Men In Black 3 (2012)

Barry Sonnenfeld returns to the comedic world of aliens hiding on Earth with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents protecting the secret and the result is an entertaining film with a strong time-travel story, threatening yet hilarious villain (intensified by Jemaine Clement) and new characters including a younger K played brilliantly by Joss Brolin. A much improved chapter from the last one, this third entry is really satisfying. B+

The Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

A promising premise and otherwise intense thriller (almost horror film) that quickly fades and ends like the B movie it so doesn't want to be: to say I was disappointed is an understatement. Four Americans along with some Norwegians go on an unconventional tour of a town near the famous Soviet Nuclear plant that has been abandoned since the tragic melt down 26 years ago. The set-up is pretty good, dueling brothers and two girl friends, a subplot about a marriage proposal, all of it quite nice. Then they get to the abandon town and things get creepy and in a good way. Unfortunately the terror to escape turns into a bunch of repetitive chase scenes and when the film makers get to the end they botch it, big time. Grade: B- (And the only reason I'm not giving it a C is because it did have a few scares that unsettled me.)

Spoilers: If you need to know what a copout is just watch this film's ending. The part I liked was that they end up going deeper into the radioactive zone ending up in Chernobyl’s reactor but the whole government conspiracy crap and the men in radioactive suits tossing our lone survivor into a pack of the very “monsters” she was trying to escape is just stupid. I'd have rather our couple make it out of the village, find a car and get away, only for die of radioactive poison when they arrive to their hotel rooms.  

The Hangover II (2011)

The wild boys from The Hangover are back and history repeats itself.   If you liked the first one, crass humor and all, you'll enjoy this one as well.  Sure it's pretty much the same movie, sticking to a formula that worked, but in this case it's a very good thing.  Instead of Vegas this one takes place in Bangkok and there is some really hilarious moments.  If I have one pet peeve is that one of the best surprises is ruined by the movie's poster (why do they do that?).  I knew they're planning on a third film and I'm excited and hopeful that this time Alan is the one getting married.  Grade: B+

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010)

I love that Woody Allen keeps making movies year after year.  He doesn't always succeed but when he does it's wonderful.  What I like about this film is how organic it is, almost like an odd-shaped sculpture that somehow stays standing and you're not sure why.  There's four stories at work and each is like a short story.   Naomi Watts devolpes a crush on the art dealer she works with played by Antonio Banderas.  Josh Brolin,  her husband, is a doctor turned writer smitten with a neighbor (Frida Pinto) he enjoys watching from his across this courtyard.  Anthony Hopkins plays Mrs. Watts' father who leaves her mother for a prostitute played by Lucy Punch.  And her mother played by Gemma Jones becomes enchanted by a fortune teller's prediction that she'll meet a tall dark stranger.  The reason I say these are like short stories is because they don't have your traditional "movie" ending that the average movie-goer expect and this is another reason why this film is a breath of fresh air.  Grade: B+

11/22/63 by Stephen KIng (Novel)

Time travel is so much fun and yet like a complex math problem difficult to reason out with all the possible plot holes and paradoxes.  This is a good one, written with care and attention to detail for such scientific snags that only a talented story-spinner like Mr. King can make work.  It's a simply question: if you could go back in time and prevent a watershed moment (a tragedy like JFK's assassination) from happening would you do it, even with fate fighting you the entire way?  Jake Epping is given this opportunity and he chooses to accept and what a journey.  In many ways this isn't a science fiction tale or even a historical representation about  Lee Harvey Oswald (although it's evident that Mr. King did his research) it's a book about a man finding home in a place (and time) he never imagined.  It's about community and how rewarding it can be to contribute.  And it's a thriller that makes turning the pages so easy, which is something for this is a thick book, but it didn't feel like it.   And most of all it's a love story and one of Mr. King's best.   This novel ended up winning the LA Times Book Prize for best thriller and I certainly concur.  Excellent work, Mr. King.  Grade: A-

Smash Palace (1982)

This New Zealand gem needs to be celebrated more.  It's an unknown classic about a junk yard owning, race car driving, car restoring father whose life turns upside down when his wife leaves him for one of his best mates.  Bruno Lawrence stars and his performance will stick with me for a long time because it's so honest, brave and in your face masculine.  Anna Maria Monticelli plays his wife and her performance resonates because you can see her conflicting emotions and yet believe she is making the right decision.  Roger Donaldson writes and directs what really is an accomplished story well-told and deeply satisfying.  Grade: A
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Women In Trouble (2009)

Sebastian Gutierrez makes a chick flick disguised as a film meant for guys.  Or that's how I can best describe this film where you have porn stars and hookers delving into their emotional pasts with complete strangers.  There's three stories at work here: porn star Electra Luxx finds out she's pregnant and then gets stuck in an elevator with a woman dealing with a daughter who thinks she's her aunt, a psychiatrist finds out her husbands sleeping with one of her patients, and a dumb hooker wants to celebrate her birthday with a girl she's in love with but ends up almost getting killed in the alley of a Lesbian bar.  There's lots of talking and weepy monologues for actresses to work their magic on and it's fun to see how all the characters connect.   The problem is that it doesn't always work and feels inconsistent.  Still I'm going to have to check out the sequel someday, since Carla Gugino's Electra Luxx's character is in it.  Grade: B