Tucker and Dale vs Evil (2010)

Dale and his scythe, one of the movie's funniest moments.

One day at work I noticed Tucker and Dale vs Evil sitting on the new release wall, I decided to grab it based on the fact that nothing else had been released that week. Needles to say, I found myself laughing out loud at one of the funniest movies of the year, a true hidden gem.

Tucker and Dale, two bumbling hillbillies from West Virginia, are taking a vacation at their "fixxer-upper" cabin, to sink some beer, snag a few fish and to get away from the hassles of life for a few days. The weekend is going to plan until they run into a group of college kids, who immediately assume that Tucker and Dale are in-bred, serial killers. As you can imagine, a case of mistaken identity takes a turn for the worst.

Everything about this movie is perfect, I have nothing but praise for Alan Tudyk (Tucker) and Tyler Labine (Dale), the chemistry between them is hilarious, no pair of actors could have pulled these roles off better than Alan and Tyler.

This movie falls under so many categories, horror, comdey and bro-mantic, it truly is one of the funniest films released this year, if you have a sense of humor while being able to stomach some pretty horrific accidental deaths, then this movie is for you.

DO NOT MISS IT!!!!!

10/10

August Burns Red - Leveler (2011)

August Burns Red have yet again created musical beauty, their latest offering Leveler is an absolute masterpiece. 2009's Constellations was considered their best album so far, however ABR have done what many thought impossible, Leveler improves on everything Constellations offered. Make no mistake ladies and gentlemen, August Burns Red are taking over the world.

Cover Art for Leveler

For those who have followed ABR for the past decade, their crazy time signature metalcore has been seasoned with some improvements and unexpected additions. ABR are no doubt at the top of their game, Jake Luhrs' screams and growls are amazing, while his lyrics are deep and extremely emotional. Matt Greiner goes above and beyond to hold everything together while still being creative, he also offers some of the most complex drumming I have ever heard. Greiner's effort behind the kit lets JB Brubaker and Brent Rambler loose like a gang of thugs on a defenseless victim, that victim is you.

Starting Leveler off with a bang is "Empire", ABR stick to their guns and offer a crushing opener that prepares you for what is to come. The first single "Internal Cannon" goes directly for the throat and doesn't let up with a classic ABR breakdown, the middle of the song transitions into a "heavy" spanish salsa, and towards the end, JB pumps out a salsa-esque guitar solo. "Poor Millionaire" is the 9th song on Leveler and is my favorite, the entire song is a non-stop attack on the senses, a combined effort that leaves you stunned with powerful riffs and brutal breakdowns.

The bottom line is, if you're a fan of heavy music with something extra, Leveler is for you. Whether you are a dedicated fan, or only just getting into them, you will not be disappointed in this epic masterpiece from a band who don't look like stopping anytime soon.

Track Listing:

01. Empire - 9/10
02. Internal Cannon - 10/10
03. Divisions - 9.5/10
04. Cutting the Ties - 8/10
05. Pangaea - 9/10
06. Carpe Diem - 9.5/10
07. 40 Nights - 8.5/10
08. Salt and Light - 8.5/10
09. Poor Millionaire - 10/10
10. 1/16/2011 - 8/10
11. Boys of Fall - 9/10
12. Leveler - 10/10

Autopsy (2008)

Robert Patrick as the worst doctor in history.

What can I say about Autopsy? I went into it open minded and not expecting anything, I now see that my expectations were too generous. My dog has excreted feces more noteworthy than this pile of garbage. I spent an hour and a half of my life watching this, that is time I will never get back.

The basic plot of Autopsy is, a group of friends crash their car, they go to a creepy hospital, one by one they start to disappear. Robert Patrick who some of you might know from Terminator 2 (he's the liquid metal guy) is the doctor of this hospital, he kills people and harvests their body parts to save his wife. That's the plot, I'm not going to spend anymore time on that because frankly, I don't have the patience.

Everything about this movie was horrible, the acting, the gore, the lack of nudity (all b-grade horrors have nudity), the script, the beginning, the middle, the end. I honestly don't see where the 4 million dollars they spent making this film went. If they had of filmed grass grow it would have been a better movie.

The bottom line is, steer clear of this steaming pile, you will regret it forever if you watch it. Don't say I didn't warn you.

0.5/10

Hereafter (2010)

Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon? Match made in heaven. Any movie made by Clint Eastwood is absolute gold, while Matt Damon can't seem to put a foot wrong these days. Hereafter is pure brilliance, and so much credit is due for everyone involved in it.

Hereafter is centered around 3 people who encounter death in different ways. George Lonegan (Damon) is a hardworking American who has a connection to the afterlife. When a french journalist, Marie 

(Cécile De France), has a near death experience, her outlook on life is changed forever. And

Matt Damon and Frankie/George McLaren

Marcus (Frankie and George McLaren), a young boy from London, is shaken to the core when the person closest to him passes away. Each on a quest to find answer, quests that will intersect their lives and change them forever.

The acting is superb, not only from Matt Damon, but also from Cécile De France and the young McLaren brothers. While nothing needs to be said about Clint Eastwood's brilliance behind the camera, 

he has produced yet another masterpiece that will take its place in my DVD collection.

The movie travels along at a slow pace to give the viewer enough time to take everything in, the visual imagery  is awesome and really captivates the viewers. The movie also boasts one of the best computer generated Tsunami's I have ever seen, it look extremely real, believable and genuinely scary.

If you enjoy good movies, this one is for you, regardless of your taste in film. Missing this one would almost be a cardinal sin, so next time you head to the video store, be sure to pick this one up. 

9.5/10 

Winter's Bone (2010)

When a movie receives such high praise from the Academy, you expect a certain standard. You expect something that the critics will masturbate over, something involving hardship, failure and inevitable success.

Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly.

Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is a 17 year old girl responsible for raising her younger brother and sister and caring for her mentally ill mother, while trying to stay positive in their horrible living situation. Ree is confronted by the local sheriff regarding her missing, drug cooking father who has an impending court date. He has used the family home and land as collateral for his bond. If he does not appear in front of the judge then they will lose their home. And so begins Ree's journey through the harsh underbelly of the redneck community looking for her father.

The rednecks that live in the Ozark mountains are very distrustful of any outsiders, but surprisingly enough they are just as skeptical of friends and family. They are family, however, even family comes second to the illegal activities they are involved with. Don't ask and I won't tell would be the perfect way to describe them.

Jennifer Lawrence's performance was certainly worthy of all the praise she received, she can act better than half of the females in Hollywood, and will become an absolute star in years to come. John Hawkes has rivaled Jennifer with his portrayal of Teardrop, Ree's uncle. He is one of the most underrated actors in the world today.
Debra Granik the director has captured the bleak and gloomy life that the characters are living through, easily her best work yet.

The script was as good as it could be, using the mannerisms of the Ozark people really improved the entire film. The fact that Winter's Bone was filmed in the local area gave the viewer a real inside look at the harsh realities that are in our world.

I personally did not like this film, however I can look past that and understand why people did enjoy it. If you like your drama's hard hitting and realistic, then by all means check it out.

8/10

Come Fly With Me - Pilot (2011)

I have been eagerly anticipating this show, the commercial certainly got me interested. The trailer even produced some laughs out of me. The show itself however, was average at best.

Matt Lucas as Precious.

The most disappointing thing about this show is the script, it is lacking original humor, most of the jokes rely on age old stereotypes. A homosexual male flight attendant? How creative. A black woman who finds countless reasons to shut up shop early? Nice try at tongue in cheek racism, too bad it lacked the tongue in cheek.

This show seems like it was made by immature primary school children, after creating such a brilliant series in Little Britain, Matt Lucas and David Williams look like they need to take a break from skit shows. Maybe have a crack at a movie or some stand up, because this show does not look like its going to improve from here.

If you have any intelligence I recommend you stay away from this piece of garbage, only people that find generic toilet humor funny will enjoy this.

3/10

Tangled (2010)

Rapunzel and her frying pan, one of the film's funniest moments

Disney are renowned for their timeless animation classics, and Tangled is without a doubt one of Disney's finest. This movie ticks all the boxes, brilliant animation, wonderful characters, amazing songs and hilarious dialogue.

Tangled is Disney's take on the classic fairy tale, Rapunzel. The baby princess Rapunzel is kidnapped in the middle of the night by Mother Gothel after receiving healing powers from a magical flower. Mother Gothel keeps Rapunzel locked away in a tower, because she knows the flower's power has transferred to Rapunzel's hair. One day a bandit by the name of Flynn Rider, climbs the tower in search of a safe haven. He is taken captive by Rapunzel, Flynn strikes a deal with Rapunzel to take her to see the floating lights that are released every year on her birthday.

This movie has enough action and comedy for the boys, while the romance and drama will make the girls happy. A couple of scenes pull at the heartstrings like most Disney movies in the past, the most memorable is the lantern scene towards the end of the film.

Mandy Moore was amazing as Rapunzel, her voice worked extremely well, while her singing was immaculate. Zachary Levi was hilarious as Flynn Rider, the one liners and the comedic value that his character brought to the movie was priceless. My favourite character was Maximus, the Palace Horse. His antics with Flynn Rider brought the movie to life, and kept me laughing until the finish. Maximus certainly reminded me of Altivo from "The Road to El Dorado".

If you love Disney, you will love Tangled. If you think your too cool for kids movies, then think again, one of the best movies in the past year, make sure you watch it.

9.5/10