Pitch Perfect

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This film is loosely based off a non-fiction novel Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory written by Mickey Rapkin. Beca, a freshman at Barden University, decides to join the Bellas. The Bellas are an all girl singing group that competes against other groups including the male group from their university. Beca brings some much needed changes to make her group win.

This film was directed by Jason Moore. This film story is a parody of musical competitions. It follows a familiar story plot; the outcast decides to join a strange group and in the end changes years of tradition and discovers herself. However, what makes this film original is its humor. Interestingly enough, a lot of these film perform comedy mainly seen by men and make it work. Each of the girls have a different comedy style making their characters stand out on screen. Naturally, films like this are highly predictable. There is also some mild adult humor, but nothing too over the top. The film also take popular music and revisions it like most other recent musical films do. The cast worked really well together-playing off each other's comedic style. Anna Kendrick played the role of Beca. She was great creating a very familiar role. She was able to showcase her musical and acting talent as a leading role. Skylar Astin played the role of Jesse. He was good in his role, but did not really stand out from the female cast. Brittany Snow played the role of Chloe. She was good creating a character to oppose Kendrick. 

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It is a great musical parody film, but it plays off very familiar groundings.

Answer to last blog: Director Francis Lawrence, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, directed the film I Am Legend.

Que: What other film has actress Brittany Snow starred in?

John Tucker Must Die
The Prestige
Little Miss Sunshine
The Hills Have Eyes

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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This film is based of the second novel, of the same name, in the Hunger Games Trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, and is a sequel to the film The Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen finds herself a target by President Snow after winning the 74th Hunger Games by keeping herself and Peeta Mellark alive when only one should have lived. This has caused a violent rebellion within the 12 districts of Panem. Despite all their efforts, Katniss and Peeta find themselves becoming contestants in the 75th Hunger Games Quarter Quell. 

This film was directed by Francis Lawrence. This film took the complications from its predecessor and improved them. Luckily, it holds true to the novel with minor variations. The direction in the story is much smoother and opens the story more. This deeper look into the character subtle behavior and the world in which live also allows the story to explore deeper into its political themes. It also uses subtle direction to open the film's story for its future plot. That being said this film also has a much darker story only to get darker. There is more violence in this film that it might not be appropriate for all children. The cinematography was great in this film. It gave enough room to keep a twist in the film. The computer animation on this film was great. It was used to give some effect to some of the terrors in the arena. The backdrops were great on film. It gave the impression that you never really knew where you were going to end up. The great acting allowed them to create amazing neurotic characters. Jennifer Lawrence returned to the role of Katniss Everdeen. She was great returning to this familiar role, and managed to keep true to the story character. She kept all of her characters emotions on a subtle note, but still made her feel important. Josh Hutcherson returned to the role of Peeta Mellark. He was much better returning to his role. He brought more life to his character.

I give this role 5 out of 5 stars! Even if this film may be inappropriate for the age group its marketing for, it is a great science fiction film. Its adult themes work well in this setting. 

Answer to last blog: Actor Michael Nyqvist, Europa Report, starred in the foreign film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Que: What other film has director Francis Lawrence directed?

I Am Legend
Juno
Enchanted
Atonement

Europa Report

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Through found footage, this tells the story of the Europa crew. They flew into deep space to recover samples from Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. The belief is that water is just below its icy surface, and possibly other forms of life. 

This film was directed by Sebastian Cordero. This modern science fiction, found footage, film plays on a very familiar storyline. Explorers go into space and encounter something unexpected. However, this film does feel more honest scientifically. The story actually uses found footage to add to the suspensefulness of the film. It also feels more like a documentary with inserted interviews and news reports. This makes it more sympathetic and almost more realistic. There is a lot kept hidden from view, such as the creatures themselves. The frozen moon itself is only briefly glimpsed. The cast was great, but not much was created for the personalities. Anamaria Marinca played the role of Rosa Dasque. She was great in her compelling role. Her desperation brought suspense to the film. Michael Nyqvist played the role of Andrei Blok. His emotions gave the film its sympathetic edge.

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! This is one of the best found footage films I've seen recently. It keeps enough in the dark to keep it suspenseful. It just needed a little story for the characters.

Answer to last blog: Actress Vera Farmiga, The Conjuring, starred in the film Source Code.

Que: What other film has actor Michael Nyqvist star in?

Revanche
Seraphine
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Coco Before Chanel

The Conjuring

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This film is based off the lives of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Ed and Lorraine Warren, husband and wife, are paranormal investigators that research various cases and study them. Lorraine is a powerful psychic and Ed captures the facts as proof. In 1971 Carolyn Perron, and her family, are being haunted after moving into an old house in Harrisville, Rhode Island, by a demonic spirit. Carolyn requests assistance from Lorraine and Ed to stop this entity before it uses her to murder her family. 

This film was directed by James Wan. This film is made to be a real life case study that was kept hidden away. This film plays a lot on cases proclaimed by the Warrens. This is roughly the third film created about their case studies, and it won't be the last. However, like their cases everything is about the ghost entity is in some aspect demonic. Everything about the film is highly familiar to other supernatural films like The Exorcist, Poltergeist, and The Amityville Horror. This makes the film very predictable. The story plays heavily on the emotions that the cast presents. The film does a great job at presenting the two different stories of each of the families, but not as great in combining them. There is a loose connection using a doll that feels pointless after a while-even if it is really creepy. However, this film does offer a new perspective on supernatural films. It offers an explanation and a clear solution. Even with all its familiarity, this film uses old school techniques and minimal special effects to create a creepy and sentimental experience. The story is also highly left open for many potential sequels (which is intended). Vera Farmiga played the role of Lorraine Warren. The sympathetic emotions she brought to the role made the character believable. Patrick Wilson played the role of Ed Warren. He was good in his role. He gave a realistic approach to the character and to the story. Lili Taylor played the role of Carolyn Perron. She played the very familiar role of the tormented victim. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to provide anything new or different for the film.

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It is a good thriller film, but it doesn't offer anything new to the genre. The predictability of the film isn't hindered by too much computer animation.

Answer to last blog: Actress Fiona Douriff, Curse of Chucky, starred in the film The Master.

Que: What other film has actress Vera Farmiga starred in?

The Tree of Life
The Descendants
Shame
Source Code

Curse of Chucky (2013)

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This film is based off the Chucky character created by Don Mancini, and is the sixth sequel to the Child's Play franchise. Nica, a paraplegic living with her mother, gets an unexpected surprise when a strange good guy doll is shipped to their house. After her mother's death, Nica begins to suspect that Chucky, the good guy doll, is the culprit behind the murder. Her remaining family is left vulnerable to his bloody chaos when they fail to believe her. 

This film was written and directed by Don Mancini. This film turns away from the recent comedic outlook on the Child's Play franchise and instead returns to its classic horror roots. It is also made to re-ignite the 80's franchise for modern audiences. The story is not unique because audiences already know the who-done-it, and the goal of the Chucky doll. The horror of the story is different because it doesn't follow a child, or young adults. However, the ending is very surprising because it keeps up to date with the previous films and brings a new change to the franchise. The ending reminds audiences that this is as much a sequel as a reboot. The only bad part is that the characters are very predictable. There are a lot of good moderate jump scares. Some of the death sequences are gorier. There are also plenty of hints of sexuality in the film, but its not over done. The acting was great for this film. It was a treat to watch father and daughter working together. Fiona Dourif played the role of Nica. She was great working alongside her father. She brought innocence and strength to the film. It'd be great to see her in future Child's Play films. Summer H. Howell, Summer Howell, played the role of Alice. She is great in her very limited role. It is unfortunate that she wasn't used more in the film. Brad Dourif was the voice of Chucky. As always, he is great in this role. He brings life to an unusual character. 

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It is a great B grade horror film for the fans of the classic films. It may not bring in new audiences, but it is good for laughs and scares.

Answer to last blog: Richard Brooks directed the 1967 film In Cold Blood which was based off Truman Capote's novel.

Que: What other film has Fiona Dourif starred in?

Argo
Lincoln
The Master
Holy Motors

Capote (2005)

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This is a biographical film about Truman Capote, and the events that followed while the novel In Cold Blood. In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel about the murders of the Clutter family in Kansas. 

This film was directed by Bennett Miller. This film has won countless awards namly for its acting. The story of this film is unique in that as it follows Capote's story and the creation of In Cold Blood, it also briefly follows the criminals Perry Smith and Richard "Dick Hickock. This film's story shows the struggle Capote went through while creating this story. It also shows the unusual relationship he made with the criminals. The ending leaves a question of Capote's true inner nature. The story of the film is slow and relies purely on the actors ability. The simple cinematography keeps to the dark nature of the characters. Philip Seymour Hoffman played the role of Truman Capote. He created a highly charismatic character that is haunted by his past, and whose current motives are unknown. Catherine Keener played the role of Nelle Harper Lee. She was great playing the role of Capote's understandable friend. 

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! It is a great dramatic biographical film about Truman Capote and the novel In Cold Blood.

Answer to last blog: Actress Portia Doubleday, Carrie, starred in the film Youth in Revolt.

Que: Who directed the 1967 film In Cold Blood, based off the novel written by Capote?

Richard Brooks
Stanley Kubrick
Arthur Penn
Stanley Kramer

Carrie (2013)

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This film is based off the novel, of the same title, written by Stephen King and is one of many adaptations of the story. Carrie White, a shy outcast teenage girl, lives with her insane and bible crazy mother Margaret White. After finding herself pushed too far at prom, she unleashes her telekinetic abilities on unsuspecting classmates. 

This film was directed by Kimberly Peirce. This is pretty much a remake of the classic 1976 film. Having a female audiences does make this film feel more personal to the dilemmas of modern teenage girls. This film keeps it familiar without making it too stylish for modern audiences. It does, however, modernize it enough to keep it interesting. There was a lot that was strange in the original, because it was new. This film takes all of those quirks and makes them feel more appropriate for the characters. The film can feel slow to a lot of modern audiences, but this makes it more exciting. There isn't as much tension to add to the horror of the film mainly because its already been seen. To make it horror, it uses more violence during the end. It also adds more to established characters-even if at times it is a bit too much. Unfortunately, there is no real development of Carrie's powers. She just has them. Chloe Grace Moretz played the role of Carrie White. Moretz was great in this role. She opened her acting talents to evoke images of a troubled teenager. Julianne Moore played the role of Margaret White. Moore was amazing in this role. She really opened this character to the insanity just lurking below. But, this film does spend more time showing her psychological problems and doesn't present much of her bible fanaticism. Portia Doubleday played the role of Chris Hargensen. She was good in her role even if went a bit too dark side with it. Gabriella Wilde played the role of Sue Snell. Wilde brought an conflicted innocence to the film. 

I give this film 4 out of 5 stars! It is a great remake with more violence. It doesn't have much horrific tension to make it terrifying or impactful.

Answer to last blog: Actor Christopher Eccleston, Thor: The Dark World, starred in the popular British television show Doctor Who.

Que: What other film has Portia Doubleday starred in?

The Hurt Locker
Up in the Air
(500) Days of Summer
Youth in Revolt

Thor: The Dark World

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This is based off the character Thor created by Marvel Comics, and is a sequel to Thor and, in part, The Avengers. Jane Foster discovers the Aether, a force that the dark elf Malekith wants to use to destroy all nine realms and bring back eternal darkness. Malekith's forces prove too challenging for Asgard and Odin. Thor finds himself forced to reunite with his criminal brother Loki to save the life of the woman he loves.

This film was directed by Alan Taylor. This film continues a familiar and popular comic story. This film does have a similiar to its predecessor, defeat what is threatening the galaxy, only on a much larger scale. This film has much more to build on than its predecessors. The world of Asgard is established, the characters have been developed in two films, and the love story has been created. So, this film was able to build on the established parts with more fast action and more humor. It keeps a story by adding more to the romance and creating a plot for a future film. The characters humor and heroics give the film a more humbling realism with otherworldly backdrops. There is a lot of computer animation for the fight sequences and for the backgrounds. Both are highly effective for the film. The action is great to watch on screen. For marvel fans, there are actually two after the ending features setting up for future films. The bonds the cast have developed helped bring an exciting energy to the film. Chris Hemsworth returned to his role of Thor. He did great returning to his heroic role. He brought more emotion and maturity to the character. Tom Hiddleston returned to his role of Loki. He was amazing in his role providing dark humor to the film. Christopher Eccleston played the role of Malekith. He was good in his villain role. As a new villain in an established franchise it feels odd that he appeared out of no where. But the film manages to explain enough that he still feels important. Natalie Portman played the role of Jane Foster. She was good in her returning role. A bit more could have been done to make her character more than just the damsel. 

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! This had a great returning cast in this franchise film. It adds more action and more humor to an established story.

Answer to last blog: Actor Nicolas Cage, The Croods, lent his voice talents to the film Astro Boy.

Que: What popular British television show did actor Christopher Eccleston star in?

Sherlock

Doctor Who

Downtown Abbey

Being Human

The Croods

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During the Pliocene era, Eep is plagued by the curse of curiosity. Eep meets Guy and is full of curiosity about this strange boy. After her, and her families, cave is destroyed their hopes rely on Guy's unique ideas. But, they quickly discover that their dreams may rest on the actions of the father, Grug.

This film was directed by Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders. This film takes a creative look at the cavemen and the evolution of Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals as two separate species, and their very different methods of survival. Unfortunately, it is mainly compared to Pixar films and the animated television show The Flintstones. This film was made to be cheesy and adorable so it could apply to children. This film's story wasn't meant to be an emotionally driven fairy tale. The story does keep to the cliched family comedies, and overuses very cheesy jokes making it highly predictable and a simple story. However cheesy the jokes are they work on cue to make audience's laugh. It also stresses the importance of family and survival can only happen together. It is enjoyable to watch the families reactions to new inventions like cavemen would have done. I am glad that this film didn't make the cavemen more likable by losing the cavemen behavior. It is a fast paced adventure full of action. It is also visually imaginative with animals and backgrounds alike. This film does offer an impressive cast of voice actors. Emma Stone voiced the character Eep. She brought an impressive energy to this character. Ryan Reynolds voiced the character Guy. He was great creating an opposing calming energy to Stone's character. Nicolas Cage voiced the character Grug. He had the worst lines in the film that made his character lovable. 

I give this film-Dun Dun Dunnn-5 out of 5 stars! It is a great family animated film. It is full of cheesy humor and follows the simplistic story guidelines.

Answer to last blog: Actor Rick Yune, Olympus Has Fallen, starred in the film Die Another Die.

Que: What other film did actor Nicolas Cage lend his voice talents to?

Astro Boy

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Monsters vs. Aliens

Coraline

Olympus Has Fallen

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Disgraced presidential guard, Mike Banning, decides to fight the North Korean forces that have destroyed the white house and threaten the president. Mike, using the inside knowledge of the white house, is able to fight against the terrorist Kang.

This film was directed by Antoine Fuqua. This is purely made for action junkies. It also plays with the recent fears of terrorist attacks. The story is told through its smooth fast paced action. Its simple plot consists of Mike Banning has to work fast to rescue the president, the president's son, and other members of government from being held captive. It doesn't bring anything new to the action except for the location. This film is centered entirely around and within the white house. This film is very predictable and cliched to make America look great and foreign countries look bad. There is also a feeling that this film goes through an entire country of stunt men/women. The action is all quick and effective. There are also several well placed explosions. There is talks of a sequel in the making with a very new location-London. Gerard Butler played the role of Mike Banning. He played the average good American Soldier role. Aaron Eckhart played the role of President Benjamin Asher. He played the average role of the good hearted president. Rick Yune played the role of Kang. He made the perfect villain for this film. He was driven purely by a plan and his morales. 

I give this 3 out of 5 stars! Apart from being predictable, and cliched, it is a great action film.

Answer to last blog: Actor Max Burkholder, The Purge, lent his voice talents to the animated show Family Guy.

Que: What other film has actor Rick Yune starred in?

Casino Royale
Die Another Day
GoldenEye
Quantum of Solace

The Purge

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In the future, every year, America face a 12 hour period known as the Purge. All emergency services are unavailable during this time. All crime, including murder, is legal with no repercussions. This was established by the new founding fathers to lower the general crime rate in America. The Sandin's, a wealthy family living in the suburbs, find themselves being held captive after rescuing a bloody stranger. However, there 12 hour night is only beginning.

This film was written and directed by James DeMonaco. This film is a unique story about modern American's recent fascination with violence, and the need to release this violence. Like with any other tradition, there are several rules involved with this night. Certain weapons are not allowed, and anyone truly important is not to be harmed. It's violent themes also dance around poverty and wealth. The poor are often the victims because of their inability to protect themselves. With all of these films political themes, it does not spend anytime building on the hinted political views. Since this film takes place in the moderate future, it is considered a horror and science fiction thriller. In truth there really isn't anything about it that makes it science fiction worthy. The horror aspect in this film is good, but it is limited due to lack of real tension. As a thriller, it works well. There a lot of cliches in this film; like only the truly innocent can survive. There is also little character development other than the obvious. The villains remain fairly familiar to fans of the slasher genre. Interestingly, there are plans for a sequel. Ethan Hawke played the role of James Sandin. He did great creating the average view of the good natured American father. He doesn't do much to make his character stand out apart from the norm. Lena Headey played the role of Mary Sandin. She was great in her role. She started out predictable, but managed to give it a slight change in the end. It is good to see her in a non-queen role. Max Burkholder played the role of Charlie Sandin. He was good in his familiar of the son. Adelaide Kane played the role of Zoey Sandin. She was good, but not great. Her character didn't offer much to the film other than being an easy victim.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It is a good thriller film with a great original idea. However, it fails to truly build on its ideas past film cliches.

Answer to last blog: Actor Will Ferrell, Everything Must Go, starred in the dramatic film Stranger Than Fiction.

Que: What animated film has actor Max Burkholder lent his voice talents to?

South Park

The Simpsons

Bob's Burgers

Family Guy

Everything Must Go

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This film is based off the short story Why Don't You Dance? written by Raymond Carver. Nick Halsey, relapses into alcoholism and in the process loses everything. His wife leaves all his possessions on the front lawn, after locking him out of the house. Nick, to remain on the property, is forced to sell his possessions in a yard sale. A few of his neighbors, and old friends, are key to his rehabilitation. 

This film was written and directed by Dan Rush. This is Rush's first directorial film. The story for this film is slow to develop, and revolves generally around learning more about the main character Nick Halsey as he discovers more about himself. It does manage to avoid using common place cliches. It also shows the simplicity of being able to read and understand people, and finding out that you could be wrong. Ending on a hopeful note keeps it from being too dreary. This film relies on the characters to tell the story, so there isn't much dramatic push. There also isn't a lot of violence. There are hints of sexuality but nothing too extreme. Will Ferrell plays the role of Nick Halsey. Ferrell has two acting roles, comedic and dramatic. Dramatic, that is used in this film, is full drain of his over the top personality. It works well for the slow pace of this film. 

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It is a good dramatic film with a happy ending that audiences can enjoy.

Answer to last blog: Director Larysa Kondracki, The Whistleblower, directed episodes from the British television show Copper.

Que: What other dramatic film has actor Will Ferrell starred in?

The Departed
The Queen
Stranger Than Fiction
Dreamgirls

The Whistleblower (2010)

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This film was inspired from the account of Kathryn Bolkovac. In 1999, Kathryn Bolkovac was a Nebraska police officer who decided to go to post-war Bosnia and work as a UN peacekeeper with DynCorp International. While there, she discovers that several of the other UN peacekeepers, native police, and others are involved with the sex trafficking trade. Bolkovac struggles to fight against the corrupt system.

This film was directed by Larysa Kondracki. This film isn't based off the novel written by Bolkovac, but is instead based off her account. This film deals with a serious subject matter of human sex trafficking, and does not shy away from the subject. DynCorp International, the company mainly mention in the film, have spoken in response that they will try to stop such acts from happening, and have in some aspects downplayed the accuracy of the film a little. The story follows Bolkovac through her troubling discoveries and her attempts to stop it. The story also shows how an international institute functions, and the difficulties of handling accountability due to diplomatic immunity. Since the film's story tries to keep true to the accounts, the film has an unhappy ending in that that the villains are not punished. The story also doesn't allow the antagonists any characterization other than being bad. There's no lifting of the veil to see their failing morales. There is a lot of graphic violence in this film, but it is not the worst that I've seen in several modern hollywood films. It does use the violence to engrain in audiences minds how bad this situation is. It can be too much for humanist and christian audiences. Rachel Weisz played the role of Kathryn Bolkovac. She did amazing creating a heroine that audiences could relate to. She pulled the audience into her desperation to end the sex trafficking in Bosnia and save the as many girls as possible.

I give this film 5 out of 5 stars! It is a good dramatic film that keeps a truth about the horrors that Bolkovac was facing. The violence might be overplayed, but it is fitting.

Answer to last blog: Director Chris Wedge, Epic, directed the film Robots.

Que: What British television show has Larysa Kondracki directed episodes for?

Sherlock
Copper
Downton Abbey
Being Human

Epic

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This film is loosely based off a novel entitled The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs written by William Joyce. Seventeen year old, Mary Katherine (M.K.) finds herself at her father's house. Her eccentric father Professor Bomba has spent his entire life searching for tiny soldier men known as Leafmen. Nod, a young independent Leafman finds himself wanting to become a soldier after Queen Tara's death at the hands of Boggans.

This film was directed by Chris Wedge. I did not get to see this film in 3-D. In 2-D it is still nice to watch the changing to scale from large to small. This film gets compared a lot to Pixar animated films. The story is very predictable and familiar to those who follow nature type of films. It's predictability eliminates its dramatic edge, but it is still a very adorable. The story doesn't solely focus on the love relationship between the two main characters. The characters are kept to a basic and familiar setting that keeps them from being anymore interesting than the secondary comedic characters. This film also cleverly hints at protecting the greenland as a theme. The basic story is accompanied by some great animation. There are several moments of awe in their animated creativity. This film is a great family adventure film for children. There are several celebrity voices in this film. Amanda Seyfried voiced the character Mary Katherine, or M.K. She was great creating the average confused teenage daughter looking for meaning in her life. Josh Hutcherson voiced the character Nod. He was good creating the role of a character who doesn't want to face his destiny.

I give this film 3 out of 5 stars! It is a great family adventure film. It's story is familiar and basic, but it has a great foundation of ideas. It also has some great animation.

Answer to last blog: Writer Evan Goldberg has written (technically) 6 films that featured actor Seth Rogen.

Que: What other film has Chris Wedge directed?

Chicken Little
Hoodwinked!
Robots
Madagascar