Victor Victoria (1982)

“A woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman?”
“Ridiculous.”

Of all the words in the English language that come to mind, none better describes Victor Victoria better than ‘ridiculous’, and I do mean that in the very best sense of the word. Victor Victoria is a charming and refreshing comedy, holding up quite well despite having been made over thirty years ago.

Victoria (Julie Andrews) is a starving, out-of-work soprano living in 1934 Paris. She has had absolutely no luck breaking into the industry despite her amazing voice. Admittedly it’s a bit hard to imagine Julie Andrews ever having problems finding work (she’s incredible, come on!), but such is the case for Victoria. She is turned away from her first audition in months at Chez Lui, which is attended by another performer at the club, Carroll “Toddy” Todd (Robert Preston).

Pompeii 2014

Pompeii is certainly the best in one category: the most unoriginal film I have ever seen. The love story is Titanic, the destruction is 2012, the action is Gladiator (almost to a tee), and even Shawn of the Dead makes a cameo appearance (“Shh! Hide! There are Romans everywhere!”). There is more foreshadowing than a Shakespearean play, and the dialogue is less interesting than a cereal box. The poster says, “No warning. No escape.” and I absolutely concur – just, as a caution to viewers. Like a bad tuna sandwich, Pompeii looks tasty from the outside but is nothing but bad news when you sit down to enjoy it.

The Wind Rises (2013)

If you live in one of the very fortunate cities that’s currently playing The Wind Rises, I highly recommend you drop everything you’re doing and go see it now. I was lucky enough to go see this delightful film just the other night, and it certainly met my Miyazaki expectations.

Unlike many of his other films, The Wind Rises follows a more conventional story line rather than a fantastical tale. This film tells the story of the life of Jiro Horikoshi, who from a very young age, has had an extreme passion for airplanes. But because of his vision problems, Jiro cannot fly and instead becomes an engineer with fantastic designs.

The Godfather (1972)

If you have ever been struck by a line, knowing you’ve heard it somewhere before, its debut was probably in The Godfather. There are so many iconic moments in this film it’s practically become the outline for every mob movie since 1972. Also – 1972? This movie is decades ahead of its time. From an analytical point of view, with the contrasting dark/light shots and the happy music accompanying not-so-happy scenes, it is genius, but it’s also hypnotically entertaining. It may be long (with a running time of 175 minutes), but it’s one of those rare films that you don’t mind giving a significant part of your day. You become completely invested, almost addicted, to the Corleone family and their fondness for illicit activities.

The Lego Movie (2014)

Sometimes we can find the simplest of truths in one of those insipid, inspirational kitty posters: BELIEVE.

The Lego Movie is all about creativity, as well it should be. Our main character, Emmet (Chriss Pratt), is a LEGO man with no real aspirations, dreams, or complaints. Everything is awesome, you see, and nothing is wrong. He has a home, a pet plant, a job he loves, and he helps build skyscrapers every day. His is a LEGO world of order and calculated fun. Have you ever had that dream where you’ve forgotten your pants, you’re looking for a classroom that doesn’t seem to exist, and you have a test in a dead language you’re fairly certain has been out of use for 3000 years? That is our hero, Emmet. He is woefully unprepared.

Labyrinth (1986)

Where do I even begin? If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching this film, I strongly recommend you “dance, magic, dance” to the nearest video rental store, select this film, and feast your eyes upon this cinematic wonder.

Labyrinth stars David Bowie as Jareth, the goblin king, who kidnaps the little brother of Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) after she accidentally wishes him away. Sarah only has thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth (where Jareth lives) or she’ll lose her brother forever. But back to David Bowie; he is greatness. And may I mention, he wrote the melodic masterpieces for this picture. Which you have to experience before you can fully appreciate this review. “Dance Magic” is seriously one of my favorite songs. It is such an amazing site to see David Bowie dance and sing amongst a group of goblin Muppets. Simply magical.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

James Wan has been making majorly good decisions lately with films like Insidious and The Conjuring, and it’s a shame that he’s swearing off horrors for the time being. I’m sure once someone offers him a big enough paycheck he’ll be back, but anyway that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

We’re here to take a look at the sequel to the largely successful (even if it took me two viewings to “get” it) Insidious. The focus is still on the Lambert family from the first film with Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) in the roles as husband and wife. Timeline wise, it is set practically immediately after the events of the first film. Due to the nature of the plot, if you have not seen the first Insidious, do note that Chapter 2 will have spoilers in synopsis alone.

And, with that being said, after rescuing his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) from the otherworld, Josh has come back to the land of the living with something dark on his heels. This darkness begins to torment the otherwise idyllic Lambert family, and prompts Josh’s mother, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) to seek out assistance from some people who have more experience in the matter than she does.

That Awkward Moment (2014)

Which awkward moment? The one where he says “we need to talk,” and she says “so, where do you see this going?” Sounds like a chick flick, doesn’t it? Well, it is. That Awkward Moment is a romantic, thoughtful, relationship-infested movie masquerading as a comedy for the guys. If you’re in your 20’s, you’ll find it relatable in some way. There’s the satisfactory apartment, the okay job, the inexplicable need to peacock at bars, and the pressing question: to date or not to date. There’s also a wide assortment of hipster coffee shops.

Jason (Zac Efron) struts between these places with his best buddies, Daniel (Miles Teller) and Mikey (Michael B. Jordan). Mikey (the successful one) starts off the movie with a divorce. Yikes. The other two, being his best friends and wingmen, make a pact: so as long as Mikey is single, so they will be too. Such enthusiasm makes for a very fun first half of the film. When the perfect girls come along, as they inevitably do, things get serious all too quickly. Secrets, lies, decreased Xbox time, and an inability to share feelings all bring the fun times to a grinding, gloomy halt.

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

Since I can’t quite accept that the BBC’s “Sherlock” is over for the time being, I thought I’d channel my obsession into my first Sherlock love: Buster Keaton. I can’t lie and say I’m a silent film aficionado, but I adore Keaton’s 1924 classic Sherlock Jr.

Sherlock Jr. tells the story of a man who works as a film projectionist, but longs to be a detective. He finally gets the chance to put his detective skills to work when he is framed for stealing a watch from his love interest’s father.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Hello? Can you hear me out there? What day is it? If it’s still February 2^nd where you are, you might want to look for some life lessons from Groundhog Day.

Weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) shares his name with the weather-predicting rodent, Punxsutawny Phil. Phil Connors, who is disillusioned, egotistical, and arrogant, considers his assignment on the annual appearance of the magic groundhog to be beneath him. His producer, Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman, Larry (Chris Elliott), put up with his disillusionment and cynicism in hopes of getting through the day and making their way back home.