Starstrukk (featuring Katy Perry): Music Review

This is my new favourite song! It's called Starstrukk, which is performed by 3OH!3 (loving them by the way), and it features Katy Perry. This song is available as a single, and it's also in the deluxe edition of 3OH!3's album, WANT. I prefer this to the original song because I find Katy's singing very catchy to the already super catchy song done by 3OH!3. Yes, I find the CHORUS very catchy, so bite me. The original is still good, I just prefer this one more (i think i've said it enough times already). And besides, after I watched the music video, I loved the song even more. You'll know why after you've watched it too. What I like a lot about this song is that it's not only super catchy, but it has good evil lyrics. Yeah, this song is actually very cleverly disguised. Most people nowadays don't really listen to the lyrics, as long as the song has a catchy beat, it sells. I'm in a way like that, but I try my best to understand the songs that I listen to. So, this song might sound just like a regular song, but it's actually about guys who hit on girls. Yup, there you have it. I know it doesn't sound bad, but just read along and I'll explain the lyrics in more detail. Not only that, 3OH!3 seems to have quite evil lyrics in most of their songs. One very good example is their song, Don't Trust Me. Check it out, and you'll know. Anyway, I don't know if they really mean it or not (the lyrics), but I just take it as entertainment. It's entertainment, so just stop thinking seriously and enjoy it! I've seen so many people complain about how bad the media can be when it comes to bad influence. In a way it's true, but you have to realize at some point that these things are only done on media because it can't be done in real life (so director's can only fantasize...). Or it may be to dangerous or rude or stupid or may cause heart breaks and many other things when done in real life. It's done for entertainment purposes and let's keep it that way.

Whether you are entertained or not, it's just a matter of preference. So, just enjoy it, just like how the rest of the world is. On a side note, this song has been stuck in my head for a really long time. It's still in my head, and I'm very happy about it. I think the last song that was stuck in my head for so long was Let it Rock (featuring Lil Wayne), which was performed by Kevin Rudolf. And oddly enough I still like that song even after listening to it repeatedly again and again and again and.... Anyway, you can check out the original Starstrukk video if you are interested. Although the song is good, the music video isn't exactly what you call good. It's quite weird in a way, even weirder than the one featuring Katy Perry. See for yourself. But, the video for the current song I'm reviewing is completely different from the original video (it features the all new and improved hot katy perry!). It's much more harder to look away from (duh). And I think Katy has lost some pounds, she might have been working out a little, 'cause she looks more toned and has better curves than she used too (i must have watched the video a thousand times to find this out) Check the video out, and the lyrics are  below the video.

MUSIC VIDEO

LYRICS

Nice legs, Daisy dukes, makes a man go [whistle]
That's the way they all come through like [whistle whistle]
Low-cut, see-through shirts that make you [whistles]
That's the way she come through like [whistles]

CHORUS:
'Cause I just set them up, just set them up, just set them up to knock them down
'Cause I just set them up, just set them up, just set them up to knock them down

I think I should know
How, to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out
Now, L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce
How, do I say I'm sorry 'cause the word is never gonna come out
Now, L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce

Tight jeans, Double D's makin' me go [whistles]
All the people on the street know [whistles whistles]
Iced-out, lit-up, make the kids go [whistles]
All the people on the street know [whistle whistle]

CHORUS:
Cause I just set them up, just set them up, just set them up to knock them down
Cause I just set them up, just set them up, just set them up to knock them down

I think I should know
How, to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out
Now, L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce
How, do I say I'm sorry 'cause the word is never gonna come out
Now, L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce

You know that kind of shit
Just don't work on me
Whistlin' and tryin' to flirt with me
Don't take it personally
'Cause we were never in love
It doesn't really matter
Who you say you are
Singin' out the window
Of your car
Find another girl across the bar
'Cause L-O-V-E is not what this was

I think I should know
How, to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out
Now, L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce
How, do I say I'm sorry 'cause the word is never gonna come out
Now, L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce

So, watched the video? You didn't like it? Then, I'm sorry to say this, but you have a very rare disease which causes your brain to stop functioning when you see a hot girl. I, on the other hand do not have any weird ass diseases, because I loved the song and also... eerrrmmm... So, anyway, this song has a very catchy beat to it, and it just simply rocks! And on top of that, it has awesome lyrics. And if you noticed, towards the end of the video Katy does a face lick! Here's proof that can be looked at every time to make yourself happier if you didn't watch the video;

And as disgusting as it might seem, I wish she was doing it on me. But on a serious note, that performance was totally unnecessary, but the fact is, I enjoyed it. And also, many people have been saying so many good things about how good Katy looks in the wet dance. I wasn't really a big fan of it, but I did enjoy it of course. I just liked her more during the other parts of the song where she had her normal leopard type dress (i think). And if you also noticed, she dressed up quite differently in this music video compared to how she normally dresses. But, she still looks good! Besides that, I thought the video was hilarious, and 3OH!3 and Katy Perry performed very well in a comedy like music video, that made me laugh and enjoy the video at the same time. Job well done guys! The collaboration was fantastic!

The song is basically about guys who just like to hit on girls with one intention; sleeping with them and nothing else. The line Nice legs, Daisy dukes, makes a man go [whistle] proves that. L-O-V-E's just another word I never learned to pronounce means they are not interested in having a relationship at all. It's either they don't want to have the relationship, or they don't know how (literally). Either way, it still gives the point, I think. And then when they sing the CHORUS, I think it means that the guys just set the girls up, for a night's stand and then knock them down by saying it was nothing serious, but just a one night stand. And the line How, to make love to something innocent without leaving my fingerprints out simply means making love without getting their hands dirty. You know, like not getting into trouble just for using a woman for a one night stand. Instead, get through the stand and then come out clean. And the verse that Katy sings starting with You know that kind of shit (the whole verse, not just this line) means that she knows what type of guy you are and the one time sex she had with the guy doesn't really matter, and she wasn't in love. So, she's not hurt, and she's telling the guy to just move on and get on with the next girl at the bar. There you have it, what I understand about the song. I may be wrong, so if someone else has a different opinion, feel free to share it with me. I insist.

But, whether right or wrong, the main point has to be right. It's about guys who are basically playboys. And even though the lyrics are quite discriminating, I still love it! 3OH!3 is turning out to be making awesome songs! Keep it up guys! And Katy, you should do more songs with 3OH!3 because you guys blend together very nicely! Thank you for this great song! And Katy, WOW!

Song Score: 4 / 5

Music Video Score: 4 / 5

TOTAL SCORE: 4 / 5

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009): Movie Review

DIRECTED BY

• Michael Bay

PRODUCED BY

• Steven Spielberg
• Lorenzo di Bonaventura
• Ian Bryce
• Tom DeSanto
• Don Murphy

WRITTEN BY

• Roberto Orci
• Alex Kurtzman
• Ehren Kruger

STARRING (more at IMDB and Wikipedia)

• Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky
• Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes
• Josh Duhamel as Major Lennox
• Tyrese Gibson as USAF Master Sergeant Epps
• John Turturro as Agent Simmons
• Kevin Dunn as Ron Witwicky
• Julie White as Judy Witwicky

VOICES (more at IMDB and Wikipedia)

• Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime
• Jess Harnell as Ironhide
• Tom Kenny as Wheelie / Skids
• Tony Todd as The Fallen
• Hugo Weaving as Megatron
• Charlie Adler as Starscream

MUSIC BY

• Steve Jablonsky
• Linkin Park

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Ben Seresin

EDITING BY

• Roger Barton
• Paul Rubell
• Joel Negron
• Thomas Muldoon

RUNNING TIME

• 150 min

BUDGET

• ~ $200 million

GROSS REVENUE

• ~ $830 million

TRAILER

PLOT (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

"It is revealed that thousands of years ago there was a race of ancient Transformers who scoured the universe looking for energon sources. Known as the Dynasty of Primes, they used machines called Sun Harvesters to drain stars of their energy in order to convert it to energon and power Cybertron's AllSpark. The Primes agreed that life-bearing worlds would be spared, but in 17,000 BC, one brother, thereafter dubbed "The Fallen", constructed a Sun Harvester on Earth. The remaining brothers thus sacrificed their bodies in order to hide the Matrix of Leadership—the key that activates the Sun Harvester—from The Fallen, who swore to seek revenge upon Earth.

In the present day, two years after the events of the previous film, Optimus Prime is seen leading NEST, a military organization consisting of human troops and his own team of Autobots (including newcomers Arcee, Chromia, Elita One, Sideswipe, Jolt, and the twins Skids and Mudflap) aimed at killing the remaining Decepticons on Earth. While on a mission in Shanghai, Optimus and his team destroy Decepticons Sideways and Demolishor, being given a warning by the latter that "The Fallen will rise again". Back in the United States, Sam Witwicky finds a splinter of the destroyed AllSpark, and upon contact the splinter fills his mind with Cybertronian symbols. Deeming it dangerous, Sam gives the AllSpark splinter to his girlfriend Mikaela Banes for safe keeping, and leaves her and Bumblebee behind to go off to college. Upon arrival, Sam meets his college roommate Leo Spitz, who runs an alien conspiracy website, and Alice, a co-ed who makes sexual advances on him. Back home, Decepticon Wheelie tries to steal the shard, only to get captured by Mikaela. After having a mental breakdown, uncontrollably writing in Cybertronian language, Sam calls Mikaela, who immediately leaves to get to him.

Decepticon Soundwave hacks into a US satellite and learns the locations of the dead Decepticon leader Megatron and another piece of the AllSpark. The Decepticons retrieve the shard and use it to resurrect Megatron, who flies into space and is reunited with Starscream and his master, The Fallen. The Fallen instructs Megatron and Starscream to capture Sam in order to discover the location of the Matrix of Leadership. With Sam's outbreaks worsening, Mikaela arrives at campus just as Alice—revealed to be a Decepticon Pretender—attacks Sam. Mikaela, Sam, and his roommate Leo drive off, destroying Alice, but are seized by Decepticon Grindor. The Decepticon known as "The Doctor" prepares to remove Sam's brain, but Optimus and Bumblebee turn up and rescue him. In an ensuing fight, Optimus engages Megatron, Grindor and Starscream. Optimus manages to kill Grindor and rip off Starscream's arm, but he is eventually impaled through the chest by Megatron and dies.

After Prime's death, The Fallen is freed from his captivity and Megatron orders a full-scale assault on the planet. The Fallen speaks to the world and demands they surrender Sam to the Decepticons or they will continue their attack. Sam, Mikaela, Leo, Bumblebee, the twins and Wheelie regroup, and Leo suggests his online rival "RoboWarrior" may be of assistance. "RoboWarrior" is revealed to be former Sector 7 agent Simmons, who informs the group that the symbols should be readable for a Decepticon. Mikaela then releases Wheelie, who can't read the language, but identifying it as that of the Primes, directs the group to a Decepticon seeker named Jetfire. They then find Jetfire at the F. Udvar-Hazy Center and reactivate him. After teleporting the group to Egypt, Jetfire explains that only a Prime can kill The Fallen, and translates the symbols, which contain a riddle that sets the location of the Matrix of Leadership somewhere in the surrounding desert. By following the clues, the group arrive at the tomb where they ultimately find the Matrix, but it crumbles to dust in Sam's hands. Believing the Matrix can still revive Optimus, Sam collects the dust and instructs Simmons to call Major William Lennox to bring the other Autobots and Optimus' body.

The military arrives with the Autobots, but so do the Decepticons, and a battle arises. During the fight, Decepticon Devastator is formed and unearths the Sun Harvester from inside one of the pyramids before being destroyed by the US military with the help of agent Simmons. Jetfire arrives and destroys Mixmaster, but is mortally wounded by Scorponok. The Air Force carpet bomb the Decepticons, but Megatron breaks through the offensive and kills Sam. In a vision, Sam meets with the other Primes, who tell him that the Matrix of Leadership is not found but earned, which Sam has done, and send him back, effectively reviving him. The Matrix is reassembled from the dust, and Sam uses it to revive Optimus. The Fallen then steals the Matrix and activates the Sun Harvester. In his final moments, Jetfire volunteers his parts and spark to Optimus. With enhanced capabilities, Optimus destroys the Sun Harvester and takes on Megatron and The Fallen, killing the latter. Sam then finally reciprocates Mikaela's love as Megatron and Starscream retreat and vow that their fight is not finished.

The film ends with Optimus sending a message into space saying that the humans and Transformers both share a common past."

Being a big hardcore fan of the first film, I just had to watch the second one. I wanted to watch this movie in IMAX so badly, but as usual, I failed to. So instead, I waited for it to be released on Blu Ray. And I finally got to watch it. And as I always say (you are probably getting sick of me saying it, but...), if it's entertaining, it's good. And this movie was pretty damn entertaining to me.

When this movie was released in theatres, almost everyone I know was going to watch it. And after they did, all they did was complain (most of them). About what? First, they complained about the story being pretty weak, which I kind of agree on a little. Because it isn't a very solid story for such a big movie. Second, they complained about the movie being all about action. Well, obviously it's an action movie, so if you don't like action movies, why watch? Right? I mean come on, how could you complain about too much action? And third, they said the movie was mostly driven by computer generated imagery and had very little acting. This is very true. However, it can be a good thing and a bad thing. Almost the entire movie is full of non stop action, but they all mostly involve these awesome giant ass robots beating the crap out of each other. And what can be better than that? The awesomely gorgeous super fine details of these huge giant ass robots! Together with huge explosions and blastings and bombings and loud weaponry fire and... Damn, I wish I saw this movie in IMAX! Eeerrmmm... Anyway, you get the picture right? It's a heavy action packed movie. And I love action movies!

So, as you may have already guessed, Revenge of the Fallen is an action movie about robots. That's it. Because the storyline is kind of weak, all you need to know about this movie is this; explosions, sound effects, special effects, giant ass robots, Megan Fox (hehehe...), Shia LaBeouf. That's all you need to know to watch this movie. Don't expect a rich storyline in this movie. It's basically a straight forward action movie. So, if you like heavy action movies and you don't really care about the storyline, this is the movie for you. This movie is a great movie (must be an action movie fan) to watch after working for stressful hours at work. It's perfect! You don't have to think about anything. Right after work, just get home, get some food, turn the tv on, lights off, make yourself comfortable, and then just get ready to watch the movie. All you have to do is watch the awesome special effects and enjoy it until you feel pleasure! Joy!

Okay, so it's great if you are an action movie fan. I did use to watch the Transformers cartoon when I was a kid, but I barely remember it except for Optimus Prime. You know, that big red truck? LOL. So, if I was to compare the movie with the cartoon series, I'm not too sure. But trust me, this movie is all about action! And what it does very well is showcase all the awesome robots in disguise in action.

So, those were the good sides to the movie. Are there any down falls? Damn it! There is! First, the movie doesn't involve much real acting. So, if you guys wanted to rip your eye balls out thinking you'll get some hot Megan Fox action, forget about it. Obviously everyone in the movie acted very well. Duh. But there wasn't much to be seen unlike the first movie. Like I said before this movie is heavily action based, and almost all the action scenes involve the robots and special effects. Basically, they were all CGI (computer generated imagery). In a way, one may say that this seemed to be a lazy approach to make an action movie. But heck, the scenes were all fantastic! I mean those fine details on the robots are just amazing! And you'll know immediately that they weren't easy to do. So I don't think "lazy" is to be even considered. Of course there were also action scenes with the real actors, and those scenes were also fantastic. But there weren't too many of these scenes.

But what I didn't quite get was that actress Megan Fox was instructed by Michael Bay to gain a few pounds for this movie. The reason to that was because Michael Bay wanted a more muscular looking woman for the movie. I first heard this news a few months before the release of this movie. At that time I thought it was a reasonable thing to do. But after watching the movie I did not see much of the effect at all. She did gain weight and looked a little more heavier than her usual self (heavier, not mouscular), but what I mean is that her weight gain wasn't necessary at all. Why you ask? Mainly because almost the entire movie was based on CGI. And because of that there wasn't much acting to do. So why did she have to look more muscular and bigger? It wasn't like she was acting in more hardcore action scenes. I think she did more action scenes in the first movie. Anyway, in her quest to look more muscular, she didn't look more muscular at all. She did gain weight though, but no muscles as far as I could see. And of course there is a reason to that. And if you are interested you can read more about it at MunFitnessBlog.

Box office wise, this film was a huge success. Revenge of the Fallen was released in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland on June 19, 2009 and in North America, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand on June 24, 2009. On it's opening night itself (not weekend), the movie grossed out $16 million, making it the most ever for a Wednesday midnight debut. The film also managed to achieve the biggest Wednesday opening in history, bringing in $62 million in total receipts on its first day, additionally ranking it as the second biggest opening day of all time, behind The Dark Knight. Hhmmm... actually I honestly think that the Dark Knight was overated. I'm very sure it's all because of the Heath Ledger incident. It was still a good movie though, just wat overhyped. Anyway, Revenge of the Fallen remained as the number one movie in the box office for two weeks straight. And it managed to gross out about ~$830 million! That's a lot of cash there. I think the movie deserves that cash as it was an excellent showcase of giant ass robots in disguise beating the crap out of each other with huge blastings and explosions and... Ok, I think I should stop. You can read more about the box office news at Wikipedia.

So, as all of you might have guessed it already, I loved this movie. Simply because it was a mindless action movie. There are many reviews for this movie, ranging from horrible oponions to good opinions. Some people liked it, some people hated it. My advice to you is this; the movie doesn't have a solid storyline for you to care about enough. So it's just a mindless non stop action movie. Much like playing a mindless beat em' up action video game like Streets of Rage, or a fighting game like Marvel vs. Capcom. If you enjoy a movie based on a rich storyline, by all means, stay away from this movie, because you'll definitely not like it. But if you are in the mood for some mindless entertaining action, this is one of the best movies out there.

Final Verdict: 4 / 5

Coraline (2009): Movie Review

DIRECTED BY

• Henry Selick

PRODUCED BY

• Claire Jennings

SCREENPLAY

• Henry Selick

BOOK WRITTEN BY

• Neil Gaiman

VOICED BY

• Dakota Fanning as Coraline
• Teri Hatcher as Mother / Other Mother
• Keith David as Cat
• Robert Bailey Jr. as Wybie Lovat
• John Hodgman as Father / Other Father
• Jennifer Saunders as Miss Pink
• Dawn French as Miss Forcible
• Ian McShane as Mr. Bobinsky

MUSIC BY

• Bruno Coulais
• They Might Be Giants

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Pete Kozachik

EDITING BY

• Christopher Murrie

RUNNING TIME

• 100 minutes

BUDGET

• ~ $60 million

GROSS REVENUE

• ~$105 million

TRAILER

PLOT (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

"As the tale begins, Coraline and her parents move into a new apartment (Pink Palace). Coraline's parents are always busy with their work and pay her little attention. Isolated, Coraline goes off to explore. She meets the other inhabitants of the house, Ms. Spink and Ms. Forcible, two elderly women retired from the stage, and an even older man, Mr. Bobo, who trains mice to play music. She also encounters a naughty black cat.

Coraline finds a locked door in the drawing room, though the entrance beyond is bricked up. The next day she takes the key to the door, opens it, and finds a dark corridor leading to an apartment identical to her own. This alternate world is inhabited by her Other Mother and Other Father, who are near-replicas of her real parents, except they have buttons for eyes. She also sees the cat, which can speak there. These Other parents at first seem more interesting, fun and caring than her real parents. At the day's end, Coraline's Other Mother offers her a chance to stay in this world forever if Coraline will sew buttons over her eyes. Coraline decides she would rather go home, much to the disappointment of her Other Mother.

Upon her return to her apartment, Coraline finds her real parents are missing. They do not return by the next day, and Coraline, discovering they were kidnapped by her Other Mother, resolves to rescue them. Coraline returns to the Other Mother's world with a seeing stone given to her by her neighbors. The cat gives her advice about how the Other Mother loves games and challenges.

The Other Mother becomes angry when Coraline refuses to accept gifts or love, and the Other Mother imprisons Coraline behind a mirror as punishment. There she meets the souls of three children from different eras whom the Other Mother entrapped then tossed aside when she wearied of them. After the Other Mother decides to take Coraline out of the room, Coraline challenges the Other Mother in a game to find the children's souls and her parents within the Other world, using her wits and a seeing stone received from her neighbours. Coraline finds the children's souls with the seeing-stone and finds her parents in a snowglobe. She throws the cat at the Other Mother, and then escapes to the real world, forcing the door closed on the Other Mother and severing her hand. Back in her apartment, Coraline finds her parents safe and sound.

The next night, Coraline discovers her task is still not done: The Other Mother's severed hand is still in Coraline's world. It attempts to steal the key so the Other Mother can come through the door into the real world. Coraline lures the hand to a well and tricks it into falling in with the key, ridding the world of the danger of the Other Mother forever."

Coraline, in a way, is a very magical movie that was really weird. It was a weird movie, but it was easy to understand. And most importantly, it was a very good movie. To make things worst, the movie left an aftertaste effect on me. When I first watched it, I thought it was alright. But after thinking about so many things from the movie, my thoughts changed and I wanted to see it again. After the second viewing experience, I just fell in love with the movie. So, Coraline is about Coraline Jones, a girl who seems very bored in life because everything in her life is boring. And on top of that, she feels lonely because she just moved in to a new apartment and she misses her friends. Her parents don't really pay much attention to her, because they are always busy working. As Coraline was exploring her new apartment one day, she stumbles upon a small door, which had been wallpapered on. She nags her mother to open it, but there was only a brick wall behind it. But later on in the movie, she finds out that behind the door, lies a secret passage to a parallel reality which is eerily similar to her real life, only much better. And of course, this is when the whole adventure begins.

Did that seem interesting? It had to. The movie might start off a little slow at first, but once it catches up, it's a magical and amazing movie. So far, I don't have any complains regarding the movie. Except for the fact that maybe I didn't like the Forcibles. They were 2 sisters that I just didn't really like. Everything else about this movie was just fantastic. The story can be a little blurry, but it all comes clear by the end of the movie. The stop motion animation was done very well, and I enjoyed it a lot. Music actually plays a very important role in movies like this. And just like how it's supposed to be important, the music was splendid and very well suited for the entire movie. The song at the beginning of the movie titled Dreaming, was very very enjoyable, at least for me. Another song worth mentioning is Exploration, which is played somewhere at the beginning of the movie. The movie soundtrack will definitely be worth picking up, which is why I'll definitely be picking up the soundtrack of the movie very soon. The music is done by Bruno Coulais and one song titled Other Father Song was performed by They Might Be Giants. Yup, the same guys who did the awesome theme song for Malclom in the Middle.

So how well did this movie do in the box office? Coraline was released on February 6, 2009 in the United States and grossed about ~$16 million in it's opening weekend. Not much I know, but it could be because Coraline isn't a regualr movie, but in fact a weird movie. But I loved it. It made another ~$15 million on it's second weekend bringing the total to ~$31 million. Also, the movie only ranked 3rd during it's United States opening weekend. And as of August 2009, the movie has grossed about ~$190 million worldwide.

One thing that I wasn't aware of was that this movie was in IMAX, in Digital 3D. I was really bummed when I found out about this, because I had already missed my oppurtunity. And sadly, I haven't watched any movies in Digital 3D (Dg3D) yet. Anyway, since this movie was in Dg3D, a 3D version of the movie was also released on DVD and Blu Ray. Of course, this version isn't the Dg3D version, because none of the televisions that are currently available can produce such image quality, yet. The 3D version that's included is the anaglyph version. You know, those red and blue coloured glasses? Yup those ones. I bought Blu Ray movie myself and watched it in 3D. Honestly, I wasn't very impressed, but that is mainly because of my small TV screen. Another friend of mine told me that he had a large TV at home and the experience was great. Too bad for me I guess. Although I watched it in my small TV, there were some scenes which looked really good in 3D, so it's not a total loss for me I guess. Both the DVD and Blu Ray versions of Coraline include both the 3D and and 2D movie, so it's actually a good deal, and you have both versions of the film. One way or another, this movie is definitely worth picking up in Blu Ray.

Overall, like I said earlier, this movie had an aftertaste effect on me. I did not fall in love with this movie the first time I watched it. But after the first watch, the whole movie was in my head, and I was just thinking of so many things about the movie. Then, I had to watch it again. So after my second viewing experience, I magically fell in love with the movie. Coraline is definitely a must watch, but not everyone will like it, because of how weird the movie flows. It's worth watching for it's animation, story, music, voice acting and basically eveything else. But if you end up not liking it, don't say I didn't warn you. And besides, I'm just some guy who's letting the world know what I thought about the movie.

Final Verdict: 4 / 5

Danika (2006): Movie Review

DIRECTED BY

• Ariel Vromen

PRODUCED BY

• Lorena David
• John Parenteau
• Mark A. Roberts
• Daniel Bickel (uncredited)

WRITTEN BY

• Joshua Leibner

STARRING

• Marisa Tomei as Danika Merrick
• Craig Bierko as Randy Merrick
• Regina Hall as Evelyn Harris
• Nicki Prian as Lauren
• Kyle Gallner as Kurt Merrick
• Ridge Canipe as Brian Merrick
• Hannah Marks as Lizzie Geralds

MUSIC BY

• Gilad Benamram

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Darko Suvak

EDITING BY

• Dabby Rafic
  

RUNNING TIME

• 79 minutes

TRAILER

PLOT (SPOILER FREE)

"Danika Merrick (Marisa Tomei) suffers from increasingly disturbing paranoid delusions. Most of her delusions involve threats to her family and media-fueled fears such as child kidnappings, car accidents, her children lying, and terrorism. Danika confides to her husband, Randy (Craig Bierko), and Evelyn (Regina Hall), her psychiatrist."

Danika is a movie that makes you think way too much. Yes, it does, trust me. There wasn't much information about the movie on Wikipedia. Fortunately, the budget information was there. The budget was estimated to be $5 million. But there wasn't any information about the revenue. Well, I guess it's okay because the movie was only released on DVD. I'm sure I can get that information from IMDB Pro, but I don't have a IMDB Pro account. Anyway, the movie was released on DVD in the United States on December 26, 2006. And guess what? The movie got an award for "Best Film" at the San Diego Film Festival in 2006. Yeah, it deserves it, but unfortunately, not everyone will like Danika.

As you might have noticed, the plot from Wikipedia is really short, and it's spoiler free. And of course, to know more is to watch. Watching the trailer will give you a better idea on what type of movie Danika is. One other thing is that this movie is not for everyone to watch. The movie is put under the horror and thriller category. To me, the movie was much more of a psychological thriller than a horror movie. The movie is scary, but in a very different way. And the one thing that I hated a lot was the fact that the DVD cover was totally misleading. When you see the cover, you'll definitely assume that the movie might be similar to movies like The Grudge, or The Ring. Simply because there's a picture of a scary looking little girl. But Danika is nothing like that. Danika has got nothing to do with any creepy looking weirdo type girls. The girl on the front cover does appear in the movie, but not really in the way you would expect. The little girl hardly has anything to do with the movie actually. It just really bothers me how the cover gives a wrong impression.

So, I was saying that this movie isn't for everyone to watch and not everyone will like it. Yes, it's true, but I loved it. If you like movies that make you think, make you wonder and even make you not want to leave in the middle of a movie for any reason, then, this movie is for you. Danika will get you glued to the screen, simply because of the curiosity of the human mind, wanting to know what is actually going on in Danika. There isn't much action in this movie, because it's not an action movie. It's a psychological thriller that will make you think all the way through the movie. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of meaning to the story, but unfortunately, I didn't really understand it. I watched the movie twice, but I still couldn't really figure out what the movie was actually about. It was after browsing through the comments of IMDB users, I felt that I understood the movie a little more. But, I'm still unclear of certain things. The beauty of this movie is probably the challenge it will give you into thinking which parts of the movie is real and which part is not. It's actually simple, but not an easy task to accomplish. Another thing is that after watching this movie, you might end up having more than one conclusion. It's just the way the movie was taken. It was taken in such a way that it can be really confusing. But to watch this movie, you do have to pay very close attention.

One final note I want to make is that Marisa Tomei did a splendid job. She plays a delusional woman, who has disturbing visions. Trust me, the role she was put to play was not an easy one. She did a very good job in playing that role and I think she can have the viewers convinced that the viewers are the ones that are actually delusional, and not her. She performed that well.

So, when you get a chance, try to watch this movie and tell me what you think about it. I've seen many people complaining about the movie because it doesn't make sense. But just ignore those people and watch it for yourself. You might like it, or maybe not. But you'll definitely get confused. Just so you know, Danika does have some sexual content and coarse language, so this movie isn't suitable for younger audiences. And if you need some answers after watching the movie, a drop by at IMDB will certainly help.

Final Verdict: 3 / 5

Knowing (2009): Movie Review

DIRECTED BY

• Alex Proyas

PRODUCED BY

• Todd Black
• Jason Blumenthal
• Steve Tisch

STORY

• Ryne Douglas Pearson

 SCREENPLAY

• Ryne Douglas Pearson
• Alex Proyas
• Stuart Hazeldine
• Juliet Snowden
• Stiles White

STARRING

• Nicolas Cage as Professor Jonathan "John" Koestler
• Chandler Canterbury as Caleb Koestler
• Rose Byrne as Diana Wayland
• Lara Robinson as Lucinda Embry / Abby Wayland

MUSIC BY

• Marco Beltrami

CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Simon Duggan

EDITING BY

• Richard Learoyd

RUNNING TIME

• 121 minutes

BUDGET

• $50 million

GROSS REVENUE

• ~ $150 million

TRAILER

PLOT (CONTAINS SPOILERS)

"In 1959, at William Dawes Elementary School in Lexington, Massachusetts, a time capsule containing the students' drawings of their ideas of the future is buried and set to be ceremoniously opened 50 years later. A girl named Lucinda Embry contributes a page full of seemingly random digits. That night, Lucinda is found in a school closet, where her fingers are bloodied and she complains about hearing voices.

In 2009, the time capsule is opened and the drawings are given to the current students. A boy named Caleb receives Lucinda's envelope. His father John Koestler, a widower and professor of astrophysics at MIT takes interest in the paper, and he soon realizes that part of these digits form dates and death tolls of every major disaster over the past fifty years, and suggests three disasters still to come. Meanwhile, Caleb begins receiving visits from mysterious figures in overcoats,^[a] and during his encounters he hears their overlapping telepathic whispers.

John witnesses a commercial plane crash on the date the paper next predicted a disaster would occur, and he discovers that the unexplained digits on the paper are in fact the geographic coordinates of the events. Speaking with Lucinda's former teacher, John learns of Lucinda's closet episode, and also that she had since died after an overdose. He then meets Lucinda's daughter, Diana Wayland, but is rebuffed once he mentions Lucinda's paper. However, after John uses the numbers to correctly predict another disaster—a Manhattan subway train derailment which John tries and fails to prevent—Diana seeks out John, and together they go to investigate Lucinda's old remote mobile home. Having noticed that the last date on the paper is not accompanied by coordinates, further clues in Lucinda's home lead John and Diana to realize that the '33' listed as the death toll for the final disaster is actually 'EE' reversed, which Lucinda meant to represent 'Everyone Else'. In the woods outside the home, John confronts one of The Strangers, who disappears in a flash of light. It is revealed that Diana's daughter Abby can hear The Strangers' eerie whispers as well.

John and a fellow professor forecast that a massive solar flare will soon reach Earth, and the final disaster on Lucinda's paper will indeed be global in scale. John then examines the door of the closet in which Lucinda was found, and discovers it is where she had scratched another set of coordinates. They represent the location of Lucinda's old mobile home, and John figures that it is somehow a refuge from the impending disaster. Diana insists they seek shelter in a system of underground caves instead, and she takes Abby and Caleb, without John's knowledge, to go there. As panic erupts at a gas station after news of the flare is made public through an Emergency Alert System broadcast, The Strangers drive off in Diana's car with Caleb and Abby still inside. Diana gives chase in another vehicle, and is killed when she is broadsided by a truck.

At Lucinda's mobile home, John finds the children with the four Strangers as a glowing vessel descends from the sky. The Strangers dispossess themselves of their human appearance, revealing themselves to be glowing, translucent figures surrounded by wisps of light. The Strangers invite only those who can hear their whispers to escape the destruction with them. John convinces an initially reluctant Caleb to go with The Strangers, and the vessel departs with the two children. From the vantage point of space, other ships are seen taking off from all around Earth. John travels to Boston to be with his sister and parents. While he had distanced himself from religion following his wife's death, John reconciles with his previously estranged father, a Christian minister. John and his family embrace as the solar flare strikes, and the resulting radiation incinerates all life on Earth. Elsewhere, Caleb and Abby are dropped off in an otherworldly field, as other ships are visible along the horizon, dropping off others. The film ends as the two make their way towards a large, solitary tree in the distance."

This was one of those movies where you think it's just another regular movie, but it's actually not. When I saw the trailer, I thought the movie was going to be something like Final Destination. It was, actually. But it had a different type of twist to it, and I thought that made the movie very interesting. I have not watched The Da Vinci Code yet, but I'm pretty sure Knowing can somehow relate to that movie as well. How? Well, basically, the movie has something to do with deaths and numbers. And I just found that to be a very interesting concept. Since I liked this movie, I think I might like the Da Vinci Code as well, if at all it's anything like this movie.

Knowing is actually an action, mystery and thriller movie. It's about a professor named John Koestler, who gets hold of a sheet of paper that consists of what seems to be like random numbers. He got the sheet from his son, Caleb, when he attended a time capsule opening ceremony at school. At first, John isn't sure what the numbers mean, but he later finds out that the numbers actually represent horrible events that had already occurred or that are about to.

That's basically what the movie is about. Saying anymore than this will simply be a spoiler. But of course, you can always watch the trailer for more details on what the movie is about. Anyway, it sounds very interesting doesn't it? But it doesn't sound scary right? Well, I never expected it, but I was a little scared of the movie. I don't know why or how these directors come up with ideas about the world getting destroyed, but I'm getting a little sick of it. And to make things worst, the new upcoming movie, "2012", is also about world destruction! If they really want the world to be destroyed, I think I better start applying video game rules from games like Grand Theft Auto into real life. Oops, did I say too much?

The movie did alright in the box office I suppose. It was released in the United Stated and Canada on March 20, 2009, and it grossed about $24 million in it's opening weekend. As of April 26, 2009, the movie grossed out at about $150 million in total. Comparing these numbers to Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Paul wins. I'm not sure why, but it could be because Knowing was mainly about deaths, and people might be getting tired of it, just like how I am. I think directors and story writers have just lost their imaginations about directing and writing good solid movies. Because action movies and thriller movies aren't just about deaths. It could be so much more. Don't get me wrong here, the story for this movie was top notch, and so was the directing. The movie was executed very well as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, something new should or coulave been done.

Overall, when I watched this movie, I did enjoy it. I actually loved the movie, but of course, I have to say what I thought about the movie right? Hence the harsh sayings in the above paragraphs. LOL. Maybe the one complaint I might have is about Beethoven's music that was played. It was Symphony No.7 in A Major, Op. 92 (2nd Movement: Allegretto). It's an awesome symphony, but I think they played it too many times and I also thought that the symphony didn't quite go well with the movie. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the greatest symphony's ever, but it just doesn't fit the movie very well. Not a major pain, but they could have chosen better music that would actually fit the movie. Other than that minor issue, everything about the movie was good and everything made sense (movie wise). It was a great movie. Good as a family movie as well as a loner movie. Whether you want to watch it or not, is up to you. It's not a must watch movie, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Final Verdict: 4 / 5