Top 10 Favorite Romantic Comedies.

I swear I was going to do this before she suggested it, but today I'm continuing my honors by moving on to Jess from Insight into Entertainment. Jess likes her RomComs, so today's list is going to feature my favorite Romantic Comedies.

Romantic Comedies almost always follow the same formula; however, that's why they need to come up with some kind of hook. The movie needs a high concept if it's going to work these days... usually. That being said, let's get into it (Thanks again to a Wikipedia List).

Top 10 Favorite Romantic Comedies.

10. Hitch

Concept: A man who prides himself in setting up others on dates can't woo the ladies himself.
Thoughts: I like Kevin James as a comedian, but his movies often suck. Really bad. I think this is one exception, however, and it's probably mostly thanks to Will Smith. It has some sweet moments, usually with James' character. And it has a feel-good ending (as most RomComs do).


9. A Guy Thing

Concept: On the brink of marriage, a man falls for his fiance's cousin after a (supposedly) one-night stand after his bachelor party.
Thoughts: I've only seen the film a couple times, but I really enjoy it. And it has a really good cast: Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair, James Brolin, Shawn Hatosy, and--the funniest of them all--Larry Miller as the minister. It was really the interactions between Jason Lee and Larry Miller that won this movie over for me. I'd recommend for those moments alone. But the rest does hold up, as well.


8. Definitely, Maybe

Concept: A man tells his daughter the story of how he met her mother, and she tries to guess which of the three women from his story turns out to be the right one.
Thoughts: Again, a really good cast is involved, headed up by Ryan Reynolds. I've only seen it once--in theater, at that--but I really remember liking it a lot and I'd love to see it again.


7. How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

Concept: A guy makes a bet that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days; unfortunately, the woman he chooses is writing an article on how to make a guy dump you in 10 days.
Thoughts: This plot is ridiculously contrived, but I just like it so much. Like some of the others mentioned, it's been a while since I've seen it, but I used to always catch it when it was on TV. And it's one of those rare RomComs where it's not solely the guy's fault near the end when they have the inevitable fight.


6. The Proposal

Concept: A mean boss forces her employee to marry her so she doesn't have to be deported back to Canada; however, they must spend the weekend in Alaska with his family and get to know each other, or else they both go to prison.
Thoughts: Another Ryan Reynolds film. The only reason I saw it to begin with was because of him. And I ended up liking it so much. Reynolds and Bullock have some good chemistry, and Betty White is always a delight. It can get strange at times (particularly with White's character), but for the most part is a pretty solid film... and funny!


5. She's Out Of My League

Concept: A "hard 10" woman falls for a "5" guy, and neither he nor his friends have any idea why.
Thoughts: I just recently bought this on impulse, as I hadn't seen it in theater, but I had heard good things about it. I find the true testament to a comedy is if I laugh while I'm watching it home alone. I did, here. This was a great film with Jay Baruchel at the forefront. And his friends were a hoot, as well. You might actually expect a full review sometime soon.


4. 10 Things I Hate About You

Concept: Taming of the Shrew in modern day.
Thoughts: If you're gonna do it, you might as well do it right, right? Go back to a classic... Shakespeare style. Heath Ledger, Julia Styles, Larisa Oleynik, David Krumholtz, Jo-Go, and--funniest of them all--Larry Miller as the father. Larry Miller can apparently make movies that much better. But the rest of the film is just up there as a modern classic (of the genre, anyway).


3. I'm A Cyborg But That's OK

Concept: A young woman who thinks she's a cyborg ends up in a mental institution where she gains the attention of a young man who steals souls and has to brush his teeth or else shrink into nothingness.
Thoughts: It's a Romantic Comedy brought to you by the man who gave us Oldboy. How can you not want to watch it based on that alone? OK, so it's not a RomCom in the classic sense of the word. Yes, there's romance and comedy, but I can assure you that the movie is like no other RomCom you've ever seen.


2. Shaun of the Dead

Concept: It's a Romantic Comedy. With Zombies.
Thoughts: It's right in the tag line. It coined the term RomComZom. It's one of my all-time favorite movies. So how could it possibly be at number 2? Because you have yet to see my number 1...


1. The Princess Bride

Concept: Pirates. Swordfighting. Murder. Conspiracy. Revenge. Giants. Miracles. True Love.
Thoughts: Do I really have to elaborate?

Top 10 Favorite Sports Films.

Keeping yesterday's "theme" up, I'm gonna pick a new blogger to honor with yet another Top List. Tonight, I'm going to honor Dylan "Fletch" Fields of Blog Cabins. Dylan likes his sports and, therefore, some sports films.

I, on the other hand, do not like sports... nor many sports films (you'd be surprised how many classic sports films I haven't seen... or maybe you wouldn't be). However, for the sake of today's post, I'm going to list my favorite sports films. And before you tell me "That doesn't count!," you should blame Wikipedia. I'm taking my choices right from here. Though I'm gonna try not to do the same sport more than once.

Top 10 Favorite Sports Films.

10. Air Bud

Sport: Basketball
Thoughts: I haven't seen this movie in years, but I remember liking it as a kid. But who wouldn't like a movie about a dog that can play basketball? I'd also tear up when he yelled at Buddy to go away, that he didn't want him anymore. But it's not my super favorite, which is why I put it at number 10.


9. Happy Gilmore

Sport: Golf
Thoughts: Of Sandler's earlier work, I prefer Billy Madison, but Gilmore does have its fun qualities. From fighting Bob Barker to the Putt-Putt-esque shot near the end, this movie has some really fun moments.


8. Remember the Titans

Sport: Football
Thoughts: When I was in high school, Fridays were inundated with one of two movies every single week. This was won of them. I had to watch this film so many times, it's not even funny. But hey, it is a good movie, regardless of my lack of caring when it comes to football. Perhaps it's Denzel Washington.


7. Run Fatboy Run

Sport: Track/Field
Thoughts: Hey, it was on the list! I actually really like this movie. Perhaps it's because of Simon Pegg or whatever, but I like it. Not really much else to say.


6. The Sandlot

Sport: Baseball
Thoughts: I mentioned before that Remember the Titans was played on a near-weekly basis when I was in high school, but there was another film. This was that film. Of course, there are many more classic moments in this movie. "What a Smore?" "Some more what?" or "You're killin' me, Smalls!" or "FOR-EV-ER." It's been a while since I've seen it, but it's just one good, quotable movie.


5. The Wrestler

Sport: Wrestling
Thoughts: I've only seen it once, but it was a lot different from what I thought it was going to be. I imagined that it would be much more serious and boring, but the tone was much lighter than that. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, and it wasn't just because Marisa Tomei was topless through most of it.


4. Speed Racer

Sport: Racing
Thoughts: Sure, it's not real racing. But racing is a sport, and this movie is all about racing. And I just love it. It's campy, it's colorful, it's stylish, and it's just plain fun. This movie really splits people. Most either love it or hate it. Obviously, you can see what side I'm on.


3. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Sport: Dodgeball
Thoughts: "Donde esta la bibliotecha, Pedro?" This is another fun, quotable film. People seem to have negative feelings for Ben Stiller, but I think he's made some good, funny movies. And this is one of them.


2. Surf Ninjas

Sport: Surfing
Thoughts: This movie is camp-tastic and a childhood favorite. And now I own it on DVD! So, OK, it's not focused on professional surfing, but surfing is still a major part of the story and the characters. Yup.


1. The Big Lebowski

Sport: Bowling
Thoughts: Similarly, bowling isn't really the plot, but it's still a huge part of the film. But you should agree with this choice. The Dude abides... so should you!

Top 5 Favorite Tree Moments.

For those of you not in the know, my LAMBcast buddy James from Cinema Sights loves him some artsy films. There's a running joke on the LAMBcast that he only likes movies with trees. And not just any movies with trees... but movies where the trees are central focus and made to look quite nice.

So in honor of James, I'm going to do my favorite tree moments in films. Probably not all his favorites, but whatever. And you'd be surprised... how difficult it was to come up with this list. So here we go...

Top 5 Favorite Tree Moments

5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Whomping Willow is the primary tree of note in the Harry Potter films. It gets its most important moment in Prisoner of Azkaban (though the movie doesn't make note of why it was put there to begin with). However, I like the mystery and action of the scene near the beginning of Chamber of Secrets better. Ron squealing and breaking his wand. The branches crashing through the poor Ford Anglia. And just general chaos and disarray. Check out the scene below:




4. Clerks 2

OK, I'll give... this one is kind of a cheat. But I didn't want to put the Ents from Lord of the Rings. Instead, I felt like putting one of my many favorite scenes from Clerks 2, which is about the aforementioned trilogy. And to top off this conversation about Lord of the Rings, Randal gives a great line: "Even the fucking trees walk in those movies." Check the scene below:




3. Pan's Labyrinth

This is probably the only movie James might agree with. I'm talking, of course, of the scene where Ofelia climbs inside the dying tree in her new dress to face the giant toad. The whole movie is beautiful in more ways than one. And the three tasks are definitely the most memorable parts. So there's really no question why this one would end up on the list. Unfortunately, I couldn't find video footage of it... sorry.

2. The Evil Dead

A tree rapes a woman. Let me repeat that. A tree. Rapes. A woman. What more can I say? I couldn't find the original footage for the scene, but here's a very poor quality version where somebody added their own music for comic affect:




1. The Happening

No, not the whole movie. Sure, it's about killer trees and/or wind. But there's one particular part of this movie that I love. I loved the scene in theater, and it's the scene that has always stuck with me since. This scene makes me wonder if M. Night was just screwing with all our heads and meant it to be some kind of bizarre dark comedy the whole time. The scene, of course, is Mark Wahlberg talking to the plastic tree:

EASY A.

It's been a while since we had a good teen comedy. Luckily, if I had to score this one, it gets an easy A (buh dum, psh). The story focuses on Olive (Emma Stone), a high school girl that just floats by unrecognized by the mass population. But when she tells her best friend, Rhiannon (Alyson Michalka), that she spent the weekend with a guy that doesn't exist, Rhiannon obviously jumps to the conclusion that Olive slept with him. Unfortunately, the school's super-Christian, Marianne (Amanda Bynes), overhears the conversation and begins the rumor mill, of course changing and growing the rumor with every new person that hears it. So it starts spreading around school that Olive is quite a slut. To perpetuate things, a gay friend named Brandon (Dan Byrd) pleads for help in that Olive pretends to sleep with him to show he's straight so he won't get beat up anymore. This, of course, begins a downhill spiral that just brings more and more guys to Olive for fake relations, and Olive's reputation simultaneously grows and sinks. Her parents (Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci) are very liberal, laid-back parents who just kinda go with the flow, and she doesn't really go to them for help in the matter. Nor does she accept help from her favorite teacher, Mr. Griffith (Thomas Haden Church), or his wife--the school counsilor (Lisa Kudrow). The films also stars Malcolm McDowell as the school principal, Fred Armisen as a pastor, and Cam Gigandet as Amanda Bynes' boyfriend.

This movie is like mixing 80s teen comedies with 10 Things I Hate About You: a comedy with smart writing and a supporting cast that owns the movie. It also helps that there are plenty of 80s teen comedy references and a story based on an older work of fiction. The movie really is very smartly written. Even when it brings in the cliches and conveniences to the plot, it knows what it's doing and it embraces it, pointing them out and laughing with you at them. And the dialogue is pitch perfect, only made better by the amazing ensemble cast.

Let's start with the supporting cast. Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson not only own this movie, but they steal it and run away with it. They steal every scene they're in, and they are probably one of the funniest parts of the movie. Thomas Haden Church brings a very dry sense of humor to his character. He's kind of the opposite of Tucci and Clarkson only in the sense that, while they're very flamboyant and obvious with their humor, he pulls back and lets the writing behind the character shine. And maybe it's just because he was playing an English teacher, but I probably connected with his character the most. If the supporting characters falter anywhere, I'd say it's with Lisa Kudrow. She did fine with what she had, but the character isn't introduced until about halfway into the movie, and it almost expects you to immediately have a connection with her like she'd been there the whole time. Kudrow should have at least been introduced much earlier on.

Then we have our main roles, played by Emma Stone and Amanda Bynes. Emma is gorgeous and does wonderfully with her part. She's dorky, but sexy, which is kind of her shtick, I suppose. Though I have a hard time believing, much like any other teen comedy, that she's invisible to the mass population and hasn't really ever been asked out on a date. Amanda Bynes, too, plays the Christian Evangelist well. Though I'm afraid (and this has nothing to do with Bynes) that some people are gonna miss the point and be offended by her role in the film.

I also would like to bring up the soundtrack. It's a very pumpin' soundtrack--very fun. And the nods to the 80s, especially in the third act, was great. I'm probably not gonna go out and buy the soundtrack or anything, but I just felt like it was worth noting.

Overall, it's a great comedy where all the parts meet together magnificently to make the whole. Is the ending predictable? Yeah. But that's to be expected, really, from this genre. It's a smartly written film that knows its boundaries. It's a movie about sex without being too raunchy. The "teens" curse without it being excessive, but still believable. The jokes never overstay their welcome. Nothing is too offensive or over-the-top ridiculous (except maybe believing that these were all high school kids... though I loved the line about how the skirt hem was never shorter than fingertip length. They even researched basic dress code!). It's just a great, fun teen comedy that I think belongs in the ranks with other recent greats (such as 10 Things...). Is it perfect? No. But I loved it.


Royale With Cheese

R2D2... The One With No Vlog.

I know some of you will be heartbroken, as it's the only thing that keeps you motivated during the week...

But there will be no Vlog today. I'm sorry. There are a couple reasons for this. First, I'm currently completely devoid of ideas. I did get one email/letter for "A Night With Bill" (Thanks!), but that's certainly not enough to fill up a whole episode. It'll have to wait until next time. I don't want to throw one together for the sake of throwing one together if it means a drop in quality. I'm sure y'all don't want that, either.

The other reason is that it's currently 6 PM as I write this, and by the time I come up with some ideas, film them, edit them together, upload it, and post it, it would take the rest of the night. I have other stuff to get done.

So here's what I'm proposing. Instead, I'll post something every day this week, since I've been very lacking lately. It'll all start with my review of Easy A tomorrow afternoon. Deal? Good. Glad to hear it.

And next Sunday, Random Ramblings of a Demented DoorVlog will return... with a vengeance!

Podcast: Film Enigma Game Show.

So, I finally got to participate in Univarn's Film Enigma Game Show Podcast. For those not in the know, Univarn of A Life In Equinox has created a game show podcast that is highly addictive. And I had the honor of participating as a contestant in the latest episode.

Here, I'm up against Brian of Brian's Film Review Blog, and we had quite a time. In this episode, we pulled many firsts... and I come off as a total douche. But there was some good behind-the-scenes stuff to go with this one (including a final round rematch that was pure hilarity, but unfortunately was not recorded... so ask me about it if you're interested).

So without further ado, I'd like to just get to the episode.... enjoy!

R2D2... The One With Another Apology And Schedule Change.

OK guys, last time, I swear.

School is killing me this year. Second year is supposed to be easier, but the new way they have us teaching the kids is making even 30-year+ teachers feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I hardly even have time to think about the blog (or the Vlog) throughout the week, much less write anything for it. I'll try to do the best I can, but I can't promise much.

That being said, I'm gonna have to remove the majority of my "weekly schedule" and just say... when I have time to post a review or an article, I'll do it. I will promise, however, that you will receive a new Vlog every Sunday. But I can't keep holding to even my 3-posts-a-week promise that I made (sad, huh?).

For some random updates...

- I finished Arrested Development, so expect a Series Review hopefully sometime in the near future.

- I guested on Univarn's Film Enigma Game Show Podcast, so that'll be up soon (I'll post it up when it is).

Yeah... that's about it. Sorry again... expect something in the near future.

Random Ramblings of a Demented DoorVlog #7.

Here's the new Vlog!

No hamsters were harmed in the making of this video (despite his suicidal tendencies, which were almost caught on camera, but you don't get to see that...).

Also, if any of you would like to send in a sexy letter for future episodes of "A Night With Bill," just email it to me at nicholasjobe@gmail.com (please?).

Finally... I believe this is probably the creepiest episode yet. Enjoy!

DEVIL.

Everything happens...

"Don't say for a reason."

"I wasn't. Just... everything happens."

"Not to me."

(I just had to include that, because it's all I could think of every time I saw the trailer.)

Devil tells the story of five elevator passengers who get stuck together, and one of them just so happens to be the devil in disguise. We have Mechanic (Logan Marshall-Green), Old Woman (Jenny O'Hara), Young Woman (Bojana Novakovic), Guard (Bokeem Woodbine), and Salesman (Geoffrey Arend). On the outside, however, we have a somewhat depressed Detective Bowden (Chris Messina), as well as two head security guys, Lustig (Matt Craven) and Ramirez (Jacob Vargas). And together, those three must find a way to get the people out of the elevator... and the urgency hits as soon as the passengers start dying.

First and foremost, we're given that this movie is "from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan," which at this point, probably isn't smart publicizing. After the terrible adaptation of The Last Airbender, not to mention the critically panned movies to come before it, M. Night hasn't been having a good streak lately. But then this movie started to get some decent reviews. I'd even heard this might be a step back in the right direction. And you know what? I might have to agree with them.

This movie is by no means great. But it is enjoyable and slightly better than average. Yes, the entire movie relies on a twist, and that twist is awfully easy to figure out. However, like with A Perfect Getaway, I found that despite the easiness of the twist, they still made you question whether or not your guess was actually right or not. I continually found myself wondering if, just maybe, it was one of the other characters. Also, M. Night was smart to come up with a second twist to catch you off guard, as you're so busy trying to figure out who the devil is. Now, I've always thought M. Night has had good concepts, just poor execution. He kinda proves that in this. He didn't write or direct it--just came up with the story and produced it--and it turned out better than any of his movies in quite a few years.

Now, like I said, it's not perfect. I found the dialogue to be hammy and forced at times, trying to shove the whole religious aspect in your face (and I like religious/supernatural thrillers like this). Also, there's an occasional voice-over narration that the movie could have done without past the beginning. It was fine setting it up near the beginning, and even closing it out at the end. But there were times in the middle where it's just like "yeah, OK, the devil is bad... we get it." But the worst thing is that these voice-over moments were essentially spoilers, telling you what is probably going to happen in the not-too-distant future.

The acting bounces between good and annoying. The security guard in the elevator reminded me way too much of a serious Tracy Morgan for his own good. The young woman is just kinda weird in her acting. You know that part of the trailer where she screams "turn on the lights!," but in a really strange-sounding way? It's like that, even during the times she's not screaming. However, it's probably because she has a foreign accent and is trying to do American, and it just comes off odd. Everybody else is fine. The detective is probably the best of the bunch, which is good considering he's basically the main character. In the elevator, the "mechanic" character is probably the best of the bunch--which, again, is probably good considering he has the most mystery and focus placed on him.

I've read in some reviews that there was too much blood. Those people are crazy. There was hardly any blood in the movie. I mean, it was there, but it was nothing. Even a character who gets stabbed in the neck has less blood than most other movies where a character gets stabbed in the neck (and no gushing or anything, and no close-up, either). So whoever said that is insane.

Overall, it's s good little claustrophobic thriller with a religious/supernatural twist (oh yeah, and there's a funny bit of dialogue, purposeful or not, where one character calls another character--literally--a 'twist'. I almost felt that as an in-joke from Shyamalan). Some of the religious stuff is a bit too forced, mostly thanks to the Ramirez character and the voice-over narration (which I believe is done by the Ramirez character). But there's some good suspense and it keeps you guessing, despite it being obvious. Add in a decent ending with, sure, kind of a cheesy moral, and you get a pretty good little flick. So yeah, M. Night, you are taking baby steps back to some good things.


I Am McLovin!

30 Days Of Crazy: Misery.

Over at Blog Cabins, Fletch has been running the 30 Days Of Crazy Blog-A-Thon that I decided to be a part of. I decided to write a little bit on one of my own personal favorite crazy people, Annie Wilkes.

Misery tells us the story of famous author Paul Sheldon (James Caan). He takes some time at a cabin in the mountains to finish up his newest--and supposedly final--entry into his Misery series of novels. Unfortunately, Paul ends up having a wreck, breaking almost every bone in his body. Thankfully (or not), Paul is saved by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), Paul's number 1 fan. However, things start getting a little worrisome when Annie realizes Paul has written the final book in her favorite series, as well as reads of the fate of the main character. With Paul restricted to the bed, he is at the mercy of Annie and has to do whatever she likes if he's going to make it out alive.

The movie is based on a Stephen King book, so you know right away it's going to be hit or miss. Fortunately, it's very much a hit. But take a look at who worked on it. This is a Stephen King thriller adapted to the screen by William Goldman--the guy who wrote The Princess Bride--and directed by Rob Reiner--the guy who directed films such as The Princess Bride and When Harry Met Sally... Though Reiner he had previous work with Stephen King material in Stand By Me (and Goldman, of course, having written some other great, serious films).

Anyway, on to the film. You know almost straight away that something isn't quite right with Annie. She seems harmless at first, helping Paul get better. But you just can't trust those people with overly sunny dispositions who don't cuss. And you slowly begin to realize there's so much more wrong with her than we've seen. It all pretty much culminates in the now-famous hobbling scene.

As a fiction writer, I find this movie doubly crazy and scary. This is pretty much any writer's worst fear (besides rejection). Somebody becoming overly obsessed with your work that they'll go to such extremes to keep you injured so that you can write a story how they want it to be written? Um, just stick with fan fiction, please kthxbai.

Of course, the acting in this film is phenomenal, particularly Kathy Bates (who walked away with a Leading Lady Oscar for her performance). I mean, everything is just so chilling. Even her standing there staring at him in the middle of the night is super creepy.

The only real downside to the story is poor Buster, the old, small-town sheriff who decides to take up the case. (SEMI-SPOILERS FOLLOW) His character was good, but at the end when he goes to check on Annie's house, everything just happens so suddenly. He's set up throughout the movie as a hero and then... yeah. Poor Buster. (SEMI-SPOILERS END)

Anywho, Annie Wilkes is definitely one of my favorite crazies (I actually gave a character the last name Wilkes in honor of her... he wasn't a crazy character, but he's attacked by one). Kathy Bates' performance is probably the best of her career, and one of the greatest in psychological horror cinema. Great movie... and if you haven't seen it, you need to!

Top 10 Favorite Original Movie Characters.

A lot of movies are based on something else these days. Therefore, a lot of movie characters are not original creations for the medium. So today, I wanted to list my Top 10 favorite original movie characters. These are only characters that were created specifically for film, not characters that were in books or graphic novels or television or plays or TV shows first.

Note: These aren't necessarily the best characters; the key word is favorite. So without further ado...

Top 10 Favorite Original Movie Characters.

10. Indiana Jones

What?, you say? Indiana Jones at number 10? Blasphemy! I knew I couldn't have this list without him or else face certain death. But I have to say, the only Indy film that ever resonated with me was Last Crusade. Still, there's no denying his character. I just have others that are more favorable to me.



9. Leon

From Leon or The Professional (but preferably Leon), the titular character is a naive man who can't read and kills people for a living. And one day, he takes in a young girl whose family was just murdered. He's stricken with a conscience and has to decide between what is right, and what is easy... (oh yeah, Harry Potter reference, baby).


8. Derek Zoolander

While looking at a small, model building...
"How are you supposed to teach children to read if they can't even fit inside the building?"

'Nuff said.


7. John "Jigsaw" Kramer

They've fleshed out this character over soon-to-be 7 films. There's no denying this is a pretty original character... and for a movie character, very detailed. Sure, he's crazy, but he strongly believes in what he's doing (mixed in with a touch of revenge from time to time). And sure, he's technically been dead since the third one (and/or fourth one, really)... but the man knows how to plan ahead.


6. Randal Graves

He's snarky. He's perverted. He doesn't give a shit. And how can you not love his bluntness? Randal first brought the snark in the original Clerks, and then upped the ante in the sequel, where his relationship with Elias was pure hilarity. Not to mention he had a very touching scene at the end with Dante that I wasn't expecting. There's actually a heart behind it all.


5. Shaun

Yes, the main character from one of my favorite movies of all time--Shaun of the Dead--is just at number 5. Really, there's nothing all that remarkable about him. That's the point. But he's just so fun and grows over the course of the film. Simon Pegg played him wonderfully.


4. Napoleon Dynamite

Idiot! Gosh!


3. Captain Jack Sparrow

Again, is there really anything to elaborate on, here? He's Captain Jack. Even in the not-so-good sequels, he was excellent. Yes, the movie is based on a theme park ride, but the character himself is original... so it counts.


2. Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Everybody should be like The Dude. Laid back, chill... the world might be a better place if more people just relaxed and stuff. Maybe get a nice rug. It'll really tie the room together.


1. Richard B. Riddick

For the longest time, Riddick (preferably the Pitch Black version, but I suppose the Chronicles of Riddick version will work, too) has been my favorite movie character ever. He's a badass anti-hero, and you're never sure if he's going to save you, kill you, or leave you to die. And he has night vision eyes so can see in the dark. Easily Vin Diesel's best character... and just a well-written one all around.

RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D.

So, I've seen all the Resident Evil films in theater, and I didn't feel like breaking the routine now. The story picks up where the last one left off. Alice (Milla Jovovich) and her clones are going to take down the Umbrella Corporation, and they start with the Japanese headquarters. Unfortunately, the new head of the corporation, Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts), has injected himself with the T-Virus much like had been done to Alice. And then he injects a cure into Alice, removing all her powers. After a crash, Alice decides to head to Alaska to find Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and K-Mart (Spencer Locke), who were the only survivors of the previous film. But only Claire is there, and she has amnesia. So flying down to L.A., the two discover a handful of survivors hanging out in a prison, including Luther (Boris Kodjoe), Bennett (Kim Coates), Angel (Sergio Peris-Mencheta), Crystal (Kasey Barnfield), Kim (Norman Yeung), and Chris (Wentworth Miller)... yes, that Chris (if you've played the games or know them). So now they gotta try to find a way to escape and get to safety.

Let me say, I really like the first film, despite it being nothing like the games (but I'm no purest in this regard). The second film is more like the games (well, it has Jill and Nemesis), and it was alright. The third film is just... eh. I didn't care for it. But this one is probably my favorite since the first (though I still like the first one better). And, ironically, this one is supposedly the most like the games (Resident Evil 5 in particular, I believe, as well as some Code: Veronica). Was it great, though? No. So let's get into why...

First, some good stuff. The opening is pretty cool with a mysterious Japanese woman just standing in the rain before attacking, and then flashing years later to the attack on Umbrella with all the clones. The action is fun, but it does take its toll with a bit too much slo-mo. However, there are some excellent visuals. The movie has some great visuals and cinematography (though some poor CGI with the dogs later on).

The acting isn't too bad. I mean, it's a Resident Evil movie. But I must say, Shawn Roberts as Wesker, at times, reminded me of Gob Bluth (of Arrested Development) trying to be Agent Smith (of The Matrix). Imagine that as you will. And, unfortunately, there's no Milla Jovovich nudity like almost all the other films.

I quickly want to mention the 3D. It's the first film since Avatar to use this special form of 3D filmmaking. But it wasn't all that spectacular. I mean, it was alright, but nothing mindblowing. How To Train Your Dragon actually had a better use of 3D. But again, it was alright. It didn't take anything away from the film.

I really don't know what else to say about the movie. Good action, but sometimes too much slo-mo. Decent acting, but some cheesy stuff sometimes. Great visuals/cinematography. And... I really have no idea what else. It had faults, probably even more than I mentioned, but it was entertaining. And by the way, if you see the scene right after the credits start... that is who you actually think it is, despite it looking nothing like she did before. And I thought that's a pretty cool little extra scene, despite it confusing everybody.


I Am McLovin!

(P.S. Did anybody else think Chris was played by Karl Urban at first?)

Random Ramblings of a Demented DoorVlog #6.

This is a pretty short episode, despite me practically working on it all day. The visual trick to the skit isn't that great due to lighting, but I still think it's pretty funny regardless.

Also, I got requests for more Winston and a bit of variation on my Bill/Sookie bits, so that's what you got. I also included a couple random bits from last week's that I cut to pad it a little.

This episode might split some people due to subject matter, but oh well. Today was a busy day and this is the best I got. So I hope y'all enjoy, and lemme know what y'all think! If any of y'all have any suggestions or recommendations for future episode, leave those in the comments as well.

LKMYNTS: Hide And Creep.

This is a gloriously low-budget zombie film. And I mean low-budget. The movie is about a small town in Alabama that gets overrun by zombies. It follows numerous characters, including a young video store owner named Chuck (Chuck Hartsell); a man who wakes up naked named Michael (Michael Shelton); a group of redneck friends named Keith (Kyle Holman), Ted (Chris Garrison), and Ned (Eric McGinty), all of whom belong to a self-made hunting club; a church reverend (Barry Austin); the sheriff's secretary named Barbara (Melissa Bush); and a couple others.

Now, it sounds like there are too many characters, but it handles them all pretty well. The best characters are definitely Chuck and the hunting trio (particularly Keith). I watched this film a couple years ago and loved it, but then immediately forgot what it was called. But I always remembered those two characters. And now that I've recently remembered it (and bought it via Amazon, despite it being available on Netflix Instant Streaming), I can watch it whenever I want!

Of course, the movie does have problems. Due to its incredible low budget, you already know the acting isn't gonna be all that grand. Luckily, the type of humor is very dead-pan. They act like a zombie outbreak is just an everyday occurrence, and they just wanna get back to what they were doing (like watching a football game). I love that kind of humor. Because of this, the acting can be overlooked at times due to the purposefulness of the unrealistic or over-the-top performances. The only other real issue is minimal blood and gore. Oh, there's blood and gore in the movie, but the camera had to cut away often from the violence, most likely due to not having the budget for good special effects. But what we do get to see (particularly a head bite about halfway into the film) is actually really decent.

On top of the humor, the movie has love going for it. Let me explain. You can definitely tell that this movie was made by fans of not only the zombie subgenre, but film itself. Of course there are jokes and references to Romero, but it goes beyond that. There's some nearly Kevin Smith-eque conversations (minus the vulgarity) about films like Evil Dead, Dead Alive/Brain Dead, and even a random Citizen Kane joke. This writer is truly a fan of film and the genre, and that's one of the things that really drew me in to the movie.

If there were any other minor negatives, it would be that the movie just kind of ends. Nothing big or fancy. No huge climax. There's a bit of an "oh no!" moment, but that's about it. It just... ends. It's not complete unsatisfying, though. There's also a couple jokes that are more for Alabamians than anybody else, but they're few and far between. Overall, it's a hell of an entertaining movie if you're into low budget zombie comedies.

Otherwise, I totally recommend the movie. It needs some more love. It's not a ROFL movie or anything, but it's amazingly clever and smart, and it'll get some constant chuckling at the very least. And if it helps at all, there's nudity (and not just the one dude).


A Keanu 'Whoa'

(P.S. I don't agree, however, with the poster that says it's even better than Shaun of the Dead. It really good... but it's not that good.)

Top 10 Favorite Time Travel Movies.

Time travel. Some people love time travel stories. Other people can't stand them, because the logic of it makes their mind explode. Personally, I enjoy time travel movies. I can put logistics to the side most times and just enjoy it for what it is. So today, I'm going to discuss my Top 10 Favorite Time Travel Movies.

Top 10 Favorite Time Travel Movies.

10. Army of Darkness

Gotta have some Bruce Campbell love in the list, right? The third movie of the Evil Dead trilogy is argued by many to be the best of the bunch. Ash travels back to medieval times and must find the Necronomicon and defeat the demon army. This... is my boomstick.


9. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

Of all three Austin Powers movies, the second is my favorite. It just has the most memorable moments. The first one is good, and I never cared much for the third one (Beyonce's character bugs me). But in the middle installment, Austin must travel back in time to regain his mojo, which had been stolen by Fat Bastard on the behalf of Dr. Evil.


8. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure

WILD STALLIONS! It's fun and educational (sort of). Bill and Ted join Rufus in a phone booth to travel through time, borrow famous figures, and give a speech on history so they can pass the class and become the most important figures in the future of society. And I'm sure people did it far before this movie came out, but who doesn't think of this one anytime somebody says So - crates instead of sah-cruh-tees?


7. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

At least one Terminator movie had to be on the list, so why not the best? It has the best lines, the best villain, and some of the most memorable scenes. This time, Ah-Nuld is the good guy, trying to protect John Connor from the T-1000... the role poor Robert Patrick will always be seen as.


6. Twelve Monkeys

Bruce Willis travels through time in order to get information and stop the world from entering a post-apocalyptic state. And it has one of Brad Pitt's best performances. Did you know that in order to get him to tweak like that, they took away his cigarettes and made him basically go through withdrawal? Crazy stuff.


5. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

The only anime on the list. This really is a great movie. A high school girl discovers that she, if she gains enough momentum and concentrates, can literally leap through time. But, of course, she doesn't always think of the consequences of her actions. If you haven't seen it and you like time travel movies, I'd definitely recommend checking this one out.


4. The Butterfly Effect

Say what you may about Ashton Kutcher, but this is a really good movie. Ashton realizes he has to ability to place himself back in the body of his younger self to alter events of his past and try to better his future. But, of course, every action has the titular butterfly effect, drastically changing something he didn't expect.


3. Timecrimes

Man, it's hard to talk about this movie without spoiling it. It's a Spanish movie that came out not too long ago. A man, after witnessing a crime, is chased to a lab where he hides out, on accident, within a time machine that transports him back earlier that day. And from there, things escalate from bad to worse. It's totally an amazing movie, and I don't want to say more than I already have to avoid any kind of spoilers.


2. Back to the Future (trilogy)

This is essentially for the whole trilogy, but if I had to pick, I'd go for the first or second. I say the second, because I like the whole bit where he travels back to the past again and has to avoid his actions from the first movie while performing the new actions he needs to perform. But, of course, the first is a classic in and of itself. The third is good, but I was never as fond of the third.

1. Groundhog Day

This might almost be a cheat answer, but it was listed under time travel movies. Bill Murray has to repeat the same day over and over (essentially time traveling back to the same day against his will) until he gets it right. It's classic, and it's great. And whether or not you think it belongs on this list, I'm putting it!

Random Ramblings of a Demented DoorVlog #5.

Random Ramblings of a Demented DoorVlog
"Even Funnier After 4 Margaritas!" - Rachel Thuro

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This has to be my favorite Vlog to date. The skit for this particular episode just came together so smoothly. There's not much to this episode (randomness-wise). And this episode actually breaks my "5 minutes or less" rule. It's about 30 seconds longer. But I don't care, because everything just works. I did cut a couple random things, of course, but I kept in the essentials. Pretty soon I'll be able to make a "Special Episode" where it's just made up of bits I cut out. Though because nobody responded to my call for questions last week, I didn't do the "Ask" segment. Oh well.

Anywho, I hope y'all enjoy it!

Note: During part of the skit, I know it looks like I'm standing on the wall trim, but I'm not. Even if I wanted to, it's not even wide enough for my pinky toe.

MACHETE.

We all know the story. Robert Rodriguez made the fake Machete trailer for Grindhouse, it because a cult sensation, and he eventually decided to turn it into a full-length feature. This is that feature. But did it live up to expectations? Machete (Danny Trejo) is a Mexican Federale whose family is killed by a drug lord named Torrez (Steven Seagal). He survives, but enters the U.S. illegally. Eventually, he is hired by Booth (Jeff Fahey) to assassinate Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro), who is rerunning for office under the platform of sending all illegal immigrants back to Mexico and building a giant fence. Unfortunately, it was just a ruse, and they try to set up and kill Machete for their own gain. Again, Machete lives, but this time, he's out for vengeance. Along the way, he teams up with a taco stand/revolutionary named Luz (Michelle Rodriguez); a federal immigration agent named Sartana (Jessica Alba); and his priest brother, Padr (Cheech Marin). Also in the mix are Booth's wife June (Alicia Marek) and daughter April (Lindsey Lohan), as well as a professional hit man named Osiris (Tom Savini).

This movie is almost too complicated, which I think is one of its biggest issues. It tries to do too much. Sure, it has one hell of a cast, but it sometimes feels bloated. It also tends to be almost too preachy at times, particularly in the first half of the movie. Also, though this was rare, it took itself a bit too seriously at times. These were almost always moments of non-action, though... and, again, mostly in the first half of the film.

Besides that, my only other complaint is that sometimes there wasn't enough action. Either there would be long stretches with no major action, or there would be an action scene where it was filmed at awkward angles and you didn't get to see it particularly well (the showdown between Trejo and Seagal is the worst offender of this).

However, the action you do get and do see is flippin' fantastic. Let's just say there was a lot of cheering, clapping, and laughing throughout this movie in my audience. It's hilarious, bloody, over-the-top, and super fun. You could tell the filmmakers had fun with it. Of note are the opening scene and the hospital escape scene.

There's a decent amount of nudity in the film, as well. And while I think that too much nudity in a movie can ruin it, I actually think this movie could have benefited from having a little more. Unfortunately (for you guys and/or lesbians out there), you don't see Jessica Alba nude. She has a shower sequence, but she's standing in just the right position where you see absolutely nothing. And the one time you see Lindsey Lohan's character topless, I don't think it's actually her, as her face is always hidden... and every time you do see her face clearly, her breasts are always covered somehow. And I find this strange, considering she's done nude photo-shoots and whatnot. But anyway...

I know this seems like a lot of complaining, but the movie was really entertaining. It wasn't perfect, but all the fake trailer scenes (from my knowledge) are in the film. If they would have shortened it slightly or exchanged some of the unnecessary dramatic scenes for more exploitation scenes, it would have been even better. As it stands, it's a great action flick with some really fun comedy and lots of blood and boobs.


A Keanu 'Whoa'

Two Movies I Want, But Will Never Happen.

There are two movies that I would love to exist, but I know they never will. One was pseudo-promised within the first film, and the other became such a massive rumor that it had to be dispelled by the director.

The first film, of course, is Spaceballs 2: The Search For More Money. As Yogurt declares at the end of his segment of the film, they might all meet up again one day in the aforementioned sequel. Everybody's too old (or dead) now to pull it off right anymore, but wouldn't it have been amazing had they actually made it? The Spaceballs having to escape from the Planet of the Apes and attempt to reconstruct their empire, etc.?

The second film is the Shaun of the Dead sequel/spin-off, From Dusk Til Shaun. The title is perfect. The setup is perfect. Everything about the possibility of this movie is absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, Edgar Wright declared that they didn't need to go back to the horror genre, as they felt they paid enough respects with Shaun. It's really too bad, as it could have been amazing. I guess I'll just continue waiting for the third blood and ice cream movie...