Reviews

"Keith" is about Natalie, a high school senior, who is the quintessential over-achiever. She gets stuck being lab partners with Keith who is mysterious and adventurous. Natalie becomes invested in finding out whatever secret Keith is hiding. The story line is actually pretty adorable with a sudden twist that definitely takes you by surprise. All in all the acting was good. I had never heard of Elizabeth Harnois or seen Jesse Mccartney truly act before watching this. I was surprised at how well Jesse portrayed Keith. He was very good a creating a character that seems carefree on the surface but holds a big secret. "Keith" is a cute love story with true meaning behind it and a great lesson to live for the moment.

I didn't have high hopes going into this, it seemed like the typical "helpless woman being chased by a crazed inbred in the woods" but I was pleasantly surprised. That basically is the premise, Ellen is in a minor car wreck and left stranded on an empty wooded highway at night when she becomes prey to the very large "Moonface". This film has an interesting difference though, Ellen is trained in survival tactics from her intense husband. It was nice to actually see a woman fight back for once. "Incident" was the perfect length for it's story line. There was a lot of tension but it wasn't dragged out and overplayed. I highly recommend this for fans of the horror genre who have an hour to spare.

"50/50" is about Adam, a very health and safety conscious young man, who is diagnosed with a rare spinal cancer. He struggles with accepting his condition and fighting it. The acting in this film is fantastic. Joseph Gordon-Levitt adds a genuine quality to the movie that I find lacking in many other movies about health issues. Seth Rogen does a great job of adding humor in a way that makes sense and is welcomed. "50/50" is packed with emotions, from fear and anger to love and laughter, which helps portray the confusing situation that Adam is enduring. It is a heavy film that I wouldn't suggest watching if you're looking for mindless entertainment, but if you're looking for something with substance, "50/50" is perfect.

"Wanderlust" is about a young New York couple who are suddenly left with no income and need to find a place to live. On the way to Atlanta, they come across a love commune and end up staying for a while. This movie is filled with failed attempts at humor, don't get me wrong, some parts are genuinely funny, but most of it seems like they tried too hard to get a laugh. The main redeeming quality of "Wanderlust" is Paul Rudd's performance. His character counter-acted the rest of the cast's mediocre comedy. Overall I think it is an interesting story line with a lot of potential that simply fell a little flat. I would definitely suggest waiting for this one to come out DVD and saving the ten dollars.

"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" was a three part internet series created by Joss Whedon during the Writer's Strike. Neil Patrick Harris stars as Dr. Horrible, a villain who is desperate to become part of the Evil League of Evil. He struggles with fulfilling his villainous duties while also trying to win over the girl of his dreams, who is dating his nemesis Captain Hammer. This is a brilliantly written musical. Not only are the songs catchy and fun, but they make you think as well. Even people who are not fans of the musical genre can enjoy the quirkiness and humor of "Dr. Horrible's Sing- Along Blog" I'm a huge fan of Neil Patrick Harris, and he certainly did not disappoint. All of the actors in this small cast did a great job of pulling you in and making you care in such a short time.

"Prom" is about a group of high school seniors who are preparing for their prom and the problems they encounter. The decorations are destroyed in an accident and class president Nova has to find a way to remake them in time. As punishment, notorious bad boy Jesse is forced to help her. There are two couples that have difficult decisions to make before prom and perpetually single Lloyd desperately tries to find a date. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It was of course very cliché and exaggerated, but that's to be expected with a Disney movie. It was actually quite funny and not at all childish like I went in thinking it would be. Some of the characters are juvenile, but not enough to be off- putting. I think this is a film that people of all ages can enjoy.

"Cigarette Burns" is about a financially struggling movie-theater owner who makes money by seeking out hard to find copies of films. He is approached by a man to find the only known print of a film that is notorious for causing its viewers to become homicidal. For being such a short film, the story line is really suspenseful and interesting. As an avid horror movie viewer, it is difficult for me to find things scary or creepy, but during this one I found myself cringing multiple times. In the end I was left with a "what did I just watch" feeling, which in my book is a strong win for a horror film. I definitely recommend this to any fans of the horror genre.

"The Kite Runner" centers around the life of Amir, who is haunted by things in his past. He gets the chance to return to his home in Afghanistan to redeem himself for things he did as a child. Being a huge fan of the book, I was disappointed by "The Kite Runner." They had to cut large parts of the story out of the film in order to make it fit into an acceptable movie length, which I believe took a lot of the heart out of it as well. On its own, the movie is pretty good. It is beautifully made and the actors do a great job, I just couldn't help but feel that everything was moving to fast and the bonds between each of the characters was not there. I definitely recommend that people who love the book stay away simply because the film does not meet the expectations set by the original story.

"Six Degrees of Separation" is about a rich fifth avenue couple, the Kittredge's, who are conned by a young black man one night and spend the next few weeks finding out as much as they can about this boy. They go around telling the story to everyone they come across and find friends who went through the same experience days before. The movie is very slow moving, with many of the important scenes carried out through endless dialogue and very little else going on. Originally being a stage piece, the heavy dialogue is to be expected; however, the adaptation to screen leaves you wanting a little more. In spite of it's flaws, "Six Degrees of Separation" gives an interesting insight on how superficial lives can be and how we sometimes take what we have for granted.

Repo! The Genetic Opera is not your usual movie-musical. Set in 2056, there is a worldwide spread of organ failures and a company called GeneCo builds a business out of high priced organ transplants. When payments are missed, they send out the Repo Men to repossess the organs. The movie centers around Shilo, a teenage girl with a rare blood disease, as she looks for a cure. Repo! is a dark twist on the classic musical. It is a visually stunning movie with a very catchy soundtrack. The cast was surprisingly talented as well. Alexa Vega plays Shilo, in a dramatic change from her former roles, with great success. Even Paris Hilton is interesting to watch in her familiar role of the spoiled, rich daughter. I definitely recommend Repo! The Genetic Opera to fans of films like Rocky Horror Picture Show and Little Shop of Horrors.

Waiting For Forever is a cute, quirky movie with a lot of heart. It does a great job at making you feel happy, with its high contrast lighting and fun soundtrack. The cast does a great job at pulling you in, especially Tom Sturridge. He does a wonderful job portraying the carefree traveling street performer, but also brings on the strong emotion when it's needed. The use of flashbacks and the way Tom's character describes his young love really have you rooting for their love to blossom once again. The story gets a little confusing and slow towards the middle but the strong beginning and ending definitely make up for it.