Category Archive: The Movie Drawer Reviews

I remember my first love. He was named Robert and I had gym class with him. He was absolutely adorable and I was very much crushing on him.

Nothing ever happened, of course, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t wish for it.

What does this have to do with anything? Well, take a look at the tagline of the movie I just saw. (Click for full-size)

“You never forget your first love.” How true.

Flipped has a very interesting format. It is a typical coming of age/first love story, but instead of just getting the viewpoint from one of the characters, or getting some sort of omni-present viewpoint, we get the viewpoint from both sides. How’s that make sense? Well…

Scene 1: Bryce’s story of how he and Juli met
Scene 2: Juli’s story of how she and Bryce met
Scene 3: Bryce’s story of the tree
Scene 4: Juli’s story of the tree

So we get the same scene, but from the different POVs. And the best part is that it’s narrated, so we get their thoughts as well.

So yeah, an interesting take. This is just how it’s done in the book, flipping back and forth between the two of them.

But story! Bryce is new to the neighborhood. Juli sees him, and instantly falls in love. She runs over to help them move in, but Bryce and his dad aren’t interested. Thus begins an epic story of how she pines after him, and he wants NOTHING to do with it.

He tries dating a girl to get Juli to back off, and it works for a bit… until the girl finds out, and then it’s over. Back to Julia-fauning, eh?

The story doesn’t center on that story though. No, you can figure out what it’s about by the title – Flipped. They flip positions. Juli starts to see that Bryce really isn’t all that he’s cut out to be, and Bryce begins to see that Juli is more than the sum of her parts. So midway, Garrett (Bryce’s BFF) is going “WTF Bryce, you’ve totally flipped!” (They say the word a few times in the movie, it’s very cool)

But yeah, it basically centers on how they realize that their initial feelings might not be the right thing. Because, really, you can’t read a book by it’s cover. Bryce is… well, he’s a pretty boy, and not much more. Juli, on the other hand, is so much more. And the two of them slowly come to this realization in a charming plot.

In an interesting move, the movie was also filmed so it looks very vintage. The book it’s based on is based in the 1950s, so the movie is too. There are silly little things that make it look real. Like on Bryce’s nightstand, he has Hardy Boys books. He walks around in jeans with the cuffs rolled up. The bikes are so old fashioned. It was simply well done.

I read the book years ago. And when I saw that the movie was coming out, I recognized it just from the title. So yes, it sticks with you. And the movie does an EXCELLENT adaption of the book, so go see it!

My rating… 9.5/10. The only problem I had with it is the scenery shots. They didn’t look real. :(

So I just talked about a bad horror movie… that wasn’t the only bad movie I’ve watched lately. I was bored one night and browsing around Charter’s On Demand options, and up pops Campus Confidential.

The story is simple. New girl starts at a new high school. It’s super cliquey (worse than High School Musical) and everyone has their place. Even the hallways are divided, the popular “speedy” people have one half, and the rest of the school has to walk with their heads down on the other side. There are reserved tables in the lunchroom, and the football team has first dibs on the KFC for lunch on game days.

So, yeah, obviously she doesn’t fit in. She is somehow roped into the school newspaper (oh, btw, her mom is a big advocate journalist who is now writing for the lowly local paper – her article is about the new traffic light) and meets the Editor in Chief, and the camera boy.

One issue in, and they’re shut down by the principal, so that he can run a training room for the girls. (AKA a day-spa) Uh oh. So new girl (Violet, by the way) and Editor in Chief (Corn) decide to start their own tabloid, exposing the popular peeps for what they really are – fakes.

Issue 1 – the head of the Gay Boy Club is actually straight. BTW, he’s played by the INCREDIBLY hot Thomas Dekker. And then the second issue was rather bland, but we’re seeing Corn grasping this newfound power and going a little insane.

After issue 2, the principal (I always remember how to spell that because our principal is our “pal”) isn’t the pal of the girls, instead threatening to expel them if they publish another issue. In response, they put together and issue all about his noon “meetings” with the head of the PTA. They get their room back (bye bye day spa) and become school-sanctioned.

And here’s where Corn and Vi get into an argument, Vi quits, blah blah blah. The boy interest, Brandon (♥) gets into Violet, and then to get back at her, Corn publishes an issue about Brandon. According to the rumor mill, he goes through girls quicker than most people go through cereal boxes. But he’s really a good guy, and since Corn lovingly put Violet’s name on the issue… oops, bye bye relationship.

It all wraps up, with Vi trying to get across to Corn that she’s become as bad as the original popular people. We’re treated to more cliche stuff, but it’s all fun.

And of course, there is an overall theme too – they’re studying Animal Farm in English. Obvious much?

—

So yeah, it’s a pretty bad movie. The worst part, in my opinion at least, was the actors. They’re all ugly. (Except Thomas, of course) They just don’t fit the roles. The popular peeps were ugly, really. Popular people are supposed to be pretty, right? And the boy interest – who is apparently an interest to other girls – is… well, kinda not all that hot. I dunno.

But yeah, the script was awkward, the actors were ugly (but decent enough acting) and it all really didn’t make much sense. It was overall bleh. So I’ll give it a whopping 5/10. Thomas saved it from being a 4.

So, I was shopping at Walmart and I found a cool little deal, Haunting of Winchester House. My mom is absolutely enthralled with the Winchester House, and I am obsessed with Hauntings… so this would be an absolutely awesome combo, right? So, of course I got it.

Wow. The acting was by far the worst part. All of the actors are pretty stony, and there was pretty much no emotional display. All three of the mains have no emotions. That t-shirt of Chuck Norris’ emotions? Pretty much describes the characters.

And although I’m not familiar with the horror genre, I can already tell you it’s pretty cliche.

1. Background story where the previous caretaker dies
2. New family moves in
3. Someone shows up to warn them, family dismisses him
4. Family is subject to ghosts attacking
5. Guy from #3 is called and runs to their aid.
6. Everything is solved within ~20 minutes of ^ happening.

So, you must be wondering what it’s about, eh? Well, I just described the major plotline… but here’s a bit more for you. The main family, the Greniers, are going to become the caretakers of the Winchester Mansion. On the way, some hick almost runs them off the road.

They end up making it, and a psychic dude sees their car, and ends up introducing himself, saying that he can help them out with whatever they need.

Oh – quick thing – the script is horrible too. It feels really forced and awkward at times, but…

Anyways, they turn him away, and almost as soon as he leaves, the girl SCREAMS. She had followed a random other girl (uh, hello?) into the cellar. And while she is down there, she gets locked in! Daddy saves her, and the family is happy.

They settle in, and blah blah blah. Few shadowy figures, weird sounds, etc. There is a really creepy scene where the mom wakes up and hears a baby crying, and sees this figure on the ground. And it all rolls together, lots of ghostly fights, etc. Girl gets taken, mom and dad demand that Sarah Winchester (yes, her) give her back… but Sarah wants HER baby, Annie!

Now, I am going to say that the very ending is the best part of the movie. It is SUPER creepy and wraps up a LOT. I really really really liked it. My “but…” with the complaint on the script above? Some of the awkwardness is explained here. ♥

All together, 6/10. The acting and script really brought it down, but the ending saved it from a 3 or 4. :)

So, today I decided to watch Transamerica. It’s an interesting little flick staring Felicity Huffman and Kevin Zegers.

So basically, Bree (Huffman) is a male to female transsexual, and she is a week away from going under the knife and having her gender change surgery. But, as the gods will, she gets a phone call – her son is in jail. At first she balks, saying that she doesn’t have one, but eventually comes to accept that yeah, it’s possible. After a talk with her therapist, who refuses to give the OK to the doctor until after Bree has met with the boy, Bree heads across the country to New York City, where she bails Toby (Zegers) out of jail. For a buck. Big bail, boy.

Now, Toby has some problems. He’s into drugs (no, wait, he was “holding” them for a friend) and has a bit of a smoking problem. And his mom is dead – committed suicide. But Bree, pretending to be a churchgoer from the Church of the Potential Father (haha) decides to help Toby out. She’s going to take him with her back to LA, where he can start a new life.

During the way, they go to his hometown, where we get to meet his step-father (played by Raynor Scheine) where we get a gander at WHY Toby is so fucked up. Turns out, his step dad abused him, and that’s why Toby ran away.

Over the course of the movie, we get to see the unlikely duo face a carjacking, paid sex in the restaurant, and Bree flirting with a Native American. And all through this, Toby has no idea that he’s riding across the country with his biological dad.

The movie is an excellent look at a building relationship between the two, and how little things like transsexuality don’t always matter. When Toby finds out, yeah, he’s a jerk, but he eventually gets over it. There is a scene towards the end that is just O_O because we know stuff that he doesn’t, and it just makes it almost a squicky moment.

For the pervs out there, there is plenty of nudity. One of our first scenes has Toby laying in a bed with his a pair of underwear on, and nothing else. Not to mention that the boy is a manwhore, and is apparently good at blowjobs. Hmm.

I went into the movie pretty leery, and I REALLY enjoyed it. Not for the faint of heart, but if you go into it with an open mind, you’ll come out quick pleased.

4 out of 5 stars, and you can pick it up on Amazon here. :)