Thursday, November 20, 2014

A Great Week for Movies!

In the last 7 days I have went 3 times to the movies and saw 3 AWESOME movies.  I laughed, I cried, I was in Awe.

Interstellar

This was a great movie!  Mathew is forced to go think in 5 dimensions to send messages through time and space.  It also gives anecdotal information about how relatively works on other worlds, not just our own.  I saw this movie in RPX surround sound and I was in shock about how well Sound and the absence off sound was used.  ALSO, I am currently living in Longview Tx, (home of Mathew) and it was awesome to see some cameos of the places that I see everyday in this movie.  If I saw this movie in IMAX I think that I would be even more excited.  A great movie to go see, better seen on a large screen.

Big Hero 6

Disney has done it again.  Just as Frozen was for little girls, this is for little boys.  I believe that this gives little boys a character to connect with and may even help them excel in Math and Science.  My eyes started to leak in this movie several times, but I wont spoil it for you.  The only thing I will say is, if you think about the ending more, the sadder it becomes.  I think that Disney hit it out of the park.  I will definitely be adding this to my movie collection.

The Mocking Jay    

I am not disappointed at all.  I have read the books and watching this latest installment brought everything back.  This part of MockingJay sets us up for the ending of the series.  I am glad that it was split into 2 parts because this one helps tell a lot of minute details that would have been missed if they tried to cram everything into one last sequel.  Katniss is as stubborn as ever and Peeta goes through a HUGE transformation that had me glued to my chair! 

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Summer Blockbusters and TV series

Over the last couple of weeks I watched 2 movies.... One great, and one not-so great.... And a killer TV series.

The Expendables 3
All your aging ass kickers are back for this third installment plus a few younger ones.  My favorite was Harrison Ford, Kelsey (sp?) Grammer and Arnold!  The entire movie is predictable though, I liked the guys on their press tour more, they had exciting stories and charisma, which this movie does not.... Sorry.  If you want to see explosions, gun fights, and wrestling, then this is for you, if you want a storyline, look somewhere else.

The Maze Runner
Yes Yes Yes.  This movie has guessing trying to figure out the twists and turns.  The actors are great, you've seen many of them before!  You really feel for the boys trapped in the maze.  This movie is not full of explosions or a sappy love story like the last tween trilogies.  The special effects are so good, you don't notice them, you see them as real happenings.  Because of this movie I went out and bought the book (on Kindle, while you are there pick up this blog!) and am feverishly reading it before bed at night.  One huge plus for me is that the main character's name is Thomas, same as me!  I did not know this going into the movie.  So everyone needs to root for Thomas.

The Walking Dead S4
I am a die hard fan of TWD, except for one rule that I've followed after the first season.  I don't watch any episodes until they all come out on Netflix or Amazon so I can watch them all back to back.  Over the last 3 days I have done just that.   I was not let down either except for when Herschel dies.  He was the glue that held the group together.  Seriously, after his death and an attack on the prison, the entire group is split up, some coming back together in the end.  P.s. Rick shows how much of a badass he is again by taking a bite out of crime if you know what I mean, makes you lose all memories of him as a boring farmer!  Great season, and am extremely excited for the next season! 

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Lots of new Movies

Guardians of the Galaxy

Abosulutely loved this movie, but I love all of the superhero movies.  My favorite characters were Groot and Rocket of course!  I am excited that they have already green lighted a sequel.  One of my favorite things was the after credits easter eggs.  Being a child o the 80's I can appreciate a nod to Howard the Duck.  If you dont know the Marvel universe you can still enjoy this fantasy space adventure with an AWESOME soundtrack from the 70's and 80's.  It just makes you feel good!  SPOILER when the mother dies in the first 3 minutes of the movie, I had to hide the tears in my eyes.  Guys be prepared!

Hercules

This was the role that The Rock was born for.  I watched the earlier one with Mr. Lutz but have decided that while it was good in its own right, this one was better.  This movie showed more of the above human strength that Hercules possessed and all of the villians and creatures that he had to overcome.  Good movie, good storyline...

The 100 foot Journey

Now this is a movie that is flying under the radar and I personally never heard of it until I overheard a lady talking about how Spielberg and Oprah were a part of it.  I am naturally a foodie (and blog over at www.TheFoodieWithin.com) so this was right up my alley.  I am also turning into a big fan of Helen Mirren.  Are there any "wow" moments in this movie? NO, does it make you feel good after watching it? YES.  Any way, you follow an Indian family travel to France, set up a restaurant, some members of the family fall in love with members of the rival restaurant across the street.  There are even a few funny moments in it that you will enjoy.

The Queen

After watching "The 100 Ft Journey" I wanted to watch something else from Helen Mirren.  I watched this biography type movie of how the Monarchy handled the death of Princess Diana.  Americans do not get to see behind the curtain of a leader that has been in power for over 50 years.  Our leaders are in power for a maximum of 8 years, so we really do not get to grow up with them.  In England the Monarchy is a sacred member of the English family and culture.  It is a an older movie, but gave me more insight into the daily life of our brothers and sisters across the pond.

Noah

I am huge fans of Emma Watson and Logan Lerman, both stars of this biblical movie.  (Both were stars of The Perks of Being a Wallflower that I loved)  Keep in mind that when watching this movie that everytime they say "Creator" they are referring to "God"  It was done this way to keep from saying "God" every other sentence and to make it easier for people of a different faith to watch this and learn about someone else's culture.  BTW Anthony Hopkins plays "The Grandfather" that appears to have lost his mind, but is still pretty neat how everything ties up nicely with a bow at the end.  To me this is different than what is in the bible, but I am sure some parts are more closely to what really happened and there is of course a lot that is fantastic.


Friday, July 18, 2014

Bad Words and Transformers

Transformers: Extinction


I went to see Transformers on opening day... in 3D of course.  It was really good.  What was even more interesting is that I live just a few miles from where the movie takes place!  I liked the storyline, I just wish there was some kind of mention of the characters from the first 3 movies.  The redesigned transformers were great, K. Grammer was great, Mark Wahlberg was fantastic.  People actually dies in this movie so I am guessing that the 2nd (5th) installment will be even darker. 
The next week I took vacation and headed home to Abilene to be with my little brothers and family.   They hadn't seen it yet so we went and watched it at the Drive In theater.  You haven't seen transformers until you have seen them 80 feet tall!  The Dinosaur Transformers are my favorite by far!

Bad Words

If you like Arrested Development, then you will love this.  If you have never seen any Jason Bateman movies and this is your first, you will fall in love with his wit and comedy.  A must see and it is freaking HILARIOUS!  I LOL'd many times during this movie, but I would have liked a better ending with his father.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The Kid in Me, at the box office

This week I saw myself going back in time and acting like a kid again.  I ate a whole box of strawberry vines, then some cake, bounced off the walls for few hours and finally crashed.  Before I crashed I was able to get in a few more movies.

Maleficent

This is a first for Disney.  They retold the story of Sleeping Beauty but from the angle of Maleficent.  I must say, it was pretty impressive.  Of all the movies I watched this weekend, this one was the best and will become part of my movie collection.  I was impressed by the way they paid special attention to the 3D aspect of the film.  The scenes where Maleficent is soaring through the sky were breathtaking in the third dimension.  Special effects were great, it was awesome to see just how much power Maleficent really had.  Favorite part of the whole thing was the twist ending... I wont give it away but I even my second guess was wrong at the end.


How to Train your Dragon II

I loved the first one, and this one did not disappoint.  I definitely takes a darker turn in the second installment with a main character dying.  This movie definitely tugs at the heart strings MULTIPLE times during the movie.  Great battle scenes!!!!  As a Science nut I can appreciate they use of thermodynamics as Toothless is using his fire bursts to keep HicCup in the air, but you will see it in the movie!  New types of dragons are added along with a few new main characters that I am sure we will see in the #3!


The Grand Budapest Hotel

All I can say is that this is kind of like Clue, Life Aqautic, and Dunstin Checks In all rolled together but add in a whole bunch of cameos from great actors.  I enjoyed this movie but am very aware that this movie will not appeal to the majority of people.  If you liked Life Aquatic then you will like this, if not, maybe you are better off renting it after you watched your #1 choice.  Great acting, lots of little puns that a more sophisticated audience can enjoy!



Sunday, May 25, 2014

I need a better hobby

Yes, I went to the movies again.... I need a better hobby, it seems that watching movies is the only thing that I have done lately!  AnyWhoooooo.......

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Freaking Amazing!  The 3D was great, (when it worked, yes I am calling you out Regal Cinemas!!!!)  Enjoyed the storyline, the special effects were on point.  I personally wanted it to be about 30 minutes longer and do some more character building on QuickSilver.  One thing that impressed me was how they paid attention to past XMen movies and tied them together.  You will notice this too if you go watch it.  As I am typing this, the media is expecting XMen to cross $100 Million at the box office for Memorial Day Weekend!  *Spoiler*  Loved all of the original cameos from past XMen movies!

Godzilla

I wanted to like this movie so much, and to be honest I am unable to give an opinion on it.  Yes, I went to see it, Yes, I paid the up sale for 3D.  BUT.... when it came for the huge fight scene where Godzilla fights off the other monsters.... I literally fell asleep in the movie theater.  I guess I was just too exhausted.  I awoke when I heard clapping for the rest of the people in the movie theater that enjoyed the fight scene.  I enjoyed the graphics and storyline that I actually saw.  I will watch it again when it comes out on video.

Emperor

You cant miss a Tommy Lee Jones film.  Here he plays General MacArthur and he has been given the task to rebuild Japan after WWII.  He gives MO's to some of his men to see if the Emperor of Japan should be tried to war crimes or not.  This movie is a history lesson that you did not learn in school.  Since I like learning new things about historical events, this had my interest the whole time.  If you don't like documentaries, you wont like this movie.


 

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Neighbors: The Review

Neighbors


So, I had a little free time AND the opportunity to go see Neighbors a few hours before it was officially released.  I decided to go.  Showed up about 20 minutes early, ordered and gigantic Mountain Dew for like $100 or how ever much they cost now.  (I think I am Regal Cinema's best customer!) Went into the movie theater, took my seat, 3rd row so I can be completely be immersed into the production.  Watched some hilarious previews that I will have to go see when they are in theaters (hopefully some will invite me to red carpets HINT HINT!)

The Movie starts out with Seth Rogan and Rose Byrn being your typical new parents, they just don't want to give up the "party life" when Zac Efron, Dave Franco, and the whole fraternity move next door and hilarity ensues.  They go after each other with disastrous outcomes but the whole time you are laughing.  A lot of the pranks that you see are straight out of YouTube so it connects with today's audience. 

One thing that I would change, SPOILER!!!!!  at the end when Zac Efron's character is arrested, I wish Seth Rogan and Rose Byrn would have been seen bailing him out of jail.  That way it could possibly lead to a tighter friendship, could have seen them using the walkie talkies at the end.  Maybe setting the precedent for a sequel.

This movie is THAT Funny.  Rated R so make sure the youngin's stay home!

Movie Reviews

I've been quiet for a while, just watching movies, here is what I've seen lately!

The Amazing Spiderman II

The people that made this movie really paid attention to the use of 3D.  I was not disappointed in the 3D graphics like I have been with other movies lately.  Andrew Garfield is back as Spiderman and does a great Job, his love interested Emma Stone is AWESOME as always.  Because of this new movie I am adding Dane Dahaan to my list of all time favorite actors.  He does so well as the head of Oscorp and The Green Goblin.  The only drawback is that I would have liked to see Spiderman battle Rhino a little more since it was promoted so much in the previews.  Great movie, go see it!

Paranoia

Some heavy hitters in this tech drama movie.  Harrison Ford made me want to see it, it has one of the Hemsworth guys it it as well.  Was it worth seeing in theaters? No, but as a rental. Yes.

Carrie (the remake)

WOW!  I had just finished re watching the original when this one came out on video, so I decided to give it a try.  Such a good story and they stayed pretty true to the original.  The special effects were amazing though.

47 Ronin

He's back!  Keanu Reeves that is.  This movie is okay, lots of fighting and action.  The love story seemed forced but again, this is an action movie and should be treated as such.  Great scenery for the background.  Also liked the fantastic creatures created that come to life in this movie.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Captain America 2: Winter Soldier

yes, Yes, YES!  I was enthralled with this movie.  Captain America is quickly becoming my all time favorite Super Hero.  The movie was actually the most believable of all the super here movies Ive seen.  I saw it in 3D which made the fight/flight scenes that much better. 
From watching this movie I have decided that I want one of the vehicles that Nick Fury was driving.  It was tricked out!  Please go see this movie and let me know what you think, so far it has set a record for the highest grossing movie for an April release with $96,000,000+  WOW!



Saturday, March 29, 2014

Opposites attract

I watched two very different movies the other day, here are my reviews.

 

Walking with Dinosaurs.

Great Special effects.  After about 15 minutes I thought I was a REAL nature documentary in the Discovery Channel or something.  You follow an exquisitive young dinosaur through the dangerous time period of days gone by.  He and a group of friends must overcome migration, predators, and 'Love'.  SPOILER at the end, I was nearly in tears, when you watch it, you will know what part I am talking about.  I bought it, and suggest you do to!

300: Rise of an Empire

Loved it, Loved it, LOVED IT!  It was better than the original.  I am a sucker for period movies (fact or fiction) and I really loved the blood and gore!  The strong female leads in this movie were fantastic, the fight scenes were AWESOME.  Of course, seeing the fit guys in this movie almost wants me to work out... almost!  I already own 300, and cant wait til this one is available.


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Mr. Peabody upsets the Box Office

Over the weekend there was an upset at the Box Office.  Mr. Peabody and Sherman brought in over $21 Million to take home first place.  They were up against some new action flicks that I didn't pay attention to.

I did go see this with my 2 little brothers.  They loved it, as an older adult (29), I found it a bit boring at first, but it did pick up in the middle.  I can say that this movie does slyly teach kids some interesting facts about different eras in history, just like it did as a short in "Rocky and Bullwinkle"
It has great animation, good 3D effects.  Bottom line, if you have children to entertain or just want to relive part of your childhood, pick Mr. Peabody and Sherman!  You won't be disappointed!

P.S.  It has a heartwarming ending at the end!




Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Best Interview so far

Sometimes you find someone that is so well in tuned with their audience that when they sign up to do an interview with me that I don't even have to ask any questions.  Today's interviewee is that person, they can talk about their product much better than I.  That is why, I am just copy/pasting what they sent me, I only had to write one little question and his responses are awesome.  So, please enjoy this interview and maybe later we can do a little jig together!



(First eMail)
Ok TeeJay,
 
You heard it here first. The startling true story behind LearnClubDance.com. A story of some pretty epic entertainment industry fails. Proceed with caution savvy entertainment industry reader, and learn from my mistakes.
 
My name is Paul Bolotovsky and I own learnclubdance.com. I produced all of the instructional dance videos on my website.
 
Ask me if I know how to use my camera, and I might reply with "iPhone camera?" When I first started, I had no idea how to use a camera, what a c stand stood for, and I was annoyed I had to rent lights when the venue I was shooting in had a perfectly usable light switch. Not every producer knows how to use their equipment. Fortunately for me, I was no producer. I was a college student majoring in economics (not film), and ignorance is as they say bliss.
 
The first project was a fail. I hired my friends, borrowed free gear, and rented cheap space inside of a Russian nightclub in a seedy part of Brooklyn. No production insurance. No paperwork to sign. Needless to say if anything went wrong, the club's owners, I mean mobsters, would probably inflict some bodily harm onto me, and probably the talent too. My friends, who didn't share the same vision as me for the project slapped fish eye lenses to their cameras, unleashed a giant fog machine, and someone found the switch to the disco lights.

But despite the somewhat questionable production value, the product we created was exactly what I set out to do. It's what guys like me were looking for. And once people started to buy my stuff, I made more videos and never looked back.

That brings me to my second entertainment industry fail.
 
I thought if I could create a hit DVD, that I could cold call Best Buy and that my DVD would be flying off their shelves in no time.
 
Cold call Best Buy I did. Unfortunately, it was a cold answer that I got. Actually, it was more of a robotic answer, because I never got past their voicemail system.

I did somehow manage to reach Tower Records and J and R Music in NYC. I have no idea what the person on the other end of the line thought of my naive, high pitched voice, but I was told to call back when I had more videos.
 
My next two videos were in the same genre, basic social dancing, but this time, I set out to make a DVD for women. Obviously.

And that brings me to another lesson. Don't invent a niche. Join a niche that has already proved itself.
 
I'm not sure how, or why I decided to take on this one man quest to teach the women of the world how to shake what their momma's gave them but it had a lot to do with the fact that there were already many dance workout videos being marketed to women.

If large Hollywood studios like Lions Gate were producing content in this genre, then that was proof of a market.
 
So I produced two instructional DVDs specifically targeting women. I reached out to the biggest dance representation in NYC and I ended up working with the hottest, sexiest, coolest woman my little twenty one year old self had ever hung out with. For a geek like me, it was scary, but it was worth it, because the instructors I worked with were some of the biggest names in the dancing industry.
 
Now that I had three videos, I called Tower Records again. They told me to call back when I had more videos after all. Well I learned three was not enough either.
 
Entertainment industry lesson number four:

With no luck finding distribution myself, I ended up signing with a "sales agent," who promised to have many warm contacts in the entertainment industry. To get me in a closed boardroom meeting with LionsGate, all they needed was $4,000 to cover their upfront costs. They never returned my calls after that 4k check was cashed.

With Best Buy and Target clearly not stumbling over each other to get hands on my videos, I realized that self distribution was going to be the way to go.
 
And lesson number five is all about how Amazon has revolutionized how people consume content. All of a sudden, thanks to Amazon's seller program, I was on the same level playing field as all of the major studios!
 
And there lads, that about wraps up one man's journey into the world of self-distribution.

(2nd eMail)
I replied with:
Great history of the product, can you give me a run down of each DVD available and why someone like me, who can't dance at all, would buy these?
 

and Paul responded with:

 Hey TeeJay,

"Why someone like me, who can't dance at all, would buy these?"
 
If you can't dance at all, then you sound a lot like our typical customer. Because if are already a great dancer, then you probably don't need a video that teaches you how to dance. For those that can't dance, you have our videos, which are just one way of becoming a better dancer. You can also take classes, get drunk, hire a private instructor, or dance with someone really hot. Dancing with a beautiful woman always makes you look like a better dancer.
 
Why would you buy an instructional dance video if you can't dance? Well, it's for the same reason someone would take guitar lessons if they don't know how to play guitar. Because they want to get better.
 
So I think you might be asking, why would someone like yourself want to learn how to dance.

Well, there are plenty of reasons why a man would want to learn to dance:

Weddings, parties, and corporate parties. Sometimes we get thrown into the fire and society tells us we have to dance, even if we would rather wrestle honey away from a bear. Your boss's summer party, your neighbors sweet 16, your wedding night, or your divorce party. With everyone's eyes on you, these are all situations that may lead you to want to be a better dancer.
  • How you dance is how you might perform in the sack. While I don't know if that old adage has any truth to it, I do know this: Men who can dance are more attractive. According to science. Put two men next to each other. A bad dancer, and a better dancer. Make everything else equal, like height and looks, and ask a woman which one is more attractive. Science tells us she will choose the better dancer. And men who are good dancers apparently send subliminal messages to other men who are potential competitors to stay away. Daily Mail Reference, Science Mag
  • Dancing makes you smarter. Apparently that's what a new Stanford Study says. I'll keep telling myself that next time I get drunk and go dancing and partying all night. Stanford Study
  • Because sometimes you have to dance to dodge bullets aimed at your feet
  • Because sometimes you score a really good touch down and you have to throw salt on the wound and do a touch down dance to celebrate
  • Because sometimes, your wife, girlfriend, or secret mistress makes you. And that unfortunately, is sometimes the biggest reason of them all.
So for those that do want to learn to dance, there are a few options on our website. We have different videos based on your experience, your goals, your gender, and the style of dance you would like to learn.
 
We have DVDs designed for the absolute beginner such as yourself. These videos keep in mind that you do not want to be a professional dancer. They recognize that you might not "love" to dance, and that you are probably just learning to dance for a function.
 
Own The Dance Floor Vol 1 - Simple Moves For The Common Man
This beginners DVD is for guys such as yourself, who have very little experience dancing, and it teaches you basic social dancing moves. Think the movie "Hitch," only better and more practical. We split our social dancing videos up by gender because not only do men and women dance differently, but they also may have different motivations for dancing.
 
Sexy Moves For The Club
This beginners DVD for women teaches you fun, flirty, sexy moves. You'll learn everything from hot, subtle moves you can do to blend in on the dance floor, to flirty moves that will have everyone's eyes on you. By the time you are done with this video, you'll learn how to move your hips in a whole new way and you'll have a new arsenal of moves to impress your friends. Knowing how to move your hips is one of the most important factors of a good dancer.
 
Dance The Night Away - Partner Dancing 101
This video is what I call the "short cut" to formal ballroom dance lessons. It takes the moves you have already learned in Simple Moves, or Sexy Moves, and it shows you how to combine and use them with a partner. If you have an upcoming wedding, then this is the video for you. Instead of learning formal ballroom dance steps, we just show you a few simple spins and dips that look a lot harder than they are. So while you're dancing the night away on that big occasion, and you catch yourself smiling, it might be because of the amount of time and money you saved by skipping formal dance lessons.
 
We have plenty of other videos, from Salsa, to Hip Hop, to workouts, but if you are new to dance, these three are the best place to start.
 
Please let me know if you have any more questions, these are great!

Talk soon,
 
Paul Bolotovsky


-End of Interview-

As you can see I have fallen for the enthusiasm this guy has for his product.  So if you are looking for that new sexy dance move to add to your club playlist, please check this guy out, buy a DVD or watch the video tutorial on YouTube!  Make sure you follow him on social media and check out website:


Paul Bolotovsky

Friday, February 7, 2014

Movies, Movies, Movies





Last week I went to the video store on a whim and of course, I grabbed more movies then I could watch in a day, but here they are:

Riddick
Ehhhh... it was alright, I wanted him to be in another situation like the last installment.  I am a huge Riddick fan, I even have the cartoon version that was released after the first movie.  In this latest attempt, Riddick decides that he has basically been "Sissified" and needs to get back to his wild roots.  So he decides to live on this planet with all of these new wild creatures, even domesticating a dog-like creature.  Some bounty hunters land, try to kill Riddick, Riddick kicks but, yadda yadda yadda. 

Last Vegas
Great movie even though you can probably tell exactly what happens from just watching the previews... Old man wants to get married to a hot younger lady, decides to have a Bachelor party in Vegas with his childhood friends.  Crazy and Wild things happen making them feel young again, etc etc. etc.

Captain Phillips
I remember watching this play out in real life on TV a few years ago.  Seeing what happened from the POV of the captain is Awesome.  Tom Hanks is an amazing actor, but he might just be too likable in this rendition.  From reading about the actual incident, the captain was harsher in real life and many of the crew are suing because he was not portrayed correctly.  My favorite takeaway from this movie is how the US sent out MANY boats to save one American from Pirates.  We protect our own while sending statements to others...  Actions speak louder than words.

Don Jon
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the brain child of this movie.  I think it is an indie movie on steroids.  Personally I didn't like the movie BUT I cant get it out of my head.  It is about a man that is more addicted to Internet porn than actual relationships.  It is interesting to see how he deals with it in modern society and how it can damage real life relationships.

The Butler
I loved this movie.... It has so many cameos it is RIDICULOUS!  John Cusack, Robin Williams, James Marsden, Oprah, etc... the list goes on.  The acting is superb and you really fall in love with the main character, Cecil, played by Forrest Whitaker.  This is a movie that helps open up dialogue within a society and how civil rights are still an issue that needs to be addressed today.  I personally don't agree with some of the history points in the movie but this is seen from one character's view point. 

The Croods
This is a great animated family movie.  It is both funny and heart-warming.  It also have A+ voice talent such as Emma Stone, Nick Cage, Ryan Reynolds, etc...  My favorite part of the whole movie was the fantastic creatures created by the writers/animators.  The creatures are just so lifelike and have attributes of todays animals that little kids wil recognize then throw them for a loop!  I have to buy this one for my own collection.

On Netflix.

I have finished the first 2 seasons of American Horror Story and I must say... I am completely hooked!  I personally liked the first season better than the 2nd, but I am hearing great reviews from season 3, but dont ruin it for me!  Until season 3 is on Netflix I have just started watching Bates Hotel.  Is this a good series to watch, let me know on twitter!


















Monday, January 20, 2014

Know What TODAY Is?

Hump  Movie Day!


That's right, I spent the day in the movie theater, tirelessly watching movies so I could give you honest reviews!

Saving Mr. Banks

Tom Hanks has the Midas touch.  I absolutely loved this movie.  It is heart warming and has some fun moments as well.  Bring a tissue, there are a few moments when you will need it.  I am hoping that Disney decides to make a biopic that digs further into the life of Walt (ie Aviator) using Tom as the title again.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Man, there is a lot of walking in all of these LOTR movies.  I saw this in the RD 3D version and let's just say I was completely blown away.  I felt like I was in the movie.  The last time I have seen 3D used this good was in Avatar.  Story line was great, and Smaug steals the movie.  p.s. Legolas is back!

The Legend of Hercules

Kellan Lutz is back and bigger than ever (muscles that is).  I liked the progression of the story that tells how and why Hercules got his powers, I just wanted to see some mythical creatures.  He had to fight some soldiers from his father's army, hardly a match.  The lightning bolt trick at the end was pretty cool though.  I would wait til this one comes out on video, but Kellan, you are still the man!

Catching Fire

Ummmm...  I didn't think I could like this series any more (Hunger Games), but upon seeing this installment proved me wrong.  I was never into Twilight, LOTR, or HP, but this series has me hooked.  The whole premise of the story seems so real, like this kind of government could happen to us if there was a revolt or something.  Scenery was amazing and let's not even start on the action in this movie.  Make sure you have a tissue for when Mags BLEEEEEEEP.  Don't want to spoil it for you!

The Wolf of Wallstreet

This is exactly how I believe the filthy rich live if they want to.  Leo DiCaprio, Scorsese, Hill, etc... (and Chris Riggi, a past TeeJay Interview) all are outstanding in this movie of fast money, fast cars, and even faster uses of the F-Bomb.  It was extremely entertaining but not a movie that I would take my mother to see.  Definately a guys movie, but the performances of all involved are outstanding.  Makes me want to get back into the stockmarket!