Blind Side - Sandra Bullock (2009)

Blind Side tells the true story of how one woman and her family pick up a homeless young black man off the streets of Memphis and turn his life around.Sandra Bulluck plays Leigh Anne Tuohy, the affluent wife of former MBA basketball player Sean Tuohy, played by Tim McGraw.The Tuohys spot "Big Mike" walking down the road after they've all left the Christian private school that the Tuohy's children and Mike attend. Leigh Anne decides to take this 300-pound...

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Dead and Gone (2009) by Charlaine Harris - from the series that spawned "True Blood"

The only reason I don't despise this book is because I only paid $1 for it at a garage sale.One of the books that spawned HBO's "True Blood" series, Sookie Stackhouse lives and works in a small town outside of Lafayette, Louisiana.At the risk of sounding like one of her more uptight and judgmental enemies, she consorts with vampires, werewolves and fairies--clearly another class of people.One of the most basic flaws that rubbed me through the whole book was her spelling of the name "Tray". It is bad enough when it is spelled "Trey" but to purposefully...

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Steampunk Jewelry - Beautiful, Handmade Goth Jewelry

Looking for something really interesting and gorgeous for your teen-ager? A ring, perhaps, maybe a bracelet?Well, check out Steampunk Jewelry--a British artisan who has handcrafted some of the most interesting jewelry that I have seen in a long time.In fact, I am lusting over a certain amethyst bracelet myself. And seeing as I have already bought everyone their presents, all the rest of my Christmas shopping is for me, Me, ME!!!Sorry. Got a little...

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Precious (2009)

Precious was probably one of the most surprising and most disturbing movies that I have seen this year.Starring Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe as Precious, this movie descends into a world that few of us have ever seen.Precious lives in the Ghetto of New York, the illegitimate first daughter of a mother who has enslaved her and her offspring in return for welfare checks.Precious is beaten and abused by her mother Mary--portrayed by Mo'Nique--who then allows...

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I Love You, Man - Paul Rudd (2009)

In an effort to ride of wave of Seth Rogen and Will Ferrell's low-brow bromances, here comes "I Love You, Man" starring Paul Rudd.Although I do like Paul Rudd, I think he sold his soul to the devil to make this movie.Yeah, there were some funny spots that did have me laughing out loud. Really. When Rudd is posing in his tux, I was cracking up. The whole story about his boy/friend Sydney's dog, Anwar Sadat was funny.But in all fairness to the fairer sex and to any form of intelligent life that still remains out there in moviewatcher-land, this is...

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Up - Ed Asner

What a perfectly splendid fairy tale of a film! Pixar's animated film, Up!, is so joyous, so pure in its engenuity that it is able to take the time-old tale of spiritual renewal and make it new.Taking nimble and heartaching quicksteps between joy and sadness, the tale begins with a shy, young boy named Carl who dreams of high adventure. Meeting his match in the quick witted Ellie, the two become a team, dreaming big dreams but never quite making...

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2012 - John Cusack

Heart Rate: YYMy sister and her bf and I always go to the movies on Friday. This time, said bf picked 2012.He's so funny. He says he hates all movies and that actors should retire after acting over a certain number of years. Then you start to give him the benefit of the doubt and start thinking he is making some sense then you ask him what his favorite movie: Rambo. And he loses all credibility.But I would have to agree with him in this case.This...

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The Girl Who Played with Fire - Steig Larsson

I just finished the second book in "The Girl" series by Steig Larsson, "The Girl Who Played with Fire."Resurrecting the two main characters from the previous book, Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist, this suspense novel centers around the death of an investigative journalist and his partner.He was writing about exposing high-ranking officials who were participating in white slavery while his partner was writing her Ph.D. dissertation on the same...

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Management (2008) - Jennifer Anniston, Steve Zahn

Another one of Jennifer Anniston's bittersweet single woman out-on-her-own romances, Anniston, as Sue, continues to explore the span between a young working woman's defeated ambitions and almost shameful yearnings for protection and love.In this movie Steve Zahn plays Mike, a hapless manager at his parent's roadside motel. Only one step shy of creepy Bateman-type stalkerness, Zahn gets one good roll in the hay with Anniston and he is head over heels.Traipsing...

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Movie Roster - October 31, 2009

I want to resume an old practice that I have let go some time ago. My movie roster. So here it goes:TItleMain ActorReleasedMy Rating (1-5)This Is ItMichael Jackson20095 EasyMarguerite Moreau, Naveen Andrews20043.5InkHeartBrendan Fraser20082.5ManagementJennifer Anniston, Steve Zahn20...

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This Is It - Michael Jackson

Simply amazing.Mind you, I have never been a big fan of Michael Jackson. But after watching this 2-hour movie of what might have been, I was fervently wishing it could have been.Jackson's creative vision, musical talent and genius choreography spilled out over the screen, making me yearn to see the final masterpiece.It will never be seen.The movie begins with the montage of the opening, demonstrating in drawings how a robot would drop down like a...

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Inglourious Basterds - Brad Pitt (2009)

I don't know, I must be getting old.And Brad Pitt is getting old.But I just didn't think this movie was that good.Don't get me wrong; I loved Pulp Fiction. But Quentin Tarantino's latest effort--Inglourious Basterds-- is more of the same, tired, overly violent crap.The blood baths, so outrageous in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, are no longer shocking. It is just gross.And it just wasn't that funny.I thought Pitt did an excellent...

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Chéri - Michelle Pfeiffer (2009)

This gorgeously filmed movie, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, is an adaptation of two novels by famed French novelist, Collette.Collette, a writer of the late 1800s and early 1900s, wrote the novel Gigi, upon which the same-titled film is based.The novels, Chéri and La Fin de Chéri, are about a aging courtesan and her relationship with the son of a fellow courtesan.Michelle Pfeiffer plays the 1890s version of a cougar with elegance and verve. Still startlingly...

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Julie & Julia - Amy Adams, Meryl Streep (2009)

I thought I was going to have to sit through GI Joe since my friend had brought her husband along with us to the movies.I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had bought tickets for Julie & Julia.Oh, what a wonderful movie. And Meryl Streep--what an astounding actress. She surprises me over and over again.The story of a 29 year old's quest to "make something of herself" before she hits 30, Julie test her limits by cooking all of the famed American cook Julia Child's 536 recipes in 365 days.Telling the tale of two stories--Julia's and...

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A Guilty Pleasure

Kind of like People magazine -- I swear I only read it at the manicurist's -- I have become a new subscriber to Blah Girls.com. I love it! My favorite part is the Friday video called "Stewart's Hot Minute"; a take on Perez Hilton, opening with the line, "Hey, b*tches, Hey, floozies." He takes on every spotlight-seeking starlet and skewers them.Produced by TwitterMan, Ashton Kutcher, it looks like Demi's husband once again scores with a social media win....

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Ne le dis à personne (Tell No One) - based upon a Harlan Coben Novel (2006)

Heart Rate: YYYYYI love Harlan Coben's mysteries--I think he is a terrific writer. In fact, this book, Tell No One, was the first of his that I had read. Impressed by the innovative plot line, quick style of writing and the profound way in which he wrote about love, I was hooked on his books.When I stumbled across a film adaptation of the book, Tell No One, on Netflix, I had to watch it.A French film, the director Guillaume Canet did a superb job...

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Greenfingers - Clive Owen, Helen Mirren (2005)

Heart Rate: YYYYClive Owen stars in this charming story about British prisoners who landscape their way to redemption.Incarcerated in a high-security prison, after 15 years, Colin Briggs, played by Owen, is transferred to a low-security prison to learn a trade. Hardened by guilt, he refuses to participate until his elderly roommate gives him a packet of violets as a Christmas present.Colin carelessly plants this seeds in the middle of winter and...

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Never Talk to Strangers - Rebecca De Mornay, Antonio Banderas (1995)

Heart Rate: YYYYRebecca De Mornay stars as psychologist Sarah Taylor interviewing a serial killer who takes up wtih a passionate and mysterious lover, played by Antonio Banderas.Her father, obviously unwelcome, begins to visit her after being absent from her life for some time. And her creepy neighbor Cliff, played by Dennis Miller, keeps sniffing around, as well.Soon Dr. Taylor begins to be stalked, receiving mysterious packages with horrible messages.The...

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Widow's Peak - Natasha Richardson, Mia Farrow (1994)

Heart Rate: YYYYA quirky little film starring Mia Farrow, Joan Plowright and Natasha Richardson, the plot centers around a 1930s Irish town called "Widow's Peak".So named for its predominantly widowed population, Mrs. Doyle-Counihan, played by Joan Plowright, governs the town with an iron fist.With hilarious character actors Jim Broadbent as a smitten dentist and Anne Kent as Mrs. Doyle-Counihan's agressive female driver, there are plenty of laughs.The...

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The Dragon Bowl Asian Bistro--Where Have You Been All My Life?

Heart Rate: YYYYYCategory: RestaurantsCuisine: AsianLocation: 1221 W 11th St, Houston, TX‎ - (713) 426-2750This is a great concept--Asian Fusion, fast and furious. In my mind, they have two great things going for it: the BYOB--"build your own bowl"--and their newest addition, the sushi bar. The BYOB is such a simple concept that I wonder why it hasn't been copied. You can select your choice of:Pastas: white rice, brown rice, Singapore noodles, Thai...

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The Namesake - an Eastern Indian Movie with Kal Penn (2006)

Heart Rate: YYYKal Penn, of Harold & Kumar fame, stars in The Namesake, a movie about a young man's struggle to live with his Eastern Indian heritage in an American world.Named after his father's favorite author, Gogol, he is taunted for his odd name. Gogol is never understands why his Indian parents named him for a Russian author until it is almost too late.The film relies heavily on Nickolai Gogol's short story, "The Over Coat;" in fact, Gogol's...

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The Cinderella Story - Hilary Duff (2004)

Heart Rate: YYYAfter watching Hilary Duff in War, Inc. (reviewed earlier) and her next big gig as Bonnie Parker in The Story of Bonnie and Clyde, I was curious about her previous acting career . So I watched The Cinderella Story.Light fare with a "GrlPower" message, the script is riddled with lines like "We have faith in you. You gotta have faith in yourself."Definitely movie with Duff's target audience in mind, it follows the Cinderella Story but...

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The Orphanage / El Orfanato (2007) - Spanish

Heart Rate: YYYYWith 31 wins and 30 nominations, this Spanish gothic thriller is excellent.A woman returns with her husband and her adopted, ailing son, Simón, to her childhood orphanage. Odd sounds begin to emanate from the house and the little boy, Simón, has two imaginary friends.You guessed it--he sees dead people.But his parents just think he is playing. So they ignore Simón and continue with their plans to open up a home for children with special...

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Somersault - starring Abbie Cornish, written, directed by Cate Shortland (2004)

Heart Rate: YYYYAn emerging young actor, Abbie Cornish, stars in the small Australian film, Somersault. It is about a young girl who runs away from home after her mother catches her kissing her mother's boyfriend.No more than 16 or 17, Heidi (Abbie) makes her way to an Australian ski town where she finds herself work and a place to live.This is the story about a girl trapped in the land between childhood and adulthood. She is an interloper in a tourist...

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Entourage - Season 1

Heart Rate: YYYThe HBO series, Entourage, is like a dream come true for high school kids that don't want to grow up.Three kids from Queens make to LA on one of their buddy's back. Blessed with "face, talent, and a big head", Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) is one of the new stars on the Hollywood scene.The series opens as Vince previews his third movie. His buddies, Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and his brother Johnnie Drama...

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War, Inc.

Heart Rate: YYYYWell, you all know that I love John Cusack.So I had to see this, seeing as he starred in it, co-wrote it and produced it.He's just so damned cute. and it was pretty funny, too.War, Inc. is a political satire, Brand Hauser (Cusack)--don't you love his name?--walks onto the scene to the tune of a whistlin' Western song, strolls through town and makes his way to the local Greenland saloon.He sits at the bar, orders a shot glass, fills...

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Feast - Traditional English Cuisine in Houston, Texas

Heart Rate: YYYYYUPDATE: Took my mother to FEAST after Good Friday Mass. Learned that FEAST is a 2009 semi-finalist for James Beard's Best New Restaurants. They were also covered by the NY Times.My friend and co-worker had a traditional work anniversary lunch at Feast.Self-described as "Rustic European Fare", I think most would us would recognize it as British food.Now, I know most of you have heard that British food is sub-standard. To this I say,...

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Milk - Sean Penn (2008)

RATING: YYYI think Mickey Rourke should have won Best Actor.There. I said it.I just got back from seeing Milk and I have to say that Sean Penn is a great actor but I didn't think that this character was one of his best performances.And Mickey Rourke was incredible in The Wrestler.Yes, Milk is an important film about a pivotal time in our country's history. Yes, I am glad that I saw it. Yes, I am glad that it was made. And, yes, Harvey Milk was a...

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City Hall - Al Pacino, John Cusack (1996)

HEART RATE: YYYYPerusing the list of John Cusack's films today, I spotted one that I had not seen: City Hall. Made 12 years ago, Cusack looks so young. But, hey, didn't we all?He plays a deputy mayor to Mayor of New York, played with resounding aplomb by none other than Al Pacino.Geemenee Christmas, that Al Pacino can ACT! But I'll get to that in a minute . . . A man walks his 6-year old son to school. As they cross the street a snitch hooks up a...

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