Hell Baby

This movie is easily one of the more memorable movies of any Sundance I have gone to. It is all of the funny you could expect from Thomas Lennon and Keegan Michael Key. It is unchecked by studio execs - Lennon indicates there was no committee involved at any point - and is definitely a repeat watch. Rob Cordry and Leslie Bibb do a great job but Cordry really delivers the best lines. I don't want to give any of the funny away so seriously go into this movie with no expectations and you will be laughing in your seat for the full 98 minutes of this fun fest!

I give this film four thumbs up! Tell your mom!

Official synopsis:

2012, 98 minutes, color, U.S.A.

Expectant couple Jack and Vanessa move into the most haunted fixer-upper in New Orleans—a house with a deadly demonic curse. When things soon spiral out of control, it’ll take the help of Vanessa’s Wiccan sister, a nosey “neighbor” who lives in their crawl space, two local detectives, and a pair of elite Vatican exorcists to save them—or is it already too late?

Revered as two of the minds behind the hilarious sketch television shows Reno 911!, The State, and Viva Variety and the screenwriters of big-budget comedies like the Night at the Museum films, comedians Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant finally unleash their codirectorial debut. Featuring a seasoned comedic ensemble, including scene stealers Leslie Bibb and Keegan Michael Key, this raucous horror spoof sics the devilish humor of its creators on the most sacred of genre conventions: the haunted house, an exorcism, and one pissy demon child.

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

This movie was pretty good! Rooney Mara steals every scene she is in with muted perfection. She has shown in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo that she can hold her own - but in this film she can showcase. Casey Affleck is great but doesn't shine as brightly. There are some strong themes at play here. The biggest is the concept if Family. It consumes Affleck's Muldoon pushing him to escape prison and ultimately kill. He has redemption at the end of the film with Mara's Guthrie. Ben Foster shows great depth in as much a muted role as Mara's. Strong performances and definitely worth seeing in the theater to appreciate the cinematography.

I give this movie 3 thumbs up out of four.

Official synopsis:

2012, 90 minutes, color, U.S.A.

Bob Muldoon and Ruth Guthrie, an impassioned young outlaw couple on an extended crime spree, are finally apprehended by lawmen after a shootout in the Texas hills. Although Ruth wounds a local officer, Bob takes the blame. But four years later, Bob escapes from prison and sets out to find Ruth and their daughter, born during his incarceration.

The barren landscapes of David Lowery’s poetic feature evoke the mythology of westerns and saturate the dramatic space with fatalism and an aching sense of loss. Aided by powerfully restrained performances by Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, and Ben Foster, Lowery incorporates an unnerving tension into the film, teetering it at the edge of violence.

The beautiful, irreconcilable dilemma of the story is that Ruth—compelled by the responsibilities of motherhood and her evolving relationship with the deputy she shot—remains haunted by her intense feelings for Bob. Each of them longs for some form of peace. Ironically, it’s Bob, the unrepentant criminal trapped in the romantic image of a bygone past, who is driven by an almost righteous sense of clarity. Following in the footsteps of Badlands and Bonnie and Clyde, Lowery’s humanism transcends the genre.

Touchy Feely

First of all let's get something straight. This movie featured Ron Livingston and Ellen Page. The only problem, is that Ron Livingston was in it for all of maybe 30 seconds. Ellen Page was in it for a lot of screen time, but she did not have a very deep part and probably was more or eye candy than anything else.

As far as I can tell, this movie was about transformation of two people. The two people were brothers and sisters. The brother was socially inept which was awkward to watch, the sister new age junkie of sorts that was going through a wierd rebound.

This easily could've been one of three possible movies. Definitely three things going on. The parts with Ellen Page are ok, her character is odd to begin with and I found myself snickering a few times because I knew what was coming. Without giving anything away - she tries to hit on her aunts boyfriend.

I give this movie a single thumb up out of four. Netflix anyone? Raik'ii!!!!

Official synopsis:

2012, 90 minutes, color, U.S.A.

What happens when a family’s delicate psychic balance suddenly unravels? Abby is a free-spirited massage therapist. Her brother, Paul, an emotional zombie, owns a flagging dental practice, where he enlists the assistance of his equally emotionally stunted daughter, Jenny. Suddenly, transformation touches everyone. Abby develops an uncontrollable aversion to bodily contact, which seriously hinders her chosen profession and the passionate love life she once shared with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, rumors of Paul’s “healing touch” begin to miraculously invigorate his practice. As Abby navigates through an identity crisis, her brother discovers a whole new side of himself.

At the MARC

Ready for the first film? I am!

In line for Touchy Feely

Tough times ahead - 3 movies! Oh my!

Must get prepared with strong drink!