"What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" The fact that Leonardo Dicaprio Gets Robbed at the Oscars

"What's Eating Gilbert Grape" is a great film that really shows how great Johnny Depp is at acting. Gilbert, played by Johnny Depp, is living with his family in a small town trying to be the man of the house with his father not in the picture. He has a few sisters, and one brother, Arnie, played by Leonardo Dicaprio. Arnie is not mentally stable and cannot take care of himself so it up to Gilbert and his sisters. Gilbert's mother Bonnie, played by Darlene Cates, is obese and cannot get around the house very well and does not choose to go outside because of the ridicule of the town. Everything is up to Gilbert because he is the man of the house but sometimes he cannot handle it. Gilbert finally thinks he can be happy when, he meets the love of his life, Becky, played by Juliette Lewis.

This movie is great because it really has Johnny Depp and Leonardo Dicaprio show how good they are acting. They are both fantastic in this ilm and they are great together on screen. I do not think they would have such great careers after this film and they obviously did because they are two of the most famous actors currently. I do believe that Dicaprio is fantastic at what he does. He really gets robbed of Oscar nominations. He did get nominated for this film but he deserves so many more nominations. I mean he got robbed of "Catch Me if you Can" "Django Unchained" and the best movie he was in "Titanic." They are both fantastic actors please see where they were young in this film.

Grade = 86/100 = B

"Ray" is One of Jamie Foxx's Best

"Ray" is a great film that tells the story of the great Ray Charles. Charles is played by Jamie Foxx and it tells the story of his career but also tells the awful past the singer has had. He has been blind for most of his life which has gave him some setbacks but he manages to overcome them. This film does a great way of telling this great story of ray Charles essentially created a brand new sound of music, that was at first suspect but now is looked as one of the greats. It is a great story put to film.

This film is so great mostly because of the great cast. Kerry Washington plays Ray's wife, Della Bea. She does a fantastic job of being the always supportive wife she needed to be when Ray was in need. Curtis Armstrong does an awesome job as Ray's manager, Ahmet. He really comes into his own in this film because this was his biggest film and he did fantastic. The real winner was Jamie Foxx. Jamie Foxx won the Oscar for Best Actor for this film. This is by far his best film, "Django Unchained" comes in at close second. He researched so much for this film by meeting Ray Charles talking with him, and learning his mannerisms. He did fantastic because of he really became Ray Charles in this film.

Grade = 92/100 = A-

Some things to see and watch this summer in no particular order:

Some things to see and watch this summer in no particular order:

1. "Arrested Development":

If you have Netflix please watch the comeback of this hilarious comedy about the unconventional Bluth family. It has a hilarious cast including Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter, David Cross, and Michael Cera.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367279/

2. "The Way, Way Back":

This film is about a teenager trying to be with his first love, with his stepfather not exactly helping him. He starts working at a waterpark and things change for him the better. This film has a great cast also, with Steve Carrell, Sam Rockwell, Toni Collette, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, and AnnaSophia Robb.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727388/?ref_=sr_1

3. "Monsters University":

This film is the second installment of Monsters Inc. And it has the great characters from the first one back to stir up some fright. It has them back when they were in college.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1453405/

4. "Blue Jasmine":

This film is another Woody Allen film and it looks fantastic. Woody Allen is always great at what he does. It has another all-star cast with Cate Blanchett, Louis C.K. Alec Baldwin, and Peter Sarsgaard.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334873/

5. "Man of Steel":

This film is bout the famous comic "Superman." This is another DC Comic film, and in my opinion this is their last chance for a good DC movie because they have had flops in the past, and Marvel is more popular. This film has Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Rusell Crowe, Kevn Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, and Christopher Meloni.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770828/

6. "Breaking Bad":

This might be the greatest drama in tv history, and everyone should start watching and get on board because in August the great series comes to an end. It has Bryan Cranston, as a drug dealer trying to help his family in their time of need.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903747/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Stay Home for "Hangover Part III"

"The Hangover Part III" is not a summer blockbuster. It has the four best friends back one more time to have some crazy misadventures. This time Alan, is out of control and stupid as ever. he buys a giraffe, he is still living at home, and just doing nothing with his life. Phil, played by Bradley Cooper, Stu, played by Ed Helms, and Doug, played by Justin Bartha, are still happily married and wanting to better Alan. They figure they should give me an intervention, and tell him to go to a Rehab center. After the intervention, Alan reluctantly decides to go. The four friends decide to drive him all the way there, but misadventures happen. They get hit by a man named Marshall, played by John Goodman. Who is apparently a drug dealer who has 42 million dollars worth of gold stolen from Mr. Chow, played by Ken Jeong. So in order to save themselves they have to find the gold and Mr. Chow. So the three best friends that anyone can have are on a wild goose chase to find the criminal mastermind.

This film is not as good as the first one mainly because of the storyline. The acting was fine, but there was no hangover to go along with the title or story. The jokes were not funny, and they were bland. It seemed like they were trying too hard to make Alan the main character and the main comic relief. Ed Helms is a hilarious actor, especially on "The Office." He has great charisma and carry on his own on T.V. and in film. Bradley Cooper is an amazing actor, I think it's a little sad that he was in this movie, and an amazing film "Silver Linings Playbook" in the same year. This film lacked so much of its comedic gold in the first Hangover. Even the second one had some "laugh out loud" parts. I know this is the third part of the trilogy, but comedies have to keep the audience interested with shock value and constant jokes, not continuos, jokes that were not funny the first time and not repeated throughout the movie. If you want to complete the trilogy and see the last installment, go ahead. This film ends it well, and does mention the previous movies but if you want the groundbreaking comedy you saw in the first film, keep dreaming.

Grade = 45/100

Is This Really As Good As it Gets?

"As Good As it Gets" is a great film with a great cast. It has Melvin Udall, played by Jack Nicholson, living in an apartment alone writing. He is a very successful author but he does not know how to deal with the fame, because of his OCD. Most people do not like him because he is rude and offensive. One person in particular, is his gay neighbor, Simon, played by Greg Kinnear. Simon is an artist trying to live out his life with his partner, Frank, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. melvin is trying to cope with his disorder by going to the same diner everyday and ordering with the same person, Carol, played by Helen Hunt. At first Carol does not like Melvin. Although, Melvin likes her. It turns out that Carol's son is sick, and she needs a lot of money to take care of him. Melvin decides to help her, and pay for his treatment. Melvin just tries to find happiness anyway he can.

Jack Nicholson is such a great actor and everything he is in makes the film ten times better. He is one of the best actors of our generation. Helen Hunt does a fantastic job in this film. She really becomes a role model for single mothers because of her determination to take care of and be the best parent she can for her son. Greg Kinnear and Cuba Gooding Jr. are great in this film, I love both of them. Any type of film, they can be great at it. This film is Best Picture Winner, and it is a gem that does not deserve the recognition it deserves. It is an amazing film to see.

Grade = 87/100 = B+

Morgan Spurlock and "Super Size Me" are Fantastic

"Super Size Me"is a great documentary that deals with the controversial issue of fast food. Morgan Spurlock is a documentary filmmaker, and he wants to research health issues revolving around fast food. He sets out on this month journey to eat Mcdonald's for every meal every day for a month to see what would happen to his body mentally and physically He also tries to learn the after effects of fast food and how it can be have long term effects throughout your life.

This film is so great because of the genius of Morgan Spurlock. He is a fantastic filmmaker and he is essentially the best documentary filmmaker out right now. He is hilarious and he is daring. He goes the extra mile in this movie. He learns a lot about himself and the effects of fast food. He is not afraid to do or say things that can be suspect to many people. He tries in this movie to talk to executives of Mcdonald's and he is not afraid to ask the questions that can be controversial. He is such a great filmmaker because of instead of hiring an actor to do these incredible experiments he does it himself. So  it can show that it is raw, and it is real. This film is great I recommend his other films also, including "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" and "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden." These films are not as good as "Super Size Me" but everything he makes is gold.

92/100 = A-

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a Winner

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a hilarious classic. It has a dysfunctional family including, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, and Abigail Breslin. The family is very loving but they still get on everyone's nerves, especially when they set out on a journey. The journey, is a drive from New Mexico to California for a beauty pageant their daughter is going to compete in. They soon realize that all of their problems are not the worst things in the world, they will get through it.

This film is so great mainly because of how funny it is. Michael Arndt wrote this hilarious film and the laughs were all throughout the film. This was one of few movies that I have seen in theaters where the whole theater was laughing. Greg Kinnear was so fantastic because of his tough love. He was sort of strict in this movie and it worked for him. Toni Collette is a great actress that should be in more films. She really became a modern mother in this film because of her mannerisms. Steve Carrell can play any role regardless if it is a dramatic role or comedic. He just absorbs his character in a way that not most actors can do. Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin are young actors that most likely have a great career ahead of them. They have the talent at such a young age to have an amazing career in this business. Alan Arkin completely deserved the Oscar win for this film because he was hilarious and was also perfect for the cooky grandfather. This film is so great everyone should see it.

Grade = 91/100 = A-

"Star Trek into Darkness" is a Summer Blockbuster

"Star Trek Into the Darkness" is the second installment of the redefined movie series of Star Trek. Captain Kirk, played by Chris Pine, is back with his crew. Including Mr. Spock, played by Zachary Quinto. The crew has to set out on a journey to find one man who took down the Enterprise, John Harrison, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Turns out, Harrison is staying on a planet filled with Klingons, Kronos which if humans come into contact could cause a war. Kirk and Spock have to make sure there ship and crew is safe for this journey.

This film is great and worth checking out this summer. It is so action-packed and it will keep you on the egde of your seat. I am not familiar with the show at all, but this series is easy to understand, and figure out similarities between the show and movie series. Chris Pine is pretty good in this film, he is not my favorite actor but he does a great job in this film. He plays the part of Kirk very well because I can tell that he is a leader in this film. Zachary Quinto is also very good in this film because playing an apathetic and essentially a robot is very hard. Zoe Saldana is very good as Uhura and Spock's girlfriend because she can play a lieutenant and colonel and also be a loving girlfriend really well. SImon Pegg and Anton Yelchin were also very good and funny that helped throughout the film. Benedict Cumberbatch is also very good in this film, he really tricks the audience throughout the film and his character comes out on screen. J.J. Abrams is a genius and he really created a gem in this movie series, hopefully he can make the new Star Wars movies and Star Trek movies as good as the first Star Treks.

Grade = 84/100 = B

"Juno" is an Independent Classic

"Juno" was one of the best independent films. Juno, played by Ellen Page, is a sixteen year old girl with the whole world ahead of hers. She is best friends with Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera. One day they decided they wanted to lose their virginities together, and they do. Eventually, Juno gets pregnant. And she has to deal with being a teenage mother. She turns her to friend, Leah, played by Olivia Thirlby. She is forced to deal with the consequences of a teenage mother.

This film is very well made and it deserved many Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress. Ellen Page was extraordinary in this film because she was funny, and she really became a voice for every teenage mother out there. Michael Cera was very good also, e plays the awkward teen very well, I don't know what other roles he could play but his generic teen role is good for him. The director of this film Jason Reitman really nailed it in this film because he finally got pregnancy right in this film, instead of "Junior." This film really displays a teenage pregnancy perfectly becuase it showed how the father and mother of the baby were represented, and it also showed it takes a toll on their parents also. It was also beautifully casted with Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney,  J.K. Simmons, and Rainn Wilson. This is a film that is so hilarious and also great to see. GO SEE IT!

Grade = 90/100 = A-

"The Room" is So Bad it's Good

"The Room" is one of the funniest movies you will ever see because it is pretty bad. It has Johnny, played by Tommy Wiseau as a banker. He is a very successful man he has a fiance, who he loves named Lisa, and he takes care of a teenager named Denny. Lisa does not love him anymore, and she cheats on him with Johnny's best friend Mark. Johnny does not know how to deal with it.

This movie is not so great mainly because the acting is awful, and they have pointless and gratuitous love scenes that are not essential to the storyline. The acting is so bad because none of the actors really pull me into the story and catch my attention, its very bland. The sex scenes are not even essential to the story and and they are way too long this could be considered an X-rated film if they wanted to. This film does not make much sense because we learn about things too quickly and it does not help us throughout the film. In the film Johnny somehow learns that all these lies that Lisa has been telling about him, and he gives an unsuccessful emotional performance. At the end, also at the party a random party guest confronts Lisa about her affair. It would make a lot more sense if Peter, Johnny's other friend, would confront her because he confronted Mark before. This film has a lot of things wrong but it seriously something that is so bad it's good. It is worth checking out, because it is a laugh riot because everything coming together is pretty hilarious.

Grade = 31/100

"Stand By Me" is one of the best films about growing up.

"Stand By Me" is one of the best films about growing up. It is a story of four boys setting out on a journey to find a dead body. The boys are Gordie, played by Wil Wheaton, Chris, played by River Phoenix, Teddy, played by Corey Feldman, and Vern played by Jerry O'Connell. It is set in the 50's. The four boys are great friends and they are close regardless if they make fun of each other. They set out on this journey that is miles and miles. They learn about each other, and they learn things about themselves. But they all know they want to stay friends along the way make sure nobody in their town or anyone else will bring them down. They grow after this journey because of their true bind they have together.

This film is so great because of the great adaptation from novel to film. It is so beautifully written  because we learn different things about the boys throughout, and their are many twists and turns while watching. This film is great for any teenager trying to find themselves. Please watch.

Grade = 87/100 = B+

"Toy Story 3" is another animated classic.

"Toy Story 3" is another animated classic. This film has the continuation of Andy and his toys. Andy is now going to college and has not played with or even touched his toys since he was a kid. They have been sitting quietly in his toy chest for years on end, just waiting for any sign of attention. While packing for college, Andy's mom realizes that his toys have not been used for years and asked Andy if he wanted to keep them or donate them. He decides to keep them and put them in his attic, but unintentionally puts them in a trash bag and his mom thinks they are going in the trash. Then the toys run to the donation box and Andy's mom donates them to Sunnyside Daycare. At first the daycare is a great place to live, because they will be played with and it is a nice place to live. But Woody, keeps reminding them that this is not their home, but the rest of the toys keep reminding him that Andy was going to abandon them. They soon realize that Sunnyside Daycare is a prison, because the kids are not gentle to toys, and the leader of toys runs like a dictator. They then pan to escape this terrible and try to get back to their home.

This film is great because of the great story it tells. This film had giant shoes to fill from the first two. The writers really thought it out very well because their audience was solely meant for college kids now, because we grew up watching the first two. This film kept me on the edge of my seat because it was so shocking, and it had the suspect and controversial ideas "Toy Story" usually has. The leader of the toys captures them trying to escape, and forced them to stay. The toys were essentially prisoners escaping from prison. Animated films are so great because they are great for any ages because it is very cute, and usually has a happy ending but it has suspense and action for a teenager or a young adult to want to see a similar movie. This film extremely deserved the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film, because of the suspense and liveliness throughout.

Grade = 91/100 = A-

"The Descendants" Delivers

"The Descendants" is one of George Clooney's finest. Clooney is Matt King, a land baron of Hawaii, taking care of his two daughters. Scottie, played by Amara Miller, and Alexandra, played by Shailene Woodley. Scottie is troubled young girl, she gets into fights into school and she is a little troublemaker, because she is young and not fully mature yet. Alexandra is a college student trying to become an adult but she s too naive and ignorant to realize that she needs to grow up first before she becomes a mature young woman. The mother of the family, and Matt's wife is in the hospital from a boating accident, and essentially on her deathbed. This is devastating for the family and Matt decides to take Alexandra out of school for a little bit, to help take care of Scottie, and make sure she is okay. They are all just depressed everyday because they visit her everyday to see her lying body, hoping one day she can wake up. While this is happening, Matt learns more about his wife.
Alexander Payne wrote and directed this incredible film and he nailed it. Payne really wrote this incredible story that kept me guessing the whole entire film. Also, this was Amara Miller's first movie and she did fantastic for such a young age. She really played the innocent child very well. Despite her youth, she embraced her character. In addition Shailene Woodley broke out of her shell in this film. She proved that she is not this teenage t.v. star, she is a young, beautiful, and talented actress that can play any role. George Clooney also nailed it in this film.  The past few Oscars he has been nominated and maybe he should of won for this role. He is an incredible and there is no surprise that he has been nominated so many times. He really becomes his character on screen and age does not fathom him whatsoever. This film is inspirational because of how Matt King deals with terrible situation. Please watch this incredible film.

Grade = 87/100 = B+

New Video I made

Check out my latest video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAarlFGLgV0

"The Breakfast Club" Can Define a Generation

"The Breakfast Club" can define a generation. It involves five teens representing the social classes of high school in the 1980's. The nerd, Brian, played by Anthony Michael Hall. The princess, Claire, played by Molly Ringwald. The jock, Andrew, played by Emilio Estevez. The basket case, Allison, played by Ally Sheedy. And the criminal, John, played by Judd Nelson. They are all in detention together, counting down the minutes until they are let out. The person watching over them, is Mr. Vernon played by Paul Gleason. When they enter Mr. Vernon tells them write a paper explaining who they are. At first, they cannot bear the fact that they are at school on a Saturday until the afternoon. Their eyes are glued to the clock, while every waking second goes by. They end up starting to talk and like each other regardless that most of them have never met and they are from different social statuses of the high school. They even start to realize that they are not that different from each other because they are in the exact same situation. They become a social group of everyone in the social statuses coming together essentially one group.

This film is so fantastic because it is considered a classic 80's movie. It defines the high school age for most high schoolers. There is always going to be the popular crowd, and the non-popular crowd of high school. John Hughes, the writer/director, is essentially saying that we are in the same boat during high school and no one is better than anyone else regardless of looks, or personality.

Grade = 85/100 = B

"Bully" is Shocking

Everyone has dealt with Bullying in some way. Whether it is you being bullied or your friend or family member. "Bully" is a spectacular documentary that deals with bullying for young kids. It goes in depth in explaining the ins and outs bullying in school, cyber bullying, and the school bus. It explains essentially two sides, the principal's and administrator's of schools side of bullying and the victims. The principals and administrator basically says that bullying is so frequent that we cannot stop every single bully. The other side tells the victims side. The victims are being tortured every day by one or multiple bullies and have no way of stopping it. A bully will essentially not stop because they are so relentless on torturing victims because they can. And for these victims, these little kids, they have no way out. So, some avert to depression, or sometimes suicide. And this effects their families also. This is such a great film that goes the extra mile to go more in depth on this controversial issue.

This film is fantastic mainly because it is shocking. This issue has many different issues and the Weinstein Company really delivered in this film. It is a film that is so shocking, because it is supposed to show that people that watch someone getting bullied and/or do nothing about the situation they are as bad as the bullies themselves because they could be fixing the problem. It is a great documentary worth seeing.

Grade = 86/100 = B

"The Squid and the Whale" is Spectacular

"The Squid and The Whale" is one of the best indie movies you will ever see. It tells the story of a troubled family. Laura Linney, Jeff Bridges, Jesse Eisenberg, and Owen Kine is the family. The parents go through a divorce and this is very troubling for the family especially the children. They both act up in school and they do not what to do because their parents are not stable too. Their mother cheats on their father, and their father has an affair with a young student, played by Anna Paquin. It is such a great true story put to film.

This story is fantastic because of the great writing and how beautifully acted it is. Laura Linney is such a great actress, she is amazing on "the Big C" and other projects. Jeff Bridges is always great in every film he is in and same for Jesse Eisenberg. Owen Kline is the real great asset to this film because he is so young in this film and he did fantastic. Anna Paquin also, such a beautiful and talented actress that really did great in this film. This film is spectacular go see it!

Grade= 93/100 = A

Videos I have made

Check out movies I help direct/produce:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYXK0fIJKzA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGy5mRfhZoI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skSyM4fiwvM

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