Get If I Stay

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I just finished reading Gayle Forman’s “If I Stay” last night. While emotionally manipulative and lacking closure, I loved it. It was the kind of book I was able to tear through in a day. I loved the main character and didn’t feel like I was reading about a stupid person when reading her narration, something I can’t say for many young adult novel perspectives I’ve witnessed in the past (I’m lookin’ at you, Stephanie Meyer.) With the book still very fresh in my mind, I saw the film today.



Chloe Grace Moretz is a fantastic young star, and she will become this generation’s Julia Roberts, I’m positively sure of it. However, filmmakers need to stop casting her in mousy geek-girl parts. She was simply too pretty to play Stephen King’s Carrie last year, and she’s too pretty to play “If I Stay“‘s Mia. But, the girl can act!



"If I Stay" follows Mia, a young cellist who could very well be going to Julliard School of Music in the fall. Her parents (Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard) are rockers from the old days who reluctantly grew up when they had Mia and her brother Teddy. Mia’s boyfriend of some time, musician Adam (Jamie Blackley) is bitter about how their lives going in different directions, without one another. One fateful day, when Mia is expecting a potential acceptance letter from Julliard, a terrible car crash takes both of Mia’s parents, leaving Mia’s spirit seeing her worst nightmare unfold before her very eyes, unable to do anything about it, lying in a coma. Although, she may possess all the power - the nurse tells her, "you’re running the show, they’re all waiting on you."



"If I Stay" will unfairly be compared to the summer’s other weepy teen romance, "The Fault in Our Stars." The two movies (and books) are constructed in completely different ways. Both will tug at the heartstrings and probably make the audience cry when it counts, but for different reasons. "If I Stay" is more manipulative, however, because of the way the story is told, which is identical to the book. The car crash is the first scene, and the back story is told in flashbacks, which felt like a refreshing structure.



Moretz is a very talented young actress, and I think she’s getting better every part I see her in. She works hard to nail the big dramatic moments that are so crucial to how this movie plays out. She has an easy chemistry with all of her co-stars, especially Blackley, who could possibly have a very bright career in music ahead of him. You root for their relationship even when they treat each other like crap. Enos is great, also, as Mia’s mother. The parents are portrayed as confidants, and not the borderline antagonists that they sometimes are in YA novels.



"If I Stay" is remarkably faithful to the book, with only positive changes made. There weren’t any scenes or characters missing from the film that I particularly missed. It’s emotionally exhausting, but uplifting and hopeful in all the ways it should be. It’s a nice reminder to watch the way you look at life, to appreciate the little things, because it could all be gone in an instant.



Grade: A-

Get If I Stay

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I just finished reading Gayle Forman’s “If I Stay” last night. While emotionally manipulative and lacking closure, I loved it. It was the kind of book I was able to tear through in a day. I loved the main character and didn’t feel like I was reading about a stupid person when reading her narration, something I can’t say for many young adult novel perspectives I’ve witnessed in the past (I’m lookin’ at you, Stephanie Meyer.) With the book still very fresh in my mind, I saw the film today.



Chloe Grace Moretz is a fantastic young star, and she will become this generation’s Julia Roberts, I’m positively sure of it. However, filmmakers need to stop casting her in mousy geek-girl parts. She was simply too pretty to play Stephen King’s Carrie last year, and she’s too pretty to play “If I Stay“‘s Mia. But, the girl can act!



"If I Stay" follows Mia, a young cellist who could very well be going to Julliard School of Music in the fall. Her parents (Mireille Enos and Joshua Leonard) are rockers from the old days who reluctantly grew up when they had Mia and her brother Teddy. Mia’s boyfriend of some time, musician Adam (Jamie Blackley) is bitter about how their lives going in different directions, without one another. One fateful day, when Mia is expecting a potential acceptance letter from Julliard, a terrible car crash takes both of Mia’s parents, leaving Mia’s spirit seeing her worst nightmare unfold before her very eyes, unable to do anything about it, lying in a coma. Although, she may possess all the power - the nurse tells her, "you’re running the show, they’re all waiting on you."



"If I Stay" will unfairly be compared to the summer’s other weepy teen romance, "The Fault in Our Stars." The two movies (and books) are constructed in completely different ways. Both will tug at the heartstrings and probably make the audience cry when it counts, but for different reasons. "If I Stay" is more manipulative, however, because of the way the story is told, which is identical to the book. The car crash is the first scene, and the back story is told in flashbacks, which felt like a refreshing structure.



Moretz is a very talented young actress, and I think she’s getting better every part I see her in. She works hard to nail the big dramatic moments that are so crucial to how this movie plays out. She has an easy chemistry with all of her co-stars, especially Blackley, who could possibly have a very bright career in music ahead of him. You root for their relationship even when they treat each other like crap. Enos is great, also, as Mia’s mother. The parents are portrayed as confidants, and not the borderline antagonists that they sometimes are in YA novels.



"If I Stay" is remarkably faithful to the book, with only positive changes made. There weren’t any scenes or characters missing from the film that I particularly missed. It’s emotionally exhausting, but uplifting and hopeful in all the ways it should be. It’s a nice reminder to watch the way you look at life, to appreciate the little things, because it could all be gone in an instant.



Grade: A-

New Releases Scent of a Woman

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When I first heard of this movie, I had no clue what it was about. My friend and I saw a teaser poster with Al Pacino and Gabrielle Anwar dancing the tango labeled "Scent of a Woman". Putting two and two together, we went into the theater thinking we were watching a love story until the movie started. Whoops. Despite my misgivings in the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised. What I found was a riveting story of mentor-mentee relationship. I love movies that involve the master taking young grasshopper under his wing. Except master is not Mr. Perfect himself. Both the student and the teacher learn from each other's weaknesses. And despite Lt Col Slade's struggle with his misfortunate blinding accident, his Army core values were still in tact. Hard-working and willing to give up a Thanksgiving weekend to look after an embittered retiree, Slade sees an underlying goodness in Chris O'Donnell's fragile, fence-sitting character, Charlie. Like most young men his age, he was susceptible to peer pressure and could easily choose the wrong path as his friends had. Slade is blind but easily sees the temptation to compromise the boy's integrity and future. "This old bat has sharper radar than the Nautilus" Slade tells his young league. He lays all the cards out for Charlie to see, but knew instinctively it was up to the boy to make his own decision. Charlie eventually shows his true colors in the face of adversity. Like a good soldier, he never leaves his commander's side even when the danger is self-inflicting. Character like that is a rarity in anyone and must be preserved! This prompts Slade to reciprocate his support for Charlie who is enrolled in a prestigious school reknowned for producing some of the most important figure heads in America. "Be careful what type of leaders you're making," he warns the school staff. Charlie learns lessons in life that no school could teach him.

Underneath the tough exterior, there was a softer side to Slade. He definitely had a thing for the ladies. Instead of playing up a macho cassanova, "Mac-Daddy" persona predominate in a lot of films today, Slade is quite the charmer and gentlemen. He's cultured, sophisticated, genteel and surprisingly knowledgeable about women's perfume. Hence the film's title. I find that warrior-poet quality incredibly sexy and appealing. You can't resist a man who makes the tango look so easy and doesn't mind getting "all tangled up" with you. A beautiful role played by Pacino earning him a well-deserved oscar which probably was most credited for by his empowering monologue in the end. This is by far his best role in a movie.

Lovely film. Sweet, sad, romantic yet uplifting. This is truly a classic for the ages.

Get Crossed [HD]

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Yup, it's always been that way - you wait about 6 hours to watch each new episode. Not sure if it's after midnight or what the time is precisely. I'd rather do it this way than buy a cable package to get AMC.

Get Crossed [HD]

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Yup, it's always been that way - you wait about 6 hours to watch each new episode. Not sure if it's after midnight or what the time is precisely. I'd rather do it this way than buy a cable package to get AMC.

Get Crossed

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Yup, it's always been that way - you wait about 6 hours to watch each new episode. Not sure if it's after midnight or what the time is precisely. I'd rather do it this way than buy a cable package to get AMC.

Get Crossed

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Yup, it's always been that way - you wait about 6 hours to watch each new episode. Not sure if it's after midnight or what the time is precisely. I'd rather do it this way than buy a cable package to get AMC.

Get Further West

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Episode 4 is over a day late, I'm going through withdrawal!

Get Further West

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Episode 4 is over a day late, I'm going through withdrawal!

New Releases Enemy At The Gates

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It is so gratifying to finally see a major motion picture made about the WWII Russian Front. After all, it was the Red Army that inflicted 80% of Germany's total casualties in the war, a fact that many Americans remain sadly ignorant of. It is high time we get past Cold War attitudes and pay tribute to the heroism of the Soviet Union in its bitter but ultimately triumphant struggle against Nazism. _Enemy at the Gates_ is a movie of epic proportions, featuring good overall performances by a solid cast as well as a spectacular cinematic recreation of the bombed-out city of Stalingrad.

Still, the movie tends to drag at times, and could have been much better. The love triangle subplot was more of a distraction than anything else, taking up time that could have been better used to tell more of the awesome story of the battle of Stalingrad as a whole. Rather than simply having the German commander state, "These snipers are demoralizing my people," it would have been nice to have actually "seen" a little bit more of how the actions of Zaitsev and the Soviet snipers wore down the vaunted German infantry. Regrettably, the duel between Zaitsev and Koenig seemed to be taking place in a separate reality than the war itself, almost giving the impression that both sides had an unwritten agreement to let the two rivals shoot it out without interference. Also, the abrupt ending gave no explanation as to how the Red Army, seemingly on the ropes throughout the movie, suddenly emerged victorious. It would not have taken much film time to explain how this came about: the tenacity of Stalingrad�s defenders drew the mechanized German forces into costly city fighting, allowing the Red Army�s powerful reserves massed to the north and south to punch through the weak Axis flanks and encircle the Germans. Saving Private Ryan succeeded in telling much of the story of the Normandy invasion in a way that neatly complimented the movie�s plot. I wish that Enemy at the Gates had made more of a similar effort.

I know that �dramatic license� is a fact of life with historical movies, but it is way overdone in this one. The opening sequence of the Volga crossing is powerful filmmaking and is mostly accurate up until Zaitsev and his fellow soldiers enter the city. The following part about only every other man receiving a weapon and being sent of in a suicide charge is purely the stuff of legend, though, more fitting of the WWI Russian Army or a Soviet punishment battalion. The reality was that the Red Army in Stalingrad fought mostly in small detachments armed with submachine guns rather than rifles, moving stealthily amongst the rubble and ambushing the Germans in brutal house-to-house fighting. This sort of close-quarter combat, where the front lines were often separated by less than 20 yards (or even a mere hallway or staircase), would have played out on screen just as well (better, in fact) as the �charge of the Red horde� that is the stuff of popular imagination rather than true history. The conclusion of this scene is misleading, as well. The Soviets did shoot many deserters who attempted to flee the front lines, but this degree of harshness did not apply to survivors of a failed attack as shown in the film. The commanders of the Red Army were often brutal towards their men, but not quite that brutal. As for the way the sniper duel is finally brought to a close, with Koenig walking upright in plain view towards what he suspects is the spot where he has just shot Zaitsev dead, it is just ridiculous. Not even a rookie sniper would have made such a fatal error, much less an instructor.

The Soviet characters all share the names of actual people, but none are true to their real-world counterparts. Vassili Zaitsev was more of a natural leader than the movie gives him credit for, not just a shy boy from the Urals reluctantly pushed into the limelight. Danilov, the political officer, appears to have been crafted by the screenwriters almost solely in order to make a faddish intellectual statement about the pitfalls of Communist idealism. The real Danilov was shot (though not fatally) when he foolishly stood up to point out Major Koenig�s location to Zaitsev, not in an act of suicide. Tania Chernova�s on-screen character was the furthest from reality, though. She was actually a short, temperamental blonde who had previously fought as a partisan in Byelorussia and the Ukraine. A veteran killer by the time she arrived in Stalingrad and possessing a single-minded hatred of the Germans, the real-life Tania could hardly have been more different from the sensitive student/soldier who never actually fires her rifle once throughout the whole film. Also, Chernova was likely Ukrainian, not Jewish (only worth noting because of the widespread myth that most Ukrainians welcomed the Nazis as liberators from Soviet rule). Ironically, the character that seemed truest to reality was Major Koenig, a shadowy figure who some historians claim might never have existed.

Though I used most of the space here to criticize this movie, I guess the fact that I bought the DVD means that I nonetheless enjoyed it. I probably would have rated it better were I not such a Russian history buff. Do yourself a favor and take the time to read both _Enemy at the Gates_, by William Craig (a very readable non-fiction account of the whole Stalingrad campaign) and _War of the Rats_, by David Robbins (a novelized version of the sniper duel that is both a better story and closer to historical fact than this movie was). My main regret is that the film�s potential was largely squandered to make room for unneeded political rhetoric and melodrama. I only hope that its mediocre performance will not discourage film producers from backing other Russian Front projects in the future.

Get Test of Strength

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Brilliant season opener! Ryan Murphy's flair for humanizing grotesque beauty never disappoints. I was delightfully surprised by all of the subtle humor in this episode (read: the milkman and the rolling pin; the housewife pulling on her sweater with a satisfied and baffled grin). I hope we can we expect more levity like this throughout the season. I know he was trying to make Elsa look pathetic in the next to last scene with that gawd-awful garish blue eyeshadow, but it hardly dims her dazzling star. The closing scene did what the eyeshadow couldn't -- and it did so with aplomb! Jessica is the epitome of perfection as always. Her sour little kraut is spot-on fading elegance and I cannot wait to be indulged with her backstory. Beautiful, brazen, and fiercely loyal to her troupe. Who could ask for anything more? What's up with Kathy Bates' accent for Mrs. Darling? I can't place it, but it quickly endears her to the viewer. Nice move, Mr. Murphy. Sarah Paulson pulls off pure genius as Dot and Bette. Oh my stars, was she amazing! I sense a big ol' Emmy for this dazzling duo. Waiting on pins and needles for the coming attractions in this sleepy little hamlet of Jupiter. Six days and counting. . .

Get Test of Strength

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Brilliant season opener! Ryan Murphy's flair for humanizing grotesque beauty never disappoints. I was delightfully surprised by all of the subtle humor in this episode (read: the milkman and the rolling pin; the housewife pulling on her sweater with a satisfied and baffled grin). I hope we can we expect more levity like this throughout the season. I know he was trying to make Elsa look pathetic in the next to last scene with that gawd-awful garish blue eyeshadow, but it hardly dims her dazzling star. The closing scene did what the eyeshadow couldn't -- and it did so with aplomb! Jessica is the epitome of perfection as always. Her sour little kraut is spot-on fading elegance and I cannot wait to be indulged with her backstory. Beautiful, brazen, and fiercely loyal to her troupe. Who could ask for anything more? What's up with Kathy Bates' accent for Mrs. Darling? I can't place it, but it quickly endears her to the viewer. Nice move, Mr. Murphy. Sarah Paulson pulls off pure genius as Dot and Bette. Oh my stars, was she amazing! I sense a big ol' Emmy for this dazzling duo. Waiting on pins and needles for the coming attractions in this sleepy little hamlet of Jupiter. Six days and counting. . .

Get Suits of Woe [HD]

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I started asking myself last season "Why am I doing this to myself?" as I cringed through episode after episode. Yet I keep watching. Maybe that's the mark of a good show, I don't know. I think that I am watching this season because I want to see Gemma get her due. For all her talk of family, family, family, and how she loves, loves, loves her family, she has caused more pain and destruction to her beloved family than a stranger who set out purposely to destroy them ever could have. Yet she continues to tell herself that she loves what's left of them and only wants to protect them. She's clearly a psychopath and is beginning to look like one. I don't know what hair and makeup are doing with her, it's subtle, but she looks hard, mean, old and evil already this season. It's hard to believe that Jimmy Smits would come back to her, but that must be something that has to happen to push the story forward.

Get Suits of Woe [HD]

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I started asking myself last season "Why am I doing this to myself?" as I cringed through episode after episode. Yet I keep watching. Maybe that's the mark of a good show, I don't know. I think that I am watching this season because I want to see Gemma get her due. For all her talk of family, family, family, and how she loves, loves, loves her family, she has caused more pain and destruction to her beloved family than a stranger who set out purposely to destroy them ever could have. Yet she continues to tell herself that she loves what's left of them and only wants to protect them. She's clearly a psychopath and is beginning to look like one. I don't know what hair and makeup are doing with her, it's subtle, but she looks hard, mean, old and evil already this season. It's hard to believe that Jimmy Smits would come back to her, but that must be something that has to happen to push the story forward.

Get Suits of Woe

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SOA is one, single work of art. It can't fairly or accurately be judged or critiqued based on an episode or a season. It is one story. I am so tired of reading about the violence of Season 7 and the lack of "emotional resonance". There is a reason that things are so different now. The decisions that have been made by the characters in the past have brought them to this point. There is no "emotional resonance" with Jax because he has shut down all of his emotions due to the pain of losing his wife and he is totally emotionally numb. Obviously, if he lives long enough and the narrative continues long enough, we will get to see him have to deal with his emotions when they come crashing back. No one can box their emotions away indefinitely. We will also get to see him have to deal with the consequences of all the violence that has been caused by his mother's lie and his numbness-fueled rage. The violence is an integral part of the story and anyone who is offended by it shouldn't even own a television. The worldviews and behaviors of the characters have no bearing on the character of Kurt Sutter. All of you who want to personally attack Mr. Sutter because of the behavior of his characters are of low I.Q. and questionable parentage. The behavior of his characters is based on behavior exhibited by thousands of thousands of real people everyday. Criminal organizations have always been racially segregated. They have always used, dare I say, the "N-word", and other racial epithets when referring to individuals outside of their group. These people are a product of their environment and they are morally bankrupt. The world is full of them. And all of you who want to censor Kurt or any other storyteller because the world's that they create contain people that you don't agree with would love to do the same thing to the world we live in. You are SICK. Violence and racism are alive and well. Born in the hearts of men. This story contains some of those men and it certainly doesn't take anything away from its value or credibility. This show is pure genius. Regardless of how it ends, nothing can take that away. I will mourn these characters when they have passed from my life.

Get Suits of Woe

CUSTOMER REVIEW



SOA is one, single work of art. It can't fairly or accurately be judged or critiqued based on an episode or a season. It is one story. I am so tired of reading about the violence of Season 7 and the lack of "emotional resonance". There is a reason that things are so different now. The decisions that have been made by the characters in the past have brought them to this point. There is no "emotional resonance" with Jax because he has shut down all of his emotions due to the pain of losing his wife and he is totally emotionally numb. Obviously, if he lives long enough and the narrative continues long enough, we will get to see him have to deal with his emotions when they come crashing back. No one can box their emotions away indefinitely. We will also get to see him have to deal with the consequences of all the violence that has been caused by his mother's lie and his numbness-fueled rage. The violence is an integral part of the story and anyone who is offended by it shouldn't even own a television. The worldviews and behaviors of the characters have no bearing on the character of Kurt Sutter. All of you who want to personally attack Mr. Sutter because of the behavior of his characters are of low I.Q. and questionable parentage. The behavior of his characters is based on behavior exhibited by thousands of thousands of real people everyday. Criminal organizations have always been racially segregated. They have always used, dare I say, the "N-word", and other racial epithets when referring to individuals outside of their group. These people are a product of their environment and they are morally bankrupt. The world is full of them. And all of you who want to censor Kurt or any other storyteller because the world's that they create contain people that you don't agree with would love to do the same thing to the world we live in. You are SICK. Violence and racism are alive and well. Born in the hearts of men. This story contains some of those men and it certainly doesn't take anything away from its value or credibility. This show is pure genius. Regardless of how it ends, nothing can take that away. I will mourn these characters when they have passed from my life.

Get Consumed [HD]

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Yup, it's always been that way - you wait about 6 hours to watch each new episode. Not sure if it's after midnight or what the time is precisely. I'd rather do it this way than buy a cable package to get AMC.