Under Neon Movie Reviews: "Paper Man" (2009)

Movie: Paper Man (2009)
Year: 2009
Rating: 3/5 Stars ***

So this was definitely a different movie, and really not so much a comedy like I expected. A middle-aged couple rents a vacation home in a new town. Jeff Daniels has an imaginary friend still as an adult, who helps him get through things, and he is a struggling author. An unexpected friendship is developed with a local teen girl (Emma Stone), and they find they have a lot to learn about one another, and not in a creepy way. Check this one out if you are looking for something a little different and too heavy.

Under Neon Movie Reviews: 'Critters 2: The Main Course' (1988)

Movie: Critters 2: The Main Course
Year: 1988
Rating: 6/10 Stars ******

Wowsers! This one was entirely worse than the 1st, but so good in the 80s cheesy way. I must say, I especially enjoyed the super-critter at the end, such a standard formulaic device, and so quintessentially 80s. I thought this one was not so great, til I saw the 3rd one, so this one in retrospect is actually pretty good, and having the Playboy centerfold cameo in a tight leather outfit doesn't hurt either. Check this one out if you love cheesy 80s horror/sci-fi.

Under Neon Movie Reviews: 'Critters' (1986)

Movie: Critters
Year: 1986
Rating: 7/10 Stars ******
This truly is a classically 80s sci-fi/horror flick, it has all the elements...the monsters, the small American town, the inept small town citizens, the kids who discover the horrible truth, the adults who ignore all the warning signs, and the child hero that inevitably play the role of saving the town from the monsters. Very formulaic, but that is what I was programmed to find entertaining... and I find it hard to believe that I ever found these movies scary as a kid, they are sooo not scary, and really more comedy than anything. Be sure to check out the soundtrack too, Che Zuro and Terrance Mann rock the house 80s rock style!

Movie Reviews: 'Dream a Little Dream' (1989)

Movie: Dream a Little Dream
Year: 1989
Rating: 5.9/10 Stars *****'
This movie was definitely expected to be bigger than it turned out to be at the box office. It is a classic 80s movie just due to the fact that it was a 'Corey's flick.' However, it lacked the solid feeling of a plot, which I think had to due with the lack of acting ability by the 'Coreys,' but what the hell, wasn't this body-switching thing the theme of quite a few 80s flicks, and now there still making them, although The Change Up (2011) was pretty funny. Check this one out if you are an 80s fan, or a Corey's groupie....its kind of weird how this 80s stuff is getting so dated so fast but thats life. 

DJ Akhu's Movie Reviews: 'Happythankyoumoreplease' (2011)

Movie: Happythankyoumoreplease
Sneaks' Rating: 5.9/10 Stars *****'

This was a bit of a different/oddball movie about a group of young people in New York City. Main character randomly meets the girl of his dreams on the street, the same day he gets rejected again for a script he wrote, and he ends up helping a kid who gets lost on the metro and doesn't want to go back to his foster family. Side stories are also a bit strange/have an element of creep to them in my opinion (maybe that was just me?)...check it out if your bored.

DJ Akhu's Movie Reviews: "Pineapple Express" (2008)

Movie: Pineapple Express (2008)


My Rating: 7/10 Stars *******

Hilarious movie, don't know why i waited so long to see it, 'Bill Lumberg' as the evil druglord is pretty funny in and of itself..awkward at times, violent, and also was a long movie for its genre. Check this one out if you haven't already, good action and comedy blend.

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'The Smiling Lieutenant' (1931)

Movie: The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Rating: 6.5/10 Stars ******'

A musical from 1931, and an oldie at that. Probably one of the first years movies starting having audio. Quite a non-serious and more comedy oriented musical about a lieutenant (Chevalier) and his romance with a Viennese violin player, only to be confused by a visiting princess' crush after a fateful wink and smile. Check it out, its funny and seriously old school. Its good though, to have some variety in the movie reviews, old and new, they've all had their moment under the bright lights.

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'The Americanization of Emily' (1964)

Movie: The Americanization of Emily (1964)

Director: Arthur Hiller

Rating: 8.0/10 Stars ********

An interesting and funny movie about a Navy-man (Garner) who is given the ludicrous task by his Admiral of photographing the first body on Omaha beach (on D-Day) to give good press to the Navy and thus avoid the splitting of the Navy and Air-Force. Also a love story in this one between Garner and Andrews which keeps it entertaining.

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'Howard the Duck' (1986)

Movie: Howard the Duck (1986)

Director: Willard Huyck

Rating: 2.4/5 stars **'

Watched this one again, due to being on Netflix Streaming of course, and it had been about 12 years since I last had seen it. I forgot how un-serious the movie actually is, and still think of it as a kids movie, even though it might be scary for some kids. Watch this if you haven't seen it, its an 80s classic, but don't expect much in any way as there isn't really much there, but it is still a unique 80s flick I suppose.

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: The Running Man (1987)

Movie: The Running Man (1987)

Director: Paul Michael Glaser

Rating: 2.4/5 Stars **'

I finally watched this one! I had been searching at movie stores overseas for ages and never came across it. Finally I moved back to the USA and it was Netflix to the rescue. In a futuristic world of shortages and conflict exists military states. In this one there is a gladiator-esque gameshow in which prisoner-contestants fight for their lives against super-gladiators who try to kill them, and often do, on live television. All to act as a distraction for people who would otherwise be rioting and over-running the power structure that served only the elite few. Shades of the Roman empire, and when empires collapse I suppose. Check this one out, although don't expect much other than the typical Schwarzenegger action-adventure formula, and sort of a rushed conclusion. 

Sneaks' Movie Reviews: 'Our Idiot Brother' (2011)

Movie: Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Director: Jesse Peretz
Rating: 4/5 Stars ****
This movie was way better than I thought it was going to be. The essentially ego-less and laid back character of Paul Rudd gets sent to jail for selling pot to a cop, and is released to find his girlfriend has shacked up with someone else and thus he has to move back in with his family and get help while he finds his feet again. Lots of funny moments, and actually is much more mature and interesting than the previews make it look. Don't miss this one, its well worth it.

Brief Movie Review: 'Mojave Phonebooth' (2007)

Movie: Mojave Phonebooth (2007)

Director: John Putch

Rating: 3/5 Stars ***

This was an interesting movie about 4 different people living in Las Vegas who all go to a mysterious phone-booth to receive therapeutic talks and advice from a British-sounding stranger. Was a laugh to see Steve Guttenberg in this one, haven't seen him in anything since the 80's (ie Police Academy and Short Circuit) :) This one is a little odd, and not too optimistic, but human beings seem to be odd and full of drama/tragedy so it all fits together right?

Brief Movie Reviews: 'How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog' (2000)

Movie: How To Kill Your Neighbor's Dog (2000)
Director: Michael Kalesniko
Rating: 3.4/5 Stars ***'

Don't be fooled by the dodgy title of this movie, as it really has nothing to do with the movie, except that at the end of the movie someone's dog gets shot by a crazy person. This is a light-hearted comedy about a successful English-playwright who lives in Los Angeles and is struggling to balance his professional life with his wife's desire to have children, as well as be stalked by a fan who wants to be him. This was better than I thought it would be and actually has some clever dialogue and humor, check it out.

Brief Movie Review: 'Life During Wartime' (2009)

Movie: Life During Wartime (2009)
Director: Todd Solondz
Rating: 2.3/5 Stars **'
Life During Wartime is about a deeply troubled family (3 sisters and their families) that is filled with have many serious psychological and abuse problems. Some of the different family issues include a pedophile in the family, a delusional sister, a socio-path, loneliness, and of course the children that have to deal with having parents and relatives that are chock-full of drama. Interesting movie, although I am sure there were undertones that I didn't quite pick up. I would not watch this again, although it may be worth watching once if you haven't seen it. 

Brief Movie Review: 'Zombieland' (2009)

Movie: Zombieland (2009)
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Rating: 2.8/5 Stars **'

This movie was actually kind of funny, and as others have mentioned, it was funnier than Shaun of the Dead, and I think Bill Murray's cameo may of had something to do with that, as it for sure made the movie for me ;-) Check this one out if you are looking for some good old-fashioned gory-zombie-comedy-fun time. 

A Brief Movie Review: 'Super 8' (2011)

Movie: Super 8 (2011)

Director: J.J. Abrams

Rating: 3.4/5 Stars ***'

This movie was a lot better than I thought it would be, although J.J. Abrams seems to have a thing for monster-movies in which the monsters all look like giant mutant-turtles (ie Cloverfield (2008)), and not the teenaged ninja type. The US military loses a captured alien after a transporter train derails, and the alien then proceeds to terrorize a small nearby town. The kids in this movie, and their interactions were taken right out of The Goonies (1987) in terms of a similarity of characters, as well as the adventure theme, the only thing they were missing was a 'Sloth' character who likes Babyruth candybars...mmmm...baaabby ruth....

A Brief Movie Review: 'Everybody's Fine' (2009)

Movie: Everybody's Fine (2009)

Director: Kirk Jones

Rating: 3/5 Stars ***

Quite a cast in this movie including stars Robert Deniro, Kate Beckinsale, and Drew Barrymore, and ultimately is a good movie about familes. Deniro, finds himself shut-out and avoided by his 4 children all of whom lead busy lives and in live in various parts of the country. After a failed get together in which every single child backs out of he decides to hit the road against his physicians orders to go visit each one of his kids. Truths are revealed and the family is challenged to stay in touch. A bit emotional, but a good movie.

Brief Movie Review: 'The Landlord' (1970)

Movie: The Landlord (1970) 
Director: Hal Ashby
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ***' 

Quite an interesting and ground-breaking movie for 1970. A rich, white, young and naive man buys a block of flats in a New York slum and finds that it is a little more than he can handle. This movie came out only 3 years after "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," and I appreciate that it contributed its part to breaking racial barriers by increasing understanding and compassion by including inter-racial couples and and relationships, which even to this day are still challenged in places like the South. Check this one out!

Brief Movie Review: 'Blithe Spirit' (1945)

Movie: Blithe Spirit (1945)
Director: David Lean
Rating: 3.2/5 Stars ***'

Another oldie, this one is about an English couple who raise the spirit of the husband's ex-wife during a seance that they did out of boredom with the local medium. Lots of entertaining dialogue, all though it becomes a bit too predictable. Check this one out!

Brief Movie Review: 'The Man Who Knew Too Little' (1997)

Movie: The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997)
Director: Jon Amiel
Rating: 3/5 Stars *** 

This film is what I consider to be a classic Bill Murray film, with his usual humor and personal touch. Yet this one is from 1997 so its already ancient history. If you like Bill Murray you will get a laugh out of this one, its very similar to other spy/cop spoofs (The Naked Gun for example.)