All summaries and reviews written by me. Films are random, although if you wish to request a film and see what I think of it, go ahead.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

A FIRST! ~~ALBUM REVIEW~~


Panic At The Disco's Pretty. Odd.
They've changed for the better.
****

When you think of classic Panic At The Disco, you think of the insane electro-emo beats of their first album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. No one saw this album coming. The guys in Panic have taken a new turn and have "grown up" with Pretty. Odd., the band's sophomore album, released today. When die-hard Panic fans hear this album, they won't believe their ears, hopefully in a good way, as I did. Compared to the Beatles' White Album, Pretty. Odd. really delivers with great music, instrumentals, and, of course the beautiful, yet sometimes odd lyrics of lead guitarist Ryan Ross, who also lends his talented voice to a few of the album's tracks. No one saw this coming, and no one knows what will happen next.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

WHOA NEW STUFF

Mmmazing weekend.
I swear, going to concerts alone is the BEST way to do it.
I saw Lorene Drive play with Farewell, Powerspace, Small Towns Big Cities, National Product, and Life's Only Lesson at the Trocadero on Sunday night.
Only amazing.
:]



aaaaaand I have new CDs!

Against Me!'s New Wave
Anberlin's Lost Songs
Chiodos' All's Well That End's Well (Deluxe)
Danger Radio's Punch Your Lights Out EP
Envy On The Coast's self-titled EP
Every Avenue's Ah! EP
Every Avenue's Shh. Just Go With It
Jimmy Eat World's Chase This Light
Lorene Drive's Out Alive EP
The Maine's The Way We Talk EP
The Morning Light's The Sounds of Love EP
National Product's Luna
Scary Kids Scaring Kids' self-titled album
The Secret Handshake's One Full Year
Sing It Loud's self-titled EP
Small Towns Big Cities' Our City, The Murder Town















Saturday, January 19, 2008

~~REVIEW~~


Cloverfield
***1/2


Starring: Michael Stahl-David (The Black Donnellys), Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls) and Mike Vogel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

A video camera is retrieved from case designate "Cloverfield", incident site U.S. 447: area formerly known as "Central Park"

The evening begins with a party. Rob (Stahl-David) is going to Japan for a business promotion. His brother, Jason (Vogel) and his girlfriend, Lily (Jessica Lucas) throw Rob a going-away party. Beth (Yustman), Rob's ex-girlfriend, shows up to say one last goodbye but gets in in argument with Rob and storms out. The night continues. A shake. A rumble. An explosion. Fireballs streaming New York City. Chaos. A loud roar. The head of the Statue of Liberty is rolling around the city streets. Rob, along with some friends from the party, now including Hud (T.J. Miller) and Marlena (Caplan) try to escape together. Rob receives a phone call from Beth, crying, stuck in her apartment. Rob takes his friends into the middle of the city to find and save Beth, practically running toward the cause of the destruction, a giant creature that apparently rose from the water.

::WHAT I THINK::

So we're clear, Cloverfield was shot entirely with a hand-held, albeit, fantastically-pictured camera. Immediately, the film was shaky, literally. I felt that the film was portrayed in a way that if it were like a regular movie, it wouldn't be as good. Or as mysterious as the months leading up to the release date. The personal perspective really made the film. Canny and cliché at points, yet shocking and entertaining for most of it, Cloverfield delivered. It certainly is an all-new, original, 100% American monster horror.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

~~REVIEW~~


Juno
****


Starring: Ellen Page (Hard Candy, X-Men: The Last Stand), Michael Cera (Superbad, Arrested Development), Jennifer Garner (13 Going On 30, Alias), and Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, The Ex)

From director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking) comes a story about growing up...and the bumps along the way.

This acclaimed, quirky comedy focuses around a 16-year-old girl (Ellen Page) who accidentally gets knocked up by her best friend (Michael Cera) and her dealing with it. After running out of the abortion clinic, Juno decides to put the baby up for adoption, which has its own problems. Backed by her best friend and parents (who, truthfully, steal the show) Juno matures in a way she never thought she would. With an amazing script written by first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody, Juno was nominated for three Golden Globe awards: Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Ellen Page) and Best Picture of the Year. And it's all worth it.

Jennifer Garner plays hopeful mother, Vanessa Loring.
Jason Bateman plays her husband, Mark Loring.

::WHAT I THINK::

Juno is currently my favorite movie. It has such a sharp, quick script full of heart and sass with humor along the lines of Little Miss Sunshine and The Life Aquatic. Full of so many memorable characters and fantastic one-liners, Juno will forever be at the top of my favorites.

Whoa...

It's been so long. Just WOW. Anyway, a lot has happened in this time so I'll list it.

1) Sadly, I was not cast for Footloose (the first school show I am not in in 11 years...crazy shit right there).

2) I was in a movie!! Over the summer, I had the amazing opportunity to be in M. Night Shyamalan's new film, The Happening, out Friday Jun13 (ooo...) 2008.

3) I started 2 bands. Haha, I know, BANDS? But yeah. Just small side stuff to take up my time :P (myspace.com/rippedfromtheheadlines & myspace.com/killthedaymusic) [and I may start a 3rd. Haha, I know, I'm just terrible!]

4) Okay, not really "news" but a recommendation. I just saw the off-broadway show, Speech & Debate and I was BLOWN AWAY. Showcased at the Laura Pels Theatre, presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company's "Underground" Series, this little show about a big scandal based in a high school in Salem, Oregon is a delightful look at how high schoolers crack under pressure. Starring Gideon Glick (of Spring Awakening fame) as the troubled new kid Howie, Jason Fuchs as the aspiring nerdy journalist, Solomon, and my good friend Sarah Steele (from Spanglish) as the geeky wannabe-actress blogger, Diwata, who dreams of taking her musical version of The Crucible (told from the point of Mary Warren) to the stage. Each of these students have a huge secret of their own which all bursts out when the trio start the school's Speech & Debate team. Really funny, really talented cast. Great show. CLOSES FEB24!!

That's all I can think of right now. It's good to be back...

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Been Over A Month......

......and not much has happened. Finals end tomorrow. Yay. But I do have good news: I'm going to be an extra in a movie based on Immaculata University's female basketball team called Our Lady of Victory! Kickass. Filming occurs tomorrow and Saturday. SO EXCITED! Plus, the movie stars Marley Shelton from GRINDHOUSE!!!!! HOLY SHIT! GONNA BE AMAZING!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Drama Doesn't Follow Me.......


OH MY GOD! I just went to the Cute Is What We Aim For concert in Wilmington, Delaware and wow. It was amazing. I got autographs and a picture taken with the band! And Shaant shook my hand. Kickass.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

A SPECIAL TREAT.......

Here is the international theatrical trailer for Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix! ENJOY!

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

~~REVIEW~~


Smokin' Aces
****

Starring: Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Ryan Reynolds (Just Friends, Waiting...), Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Dogma), Alicia Keys, Andy Garcia (Ocean's 11, Ocean's 12), and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Identity)

From writer/director Joe Carnahan comes an action film about ten hitmen out for one man's heart...literally.

Buddy "Aces" Isreal (Piven) is a once-successful magician and playing-card extraordinaire, hence the name "Aces." Not only was Israel a magician, but he dabbled in the mafia business as well. Because of this, a $1 Million hit has been put out on his head and his heart. Beacuse of this, he is hiding out in a casino with his bodyguards. Because Isreal is a main factor in the business, he has the power to shut down a huge mafia organization. Two FBI agents (Reynolds and Liotta) are sent to retrieve him before anyone can get their hands on him (and his heart).

Andy Garcia plays FBI Deputy Stanley Locke.
Alicia Keys plays killer-for-hire Georgia Sykes.
Ben Affleck plays bail bondsman Jack Dupree.

::WHAT I THINK::

Very few times does a film come around that I call "explosive." Smokin' Aces is one of them. This is a high-octane movie with a key characteristic: Soul. With writing that actually excites you and enough hitman blood to go around, this is highly enjoyable.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

G-R-I-N-D-H-O-U-S-E!


3 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never been more excited for ANYTHING!

Saturday, March 31, 2007

SPRING BREAK!

So I'm finally on Spring Break! Thank God! Sadly, I have yet to hear from Walnut Street Theatre so my chances for any auditions seem slim. My finger still hurts like shizz and I'm going to the hospital on Monday to get it checked out. Nathalie came home for the weekend to surprise my dad so that's cool. I never get to see her. I went to GLORIOUS Cape May, NJ for an overnight and it was great...so great that I may go back during this coming week. I may possibly be going to NYC to see a show...not even sure what show I would see...let alone if I'm going at all. So, as you can see, I'm in a repetitive mood...repeatedly. I hit the 1500 mark for # of songs on my iPod! WOO! I have about...oh, 1544 songs. Hee.

Friday, March 9, 2007

YET ANOTHER AUDITION NOTICE FROM THE WALNUT!!!!


This time it's for the title role of Peter Pan!!!! I got a notice for the role of Michael, the youngest brother, but the age range for the role of Peter starts at 15 so maybe I can pull it off. Plus, I am way too old to play Michael. There was also a notice for John, the older brother and there were also a couple of Lost Boy roles but could you just imagine?! ME. PETER PAN! HOLY CRAP, so exciting!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

I GOT A VERY INTERESTING AUDITION NOTICE.......!!!!!


So I was perusing around my ExploreTalent.com "Matching Auditions" tab and I stumbled upon something that my eyes could not deceive. An audition for the role of Gavroche in Walnut Street Theatre's production of Les Miserables. Of course I was ecstatic to find this audition that not only is a Broadway musical, but is being performed at the Walnut! I am so excited! I hope I even get the audition!

Saturday, March 3, 2007

NEW GRINDHOUSE TRAILER!!!!

i am so excited for this movie it is inSANE! check it out:



PLUS: check out the original trailer right here!:



ALSO: check out the Planet Terror trailer from Spike TV's Scream Awards:

Sunday, February 25, 2007

The 79th Annual Academy Awards

WINNERS:

Art Direction
Pan's Labyrinth

Makeup
Pan's Labyrinth

Animated Short Film
The Danish Poet

Live Action Short Film
West Bank Story

Sound Editing
Letters From Iwo Jima

Sound Mixing
Dreamgirls

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine)

Animated Feature Film
Happy Feet

Adapted Screenplay
The Departed

Costume Design
Marie Antoinette

Cinematography
Pan's Labyrinth

Special Effects
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Foreign Film
The Lives of Others (Germany)

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)

Documentary (Short Subject)
The Blood of Yingzhou Disctrict

Documentary (Feature)
An Inconvenient Truth

Original Score
Babel

Original Screenplay
Little Miss Sunshine

Original Song
"I Need To Wake Up"--Melissa Etheridge (An Inconvenient Truth)

Film Editing
The Departed

Best Actress
Helen Mirren (The Queen)

Best Actor
Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)

Best Director
Martin Scorsese (The Departed)

Best Picture
The Departed

Saturday, February 24, 2007

~~REVIEW~~


Sleepy Hollow
****
Starring: Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands), Christina Ricci (Monster, 200 Cigarettes), Miranda Richardson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Phantom of the Opera), and Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction, Catch Me If You Can)

From the fascinating and darkly twisted mind of Tim Burton comes the re-telling of the classic Washington Irving story of the Hessian Horseman (Christopher Walken), better known as the Headless Horseman. Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is called to the small, burdened town of Sleepy Hollow to piece together a puzzle of a crime: murder victims beheaded...with the head taken by the murderer. He soon figures out that the crime is connected to the legend of the Headless Horseman and that he is the one taking the heads of victims.

Christina Ricci plays Crane's love interest. Miranda Richardson plays her mother.

A fantastic story derived from a classic, this is by far one of my favorite films. Bloody, frightening, and very fun.

Bummer......

not going to MCR anymore......damnsies.

Friday, February 23, 2007

My Chemical Romance Concert

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! This Sunday is the MCR concert! And get this: because of where my seat is, I get to go to the concert an hour early and.................MEET THE BAND DURING SOUND CHECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD! I have never been more excited for ANYTHING in my life!

Sunday, February 18, 2007

On June 1st, 2007...

At the Tweeter Center, the show of my LIFE. The Honda Civic Tour featuring Fueled By Ramen artists The Academy Is..., Fall Out Boy, and Cobra Starship. What better way to kick off Summer '07?!?!?!?!

It's that time of (year/month/day) again!

Time for my (annual/monthly/daily) FILM ANTICIPATION LIST!


1) Grindhouse

From writers/directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, Grindhouse is a double feature that'll tear you in two. First, from Robert Rodriguez, Planet Terror is a rendition of a classic, gory zombie movie. Then, after some fake film trailers, there's Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, a different kind of slasher film: where the killer uses his devilish car against helpless victims.

Starring: Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan, Michael Biehn, Fergie, Freddy Rodriguez, Bruce Willis (special appearance), Naveen Andrews, and Marley Shelton.





2) Black Snake Moan

From director Curtis Brewer, director of Hustle & Flow, comes a very unusual film along with very unusual performances from well-known actors. Christina Ricci stars as Rae, an abused nymphomaniac who can't control herself. Rae is found on the side of the road by Lazarus (played by Samuel L. Jackson), who takes in the unconscious Rae to his home. Rae wakes the next morning to find herself chained up in Lazarus' home in order for him to rid her of the evil that has "possessed" her. Also staring Justin Timberlake, this film looks to be a heavy hitter for a cult following.

Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, and S. Epatha Merkerson.





3) 300

From the visionary mind of Frank Miller, graphic novelist most famous for Sin City and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, comes the epic page-to-screen adaptation of King Leonidas I and the 300 Spartans of the Battle of Thermopylae. Just like its "predecessor" (Frank Miller's film adaptation of Sin City), 300 stays true to its comic book form with stunning visual effects and intense battle sequenses. Surely to be one of the best films of 2007.

Starring: Gerard Butler (The Phantom of the Opera), Lena Headey, and Dominic West.

Sunday, February 4, 2007

Superbowl Weekend

This weekend was mildly eventful. What the hell, it was awesome. Myself and a few others went to the Centre Theatre in Norristown to surprise our friends in their production of Cinderella. It was well done, for a small theatre. I really enjoyed it. Saturday was a slow, dreary day except for the fact that I realized I have a guarenteed job as a dishwasher at this cool new breakfast place called Pattymac's Cafe. And, luckily for me, it is walking distance from home and school. Other than that, Saturday was a slow, dull day. Saturday night, I went over to my dad's apartment and we watched Snakes On A Plane (see review at bottom). On Sunday, or as most Americans would call "today" or even "SUPERBOWL SUNDAY," I woke up at 10:30 seeing as I couldn't sleep the night before and didn't sleep untill 3:00...anyway, I lay in bed for about 2 hours then I finally got up to go visit my grandmother at the home where she is living for assistance. Her memory is literally less than 15 seconds. It's kind of heartbreaking, actually. So after repeatedly telling her my age and height, we said goodbye until Valentine's Day. My dad and I then went to ACME to get some snacks for the game and some cereal for the next day. That was my weekend. This coming week feels like it'll be a slow one. UGHH!!

~~REVIEW~~
Snakes On A Plane
***1/2

The writing was good, comical at where it needed to be. The direction was bright and amazing. The premise, over all, very dull and pointless. But the action was intense and the thrills were everywhere. My favorite thing about this movie is its soundtrack. The remixed songs on Snakes On A Plane: The Album are amazing. Mixed reviews by critics gave this film and A, but I think that is just because Samuel L. Jackson was in it. Very intense, very horrifying, very entertaining.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Just a few movies I may obsess over these next few months.....


300 and Grind House.

Two what-will-be amazing films.

:::REASONS:::

300 is based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, who did all the Sin City books and co-directed the movie version of Sin City. He=AWESOME.


Grind House is 2 films merged into one:
"Death Proof" and "Planet Terror"

"Death Proof" was directed by Quentin Tarantino, one of my all-time favorite directors.

"Planet Terror" was directed by Robert Rodriguez, who directed Sin City w/ Frank Miller. A visual genius and another of my all-time favorite directors.

Grind House and 300 will be amazing.