Story Line:
Possible spoilers but not really.
The Princess is tired of having no fun, so she goes out on the town but has taken sleeping medicine. She passes out on the sidewalk where a reporter picks her up and tries to convince a taxi driver to let her sleep in the back until she wakes up, but he doesn’t want to. Peck takes her home to his place and lets her sleep on his couch while he sleeps in the bed. When he returns to work the next morning he finds out the girl is in fact the princess. He makes a $500 bet he will get an interview with the princess and an additional $5000 if it is an exclusive. The princess acts like she is just a schoolgirl away for a couple days, so Peck tells her he sells chemicals. The two then have a day out on the town along with Peck’s friend, who just so happens to be a photographer.

Review:
Like many films during this time period (1950s), Roman Holiday’s direction, music, and acting stood the test of time. Actually, if this film was able to use today’s camera most audiences wouldn’t tell the difference. Instead, the film features the classic black and white reel (which in my opinion was a great choice compared to the alternative at the time–full disclosure, I love black and white films).

Peck displays his Hollywood genius, but the real star was Hepburn who ended up taking the Oscar for Best Actress. We also can’t forget the great job Eddie Albert (Green Acres) did as the photographer. Albert was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. The film was also nominated for several other categories like Best Director, Best Art direction, Best Cinematogrphy, Best Editing, Best Picture, and Best writing. Generally I don’t put too much stock in the winners or nominees, but this film really does deserve the nominations and wins.

Stars:
An overall great performance by both the actors and techies. Four stars!

Adventureland
A really, really stupid film that just shows that the writers have no clue what it is like to work after college at a part-time job. No, this film isn’t a populist. People don’t really do what happens in this film. And if the guy’s parents were really as big of jerks as the film wants you to think, they wouldn’t even let him live there in the summer. But it is funny, right!? No. Alright, maybe just a little.

- Adventureland quotes

Fast and Furious
I guess they couldn’t think of a better name for this film. The Fast and the Furious, Fast and Furious? Argh. Tons of people are going to be confused. But maybe that is their plan? They will forfeit ticket sales at the theater for people who go to Wal-Mart and buy their 2001 film. Hey, the story probably isn’t that much different.

- Fast and Furious quotes

Only two wide releases are opening up this weekend, neither look great to me, but oh well.

Fired Up
Two guys who are in their thirties act in this film about two high school students who quit the football team to join a cheerleading squad. Remarkably the entire cheerleading squad is also made up of mid-twenty-year-olds who are acting to be high school students. I understand the need to have at least decent actors, but come on! A 28 and 31 year old playing 18 year olds boys? 24+ year-old females? Bleh. Why Hollywood!? Why must you always do this!? This is one of the reasons why high schoolers have such low self-esteem. STOP IT! High schoolers are not suppose to look like that!

Fired Up Quotes

Madea Goes to Jail
The fourth Tyler Perry film involving the character titled Madea. She has always been a little rude, a little out-there, but this time she gets herself in too much trouble and heads to jail. Of course, that isn’t what the movie is really about. It is just a side story. The real story is about a girl gone bad and a married man trying to save her, regardless of how his wife feels.

Madea Goes to Jail Quotes

Gran Torino

Some say this is Clint Eastwood’s best film ever. I haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but it is definitely one I plan to see soon. The film has done absolutely amazing over its limited release and will most likely open in wide release with a bang.

- Gran Torino quotes

Bride Wars

Two lovely women act together as best friends who turn against each other when their wedding dates mistakenly become planned on the same day.

- Bride Wars quotes

The Unborn

A big monster terrorizes… oh wait… it is only the same girl. OK, this film is about a woman whose brother died in the womb and wants to be set free. The movie looks scary, but cliches run rampant. Crab walk? Please. It has been done people. Not every horror film needs the crab walk. Images jumping out of nowhere? Been done. Creepy children? Been done. Meh. It will still do well, which is sad because it will just cause Hollywood to produce more of the same.

- The Unborn quotes

Anyway, happy new year to everyone. I wrote a few short poems, good or bad you can read them over here:

New Year’s poems

Bedtime Stories

Adam Sandler babysits his niece and nephew. After telling a bedtime story, the story comes true.

Bedtime Stories

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt stars as a man gets younger instead of older with each passing day.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Marley and Me

Marley is a dog. Me is Owen Wilson and Jennifer Annistan. The movie is based off a best-seller book written by a journalist.

Marley and Me

The Spirit

A movie that looks like pooh.

The Spirit

Valkyrie

A Tom Cruise film based off true events during WWII. The problem is Tom Cruise. I really don’t get the point of a film that would be better served as a documentary. Also, I don’t get the point of putting the film in German. American actors dressed in Nazi clothing is still an American. It just seems way too unrealistic.

Valkyrie