HOP - The Rum Diary and In Time

This was a horrible hop.  So bad that I was seriously considering not blogging about it and wiping the experience from my memory.  But then again the popcorn and Junior Mints tasted good, so not all was lost.

THE RUM DIARY - Boring.  Pointless.  Slow.  What was the genre of this film?  There was nothing dramatic about it, nothing scary, nothing adventuresome or magical.  There was a "love interest" but nothing that would count as romance, and one or two brief comedic moments but Giovanni Ribisi acting as a drunk does not a comedy make.  Johnny Depp was a faint shadow of the great actor most people know and love, going through the paces without his usual energy and enthusiasm.  Here's to hoping his next Tim Burton pair-off, Dark Shadows, will revive him.

IN TIME - Ok, so I know anything starring Justin Timberlake comes with certain set (meaning low) expectations but the premise of this movie was so cool that I had to go see it regardless.  Oops.  The film took a perfectly interesting plot and made it dumb.  Timberlake's acting was uniquely below par, and Amanda Seyfried clearly thought she was on set to model, not act, choosing every available moment to strike a pose.  There was gaping plot holes, shoddy dialogue, and early deaths of any actor who had a shred of hope in saving the film.  Well, actually I am not sure anyone could have saved this wreck...

Hesher

I am not sure who exactly I would recommend this movie to, but I would definitely recommend it to someone.  It is one of those movies where no matter how I describe it it is going to sound pretty bad; thinking about it now I am not sure I can find words to tell you about this film without making it seem depressing and boring.  But please trust me on this - Hesher is one of the best films I have seen in a while.  This hollywood drama comes off as feeling quite indie, it is a gem of a raw, gritty story both disturbing, quirky, and beautiful.  

Tower Heist

Eddie Murphy is back, and channeling Axel Foley.  Match that with Ben Stiller's more subdued yet still classic persona, Matthew Broderick's deadpan timing, and a slightly neurotic Casey Affleck and you have a recipe for some pretty funny shizzle.  With this strong cast and several other recognizable faces Tower Heist cannot help but be an enjoyable watch.  The funny is just there, without even really trying.  I found myself audibly laughing at some of the dialogue, when in most situations a comedic movie simply elicits a smile.  The end felt rushed and incomplete, so much so that I stayed through all the credits hoping for a final "secret" scene, but other than that I really have very little to complain about.  Ridiculous and fun, just let the witty banter wash over you as you feel all warm and fuzzy (and hopeful) that Murphy has finally stepped away from the seriously dumb.

Season of the Witch

My friend and I were looking for a not-so-scary scary movie to watch on Halloween, and cruising through Netflix we wound up on this flick.  The reasoning being that it should be just scary enough with creepy witch chick, but that Nicolas Cage's bad acting would counteract the fear.  We were right!  There were a couple freaky/gross bubonic plague moments, but otherwise the film was more laughable than frightening.  Ron Perlman was hilarious in the why-the-frick-did-I-sign-up-for-this look he had on his face the entire time hahaha