The Kennedys - Trailer (8-Part Movie Event)

Paul (2011)

Paul (2011)

 Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) are two British chaps that have come to America to tour all of our great American extraterrestrial sites like: Area 51, Roswell... Their trip's launching pad is one of the greatest known extraterrestrial sites known to mankind Comi-Con International (comic book and popular arts convention)! They set on their course through the American Southwest in their rented R.V. and what do they eventually run across but an extraterrestrial who gets in a car accident ahead of them; I know it's a stereotype but beings from other planets really cannot drive very well. Where else would an E.T. show up but in the hot spot of the E.T. world? They reluctantly decide take Paul in; why wouldn't you take and extraterrestrial in when you're touring E.T. sites?. Soon they are being chased by federal agent (a man in black) Lorenzo Zoil (Jason Bateman) and two bumbling FBI agents Zoil uses as back-up (played by Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio). The RV trio end up hiding out in an RV park and meeting Creationist Christian Ruth Buggs (Kristin Wiig). Buggs ends up joining the fugitives of the "law" though she doesn't immediately know about Paul who would make her question everything one of her foundation beliefs.

I am a nostalgia-guy and a trivia-guy so I always like when films throw in references to prior films. The two main characters in Paul, other than Paul himself (voiced by Seth Rogen) are the two main characters (actors) from a movie I really liked, Shaun of the Dead. That really started me thinking so

I IMDB'd most of the main actors in the film and just about everyone has appeared in at least one supernatural-type movie and/or television show.

The movie was fun from start to finish but it is not your typical buddy-film (is there a typical buddy film anymore?). Obviously, the film is just fun and don't expect too much cinematic Citizen Kanemanship but it will make you laugh unless you are easily offended by language or are overly religious because this certainly questions organized religion. I imagine if you're overly religious you won't go to see and R-rated film about an extraterrestrial anyway.

I am not giving stars any more but I am saying Paul (trailer) is a "watch it." I laughed most of the time while watching it. I think I want to see it again because I am certain that I missed some hidden "easter egg" references.

Handsome Men's Club (where's Helser?)

The Adjustment Bureau

David Norris (Matt Damon) is an up-and-coming politician running for the U.S. Senate. His playboy/bad boy lifestyle seems to be catching up with him and it looks like he is going to lose the election. While in the men's room, where he believes he is alone, rehearsing his concession speech he meets a woman (Emily Blunt) who is hiding from security. They are immediately attracted to one another (isn't everyone attracted to people they meet in the men's room). She had been listening to him rehearse his speech from inside one of the stalls and convinces him to be "more real" in his speech which he decides to do. They become interrupted and she goes her way and he goes to make his speech.

They plan to meet. We see a man, Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie), sitting in a park bench in New York's Central Park on a sunny day being instructed by another man (Terrance Stamp) to make sure that Norris spills his coffee on himself at a specific time. The man falls asleep and fails at his task allowing Norris to have a "chance" meeting on a bus with the woman (Elise). It becomes a chase scene as Mitchell literally chases the bus on foot for New York block after New York block. Norris arrives at his new job at an investment company early (now with Elise's phone number) and sees the office staff motionless, like frozen in time. He walks in and sees men dressed like stormtroopers using scanning equipment on his boss. Soon Norris is being chased but no matter where he goes he cannot get away. He is captured and taken to a warehouse where he is told about The Adjustment Bureau, A division of the government? Heaven? The department of destiny? They take Elise's number from Norris and he is never to contact her. The movie then turns to a quest for Norris to find this woman that he knows very little about and a journey to figure out what The Adjustment Bureau is and why they are trying to keep e and Elise apart.

The film is action-packed from start to finish. It kept me trying to out-think it and figure it out. Were the members of The Adjustment Bureau angels and "The Chairman" is God? Are they aliens from another planet playing with us like an ant farm? Were they parts of our sub-conscious that control our actions? I came up with several scenarios in my own adjustment bureau which kept me entertained. I liked the film. It was basically a love story / quest film. does he get the girl? Does he find out what The Adjustment Bureau is? I am not gonna tell you but I would "adjust" you see it. It might not be bad to wait for it to come out on DVD so that you can pause it when you have to go to the bathroom...it has so many twists and turns that you don't want to "run" out and miss anything. Sugar Momma and I both liked it. I give it 3 and 1/2 stars. I need to change the star system to something similar to "thumbs up / thumbs down." I can't ever decide what/how to measure the films on an accurate star scale but I do know whether I like a movie or not. Maybe just "like" or "dis"... Any suggestions?

Look How Much Time I Saved You!!!!

AND THE WINNERS WERE....

Best Picture - The King's Speech

Best Actress - Natalie Portman in Black Swan 

Best Actor  - Colin Firth in The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo in The Fighter

Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale in The Fighter

Animated Feature Film - Toy Story 3

Art Direction -  Alice in Wonderland

Cinematography - Inception

Costume Design -  Alice in Wonderland

Director - The King's Speech - Tom Hooper

Documentary (feature) - Inside Job

Documentary (Short Subject) - Strangers No More

Film Editing - The Social Network

Foreign Language Film - In a Better World (Denmark)

Makeup - The Wolfman

Music (Original Score) - The Social Network

Music (Original Song) - We Belong Together from Toy Story 3

Short Film (Animated) - The Lost Thing

Short Film (Live Action) - God of Love

Sound Editing - Inception

Sound Mixing - Inception

Visual Effects - Inception

Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - The Social Network

Writing (Original Screenplay) - The King's Speech

And The Oscar's Will (probably) Go To...

 MMR 83rd Academy Awards' 

Official Score Card 

(Sunday February 27, 2011)

Best Picture - The King's Speech

Best Actress - Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Best Actor - Colin Firth (The King's Speech)

Best Director - Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Best Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Best Documentary - Exit Through the Gift Shop

Free Starz and Encore?

I do not know who all this will apply to but I have free Starz and Encore right now on Direct TV. I thought I had heard that it was a free weekend and I just checked and it is on here now! It doesn't hurt to check! Whenever this happens I just scan through the entire weekend and set the DVR to record anything I may want to watch later when I can't sleep :)