the workings of a tv/movie nerd.

The Mist:

David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his young son Billy (Nathan Gamble) are among a large group of terrified townspeople trapped in a local grocery store by a strange, otherworldly mist. David is the first to realize that there are things lurking in the mist…deadly, horrifying things…creatures not of this world. Survival depends on everybody in the store pulling together…but is that possible, given human nature? As reason crumbles in the face of fear and panic, David beings to wonder what terrifies him more: the monsters in the mist—or the ones inside the store, the human kind, the people that until now had been his friends and neighbors?

I have to say that when I went into this film I thought it was going to be preety good, with Stephan King getting movies like “The Green Mile and “Shawshank so superbly done I think I expected a bit more. It wasnt that I hated the film because that isnt the case at all, I just think it could of done a lot more. The Actors were cast well, The father and Son Thomas Jane and Nathan Gamble were brilliant I think, I also really liked Marcia Gay Harden’s character. I think overall it is a good paced Horror Movie that will make your heart beat, the ending really took me for suprise, see it if your a fan of horror.

The Jane Austen Book Club:

Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships — both old and new — begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels.

This film is simple yet very good. Six Californians decide to get together once a month to discuss each one of Austen’s six novels in turn. The group has some cohesiveness–most of the people are friends, and the group includes a mother and her daughter. However, there is a newcomer–a young man–who is not familiar with Austen, but is charming enough, and eager enough, to be accepted because the group lacks a sixth member.

All of the women are in a lesser or greater crisis at some point in the movie, and the film intertwines their problems with the problems faced by Austen’s heroines. The parallel is apt enough–the women, like Austen’s heroines, are attractive and reasonably comfortable financially. Most of their problems center around love, or lack of love, which, again, follows Austen’s plots.

I found this movie very entertaining even though I have never read any of Jane Austen’s novels. However even though I did’nt know them it was worth watching. I also liked the fact that this film is not a chick-flick, there were a few guys in the cinema and I dont see why guys would’nt like this film.

The cast consists of Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Hugh Dancy, Kevin Zegers and Marc Blucas.

Overall this movie was a great way to spend my afternoon.

Sweeney Todd:

After hard years in exile for a crime he didn’t commit, Benjamin Barker now Sweeney Todd, returns to London to find his wife dead and his daughter in the hands of the evil Judge Turpin. In his anger, Sweeney goes on a murderous rampage on all London, with the help of Mrs. Lovett, he opens a barber shop in which he lures his victims in with a charming smile before casually ending their life with a flick of his razor across their neck. But not one man killed, nor ten thousands men can satisfy Sweeney’s lust for revenge on those who’ve caused his years of pain.

I Saw Sweeney Todd on Wednesday and I thought it was awesome. Tim Burton is defeneitely one of a kind thats for sure. Sweeney Todd offers the unlikely pairing of musical and horror, and boy does it work in his favour.

The story begins with Benjamin Barker’s arrest by Judge Turpin, a true personification of evil, a man who doesn’t think twice in convicting Barker for a crime he did not commit. Sent away of London, he returns with a new facet: Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Until this moment on, his barbershop is scenery to grim assassination- through which the evidences of murder are kept hidden thanks to the help of Mrs. Lovett, the baker. Sweeney vows revenge against the judge.

Burton’s direction is truly fantastic, exploring his already trademark visuals with bravura. Johnny Depp Portrays the ever so creppy Sweeney Todd in a perfect manner which shine above many of his other roles, Helena Bonham Carter was fabulous as Mrs Lovett, who was both good and bad at the same time, there were also great performances by Alan Rickman as the Judge Turpin, Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford and Sacha Baron Cohen as Signor Adolfo Pirelli. And a really awesome performance by first time actor Ed Sanders who plays Toby.

Im Sure whoever goes to see this will be satisfied with all of the performances. I enjoyed it very much.

Juno:

Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.

Juno MacGuff is a sarcastic, cynical tomboyish teen played by Ellen Page, in a fantastic, unique performance. After sort-of-spontaneous (but not really) sex with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera of ‘Superbad’), Juno receives an unwanted package–a pregnancy.

Juno decides to give her baby to an affluent couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). All seems well at first, but it will be a bumpy road until birth.

I Saw this movie twice, once on tuesday and once last night and it was an absoulutely fantastic journey of a film. This movie has a really strange and different affect on you. While watching it I was amazed at how strangely normal they had made the character of Juno but i think this is just the way the brilliant Ellen Page portrays it. In fact every single performance in this film absoulutely tremendous. Allison Janey and J.K Simmons are fantastic as Juno’s Stepmum and Father.

The Writing of Diablo Cody and Directing of Jason Reitman are truly awesome when you string together all the amazing actors in this film. This movie was a great start to my 2008.