Ten Quick Thoughts on...Beginners

1. Would probably call this a fairly average low-budget indie. I didn't think it was a bad movie, but now that I am getting time to write about it, I am struggling to come up with much to say. It certainly didn't stick with me in any sort of lasting way.

2. The film is directed by Mike Mills, who also made the film Thumbsucker, which I am almost 100 percent sure you never heard of. The film, which is about a graphic designer/album artist struggling to move on in the wake of the death of his father who had recently came out about his homosexuality, is largely autobiographical. And yet he makes no mention of his stint as the bassist of R.E.M. Odd.

Ten Quick Thoughts on...Crazy, Stupid, Love.

1. For the most part, this is a quality relationship comedy. The first 90 minutes (or so) of its two-hour running time is witty and fun, but it kind of falls off the wheels in the final half-hour and gets ridiculously cheesy in parts. The ending seeks to tie up way too many bows, and it just doesn't work.

2. I've liked Ryan Gosling in stuff he's done before (Blue Valentine jumps quickly to mind) and after seeing his performance as a highly skilled lothario in this one I am excited to see some of the other movies he put out this year, such as The Ides of March and Drive. The guy just seems like the consummate movie star. He is equally efficient in comedy and drama, and he simply exudes charm. He strikes me as the type of guy who has the potential to become as huge as a George Clooney or a Brad Pitt. I simply wonder if he will be willing to do the sort of schlock that they had to do early in their careers before they gained the ability to hand-pick their scripts and directors (although he may already be there). For examples of Clooney and Pitt schlock, see One Fine Day and Meet Joe Black, respectively.

Ten Quick Thoughts on...Bridesmaids

1. This was a better-than-average comedy with some very quality laughs. At the same time, it was nowhere near as funny as some of the critics tried to make it sound.

2. I have high hopes for Kristen Wiig. She is always fun to watch. Not only does she have some of the best comic timing around (and some deceptively incredible legs as her character's short skirts consistently displayed), but she also did a good job of pulling off some of her characeter's more emotional scenes. I am going to go out on a limb and say that she is a role in a creditable director's film away from a Diane Keaton-esque career as a comedienne who can thrive in more serious roles. In other words, if Woody Allen can stay alive long enough, she will win an Oscar for acting in one of his movies.

The Pizza Project Goes to the Movies...Well, Not Really

Saucy loves to go to the movies. But he can't afford them anymore. So until someone starts paying us to do this sh*t, he is going to have to improvise. So here's this week's blind movie reviews.
The Thing
This movie has already been remade once. But this time it is going to be different! Because Kurt Russell's character is a chick. And there will be better effects and more blood and stuff. Welcome to Hollywood in the year 2011! This movie will be horrible and mindless buffoons will love it. And it will be remade again in 2032. In 8D!!!!

FootlooseI don't think a flick could look worse on paper. A remake of a film that was already horrible starring dancers who couldn't act their way out of a paper bag if they were playing that freak from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Of course, one of the stars is Julianne Hough of Dancing with the Stars fame. So the thing will make millions! Because, you know, for some inexplicable reason people actually give a flying f*ck about Dancing with the Stars. Ugh! Kenny Loggins is probably rolling around in his career's grave.

The Pizza Project Goes to the Movies...Well, Not Really!

Saucy loves to go to the movies. But he can't afford them anymore. So until someone starts paying us to do this sh*t, he is going to have to improvise. So here's this week's blind movie reviews.

50/50
There are many pros and cons with this one. Pro: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a rising star and a person who is starting to see the best scripts first, stars in the lead role. Con: Seth Rogen, who has begun to annoy me in pretty much anything he is in, is featured as Gordon-Levitt's supportive buddy. Pro: Anna Kendrick, fresh off of her 2009 Best Supporting Actress turn in Up in the Air, has a role as Gordon-Levitt's doctor. Con: Bryce Dallas Howard, whose films usually don't end up being very good, also shows up. Being that the film is directed by someone I have never heard of (Jonathan Levine), chances are good that it won't really impress. Still, it seems like a decent enough premise, and I am betting that most people will come out of it thinking, "You know, that was a pretty good movie although it would have been better if Jason Segal took the Rogen role."

The Pizza Project Goes to the Movies...Well, Not Really!

Saucy loves to go to the movies. But he can't afford them anymore. So until someone starts paying us to do this sh*t, he is going to have to improvise. So here's this week's blind movie reviews.

MoneyballEven if you don't like baseball (who doesn't?) or nerdy statistics (who does?), you will love this movie. Why? First of all, it stars Brad Pitt, perhaps the most charismatic movie star in the world and one of the screen's most underrated great actors. Don't believe me? Check out The Tree of Life when it comes out on video. Or just watch Fight Club or 12 Monkeys again. Second, it is directed by Bennett Miller, who, while no means a household name, did direct Philip Seymour Hoffman (who is also in this movie) to an Oscar with 2005's Capote. I'm betting that he does a very good job with this material as well. Then there are the writers. The first version of the script was written by Steve Zaillian, who also had a hand in writing the modest indie hits, Gangs of New York and Schindler's List. When the makers of this film decided the piece needed a little touch-up, they went ahead and threw money at Aaron Sorkin, the guy who just won an Oscar for penning The Social Network. So yeah, the pedigrees here are quality. The only thing that could ruin this flick is the fact that it also stars Jonah Hill, also known as "the worst thing about every movie he has been in thus far in his career." However, early reviews have even been positive about his performance. Bank on it. This one is worth the 20 dollars you will pay for a large soda alone.