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    IMPOSSIBLE ROAD

    IMPOSSIBLE ROAD

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    IMPOSSIBLE ROAD is a pure, minimal arcade game about risk, reward, and rollercoasters. "9/10" -...

    HVAC Buddy® Duct Calc

    HVAC Buddy® Duct Calc

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    HVAC Duct Calc Buddy Are all Duct sizing calculators tedious? The wheel ductulators and...

American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty (1999)
1999 | Comedy, Drama
Story: American Beauty starts narration from our lead Lester Burnham (Spacey) explaining his life and that he will be dead in a year. Lester lives through the same old routine and is overall tired of his life. Lester is married to Carolyn (Bening) a real estate agent and has a teenage daughter Jane (Birch) who is struggling with the typical teenage problems. Lester is being pressured by his new boss who he thinks has no experience in the field.

Lester & Carolyn decide to take more interest in their daughter’s life which includes going to watch her cheer leading performance where Lester starts getting an instant fascination with fellow cheerleader Angela Hayes (Suvari). The Burnham’s have just got new neighbours in the Fitts, Colonel (Cooper) and his son Ricky (Bentley) who has an obsession with filming his everyday life. What follows is a look into suburban life.

American Beauty manages to balance every character to end up telling a story of everyday life and how it can change because the people closest to you really don’t know what you are up too. We get to look closer are how the perception of a person can hide the reality that is going on in the life and we get to see the different things that could happen. It is hard to really discuss too much about this film because I have looked into the characters closer next and this film is very much character driven which helps the story shine through. (10/10)

 

Actor Review

 

Kevin Spacey: Lester Burnham is an average man who is tired of the same old routine and decides to break out, he gets himself fired, starts taking drugs all while obsessing over his daughters friend. Kevin gives a brilliant performance but as you would expect from him. (10/10)

 lester

Annette Bening: Carolyn Burnham is a real estate agent who puts on a brave face all while struggling with her own problems leading to her having an affair as her relationship with Lester starts to get stretched. Annette shines here with mixed emotions about Lester through the film. (10/10)

caroluyn

Thora Birch: Jane Burnham is the moodiest cheerleader ever who doesn’t seem to get the attention a cheerleader gets from the guys, she is best friends most beautiful girl in school who gets all the attention, but Jane does attract the new neighbour who helps her come out of her shell. Thora gives a great performance showing that she was ready to break through in the role. (9/10)

 jane

Wes Bentley: Ricky Fitts is the new neighbour that could be considered weird because of his obsession with filming everything in life, he also ends up being a drug dealer and the one that Lester uses, all while dealing with an over aggressive father. Wes shows all his talent here but it is a shame this is the highlight of his career to date. (9/10)

 ricky

Mena Suvari: Angela Hayes is the beautiful girl from school that thinks all the guys want her but when Lester takes a shine to her we learn the truth about her nature. Mena comes away from her American Pie role with this much more adult role showing she didn’t need to just be a teen comedy star. (9/10)

 angela

Chris Cooper: Colonel Fitts is the strict father of Ricky who hates everything that is different to his way of thinking, he is a generation behind but he really just wants to protect his son. Chris does a great job as the strict father because we just don’t know what his character will do next. (9/10)

 

Support Cast: American Beauty doesn’t have the biggest supporting cast with most just turning up in the odd scene while we focus on the main cast through the film.

 

Director Review: Sam Mendes – Sam burst onto the scene with this stunning piece of directing that will always be known as a classic. (10/10)

 

Drama: American Beauty shows the lives of these six people and manages to make us care about them all. (10/10)

Romance: American Beauty shows different levels of romance, we get a blossoming starting one, we have a long term one falling apart and we get to see the unavailable ones. (9/10)

Settings: American Beauty gives everything a realistic setting for the story being told through the film. (9/10)

Suggestion: American Beauty is absolute must watch for anyone, it will always go down as a classic in the history of film. (Must Watch)

 

Best Part: Lester getting fired.

Worst Part: While it is a brilliant drama, the casual fans will find this harder to find interesting.

Funniest Scene: Lester reacting to Angela spending the night.

Favourite Quote: Lester ‘Remember those posters that said, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”? Well, that’s true of every day but one – the day you die.’

 

Believability: I do think this has plenty of realistic ideas of relationships but I do think the end wouldn’t happen. (8/10)

Chances of Tears: No (0/10)

Chances of Sequel: No

Post Credits Scene: No

 

Oscar Chances: Won 5 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor, Dest Directing, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay. It was also nominated for another 3.

Box Office: $356 Million

Budget: $15 Million

Runtime: 2 Hours 2 Minutes

Tagline: … look closer

Trivia: Both Oscar winners Kevin Spacey and Chris Cooper got their film career starts playing New York subway criminals. Spacey played an untitled mugger in Heartburn. Cooper played a pyromaniac in Money Train.

 

Overall: American Beauty is a classic that will always be remembered once you have seen it.

https://moviesreview101.com/2015/08/01/american-beauty-1999/
  
Baby Driver (2017)
Baby Driver (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
Will Baby Get Out of the Game?
A young getaway driver finds himself in over his head when he tries to get out of the crime game.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
It’s really hard not to love main character Baby (Ansel Elgort). Sure he’s helping criminals do criminal things but he has a great story and a solid motive. From the minute he shows up on screen beating his steering wheel to the music, you immediately want to root for this guy. Baby answers to Doc played by Kevin Spacey who reads the role with a controlled seriousness that forces you to focus on his every word. Doc along with an interesting gang of thugs make for a solid supporting cast.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Whether it’s two lovebirds in a diner talking or a death-defying car chase, I really appreciate the way Edgar Wright uses different angles to capture the perfect moment. I don’t know how he did it, but the movie has an 80’s feel to it even though it takes place in modern day. The action sequences play out in amazing fashion on screen and keep the story moving.

Conflict: 10
So many angles to consider here. Will Baby get out of the game? Does he get the girl? Will the next heist be a success? Something seems to always be happening whether at the forefront or in the background. This is a movie where you can get up to grab a drink and totally miss something you wish you hadn’t. Not to mention Baby Driver seriously has some of the best car chases in film period.

Entertainment Value: 10
It’s a movie that makes The French Connection car chase look like amateur night. There is so much going on, so many layers, that you will be hardpressed to be bored. It has the feel of an indie with blockbuster moments.

Memorability: 10

Pace: 10
Moves at an extremely high clip. Even the dialogue scenes can feel action-driven at times due to the intensity of the conversation. It’s a movie that never really lets you get too comfortable, but rather continues to hit you repeatedly with more.

Plot: 10

Resolution: 8
While the ending is the weakest point of the movie, it doesn’t detract from the overall greatness of Baby Driver. I wasn’t blown away by the resolution, but it was complete enough to get a pass from me. Good, but not lifechanging.

Overall: 98
In addition to having great action, Baby Driver’s love story helps drive the movie (pun intended) as a whole. It’s movies like these I wish would get more love from the Academy as they help to keep the population in love with film. Proud to call this movie a classic.
  
40x40

Ronnie (304 KP) Feb 1, 2020

totally agree, I would go as far as to say it’s one of the best movies ever

American Pie (1999)
American Pie (1999)
1999 | Comedy
Story: A quest for four boys to lose their virginity before they go onto college. A comedy about growing up through the awkward high school years. It also shows how important friends can be. A wonderful high school comedy that all will love. (9/10)

Cast: Jason Biggs as Jim – The guy who has no luck what so ever, be it caught watching adult channels by his parents or a web cam incident or some alone time with an apple pie. A very likeable character that you feel through his misfortunes. Star Performance (9/10)

Thomas Ian Nicholas as Kevin – He creates the pact to help himself and his friends. Basically he is the disappointed boyfriend of Vicki (Reid) after his bad timing on words. Slightly selfish character as the pact seems to be more about him. (8/10)

 

Seann William Scott as Stifler – The loud mouth friend who usually host the parties. Always finds ways to put people down. A very likeable unlikeable character. (9/10)

 

Eddie Kaye Thomas as Finch – The man of mystery always tries something outside the box to get the attention of the girls. A more cultured character that is the end is just the same as the rest. (8/10)

 

Chris Klein as Oz – The jock star player on the lacrosse team. Who takes a very different approach to finding a girl; he joins the choir and shows of his feelings. Great character changing role (9/10)

 

Eugene Levy as Jim’s Dad – You never learn his first name, but as he is Jim’s Dad you only ever know him as this. Giving his son the awkward conversations, Brilliant Awkward father role. Favourite Character (9/10)

 

Comedy: A comedy that is outrageous and is a laugh all the way through (10/10)

Music: Great sound track plus a cameo from Blink 182 (10/10)

Best Part: Jim’s Dads speeches are the highlight of the film

Similar Too: Road Trip, Superbad

Overall: One of the best comedies of the generation and also has some very good moments that are very real moments you will have or going to experience in life. It’s one which everyone will enjoy and now looking back on that time in life it was very funny to see how they acted and comparing it to how I acted.

https://moviesreview101.com/2012/04/04/american-pie-1999/
  
Elvis & Nixon (2016)
Elvis & Nixon (2016)
2016 | Comedy
4
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Elvis Presley has always been a mystery to me. I never understood the fascination around him and the length at which his fans adore him. Growing up in the south, his image and legend permeated throughout the culture and made it impossible to criticize him or his music. He was infallible. Nixon, on the other hand, is universally loathed for having a Presidential administration built on division and corruption. Through one bold idea, on the part of Presley, they cross paths. Elvis and Nixon, sounds as though it would be perfect for an 80s sitcom, however, the reality of this interaction is put on display through this film. In total, the film is fun in that it gives a bit of insight as to what their interaction may have been like, given their personalities and styles, however, there is a lack of depth with anyone in the film. Michael Shannon’s (Midnight Special, Man of Steel) portrayal of Elvis comes off as wooden and lacking any personality.

I felt as though I was watching an impersonator on screen rather an actor portraying a character. Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) plays a strong Nixon in which you feel a little bit of sympathy for the President considering the circumstances that he finds himself in toward the end of his first term. Unfortunately, due to his character Frank Underwood on House of Cards, audiences will feel as though it is President Underwood playing Nixon. There isn’t much space between the two characters that he plays. There also isn’t much space between Elvis and Nixon with their approach to social ills and the American landscape.

There is very little this film offers other than an imagining of what possibly took place due to now recordings of their meeting other than a photo. In that sense, it is an interesting “what if” piece. The imagination of the filmmakers allows us to question who these two men and the circumstances that faced America during 1971. Although provocative in its approach, it doesn’t allow for much growth or ability to connect with any of the characters. It has its fun and funny moments, which will keep audiences interested, but nothing that will have them talking about the film well after they have seen it. Through the portrayals by Shannon and Spacey, I find myself liking Nixon a little more and hating Elvis a little less.
  
    My Mixtapez Music

    My Mixtapez Music

    Music and Entertainment

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    My Mixtapez your plug for all the latest music. Key features: • Download Unlimited Mixtapes •...

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009)
2009 | Comedy
6
6.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Paul Blart (Kevin James) is a man with a dream. Paul dreams of being an officer with the New Jersey police, but thanks to his hypoglycemia, and weight, he has had a difficult time passing his requirements.

After his latest failure which concluded with him passing out inches from an obstacle course finish line, Paul has hit rock bottom. His daughter and mother encourage him to get on with his life, and look for a woman who will make him happy, (It is learned that his ex-wife only wanted him in her life so she could gain citizenship), and that new opportunities will arise.

The fact that the holidays are coming up is of little consolation, as Paul focuses on his career as a security guard at a local mall where he has worked from the past ten years, With the Black Friday shopping day upcoming, Paul attempts to get closer to the lovely Amy (Jayma Mays), who works at one of the mall’s boutiques.

The fact that Paul is shy and awkward does not help his cause, but in time, he is able to form a friendship with Amy that survives some real obstacles such as a very out of character wild night out which ends in disaster for Paul as his intolerance of alcohol leads to some truly outrageous behavior which embarrasses Amy.

As Paul attempts to recover from his fiasco at the workplace party, he returns to patrol at the mall astride his ever present Segway while a group of thieves secretly plot to take over the mall and rob the various stores.

When the bad guys make their move, Paul is indisposed and is easily overlooked, which in turn keeps him in the dark about what is really happening. When Paul eventually learns what is going on and that Amy is amongst the hostages, he must muster up the courage and abilities he never knew he had in order to save the day and rescue Amy.

What follows is a madcap though slight romp which while not big on over the top laughs has more than enough smiles to keep you amused along the way.

Kevin James is entertaining as the hapless Blart, but he is not given much to work with in his first starring role as the story is very formulaic and restrained which does not allow him to fully display his comedic skills as he did in The King of Queens.

The film was produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison company and was co written by James and Nick Bakay. While it is not a bad film, I had hoped for more as the premise is rife with possibilities and the film comes across as playing it safe rather than taking chances. There is very little offensive in the film so it is appropriate for most families, which despite the flaws, makes the film a pleasant if not memorable diversion.
  
Cult Classic by Fiona Grey
Cult Classic by Fiona Grey
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Fiona Grey is an LA-based singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Not too long ago, she released a music video for her “Saviour” single featuring Emma Cole.

The Sean Berger-music video was choreographed by Kevin Stea (Madonna, Michael Jackson).

The visuals are an ode to Felini, Marie Antoinette, and the dark and dreamy black and white films of the ‘60s.

‘Saviour’ contains a relatable storyline, pleasing vocals, and charismatic instrumentation flavored with an indie-alternative aroma.

Also, the likable tune is featured on Fiona Grey’s latest EP, entitled, “Cult Classic”.

“Each song has its own identity and story it wants to tell.” – Fiona Grey

‘Cult Classic’ vocalizes cultural issues and expresses Fiona Grey’s vulnerability. Also, it highlights her anger towards the world we are living in and her desires for the world we are shaping.

Grammy Award-Winning Mike Schuppan (Paramore, M83, Ziggy Marley) produced the 6-track project. Also, Dave Cooley (Fitz & The Tantrums, Stone Temple Pilots) mastered it.

“There is a lot about living in a pop culture centered world that we deem as ‘normal behavior’. Also, I hope that the music can remind the listener that this follower-centric, alternate persona universe we live in is all temporary happiness.” – Fiona Grey

Fiona Grey draws inspiration from the world of Hollywood, it’s unrealistic expectations and the vices that people use as a form of escapism.

She hopes her music will help listeners aim to be the purest and honest versions of themselves.