queen_beet Reviews

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Great

[10/10 · 15 December 2006]

I thought this movie was going to be funny from what they showed in the previews. There were funny moments, but it wasn't all laughs...and that's what I loved about it. I was so glad to see Will Ferrell in a serious role. He was great as Harold Crick, the quiet, serious "tax man." He lives kind of a boring, uneventful life until one day he starts hearing the voice of a woman narrating his life. Everything the woman says happens so when he hears her speaking of his "imminent death" he begins to worry. He has to find out where the voice is coming from and how to stop the events. Maggie Gyllenhaal is wonderful as his love interest, Ana. She is the anti-Harold, everything he is not and they have great chemistry together. Will Ferrell does a very touching acoustic and vocal performance in the movie. I think if you liked The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, you'll like Stranger Than Fiction. The idea is like that, something that couldn't really happen, but makes for an interesting story. Not to forget, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman lend great supporting roles to the film, also. I give it a 10/10.

Heroes (II) (2006–2010)

Wonderful!

[10/10 · 12 December 2006]

Heroes is an awesome show that takes you into the lives of these individuals who begin to discover they have special abilities such as flying, time travel, and mind reading, to name a few. One individual has the ability to paint the future. This unites some of the heroes as they are trying to stop the outcomes of the paintings. Some people use their abilities for bad and some, well, I'm just not so sure yet. That's what's great about this show--it really gets you interested and you are waiting all week for the next episode so you can get just a little closer to knowing what is going on. I watched one episode and I was hooked. The actors and writing are great. It's a show people of all different interests can get into. It's mystery, romance, and action all rolled into one. I give it a 10 out of 10 definitely. Please watch this show. It's worth it.

Three's Company (1976–1984)

Hey, remember that episode where there's a big misunderstanding?

[10/10 · 18 September 2006]

Wait, that's every episode. That is what I love about the show, though. I absolutely love Three's Company and have since I was probably 10 years old. John Ritter is amazing to watch. He has the best comedic timing and his facial expressions are hysterical. Definitely one of the best actors I've seen. I was watching a Three's Company marathon yesterday and couldn't stop watching. I don't think there is a show that has ever came close to capturing what this show had. It was just a wonderful, hilarious show. It's just so comical that the same group of people always ends up accidentally overhearing something and thinks someone is cheating, coming to kill them, or some other crazy thing. It was so outrageously ridiculous that it worked. Great show.

Lady in the Water (2006)

another good one from M. Night Shyamalan

[27 July 2006]

So far, I've liked every one of M. Night Shyamalan's movies and Lady in the Water can be added to that list. Like the other movies, it has an air of mystery and is creepy without being gruesome. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what the heck was going on and there were even a few parts that made me jump. There were some moments of the film that were downright funny, too. Paul Giamatti is awesome, as always. Bryce Dallas Howard is great, too. There is a wonderful supporting cast, including M. Night Shyamalan himself. This was a really well-written and beautifully acted film. It has a great message and I hope people give it a chance.

Dangerous Women (1991– )

So corny, but I'll admit I loved it!!

[25 July 2006]

I remember watching this all the time when I was 12 years old. I really liked it. It was one of those cheesy, soap opera-ish shows that just hooked me in with its storyline. I remember the twin redheads, Rita and Roxy. One was a prisoner and one dated one of the prison guards, Jack. I still remember that she called him "Jackhammer." I remember one episode where someone is trying to sneak one of the women out of prison and is hiding something inside of a ridiculously huge bracelet. I can still picture the prison bars slamming and the words "Dangerous Women" coming across the screen. I wouldn't mind finding the whole series on DVD and watching it for fun.

Swans Crossing (1992)

Ah, the things we used to watch...

[25 July 2006]

I don't even know what made me think of Swan's Crossing recently, but I just had to go on here and see if other people remembered it. I used to LOVE this show. I thought Shane McDermott was the cat's PJs back then. I used to watch it in the mornings before school when I was in jr high. I'm pretty sure I still have the poster I got from one of those geeky teen pin-up magazines packed in a box somewhere. I just couldn't part with it for some reason. I can still remember the party that Mila's mom threw for her where everything was pink and there were pink drinks called "Mila Floats." I remember the bird, Tutu, was singing on a video. I thought Sarah Michelle Gellar was just the coolest and wanted to look exactly like her. I didn't realize that Mira Sorvino was on the show. How funny! I would love to find Swan's Crossing on DVD just for a laugh.

The Ape (2005)

James Franco is impressive, as always.

[20 July 2006]

I had to rent this movie just because it sounded so off-the-wall that I would probably enjoy it. I did. I've been a fan of James Franco since "Freaks and Geeks" and I was excited to see that he had written and directed the film. He's a great actor and he was great here as the frustrated writer, Harry Walker. Mr. Walker rents an apartment so he can be away from his family to concentrate on his writing. He moves in only to find a talking, wise-cracking, clothes-wearing ape already lives there. It's just such a goofy concept and I love that the ape costume doesn't even come CLOSE to looking realistic. Yet, it's really supposed to be an ape, not a man in an ape suit. It's part of the movie's charm. Brain Lally is great as the ape. The dialogue back and forth between Lally and Franco is hilarious. It's just a great little independent film.

Monk (2002–2009)

Hysterical!

[15 July 2006]

I have been watching Monk since the first season and loving every minute of it. Tony Shalhoub is wonderful as Adrian Monk. He has seriously obsessive-compulsive tendencies that enable him to solve crimes that others can't because he notices things in a different way. I also really dig Ted Levine as Capt. Stottlemeyer. He gets so annoyed by Monk's quirks, which makes them the most hilariously perfect team of polar opposites. Also great is Jason Gray-Stanford as the well-meaning, but sometimes dim, Lt. Randy Disher. I really wondered if I would still love Monk after Bitty Schram (Sharona Fleming) left the show, but I was not disappointed. Traylor Howard is a perfect fit as Monk's new assistant, Natalie Teeger. There has not been an episode that I haven't laughed out loud. It's just a great show. A definite 10/10.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

A great continuation of the first

[14 July 2006]

Seriously, is it even possible for Johnny Depp to get better? I'm a huge fan and Jack Sparrow is one of my favorite characters that he plays. He was wonderful again in this one, as were Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. Dead Man's Chest was as humorous and adventurous as the first and I think fans will enjoy it. I was delighted to see that Ragetti and Gibbs, the 2 hysterical pirates from the first one (remember them rowing to distract the governor's men while one of them is dressed as a woman with a parasol and asks if he looks pretty?), made a return. There are some other great returning characters as well as some new ones. Bill Nighy is great as Davy Jones. There are a few nice surprises in the sequel that I will not give away. Seeing this movie will make you hungry for the 3rd as it leaves you hanging...

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Once again Meryl Streep is wonderful.

[12 July 2006]

Does Meryl Streep ever STOP being amazing? She was so convincing as the wicked Miranda Priestley that I just wanted to go on screen and slap her. That's when you know she's doing her job so well. This movie was fun to watch because of her performance. I think she will definitely be taking home an award. Anne Hathaway was great in her role as Andy Sachs as well. It's fun to watch her go through the transformation from sloppy to chic. It's when she realizes her personality is transforming in a not-so-good way that she must decide what she wants. I had fun with this one. It's a good girl's night out movie. The guys I went with enjoyed it, too.

Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005)

delightful

[10 July 2006]

Robert Carlyle shines in this heartfelt story of love and loss. Frank (Carlyle) is driving to work in his bakery truck and he sees a man who has been fatally injured in a car accident. He stops to help the man, Steve, played by John Goodman. It turns out, Steve was on his way to meet the girl he loved as a young boy. They made a pact to meet on the 5th day of the 5th month of the 5th year of the new millennium. He was supposed to meet his love at the school of ballroom dancing where their love first bloomed. Since he can't make it, Steve asks Frank to go in his place to let the girl know what happened and that he tried to make it. Frank goes to the dance school, but doesn't find the girl there. He ends up participating in the class and keeps coming back. He meets Meredith, played by Marisa Tomei, and their instant attraction is clear. Donnie Wahlberg is excellent as Meredith's protective and controlling stepbrother, not to mention a wonderful dancer. Mary Steenburgen is great as the teacher of the dance class. She is very serious about the class, which makes her funny, although she is not meaning to be. There were many great small performances by Danny Devito, Ernie Hudson, Miguel Sandoval, David Paymer, Adam Arkin, Sean Astin...the list goes on. The movie goes back and forth between the conversation Frank has with Steve about how he met his young love as he is dying, the dance class, and Frank's therapy group. It does seem like it could be an extremely depressing movie, but it left me with a good feeling. It was about finding love and rising above the bad things life throws our way. That's what I took away from it, anyway. Not a blockbuster, but a nice little indie gem.

Superman Returns (2006)

Awesome!!

[10/10 · 29 June 2006]

I've been excited about seeing Superman Returns for months and it was very worthy of all the excitement. I saw it last night and from the minute it began I was captivated. Brandon Routh is amazing in his role as Superman/Clark Kent. It was like he didn't even have to try. He simply WAS Superman. Kate Bosworth was great as Lois Lane, too. Kevin Spacey was an excellent Lex Luthor. Frank Langella, James Marsden, Parker Posey, and Sam Huntington had great supporting roles here, too. One thing I was very happy about was the fact that there were no fake-looking special effects and a bunch of obviously computer-generated shots of Superman flying. I think Superman fans are going to love this movie as much as I did. People ought to get used to Brandon Routh's face because, after this performance, I'm sure we'll be seeing him around.

The Lake House (2006)

A great romance/fantasy

[10/10 · 22 June 2006]

I went into the theater with high expectations and I was not disappointed. I love a good romance and the fantasy aspect was intriguing. The movie keeps you guessing and yearning for Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves to get together. Both are great in the movie, but I was especially impressed with Keanu Reeves. It shows a side of him we don't often see. I think romance fans will really enjoy this one. It has a "Somewhere in Time" feel to it. It really made me wish something that fantastic could actually happen. Dylan Walsh has a nice supporting role, as well as Shohreh Agdashloo and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Christopher Plummer is excellent as Keanu Reeve's estranged father. The relationship between the two is complicated and very well played by both. If you like a good romance I highly recommend it.

Freedomland (2006)

skip it

[1/10 · 12 June 2006]

I did not care for this movie at all. I thought it looked good from the previews, but was very disappointed. Julianne Moore gets carjacked and, unbeknownst to the thief, her 4-year old son is in the back seat. If the writer had stuck to this concept it could have been cool. The previews also made it seem like the story could center around this creepy, abandoned children's home named Freedomland, but maybe 10 minutes of the whole movie took place there. Julianne Moore was just very frustrating because she couldn't get a complete thought out at ANY point in the entire movie. Her son goes missing, which is sad, but I feel more like I'm watching a drugged-up woman rather than a grieving mother. Also frustrating were the 72 other sub-plots that were going on. Some characters are introduced, but the reasoning for their introduction is never made clear. I felt like it was just too many bits and pieces that didn't amount to much. I like Julianne Moore and Samuel L. Jackson, but I do not like this film.