12 Years a Slave review

This film is directed by Steve McQueen. The art house director, not "The King of Cool". Just wanted to clear that up.

I've heard a lot of people call 12 Years a Slave 'the best movie they never want to see again'. I couldn't disagree more. While 12 Years a Slave is a damn good film, I would love to see it again. Many people are saying how gruesome and visceral it is. It was hard to watch at parts, sure. Yet, I feel like multiple viewings would be helpful in getting a truly full experience from the movie. All the terrific performances and techniques the movie has are just too good not to see again. Some movies, like Lincoln for example, were very well done, yet so incredibly boring that I wouldn't want to sit through it again. 12 Years a Slave isn't boring. I know the reason people wouldn't want to see it again is because of how sad and violent it is. Even so, I'd still want to recreate the incredible experience it was to see this film again. The movie is really gritty and bloody. but that's how it should be. A movie about the horror's of slavery shouldn't be sugar coated and censored. Therefore the sheer bloodiness of the film is unfortunately necessary. I hope the academy doesn't snub McQueen with a Best Director nod like they did with Kathryn Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino last year for the subject matter of their movies. 12 Years a Slave is well acted, directed, and shows an unbelievable true story for what it is: a tale of survival and horror. It's not Hollywood-ized or made into some heroic adventure tale. Yeah, it's heartbreaking and sometimes very painful to watch, but it works. I think it's safe to say 12 Years a Slave is one of the better films of the year. Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a well-to-do free black man with a nice family living in Saratoga, New York. One day, he is kidnapped and sold into slavery. His past life is stripped away and everything that once mattered to him is seemingly forgotten. Even his name is changed. He is first a slave under the kind Master Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch). Unfortunately, Ford's second in charge, named Tibeats (Paul Dano), is quite cruel and hates Solomon right away. A series of brutal events leads Solomon to serve under the crueler and angrier Master Edwin Epps (Micheal Fassbender). There, he is worked hard and beaten. Northup's will is put to the test. At Epps' plantation is where he spends most of his time in the film. Solomon's fantastic skill of playing the violin is of some help, but he is still targeted by Epps and his wife. Some of the most depressing and harsh moments take place in this point of the movie. As harsh as they were, they were necessary in making the movie as realistic and gritty as it is. I can't stress that enough. As I said before, the performances are terrific. The best being form Chiwetel Ejiofor and Micheal Fassbender. I feel like Benedict Cumberbatch and Brad Pitt could have given some truly memorable portrayals here, but they are only given a very small amount of screen time. I have no doubt whatsoever that Ejiofor will get a Best Actor nomination and I hope Fassbender will get a Supporting nod. The acting, while good, isn't the only good part of the film. McQueen does a great directing job here. Regretfully, I haven't seen Shame or Hunger (yet!) but I already know he will go on to be one of the great directors of our time. 12 Years a Slave is filmed with a certain character-based realism that almost made me believe I was there. At the end there's a close up shot of Ejiofor's face with the background blurred out. The rack-focus close up technique ,especially used with Chiwetel Ejiofor, just shows how worn out and weary the once free man was. It's powerful stuff. I was expecting 12 Years a Slave to be a pretentious over-hyped bore. It wasn't any of that. As much as I loved Prisoners, I think '12 Years' tops it as Best Movie of the Year So Far. Believe the hype. 12 Years a Slave is damn good. I give 12 Years a Slave 5 out of 5 stars. You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies.  

#tbt Natural Born Killers review

Sometimes when a man loves a woman very much they go on a cross country murder spree, killing anyone that irritates them in the slightest way. Wait, that's not right at all.
Way back in ol' 1994 filmmaker Oliver Stone made a little movie called Natural Born Killers. It's about two lovers named Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis). Both had very traumatic childhoods, and both have developed a certain bloodthirstiness that can only be satisfied by murder. They are quickly turned into stars, almost idols, by the media. Particularly Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.), who looks upon Mickey and Mallory as legends who can boost his ratings. The film documents their (fictional) crime spree through a very trippy directing job by Oliver Stone. Quentin Tarantino originally wrote the screenplay, but it was vastly changed by Stone, David Veloz, and Richard Rutowski. Thus Tarantino only got a story credit here. But a few of his trademarks are still present (i.e. it being very violent and a Mexican standoff being held towards the end). There was an outrage against the film for being way too violent when it came out. People said that it promoted violence. Yet, the movie actually does the opposite. If simply glance at the film, you would just see the violence and nothing past that. Yet, if you really watch it, you can see this is actually a pretty smart movie. Oliver Stone got a Golden Globe nod for Best Director here. I can see why. Natural Born Killers is a cinematic fever dream of an insane person. That's one reason that makes the film so damn cool! Certain scenes are shot in 35mm and Super 8, while others are given a strange grainy feel or put through a color filter. Not just the look of the movie is strange. There are some parts that feel as if it's all part of some bad drug trip or weird dream. At one point in the motel Mickey and Mallory are staying at, the images of the television are being projected onto the motel window. Another scene in the film is shot and edited as if it's a sitcom with a laugh track, while the scene is depicting Mallory's father abusing both her and her mother. It's strange, but it is effective in showing how Mallory's childhood was and it really solidifies the scene in your mind. You've got to hand it to Stone for really being creative with his direction here. Oliver Stone isn't generally known as an auteur director like say, Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino. Yet, this movie is perfect proof he could be. I am a pretty big Oliver Stone fan. I loved Born on the Fourth of July and JFK, and of course Platoon was great. Natural Born Killers may not be as good as those, but it comes close. Partially because of the direction, but also because of the acting. I really enjoy Juliette Lewis' acting. I think she is an underrated actress. She was terrific in Cape Fear and What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Personally, I think her performance here is her best yet. She plays Mallory with such a wicked fascination, she seems just to be a teenager who because of being all messed up as a kid, took her "rebellious' stage a bit too far. Woody Harrelson is great too. He's driven by his hatred but also by his love for Mallory. Harrelson portrays his character to near perfection. The best part of the film is how it shows how the killers became celebrities. Everyone knows that they're murderers, yet they think they are cool and the idolize them. At one point in the movie someone says, "If I could be a mass murderer, I'd be Mickey & Mallory!" It just shows how distorted these things can get. I personally think Natural Born Killers is an underrated classic. while it's not Oliver Stone's best, it's still pretty good. Happy Throwback Thursday and Happy Viewing! You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies!

Escape Plan review

Aren't these guys a little old to be doing any of this? I'm surprised none of them stopped the movie to pop an arthritis pill.
Mikael Hafstrom has never made a good movie in his entire career. His newest film, Escape Plan, isn't good. But it's not bad either. Ray Breslin (Sylvester Stallone) breaks out of prisons to see if they're 100% secure for a living. His newest assignment is an off-the-grid "unbreakable" prison code named, The Tomb. He's beaten, kidnapped, and thrown on a plane to this infamous super jail. It's obvious he was set up. So he quickly forms a friendship with Emil Rottmayer, (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and hatches an escape plan. Hence, the title of the movie.
When going to see Escape Plan, do not expect it to be a well written Oscar contender. Escape Plan isn't hiding what it really is. It's a no-holds-barred testosterone-fueled action flick. I mean any movie that boasts both Ahnuld and Rocky nowadays is probably going to be something like The Expendables 2. Even though I think Escape Plan is better than The Expendables 2, it's still incredibly dumb. Yet, it's also full of some really fun action. Then again, it's still a ridiculous movie. Nothing about this film makes a lot of sense, but the movie is honest about that. It's not hiding the fact that it's a brainless action blockbuster. It embraces the fact. Unlike say, Now You See Me which was trying to trick you into thinking it was a smart thriller when really it was a crappy action movie. That's the beauty of Escape Plan. Both you and the guys who made the movie know it's a "bad" movie, and that's what make sit so damn fun. Not everything is fun though. Sylvester Stallone is a very talented person. He wrote and starred in Rocky, and got two Oscar nods for that. Many people forget that he used to be a "good" actor. Hell, I thought his performance in First Blood was pretty good too. His performance (if that's what you want to call it) in Escape Plan is the equivalent of an emotionless boulder that punches people. Although I can't say I expected much considering what Stallone has been doing recently. Arnold on the other hand, completely hams it up here. Schwarzenegger is absolutely hilarious here. Yeah he kicks a lot of ass, but he also made me crack up. He was certainly the best part of the movie. At one point in the film Arnold Schwarzenegger has to smile. It is the single funniest facial expression I've ever seen. That smile made my day. I can't say the same for Stallone, unfortunately. The Italian Stallion's face is about as lively as a plank of wood the entire movie. Jim Caviezel has a role here as The Tomb's warden. He isn't great, but he plays it with a certain delicious villainy that's worthy of a Die Hard criminal. No acting awards here, but still not too bad. Escape Plan may be a mostly forgettable actioner. But it has a certain delightfulness and complication that makes this bullet-ridden movie so fun. I was actually thinking about seeing the Carrie remake instead if this. I'm glad I didn't. I figure I'd rather have fun at an exciting but stupid action movie than be pissed off at how the remake completely ruined the original. There are much better movies in theaters now that you should see before this like Prisoners and Captain Phillips, but if you wanna have fun killing two hours: Escape Plan is the movie to see. Just don't expect anything too philosophical and thought provoking. I give Escape Plan 3.4 out of 5 stars. Happy Viewing! You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies.          

#tbt Shaun of the Dead review

Why can't The Walking Dead be more like this?

The Cornetto Trilogy are a series of three comedy films by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. They are all equally funny, entertaining, and to a certain extent, heartfelt. About two months ago the conclusion to the trilogy, The World's End, came out. It was a very good end to the series. But it all started back in 2004 with the "zom-com", Shaun of the Dead. Shaun of the Dead is about a man named Shaun (Simon Pegg) who takes his slacker roommate (Nick Frost), his ex-girlfriend (Kate Ashfield), her friends (Dylan Moran and Lucy Davis), and his mom (Penelope Wilton) and tries to survive the reanimation of the dead. With hilarious results. I have never seen anything like Shaun of the Dead. There's never been a better zombie movie. Shaun of the Dead is so much more than just a zombie movie, if you've seen it you'd know. This is the kind of movie you need to watch more than once. On first viewing it's a pretty funny zombie flick. After multiple viewings, you get some more of the jokes and you get a fuller appreciation of the film as a whole. You begin to see Edgar Wright's wonderful way of cutting scenes (which he re-used in Hot Fuzz, but less so in The World's End) and just how damn funny the movie is. I just saw it for my fourth time and don't regret a single viewing. It's actually an incredibly rich film, a lot of people haven't analyzed it as much as they should. Definitely the smartest horror movie ever made. The obvious strength of Shaun of the Dead is its humor. For some reason, Brits always seem a hell of a lot funnier than Americans. Maybe it's their accents. Maybe the British are just a more talented group of people. I don't know. What I do know, is that Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright wrote a very, very funny script for the move that's jam packed with lot's winks, nods, and references to other movies. There are certain movies, like The Big Lebowski and Pulp Fiction, that I can rewatch and rewatch without getting tired of them. This is one of those movies. After every viewing of Shaun of the Dead I get something new out of it. In fact, the last time I watched it was the best, simply because I got so many of the jokes and references and because I understood it so much more. There are some subtle gags that only a handful of people would get, and much broader and funnier stuff like Shaun and the gang beating up a zombie to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now. It's ludicrously funny stuff. Yet, as good as the script is, it'd all be for naught if not for some great comedic acting. Luckily, this movie has a fantastic ensemble of great British comedy actors. Nick Frost has appeared in all of the Cornetto films. He is most certainly hilarious here. Frost delivers some of the best lines in the movie. Simon Pegg of course is great as the title character. There's a reason he's gone on to so many movies after this like Mission Impossible and Star Trek. He's just really, really fun to watch. The rest of the cast is good too. Especially Bill Nighy in a small , but pivotal, role as Shaun's step dad. This movie is like a nice puzzle. Every aspect of it is a piece that without, would make it an unfinished puzzle, but with the pieces in their places: It's an undisputed masterpiece. Shaun of the Dead was the launching pad for this cast to move on to more things. Simon Pegg is a pretty big star now. Edgar Wright , along with directing the Cornetto trilogy, did Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and other projects. Nick Frost has more acting work now, He was in Snow White and the Huntsman, crappy as that was. Shaun of the Dead is an overall terrific film in many ways. If you haven't seen it, I advise you to do so. as you may have noticed, I'm doing a theme of horror movie Throwback Thursday reviews in spirit of Halloween. Last week I did The Evil Dead and next week I'm planning on doing The Cabin in the Woods. If you have any particular preferences, follow and message me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies. Thanks. Happy Viewing!        

Gravity review

Even in a while plummeting through space in the face of almost certain death while wearing a clunky astronaut suit, George Clooney still manages to be incredibly suave and confident.
So about a year ago I stumbled across this sci-fi film called Gravity in the 'Upcoming Releases' part of a movie website. It sounded very cool, yet there was little information about it. No posters or pictures , or even a synopsis. The release date was November 2012. I was very excited to see it. Come November, Gravity doesn't actually come out. It seems to have vanished from existence. I was quite confused, but I just got on with my life. Flash forward to May 2013. I'm at a showing of The Great Gatsby and there's a trailer shown for some cool space movie called, you guessed it, Gravity. My heart soars. The audience applauds. Tears are shed. Fade to black. Okay, it wasn't that dramatic, but you get the point. Anyway, I became very, very excited for the film. Around late August, reviews for Gravity started coming in. They were very good reviews. My excitement was solidified. Well, Gravity finally came out last week. I didn't get a chance to see it then. I got back from seeing it in 3D, and damn those reviews were right. Gravity is about two astronauts; Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) and Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) who get "lost in space" when satellite debris take out their entire control center. They then have to maneuver to the nearest space station and stay alive. There's been a lot of hype around Gravity. It seems like everyone on the internet is talking about it.  It has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes! The Godfather Part II and Raging Bull have a 98%! (Coincidentally, both those movies are starring Robert De Niro.) I was actually worried about it. I thought my expectations would be too high. Could it live up to the hype? Yes and no. Gravity is the most beautiful and visually striking movie I've seen all year. The movie starts out with one unbroken shot, a strange reminiscent  of Martin Scorsese and Stanley Kubrick. That one shot was what sucked me in. I was hooked. Alfonso Cuaron is the director here. If he doesn't get an Oscar for this I don't know what the world will have come to. The direction here is like fluid, flowing across the vast and wonderful vacuum that it is outer space. Shot after shot, my breath was being taken away. Everything looks so real here. I could have sworn I was right up with Sandra Bullock, flying through space with her. This movie is so great because of the visuals. Cuaron directed the third Harry Potter flick and the apocalyptic P.D. James adaptation, Children of Men. Those were all good. Gravity though, may be his masterpiece. It's not a perfect film though. The characters are a bit flimsy and it sometimes feels off. But I forgive all of its minor issues for the sheer astounding beauty and awesomeness of it all. The acting is alright here. George Clooney is his usual cool self, nothing wrong with that. Nothing really special either. Sandra Bullock is decent. In the majority of the movie she's going through space screaming and being scared. But towards the end, she gets her chance to shine. I don't consider Bullock to be a fantastic actress. She isn't mind blowing here, but she's not bad either. Yet, the best part of Gravity is the fantastic visuals and direction. And yes, I would watch it again. I was wrestling with myself on what rating to give this. Then I thought, it kept my attention the whole time and truly blew me away. It was the maybe the best experience I've ever had at the movies! So in conclusion, I give Gravity 4.5 out of 5 stars. Happy Viewing guys! Remember, you can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies!

Captain Phillips review

Let's just hope they don't make 'Captain Phillips 2: Cruise Control' starring Jason Patric instead of Tom Hanks.
Every once in a while, a movie comes around that really surprises everyone. A movie that looked just alright, but turned out to be an amazing thrill ride. I suppose last year it was probably Argo. This year it's Captain Phillips. The film is ripped straight from the headlines, but still manages to keep you on edge even though you probably knew the ending. The movie's about a modest New England sea Captain, named Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), whose ship gets boarded by four armed Somali pirates. The only way the pirates will get off the ship is if Phillips comes with them in a small lifeboat. Which he does, being the great captain he is. After that it's nothing more than extreme tension. To say Captain Phillips is exciting would be an understatement. This is mainly because of Paul Greengrass' direction. He's the guy behind a couple other "true story" thrillers and what I think is the best Jason Bourne flick. He's no stranger to movies like this. Which is why it's no surprise that he can make the movie so damn breathtaking. Although I have to say his shaky camera aesthetic can get a bit tiresome after a while. In his defense, this is an appropriate movie in which to use the shaky camera technique. One thing I particularly liked about the movie was how they didn't make the antagonists these nameless criminals who were hellbent on nothing but destruction. A lot of films fall victim to that . (I'm looking at you, Die Hard 2). Most of the pirates are horrible and deserve what they got, but you do start to feel for them a bit. You really can never condone their actions, but you start to understand why they're doing it. It shows what happens in real life without making it some heroic action movie. Greengrass and screenwriter Billy Ray really succeed with that. Tom Hanks hasn't been anything really great lately. Cloud Atlas (which came out last year) was just alright, not great. Especially compared to Hanks' past filmography. Captain Phillips is a terrific comeback for Hanks. I wouldn't be surprised if he scored an Oscar nod for this movie. Tom Hanks plays the title role with a sense of realism that I forgot he was so good with. It reminded me of his performance in Cast Away mixed with the one in Saving Private Ryan, with his unique brand of regular guy likability thrown in. Captain Phillips may be Hanks' best movie since Catch Me If You Can. The only other well known actor here is Catherine Keener as Andrea Phillips, Richard's wife. Although being a very talented actress, she's only in about five minutes during the beginning. I know that there wasn't much room for her, but I would've liked for Keener to be used to her full extent. Not worry though, this is Hanks' movie and he shows it. The only other notable performance is Barkhad Abdi as Muse, one of the Somalian pirates. He plays the part quite well, with a certain fierceness. I went in to Captain Phillips thinking it was going to be an overrated movie that the Academy was going to slobber over come awards season. The Academy may love this movie, but now I know it will be justified. Captain Phillips is one of the more exciting movies and well-shot of the year with a terrific performance by Tom Hanks. Definitely, I can say that it's better than the other true story movie we had this year, Pain & Gain. I give Captain Phillips 4.3 out of 5 stars. You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies.
Happy Viewing!        

Prisoners review

This movie was so intense and so seriously insane, that I don't think it's appropriate it to start my review with some corny joke or saying that's somehow connected to the movie like I usually do. Prisoners is the kind of movie that keeps you watching until the last second, and then keeps you thinking long after the credits have rolled. I can't help but be reminded of David Fincher's 2007 film, Zodiac. A similar feeling thriller also starring Jake Gyllenhaal that kept me thinking long after the movie finished. But I don't want to go around making comparisons of Prisoners to other movies. Even though the movie has elements similar to other mysteries, it is also very unique. The plot to the film is that on one Thanksgiving, two children by the names of Anna Dover and Joy Birch disappeared. The families are devastated and immediately start looking for the kids.A suspect is soon found, but he seems to be innocent. The father of one of the missing girls, Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman), starts to go a bit crazy looking for the two girls. He uses any means possible to find out where is daughter is. Torture being one of them. Meanwhile, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is on the case to find the girls. he begins to unearth something bigger then he originally thought. Prisoners is directed by Canadian-born filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who last directed the Oscar nominated, Incendies (which I unfortunately didn't see). Villeneuve is a new director to me. I wish I'd heard about him earlier, because if his other works are anything like Prisoners, I'll be wanting to see them. His direction here is perfect for the movie. He gives it a very grim and dark mood that goes right along with the story. It's almost always raining in the story, reminiscent of older noir movies like Sin City and Blade Runner that used that technique to develop a dark feeling. His direction is one of the main reasons, although not the only one, that this movie never really gets boring. There's always a sense of dread in the air that keeps you wondering what will happen next. Prisoners is a long film, so you have to give credit to it. Any movie that';s able to grab your attention and hold it for that long deserves some extra praise in my book. Only a few movies like Magnolia and JFK have been able to do that for me. The acting here really helps too. Hugh Jackman is quite good as the angry dad of one of the kidnapped girls. He's certainly coming up in the acting world. I see another Oscar nod in his future.The rest of the supporting cast is great too. Especially Paul Dano as a mentally disabled suspect and Melissa Leo as his protective grandmother. The performance I thought stood out the most for me was Jake Gyllenhaal. As some of you may know, I think Mr. Gyllenhaal is a terrific actor. Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko, and End of Watch are all some examples. He's just as good here. His portrayal of this frustrated cop is spot on. You can tell he's really into the role. Gyllenhaal is one of the best parts of the film. Prisoners is full of little bits of symbolism and and twists that you 'didn't see coming'. It's occasionally annoying, but only occasionally. Prisoners doesn't overdue it on twists and dumb plot devices a lot of thrillers resort to. It doesn't need to. The good parts of this movie are it's performances and it's direction and intricate plot. Prisoners is one of those rare thrillers, not unlike Zodiac, that does almost everything right without putting in unnecessary twists and flashy annoyances. (I'm looking at you, Now You See Me.) I honestly wasn't expecting as much as I got out of the film. My favorite part is how the ending was handled. But I won't spoil it for you, go see for your self. I assure you it'll be a movie-going experience you won't forget. I don't know yet if Prisoners is the best movie of the year, but right now it has my top spot. I give Prisoners 4.5 out of 5 stars. Happy Viewing! You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies!        

#tbt The Evil Dead review

The Evil Dead isn't dead. It is still very much alive.

Back in the early 80's, a little filmmaker made a small budget horror flick right out of college. It was made for a shoestring budget with his friends in the cast. That filmmaker was Sam Raimi, who went on to direct the first Spider-Man movies. That film was The Evil Dead (as you may have guessed), and developed such a big following that it rocketed Raimi to two sequels and an entire film career. I wasn't turned on to The Evil Dead Trilogy until about last year. I watched the entire trilogy and loved each movie. Because we're getting around Halloween movie season, I decided to do a series of horror movies for my next Throwback Thursday reviews. What better horror movie to review then "The" horror movie? It's the original "teenagers in a cabin in the woods" setting. Sure, it's cheesy as hell. But it does everything else right. It's certainly one of my favorite horror movies (although personally I prefer Evil Dead 2 over the original, but that's beside the point). The plot of the film is an old one. Five kids drive up to an isolated cabin to have a fun weekend. They accidentally summon a couple ancient demons which start to posses everybody. Except for Ash (Bruce Campbell), who's left to fight off his possessed friends. It sounds like a simple plot to a stupid B horror movie. The Evil Dead is a B horror movie, but it's not stupid. It's very well made for what limited resources the director had. Despite the hilarious special effects, Raimi still manages to make an incredibly suspenseful horror flick. On first viewing, I was sitting on the edge of my seat! Pardon that blatant use of an overused cliche, but it's completely true. The movie shocked and surprised me, without taking itself too seriously. It's good in that way. Sam Raimi is definitely the main reason for that. His direction is really tense and well done for a horror movie. He hasn't done that much horror after the Evil Dead films, except for Drag Me To Hell. He should. He's a decent director, and this is one of his best movies. Hell, it's probably better than like 95% of the horror movies that come out around now! The acting here is alright, but nothing special. The only real standout is Bruce Campbell in the lead role. His acting isn't good either. Yet, he makes a good hero and (especially in the later films) embraces the schlock and cheesiness with good-hearted humor. Campbell is one of the main reasons why this became such a cult hit. The Evil Dead is by far the best horror franchise. While each movie got funnier as it went on, it still kept with its roots. It's not like the Scream movies that started completely sucking after the second one. (Scream 4? Ugh.) Even with the all the incredible cheesiness and dated look, The Evil Dead still shocks and entertains. I recommend it of course! But if you're in unforgiving cynic, maybe don't watch it. Happy Viewing and Happy Throwback Thursday! Remember you can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on 

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#tbt The Breakfast Club review

This movie's title is a lie. At no point in the film does anyone eat breakfast.

The Breakfast Club is considered a staple of 80's films. Everyone I've talked to who has seen The Breakfast Club, has nothing but good things to say about it. It's hailed as a classic and masterpiece in high school flicks. I'm not entirely sure if it deserves masterpiece status, but it's still a pretty damn good movie. The plot of The Breakfast Club is that a group of high school stereotypes: the jock, the princess, the basket case, the nerd, and the criminal; get a Saturday detention together and spend it bonding and learning about each other. All while having a little fun. I don't necessarily like reviewing these very well known "classic" movies. Everyone has an opinion on them and so much has already been said about them that it's hard to say anything new. This movie was good, because of blah, blah, and blah. Roger Ebert and thousands of other people said the same thing 25+ years ago. So I'll try my best not to sound repetitive. Sit back, relax, and enjoy my review of The Breakfast Club.
Apparently John Hughes wrote the screenplay for this in only two days. For only two days of writing, this is really quite good. The dialogue here is decent. Although, it edges into corny territory, I'm forgiving considering the age and subject matter of the film. It can't really help but be corny. Besides that, I was surprised of how well this had aged. Despite being over 25 years old, The Breakfast Club never really feels dated. It still seems relevant and applicable to today's high school society. I would know (for the most part) being a current high schooler and all. The acting in The Breakfast Club isn't superb, but it's nicely done. Emilio Estevez is okay as the jock, Andrew. Anthony Micheal Hall is also good as the nerd, Brian. The rest of the cast do good jobs, but the performance that stands out the most here is Molly Ringwald as Claire, the princess. Ringwald perfectly blends a mix of spoiled rich kid, popular girl, and vulnerable teenager with a soft side. I haven't seen her in too much else, but she's terrific here. The only real problem I have with this movie is it sometimes seems like things work out too well. Things are too perfect and seemingly planned out, which gives the otherwise realistic movie, a slightly less realistic feel. Besides that, The Breakfast Club is a true classic that every teenager should watch. At the risk of sounding corny, the movie gets it. And it does it well. Happy viewing. You can follow me on Twitter @WhitsMovies and like me on Facebook at Facebook.com/WhitsMovies! P.S. Sorry I haven't gotten any theater reviews up in a while, I've been really busy. I'll try really hard this week! Thanks!