Manuel on Movies #9

It has been quite a while since I have done one of these so I have a lot of movies to catch you up on...

Teeth - We start off with an interesting movie for sure. I heard the premise of the movie and I KNEW I had to see it. I'll just come out and say it - this is a movie about a teenage girl who discovers she has teeth..................................in her vagina. Let me repeat that. She has teeth in her vagina. Wanted it to sink in. Now, before you groan, know that this was actually a pretty good and enjoyable movie. Not really a horror; not really a comedy; this best can be characterized as a quirky independent films. If you don't like independent films that are a little "off", then this isn't a film for you. But if you are one who appreciates "weird" movies that really say more than the average Hollywood film, this is a good choice. I don't want to give to much away, but know we both enjoyed it. 7.5 out of 10







Super High Me - In the same vein as Super Size Me, where a man eats nothing but McDonalds for 30 days, this is a movie where a pot smoker first goes 30 days without pot and then goes 30 straight days basically being high all the time. I thought it was definitely geared more towards how pot isn't that bad for you rather than showing any bad effects of it. It had some interesting parts, but for the most part, I thought this wasn't as good as it could have been. 5 out of 10.







Shutter - ANOTHER Americanized version of a J-Horror film following in the steps of The Ring, The Grudge, and countless others. This movie follows a couple who after surviving a car crash, start to see images of an eerie figure in the pictures they take. Like all these films, it boils down to someone was wronged and it needs to be fixed. It really wasn't that creepy. 90 minutes of entertainment that you will forget 90 minutes later. 5 out of 10





Step Brothers - This was pretty damn funny. Just seeing grown men act like immature kids was enough to get me laughing a good handful of times. Of course, you have to like Will Farell to like this movie(and I know some of my readers don't). Crude, often very wrong, I very much enjoyed this tale of two adults suddenly becoming step brothers and having to share a room. 7.5 out of 10.






Open Water 2 - Open Water 1 was about a couple who get left in the middle of the ocean on a scuba diving trip and eventually get eaten by sharks at the end of the movie. It was noteworthy because of the way it was filmed - independent with a hand held. The simplicity of it was intriguing. Well, hoping to capitalize on the success(?) of the first one, a sequel was made. This time, a group of beautiful people go swimming in the middle of the ocean and then can't get back in their yacht because they left the ladder up. Hilarity ensues. Ok, I made that up. What follows is frustration because the people are just so stupid. You find yourself yelling at the tv and by the end, WANTING them all to die. That MIGHT have been the point as maybe the director wanted you to see how people panic. I don't know. While fairly entertaining, I couldn't sit through a second viewing. 5.5 out of 10.









Never Back Down - With the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts and UFC, you knew it would only be a matter of time before a Karate Kid style movie was created. Let's see.......new kid in town...check. Bully who beats people up with the hot ex girlfriend.....check. A wise trainer from another country who intially is reluctant to train the kid but gives in....check. Music video training montage.......check. This was a very by the book movie, but you know what, it was pretty entertaining even though it was made with the MTV crowd in mind. Maybe it is because I am such a big fan of Karate Kid(which they are remaking) that made me like it. But I liked it. Again, it entertained me. 7 out of 10






Gone Baby Gone - This was a wonderful drama in the same vein as Mystic River from a few years back - a dark, depressing drama that is made even darker because of some wonderful cinematography to give it that down feel. The story revolves around an attempt to find a child who has been kidnapped. What follows is a deep story that has so many layers to it with unexpected turns. Featuring an all-star cast and brilliantly directed by Ben Affleck in his directorial debut, this is one that shuld not be passed up. 9 out of 10

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - I had some high hopes for this film. As a Judd Apatow fan and hearing such good word of mouth on this film, I figured it would be pretty good. Well, for the most part, it was pretty good. Thing is, I expected it to be a lot funnier. It gave me a few chuckles, but never really laugh out loud funny and not often either. The story was cute and Kristen Bell was even cuter, but overall I was kind of disappointed. Towards the end, I was almost bored. Oh well. 6 out of 10

The Day the Earth Stood Still - I have never seen the original, but the trailer made it look pretty good. I might have been able to wait for video, but then I heard it would have new trailers for Wolverine and Terminator:Salvation before the movie. Then I was sold. Terminator looks like a good continuation of the story with John Conner being played by one of my favorites, Christian Bale. Wolverine looks awesome and seems to have a nice dark tone in this prequel to the X Men movies. I am quite excited for them. Oh, the actual movie I went to see??? Eh, it was ok. It kept my interest. It had some cool effects. The theme of the movie was timely. But overall, the movie was pretty forgettable in the long run. I enjoyed it, but I am ok if I never see it again. The trailers were more exciting. 6.5 out of 10

Bigger, Stronger, Faster - This was a REALLY good documentary about steroids, the people who use them, the pressure to use them, and the effects that Hollywood and Sports have had on the steroids business. Rather than being one sided, it really does a good job of presenting both sides of the story. Both arguments are really convincing. The mixture of documentary footage with popular culture references make it a really fun movie. This comes highly recommended! 9 out of 10.

The Strangers - "Because you were home." This was a really creepy movie about a couple terrorized by strangers who are outside their home. The use of very little music and instead relying on dead silence and anticipation make this an enjoyable movie. I didn't think it was quite as scary as people made it out to be, but I am sure it was magnified if seeing it in a theater. 7.5 out of 10.