Whiteout 2009

Based on a graphic novel, the first scene of this movie is of an old transport plane flying over Antarctica in 1957 and ends with the plane crashing after a gunfight and some Vodka swilling by it's occupants over a box on the plane.

Flash forward to present day at a research facility at the South Pole where Carrie Setko (Kate Beckinsale) is the resident U.S. Marshall. Within a few minutes, we already get our gratuitous shot of her stripping and getting into the shower. She also seems to have the ability to repel hat hair even after wearing hoods and those big Russian hats that I would get hat head with after about 30 seconds of wearing anything on my head. The film also includes Tom Skerritt as the facility doctor, Gabriel Macht a U.N. investigator and Alex O'Loughlin who was previously a vampire in a show called "Moonlight". A few days before the winter replacement personnel take over for the departing staff (past a certain date, no planes can take off or land as it is so cold that fuel will not run)a body is found in a remote location by a pilot. On further investigation it is found to be murder. Several other murders are committed during the course of the film and Setko must deal with this before a huge storm comes in so that she can make it out before the planes leave for the winter and she is stuck there for months.

You would think that a murderer running around during a whiteout would be interesting. Nope. There was not much excitement and the "surprise" ending was not unexpected. The most interesting thing about this movie was the setting and the dangers that the people stationed here face.

I read a book called "Ice Bound" by Dr. Jerri Nielsen in which she took a job as the doctor at a research facility at the south Pole for a year. Most of the book describes life at the facility over the winter and was very interesting. The movie actually includes much of the same things that I saw in the movie right down to the Streakers doing their thing (in temps WELL below 0) before they go home. The doctor, while at the facility, descovers that she has breast cancer and does her own biopsy and gives herself her own chemo treatments with drugs dropped by planes because the planes can't land. You can get it at the library, it's worth reading.

Overall this movie was not very entertaining. Wait til it is available at the library and check it out for free. I give it TWO AND A HALF STARS.

Patrick Swayze R.I.P.

One of our favorite actors passed away yesterday. He wasn't the most talented actor, but he had something. He was a dancer first and foremost, and he starred in several of the most popular movies in his heyday including "Dirty Dancing", "Ghost", "Point Break", "Red Dawn"(Wolverines!), "the Outsiders" and "Roadhouse". Of course, Roadhouse wasn't technically a great movie, but it was entertaining and one of my many movie guilty pleasures. He even dressed in drag in "To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar". In most of his movies he was the good guy that came out on top, who doesn't want an ending like that?

Unfortunately I can't seem to post any of the Dirty Dancing clips, but here is the video for his top ten song.




Here is one of his funniest clips from Saturday Night Live...

Dazed and Confused 1993

Yes, that was a young Matthew Mcconaughey as Wooderson saying that line in the clip. I had not seen this movie until a few years ago because I thought it sounded like one of those stupid teenybopper films. Not So. This movie is filled with up and comers such as McConaughy, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams and an uncredited Renee Zellweger.

The Film takes place in the 70's (nice hair and clothes) and follows the antics of high school students on the day and night of the last day of the school year. It is a well used formula for certain, but this is one of the better ones.

One of the best things about this movie is the awesome soundtrack that includes everyone from Aerosmith, Kiss, Foghat and Ted Nugent to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Sabbath. It also includes one of my personal favorites "Lowrider" by War.

I own it...Netflix carries it...see it. I give this movie THREE AND A HALF Stars.

Want to see a movie reviewed? Let me know and I will try to do it.

All About Steve 2009

I went and viewed this movie with my buds Cathy and Julie W. Girls dinner = Chick flick. I have to say that I love Sandra Bullock and although she was the star of this film, I didn't think that she was the best part. The movie was about a woman named Mary (Bullock) who lives at home and makes money being the crossword puzzle creator for a Sacramento paper. She goes on a blind date with Steve (Bradley Cooper)that doesn't go well. She, however, thinks that it does and she spends the rest of the movie trying to follow Steve while he works as a news Cameraman for a CNN clone. While there are mildly funny parts of her following him from incidents ranging from hurricanes, to hostage situations, it seems to me that the most entertaining parts are the interactions between Steve, his reporter (a funny as always Thomas Hayden Church) and their producer. While somewhat entertaining I would wait for video or HBO. If you want to see it in the theater, definitely do the matinee.

I give this movie TWO STARS on the Kelley Scale.



Guess the line from the next review:

"That's what I love about these High School girls man, I get older......they stay the same age"

Why did I start this blog?

A friend of mine from a job at a bookstore started one and it reminded me that I have always wanted to review movies because I have found that most of the other reviews were way out of whack and left me thinking WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY SMOKING!!! It also make me think that they owe me my $9 for telling me that this piece of crap was a four star movie when it was a two...MAX. I have always loved going to the movies...something about the combination of getting out, the aroma of stale insanely over priced overly buttered popcorn, milk duds and Jujyfruits (my current movie candy of choice).

Therefore, my goal is to give reviews to at least one current movie and at least one movie that is older than six months old, per week. I will try to step out of my safety zone on occasion (horror is not my favorite). I am not an expert by any means, but I don't think that movie reviews are about all of that artsy garbage, it is about entertainment and it's ability to take you from your regular life for approximately 120 minutes (more or less). I will be using the five star scale. So check it out.