in_no_big_hurry Reviews

Running Scared (2006)

the best film of 2006 so far (that i have seen)

[10/10 · 14 June 2006]

i remembered seeing TV spots when this first came out, and i remember thinking it had a real cool look to it, but to be honest i did not feel like going to see it because i did not think too highly of Paul Walker and i thought it was be style with absolutely no substance. I was wrong about both. I never did not like Paul Walker, but surely had never impressed me in the least with his acting talent. He did in this picture. I don't think its a spoiler to say he is basically at an extreme state of mind at all times, extremely tense/angry/emotional etc., and i think he pulls it off very well. he does a good job on the accent too, its subtle and not over the top like accents tend to be in films.

As for the film, there certainly is whole lot of style, and there is substance as well. it pulls you in at the start, and does not let go until just about the final frame. i hate to compare it to other films as people always do, but i would say its like Snatch meets Training Day. Sort of. Like "Snatch" in terms of energy and style, and Training Day in that you kind of go for a ride with this guy for a day. i did not really describe that too well, let me just say if you liked Training Day, Snatch, Lock Stock, Pulp Fiction, Man on Fire, etc., there is a better than decent chance you will really enjoy this film. As the director says in the "making of" documentary, it is almost like a take on "Alice in Wonderland", there are a lot of characters that grab your attention and maybe churn your stomach. its not one of the most violent films i have seen, but it definitely has brutal violence, so be wary of that if somewhat realistic violence bothers you.

I have not seen a lot of 2006 films so far but it is easily the most enjoyable film i have seen. I liked Syriana and the Da Vinci Code quite a bit, but i liked this one even better. And far better than the disappointing X-Men 3. I highly suggest picking it up on your next trip to Blockbuster or moving up to the top of your Netflix queue.

9.5/10

The West Wing (1999–2006)

one of the best television shows. ever

[9/10 · 21 May 2006]

i give West Wing a nine out of ten. i know a lot of people have said this, but after Sorkin left the show it was still one of the best shows on TV, but it was no longer clearly the best show on TV. the first four seasons are fantastic. magnificent. entertaining and insightful. from then on, they are very good. that is really the only way to describe it. the show has a superb cast, you look at every main character and think there is no way they could have done a better job, both in casting and in the work the actors themselves do on the show. the direction is great, the editing is great, and the writing (once again, in the first four seasons, though still great afterwords) is the best ever in a dramatic series that i have seen. This show is right up there with Scrubs, The Shield, Arrested Development, 24 and others as the best shows on television in both recent memory and television history. Bradley Whitford, Richard Schiff, Allison Janney, Martin Sheen, Aaron Sorkin, John Spencer and the rest of the team behind "The West Wing" have truly made a show for the ages.

WMD: Weapons of Mass Deception (2004)

should be required viewing for all Americans

[10/10 · 19 May 2006]

no matter what side of the political or social or economic spectrum you fall on, you need to watch this documentary. it should be required viewing for all Americans. so many people fail to realize the faults of today's modern media. too many people take what the TV news show tells them at face value, without realizing all the inner workings behind the camera. you probably really learn more nowadays from watching The Daily Show or The Colbert Report than from CBS, ABC, and most certainly FOX. at least the first two shows do journalism, even if it is mock journalism. most mainstream news outlets today simply do "coverage" and then get their people in studio to argue over talking points. if you are curious about how the news you get gets to you (how it is shaped, filtered, etc.) i would suggest viewing this. 10/10

The Fog (2005)

I really don't know what everyone is talking about

[7/10 · 30 January 2006]

Every now and then, a really good horror film comes out. Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Ring, 28 Days Later, etc. This is not a really good horror film. i did like it though, and i don't know why everyone is saying how horrible this is. i mean, i watched the unrated version, maybe that made a big difference, i don't know. Most horror films suck. thats just a fact. this one was not really scary or anything, but i didn't feel cheated out of my hour and a half like others are saying. Yes, the special effects are much more advanced than in the first, and i usually don't like a lot of CGI, but the CGI in this was pretty good i thought. they didn't over due it like in a lot of films today. yes, Tom Welling is much better looking than the original Nick Castle, yes, Selma Blair is better looking than the original Stevie, and well neither Maggie Grace or Jaime Lee Curtis do much for me, but I don't having younger, more attractive actors hurt this film. I will say it, i liked this one better than the original. people can actually do that from time to time. the original "Fog" was okay, this one was decent, which is better than okay. It was a fun movie to watch, the acting was not spectacular, but aside from just a few moments from Maggie Grace, i thought it was alright. People who love the original version of films like them for certain reasons, so when a remake comes out with better looking effects and actors and a bit of a different story, they want to hate it. but if a remake is the exact same, what the hell is the point of remaking it. if anything, more people will go back and watch the original because of seeing this one, because most people have not seen the original. I think if you just go into this film not trying to compare every detail to the original, and not expecting it to suck, and just watch it to watch and enjoy a movie, you might be pleasantly surprised, or you might think it sucks, but it certainly is no worse than 95% of the horror films that come out

Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009)

Easily the best late night talk show ever

[10/10 · 18 June 2004]

Jay Leno, Johnny Carson, Letterman, they are all alright. but usually when i watch one of them, it is because an actor or musical act i like will be on. Conan is the only talk show i watch just to see him. they could have a channel of nothing but reruns of Conan shows, and i would watch it all day. i did not become a hardcore watcher(every night) of Conan until maybe six months ago, and i feel cheated for not being able to see the 10 years of shows he did prior. He is hilarious, Max is hilarious, all the little skits they do range from terrible to genius, but even the terrible ones make you giggle from the sheer stupidity of them. Hilarious. Truly one of the most consistently funny shows ever, up there with South Park, Arrested Development, and the best sitcom ever, Scrubs. The humor may not always work, but they are never afraid to attempt jokes and skits you can not believe are on a huge network show. Max and Conan have this chemistry, its like they have no chemistry kind of, and that is what makes it so great. I never get tired of Conan making fun of how crappy he and his show is, even though we all know it is the exact opposite. Definitely worth staying up for.

Paycheck (2003)

Do not know why it did not do better

[22 May 2004]

I dont understand the criticism of this movie. People are saying it is awful, the direction is awful, the actors are awful, etc., etc.. I really do not understand this. this is a very enjoyable movie. it is better than most of the action flicks coming out anyway. I mean, it does not deserve to be on the IMDb 250 or anything, but i think it is one of the best movies of its genre to come out in the last couple years. I think it has just been 'cool' to hate on Ben Affleck lately, so people are too quick to criticize everything he does.

Not great, but a solid action flick. it actually involves more thinking than most action flicks, and overall is just a really good popcorn flick.

The Whole Ten Yards (2004)

a bit disappointing

[3/10 · 10 April 2004]

I enjoyed "The Whole Nine Yards", it wasn't "Goodfellas", but it was quite enjoyable. So, based on that and the fact that I will watch anything with Bruce Willis in it, my girlfriend and i went to see it. I am sorry to say that i was disappointed. It tried to have a surprise ending by keeping the audience along with "Oz" in the dark the entire movie about what was going on. By doing so however, at the end i found myself not really caring what happened. The whole movie just didn't seem to flow really well. It had some funny moments, but a bit too much of Perry running into stuff and falling down. Willis' performance was stellar as always, and Amanda Peet was good also. Kevin Pollak, however, was a too over the top with his performance. He was trying to hard to be funny, instead of just being the character. You could see him asking for laughs. Overall, not a very good movie, i wish i would have seen Ladykillers or Hellboy instead. My girlfriend enjoyed it, so if you are the type who likes simple, predictable jokes and sight gags, you might be pleased. If you are looking for a plot and a rewarding ending, you might want to just rent the first one instead.

5/10

Straight Plan for the Gay Man (2004– )

surprised how funny it actually is

[4 March 2004]

when i first saw the commercials for this, i thought that it was going to be a very unfunny parody. i figured comedy central just threw a show together to cash in on the whole "queer eye" thing.

It is actually quite an intelligent and hilarious show. every "how to play it straight" tip is dead on to how the straight man thinks, and it makes fun of gay people in a positive way instead of in a negative one. it is probably the best comedy show that i have seen that deals with gay and straight people.

Very funny, you can enjoy it whether you are homo or hetero, give it a look, not to be missed.

House Party 3 (1994)

one of the worst movies i have ever seen.

[2/10 · 2 November 2003]

What else can i say? This is maybe the crappiest movie i have ever viewed. It sucks so much, i dont even know if i would consider it a movie. It is like a bad high school play that was taped. I actually owned this movie at one point. I sold it to an entertainment store for one dollar and was damn happy to get that dollar for it. Terrible!

1/10

Legends of the Fall (1994)

tried to be too much, but good

[7/10 · 28 October 2003]

First of all, this was a good movie. Anthony Hopkins did a good job, as did the other suporting actors, and Brad Pitt was great as he always is. Some people say Brad Pitt is too "pretty" for this movie. That just doesn't make since. The story is about how women fall in love with him as soon as they meet him(Suzanna, Isabelle) so it would make since that he is good looking. The only problem i had with the movie is that it tried to be too much. I tried to be a romantic movie, an action movie, a drama, and an epic story all in one. Some movies pull this off well, like Gladiator or Braveheart, but legends tried to be too dramatic with all the people dying and everything. It is almost as if it could have been an epic story, but tried too hard to be one. If that makes any sense.

Well, it is a good movie, but it is not a great movie. If you like Brad Pitt because you think he is sexy and want to see him cry a lot, you will probably love it. If you like him more like he was in snatch or fight club, you probably will not like it as much. Good watchable movie, but nowhere near Brad or Hopkins best. For a better drama with them in it, rent or buy Meet Joe Black. And if you do not already own fight club, go and buy it RIGHT NOW.

7/10

Underworld (2003)

the best movie i have went and seen since "lotr: the two towers"

[10/10 · 22 September 2003]

this was the best movie that i have seen since the "two towers." And i have seen some good movies this year. I didn't take my eyes off the screen for a second the entire movie. Even though it was dark and gothic looking, it was a very beautiful movie, and the director did a grat job. Kate Beckinsale is hot. Sooo hot. She was really hot as a vamipire, and she even looks 10 times better normally. This was not a scary movie, but the lichens were visually terrifying. I really enjoyed this movie, looks like they will make a sequel, and i seriously hope they do. I can't wait to watch it again, and i bet this will be the best movie i see till December 18 when return of the king comes out

A Guy Thing (2003)

as good as i expected

[8/10 · 13 September 2003]

This was a pretty entertaining movie. It wasn't The Usual Suspects or Memento, but it wasn't trying to be. For once, Julie Stiles looked pretty hot. Jason Lee was awesome as usual. He was the only reason i watched it, and as usual he didn't disappoint. I will watch anything with Jason Lee, and because of that i saw this funny, entertaining movie.