Meme of the day

Oh and Go Noles!

Expendables 3

Saw this with about 5 buddies including the ever so humble Scott Cherry. The general consensus was that it was good but less so than the first 2. I would have to agree with that. If you're an Expendables fan you won't be disappointed but you probably won't be wowed either. I thought Mel was good as the baddie but not as cool as JCVD was last go round. I also really enjoyed the return of Mr. Wesley Snipes and thought Ford & Banderas had good turns as well. There was a lot of down time in the middle which slowed down the movie as a whole. There were of course some great one-liners. All in all I'd give this a 6/10. RT was at 35%

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2333784/?ref_=hm_cht_t4

Pug meme of the day

Meme of the day

Pug meme of the day

In addition to movie memes I wanted to post a Pug meme every now and then. Most people know that I'm a huge Pug lover and even had my own little buddy for a few years. Of all the pets, Pugs make some of the best meme targets. Here's todays:

The Hundred Foot Journey

Saw this with my cousin Lauren last night. We both really enjoyed it. It seems every movie I've seen involving the Indian culture in some way is always great. (Beckham, Namesake, Slumdog) This movie stars Helen Mirren and several other foreign actors I wasn't familiar with. They all did a fantastic job and I could see an Oscar nomination for Dame Helen. The story takes place in France where an Indian family chooses to open an Indian restaurant directly across the street from a prominent French one. A hundred feet to be exact. The restaurants start at odds but come together later in a very cool way. The movie is mostly about the food and reminded me a little of Chef in that way. However, there are equal parts that were touching and moving regarding family values and romance. I strongly suggest getting out to see this one before it leaves Tallahassee. 9/10 RT 65%
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2980648/?ref_=nv_sr_1

RIP Robin Williams

When I got the text with this news I was praying it was one of those celebrity death hoaxes. But alas, within minutes every news station was covering it. This one hurts the way Heath Ledger and MJ did. Robin Williams starred in some of my all time favorites. Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin, Patch Adams, and Good Will Hunting. Rest in peace Robin. May you now have peace.

 

 

Heroes in a half shell

TMNT -

Saw this today with a good size group of friends and my 13 year old cousin Lauren. The overall consensus of the group was that they thought it was good not great. Due to the low critic score I had low expectations for this one. Also, the turtles were way different looking than the ones I grew up on so I was skeptical.

That being said, I had a pretty good time. The humor was great, as it should be with a TMNT product, and the action scenes didn't look overly fake. They clearly were catering to a younger crowd so you may have a better time if you take a youngin'. My buddy took his 5 year old and they had a blast. 7/10 RT 19%

Meme of the day

The lesser knowns

About 15 or so years ago, I began watching more and more independent films. The Oscars probably had a little to do with it because I wanted to see what made those movies worthy of a nomination. However, most of the credit goes to a little gem of a movie theater called Miracle 5. Katie Schardl wrote a good write-up after it closed a few years ago: http://www.visittallahassee.com/blog/2011/aug/26/farewell-miracle-5/

Miracle 5 was the only place in Tally to see certain independent movies when it was open. I was there practically twice a week during the few months leading up to Oscar season. They made it a point to show those movies that were nominated in the major categories. The theater never upgraded to stadium seating and it was a little grungy but I saw some of my favorites there. From time to time I'd like to share a few of the indies that I really cherish, most of which I saw at the "M5."

One of my all time favorites was a movie called Better Luck Tomorrow:

 

Jyo, a co-worker buddy at the time, took me to see this one and I remember us being the only ones in the theater. The cast was comprised of all Asian actors and was one of Justin Lin's first movies. He's now directing the Fast & Furious movies. The only known actor at the time was John Cho and he was just the "MILF" guy from American Pie. Harold & Kumar didn't come out till a few years later. The movie is about a group of high school Asian students who become bored with their suburban and privileged life and how easy school is for them. They begin dealing drugs and doing other student's papers for money. The plot goes down a dark path towards the end and is entertaining throughout. There's some good humor and the dialogue is very well written.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280477/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_53

Another movie I really loved was In America:

 

This one garnered a few Oscar nominations for acting and they were well deserved. It was one of Djimon Hounsou's first roles and his performance was full of passion and heart. The story is about an Irish family who immigrate to New York following the death of their oldest son. The two little girls in the movie are incredibly adorable and more than handle their own with the adults in some of the more touching scenes. I promise you will love this one but be warned it has a pretty high weep factor, with scenes both touching and heartbreaking.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298845/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_27

The final one for today is called The Namesake:

This movie starred Kal Penn from the Harold & Kumar franchise. He was able to show his ability as an actor in a more serious role and really excels. The story is about a young Indian man named Gogol who is trying to fit in among his friends in New York and separate himself from his parents more traditional ways. Throughout the movie, Gogol matures more and more and begins to appreciate his family, especially his father. The movie is excellent throughout and gives a really cool view into the Indian culture.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433416/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

If you've seen any of these or want to talk about some of your favorite lesser knowns please do so in the comments.

Summer movies

Before I begin posting about new movies I wanted to give a few thoughts about the movies I've seen this summer. 

Just an FYI. RT = The Rotten Tomatoes score which is a composite of the national critics score. (Example - 70% positive reviews)

Guardians of the Galaxy-PG13- Loved this movie! If you haven't already, SEE IT NOW. It was the most fun I've had at the movies since The Avengers and that's high praise. 
My score - 10/10  RT 92%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/

Lucy-R-Didn't love this one and my buddy Steve agreed. It had a pretty cool plot involving the use of
 ones entire brain capacity. It kept us mostly entertained but it really got weird at the end. I'd skip it unless you're a diehard ScarJo fan.
 6/10 RT 62%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2872732/

Hercules-PG13- Enjoyed this one for sure but I'd only recommend it if you're a big fan of The Rock and are in the mood for a big dumb action movie. 
7/10 RT 62%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1267297/

Wish I Was Here-R-Another spectacular film by writer/director Zach Braff. This movie has a lot of heart with great characters. Every single actor brings it including the kids. Not sure of the lower critic score. My five person party all really liked it. 
9/10 RT 40%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2870708/

Chef-R-I loved every second of this one. It got great early buzz and it did not disappoint. Written, directed, and starring the great Jon Favreau, I highly recommend it. It's simply a great little movie. Was also fun seeing John Leguizamo back on his game. 
9/10 RT 88%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2883512/

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes-PG13- I really liked this one. More action than the first one and it was fun watching the apes kick butt. The CGI was fantastic and made you really believe the apes were fighting along with the humans. Too bad James Franco didn't return though. 
8/10 RT 91%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2103281/

Tammy-R- This one was merely ok and the low reviews reflect that. I can only recommend it if you're a diehard fan of Melissa McCarthy. She does bring the shenanigans like usual. 
5/10 RT 25%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2103254/

The Purge: Anarchy-R-This was a decent thriller albeit very violent. Not for the squeamish. I didn't see the first one but that's okay as the stories don't coincide. 
6/10 RT 57%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2975578/

Transformers 4-PG13- The reviews were extremely low for this one but if you're a fan of this 
franchise as I am this is a must see. They don't make these movies for the critics. The swap of Shia with Wahlberg was a benefit as well. 
8/10 RT 18%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2109248/

22 Jump Street-R- This was a very funny action movie. If you liked the first one than this one won't disappoint you. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have awesome chemistry and Ice Cube steals the show. 
8/10 RT 84%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2294449/

Edge of Tomorrow-PG13-Great sci-fi flick. It's basically Groundhog Day meets Independence Day. Sounds iffy I know but believe me it works. Cruise is on his game and Emily Blunt matches him move for move. I recommended this to my buddy Steve and he loved it too. 
9/10 RT 90%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1631867/

Godzilla-PG13-This movie kicked butt and made me totally forget about the abysmal Matthew Broderick version. Bryan Cranston was great as always but the other characters fell a little flat. That wasn't a problem because you pay to see Godzilla and his monster buddies wreck the place and indeed they do. 
8/10 RT 73%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/

Jersey Boys-PG13-I saw this with Laura and her parents. We all really enjoyed it and also loved the broadway show when we saw it back in '07. For some reason the reviews were mediocre and it did rather poorly at the box office. A lot of critics didn't seem to think Clint Eastwood was a good fit as Director. If you saw the Broadway show or love the music of Frankie Valli you'll definitely enjoy this one. 
7/10 RT 54%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1742044/

The Fault in our Stars-PG13-This movie has all the feels. Every single one of them. It was fantastic but be warned. It was the most emotionally draining movie I've seen since Marley & Me. The movie deals with teenagers and cancer but does so with a lot of humor and heart. The chemistry between the lead actors is infectious. Everyone I've talked to adores this movie. Okay? Okay.  
9/10 RT 80%
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt2582846/

If you've seen any others or wanna share your thoughts about the ones above, please sound off in the comments below.

About me

Hi, I'm Clint and I love movies. I see a ton of them so I figured I would impart some of my thoughts and opinions.

My top 5 favorite movies of all time are:
1. The Lord of the Rings (Yeah I know it's three movies, but it's derived from one story)
2. Garden State
3. Boondock Saints
4. The Goonies
5. Man on Fire

There are hundreds of others that I adore but those are the ones that give me the most feels in their own way. The first movie I remember seeing in the theater was E.T. and I've loved going ever since. I enjoy going with friends and family but also have a fondness for rollin solo. That probably stems from being an only child and seeing movies by myself as a kid. My parents would see something grown up and I'd check out 3 Ninjas or The Sandlot. I also travel for work and see movies out of town. Each new movie I see I'll drop down a few quick thoughts and give my personal opinion. I'll rate it on a scale of 1-10 and also show the critics average (Rotten Tomatoes). I of course welcome your opinions and thoughts in the comments section. I'll also add a little humor and post a movie meme each day. The internet is chock full with hundreds of them. Thanks for stopping by!