When Harry Met Sally

Avid readers of my blog, meet Harry. He's laid back, but kind of a pig who speaks his mind with reckless abandon.

Avid readers of my blog, meet Sally. She's up-tight, structured, and conservative.

Harry and Sally, two polar opposites who share a fateful car ride from Chicago to New York City after college graduation, think they'll never see each other again. Fortunately for each, that's a thought they're both comfortable with.

What neither one considered that day, though, was that fate could have other plans for them. Despite different career paths and seemingly happy relationships for both of them, they do live in the same city (no matter how big), and eventually run into each other. As they grow a little older and a little wiser, and as their respective relationships crumble, each finds a unique comfort in the other's company and the initially strained acquaintance blossoms into a close friendship and ultimately love.

True, it's a romantic comedy, but it's a good movie just the same. Guys, give this one a shot.

Rating:7/10

PS - Based on my recent posts, I think I've developed a crush for old women.

Get Smart

I love Steve Carell. I would love to have Anne Hathaway's babies. I do not, however, love this movie.

I thought Max Smart was supposed to be a fumbling, stumbling idiot, and although he did have a couple of moments like that, his ascent to being the hero of Get Smart was too easy and ultimately unsatisfying to me.

Don't get me wrong, I did sit down to this movie expecting something light and mindless, but even with that mindset, I still didn't get any enjoyment out of it.

I won't hate you for watching it, but if you ask my opinion, you're better off watching something else - unless it's Hidalgo of course.

Rating: 5.5/10

The Duchess

The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley as Georgianna, Duchess of Devonshire and Ralph Fiennes as the Duke of Devonshire, takes place in 18th century England and is a striking story about the importance of social standing and the limits on female rights of those times.

Hastily married to the Duke as a teenager on the promise that she would provide him a male heir, Georgianna is whisked away to Devonshire with the world seemingly at her feet. However, as quickly as her life seemed to have taken a turn for the better, the Duchess soon realizes that the Duke is fond of extramarital affairs and increasingly indifferent toward her, which becomes more evident as she continually fails to give birth to a son.

The Duchess' unhappiness ultimately reaching a breaking point with her husband's new live-in mistress, Georgianna eventually seeks emotional refuge in a new-found love with an ambitious politician named Charles Grey (who eventually would become the Prime Minister).

Unfortunately for Georgianna, upon the Duke's discovery of the relationship with Grey, tension between the couple escalates to levels that unravel into eventual unhappiness and unbearable despair for both Georgianna and the movie's viewers.

If you value well-done, quality film, I strongly urge you watch this movie. I guarantee it will impact you deeply.

Rating: 8.5/10

Ghostbusters

There's something about the Ghostbusters - maybe the theme song or Sigourney Weaver or the absurdity of the storyline - that makes it one of the "best bad" movies in my collection.

If you haven't watched the first Ghostbusters film in awhile, or haven't seen it yet, you should give it a look-see. As mentioned, it's not the best movie ever (Bill Murray is pretty damn annoying in it, honestly), but it's an overall fun watch and great for Halloween.

By the way, I think I just made up my mind that Sigourney Weaver is the primary reason for my bias of this movie.

Rating: 6/10

Shaun of the Dead

The collective "they" always say that the original idea is always the best. Having already watched its US counterpart, Shaun of the Dead most definitely reinforces that statement.

I have watched this movie a handful of times, and it still baffles me how Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were part of a movie that not only makes zombies scary again, but also takes us to the verge of tears when main characters die - making us laugh all the while.

It may sound impossible that a movie could make you feel so many emotions so far removed from each other on the emotional scale, but take my word for it - the movie's ability to do just that is a testament to its complete and utter awesomeness.

Watch it, people.

Rating: 8/10

House on Haunted Hill

I'm sure the original House on Haunted Hill was good, but the remake? Not so much. Don't watch it unless you're a pimply-faced male teenager without friends, because that's about the only audience that could find this movie enjoyable - and that's a stretch.

And just in case you were wondering, the house IS haunted and DOES kill people. However, what makes this film suck so much was the stupid plot twist three-fourths of the way through the movie in which the audience discovers the bitch wife is plotting to kill her rich husband with the help of the "doctor."

I'm not even going to waste any more time on this review. Just don't watch the movie. Watching paint dry is more entertaining.

Rating: 1.5/10