Guest Blogger: Gil T.

Escape from Alcatraz
There are a lot of prison movies out there, many of which are based on the infamous but now officially shutdown prison known as Alcatraz. Of them all, “Escape from Alcatraz”, starring the legendary Clint Eastwood and directed by Don Siegel, far surpasses any other film of similar plotline. This I state not as an opinion, but more as a personal fact. I believe this film differentiates itself from other ‘escape the prison’ style movies because it does not bother to explain very much of the main characters background, or the life that which he/she is attempting to return to. Instead the idea is that the purpose of escape is not simply to be set free, but to overcome the challenge of breaking out of the world’s most inescapable penitentiary. The protagonist of this film, Clint Eastwood’s character, is entitled Frank Lee Morris. Frank is a man that one can quickly presume has seen it all and done it all. The only important information we truly learn about him as that he has escaped every holding cell he’s ever been thrown into using his far above average intelligence. Frank quickly builds himself an impressive resume of escapes, and his reputation has him locked away in the last place the United States has to offer, Alcatraz. Alcatraz, by the way, is appropriately nicknamed “The Rock”, due to it being an entirely lifeless manmade island positioned a mile off the coast of San Francisco. I do not wish to give away primary scenes in the film, as it is one that has to be seen for oneself to truly be appreciated; frank meets up with several memorable faces, including Paul Benjamin, who plays an African American book cart pusher named English, and Larry Hankin, who plays a less then wise fellow inmate named Charlie Butts. The movie spends a great deal of time going through the process and the planning of the escape, while the escape scene at the end is relatively short and suspenseful. If you have any respect for a classically epic movie, then you will assign this film to the top of your priority list.

Guest Blogger: Nate M2

Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda staring Jack Black was a comedy and kind of inspirational movie. So Pau which is the panda’s name is an overweight panda bear who LOVES kung fu but is stuck selling noodles with his father. Later on in the movie he gets picked by accident to be the dragon warrior and he has to fight Ty Lung which is the best kung fu fighter in the world. Everyone is disappointed that he got picked because he doesn’t know kung fu and is pretty much a wussy. But he keeps training hard and eventually learns kung fu and proves everybody wrong. When Ty Lung comes to strike his revenge him and Pau fight, and Pau ends up defeating him in the end. Jack Black plays a phenomenal part in this movie his acting is great and I think this is one of his best performances. The reason its such an inspiring film is because he came from no kung fu background and just the average Joe to becoming the best kung fu fighter in the world, and it goes to show if you want it bad enough, and with the right training and hard work anything is truly possible. That right there I also think is the theme of the movie and what a lot of people take out of it after watching it. I defiantly think this is a movie that everyone should watch at least once its defiantly enjoyable and fun for the family kind of movie.

Guest Blogger: Nacia H2

Freedom Writers is a true story. It is a movie about a young white woman who is a teacher, played by Hilary Swank. She decides to work at an underprivileged school with a lot of troubled teenagers. She asks the students to keep journals about the different things that happen in their lives. She tells them that she will not read them unless they want her to. At first, the students treat her like most of the other teachers that they have had before. They are disrespectful and rude to her. Eventually, they warm up to her once they figure out that she is the type of person who actually wants to make a difference in their lives. She buys them new books to study history, specifically about Anne Frank and the struggles that she had to go through during the holocaust. Hilary Swank does an amazing job playing her role in the movie and the students’ stories are very believable as well. I agree with the critics when they say,” In “Freedom Writers” Ms. Swank uses that neediness to fine effect in a film with a strong emotional tug and smartly laid foundation.” The main character, played by Swank, is a young woman, but she knows what she wants in life. She knows she wants to teach the children that have these problems even though nobody else really wants to. She is motivated to make the lives of young children different than what they expected. After being in her class the students start to grow and they get the motivation to get their selves out of the ghetto and have a better life by getting their education. The main theme in the movie is to inspire people to not judge people for what they first see, but to try and look deeper into who a person actually is. I really like this movie. It is one of my favorite movies, so I would give it five starts. Obliviously, since I really like this movie, I would say that it is worth the money to go out and buy the movie.

Guest Blogger: Steven F.

Gridiron Gang
The plot of the movie is two juvenile detention center counselors are determined to better the juvenile’s lives and get them off the streets. The counselors played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Sean Porter and Xzibit as Malcolm Moore start a football team with the kids as the players. Willie Weathers played by Jade Yorker is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson main kid that he wants to have a better life. Ever since Willie Weathers cousin was killed in the streets by his gang’s enemy as soon as he was released from the detention center and got home. The main purpose why Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Xhibit charters want to make this football team is so they learn respect and realize life is better not being a part of a gang, getting shot at, shooting other people, robbery, and even selling drugs. In the reviews they say that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson does not fit the part of being Sean porter because Sean Porter has a mustache and a mullet and looks like a “real dude” (Owen Gleiberman). Back when Sean Porter was a counselor that a lot of people had hair like him. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays as Sean Porter in the time of now not then so my opinion is that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson does fit the part. Being a big intimidating guy it does not matter if he has a mullet or not. Also the review I read says “the movie makes your dream a slog” (Owen Gleiberman). Which I think its saying the dream of getting off the street and keeping out of gangs is hopeless. In my opinion I disagree with this statement, I think this movie is really good and gets the point across that violence does not have to be your life.

Guest Blogger: Megan M2

The 2006 film The Holiday, directed by Nancy Meyers stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black. All four actors amazing at their work really made this movie outstanding. Cameron Diaz plays the role of an uptight movie trailer maker named Amanda who loves in Los Angeles California who has recently broken up with her boyfriend because he cheated on her. Amanda needs a break for reality so she decides to take a vacation. When she searches online she finds a house exchange website. On the website she finds Iris Simpkins whose role is played by Kate Winslet. Iris lives in London and writes the wedding column for the local newspaper. Iris soon realizes that the man she is in love with is soon to be married to another woman. Iris is heartbroken and is also in very much need a vacation so she logs onto the house swap website as well. The two women find themselves in very alone in each other’s houses. Iris and Amanda both discover they are in love, not with each other of course. Iris falls in love with Amanda’s co-worker and Amanda falls in love with Iris’ brother. When it is time for the when to go back to reality they are most dreadful of saying goodbye to their new found loves. Amanda had not cried since she was a child and her parents divorced, no matter how hard she tried, or how bad she wanted to but as soon as she says goodbye to Iris’ brother she finally cries after so many years. This romantic comedy will keep you on the edge of your seat, laughing, crying, and fantasizing throughout the entire movie. The Holiday got a ranking of 6.9/10, I think that it should have ranked much higher than that, probably around and 8/10. The Holiday is most definitely worth watching, it is a great love story with a lot of humor to it.

Guest Blogger: Nate M.

Marley and Me Blog
Marley and me starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson is about a couple who just got married and she basically has a ordered list of things that she wants to do step by step. Well next on her list was to have a baby but he didn’t think they were ready for one yet so he decided to get a dog to see how it would go. So after they get this cute dog and take care of it for a while she has her first kid, and its pretty difficult for them but once the next kid comes along you can tell there marriage is falling apart, and Marley in there eyes is the worlds worst dog so he adds no help to there problem. But as the movie goes on you grow to LOVE the dog and so do they, then all of a sudden Marley gets sick and eventually has to be put to sleep which is the tear jerking part of the movie. Jennifer Aniston I think in my eyes had one of her better performances it wasn’t her typical movie that she’s normally in but I think she did a really good job. Owen Wilson is her husband in the movie and I think he did a phenomenal job as well, he was funny when he needed to be, and really showed his emotions well in the film. I agree with that critics thought about the movie they pretty much pinned the nail on the coffin. I think what the audience was suppose to take out of the movie was that life is to short to dwell on the little things and get mad at the little things in life, and just don’t take anything for granted because life’s short and you never know when your time is so just be happy everyday and like I said don’t dwell on the little things.

Guest Blogger: Dana D2

The Notebook is a movie about first loves and taking chances. The movie starts out with an elderly man reading to a woman the story of a man named Noah and young woman named Allie. Noah is a poor man who falls in love with the rich and beautiful Allie. They are from two different sides of the track which automatically makes Noah no good for Allie, according to her parents. Allie’s parents are so unhappy with this relationship, more specifically the lack of income on Noah’s part, that they move Allie away from Noah. Noah writes letters to Allie everyday for a year but to his dismay, never gets a letter back. Noah joins the army and Allie goes off to school. A couple years later, Allie meets Duke, an injured solider while working in a hospital. They fall in love and get engaged. Then by chance Noah and Allie run into each other. There is a lot of animosity because Noah thinks that Allie was ignoring him by not writing back and Allie is mad because she thought that Noah wasn’t writing her. They both found out that Allie’s parents hid Noah’s letters from her. All the feelings they had for each other come rushing back. What does Allie do? Go back to Noah, her first love? Or marry the man her parents love?
Noah is played by the ever so attractive Ryan Gossling. And Allie is played by the beautiful Rachael McAdams. It’s amazing how versatile Rachael McAdams is considering she can go from playing a mean girl in Mean Girls to playing a young woman in the 1940’s who is head over heels in love. The switch of roles only took a couple of months! The on screen chemistry between the two was so intense that they actually became a real life couple after filming.
Noah’s goal in the movie is simple. He wants Allie to love him and be with him forever. He does everything in his power to make this happen. Allie’s goal is a little more complicated. She wants to be with the man she loves but also please her parents.
I think the main theme of this movie is to follow your heart. You will always regret not doing what your heart told you. Once Allie realizes what she really, truly wants, she goes for it. Noah never gave up and never gave up on Allie.
A couple of the critics said that to movie was too racy for the intended audience. I disagree. The director showed just enough so that the audience could fully understand the emotions and feelings between Noah and Allie, but he didn’t show too much.
I definitely think that this movie would be worth everyone’s money. It’s a classic love story. You will laugh and you might even cry. Overall, it’s a great movie.

Guest Blogger: Semir B2

One of the most horrifying disgusting films out right now directed by Kevin Greutert, which is Saw Six, has really brought attention to many movie viewers this past October. Saw six is a movie that continues on from the past five movies that have really been exciting and interesting to watch. This movie basically finishes off the end of Saw Five. Special Agent Strahm is dead as you’ve seen in the past Saw, so detective Hoffman is forced to set a game into motion by the FBI. Most of the people who are caught and put in the weird places to be put to death, are workers who try to investigate about Jigsaw. Most of them are set out to die in the film. All of the characters in this film are very psychotic and will do anything to try to survive by playing jigsaws games. The theme of this movie is disgust and death basically that’s what everyone is supposed to know before watching the movie. I really agree with some critics about this movie because many people said it isn’t that good of a movie, compared to the other ones, which is really true. Even though this movie got a rating of 6.4 out of 10, I still disagree with some critics, because some people think it isn’t great at all, which is not true. So in both ways this movie is in the middle for me. Overall, this movie was awesome. First of all to go see a movie its only eight dollars so it is worth the money and defiantly worth everyone’s time because there is plenty of disgusting things to see. Unless you are not into blood and all of that nasty stuff, I suggest you keep out of this movie because you will faint, or possibly even throw up.

Guest Blogger: Hector G2

Carlito’s Way Brian De Palma
Carlito’s Way is about a Puerto Rican ex-con who, in the beginning is released from prison, and tries to stay away from his old life and bad temptations. Carlito Brigante played by Al Pacino is the main character. He was just released from prison, and with the help from is old love Gail (Penelope Ann Miller), tries to stay away from the life of the streets. Al Pacinos’s performance in the movie is alright. I would have to say it is not as good as his performance in Scarface, but still it is a good performance and movie. Carlito’s motivation is to separate himself from the life of the streets in New York, but the pressures and his old life style prevents him from accomplishing this. He sees his old enemies and friends suck him back into the street life he wants to stay away from. Carlito’s traits are that he wants to change his life. He wants to become a better person, and live peacefully away from the drama of his old life. One thing the audience is supposed to take away from the movie is that the street life is hectic. People should stay away from this life style, because it will only bring drama into your life. Once you get into this life it is really hard to get out of it. You can see this in the movie when Carlito is released from prison, and trying to stay away from the pressures and temptations. Many critics believe that Carlito’s Way is a better movie than Scarface, because of the fact that Carlito is a better person that has learned his lesson compared to Tony Montana in Scarface. I disagree, because the acting in Scarface is better and more entertaining. I do agree with the critics that Carlito’s Way is a good movie. It has life lessons, and you get to see how a former gangster tries to get his life straight. This movie is worth the money to rent, and if you really like it then it’s definitely worth the money to buy. And if it is worth the money to buy then it’s worth your time to watch it.

Guest Blogger: Hector G.

Scarface (1983) Brian De Palma.
The plot of the movie is a Cuban deportee named Tony Montana living in Miami. He gets in to the mob business, because he wants to live the American Dream. The movie is mostly about Tony Montana, and how is accomplishes it, but also how he loses it all in the end. Al Pacino played as Tony Montana, and he performed this role great. I can’t see any other actor playing a Gangster as good as Al Pacino. The traits Al Pacino gave to Tony Montana were perfect. He gave Tony Montana the motivation to make fast money and the ambition for power. He gave Tony Montana the guts and intelligence of a gangster who wants to move up in life quickly. Another character in the movie is Tony’s cokehead trophy wife Elvira. Tony Montana tries to win her from his mob boss. She is probably a big reason why Tony Montana gained power. He convinced her to be with him, and he killed his mob boss. Killing him he gained power and turf in Miami. The theme of the movie is that organized crime is going to make you fall at the end. Having all the money and power is for awhile, but sooner or later you’re going to lose it all to someone else who wants to take it from you. Many critics did not like the movie, because of the dialogue and heavy violence it has in it. I strongly disagree with their opinion of the movie. Scarface has a lot of lessons for people about organized crime, if you look deeply in the movie. Besides having lessons in the movie, it is also very entertaining. If you like gangster movies with drama and action, then you will love Scarface. This movie is definitely worth your time and money to see. Why, because it is a very entertaining movie and you will enjoy the plot and dialogue of the movie.

Guest Blogger: Ryan E2

If there’s a movie out there that can make a man “choke up”, it’s Marley & Me. The movie is based on John and Jennifer Grogan, a young newlywed couple who recently got their own place. They are both news journalists and are very successful at what they do. They aren’t ready to have children at this point in their life so they get the next best thing: a puppy. They buy a golden retriever from a near-by house and name it Marley. From the beginning Marley is a little devil, and he doesn’t get much help from John and Jennifer who don’t make much of an effort to train him. They finally try to get him calmed down with a mean dog trainer. It doesn’t work when Marley starts humping the trainer’s leg and the trainer deems Marley “the worst dog alive.” Later on down the road, the couple decides they are ready to have children. That’s when the trouble starts for them and Marley. It gets to the point where they have to kick Marley out for a few days to let things simmer down. Things work out though, and Marley lives his whole life with the loving family of now 5. The ending is where the touching part of the movie comes out. It’s worth the money to watch the movie in some way. In this movie, the plot, the actors, and the ending all come together to form a great movie. No, I didn’t cry, but there’s a good chance everyone who watches this will tear up. If you have a dog or love dogs, this is a great movie for you. Most people give this movie somewhere between a 7/10 and 9/10. I would have to go with about a 9. It’s a solid move all the way around and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Guest Blogger: Ryan E.

Frank Lucas, now notorious drug dealer, is portrayed in the movie American Gangster. Played by Denzel Washington, this character’s life is shown from beginning until almost the end of it. The story is told from two points of view throughout the movie; one is Lucas’ view, the other is detective Richie Roberts. Roberts is part of the New York Police Department and shows incredible courage throughout the movie. He pursues Lucas for a very long time and has to avoid being killed, injured, or bribed. Lucas, coming up from a poor and very large family, learns he has to take things into his own hands if he wants to succeed and become rich – which is his ultimate goal. He devises the greatest drug dealing plan possible. Cut out the middle man and sell a more pure product for a lower price than the competition. As Lucas puts it, “you sell a product better than the competition for a price lower than the competition.” Both Lucas and Richie are intelligent, witty, and carry a lot of charisma in the movie. Richie is dealing with problems with his wife (they both aren’t very loyal to one another), while Lucas is struggling to keep his drug dealing empire underneath the NYPD, and above the competition. It is a very long movie, rolling for 158 minutes. I saw it in theatres and it stuck in my mind as a modern Scarface. They are very comparable movies and I would say they are about equal in entertainment value. It was worth the $8 I spent, due to the length and great plot it shows. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s interesting to say the least. Check out American Gangster some night when you feel like renting a movie, you won’t regret it.

Guest Blogger: Patrick S.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The plot of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is mainly when Voldemort successfully killed Harry’s parents but the catch is when he fails at trying to kill Harry himself. The main actor in the movie is Harry Potter but he is always with his two best friends, Hermione, Ron, and Draco which they play big roles in the film. Harry is a great actor and it seems as if no one could replace him because it’s just how he is that makes the film so great, it fits him so well. Then comes Hermione who it seems secretly has a crush on Harry but never really admits to it. Ron Weasley isn’t the most brilliant of the group Hermione is the brains of the three but Ron is the funny one who keeps humor in the movie. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are driven by curiosity always trying to figure out what is going on putting pieces together. They go out of their way to try and seek the answer or the truth even with consequences. Another character who you can’t miss and always seem to know a little about is Draco Malfoy, who is Harry’s rival. He wasn’t so bad throughout the movies until Voldemort granted him to becoming a Death Eater, which is when Draco became truly evil and seeked out to kill Harry. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone values the virtue of humility by showcasing the modesty of its characters, which is an important part of Harry’s success in getting the Sorcerer’s Stone. Even with the horrible 10 years Harry had to live with the Dursley’s, Harry is still more than humble even after he gains fame, wealth, and popularity at Hogwarts. I agree with critics saying Harry Potter is a great Saga because it is doing so well with the general population pulling in millions for just one episode of the many and still more to come. I think personally that Harry Potter is worth our time and money because I myself the average person spend my time and money watching and reading the Saga, just keeping up with it in general.

Guest Blogger: Aaron C.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was a movie made in the year 2001. The movie was about a boy who was taken care of by a man named Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane). He was left on a doorstep for his future caretakers to take him in. Then, years later Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) receives a letter from the boarding school for wizards, Hogwarts. Harry ends up going and finds himself fascinated with an item which is believed to be the Sorcerer’s Stone. Thereafter, Harry and his friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) find themselves in an epic struggle over the stone with the evil Voldemort (Richard Bremmer). In this film, Daniel Radcliffe has made an extraordinary performance. When you see him, it’s like you won’t see Daniel as Daniel, but rather as Harry. He had played his character very well. Also, Emma and Rupert make the movie even better as they stand by their friend Daniel. Aside from the real people, let’s look at the movie characters for a moment. Harry is a young boy who is very heroic, brave, and has a strong sense of justice. Also, he does whatever he can for his friends, and helps them when they are in need. Ron is a kid who is kind of a loner. He gets picked on a lot and is very witty. Whenever the going gets tough, his friends are always there to back him up. Ron is also kind of a klutz. Finally there’s Hermione. Hermione is a girl who is very talented the witch department, especially in her school work. She’s very knowledgeable and uses her brains and cleverness to help Harry and Ron out. There’s something that stands out about this movie, and that something is the theme. The theme of the film desiring too much can be a bad thing. When you desire something so much that you’ll do anything to get it, you put yourself in a bad place, and that is where bad guys come in. Along with other critics, I will agree with what they say as far as how well it was made goes and the great special effects as well. In my opinion, this movie should be watched by families who like fantasy. This movie will be worth the money because the children will love it.

Guest Blogger: Anneka F2

Penelope
This movie is a great example of a modern twist on a fairy tale. Penelope is born into a family with a curse caused by her great-great-grandfather. As result of this curse, she has the nose and ears of a pig. The movie shows the steps she must take to get rid of her inhuman like features and become “just like everyone else.” Christina Ricci plays Penelope, Catherine O’Hara plays the mom, Richard E. Grant plays the dad, and James McAvoy plays the heroic young man (Max) that falls in love with Penelope. I think each actor did a great job; I wanted to snap at O’Hara because she was that good at playing the annoying mother, and McAvoy acted just how a young man who accidently fell in love should.
The motivation for the first 3 characters (Penelope, Mom, Dad,) was obvious; to give Penelope the best life possible and to, of course, get rid of that unsightly pig nose. At first Max’s motivation is money, then solving the mystery, and lastly it is love. Each motivation comes along with its own theme. The top 3 being love, happiness, and freedom. Freedom is central in the movie because without it you can’t have the first 2 themes. Some people gain happiness from freedom and out of happiness braches love, whether it is romantic love, family love or friendly love. Owen Gleiberman reviewed Penelope and unfortunately gave it an F. I, of course, strongly disagree with his assessment. He said “Sadly, the actress is so charmless in Penelope that we can't look at her and see inner beauty.” That is not true though. She was sweet, funny, and I thought very charming. The other critic I looked at was Stephen Holden; he also said the movie was “a hopeless jumble of visual and linguistic styles.” This is also untrue, everything flowed nicely. The critics are wrong; this movie is definitely worth the watch. The movie is uplifting, sweet, and a nice twist on an old fairy-tale.

Guest Blogger: Lindsey H.

New Moon- a popular movie and book of the Twilight series has broken records on money made for movies and books. The movie New Moon is about Bella that recently recovered from a vampire attack that almost took her life. She is excited to celebrate her birthday with Edward’s family and him. During the celebration a minor accident happens, Bella’s blood was shed by her finger getting cut when Edward pushed her. It created an intense sight for the Cullen Family, who decides to leave their town of Forks in Washington for the sake of Bella and Edward. After that happened Bella’s living is reckless with a close friendship with Taylor Lautner also known as Jacob. Later she discovers that Jacob has a secret that he is a werewolf. Bella still loves Edward the vampire. Edward decides to leave her for her own sake. With Edward being gone, Bella goes to Jacob to fill the void that Edward left.
There are three main actors in New Moon. Edward Cullen, a vampire, is a fictional character that falls in love with Bella. Bella Swan, a human, is a fictional character and the protagonist in the Twilight Series. Bella was forced to move with her Dad in Forks, Washington then she met Edward Cullen a vampire. In New Moon Edward leaves her to keep her safe from the vampire world. Then she meets Jacob Black, a werewolf, that becomes really good friends with Bella to fill the void that her and Edward had. I thought Edward does a good job of playing the role as a vampire that like humans. He’s one brave person to stay with Bella the human. Bella does a good job with staying with Edward and trusting him that she won’t get hurt from his vampire family. I think the main theme of New Moon is dealing with pain and struggle of moving on of a loved one that has been loss. In the movie Bella was forced to separate from Edward Cullen, the vampire, and she struggles to deal with how to cope without him. I disagree with one of the reviews I read because he’s putting down my two favorite movies---New Moon and Transformers 2. The blog said, “New Moon" is a terrible, terrible movie that is essentially "Transformers 2" for the training bra set with pseudo-soulful glances from bare-chested boys substituting for giant robots blowing things up.”
New Moon is worth our time and money! I went to the midnight premiere because I knew it would be a great movie. Although the movie makers did leave a lot of stuff out of movie from the book I heard. But I didn’t read any of the books because I don’t want to be that person who is upset with the movie just because the movie makers left out stuff from the book.

Guest Blogger: Chelsea W.

New Moon is a movie about a girl named Bella Swan falls in love with a vampire whose name is Edward Cullen. He’s perfect for her in every way other than the fact he’s tempted to suck her blood, which would kill Bella. Edward decides that the only chance Bella would have at a normal life, would be for him to leave. Bella becomes depressed with every day that passes by without him but finds some relief by being with her friend Jacob Black. She later finds out that he wants to be with her, and she must choose between the reliable, kind Jacob or the one she’s really in love with, Edward, but left her. Bella also finds out that Jacob is an enemy to the vampires because he is a werewolf. This makes everything more complicated when Edward returns to Bella. So she must choose; the vampire or the werewolf? The leading role, Bella Swan, is played by Kristen Stewart who has to act stubborn, clumsy, and private. I don’t like the way Stewart plays this role because she is supposed to be head over heels in love with Edward, but it looks unrealistic. She looks more scared of him than in love. Her love, Edward Cullen, is played by the actor Robert Pattison. I think he plays Edward perfectly by portraying his hard exterior contrasted with his devotion to Bella. He was very believable because he also looked the part of a vampire; pale skin, bronze hair, full lips, defined jaw line, topaz eyes, and a slender, muscular body. His enemy, Jacob Black, is performed by Taylor Lautner. I thought he did a great job, too. He had to portray the character as happy, kind, passionate, reliable, and hot-headed. His appearance was transformed as well. Lautner put on 30 pounds of muscle to play Jacob Black in New Moon. He’s Native American, with long black hair (he cuts it short later on), muscular, tall, and “beautiful”, as Bella describes in the book. The theme of this movie is about free will, love, and good vs. evil. Free will was shown in the movie by Edward leaving Bella. In return, Bella chooses to be reckless and therefore it was her own free will to do whatever she wanted to do. The audience can learn that you make your own choices and no one can make them for you. The movie also showed how much in love Edward and Bella are. Although Edward knows that it is not safe for Bella to be in love with a vampire, he comes back for her. It shows the devotion they have for each other. We can learn that true love never fails. Good vs. evil was between the vampires and the werewolves. At times both were good and both were evil. There is really no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing Edward or Jacob. This can show the audience to follow your heart, and go with what you want and not other’s opinions. New Moon became the leading movie at the movie box office for the second week in a row. It has made $230.7 million in a ten day total sale. That makes it the third biggest movie opening ever. It is said to be one of the most successful films, and I would have to agree. It’s definitely worth your time and money because the movie is romantic and action-packed therefore it is perfect for both men and women. Obviously New Moon has been very popular and has great reviews so it is worth it.

Guest Blogger: Ryan P.

We were soldiers is about the war in Vietnam when the U.S. first lands on the battle field to win the fight to the top of the hill. The movie is about brave young man and their fight to live and make it home to their family when they fist get off the helicopter on the battle field they realize they are in an ambush with more than 2,000 North Vietnamese troops and they only have 400 U.S. troops so then the fight to survive starts. The characteristics of Lt. Col. Hal Moore known as Mel Gibson is the leader and the hardest fought men among the fleet. He was one of the bravest men and he was the first to get on the land of the battle field and the last to get off the battle field. The themes of the movie and what the audience is meant to get from it is that war is not fiction its reality that the way one man dies can affect the way another man survives and lives. The horrific seen of people being burned and their skin dripping off there body’s and peeling of their bones when they try to get then into the helicopter for safety and when people r getting shot in the head then they look and its one of their brothers in arms falling to the ground. After seeing things like that the men of war will never be able to live the same way again when they get back home. So that is why the way one man dies it can affects the way another man lives. But because of all of this the people keep going forward and reach their goal of making the Vietnam troop retreat and to win the battle so the people who died they didn’t die for noting. So in my opinion this movie is worth the time and money to see it because to me it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.

Guest Blogger: Joe T2

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Ferris is a senior in high school and really just wants to enjoy the time he has with his friends. So he tricks his way out of school for a day with a young girl Sloane. His best bud Cameron is out sick for the day and influences him to get out of bed and hang out. Then after a very long argument he gets Cameron to let them use Cameron’s dads Ferrari. Throughout the day the three have continue on with fooling around and having fun without getting caught skipping school or having the Ferrari. Will they? I totally agree with critics on this movie this movie was brilliant and funny about a kid who has funny gadgets to trick the school and his parents that make funny noises and make you laugh. Also the various things that happen during the movie are quite hilarious. I would as well suggest anybody to go see this movie it is quite funny and entertaining and while having a bad day I can almost garentee that this movie will entertain you and cheer u up.

Guest Blogger: Joe T.

In 1976 a 30 year old man name Vince Papale from Philly can play football than anyone around. He and his friends are beloved Eagles fans and even though the eagles are one of the worst football teams in the world they still love there home team. Vince’s life is in shambles with low paying crap jobs, living on the edge of the bank taking his house, and countless disappointing relationships. But when a new coach takes over the team he gets his chance to change all that. Dick Vermeil the New Philadelphia eagles coach calls for open tryouts anybody that want to try to have there all time dreams come true can go for it. On tryout day super fans show up and are complete disappointments but then come Vince Papale from the neiborhood of Philly. Hes was beyond and expectation that coach had really expected to see. Vince then expecting he was cut goes strait to his car but after a talk with the coach and finding out he wasn’t cut he gets his chance to stay and be a Philly eagle. Vince Papale is the local dreamer of more and better from local Philly streets (main character). Dick Vermeil is the new Philly Eagles coach that wants to change this team into something from something. Janet Cantrel- is the romantic figure for Vince throughout the movie. This movie is about giving it your all and never giving up. Agree slash disagree; I believe this was a great movie and give in a 9.5 out of 10 but the avg. for Invincible is 7.0 out of 10. This movie has a great plot and true story films are always that much better. This movie is always worth your money and I would suggest it to anyone that love sports movies. It’s a great movie to get you inspired to do something or how to succeed at something.

Guest Blogger: Semir B.

The Chronicles of Narnia the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia is a very exciting movie which was released December 9th, 2005. It was directed by Andrew Adamson. The Chronicles of Narnia the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is a very adventurous, family, fantasy movie and all ages would love it. It starts off with four kids by the name of Peter, Edmond, Susan and Lucy who travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and find out that they need to save the land from an evil witch who took over Narnia, with the guidance of a lion who is known as the king of Narnia. The four kids Peter, Edmond, Susan and Lucy are very young kids under the age of twenty who set the Narnian people from the witch. They are the main characters of the movie. The witch has an army that goes to war with the narnians and the four kids. The theme of this movie is to let people know that everyone should be treated right no matter how they live. In my opinion, this movie is very inspirational and shows how wars were fought back in the days with swords instead of guns. This movie is really worth everyone’s time and money because first of all it is two hour movie which is longer than others and it will really get your attention right in the beginning of the movie. Another reason this movie is worth people’s times is because it won plenty of awards such as the Oscar award and another twelve wins and sixteen more nominations. The second movie known as The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian came out May 16th, 2008 and is a really enjoying movie as well as the first. This is the main reason I like this movie because it comes out more than once and it continues on the adventures with more to come.

Guest Blogger: Josh B.

I am doing a blog about the Movie Rudy directed by David Anspaugh. It was released October 13, 1993. It was more than just a sports movie. It’s a true life story of an athlete that grew up poor without much to his name and lived and breathed Notre Dame football. He was always told growing up that he was too small to play football, he didn’t have enough money or brains for college, and he would grow up to work in the family owned factory where all his other family members ended up. He started to overcome these odds with hard work and dedication. He went to a smaller college in town to get his grades up so that he could go to Notre Dame. While going to school here he worked in the Notre Dame football stadium so he could be a part of the program in any way possible. After many many tries he was finally accepted into Notre Dame and tried to walk on as a football player. This made his father very proud because he never thought one of his kids would ever go to college or play football for his favorite team. He was still way undersized and was picked on by everyone but he never gave up and kept pushing his teammates to be better athletes. He rode the bench every game but his intensity in practice never changed. His character and love for the sport was too much for him to ever give up.
In my opinion this is a very good inspirational movie. This movie fits me because it is basically the story of my life when it comes to football. It shows that no matter what people say if you work hard and are committed nothing is impossible. I 100% recommend it to any person that is having trouble believing in themselves for any reason.

Guest Blogger: Megan H.

The Blind Side is an inspirational movie that is based on a true story. The plot of the movie is a young large black man who grew up in the ghetto of Memphis and bounced around from different foster homes until he was placed in a private Christian school to get a better education. The high school football coach pulled stings because he wanted him to play for the team. He was a quiet and the teachers thought he was dumb and a waste of time. Leigh Ann invites “big mike” a place to sleep for the night to get him out of the cold and rain. The family becomes attached to Michael especially Leigh Ann. Michael becomes part of the family and starts practicing with the football team that spring. Leigh Ann is played by Sandra Bullock who does an amazing roll, in my opinion the best movie she has ever done. Quinton Aaron plays the roll of Michael Oher who is a quite black man who has been through a life of tragedy but still sees all the good in people. Michael is an inspiration to people to make something of them selves and to get a better education. Leigh Ann is an inspiration as well because she is a caring woman who put herself out there to make a difference in his life, but he ended up making a difference in her life. The movie is an uplifting movie that touches your heart and opens your eyes to lives that you are not accustomed to. I would have to agree with all the other reviews I’ve read that talk about how it’s a heart touching movie that will make you laugh, cheer and cry. It most definitely is Sandra Bullock’s best movie. The Blind Side is a movie that is worth your time and money. It is a heart touching film that is even worth the horrific movie theater prices.

Guest Blogger: Megan M.

I Am Sam was filmed in 2001; the movie stars Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Dakota fanning. Sean plays the role of a mentally challenged adult named Sam who is left alone with Lucy, his daughter, after the mother of the child takes off the same day Lucy is born. Lucy’s role is played by Dakota Fanning who is phenomenal young actress; her talent really shines through in I Am Sam. When Lucy turns 7 child services tries to take Lucy away from Sam because he only has the intellect of a 7 year old and soon Lucy would have to take care of him but she is still so young. Sam and all his friends try their hardest to get Lucy back before another family adopts her. Michelle Pfeiffer plays the role Rita an expensive lawyer. Sam really wants Rita to help him with his case to get his daughter back, but Rita charges way more than Sam can afford. After really thinking about it Rita decides to take Sam’s case Pro bono. The love and passion people can have is amazing, the dedication and hard work the three of them have is heart wrenching. This movie is very worthwhile for anyone to watch, many emotions are evoked so you will definitely need to bring a box of tissues. The acting performances are outstanding, even the very young Dakota Fanning. Critics gave I Am Sam a 7.3/10, but I think that the movie deserves at least a 9/10.

Guest Blogger: Acacia M.

This movie is about the last 4 living human beings on Earth and how they try to survive in a world full of zombies with the simple outlined rules of Zombieland. The main character Columbus comes up with said rules at the very beginning of the zombie epidemic. As the movie begins the rules are all revealed with the reason why it is so important to follow. Like rule number 5 states, “No attachments” because once it comes down to it you need to out run your opponent without any remorse. This is why when the characters first cross paths they decided to refer to each other by the town that they are trying to get to or are from such as Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock.
This is Jesse Eisenberg second movie as the main character and we can see why. He is very good at portraying the role he is given Columbus who is the young boy looking for a new life and to land the girl in the end. Also featured by his side is everyone’s favorite movie tough guy, Woody Harrelson. He plays this role with ease because all he has to do is carry a gun around and kill zombies. Let’s not forget his hilarious one-liners and his quest for one last Twinkie. Then the last two characters, who play the sisters, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are almost so convincing that they could actually be sisters with their witty comebacks and devilish exchanged looks.
Just from the first ten minutes of the film you can tell that Columbus’ character is going to warm the heart of the tough guy Tallahassee and that together they will save the two girls, Wichita and Little Rock. Columbus has a shy personality and a safe way of going through life and Tallahassee has the kicking butt and taking names attitude.
The theme is all about survival and friendship because who wouldn’t like to have a friend help out when you’re fighting to survive in a pack of flesh eating zombies? I think what you are trying to get out of this movie is no matter how bad it seems it’s always nice to have a good friend handy to get you through those bad times.
I agree with the critic that the movie is very enjoyable movie and that it gives you something to think about. I certainly enjoyed the movie it had a lot of good moments and a few funny surprises. I think this would be a great movie for you to watch if you enjoy a little zombie killing with a side of humor.

Guest Blogger: Quoc N2

Star Trek came out in theaters on May 8, 2009. Star Trek revolves around James T. Kirk and his life. James Kirk’s mother gave birth to him right before his father died saving eight hundred people from doom. Few years later, when James is grown up a little bit, a man shows up and dares James to achieve better in life than his father did. James accepts the dare and goes to join the Starfleet Academy out in outer space. When danger faces the Starfleet Academy again, James is left behind because the Starfleet Academy thinks that he is incompetent. James Sneaks onboard a ship with his best buddy, Bones. Later in the movie, James faces the challenge of defeating evil. The actors in this movie include celebrities such as: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho, and Winona Ryder. Chris Pine lived up to the expectations of his character. All the characters in the movie portrayed their character well and their performance in the movie was good too. All of the character’s motivation was to stop the evil forces and prevent them attacking the Starfleet in the future. From watching this movie the audience is supposed to take away that the movie revolved around James T Kirk and his nemesis, Spock and their ongoing argument over what they should do to stop the evil forces. I agree with reviews saying that Star Trek was a good movie for science fiction movie fans. According to The New York Times, Star Trek revolves around two guys who get themselves into an ongoing conversation about civilizations and discontents. I agree with this statement. In my opinion, if you are a person who is into science fiction movies with a lot of special effects, Star Trek is definitely worth the money to go see.

Guest Blogger: Quoc N.

The Proposal is revolves around a business woman named Margaret Tate who works for a publishing company in New York City. Margaret has a secretary named Andrew Paxton. One day her boss tells her that she is getting deported back to Canada because of some legal issues. Margaret lies and says that Andrew and she are engaged to prevent her from being departed back to Canada. Surprised, her boss tells her that if she makes the marriage legal, then she can stay in the United States and continue working for the publishing company. So Margaret and Andrew decide to head up to Alaska where Andrew’s parents live and to get to know him better so that when they return back to New York City, they will be questioned on each other, and if they answer all the questions correctly, Margaret will get to stay in the United States. The Proposal has many famous actors such as: Betty White, Sandra Bullock, and Ryan Reynolds. Their performance to me was great. The New York Times says that Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds did ok but they were better off doing solo performances. I disagree with this and think that both characters did an excellent job. In the movie, Ryan Reynolds’s character, Andrew, motivation was to humiliate and take advantage of his co-star, Sandra Bullock. Sandra Bullock’s character, Margaret, motivation was to fake a marriage with Andrew so that she could stay in the United States to work. From watching this movie, the audience is supposed to take away that just because you hate someone really badly, you never know what could happen in the future with that person. According to the New York Times, the beginning of the movie comes from different parts of different movies. I agree with this because when I first watched the movie, I thought to myself, “Where have I seen this before?” If you are someone who is into sort of romantic funny movies, The Proposal is worth your time and money.

Guest Blogger: Miranda W2

Step Brothers is an entertaining comedy that was filmed in 2008. It won the Golden Trailer award for best comedy in 2008. It is about two older men, Dale and Brennan, who both still live with their single parents. They are both unemployed and act way younger than their actual age. Their parents marry and move in together, forcing Dale and Brennan to live with each other as well. Will Ferrell plays the role of Brennan. I think he fits this role perfectly because he is a very funny actor. The theme of this movie is comedy. A lot of the critiques who reviewed this movie stated that it was a very childish movie, but it was also very funny. One critic stated that it is so childish that it sees to arrive in diapers, and that’s not bad; it’s good.” Another stated that “Will Ferrell delivers laughs without the aid of any sporting equipment.” I agree with most of the critics. Even though this movie has some childish parts in it, I think that is what makes it a good comedy. I also think Will Ferrell is a very funny actor and shows his a lot of meaning through his facial expressions. If you looking to watch a good comedy, I would definitely say Step Brothers is a great movie for you. However, it is rated R, so I would not recommend it as a family movie. Overall, I would give this movie four out of five stars. It keeps you laughing and entertained.

Guest Blogger: Rehana A.

What would you do if one day the doorbell rang and not knowing that by answering the door that it could change your views of life? In the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tells a story about a man named Benjamin and how he was born with an aging disease, the story states his extraordinary life and adventures that came along with it. The movie starts by an elderly woman who is in the hospital asking her daughter to read from a diary left to her by a man named Benjamin Button. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) was left and raised by Queenie, (Taraji P. Henson) who was a caregiver at a senior’s home; she was very pleasant and kind. Benjamin Button who was a very wise and patient man had meet Daisy Williams, (nee Fuller) a fun and carefree woman. Throughout Ben’s adventures he has learned how to handle the times that were rough and has learned to enjoy the good times and not take advantage of them. The movie points out that weather you’re old or young you learn and deal with the situation that heads your way. The characters in this film all have something in common which is fate. In some of the reviews I had read I would have to disagree on some of the things that were said. Some reviews stated that that movie did not make sense and that it was just another chick flick. In my opinion the movie did make sense. I could understand that if people didn’t pay close attention that you could easily lose track and the understanding of the film. In order to get the point in this movie you would have to listen well and pay attention to every detail. I would recommend seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for your own opinion and thoughts on this film. I would say it is not a waste of money.

Guest Blogger: Mohamed E.2

Goal is a great movie about a kid trying to fulfill his dream in soccer but due to his illegal family and money problems he can’t get on any team. Until one day he was playing with some Spanish friends and an English scout saw him. The English scout told Santiago he’s good enough to play in Europe but he has to find his own way to get there. Santiago starts doing extra hours as a dish washer to get more money and starts gambling with his soccer skills to get money. When he finally got enough money and everything was going well his dad found his money and bought a truck with it. When Santiago found out he went crazy and he’s dad said it was good for the family business unlike this soccer thing. Santiago’s grandma managed to get the money for him and told him to leave without his father knowing. Santiago’s father never believed in this soccer thing that’s why Santiago took off without telling him. When Santiago got to Europe he went and stayed with the scout and went to see the coach of the team. When Santiago got there and was doing his physical he lied to the doctor and told her he doesn’t have asthma me he really does. If you have asthma you can’t play on any professional team. When Santiago got there some of the guys were jealous of his skill so that’s why one of them saw him using an inhaler and broke it. When the coach was finally trying to see Santiago play he did bad because he couldn’t breath. The main characters were Santiago jell the scout his grandma and his brother. Santiago had the main role because he tired to provide for himself and his family. The scout tried to make the best happen for Santiago. Santiago’s grandma basically risked the father getting mad because she got the tickets. The audience is supposed to take away the kid’s bravery how he took off to another continent to do what he’s doing. I defiantly agree with the critics because this movie was very inspiring and inspired a lot of kids to do things they wanted to do. It is defiantly worth the time and money because it inspired me to keep doing what I am doing today.

Guest Blogger: Dana D.

Pursuit of Happyness a fact based movie of a father and son trying to survive on the streets of San Francisco. Chris Gardner is a man in his 40’s with a wife and young son, Christopher Jr. Chris and his wife think they have hit the jackpot when he invests almost all of their life saving on “Bone Density Scanners”. But everything isn’t always what it seems. A couple months later Chris and his family are struggling to make ends meet. The bone scanners are not selling like he anticipated so there is no income. And to make matters worse one of the machines doesn’t work. As Chris is trying to fix the defective machine and struggling to provide for his family, his wife leaves him, he loses his house, bank accounts, and credit cards. His life I crumbling in front of him. Chris is forced to live on the streets with his son. He finally lands a job as a stockbroker but will not get paid until he goes through six months of training. Chris Gardner is determined to provide his son with the life he deserves.
The main character, Chris Gardner, is played by Will Smith. This is one of his most intense and emotional characters yet, and he nailed it. Smith is always seen as the funny guy who is always positive and cracking jokes but in this movie it sure is a change of pace. You would have thought Will Smith was the real Chris Gardner. The on screen chemistry with Christopher Jr. is amazing. That may be because Christopher Jr. is played by Jaden Smith, Will Smiths own son. At the tender age of 7, there is a whole lot of talent in that little boy.
Chris Gardner is a loving father. He tries to do everything in his power to make his wife happy and his son healthy. He stays strong and tried his best not to break down or appear weak or afraid. He is determined to get a job and have the life he once had. Chris Jr. is always comforting his dad and letting him know that he loves him and that he is doing a great job. Chris Jr. is Gardner’s only reason to keep trying is his son.
I agree with all of the critics opinions about this movie. There was not a negative thing to say.

Guest Blogger: Joe H

Sunshine Cleaning is a funny character driven movie. In the movie Amy Adams plays a single mother named Rose Lorkowski works many jobs to get her son into a good school. Rose’s younger sister Norah Lorkowski is a lazy young girl that can’t hold a job. Rose worked as a maid for many years. Rose is also having an affair with a married cop. The cop was her high school sweetheart; he suggested cleaning up crime scene for money. Rose started a bio-hazard clean up business with her younger sister Norah called Sunshine Cleaning. Rose also doesn’t know all the laws and regulations for doing bio-hazard clean up. Rose and her sister are doing really good until one tragic day. Mean while Rose’s father Joe is out selling anything they can think of. Oscar is helping Joe sell stuff with his young age and innocence. Rose is a loving and caring mother. She is working as hard as she can to put food on the table and put Oscar in a Private school. Norah is a lazy girl, and she can’t hold a job. The movie is mostly about people struggling to make a living and the drama that surrounds life. The critics think that Sunshine Cleaning is an original movie and somewhat innovative. I do agree with the critics on this movie there are some funny parts, like when they are cleaning up after dead people. I find that this movie shows the struggles of people trying to make a living.

Guest Blogger: Mohamed E.

Holes
Holes is a about a boy named Stanly yellans that goes to a camp called camp green lake. The way he got to that camp was kind of complicated because he didn’t do anything that’s why he and his family are cursed. Stanly is walking and a pair of shoes fall on him the the cops come and find it in his hand and immediately arrest him. Stanly finds out his family is cursed because his great grandfather forgot to walk madam zronie up the mountains. So at camp Stanly he meets madam zronies grandson. Stanly is the main character he is pretty much trying to find why he is so unlucky and also his father works with shoes. His father is trying to make a recipe to make shoes smell better he tries everything but it never worked. Hector was Stanley’s best friend in camp his life was not goo because he was always looking for his mom. The warden owned camp green lake and she made them dig everyday to find a pot of gold that her grandfather lost long time ago. I think Stanly was brave because he never gave up on finding the gold and went up the mountains to find hector because at camp he promised hector he will always be there for him. Hector was a humble guy and also lonely he’s been looking for his mom his whole life not till Stanly came along and helped him find her. The audience is suppose to take always what has happened in the past to his grandpa and what his happening know in the present. The critics gave this movie an A because it was very interesting had people thinking and always wondered what was going to happen next defiantly think it’s worth time and money because it came out great everyone liked it and I defiantly liked it.

Guest Blogger: Kris N2

Charlie Bartlett a movie made is 2007 is about a boy name Charlie Bartlett who is unsure and do not really know who he is. He has been to numerous of schools and got kicked out because he tries to fit in with the crowd because he wants everyone to be his friend and like him. So then his mother sends him to another school. Charlie was a pretty shy kid, mature for his age because he was raised that way since his father went to prison he had to step up to take care of his mother. Charlie soon finds out that he likes the new school and you will not believe what happened next. The character that plays the role of Charlie is Anton Yelchin. He was very good in this movie, his acting to me is so unique, and it made me so fascinated, I wanted to watch it. There was a lot of character in this movie but Yelchin is the main character and the one that talks almost the whole movie. What is interesting about Yelchin in this movie is that he is so calm and polite and mature. People would be yelling at him and he was able to play the role of just listen. His maturely made students came and ask him for advice. He never knew how to be a kid; his whole life was raised as if he is a young adult in mid 20s. The theme in this movie is that having a childhood is important, being mature is good but not having a childhood can screw you up. The critics say that “Mr. Yelchin has the routine down pat. He speaks in the elevated, faintly whiny tone and deliberate cadences of an honor student tossing off a difficult oral exam. Even under stress, he exhibits the composure of a smarty-pants who, beneath his lost-boy affectations, is inordinately pleased with himself. In spite of your qualms, you root for him.” That is definitely true. When you watch this movie, you see this kid acting like a professional that has been studying acting for years. He is just too talented in this movie. This movie is worth my time because I was able to watch this without falling asleep and it kept me interested. I do not think it is worth my money however, because this is a movie where you would watch it maximum of about 3-4 times and probably get bored of it.

Guest Blogger: Miranda W.

The Notebook is a great romance and tear-jerker movie. In 2004 it was nominated for the Golden Trailer award, and in 2005 it won the Golden Satellite award. The plot of this movie focuses on an old man telling a story to an elderly lady in a nursing home. The story he tells her is about two young lovers. The boy is poor, but the girl is rich. The girl’s family disapproves of the boy’s family, and they move away. She waited for several years for the boy to write her, but she never got a letter from him. She decided to move on to someone else. She gets engaged. She now must decide between her fiancé and her first true love. The main actor is Ryan Gosling and the main actress is Rachel McAdams. Rachel McAdams is one of my favorite actresses. She plays the character of Allie Hamilton. Allie is from a rich family. She is very beautiful, but she falls in love with a poor man named Noah Calhoun. Ryan Gosling plays the role of Noah Calhoun. Noah is a poor man. He is a little stubborn, and can usually get people to do what he wants. The theme of this movie is romance. Most of the critics who have reviewed this movie really enjoyed it. One critic stated that this movie is “one of contemporary cinema’s most compelling and flat-out indelible love stories.” Another critic stated that it is “A fine tale that will leave romantics everywhere misty eyed.” I would say this movie is defiantly worth your time and money. I would rate it a 4 out a 5 stars. The characters in this movie act with great passion and affection. If you enjoy romance movies, than this is a good movie for you.

Guest Blogger: Anneka F.

P.S. I Love You stars Hilary Swank (Holly in the movie) as a young woman who just lost the love of her life. The movie tells the story of her struggle to get over her husband’s death and the many different types of love that one can come in contact with throughout a lifetime. On her 30th birthday she receives a cake that Gerry, her husband (played by Gerard Butler) had ordered for her before he died. This is the start of her journey. At different points in the movie she receives letters that he had written for her. Each letter instructs her to do some “task” that Gerry had prearranged for her. These different “tasks” are each supposed to help her move on and find new life after death. Hilary Swank does a wonderful of portraying the character of “Holly”, you feel each emotion that she expresses and it is a truly believable performance. Gerard Butler also does an amazing job, he does silliness perfectly and is great at telling Holly the stories she needs to hear. Also, Kathy Bates stars as Holly’s mother, Patricia. She does a nice job of being the ‘concerned mother” that is only looking out for her child’s well-being.
Each charter has a specific motivation in the film. Holly’s is to follow her husband’s last requests, Gerry’s is to help his wife be happy again, and Patricia’s is to protect her daughter from the pain and sadness she experienced when her own husband left. Each motivation also provides a theme within the movie. The first theme is of hopelessness, Holly can’t see beyond her grief and the future seems bleak without Gerry. Also is the theme of love, her and Gerry are meant to be together and that is shown throughout the movie. Critics, however, disagree. Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the movie a D+ and insulted all the characters. Melissa Rose Bernardo also seemed to hate it. She gave the film a C-. I do not agree in any way with their opinions on the chemistry between the lovers, the jokes involved, or where the movie was set. This movie is definitely worth your time and money. I even bought the DVD, if you’re looking for romance comedy or a new-begging this is the perfect movie.

Guest Blogger: Chelsea R.

One of my most favorite character driven movies would have to be, The Blindside. The Blind Side is the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless black man youngster from a poor home, and who is taken in by the Touhys; (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw) a wealthy white family who helps Mike get to his full potential, but at the same time Mike being in the Touhys' lives leads them to some self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new wealthy and well taken care of neighborhood and school, Michael faces a completely different set of challenges to get through, as a football player and a student, He works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, he becomes an All-American offensive left tackle, and claimed in the movie as The Blindside. Hint’s to the title. Now Michael Oher was the 23rd draft pick for the NFL and plays for the Baltimore Ravens, the Touhys were there the whole way to share this exciting experience. The character that influenced me the most in this inspiring story was Sandra Bullock who played Leigh Touhy. She welcomes Michael into her home with wide open arms and makes me him feel loved and you can start to see that Michael gets comfortable because he beings to start speaking more and not looking so depressed. You can just really see that she cares about Michael through the whole movie, and really becomes his mother. Towards the end of the Movie you see her show emotion of a mother and her son, and she really makes you believe that she is his mother. I think The Blindside is worth the full 8$ It’s a true inspiring story that everyone can learn a lesson from.

Guest Blogger: Nacia H.

Slumdog Millionaire is a movie about a guy named Jamal who finds a girl named Latika, who he falls in love with when he is a very young child. He has a brother named Salim who craves money and power. That being the main focus in Salim’s life, he is a very selfish person. Because of him Jamal and Latika are torn apart one night after escaping from a place where children are put out on the streets to beg people for money. To Salim it was just payback for a prank that Latika had done to him earlier, but to Jamal he lost a part of himself that night. Jamal spends years thinking of Latika and he finally sets out to find her once again. I think that each actor and actress does an amazing job playing their part in the movie. It is very believable. Each character is different. They all want different things. Jamal wants to find the love of his life, Latika, and live happily ever after with her. Salim wants money, power, and respect. Latika wants someone who will love her and be in a healthy relationship with the man of her dreams, Jamal. One theme in Slumdog Millionaire is love can overcome any obstacle. If it was meant to be it will happen. I agree with the critics when they say that the movie “bounces from one horror to the next.” The movie does show a lot of horrible events that happen to Jamal and Salim but all of the scenes are important in finding out who the characters are and what they value. I really like this movie and I will give it 5 out of 5 starts. It has romance, drama, and some action. It is the type of movie where you do not want to take your eyes off of the screen. It is worth the time and money for sure.

Guest Blogger: Kris N.

Slumdog Millionaire that came out in 2008 is about a boy named Jamal who is on a game show and he is accused of cheating and was arrested before he answers the last question. What people do not know is that all the questions that were asked during the game show are all connected to his life in some way. It showed the hardship and the tough times. Finally, the detective let Jamal go, and Jamal went back to the game show to answer the last question and you will not believe what happened next. Jamal did a great job at the end of the movie acting the role of 20 year old Jamal. What impressed me was that the little Jamal did amazing acting. He made it interesting and fun for viewer to watch. But what made it more interesting is Salim. Even though is the bad guy, he makes it interesting because in movies, it is not that interesting unless the director add different personalities and characteristics up. Another character that is interesting is Latika. With her being there, Jamal had a goal to go and find her so that adds excitement. Her acting was pretty good considered that she had to run from the bad guys in the train station. She did not make look cheesy unlike some movies where they go above and beyond and look like a psycho person rather than a scared person. What made the character unique are their different traits. For example, one of Jamal traits is that he is persistent. He came back for Latika when she was about to be sold off as a virgin, and when she was at the bad guy’s house, he still pretended to be a dishwasher just to see Latika. He did not even worried about if he was going to die or not. The theme is that money is not everything. It cannot buy a person happiness and love. I agree with the critics when they said that Slumdog Millionaire shows how India really is with all of the poverty and the reality of how life is for them. It is worth my time and money because it has what I look for when I pick out a movie. It keeps me interested and entertained.

Guest Blogger: Acacia M.

“Show me where the sun comes through the sky I'll show you where the rain gets in.”
The lyric is obviously about how he can find a hole in your optimism and that everything isn’t always wonderful. I very much enjoy though picking apart the lyrics to find the underline meaning of that because he literally didn’t mean he was going to point out where the rain can come through the sun.
Whether it is his lyrics about just wanting to feel alive, to be more whole again, or finding that special someone he is connecting with hearts across the globe.

Guest Blogger: Khuong N.

Ace Hood (a well known and respect contribution to the music industry) has had his ups and downs as he was on the road to success. Some may compare it to a ride on a rollercoaster but he’s definitely on the right path now. Ace Hood is signed to May Back Music (a record deal found by Rick Ross) which has produced many albums for this fresh artist; such as “Ruthless” (His latest album) and “Gutta”. His theme of growing up in a bad town and motivation gives people the hope that one day they can make it. He talks about his mom and family and how they constantly encourage him to be the best he can be. The theme he used eventually lead to the release of “Ruthless”. “Ruthless” is by far the best album he’s released. It features rappers such as Ludacris in the song “Born an O.G.”, Akon and T-Pain in “Overtime” and the list goes on. He shouts out his name in the beginning of every song he’s in to show that he deserves the respect and recognition and he sure does. Although his album “Gutta” was not a great success he proved that he can get down with the music the crowd wants. He’s definitely one of the top contenders of the music industry. Ace Hood is also definitely a soldier that is fighting for the revival of hip hop if not the new beginning of a broader range of music within hip hop. An army of many such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Rakim, and the list once again goes on. Ace Hood has the potential to be one of the best if not the best himself all he needs is a little motivation for May Back music. Ace Hood a new generation of music a new coming of hip hop.

Guest Blogger: Rehana A.

A band that I choose to blog about has been around for a very long time and there are also popular and influence a lot of people. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are typically known as a rock group but I would have to say that a lot of their songs sound like pop and alternative music. All of their music has meanings and lots of emotions to them, some emotions to some of their songs include sadness and loneliness. One song that describes these emotions is called The Otherside. On the other hand the song called Scare tissue has an emotion of relief and comfort. The overall felling of their albums and songs all relate and form one emotion; pureness. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have such a popular sound that a lot of other bands and artists sometimes get mistaken as them like Coldplay and The Goo Goo Dolls. The similarities include the instrumental music like the guitar and drums. Another similarity also includes the voice of the singer which puts the groups in a specific genre which I thought they fitted in more of an alternative and rock sounding genre. A lot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers songs relate to me and a lot of other people as well, the songs describe some troubles and some times in life that are not very delightful but I would say that this music can help us get through those times. Of course not everyone would agree with me and some critics would disagree on my opinions. I would definitely take time to just listen to some of the songs and you might get an idea and understanding of the group and that they are a big part of the music industry. I would definitely recommend buying and listening to an album. Even if you are not a rock genre or alternative listener you might still love the sound and feel to their music.

Guest Blogger: Rehana A.

Even though Katy Perry is a new artist and hasn’t had a lot of experience I think that she will sky rocket her career. The first single I ever herd of Katy Perry was called I Kissed a Girl. Even thought I hated it at first I began to like it but once the second single came out I fell in love with her music. The genre of music I would classify her in would be pop music. While some of her songs are fun, up beat, and playful; Songs include Hot and Cold, Waking up in Vegas, and I Kissed a Girl. Some songs also have an emotion of sadness and emptiness like her song Thinking of You. I like how she spices and sings her music and that her style is different and unique. If you like artists like Alanis Morisette and Natasha Bedingfield im sure you’ll enjoy Katy Perry. Hey song called Hot and Cold reminds me of fun times, and enjoying myself, it reminds me of the summer time and funny yet serious situations. Another song that I really enjoy listening to is called Waking up in Vegas. This song has an upbeat feel and is always fun to listen to. It reminds me of big cities and nightlife. One critic that had an opinion of Katy Perry’s album disagreed with a lot of my thoughts on her music. He only gave her album around a 2 start rating which I think should have been higher. Even though the critics rate her at a low star rating, I think you should listen to her first instead of going by a star rating around 2. I really do recommend this talented artist, her style is a little crazy and exotic but I think that it fits her personality as well as her music.