Cast: Jude Law (Jeremy), Norah Jones (Elizabeth), David Strathairn (Officer Arnie Copeland), Natalie Portman (Leslie), Rachel Weisz (Sue Lynne Copeland)
For complete info, see IMDb's My Blueberry Nights page.
I really enjoyed this movie and I'm glad I rented it. I do think that Elizabeth could have been played better by an actress instead of Norah Jones (who I think should stick to the singing - I agree with the reviews I've seen on that one). However, I think the rest of the cast was wonderful and though the story is definitely a bit slow at a couple points it's a sweet movie and well worth renting. If you haven't seen My Blueberry Nights it's worth adding to your rental list.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, drama, Jude Law, movie, Natalie Portman, Norah Jones, Rachel Weisz
Reviewed by Kat at the 11:30 AM show | 1 screams
Cast: Emma Watson (Pauline Fossil), Yasmin Paige (Petrova Fossil), Lucy Boynton (Posy Fossil), Emilia Fox (Sylvia Brown)
For complete information, see IMDb's Ballet Shoes page.
I loved all the books by Noel Streatfield when I was younger and I enjoyed the TV adaptation of Ballet Shoes. Clearly, it's mostly geared towards children (as is the original novel), but if you loved the books, I definitely recommend taking a look at this TV movie. The cast is great and the story is followed well.
Grade: B
Labels: 2007, ballet, dancing, drama, Emma Watson, family, movie, TV
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
For complete information, see IMDb's The Pixar Story page.
This documentary wasn't quite as interesting as the book The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company, but you can cover a lot more in a book than you can in an hour and a half long documentary. I've been a fan of Pixar since they released Luxo Jr. and I love that they finally released the shorts on DVD last year (too bad I didn't realize it was available on Blu-ray before I purchased it). If you're at all interested in the history of Pixar, you will definitely enjoy this documentary. If not, then clearly it's not worth renting The Pixar Story.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, animated, documentary, John Lasseter, movie, Pixar, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Will Ferrell (Chazz Michael Michaels), Jon Heder (Jimmy MacElroy), Jenna Fischer (Katie Van Waldenberg), Craig T. Nelson (Coach)
For complete info, see IMDb's Blades of Glory page.
Blades of Glory was much more entertaining than I'd been led to believe. It's definitely far from Will Ferrell's best work, but it's very funny and well worth the DVR space or Netflix rental. I found it on one of the movie channels or I probably wouldn't have seen it yet. I'm glad I did. It jokes about the extremes of what competitors will do to get ahead (like the Tanya Harding incident with Nancy Kerrigan) and makes fun of some of the crazy costumes that have appeared in ice skating competitions in recent years.
I definitely think those who enjoy skating competitions will enjoy Blades of Glory more than the rest of the population, but it's a funny movie.
Grade: B
Labels: 2007, comedy, Craig T. Nelson, Jenna Fischer, Jon Heder, movie, romance, sports, Will Ferrell
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Adam Sandler (Chuck Levine), Kevin James (Larry Valentine), Jessica Biel (Alex McDonough), Dan Aykroyd (Captain Tucker)
For more information, see IMDb's I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry page.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry is far from Adam Sandler or Kevin James' best comedic work, but it's worth renting or watching on a movie channel on TV. I wouldn't go out of my way for it and it wasn't very high on my list, but when I saw that it was on HBO, I figured it was worth recording. Definitely an amusing premise, but I think they could have done a better job with the story.
Grade: B
Labels: 2007, Adam Sandler, comedy, Dan Aykroyd, Jessica Biel, Kevin James, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Freddie Highmore (Evan Taylor - 'August Rush'), Keri Russell (Lyla Novacek), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Louis Connelly), Terrence Howard (Richard Jeffries), Robin Williams (Maxwell 'Wizard' Wallace)
For complete info on this wonderful cast, see IMDb's August Rush page.
It took me a while to see this movie, partly because I didn't really know what it was about and even now that I've finally seen it, I don't remember seeing any promotional information on the movie. I really enjoyed August Rush. Anyone who loves music and isn't put off by a romantic movie should really enjoy this film. Of course, I added August Rush to my Netflix list because of the cast. Almost any of the main actors could get me to watch a movie on their own. Together, they're well worth taking the time to see any movie.
Initially, I wasn't happy with the way that the flashback format seemed to be working, but as the story progressed, I understood why the story was put together the way it was and I really enjoyed the way everything came together. I highly recommend adding August Rush to your Netflix list if you enjoy music, romance, or both.
The story of a child prodigy who is discovered while trying to find his real parents is moving and thoroughly enjoyable.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2007, drama, Freddie Highmore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, movie, musical, Robin Williams, romance, Terrence Howard
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Robert Redford (Professor Stephen Malley), Meryl Streep (Janine Roth), Tom Cruise (Senator Jasper Irving)
For complete information, see IMDb's Lions for Lambs page.
I didn't know what to expect from this movie, since I hadn't seen any previews. As soon as I saw that Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, & Tom Cruise were in it, I was sure I'd see the movie, regardless of what it was about. I really like the way the movie went back and forth between the different story lines and how it tied everything together. The cast is amazing and the story is well told.
There were definitely a few slow points and I'm glad I didn't rush out to see it in a theatre, but Lions for Lambs is definitely worth adding to your rental queue.
Grade: B
Labels: 2007, drama, Meryl Streep, movie, Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, war
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Selma Blair (Patti Petalson), Patrick Wilson (Brian Callahan), Edward Burns (Michael Murphy), Debra Messing (Kate Scott)
For complete info, see IMDb's Purple Violets page.
I hadn't even heard of this movie when it came out in theatres, which surprised me considering the fact that I like almost everyone in the cast. Then, I read on IMDb that it was the first film to premiere on iTunes, so I guess that's why I hadn't heard of it.
Purple Violets deals with authors struggling to please their fans and come up with their next great novels while managing to handle their personal lives at the same time. If you enjoy Edward Burns, I definitely recommend renting this movie. The cast is great and the story kept me interested throughout the movie.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, Debra Messing, drama, Edward Burns, movie, Patrick Wilson, romance, Selma Blair
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:15 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: John Cusack (David), Bobby Coleman (Dennis aka the Martian Child), Amanda Peet (Harlee), Sophie Okonedo (Sophie), Joan Cusack (Liz)
For complete info, see IMDb's Martian Child page.
I didn't really know what to expect from this movie, since Ic try not to watch many previews once I know I want to see a movie and I'll watch anything with John Cusack. I didn't realize that the movie was based on a book, but I've added it to my long list of books I want to read.
Martian Child is a touching story about a boy who believes he's from Mars and the man who adopts him. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, in spite of the one glaring error they made when they made the movie and were trying to give Dennis some more characteristics that set him apart from the typical child. It bothered me throughout the movie that this boy who was extremely intelligent (as they mention and demonstrate several times in the movie) and who thinks he is from Mars (perhaps he is, I won't spoil that for you) would think he needs a weight belt on Earth to hold him down, since the gravitational pull on Earth isn't strong enough. They got the sun part right (he always wore his sunglasses and sunblock and said the sun was too bright), but the last time I checked the reason the Earth has a brighter sun than Mars is that it's closer to the sun. Earth's mass is also greater and when you combine these two things together, they mean that the gravitational pull is stronger on Earth than Mars. If the gravitational pull on Mars were stronger, you'd weigh more on Mars. You weigh more on Mars than you would on the Moon, but you still weigh significantly less on Mars. I know they kicked Pluto out of the planet list, but I'm pretty sure Mars is still closer to the Sun than the Earth.
I definitely recommend renting this movie if you missed it in theatres. It deals very well with the obstacles faced when a child is abandoned and has to cope with foster homes and the idea of being left behind.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, Amanda Peet, Bobby Coleman, drama, family, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, movie, sci-fi
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ellen Page (Juno), Michael Cera (Paulie Bleeker), Jennifer Garner (Vanessa Loring), Jason Bateman (Mark Loring), Allison Janney (Bren MacGuff), J. K. Simmons (Mac MacGuff)
For complete info on this great cast, see IMDb's Juno page.
I've had Juno at the top of my Netflix list for what seems like ages. Of course, there was a long wait for it, so it took a while to get to me (I didn't time my return of the DVD just before Juno was released well enough).
Juno got a lot of hype and I think it was worthy of almost all of it. This is definitely a very dark comedy, but it's got a lot of funny moments and is very real. This movie had the courage to attack a lot of issues with teen pregnancy that I'd never seen in a movie.
The cast is amazing and the story is really well done. If you missed this in theatres, I definitely recommend renting it!
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, comedy, drama, Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, movie, musical, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Josh Hutcherson (Jess Aarons), AnnaSophia Robb (Leslie Burke), Zooey Deschanel (Ms. Edmunds)
For complete info, see IMDb's Bridge to Terabithia page.
I haven't read the book Bridge to Terabithia, so I can't compare the movie to the book. However, the movie was very well done. Parts of the plot really surprised me, I won't give them away in case you have't read the book either. Definitely not a movie (or book) for younger kids, but a very well done movie that older kids and adults can enjoy together.
If you missed Bridge to Terabithia in the theatres, I definitely recommend renting it.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2007, adventure, AnnaSophia Robb, drama, family, fantasy, Josh Hutcherson, movie, Zooey Deschanel
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:10 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Nicolas Cage (Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider), Eva Mendes (Roxanne Simpson)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Ghost Rider page.
Ghost Rider looked like it was going to be so good from the previews. Fortunately, a few friends of mine saw it and told me to skip it in the theatre. It was worth watching on TV and it'd be worth renting, but seeing it in the theatre wasn't necessary. I didn't stop watching it, which is more than I can say of some other movies I recorded over the years, so it was entertaining enough to watch. Nothing super exciting or surprising, but worth seeing.
Grade: C
Labels: 2007, action, comics, drama, Eva Mendes, fantasy, movie, Nicolas Cage, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Nicolas Cage (Ben Gates), Diane Kruger (Abigail Chase), Justin Bartha (Riley Poole), Jon Voight (Patrick Gates), Helen Mirren (Prof. Emily Appleton), Ed Harris (Mitch Wilkinson), Bruce Greenwood (the President)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's National Treasure: Book of Secrets page.
I'd heard some good and some mediocre things about National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I have to say I agree with those on the mediocre side. This movie wasn't nearly as good as the original and I'm glad I didn't bother to see it in a theatre. It was worth watching at home while doing some other stuff, but if I'd given it my full attention I probably would have been bored at points.
The cast is still great and everything is well done, the second movie just seems to be missing something. I didn't find it nearly as interesting as the first movie.
Grade: C
Labels: 2007, action, adventure, Bruce Greenwood, Ed Harris, Helen Mirren, Jon Voight, movie, mystery, Nicolas Cage, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Hilary Swank (Holly Kennedy), Gerard Butler (Gerry Kennedy), Lisa Kudrow (Denise Hennessey), Gina Gershon (Sharon McCarthy), James Marsters (John McCarthy), Kathy Bates (Patricia Rawley), Harry Connick Jr. (Daniel Connelly)
For complete info on this amazing cast, see IMDb's P. S. I Love You page.
This movie about a young woman who loses her husband to cancer and the messages he left her to help her get through the pain of his death is very well done. The cast is completely amazing (it was great to see Sherie Rene Scott as the travel agent, too). The scenery in Ireland was beautiful and fit very well in this touching movie. It would have been worth seeing on a big screen for some of the shots of the countryside. Of course, there are no special effects, so it's a very good movie to rent.
If you don't like fairly sappy love stories, P. S. I Love You is not for you. That should be clear from the title. P. S. I Love You is a very well done romantic movie and I highly recommend it if you do enjoy romantic dramas.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2007, drama, Gerard Butler, Harry Connick Jr., Hilary Swank, Kathy Bates, Lisa Kudrow, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Jodie Foster (Erica Bain), Terrence Howard (Detective Mercer)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Brave One page.
I'm not sure what I expected from seeing the preview of The Brave One a couple times when it was about to come out in theatres, but it wasn't as good as the movie I got to watch. I should have known from the cast (Jodie Foster & Terrence Howard tend to pick great movies) that it would be more interesting than it appeared from the preview.
I didn't expect the movie to be very deep, I expected a fairly standard revenge thriller, but The Brave One was definitely not typical. I don't want to ruin anything in the movie, but I really did not expect what happened near the end and it's always good when a movie catches me off guard a bit.
If you missed The Brave One in theatres, I recommend renting it.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, crime, drama, Jodie Foster, movie, Terrence Howard, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Tom Hanks (Rep. Charlie Wilson), Amy Adams (Bonnie Bach), Julia Roberts (Joanne Herring), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Gust Avrakotos)
For complete info, see IMDb's Charlie Wilson's War page.
The cast of Charlie Wilson's War was amazing, so there was no question that I would rent it. I didn't know much about the movie, since I avoid news on a movie once I've decided to see it (I'd rather see it for myself than hear all about it first) and was surprised by how much this movie moved me.
Movies like this based on real people with real flaws (and Charlie Wilson had plenty, it seems) always interest me. This movie shows the real events that took place in Afghanistan in the late 80s and shows how Charlie Wilson helped the Afghans. If you like biographies and/or war movies, you should definitely rent this one.
Grade: B
Labels: 2007, Amy Adams, biography, drama, Julia Roberts, movie, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Hanks, war
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Maria Bello (Jocelyn), Emily Blunt (Prudie Drummond), Kathy Baker (Bernadette), Amy Brenneman (Sylvia Avila), Maggie Grace (Allegra Avila), Hugh Dancy (Grigg Harris), Jimmy Smits (Daniel Avila), Marc Blucas (Dean Drummond), Kevin Zegers (Trey)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Jane Austen Book Club page.
I can't remember why I added this book to my list, but it was probably a combination of the title (being about a Jane Austen book club when I read so much) and the amazing cast. The cast of The Jane Austen Book Club is amazing. I really wanted to list everyone in my blog, but that'd take so much space. I didn't realize that I'd pretty much recognize the entire cast (though I had to look some of them up on IMDb, I admit).
If you love to read, this is a must see movie! I think those who don't love to read or who aren't fans of Jane Austen can still enjoy this movie, but I'm sure it's a bit more of a "chick flick" because of the romantic undertones and the Jane Austen basis. Not that men can't enjoy Jane Austen's books, but I think women tend to be her bigger fans.
Any fan of reading or romantic movies should rent The Jane Austen Book Club. I really enjoyed this movie and I'm so glad I saw it. Definitely not a movie you had to see in a theatre, since there are no special effects. It's just a great story with an amazing cast!
Grade: A-
Labels: 2007, drama, Emily Blunt, Hugh Dancy, Jimmy Smits, Kathy Baker, Marc Blucas, Maria Bello, movie, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Morgan Freeman (Frank Carden), John Cusack (Ray Keene), Jamie Anderson (Chris Keene)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Contract page.
The cast of The Contract is great. That's probably why I expected more from this movie. They call it a thriller, but I definitely wouldn't go that far. Perhaps at times it was a bit suspenseful, but it was definitely not a thriller.
I'm glad I only watched this on my computer through Netflix, rather than bothering to even get the disc at home. If you're bored one night and you've watched most of the other things you wanted to see in the Netflix watch instantly section, you might want to watch this. I did finish the movie, so it definitely could have been worse, but I wouldn't recommend The Contract in spite of the cast.
The story was pretty boring and nothing exciting really happened.
Grade: C+
Labels: 2007, crime, drama, John Cusack, Morgan Freeman, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Glen Hansard (Guy), Marketa Irglova (Girl)
For complete info, see IMDb's Once page.
Now that I've seen the movie, I'm even happier that they won the Oscar for Best Song. Nothing against Stephen Schwartz, who did a great job with Enchanted's music and had a few songs nominated. I really enjoyed Once. It's a very sweet story that's not overdone.
This is not the typical movie musical (which should allow those who typically hate musicals to enjoy it). Once is about a songwriter who writes great music and needs help with the lyrics. So it's not like anyone breaks out in song randomly - they're actually writing music together.
I highly recommend this movie that proves you can have a great movie without spending a fortune and shows that there will always be a place for independent movies without big name stars, fancy sets, and special effects.
Grade: B+
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:50 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: George Clooney (Michael Clayton), Tom Wilkinson (Arthur Edens), Tilda Swinton (Karen Crowder), Sydney Pollack (Marty Bach)
For complete info, see IMDb's Michael Clayton page.
I didn't really know what to expect from Michael Clayton, since I don't watch reviews and I disliked No Country for Old Men, which beat it for best picture, so much. The fact that some of the people I know who had seen it really liked it did help, but I was a bit wary. I normally like George Clooney, but he has done a few in the last couple years that I didn't like very much.
This movie is described as a thriller, but I don't get that one. I'd say it's sometimes suspenseful, but it didn't have me on the edge of my seat or seriously worried about any of the characters at any point, so I would say thriller is stretching the definition quite a bit.
Michael Clayton is a very good dramatic movie and I definitely recommend renting it. The movie was interesting and reminded me of the John Grisham books and movies (the ones that were well done - The Firm, The Pelican Brief, etc.). If you like that kind of a movie, you should definitely rent Michael Clayton.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, crime, drama, George Clooney, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:00 PM show | 0 screams