The Twilight saga continues with the second film, New Moon. This generates two very different reactions. One being high pitched screams and over exuberant elation the other being a casual, "eh, so what". Meaning that fans of the best selling teen geared novels are so ready to see Edward and Bella back on the screen that nothing anyone says will sway them. For the rest of the movie fans who hold no allegiance, this review is for you. Because at the end of the day it is a movie and you need to know what you are getting into. Trust me.

 

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I like a good underdog story. Remember the Titans or Erin Brockovich. What I don't like is manipulation; those films that try and play your heart strings with scene after scene of emotional drivel in order to cover up for a lack of depth and likeable characters. There has to be an element of entertainment in any movie or else the audience is going to feel cheated. And I don't mean entertainment for humors sake. There is little to laugh about in Titanic but if your characters are strong enough and the facts pure enough then there is an element of enjoyment even if not in the true definition of the word. You benefit from watching it even if you know their situation is dire. The Blind Side never has to apologize for its actions. It tells the story with a beauty and intelligence that is mentally engaging as well as entertaining. That is a good balance.

 

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PLANET 51. The name alone takes a stab at Sci-Fi myths and legends. Area 51 has long been thought to house beings and spacecrafts from other worlds. So it only fitting that if you are going to make a film about an alien planet being visited by a man from earth, then 51 is totally appropriate. The new family animated adventure from first time directors Jorge Blanco and Javier Abad packs the necessary ingredients to make an all encompassing PG flick; one that has enough site gags and visuals for the kids but plenty of wit and clever dialogue for adults. (more)

Kirk Jones wrote and directed the new adventure/comedy Everybody's Fine. It stars Robert DeNiro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and is about a blue collar worker who travels across the country to reconnect with each of his 4 grown children.

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I had a chance to attend a press conference for The Blind Side in which Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and the real life family the film is based on talked about the film and their roles. Click on the links below to hear the audio clips from the interview.
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Join neighborsgo on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7:30pm for an advanced screening of Everybody's Fine starring Robert De Niro and Drew Barrymore.

To reserve a seat at the screening RSVP before Monday, Nov. 16 to everybodysfinedallas@moroch.com with your name, age and daytime phone number.

 

 

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Writer/director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, 10,000 BC, The Day After Tomorrow)is back with what is easily his most visual, action backed, destructive movie to date. Calamity films in the past have focused on certain regions of our Earth or the suspenseful buildup of possible doom from meteors or aliens. But Emmerich tops them all by destroying the entire planet in full on, green screen fashion. But I am not sure that is a good thing. As Peter Parker's Grandfather once told him, "with great power comes great responsibility". I think that most certainly applies to technology. Just because you have the ability to create every special effect known to movie goers doesn't mean you should use them without restraint. 
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The Blind Side

While screening The Blind Side, recollections of Paul Bunyan, the larger-than-life folk hero who was a symbol of might with a willingness to work hard and overcome obstacles kept drifting through the memory bank.Although atfirst unwilling to work at much of anything that didn’t involve a ball, the film’s central character Michael Oher, played by Quinton Aaron, sweeps viewers into this intriguing story with a level of anxiety that doesn’t subside until the final resolution. Like Paul Bunyan he has a massive size that inhibits socialization for a while, but becomes the keystone for his future success.

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Check your neighborsgo this week for our Holiday Movie Preview. And while you're waiting, pass the time by voting for your favorite holiday movies now on TV right here. And you won't even shoot your eye out.

Just went over my holiday movie list that my 10-year-old should see:

1. Miracle on 34th Street (1947 version). 2. A Christmas Story. 3. It's a Wonderful Life. 4. Elf. 5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. 6. White Christmas. 7. Polar Express. 8. The Santa Clause. 9. The Nightmare Before Christmas. 10. Scrooged.

Thoughts?