True Blood: Season One: Welcome to the Freak Show. ***

HBO's brand new series, True Blood, hit T.V. last summer and took everyone by storm, T.V. never stood a chance. I guess Allan Ball was sitting watching Twilight and realised how crappy it was so he wanted to give a special gift to the world of entertainment and well he couldn't leave out his social satire either; so what he gave was a T.V. show with it's own twisted agenda.

Anna Paquin stars as Sookie Stackhouse, a nice barmaid who believes in the good of this world during a time where vampires of come out from hiding oh yeah she can read minds too. This is a world where vampires are living with humans and a synthetic blood called True Blood is created to supply the vampires with their means of "living" so they don't have to feed on humans. A vampire walks into Merlotte's bar where Sookie works and this is where the series takes off.

We meet many character's, Tara is a black girl that has a drunk for a mother and thinks everyone on this planet is racist, Jason Stackhouse is Sookie's brother but he's the lesser half of the family as he jumps from girl to girl within the town and is suspected for murder constantly because of his sexual-horn dog nature. Laffoyette is a black-gay gangster who is also a drug dealer as well as a really great friend to Sookie; Sam is the lonely bar owner with a mysterious vibe about him. Sookie seems to be surrounded by characters that are disturbing and frightening but she seems satisfied and seriously believes in the good in all of these characters. Then Bill walks into the bar, he's a vampire, and Sookie can't read his mind, the connection these two have is stunning. Twilight can learn a lot about chemistry between these two characters and how they actually have an emotional connecting. When she walks into the bar and sits next to him; this whole scene is stunning as the emotion blazes off of the screen, the acting is amazing. Bill also shows a side to a vampire that is complex and a hint of human and Sookie believes in the good of Bill rather than the fact that he is a blood sucking vampire.

Now this show gets pretty weird as it runs down some rabbit trails like possession and excorsism and redemption from the darkest of places. This show show's a pretty bleak and dark side to humanity but it's all seen through the eyes of optimism that is Sookie. Now the reason why this show only has Three Stars is because of the sexual content of the show; if you watch this show you will see your fair share of sex and nudity. As we see Jason diddly daddling through the town's girls for the first few episodes we get to see the disturbing side of his sexual antics. This is the only bad side of the show; the sexuality is pretty graphic and random but it ends near the middle of the season.

Overall; this is a funny-biting satire of humanity and how we live with each other, then they throw vampires into the mix. There are twists that are totally unpredictable, and moments that will have you saying "is this really happening?" This show has a personality that not everyone will like, but the romance is beautifully done. This is a scary show with moments of true fear and truly disturbed moments that only the greatest horror movies possess. This is the best portrayal of vampires I have seen in a long time. "Let the right one in" was the last and to have both of these forces of entertainment to come out around the same time is a blessing the the world. This is a twisted, disturbing, social commentary on humanity that will keep you guessing and leave you wanting for another bite. You've never seen anything like it.

Garden State: The Ultimate Romantic Comedy. ****

Garden State is an amazing little movie that deserves much more praise than it has ever recieved. Zach Braff's debut film is far from perfect but it's so loveable and so real that it is an amazing romantic comedy that actually achieves that status of being a romantic comedy.

We meet Andrew Largeman as he's late for work and emotionally detached from the world not really caring about anything, even his job. We see him in his room trying to sleep but he simply can't; his room is a blank white colour and totally boring, this is a perfect depiction of Andrew's life and where he's coming from. Oh yes, by the way we get a quick glance at his medicine cabinet as it's filled with every kind of prescription drug. He then gets a call from his father telling him that his mother just died. This is the best thing that's ever happened to Andrew. We then go back home with him and meet his friends and his former life and then we meet her. Sam is played by Natalie Portman and catches Largeman's eye right away. This chemistry between these two characters is unlike anything we've ever seen in a movie. Where he is reserved and to himself she is totally blunt and honest about how she lies all the time. We have two really honest characters who flourish throughout the movie because of each other; it's beautiful.

This movie is so well done too; the direction is impeccable and Braff spends just enough time with his humour as well as the development of the romance between the main characters. He also creates a social commentary on what home really is and why we long to have a place called home.

This is a great little movie that paints a beautiful picture of what love looks like in real life Largeman is surounded by different forms and kind's of love, romantic love, brotherly love, and love from a family; he rediscovers what life is all about and begins to 'feel' life again rather than being numb to the whole idea of life. He rediscovers this because of a girl named Sam; and that is the most romantic notion of any romantic comedy I have ever seen.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: Robot War Heaven. **

Well the wait is over; it's finally here and the teenagers, young adults, and kids were waiting for this moment for their entire lives. Now does this movie live up to it's predecessor? Oh it sure does, it's bigger, louder, more obnoxious, but the action is just too awesome to pass this one by; once again Michael Bay brings a movie full of more crap, but has a lot of fun with it.

No one can take this movie seriously, okay, when you're going to go and watch a movie based on a hasbro toy about action figures that Transform are you really expecting an oscar laden movie filled with poignant filmaking and great acting? I went to this movie to just see tons of action and I got my wish. The movie begins with an action sequence that's ten times bigger than the finale of the last movie, yeah, it was huge! During the entire sequence I had a huge smile on my face and autobots dismantled the decepticons with robots flipping over stuff; to cars splitting in half, to Optimus destroying the Devastator, it was sweet. There were some things that I really didn't like about this movie though.

Now most people are gonna think I'm going to rip this movie apart because of it's garbage acting, stupid plot, silly characters, and no development but I really didn't care about that stuff with this movie, this is simply a popcorn action flick to keep us entertained during these summer months and it does just that but it sinks to a new low with it's adolescent humour. Hasbro made Transformers for kids so the first movie was appropriate for kids (barely) but this movie really isn't and I was really upset by that because Kids love these movies too. The college scenes featured half naked girls that are only trying to have sex all the time; come on Michael Bay are you really that perverted? Almost every robot too said something in-appropiate if it was a little monster truck calling Megan Fox a b**** multiple times and robots saying A**H*** multiple times; to see these robots saying that really sucked. I don't think I've seen so many ball jokes and humping jokes in my life either; continually the dogs that the Witwicky's own are humping each other and they even give a robot Testacles? What the crap is Bay thinking? It felt like these jokes were generated by my Grade 8 buddies from high school.

Another thing that I was upset about was flaunting Megan Fox like a piece of meat to a horde of horny boys showing off her in her panties and a slow motion run where her breasts are flopping around slowly; Michael Bay really is using this sex symbol in a movie that really doesn't need that especially if kids are going to be watching. Watching Fox trying to spurt out her lines is brutal too, her acting is horendous and she sounds like she's hung over all the time. Now I'll give praise to Shia Labeouf because he did a fantastic job in this movie; showing emotion and great control over his humour in this movie, he really shined and I think he's a great action star, keep them coming Shia. This movie also felt a little dragged on as the running time of this one almost hits three hours. There are times when you can feel the director stalling with stupid jokes or plot filler; seriously please just give me some more sweet action.

Overall this movie was great; the action was unbelievable and everytime I saw these robots fighting or Transforming or just simply saw them I had a huge smile on my face. The movie was funny throwing out cheap gags that are inappropriate generally; total boy humour I guess but giving a robot some junk was a bit too far. Shia was hilarious while Fox had way too much make up on; put on some clothes! This movie lived up to the hype of being an action movie without brains, again and the action it dishes is simply awesome. I left the theater satisfied but don't forget that all I was expecting was a whole lot of blowing up.

Transformers: Pure Popcorn Action Heaven.****

Well I'm going to go and watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen tonight and I thought to celebrate this momentous occasion I'd review the first Transformers so here we go.

This movie is a perfect summer blockbuster movie and Michael Bay is the perfect director for this kind of movie. This movie has barely any story, unintelligent characters, cheese-ball humour and characters we could care less about; so what possessed me to give it four stars? It's a ton of fun to watch; this movie has loads of amazing eye candy and a really fun attitude that makes this a summer blockbuster to remember.

Like I said the story is minimal and plain but it seems like the director knows this so he spends very little time with it; he doesn't try and develop insane and stupid plot twists but he just tries to go with the flow and make sure the audience has a good time. This is the same with the acting as Shia LaBeouf gives a funny performance and Megan Fox being the ultimate eye candy as well as being tough as nails; these characters aren't believable but they are fun and we kinda wish they were real. haha.

This movie isn't very intelligent at all but It's a ton of fun with some of the most amazing action sequences I've seen an a movie. If you're looking for the perfect getaway movie with no thinking required but a ton of sweet action? This is the one. This isnane attention to detail within the action keeps the movie enjoyable and fresh and I have to admit everytime I saw one of these robots Transform I had a huge smile on my face. This movie brought out the kid in me as I stared in wonder at my favourite robots duking it out. The action was just so incredible I have no choice but to give this movie four stars.

Overall this movie isn't special when you read this; the acting is okay, the story isn't really there, the humour is cheesy, but this movie has done something very few movies can do, it takes all these bad qualities and runs with them. Plus it throws in incredible and sweet action that will make you drool. This movie accepts it's campy script and makes it enjoyable and funny. This movie is a fun summer movie that will be considered a classic; I'm sure of it.

Eden Log: Say What? *

Well this movie was part of the six shooter film series which was a bunch of directors from parts of the world making their own versions of what they call horror movies. We got "Let the Right One In" from Sweden, "Donkey Punch" from Australia, and "Eden Log" from France. Now this movie was more of a sci-fi than a horror or what I got from it anyway. This movie was so sparadict and everywhere that it was so hard to follow not only the dim plot but the cardboard acting made it all that much harder too.

Well lets get the story out of the way first; this idea is a very cool and imaginative idea and its done in a new and fresh way. The beginning is amazing because it starts off by just showing different parts of this dark cave and a man covered in mud; it's a rebirth in a sense and it's cold, eerie and disgusting. As this beginning rolls on all I was thinking was "what the heck is the movie about" and I was filled with curiousity but soon that curiousity dimmed away and all that was left was complete confusion. I don't know what happened but stuff started happening; monsters came out of nowhere, crazy dudes in suits started showing up and telling people about plants, and a random elevator ride with a guy wishing that he could rape some girl occured. This movie made no sense. The ending climax had nothing to do with anything and as the credits hit the screen I was so confused that I didn't want to give this movie a fighting chance.

The camera work in this movie is so amateur; I see that they were trying to be gritty and edgy but seriously when you can't see whats happening and wondering if what you see is a monster or a rock it's bad filmaking. The execution of this movie seemed so rushed and amateurish that really itls not a fun movie to watch. The special effects at the end aren't great either making the ending really all that more stupid.

The acting in this movie sucks. Wow. Please I don't even know what else to write; the script was so cheesy and there was barely any dialogue and when there was I shook my head in distress. What a terrible acting job.

Overall this movie had an interesting idea; but the execution of that idea wasn't great at all, it plays like a loud video game with no meat to the story and just utter confusion with what's going on. I still have no idea how the ending related to this movie, what the heck was going on? I still don't know that's why I'll never watch this stupid movie again.

Doubt: Three Huge Performances ****

Doubt is a movie thats generally dark, always engrossing, and intellectually sound. There are no gimmicks here, no massive special effects, no camera tricks, and no plot constraints this movie is simple and engrossing as it shoots straight for the heart and explores one of humanities most controversial issues: Doubt.

The movie opens with a morning mass as priest Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) preaches about doubt and he points out that even though we doubt we ALL doubt together therefore, never feel alone or that you are the only one who doubts because we all do. This is a very positive start to this movie and it shows a little bit of Flynn's character but then we're introduced to another character. This character demands the spotlight and grabs our attention right from the get go; Sister Aloysious (Meryl Streep) plays a Nazi type character being overly strict with the kids and shows no compassion at all. These two characters drive the film as they battle for supremecy of this little catholic school. Sister James (Amy Adams) is caught right in the middle and she's an innocent Nun who just wants to make these kids lives a little better and she also wants to share her love of teaching with them. This is a nice warm center to a very cold and upfront movie that goes head on into the issue of the Priest touching a boy named Donnald Miller; the only black boy of the school.

Things heat up when Sister Aloysious confronts Priest Flynn and accuses him of doing these things but the only problem is that she hasn't the slightest bit of proof, just faith. This movie because to throw a finger at religion and how its dealt with; it exploits the workings and mis-workings of the catholic system and shows a racial tension as well and how people desperate are in this world; its startling and engrossing but most of all things will happent that you will not agree with and thats the whole point of this movie.

The acting in this movie is unbelievably incredible; we are so priviledged to watch three of the best actors in the business and each actor focus' on their own characters rather than comparing to others. Amy Adams does an amazing job not worrying about her powerhouse companions but she just focuses on her own character and brings a wonderfully innocent portrayal to the screen.

This movie is amazing because its so powerful in a subtle way that most people will overlook but if your wililng to look at the details in this movie you'll be rewarded greatly. This movie has marvelous acting and a brilliant idea that I've never seen before, wholly original, and great acting, and very thought provoking; this movie is Oscar worthy, no doubt about that.

NIck and Norah's Infinite Playlist: Movie Magic ****

The First thing I noticed about this movie just from the opening is that this movie has really good music and thats a good thing because the catchline for this movie is "Every night has a soundtrack".

We are introduced to Nick (Michael Cera) Who is an awkward teenager madly in love with a girl who recently dumped him. He loves her so much that he makes mix cd's for her still and she simply chucks them out and another girl named Norah (Kat Dennings) Picks them up and listens to them weekly; she has the same music taste as some dump lonesome dude she's never met. Now this movie doesn't really have all that much of a plot and you can guess what's going to take place in this movie but what is unpredictable and spontaneous is how the characters develop and get there. Now don't get me wrong the acting in this movie is sub-par, the writing is hip but flawed, and its generally predictable but what saves this movie is the quirky characters and how brilliantly directed they are through this fun little adventure.

This movie has really no plot in it; there are no huge twists that reveal hidden agendas and there's no development what so ever so the plot is really non-existent. The acting is okay but the attention to the characters is very evident. I feel that these young actors didn't really shoot for believability but they were shooting for really just bringing these weird characters to the screen in a presentable way that people would feel affection for by the end. These characters are really original; even Cera's character is a little different from his other movies and when he isn't different he's just plain funny. This method of acting generally doesn't work or win awards but this movie pulls it off because of the quirky writing and impeccable directing.

This film has incredible direction and when its watched it doesn't feel like this movie is going anywhere but its fun to stick around and she it land in home base even when we know where its going to land. See its a predictable movie but its so believable and charming that we really don't care if we can see things coming; it just makes us feel good. The director put just the right touch on this movie that its not over-the-top; but its not overly subtle either, it has its own weird feel and thats what makes this movie special, the originality.

Well overall this movie is just fluff and people won't learn anything new or be affected to much by whats going on here but if you're looking for a good time to relax, laugh a little, and fall in love then this is the perfect feel good movie that has interesting and daring gags and a quirky sense of humour filled with a stellar indie soundtrack. This is the Teen version of Alice and Wonderland that fills us with wonder and magic. When the last scene arrives and the titles so up on the screen with a bustling New York city in the background and the last note is played in the final song; its a little like movie magic, its satisfying and poignant without making the audience feel daring. This is a comfortable watch. Over and over again.

Burn After Reading: Lets laugh at some really dumb people. ****

Well I'm a huge Coen Brother fan and I think their movies are brilliant; sure there are some that excel over others as they just made one of the best films of their careers, No Country For Old Men, its only fitting that they yet again try so hard to make fools of themselves, and their characters. Now before you read this review just remember; its called burn after reading for a reason, this movie is about nothing. Absolutely Nothing.

The Brother's start the film off with a satellite spy camera shot going down into a government building in Langley Virg. called the CIA and we sit in on a meeting that has someone telling a character called Osbourne Cox that he is fired simply because he loves alcohol. In one seen, the opening one, the Coen Brother's manage to poke fun at the government, mormons, CIA employees, and the United States of America, and they do it all with idiotic characters that only know the F-word. This is the tone of this movie, a fun story, and really dumb characters doing really dumb things, this movie is hilarious.

The acting is so shockingly funny as each actor excels in their jobs so well; I would even say that Clooney should've been nominated for his role, everyone was brilliant in this movie. The real actor who shines though is Brad Pitt playing a dumb body builder character named Chad who only wants to help his friend get plastic surgery by blackmailing someone with a dumb memoir written when he was drunk and angry at the world by taking it to the Russian embassy; this is how insanely absurd this plot is. The Coen Brother's are also making a comment about infidelity because each character is cheating on their spouse with each other; maybe they are saying that only really dumb people fall into this trap? or maybe their commenting on how unhealthy this is and how common it is in our culture?

This movie has great twists and a stellar climax that a lot of people will hate but I loved it simply because this movie really tries to just tell a story where nothing happens because the characters are simply to dumb to know how to make the story roll. The writing in this movie is so outlandish and filled with such vulgar language but they make the characters using this language sound so stupid. Is Pitt states that he found and secured the S***; he repeats this over and over again, you can't help but laugh. This movie is funny with great direction, funny dialogue, an insane plot, and an outlandish outcome, this is a true Coen Brother movie, as they make a funny movie that lightly dances around heavy topics. A movie that has two characters talking about the story and stating that nothing is happening is truly different and special. This made me chuckle because this movie is boasting about its lack of plot. Its amazing.

Well if your looking for something intelligent and filled with themes and narrative, please pass this one by, but if your looking to have fun making fun of some truly bizarre characters look no further, you'll either love this movie, or you'll be so offended you won't know what to do, but whatever you do, please Burn After Reading.

He's Just Not that Into You: Please Don't Cry Now ***

Well I guess its the season for chick flicks to be rolling out; oh yes the joys of spring, new couples going on dates to see new romance movies but really how good are they going to be? Well the latest effort from Ken Kwapis (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) isn't an entire miss as this movie has plenty of good stuff to offer but is crippled in many other areas.

Ensembles are essentially hard to make simply because they are notorious for not spending enough time with its characters to get any development out of them and this movie suffers greatly from that. Juggling 3-4 different stories is hard enough but try to squeeze any type of development out of them is almost impossible. As we jump from story to story here the director does a good enough job to keep things interesting and not confusing balancing the acting, story, actors in a do-able fashion.

The story is pretty plain and simple for this movie; actually there's more than one story and all of them are pretty plain and uninventive and very predictable. The story is a very weak fact of the movie but this little factor gets overseen because of the amazing talent surrounding this movie. The acting in this movie is delightful, charming, and fun to watch; every single actor does a fantastic job with their characters and the lead character played by Ginnifer Goodwin is so charming and cute that she easily carries this movie. The directing is pretty solid too giving each character and each story just enough time to shine on the screen.

The character development is very minimal in this movie and as a movie goer you won't have to think very hard but the charm of this movie out shines the technicality of it. Sure this movie is total predictable fluff, but its just so loveable that you won't care. A fun free spirited feel good movie that sparkles with charm; not with great filmmaking.

Brent Peterson.

Hey guys, well here on movietime I wanted to take a break from reviewing films and pay attention to a certain need that has risen, a boy named Brent Peterson. He was in a car accident with his family and lost his sister and is battling through internal injuries and such, he had is 29th surgery yesterday and his undergoing continous surgeries and recoveries.

Just want to spread the word that we need to pray for Brent and his family as they are going through this time of trouble. Please pray for comfort and trust in the Lord has this family is continually relying on God's strength. Just to let you guys know prayer is a huge focus in our christian faith; prayer is easy and God hears our prayers. Please if you have a prayer post it to this blog or my facebook or send me an email at nadroj_isback@hotmail.com and I will forward the prayers to his family. Please even if you don't know who these people are send a prayer, they will be very encouraged.

Lets listen. Obey. and let the word of God empower us.

JC.

Email: nadroj_isback@hotmail.com

Phone: 778-996-3262