I_Am_The_Taylrus Reviews

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

A Whimsical Beginning To One of the Most Beloved Series of All Time

[8/10 · 1 November 2008]

I am an avid fan of the Harry Potter series. I have read every book, seen every movie, and tried to find out everything there is to know about the series. Well, this is the first book, and movie, of the series. It is safe to say that this is a wonderful beginning to the series of Harry Potter movies. This kept to the book quite nicely. Not much seemed to be cut, aside from some minor situations and events, although it is quite sad to see a character like Peeves the Poltergeist to be on the cutting room floor. To be honest, I saw this film when I was quite young, and I thought that all of the characters fit J.K. Rowling's descriptions perfectly. Now older, I feel the same way, but that may be because your childhood memories are memorable.

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy with no special talent, right? He lives with his dreadful relatives after his parents mysteriously died. Then, on an ordinary day, a letter comes. Then another. Then another. Also, a half-giant comes to inform Harry that he is a wizard and he has been accepted to Hogwarts School and Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, at Hogwarts, Harry discovers a world like no other, crammed with talking, and nearly-headless, ghosts, poltergeists, wizards, witches, true friends, and secrets. Secrets that Harry never knew about. Secrets that will reveal more than Harry bargained for.

This is a great movie, simply put. It is full of wonderful special effects, a sometimes dark, sometimes cheery, atmosphere, some nice work from the adult and child actors, although that the children can be a bit over-the-top at times. No matter, though. Chris Columbus does a nice job covering the book from page-to-page, without deleting too much important elements. My main complaint is that Columbus does not do anything unique for the film. He chooses to stick to the book, and that's it. He does the same with Chamber of Secrets. The other directors for the other books put their own different spin on the story. Columbus just makes it all about the book, which is fine, but fans of the books may want to have a little more. Overall, I highly recommend this movie to any fan of the Harry Potter series of books, a little adventure, or any lover of fantasy in general.

8/10

The Moment of Truth (2008– )

An Interesting Idea, But It's Destroyed With Too Much Drama (SPOILERS)

[3/10 · 29 January 2008]

SPOILERS

After all of the controversy and anticipation surrounding this game-show, I felt that I needed to watch this. It is definitely an interesting idea, but it is so long-winded and boring that I just could not enjoy it. There are several nice elements about the show, like the setting and some of the questions, but there are a lot of things pulling this show back, like the dramatic pauses before the contestant gives his of her answer, and the annoying voice that tells you if it a lie or the truth.

Okay, here is the premise of this game-show. A contestant is asked very personal questions while being strapped to a lie detector. The contestant then must tell the truth. If they do, they win money. However, if they are lying, they lose all of their money that they had won. If the contestant answers all of the questions truthfully, they win the grand prize of five hundred thousand dollars.

Overall, I thought that this was going to be a passable show, but I was heavily disappointed. There are only some good things about the Moment of Truth, but it is mostly just a boring train-wreck of a show. I doubt that I am going to watch the Moment of Truth again. Anyway, this is a terrible show that should not be viewed.

3/10

Mortuary (I) (2005)

Amazingly Awful (SPOILERS)

[1/10 · 21 October 2007]

SPOILERS

I just happened to see this movie on the Sci-Fi Channel. I knew it was going to be bad, mainly because it was on the Sci-Fi Channel, and I always like terrible movies to make fun of every now and then, but this movie was just truly awful. I could not find one good thing about this movie. The zombies were laughable, and just the obvious mistakes in this movie were strange. For example, why would a family have about twenty-five containers of salt? Just horrible errors like that make this movie almost unwatchable.

I would give the plot of this film right now like I usually do, but this movie has absolutely no plot whatsoever. It is all over the place. All I can say is that this movie is about black goo that turns people into zombies. When the zombies take over the town three teenagers and a little girl have to save the day. Everything else in this movie makes no sense.

Overall, this is a horrible movie that I just can not recommend to anyone. Every element of this movie is terrible. I must say, though, the worst part of this movie was definitely the ending. I mean, there was no ending. The black goo sucks the main character into the ground and the zombie mother of the main character, who was supposedly destroyed, attacks the sister and the film ends. Could the ending be any worse? Anyway, this is just a horrific movie that nobody should see.

1/10

Recommended Films: Swarmed

Fraidy Cat (1942)

A Weak Tom and Jerry, But Still A Classic (SPOILERS)

[7/10 · 14 October 2007]

SPOILERS

Tom and Jerry is a classic cartoon, with a flawless idea, and almost every single short is a gem. While I must say that this is definitely an inferior short compared such other classic Tom and Jerry shorts, there is not way you can hate this cartoon. Sure, it is understandable to say that this is one of the worst of the first Tom and Jerry episodes, and I can say that I agree, but the fact of the matter is that all Tom and Jerry episodes are great, but some are just better than others. Well, this would fit into "others."

Here is the plot of Fraidy Cat. Tom is listening to an old scary radio broadcast, and becomes easily frightened. Jerry observes how scared he is, and tries to scare him even more than he already is. He creates scary dilemmas for Tom, and Tom becomes scared out of his wits, and his lives. Jerry then puts a sheet over a vacuum cleaner and controls it, thus making it look like the vacuum is a ghost. Tom finds out that Jerry did all of this, and chases him. Tom then accidentally bites the house maid. However, at the end Jerry ends up the one becoming scared after he sees his reflection in a flour cup.

Overall, this is far from the best Tom and Jerry short out there, but this is still a fun and entertaining piece of time. It makes me wish that there was more cartoons like this. The slapstick and gags in this that make Tom and Jerry famous are as good as ever in this short, but it felt like something was missing in this. It felt slower than most Tom and Jerry shorts. Anyway, this is a good short that does not quite live up to some other Tom and Jerry cartoons, but it is still nice.

7/10

Swarmed (2005 TV Movie)

When You Get Attacked By A Bee, Please Don't Use A Shotgun (SPOILERS)

[2/10 · 6 October 2007]

SPOILERS

Okay, I must admit, I do enjoy those campy Sci-Fi movies when they are on. They try to be scary, but they just end up being a hilarious comedy with terrible acting and moments when you want to yell at the person in the movie for doing something incredibly stupid. Well, Swarmed is no exception. Even though I must say that it is better than most of the Sci-Fi made-for-TV-movies, hence the reason I am giving it a two instead of one, this was just a pathetic film that started off as a comedy and never stopped. I mean, the people in this movie clearly have no idea what they are doing. For example, when a woman is being attacked by one single bee, she uses a shotgun, and never hits her target. Now, she could use one if she was fighting a whole swarm, but using the shotgun against one little bee is just plain dumb.

Here is the plot of this movie. When a chemical leak occurs, bug busters Q and Rafe have to fight the rapidly increasing population of bees in the town. When they do that, they get help from Kent Horvath, who gives them poison to fight against the bees. However the poison only makes them even more powerful and aggressive. Kent eventually starts to hunt with them, and so does bug expert Christina Brown. They quickly realize that the population is increasing more and more, and the town festival is approaching. They need to get rid of the bees before it is too late. At the festival the bees attack the entire city, killing hundreds. Q, Rafe, Kent, and Christina manage to destroy most of them. They then lure the rest of the bees into a garage and blow it up. They bees are gone, except for one, and the film ends.

Overall, this is a cheesy, over-the-top, and corny time. In the category so-bad-it's-good, this movie fits perfectly. You will laugh more than you will jump. In fact, you will not jump at all. I must admit, though, even with all my negative comments, there are some creative death scenes, like when a man hides from the bees in a dunk tank, and breathes using a hose, and the bees fly into the hose, and sting him inside the mouth. That was kind of neat. Anyway, with all the cheesy CGI, the terrible acting, and the pure corny elements of this film, it is impossible to call this movie a good one. It is a great comedy, but for horror, it falls flat.

2/10

Recommended Films: Frankenfish, Mega-Snake.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1988–1999)

I Like The American Version A Bit Better, But This Is Still A Wonderful Show (SPOILERS)

[9/10 · 18 September 2007]

SPOILERS

I have managed to catch a couple episodes of the British Whose Line Is It Anyway, and I must say, it was incredibly funny. As I mentioned before, I enjoy the American version a little more, but if you watch them side-by-side, you will realize that they are both two great shows that should still be on. You will also see that a lot of the people in the American version are in the British version, and I enjoy that a lot, but I also get to see a lot of the talented and funny British comedians, too, so that is also great.

Here is the basis. It is practically the same. A group of comedians to improvisation games together. After all of the games, the host decides who the winner is. However, whoever wins still plays the last game with the other contestants.

Overall, this is a terrific and very funny show that, from the episodes I have seen, was a wonderful show right until the very end. Anyway, this, like the American version, is hilarious and you would not want to miss it.

9/10

Recommended Shows: Whose Line Is It Anyway, Thank God You're Here.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998–2007)

Definitely One Of The Greatest Shows Ever (SPOILERS)

[10/10 · 18 September 2007]

SPOILERS

I mean, how could you hate Whose Line Is It Anyway? It was one of the funniest shows ever, and Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, Drew Carey, and everyone else on this show are truly amazing and talented. I prefer this one over the British version, but that version is still fantastic, too. The games in this show are great, too. Greatest Hits could get annoying and overdone at times, but Film, Television, Theater Styles, Scenes From a Hat, Whose Line, Hoedown, Props, are terrific. The list of good games could go on and on.

Here is the basis of Whose Line Is It Anyway? A group of comedians have to play games with help from the audience. However, everything is totally ad-libbed, so they have to do the best they can to improv. The host Drew Carey then decides who won the episode after all the games and the winner gets to sit back and relax as the rest do something like Hoedown or Props.

Overall, this is definitely in my top five favorite television shows of all time. Why was it canceled? The concept was so simple, and yet so elaborate at the same time. This was an incredible show to watch. It was so bright, so witty, and if you watch one episode, you would never want to miss another one. Anyway, this is a fantastic show that you must see.

10/10

Recommended Shows: Thank God You're Here

Rear Window (1954)

A Masterpiece. It's Hard To Do Better Than This Film (SPOILERS)

[10/10 · 16 September 2007]

SPOILERS

Ever since I became an Alfred Hitchcock fan, the movie that he made that I wanted to see was Rear Window, but I never got the chance to. Well, I finally saw it and it was amazing. Definitely one of the best movies I have seen, and I do believe that this is Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, and his greatest film ever. It really is hard to top this movie. It is incredibly suspenseful, Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr's acting is all terrific, and the story is simple yet so terrifying and frightening. Without the story, this film would be no where near as famous as it is today. I mean, the story has been parodied so many times, like in the Simpsons. There are a lot of subtle and little touches in this movie, like the similarities between some of the characters, like the comparison to L.B and Lisa to the neighbors, that you do not quite notice until you watch this film again for the second time. Alfred Hitchcock really did a fantastic job in directing this. By the way, Hitchcock is seen winding a clock as his cameo.

Here is the plot of this film. L.B Jeffries is a photographer who broke his leg and has to stay in his apartment with his girlfriend Lisa and his nurse Stella. When he grows bored Jeffries starts spying on his neighbors. Then, he believes he sees his neighbor Lars Thornwald murder his nagging wife. Nobody believes Jeffries, though. However, Jeffries notices strange behaviors that Thornwald has. He owns several knives, his dog sniffs around his garden, and his dog mysteriously dies. Stella and Lisa realize that something is wrong when they see that Thornwald's wife does not have her wedding ring on and, when Thornwald is gone, they investigate my digging up the garden. They do not find anything. Lisa then searches his apartment, but Thornwald comes home and catches her. The police come and Lisa is arrested for burglary. Then, Thornwald realizes that Jeffries is spying on him and starts attacking him. Jeffries is knocked out of the window. Thornwald is then arrested for the murder of his wife. Lisa is also set free. The film ends with Jeffries having two casts on his legs.

Overall, this is a gripping, suspenseful, masterpiece of a film. It is probably Hitchcock's best and one of the best films out there. Not only is there the obvious suspense, but the writing has light-hearted comedy in it, too, that I tend to like. I personally believe that this film has every right to be number fourteen on the Top 250. This is an unbelievable picture that you just can not miss. Anyway, I can just keep on saying that this is a great movie, but all I will say now is just watch this movie, you will have no regrets.

10/10

Recommended Films: Psycho, Vertigo, and North By Northwest.

The Joker's Wild (1972–1991)

An Underrated Masterpiece Of A Game-Show (SMALL SPOILERS)

[8/10 · 15 September 2007]

Okay, I must admit, I have only seen one episode of the Joker's Wild on the Game Show Network's Fifty Greatest Game Shows Of All Time, but with that one episode, I believe that it is safe to say that this is a marvelous seventies game-show that is not as popular as it should be. I mean, when most people think of a seventies game-show, they think of Match Game or Family Feud, but the Joker's Wild deserves some recognition, too. Jack Barry is great as the host, and the game-play is addictive and fun.

Overall, this is a fun game-show that I wish would be on more often than it is, but if you get a chance to see this, I would definitely recommend watching.

8/10

Recommended Titles: Card Sharks

Grand Slam (2007– )

This Is A Grand Slam In Game-Shows! (SPOILERS)

[9/10 · 15 September 2007]

SPOILERS

I was highly excited when I heard about Grand Slam. I thought the idea was amazing and it looked like a lot of fun. When I saw it I was not disappointed at all. This was a terrific game-show that was intense, unpredictable, suspenseful, and exciting. This is by far the best game-show I have seen in a while, and towers over some game-shows that have recently come out like Set For Life, National Bingo Night, and Show Me the Money. I guarantee that you will not hate this show. I mean, it is amazing to see somebody like Thom McKee take on John Carpenter, or someone like Michelle Kitt take on Kevin Olmstead, and actually beating him. Also, the subtle things in this show are great, too. If you actually pay attention to the score, you will realize that the music is incredible, and really brought the tension to life.

Here is the concept for this game-show. Dennis Miller and Amanda Byram host this show. Legends from game-shows take on other legends from game-shows head-to-head. There are four rounds, General Knowledge, Numbers and Logic, Words and Letters, and Mixed. This is how they play. They are asked questions, and their clock begins to count down. If they get the question right, their opponent's begins to count down. Whoever wins that round keeps whatever time they have left on their clock. Whoever wins the final rounds goes forward. There is the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. In the finals the two remaining contestants have an additional round, Comteporary Knowledge.

Overall, this is an outstanding game-show that, if you are a fan of game-shows like me, would not want to miss. The questions are difficult, and you may be surprised of who wins a round. Also, I am pretty glad that Ken Jennings won the game, instead of Ogi Ogas. The hosts were pretty good, too. Sometimes Dennis Miller got annoying, but his jokes were pretty funny. Anyway, this is a great game-show and I hope there is a lot more to come of it.

9/10

Recommended Titles: Jeopardy, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, and the Weakest Link

National Bingo Night (I) (2007– )

No Success! (Small Spoilers)

[2/10 · 1 September 2007]

I am not going to spoil anything huge for this television show, mainly due to the fact that there is really nothing to spoil that is huge. The concept was too confusing to understand. Maybe that is because I have not seen every episode, or maybe it is because it is just confusing.

Either way, I did not enjoy this show at all. The contestants and the host scared me, and there was nothing really to this show. Not only that, but the prizes were lame, too. Win a drive with Erik Estrada, win a chair, and many more awful prizes. Sure, there is some good prizes, like a lot of money, but mainly, the prizes could be much better.

Overall, I can not believe this show is coming back. It is hardly enjoyable and the only possible way I could watch this again is for a cheap laugh or two. Anyway, there is many more game-shows that are so much better than this sad attempt to create a hit game-show.

2/10

The Lost Boys (1987)

An Extremely Entertaining Vampire Movie (SPOILERS)

[9/10 · 29 August 2007]

SPOILERS

Well, I have finally seen the iconic horror film that is the Lost Boys. After the painful experience I had with the Two Coreys, I never wanted to lay my eyes on Corey Haim and Corey Feldman ever again, but I was interested in seeing this film. I put my anger at them aside and watched this film. I really enjoyed this movie, actually, and I think I am able to forgive Haim and Feldman over their awful "reality show." They are actually pretty good in this film, as well as Jason Patric, Barnard Hughes as the unsettling but humorous grandpa. and Kiefer Sutherland. Speaking of Kiefer, I think he is exceptionally creepy in this film. He may always be creepy, but still, he was fantastic in this film. However, I do believe that Jami Gertz was a little robotic as Star, but she was overall okay. I still do not know why this film was rated R. There was nothing that bad in it. It deserved a PG-13 rating. The soundtrack of this movie is also very good and entertaining to just hear. From the Doors to the spooky theme song Cry Little Sister, this film is jam packed with memorable songs from the eighties.

Here is the plot of the Lost Boys. Lucy Emerson and her two sons named Sam and Michael move in with the sons' grandpa to the town named Santa Carla. At a carnival Michael meets Star, who is a member of a motorcycle gang, lead by David. To become a member of the gang, Michael must do a number of strange things, including jumping into the fog and even drinking blood. Michael then starts to change. He begins wearing sunglasses all the time in the sun, sleeping all day and going out in the night, and more. Sam begins to think that he is a vampire after he is given a vampire comic book by two vampire hunters named Edgar and Allen. After it has become apparent that the gang is made up of vampires, they try to find the leader of the vampires. Sam suspects Lucy's boyfriend, Max, but they then doubt that. Edgar, Allen, and Sam then make a plan to kill the vampire gang. They, with the help of Michael, destroy the gang, but then find out that Max is the lead vampire. When Max tries to kill Lucy, grandpa then kills Max.

Overall, this is a down-right awesome vampire movie. This is the first of its kind about teenage vampires and after a barrage of countless rip-offs, this is still the best of the best. The make-up on the vampires is fantastic, the directing by Joel Schumacher is solid and creepy, and the writing can be light-hearted, funny, and scary, not necessarily at the same time in the script, though. This may not be the scary but today's standards, but that does not mean that this is not a bad film at all. Anyway, this is a must-see horror film that is sure to entertain anybody.

Recommended Films: Dracula.

The Two Coreys (2007–2008)

An Undescribable Show (SPOILERS)

[5/10 · 19 August 2007]

SPOILERS

First of all, you know a show is not good when the television show the Soup will not even talk about it. Really, though, I can not really describe this show. It definitely falls into the "So bad it is good" category of entertainment, and I will have to agree with that, but that still does not make this show great.

Here is the plot of this show. Corey Haim has a troubled life so he moves into his childhood friend Corey Feldman's house. Feldman has a wife now, and is a vegetarian, and Haim is that exact opposite, so mayhem will obviously ensue as Haim and Feldman try to agree on things and more.

Overall, this is not a great show, yet it is not a bad one. This is the Odd Couple of reality show, and it is oddly entertaining. You should at least try to watch one episode.

5/10

Two for the Money (1952–1957)

An Old Game-Show That Needed More Attention Than What It Got (SPOILERS)

[8/10 · 16 August 2007]

SPOILERS

Every now and then on the Game Show Network they show an incredibly old game-show that probably has not been on in a while and I am extremely fascinated by them. Two For the Money was one of those old game-shows. Now, I found myself to be enjoying this show. You have your strange, dated humor, your simple game-play, and the small cash prizes that were a lot back then.

This game-show is definitely not in the same league as What's My Line, Beat the Clock, or some more of those classic game-shows that came out in the 40's and 50's, but this is impressive and better than I thought it would be. I actually thought this would be reminiscent of shows like To Tell the Truth, or Body Language. This turned out to be an old-fashioned quiz show that happened to have some odd, zany humor with some actually difficult questions every now and then.

Here is the basis of this game-show. Two contestants come out and are asked some questions like "Name all of the U.S holidays in order." Then, the contestants take turns naming the answers within a time limit. With all the answers they get right, they win money. There are a couple rounds. Then that team leaves with their money and another team comes. There are about three teams in an episode. The teams usually win about $1000, which was a lot back then. Even if they do not win anything, they will still receive a carton of cigarettes, frighteningly enough.

Overall, this is actually a quite good and well-done game-show. The host sometimes drags on for about five minutes to learn more about the contestant's background and their is only about five minutes of game-play but this is very good. Anyway, they could have made it more of a competition instead of asking questions and leaving but with that aside I enjoyed this show and wish it was one more often.

8/10

Recommended Shows: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Don't Forget the Lyrics! (2007–2011)

The Singing Bee Is Better, But This Is Entertaining (SPOILERS)

[7/10 · 4 August 2007]

SPOILERS

Well, I take it that the Summer's big new idea is to have karaoke shows when you have to remember the lyrics to a song. It sounds like a lame idea, I know, but this and the Singing Bee are quite good. You know, I mainly tuned in at first to watch Wayne Brady because I love him in Whose Line Is It Anyway, but I ended up enjoying the show altogether. It really grows on you in the first couple minutes of it. Sure, I am awful when it comes to remember the lyrics to 80's songs that people have not heard about in fifteen years, but it is still enjoyable in my opinion.

Here is the basis of this game show. A contestant comes on and is giving nine musical categories. They pick one, and choose one of the two songs to sing. They then must remember a certain sentence of the song. If they get the lyric correctly, they win money. The money prize steadily gets larger until the contestant reaches the top prize of $1,000,000. There are also some back-ups. If the contestant does not know the song lyric, they can get help from a family member or friend, they are allowed to see two blanks, and they can also decide the right song lyric from three different song choices, but if they still do not know the lyric, they can walk away with the money that they have.

Overall, this is a pretty entertaining new game-show. Sure, it is incredibly similar to the Singing Bee in many ways, and it is not quite as good as the Singing Bee, and some of the songs the contestants sing are terrible, but this still quite fun. Still, I am quite fascinated with the fact that that a lot of the contestants on the show are actors and or comedians. Anyway, aside from that small flaw, Wayne Brady lights up the room in this delightful game-show.

7/10

Recommended Shows: The Singing Bee

The Simpsons Movie (2007)

There's No Reason To Say D'oh! It's Good! (SPOILERS)

[10/10 · 27 July 2007]

SPOILERS

This is definitely my most anticipated movie this year. I mean, it has been eighteen years and it is finally here! I kept telling myself that this was going to be great, but there was always this little feeling of dread. If it was as bad as some of the past seasons, this would be a horrible movie. Luckily, it was not. In fact, I think that this is easily the best movie I have seen in 2007. It stuck to its old humor, it did not go too over-the-top, and no scene was the slightest bit boring. I laughed at almost every scene. I still can not believe they actually showed Bart's, well, you know.

Here is the plot. Green Day is playing at a concert. Then their barge falls into Lake Springfield, polluting it. Then, at church, Grandpa becomes possessed and starts talking randomly. Marge finds it to be strange and tries to figure out what he was saying. Lisa then starts talking about the environment to the town, but they care less. She then meets Colin, a boy who shares the same concern as she does. Then, Homer dares Bart to skateboard to Krusty Burger naked. He does, and is caught. Ned Flanders then gives him pants and says he understands Bart's pain. Homer then adopts a pig named Spider-Pig. Lisa then talks to the town that the lake can't have anymore pollution. Mayor Quimby makes the town clean the lake. Then, Marge discovers that Spider-Pig's waste silo is overflowing and tells Homer to get rid of it. He does, but puts it into the lake, polluting it even more. A squirrel becomes mutated because of it, and the EPA's leader, Russ Cargill, takes it to the President, who puts a dome over Springfield, so that the pollution won't get to the outside world. The police then discover that Homer cause the town to be polluted. An angry mob then attacks the Simpson home. Maggie then shows the family a sinkhole to escape through. They escape, but their house it destroyed. The family escapes to Alaska. In Springfield, though, people try to break the dome. Cargill decides to blow Springfield up. The Simpsons here about this, and want to rescue the town, except for Homer, who stays behind. Homer then tries to look for them. Then the family is captured, except for Homer, who finally gets back to the town. Then, Cargill gets the bomb and drops it into Springfield. Homer and Bart then get a motorcycle and throws the bomb outside the dome, breaking the dome and saving the town, and Cargill is killed by Maggie.

Overall, this is easily the best animated film I have ever seen. It is hilarious, it is epic, and the animation is fantastic. The Simpsons is my favorite show and this is definitely one of my favorite movies of all time. This is definitely going to be nominated for Best Animated Film at the Academy Awards. The plot does get confusing at times, and some characters are unnecessary, but if you watch this film, the humor, the sight gags, and the parodies are so great, you will forget all about the plot and the unnecessary characters. Anyway, this is a great movie and I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

10/10

Recommended Titles: The Simpsons.

THS Investigates: Curse of the Lottery (2006) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

It Really Opens Your Eyes To See How The Lottery Could Ruin Your Life (SPOILERS)

[7/10 · 22 July 2007]

SPOILERS

I found this to be an okay television special. Sure, it was not the best, nor was it the worst. It was quite entertaining, and it teaches you that if you win the lottery, use your winnings wisely, and do not use it to buy fifteen houses and cars. It is actually really disturbing to see how these people's lives are slowly ruined because of greed.

Here is the basis of this television special. This shows the lives of several people. All of them have won the lottery, and have won several million dollars. It shows how they quickly burn their winnings on expensive things, such as cars. It also shows how their winnings destroy their lives. For example, the spouse leaves them, they go to jail, they file for bankruptcy, and more.

Overall, this is a good television special. I have seen better, let me tell you that, but this is still good, and a bit frightening if you ask me. This could have been so much better, and I do think that they made it way too dramatic. Anyway, with all that being said, I still can say that this is good, and I would not mind watching it again.

7/10

Unsolved Mysteries (1987–2010)

Great Show, And Important (SPOILERS)

[9/10 · 13 July 2007]

SPOILERS

Now, I have only seen a couple episodes of Unsolved Mysteries, but when it is on every now and then, I watch it. To be honest, I wish it was on more often. This is a great show. It is also very important for the viewer, because remember, everything in the show is real. Real and true. Some stories are really creepy, some are sad, some are spooky, some are just down right horrifying. Either way, no matter what the story is, it is real.

Here is the basis of Unsolved Mysteries. Robert Stack hosts this show. The viewer is shown a story. The story is a real life story about UFO sightings, murders, missing people, and so forth. They usually end up in a mystery, hence the title "Unsolved Mysteries." There are re-enactments of the story, and there are also interviews with the people in the story. Robert then tells the viewers that if they have any information about the story, contact them. The viewers do help, because in almost every episode, they show the conclusion to the story with the help of the viewer.

Overall, this is a great show. I wish it was still on, but you know, Robert Stack is dead so I do not think that will happen anytime soon. I encourage you to watch this show when it is on, not for the pure entertainment, but because of the importance of the show. It tells you what can happen in real life. Anyway, this is an important show that is not only exciting and tense, but it is also fantastic.

9/10

Recommended Shows: America's Most Wanted.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Well, I Admit It, The Best Potter Film Yet! (SPOILERS)

[9/10 · 11 July 2007]

SPOILERS

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I have read every book, I have seen every movie, so I was definitely excited about the Order of the Phoenix coming out, but when I heard that it is only 138 minutes, the shortest Potter film, and it was the longest book, with 870 pages, I was a bit worried that this was going to be a mess of a movie. Fortunately, it was not. Sure, some scenes were rushed, and they left out some good scenes, but I was impressed by some aspects of the movie. For example, they left out the scene with Harry going into the Pensieve and discovering that his father was a jerk, but they included that when Harry gets into Snape's mind. There are small things like that that can make something interesting.

Here is the plot. Harry Potter begins his fifth year in Hogwarts with a some problems. Firstly, Lord Voldemort is back and the Ministry of Magic does not believe him. Secondly, the school has a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the sinister Dolores Umbridge, who wants to take over the school. Thirdly, Harry keeps having visions of Voldemort and fears that he is becoming him. Umbridge really is not a favorite of the students, and she does not like to talk about how to defend themselves. Instead, they read books. Harry then forms Dumbledore's Army, a secret club in which several students practice spells. Then, Harry has a vision of Ron Weasley's dad getting attacked by Voldemort's snake and saves his life. Harry then starts taking Occlumency lessons to block his mind is Voldemort attacks. After that, Harry has a vision of his godfather, Sirius Black, getting tortured in the Department of Mysteries, and he wants to save him. Harry and his friends arrive in the Department of Mysteries, only to discover that the vision was a trap for Harry to get a certain Prophecy. Voldemort's minions, the Death Eaters, attack Harry and his friends. Then, Sirius and others members of the Order of the Phoenix come to rescue them. Sirius is killed, and Voldemort arrives to kill Harry. Then, Dumbledore comes and save Harry from Voldemort. Harry then discovers that he has to kill Voldemort, or Voldemort will kill him. Harry and everyone else flee the Department of Mysteries, and the year ends.

Overall, I do think that this is the greatest Harry Potter film yet and rightfully should be. David Yates did a fantastic job directing, the acting is wonderful, especially Imelda Staunton as Umbridge, who played the role of Umbridge absolutely perfectly. The visual effects are truly incredible. The music is quite good, too. The only major flaw is that they really rushed Sirius's death. He died in a snap. However, I do like the aftermath, when Bellatrix Lestrange, the one who killed him, runs, and Harry chased her. The shaky camera is great. Also, they left out some important things, like Ron joining the Quidditch team. In fact, they left Quidditch out completely. Anyway, with all that aside, though, this is a magnificent summer film.

9/10

Recommended Films: Harry Potter 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Poltergeist (1982)

A Very Good Horror Film, But It Is Flawed (SPOILERS)

[8/10 · 5 July 2007]

SPOILERS

I have finally seen Poltergeist. I can not believe I have not seen it ready. I mean, it is supposed to be one of the greatest horror films ever, right? Well, this is a great film. It is spooky, the special effects are quite good for the 80's, and JoBeth Williams' acting is great. The rest of the acting is a bit over-the-top, especially Zelda Rubenstein. That voice shall haunt me for the rest of my life. This film is flawed, of course. Some scenes are more funny than scary, like I said, some of the acting is weird, and some scenes are just boring. With all that being said, here is the summary.

The Freelings are your normal suburban family. There is the mother, Diane, the father, Steve, the oldest child, Dana, the second oldest, Robbie, and the youngest, Carol Anne. Then, strange things start to happen in their house. Carol Anne starts to hear voices in the television, calling them the TV people, who are actually ghosts, chairs start to move around, and forks bend. Then, Carol Anne goes missing. The family then hears Carol Anne through the television. It turns out that the ghosts took Carol Anne to their dimension. The family hires three parapsychologists to the house, who are shocked of what they see. It turns out that the ghosts in the house are a poltergeist, not a regular haunting. They find out that the ghosts have not gone into the light yet, so they took Carol Anne because she gives off the most light force. Not only is there ghosts, there is also the Beast, a mean spirit that uses Carol Anne as a distraction from the other ghosts.

They hire a medium, Zelda Rubienstein. She discovers that the entrance to their dimension is in Carol Anne's closet. Diane saves Carol Anne, and all the ghosts go away, except for the Beast. The Beast wants Carol Anne back, so he attacks the family. The family escapes, but they found that the whole problem started because the neighborhood was built on top of a cemetery.

Overall, this is a flawed horror film, but it is also one of the best and the most frightening. I mean, come on, who is not afraid of the scene in which the clown attacks Robbie? Clowns are frightening either way. Still, probably the most mysterious part of this whole movie is the aftermath of Poltergeist. I think you know what I mean. Anyway, some scenes are cheesy, some are scary, but either way, this is truly a great horror film.

8/10

Recommended Films: The Amityville Horror.

White Fang (I) (1991)

A Great Movie, But I Prefer Iron Will (MILD SPOILERS)

[7/10 · 23 June 2007]

When I saw this movie, I thought that this would definitely not be as good as the novel by Jack London. The book White Fang was amazing, and a fantastic book. Well, this was not as good as the book, and it was not close to it at all. Still, this was a great movie, but like I said in my summary, I like Iron Will just a bit better.

The acting was very well-done to tell you the truth. You could actually believe the actors. The direction was also very good. Some scenes could be beautiful, some scenes could be gritty. Unfortunately, like all of these family movies, some scenes could be cheesy, and there was a handful of scenes that were cheesy. Still, with all of these pros and just a couple cons, this is a fantastic movie that the whole family can enjoy.

7/10

Recommended Films: Iron Will.

Music and Lyrics (2007)

A Cute Film, But Can Be Predictable (SPOILERS)

[7/10 · 16 June 2007]

I really had no intention in seeing this film. I was not really interested in seeing it, either. I still saw it, though, and I must tell you, this was a really sweet and heartwarming film. It was pretty predictable, though. You can easily predict most of the movie, but that does not matter, I enjoyed it. I do not really see any Oscars for this movie, unfortunately.

Here is the plot. Alex Fletcher is a singer from the eighties that tries to become a hit again by writing a song for huge pop superstar, Cora, who is basically Britney Spears. The only problem is that he can not write a good song. Then he meets Sophie Fisher, who came to his house to water plants. Her ex-boyfriend wrote a book about their relationship and ruined her life. He discovers that she is a great song writer. He persuades her to write a song for Cora with his help. She reluctantly agrees. They create the song, fall in love, and give the song to Cora. She loves it, but she makes some changes and makes it a weird Indian-techno-song. Sophie does not like the changes but Alex doesn't let her tell Cora because he thinks she'll get angry. Sophie gets angry at Alex for not letting her tell her. Then, on the day of the Cora's concert where she'll sing the Indian song, she sings the original. It turns out that Alex persuaded Cora to change the song at the last second. The movie has a happy ending, and it is revealed that Sophie and Alex live together now.

Overall, this is a very good and sweet film. It is actually very funny at times and is well acted by Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Also, you should watch the credits to see some hilarious trivia facts, like Cora was married, and the party lasted nine hours, but the marriage lasted three hours. Anyway, I was highly impressed by this film, and like I said over and over, this is very sweet and nice and you should watch it.

7/10

Recommended Films: Once.

Puss Gets the Boot (1940)

You're Looking At History (SPOILERS)

[10/10 · 11 June 2007]

SPOILERS

Wow, the first Tom and Jerry cartoon. Well, in this case Jasper and Jerry. The cartoon that started slapstick cartoons. William Hannah and Joseph Barbera (RIP) are geniuses for creating such a well-known duo of mishaps and mayhem. Back on to the cartoon, though. As you know, this being the first Tom and Jerry short, Jasper and Jerry look a bit different in this then the 50's or the 60's.

Here is the plot. A cat named Jasper constantly bugs a mouse named Jerry. He paints a mouse hole on the wall so Jerry bashes his head against the wall to try to get into the hole. Then, Jasper breaks a vase. His owner says she will kick him out if he breaks another thing. Jerry then tries to break things to get Jasper out. Jasper puts pillows on the floor so the china that Jerry drops will not break. Jerry then drops so much stuff that Jasper has a huge stack of plates in his hand. Jerry then drops on more. It breaks. Jasper then drops all of his plates. His owner kicks him out.

Overall, these eight minutes are a part of history, and this is great. If you can find this, please, watch it. If you do not you are missing out of the first short that features the infamous cat and mouse. Sure, Tom does not have the correct name he has these days and the animation does not look like the animation of Tom and Jerry so many years later but if you get all of that to the side this is one of the greatest shorts ever. Anyway, I have already said what I have wanted to say, so all I can say now is this is great. Pure fun and a delight to watch.

10/10

American Inventor (2006–2007)

Everything Is Going To Be Alright (SOME SPOILERS)

[8/10 · 11 June 2007]

****Spoilers****

(Comment for first season only.)

I was very excited when this reality show first came on. I thought it was a brilliant idea and very fresh. When I saw the first episode I could not feel but just a tad disappointed by the series premiere. Still, I enjoyed it and had a great time! I know they should make it fun and not dramatic, but really, if you can get past that it is enjoyable.

Here is the basis. There are 4 judges. Somebody shows their invention to them. If they enjoy it, they'll move you on to the next round. If they don't, well, you are out of there. In the next round you pitch your invention to the judges again. If you make it through you are given $50,000 to improve your invention. You pitch it to a judge. They'll move you on. There are only 4 left then. In the final episode it is decided who will be the next great inventor.

Overall, this is not the best reality show, but let me tell you this, it is certainly not the worst. Just enjoy it and do not complain.

Everything is going to be all right about this show.

8/10

Recommended Shows: American Idol.

Jeopardy! (1984– )

Under The Category 'Best Game Shows' This Would Be In It (SPOILERS)

[10/10 · 10 June 2007]

*****Spoilers*****

There are two varieties of game shows. One variety is silly, like Match Game or Let's Make A Deal, and they is serious, like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire or Deal or No Deal. This I found to be a cross between those two categories. At times, and most of the time, it is serious, but on occasions it can be light-hearted. Either way, this is definitely one of the greatest game shows ever. It knows exactly what it is doing, and Alex Trebek is one of the greatest game show hosts ever. You know that he is smart and knows most of the questions, well, most of the answers, actually.

He is the basis of the game show. There are three contestants. There is a board with five categories. A contestant chooses a category and Alex reads off the answer (This actor starred in the movie Star Wars, etc.) One of the contestants then tries to give the correct question. If they're right, they get money. There is also a Daily Double, which you wager some of your money. Then they is Double Jeopardy, which is basically the same only the money is doubled. After those two rounds are over they go into Final Jeopardy. Alex reads an answer and the contestants are given 30 seconds to write the question and a wager of money down. If they get the answer right, they gain the money. If they don't get it right, they lose the money they wagered. Whoever has the most money at the end wins.

Overall, this is truly a fine game show that should not be missed. I am a huge fan of game shows and this is definitely in my Top 5 favorites, along with Family Feud, Match Game, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, and Lingo. On to a different topic, though. As you know, Ken Jennings is probably the most famous Jeopardy player. I mean, he got the second most amount of money ever won on Jeopardy. Anyway, this is an exquisite game show that you need to watch if you ever want to see a game show done right.

10/10

Recommended Shows: Who Wants to Be A Millionaire