10/10

WOW.... one word description is WOW! I have already watched it 2 times and am going to watch it a few more. I have not watched all the Marvel movies so I have to add Guardians of the Galaxy and Dr Strange to inform myself of their back stories. This movie was incredibly awesome. It brought absolutely every part of the franchise together (The Avengers/ IronMan/ Dr Strange/ Thor/ Guardians and Black Panther) to fight the ultimate force known as Thanos who is in search of the Infinity Stones to make his gauntlet the most powerful thing on Earth and any other planet. I did do some research to find out what was the back story of Thanos and what direction the next Avengers Infinity War saga could take. Please note = I am not a comic book reader so I wanted to know where Thanos came from and why he was so desperate to destroy and control everything. From my research I learned that the movie is only taking parts from the comics, there are no direct ties to the story lines, therefore making the next movie completely unknown as to what direction the franchise will take it. Majority of the characters in the movie were in the comic but of course the outfits and stuff are way better in the movie. The CGI and other computer generated things relating to the Hulk and Thanos were totally mind blowing. For Thanos, I thought Josh Brolin did a great job and best of all you got to see his eyes in the Thanos character. I find character's eyes are very important bc when you start putting post and other items in the eyes to change things it often takes away from the emotion that can be expressed in the eyes. The Hulk was the best I have ever seen him and while he turns into the Green Smashing Machine you could definitely see Mark Ruffalo's human qualities partially shine through which is a huge positive compared to the other Hulk movies. Thor comes in with his wise cracks, StarLord is dropping wise cracks (which if you never have seen Guardians, it's like Chris Pratt being his nerdo self). There are several parts in the movie that will have yourself giggling. The dialogue was written very well and the zingers really gave it that Avengers/Thor franchise the continuity of the other movies. ScarJo of course has a different hair style, I don't think she has kept the same hair style in any of the movies (this is related to her being on the run and not wanting to keep the same look). A continuity issue would be with Wanda and Vision. In Age of Ultron you meet Wanda and she has an Eastern European accent, discussions conclude that Wanda is on the run and trying to blend in so losing a distinguishing accent would be necessary. (There are other characters that experience these 'blend in with society measures' such as Steve Rogers = Captain America). The franchise has been going strong for 10 years, it's bound to happen that little things like that, that most people wouldn't pick up on, are going to evaporate. Even still, GREAT/FANTASTIC/AMAZING movie for so many reasons. 10/10 is well earned for this type of film.

Trailer Here

Jurassic World : Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) Sci Fi/ Action 10/10

This was one of the movies I was dying to see and it did not disappoint. Anyone who knows me or follows me knows I LOVE dinosaurs. I watch everything about them. I know a lot about them AND the Jurassic Park/World franchise is one of my favourites. With the Jurassic World movies enlisting Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard to run the gamut there are surprises of old characters popping up or making an appearance. What I appreciate the most about this franchise is that they went the extra mile to show a variety of dinosaurs (not just the ones that would be the best movie factor) and they are very true to what they would be like. Down to the colours, the scales, even the personalities... it's so fascinating and awesome and there's cool dinosaur movies available for generations to follow which I think is great. To imagine a world without dinosaurs is like imagining a world with out books. I love both and would be a giant sad sack if I couldn't have either. The ending of this movie is promising and will hopefully enlist the above actors to run the gamut some more. There can't be an ending to this franchise yet, it's so good!

Trailer Here

9 1/2 Weeks (1986)

9 1/2 Weeks (1986) Drama/ Melodrama 10/10

This is one of my favourite movies of all time. It's Mickey Rourke pre any of the body modifcations and surgeries he had. I had a friend who would have looked exactly like Mickey Rourke if he had lived long enough and I am always reminded of him when I watch this movie. The movie is very sexual and there's a lot of different roles played by both of the main characters in their relationship. The more times I watch the movie the more I think the ending is going to be different but it never is. I will say that Kim Basinger is very annoying in this movie and she has this hat that she wears all the time but it makes her look like a knob. 10/10 AND bonus points for young Mickey Rourke.

Machete (2010) & Machete Kills (2013

Machete (2010) Thriller/Action & Machete Kills (2013) Sci-fi/ Thriller 6/10

I love Danny Trejo so therefore these movies are on my list. He's a great actor and is very diverse with his roles BUT they still give off the Danny Trejo vibes so it's a 50/50 split as to whether he chooses films that are going to be in his wheelhouse and whether the film makes him work! The Machete series is the typical 'guy' movie. The story line is easy to follow and very basic. There are hot chicks, guns, cars, explosions and hand to hand combat/fighting scenes. If you are looking for a film that has violence and a variety of weapons with the bonus of hot chicks, this would be your film. I would give both films a 6/10.

Machete Trailer

Machete Kills Trailer

Tully (2018)

Tully (2018) Drama/Comedy 7/10

It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to say about this film. There is a fight club quality to it, which I won't be giving away but making you aware of. Charlize Theron does a great job as mum Marlo who just has her 3^rd kid and has a special needs son and highly active daughter. Her hubs is often working so she is left on her own with the kids and he rarely helps when he is as at home. He's an obsessive gamer. Tully comes in as a night nurse to help Marlo. She's quirky, has lots of 'useless' knowledge, wants to help out in any way that she can. She goes the distance to make some of the expectations, that Marlo has laid for herself, happen. Ie. Being the mum that brings cupcakes for the class, making awesome dinners, allowing Marlo to sleep and get up when baby needs to be fed and then go back to sleep without interruption. Tully is like this wonderful superhuman that is caring and compassionate and all the things in between. Marlo becomes quite attached to Tully BUT all good things must come to and end. I would give this movie a 7/10 for the fact that the story has been done before and there were some twists to make it different but it wasn't anything to drop everything you're doing to watch this film. Charlize Theron gained 50 pounds to play this role and then lost the weight quite quickly to do promo for the movie. It takes a very dedicated person to do that to their bodies when putting a prosthesis on would be so much easier, so she definitely earned a point for that.  

Trailer Here

Heat (1995)

HEAT (1995) Crime/Drama 10/10

This is another one of those movies that are in my all time favs. Gets a 10/10 every time and it's well earned and deserved. All star cast – Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd, Hank Azaria, Wes Studi (one of my fav actors of all time), Val Kilmer, and many more. Bank heists, robbing bank trucks, master planning, and my fav... ONE OF THE BEST GUN fights ever in a busy metropolis. The characters are well developed and it's a very interesting game of cat and mouse between the robbers and the policeman leading the charge to apprehend them. It's an older movie but I consider it a classic because it was one of the first movies that successfully pulled off the busy city gun fight. It was real. There were bullets flying everywhere. Cops dying left, right and centre. The robbers are slowly getting picked off by a bullet that hits in the right place so that they can sort of function before they die. Then they die in mid run. Some of the best acting ever!

Trailer Here

Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club (1999) Drama/ Black Comedy or Dark Comedy 10/10

This is a movie based on the book Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Another Edward Norton film on the list. Brad Pitt in one of his sexiest but roughed up phases (yeah, I just said that, I'm trying to keep this whole hot actor/actress thing out of it but sometimes you gotta call a spade a spade). This movie definitely needs to be watched 2 or more times to fully grasp the concepts and the meanings. I know when I first watched I was like, “Man, that's fucked up” but after the 2^nd, 3^rd, and more and more there's a kind of dark beauty and metaphorical meaning that begins to shine through. If you just listen to the voices in the film they are very soothing and with the variety of 'groups' you even get some guided meditations. Meatloaf stars as the infamous Bob with the Bitch Tits. There's also Helena Bonham Carter's character of Marla, with that punky type of hair style and the 'who gives a shit' attitude. Tyler Durden is the man that holds all the cards and as he slowly plays out the hand things start to become different than what they seem. It's a cult classic and it rightfully defends the title. 10/10

Trailer Here

American History X (1998)

American History X (1998) Crime Film/ Coming of Age 10/10

Another one of my favourite movies ever. This film says so much and in today's political climate in the United States it's even more relevant. Places divided by race, colours being more prominent then ever before. Everything on the colour scale from the white end of the spectrum to the black and all the rainbow in between. This is definitely a 'think piece' (to quote the movie Almost Famous) but it's a piece that grabs your heart and ties it in knots and even turns it into a pretzel. I'm not going to divulge the ending of the film but it rips my heart out every time and even gets me tearing up, it's that powerful. This movie will forever get a 10/10 in my books and it's definitely in my list of favourites. It makes me think about the past, present and future. “Be the change you want to see in the world” a wise person once said.  

Trailer Here

Four Weddings and A Funeral (1994)

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Drama/Romance 4/10

I watched this film years ago when I was young, like 12 or something and I thought it was really funny and a decent film. Today I watched it and I guess bc I don't think Hugh Grant is a good actor, it didn't really help the film's case at all. The comedy was lame and Andie McDowell was a loser. Her character just floats around and expects to get what she wants and then when Graham's character starts to move on she re-appears and wants to be with him. 2 very self-centred individuals at work. That's why I'm not a huge sucker for the romantic movies bc I come to the point where I think the people are so 'blinded' by love that they hurt others and do stuff that just doesn't make sense. This movie barely gets a 4/10 but that's what I will give it. The few characters that I did like were Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas), Gareth (Simon Callow), Matthew (Jack Hannah), David Hugh Graham's characters' brother (David Bower). Those members alone have made up the few stars that I am giving the film. There were sparse moments that humour peaked but not enough to save it.  

Trailer Here

Dangerous Minds (1995)

Dangerous Minds (1995) Thriller/Drama 7/10

So I decided to watch this film after Stand & Deliver. It's pretty much the same story line etc, except the teacher is a white woman, who is an ex marine, going in to an under privileged school. While the story is similar in so many ways there are several differences. This particular film was about English and Poetry and it had more of a gang presence within the characters. Michelle Pfieffer tries to pull off this lousy American accent which she should have just chose not to do (as it didn't affect the story at all). So take off points for the lousy accent, the unbelievable story that she would reward the kids with stuff that was totally unfeasible (esp on a teachers salary), and it's a partial copy.... Therefore, I would give this film a 7/10, which I think is considerably fair.

Trailer Here

Stand and Deliver (1988)

Stand and Deliver (1988) Drama 10/10

This was the movie before Michelle Pfieffer in Dangerous Minds. The inspiring story of a group of kids that are pegged as losers and never going anywhere BUT with the help of their dedicated teacher Mr. Escalante they achieve greatness. One of my all time fav movies ever. 10/10 every time I watch it and even though I know the story backwards and frontwards, it's just as refreshing as watching it for the first time. Not only is this film about triumph and changing stereotypes but it's also a great moral/values film that shows if you work hard there will be great rewards. Great actors and a lot of them are when they were young, ie. Lou Diamond Phillips, Andy Garcia.

Trailer Here