Thursday, December 29, 2005

MOVIE : "FUN WITH DICK AND JANE"

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It always fun to see Jim Carrey back in a comedy and see him make a fool out of himself. The story gets a little ridiculous at times but it's a great excuse for Carrey to go crazy. Tea Leoni proves once again that she can be really funny. Alec Baldwin, for the 2nd time this year plays the big boss (Also in Elizabethtown). This movie is definitely not one of Carrey's best films but it's a fun one.... perfect for the holidays !


MOVIE : "RUMOR HAS IT..."

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This movie features a great cast.... Aniston, MacLaine, Costner, Suvari, Ruffalo, etc. I wish Shirley MacLaine had a more important role because she was the most interesting by far. The story is interesting, but weird... somewhat linked to the Graduate film classic featuring Dustin Hoffman. This movie is pretty slow but it's always fun to see Jennifer Aniston on the big screen. Might be worth waiting to rent it!


MOVIE : "WOLF CREEK"

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This is one of the worst movies I have seen in quite a while. This horror film from Australia is based on true events and is rated 18+ Violence in Quebec which is quite rare. This movie is about 1 hour and a half and also feels really really long (see Aeon Flux review). During the first hour or so, nothing happens ... and when I say nothing, I really mean nothing, no chasing, no blood, no killing... Yawn !!! During the last 30 min, we finally get some action, but it's not great.... kind of gory... the killer kills the 3 tourists one by one... Avoid at all costs, trust me !


MOVIE : "KING KONG"

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Don't get me wrong, this was a good film. In my opinion, it could have been 30 min. shorter and I would have been glad. Unfortunately, I don't agree with all the critics giving it 4 stars and don't think it deserves a best picture nomination. The special effects were great... King Kong is really well done. The cast is good, some stuff is a little ridiculous especially the Adrien Brody character, the writer who becomes this Indiana Jones kind of guy... still worth seeing on the big screen. Enjoy!


MOVIE : " THE ROCKET (MAURICE RICHARD)"

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I was expecting this movie to be good but I was blown away. This is the best Quebec film I have seen in a really long time aside from C.R.A.Z.Y. last May. Roy Dupuis is outstanding in the role of the Rocket and the supporting cast is really good also. I knew some stuff about Richard but I definitely learnt a lot from this wonderful film. Great Movie!


MOVIE : "HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE"

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First off, I'm not a huge fan of Harry Potter. I have never read the books, don't plan to. I saw every film once... I found the 1st two films really really long. The 3rd one (Prisoner of Azkaban) was my favorite. This one, is good, well done... but once again, found it kind of long. I will have no problem waiting for the 5th film scheduled to be released in June 2007.


MOVIE : "AEON FLUX"

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Charlize is back and looks really really good... the look of the film is great too. Everything else just sucks. It's not really a good sign when a 90 min. movie feels this long and slow. Once again, another bad comic book adaptation. Unfortunately, this could have been interesting. The trailer was kind of cool but that's about it... Don't go see it and don't even rent it.


Thursday, December 01, 2005

MOVIE : "JUST FRIENDS"

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This comedy features a very funny and talented young cast. Ryan Renolds stars as a once chubby teenager who has a crush on his best friend who "loves him like a brother". Here, Renolds is funny and could have been replaced by a young Ben Stiller, where everything goes wrong for him and you keep feeling bad. Anna Faris, as the pop star, steals the show as a complete nutcase. This movie exagerates every character and sometimes reminded me of a less funny "There's Something About Mary". Light funny movie, could be a perfect rental...


CD : "MADONNA - Confessions on a Dance Floor"

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Madonna re-invented herself again, she did it! Her first single, will either make you dance or drive you completely crazy. The single is number one all around the globe. With this record, Madonna returns to her roots with very dancy music mixed with her recent techno music. The cd is almost 60 min. of non-stop music with very catchy beats. She is now preparing her video for her second single, "Sorry", another very cacthy tune.


CD : "30 SECONDS TO MARS - A Beautiful Lie"

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Jared Leto (Lord Of War, Fight Club, Requiem for a Dream) is not only a movie star but also a rock star. He's the lead singer of the band 30 Seconds to Mars who just released their second record a few weeks ago, called "A Beautiful Lie". Right away, the 1st time I heard their first single "Attack" (played regularly on the Buzz), I loved it. Jared sure likes to scream and usually, that gets on my nerves, but for some reason, it works perfectly on this hard-rock record. The first few tracks are just amazing and energy-filled. If you like the single, you'll probably love this cd.


CD : "ALANIS MORISSETTE - The Collection"

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Alanis Morissette (if you forget about her early work as dance-pop star Alanis) has been around for over 10 years now and has had many hits. Felt like the perfect time to come out with a greatest hits and rare songs disc called "The Collection". Her new single, a cover of the Seal song "Crazy" is fun. She probably should have put only her greatest hits on this CD because some of the rare songs from soundtracks or compilations are nowhere near as good as her greatest hits. Overall, still a pretty good cd if you're a fan of Alanis' music.


CD : "DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 - Romance Bloody Romance"

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Death From Above 1979 is my favorite new band of the year (even if their firts full length CD "You're A Woman, I'm a Machine" came out over a year ago). I've been obsessed with that CD for a while, and also purchased their first CD, the "Heads Up - EP". This Canadian duo have a sound of their own and while waiting for a new cd to come out, I was excited to find out a Remix & B-Sides record was going to be released. To have their hard-rock alternative music remixed with techno-dance music is a pretty interesting idead and the final result is very very cool..


Sunday, November 06, 2005

MOVIE : "JARHEAD"

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This movie is interesting, it's a war movie without much violence and killing. Sam Mendes directed his first picture in '99 with American Beauty, which blew me away (and a whole lot of other people!). Came back in 2002 with Road To Perdition, a good movie also. This time around, he came back with a psychological war drama. Jake Gyllenhaal, in the real role, is outstanding and the are some great supporting performances as well (including Jamie Foxx). A must-see movie !


Monday, October 31, 2005

MOVIE : "SAW II"

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Alright, here comes another sequel, only 12 months after the 1st SAW film scared it's way onto the big screen. Unfortunately, the originality factor is gone this time around, it's more of the same. This time, instead of two guys in a room, it's 8 people in a house... and there is more blood. A lot more gory stuff that might be hard to handle for the squeamish. It's still a good movie in the end with a new kids on the block guy in the lead role (Donnie Whalberg) and perfect for this time of year. Enjoy the madness of Jigsaw! :)


MOVIE : "THE LEGEND OF ZORRO"

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7 years after the movie that really introduced the beautiful miss Zeta-Jones to the world, here's a sequel. This film is nowhere near as good as the original. First off, the movie is a good 30 minutes too long, it's way too long (over 2 hours!). This movie is more of a family entertainment film. Even more of a comedy than the 1st film, this one bombards you with cheezy & corny humor, similar to jokes found in a so-so sitcom on tv (watch out for the horse stuff!). Overall, it could have been better, maybe an okay rental.


Friday, October 21, 2005

MOVIE : "STAY"

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This movie has a great cast ; Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts & Canadian actor Ryan Gosling . This psychological thriller is really well done and features some pretty amazing camero work and scene changes. The movie is complicated and full of intrigue. Unfortunately, by the end of the film... lots of questions will remain unanswered. It had potential to be an incredible movie, but it ended up being a good movie with great performances from the lead actors.


Thursday, October 20, 2005

CD : "CONTROLLER.CONTROLLER - X-Amounts"

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X-Amounts from controller.controller is another great cd by another new and good Canadian Band. Canadian music right now is way better than any other music around the world (i.e. Arcade Fire, DFA1979, Wolf Parade, Metric, etc.). This quintet sometimes reminds me of "the Pixies". I really like the drumming on the record.... you should check them out online.


MOVIE : "WAITING"

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This movie features a lot of funny young actors including Ryan Renolds (Van Wilder)l, Anna Faris (Scary Movie) and Justin Long (Dodgeball). Unfortunately, a lot of the funny parts were shown in the preview. The film would have been a funny sketch but was streched out to 90 min. or so... Some funny stuff and lots of not so funny stuff. Watch it on TV if you feel like turning your brain off for one hour and a half. Definitely not worth your money.


Monday, October 17, 2005

MOVIE "THE FOG"

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In the US, last week, Sony decided not to screen "the Fog" for the members of the press. That says it all. This movie is just plain bad. A little less painful than "The Cave" and "Boogeyman" released earlier this year, this movie still sucks. It was nice to see Lost's Maggie Grace for a few minutes, that's it! All the horror movie clichés are there, the annoying music, the ghosts, the young people partying on a boat and getting killed. And the movie is way to long and should have been trimmed to 90 min. Please avoid this film.


CD : "BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE"

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Broken Social Scene is a supercollective. Ranging from 5 to 17 members, the Toronto-based group includes musicians from Stars, Metric, and many other bands, as well as the up-and-coming Leslie Feist. This cd brings a special musical mood. There are some great tracks on this record including "Fire Eye'd Boy" & "Ibi Dreams of Pavement" (featuring rapper K-Os). Overall, great disc.


MOVIE : "ELIZABETHTOWN"

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This is not Cameron Crowe's (Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous) best work but it is a nice, simple but also beautiful film. In general, I am not a big Kirsten Dunst fan but I was pleasantly surprised. And it was nice to see Orlando wear normal clothes... I found the film to be very inspiring as they show you how different people can deal with grief and how to deal with failure. As usual, Crowe fills his movies with great music.


Friday, October 14, 2005

MOVIE : "ST-MARTYR-DES-DAMNÉS"

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Quebec horror films are pretty rare... "Sur Le Seuil" released last year was a far better film than this one. St-Martyr-Des-Damnés tries to be creepy and scary but doesn't achieve much. The movie is painfully long and the only reason I give it one and a half star is for its great and powerful images. The cinematography is good and the script is crap. Take my word for it, avoid this film.


CD "WOLF PARADE - Apologies to the Queen Mary"

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Right now, Montreal is a booming music scene, and here's another great Canadian band from Montreal. Somewhat in the same musical genre as their friends Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade releases a powerful debut cd produced by Isaac Brock (who works with Modest Mouse). Here's a quote from Rolling Stone magazine :


"I'll Believe in Anything," the best cut on Wolf Parade's excellently shambling debut, may be the indie-rock song of the year


CD "FRANZ FERDINAND - You Could Have It So Much Better"

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The first Franz Ferdinand cd was an amazing surprise. So, for this one, the expectations were really high. The first single off the record "Do You Want To" is very catchy. The are a few really great tracks on this record including the opener "The Fallen". This cd has a lot of energy but it's hard to beat the original one. Overall, it's a fun cd from a great band.


Sunday, October 02, 2005

MOVIE : ''A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE''

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David Cronenberg is also a weird director known for making very strange films (i.e. ''eXistenZ'' and ''Crash'' the original film, not the one released this year with Sandra Bullock). This film is definitely more mainstream than his previous ones. Viggo Mortensen stars in this movie and his phenomenal and so is the rest of the cast. This movie is very intense and is rated 16+ for violence. There are only a few minutes of violence in this film but they are very very graphic. Great film!


Saturday, October 01, 2005

MOVIE : "FLIGHT PLAN"

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I found it weird that a great actress like Jodie Foster chose to do a film like "Flight Plan" after taking almost 4 years off since her last movie "Panic Room". "Flight Plan" is set in a small space, where Jodie plays a single mom trying to protect or save her daughter, as she did in "Panic Room". I thought this movie might be really bad, but it's actually a pretty good thriller saved mostly by Jodie's acting. Unfortunately for Miss Foster, this movie is nowhere near as good as "Panic Room" was.


Tuesday, September 27, 2005

MOVIE : ''JUST LIKE HEAVEN''

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As soon as I saw the preview for ''Just Like Heaven'' for the first time, I was really not inspired to see this film. It looked cheezy, cliché and also looked like a lot of other movies (i.e. ''Ghost''). After seeing it, I can say that it was very predictable but a little better than expected. The first half of the film is kind of funny, Whiterspoon shines on screen and can be funny (if you want to see a GOOD and funny Reese Whiterspoon movie, go rent ''Election''). The second half is where it becomes really 'fromage' and becomes long. Plenty of better movies to watch!


Saturday, September 24, 2005

MOVIE : "TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE"

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Tim Burton is a movie genius and he's also a very strange fellow. Either you love his movies or you really don't! As fan of Tim Burton's work, I was eagerly awaiting his new film (his second within a few months, following "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"). Unfortunately, I've seen most of his films except his previous animated classic "A Nightmare Before Christmas". All I can say is that I really enjoyed this film with all of its spooky caracters. The film is very short (75 min.) but the animation is fantastic. The only thing I wasn't a great fan of where the few songs in the movie.


MOVIE : "LORD OF WAR"

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Finally, a great movie... the fall movie season has arrived. This movie was a great surprise. The story is somewhat based on true events and everything feels very realistic and sad at the same time. This movie has a great script, a great cast and a great soundtrack. I loved, it ! Nicolas Cage is very convincing in his role as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer. The story is greatly told in a way that reels you in, right from the beginning. Best movie I saw in a long while !


CD : "BON JOVI - Have A Nice Day"

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Bon Jovi are back with a new record entitled "Have A Nice Day". The first single, with the same name, sounds a lot like other Bon Jovi songs, especially "Everyday", their 1st single off their last record "Bounce". The whole CD unfortunately feels like same old same old ... it's all recycled. I definitely think they put on a good show live and they have a lot of old greatest hits (They're the first band I ever saw live, back in '95 for the "Keep The Faith" tour at the forum!). They should learn some tricks from U2 who renews their music and remains fresh, even after over 20 years. It's too bad for Jon and the gang, but every record they make, the cheezier they get!


CD : "AUGUSTANA : All The Stars and Boulevards"

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Augustana's debut CD is very good "radio-friendly" rock. The first single "All The Stars and Boulevards" is trying to make it on the airwaves and is a good catchy song but not the best one on the record. One of the best ones is "Boston", an amazing rock-power ballad. Right now, things are going great for Augustana who will be touring the U.S. opening for Our Lady Peace. Take a few minutes and get introduced to their music.


Friday, September 23, 2005

CD : "OUR LADY PEACE - Healthy In Paranoid Times"

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It's been 1165 days since Our Lady Peace last released a new record. This 6th studio album (follow up to "Gravity") is definitely better than their previous effort. The first single "Where Are You" is very catchy but turns a little too "poppy" near the end with the choir chanting. Their 2nd single "Angels/Losing/Sleep" is amazing. The present state of the world definitely influenced Raine in his lyrics. Also, more than ever, you can hear the band is greatly influenced by U2 and The Beatles. Overall, very satisfying work from OLP!


Thursday, September 22, 2005

TV : "REUNION"

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Here's the Concept: 6 teenagers (all 18 years old) are all high school friends in 1986. Every episode (there will be 20) counts as 1 year. Slowly, the 6 characters age from 18 to 38, to finish the season in 2006. One of them gets murdered but who ? The pilot episode was fun, intriguing and had great 80's music. The cast is also interesting and includes Amanda Righetti from the O.C. Hopefully, they can keep the season exciting!


CD : "HEDLEY"

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This type of "Punk-Pop" music is really growing more and more popular each day around the world. A great example would be "Simple Plan". In my opinion, this edgier band (featuring Canadian Idol Season 2's Jacob Hoggard as the lead singer) makes way better music. The lyrics are not as cheezy and Jacob is definitely a better singer. These guys probably have a bright future ahead of them.


Wednesday, September 21, 2005

TV : "PRISON BREAK"

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FOX was smart to premiere this show in late August before all the rest of the competition. They knew they quality material in their hands. This shows tells the story of a guy who wants to get thrown in Jail to help his brother on death row escape. This show has been great from the start, every episode.... ! and they say the escape is only the beginning. This might be one the surprise new shows of the fall that will actually survive. This way this story is told and filmed is just great!


MOVIE : ''THE ARISTOCRATS''

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I thought I had seen the worst movie this year after watching ''the Cave'' a few weeks ago... I was WRONG! ''The Aristocrats'' is the worse on by a mile! The movie is rated 18+ for Vulgar Language. Actually, it is a documentary about one really bad vulgar joke told over and over by a bunch of comedians... I gave it 1/2 a Star(@) because at one point, a mime tells the joke and also Cartman from South Park. In the end, I probably laughed 2 min. and wanted to kill myself for the rest of this 90 min. piece of garbage. Avoid at all costs !


Sunday, September 11, 2005

TV : "ROME"

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Since the movie "Gladiator" was release a few years back, Epic movies have become popular again... In the past year, we saw many epic movies like "King Arthur", "Troy", "Alexander" & "Kingdom of Heaven". For the past few months, they has been a lot of hype surrounding this epic series (the most expensive tv series ever produced). My expectations were high and I was very disapointer, the first episode lacked a good storyline... it just wasn't exciting... I would watch "Troy" and "Gladiator" over again before I would tune in to watch "Rome".


Monday, August 29, 2005

MOVIE : "THE CAVE"

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Usually, movies released on the last weekend of August are bad. This one is no exception, actually, it's total garbage.They managed to assemble a pretty talented and good-looking cast (including the "hot" Piper Perabo from Coyote Ugly). The movie is about 90 min. long and feels like 2 and a half hours. Everything is predictable... The action sequences (which look like "Alien" rip-offs) are done with the camera moving really really fast. You can't see much and it's annoying as hell. Don't pay for it, don't go for free, don't rent it!!!


Saturday, August 20, 2005

MOVIE : "THE 40-YEAR OLD VIRGIN"

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Everything about this movie is funny, even the poster cracks me up. Finally, after this film, Steve Carell will be remembered. The whole film works from beginning to end with its raunchy joke, its loser moments and even sweet scenes. Great cast, great jokes, great chemistry amongst the cast. With Wedding Crashers, those 2 movies are the best comedies of the year....


MOVIE : "RED EYE"

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I thought the most recent preview was better than the first (which made it seem like a horror flick) but it gave too much away. This is a very efficient thriller that will, at times, keep you on the edge of your seat. The two main stars ; Rachel McAdams (from Wedding Crashers) is very good at playing the likable girl in distress and Cillian Murphy (from Batman Begins) is proves once again that he can be creepy.


Wednesday, August 17, 2005

MOVIE : "FOUR BROTHERS"

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This movie tells the story of 4 adopted brothers (2 white, 2 black) who try to avenge their mother's murder. André Benjamin (from Outkast) proves he can definitely act. Mark Whalberg is believable as the tough leader of the group. The movie does get intense and violent at times but I strongly recommend it.


MOVIE : "THE SKELETON KEY"

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I wasn't expecting much out of this film. I was glad to see Kate Hudson step out of her cute films for a moment. Usually horror/thrillers released at the end of the summer are just plain BAD. This one is not. The acting is pretty good, the movie is a little slow but the storyline is strong and there are nice unexpected twists. The movie is more suspensful than scary but pretty good.


MOVIE : "BROKEN FLOWERS"

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I was looking forward to see this small film who got a lot of praise at the last Cannes film festival. Unfortunately, I left the theatre a little disapointed with the final result. This film tells the story of Don Johnston (played wonderfully by the great Bill Murray) who receives an anonymous letter from one of his exes informing him about having a 19 year old son who might go looking for him. He decides to go on a road trip to visit 4 of his exes and figure this thing out. Great cast, great acting, but be patient, the film is really... really ... really.... SLOW!


MOVIE : "HORLOGE BIOLOGIQUE"

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Québec film have gotten a lot better the last few years and this one is no exception. This film, from the director of "Québec - Montréal" (which I didn't get a chance to see yet!), tells the stroy of 3 male friends, one with a baby, one about to have one and one that really is nowhere ready to be a father. You can see how it affects their lives and their relationships, great film!


MOVIE : "DUKES OF HAZZARD"

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This movie is fun, but you can definitely leave your brain at home... Jessica Simpson, here, makes her acting debut... and she's pretty useless. She's there to show off her orange-tanned body. She looks great but is also pretty useless. Scott and Knoxville plays the famous cousins and are both incredibly funny. Some of the stupid stuff they do feels like Jackass. Stay until the end to enjoy some funny bloopers.


MOVIE : "THE ISLAND"

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First off, I'm a big Scarlett fan, especially since seeing her in one of my all-time favorite films "Lost in Translation"... and in this movie, it's probably the best she's ever looked. Unfortunately, her role doesn't require too much acting... but a lot of running. The first half of the film is better than the 2nd. In the second part, lots of great action sequences including a highway chase scene that reminded me of The Matrix Reloaded or Bad Boys II. It was nice to Steve Buscemi in a fun supporting role. Overall, good popcorn flick!


Wednesday, August 03, 2005

MOVIE : "CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY"

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I finally got a chance to see this remake of an old classic (unfortunately, I still haven't seen the original with Gene Wilder) on the IMAX screen. Originally, it was suppose to be featured in 3d, but it never hapenned.... It would have been crazy. The movie is pretty good, probably great for kids (but not too young), the visual stuff is outstanding thanks to Tim Burton's talent... and Johnny Depp is great. But my favorite part out of the movie, are the Oompa-Loompas, they cracked me up!


Monday, July 18, 2005

MOVIE : "WEDDING CRASHERS"

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In a summer full of remakes and sequels it is nice to see something original ! This film reminds me of a mix between the American Pie trilogy and the Meet The Parents flicks. Vaughn and Wilson make a terrific duo. The rest of the cast is great including Rachel McAdams, canadian actress famous for her role in last summer's the Notebook. The film is hilarious... A good film to see with a crowd!


TV : "ROCK STAR : INXS"

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Seriously, I really don't get why a band like INXS needs a reality show to find a new lead singer for their band. Also, everyone knows you can't replace Michael Hutchence! The show is pretty much like a rock version of american idol with over a dozen of young male and female singer trying to make their dream come true. The winner will record a new cd with INXS and go on tour with them. Somewhat entertaining!


MOVIE : "FANTASTIC FOUR"

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Yes, it's another comic book inspired movie! With a summer of dark films like Star Wars, Batman Begins and War of the Worlds, Four brings the fun back to the big screens! The movie is entertaining with an interesting cast, storyline, good music and special effects. The Human Torch brings humour to the film with a lot of funny scenes. Great fun for everybody!