2014 Oscar Winners!

 And here we go, tonight's the night (well...it'll be over by the time I post this but you know what I mean). Let's see who goes home with the gold!

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"
Bradley Cooper, "American Hustle"
Michael Fassbender, "12 Years a Slave"
Jonah Hill, "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyer's Club"

My pick: Jared Leto or Micael Fassbender

Who would probably win: Bradley Cooper

Who actually won: Jared Leto! His performance was amazing!

Best Costume Design
"The Great Gatsby"
"The Grandmaster"
"American Hustle"
"The Invisible Woman"
"12 Years a Slave"

My pick: "The Great Gatsby" or "12 Years a Slave"

Who would actually win: "12 Years a Slave"

Who actually won: "The Great Gatsby"

Best Makeup And Hairstyling
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Bad Grandpa"
"The Lone Ranger"

My pick: "Dallas Buyers Club"

Who would actually win: "Dallas Buyers Club"

Who actually won: "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Animated Short Film
"Feral"
"Get a Horse!"
"Mr. Hublot"
"Possessions"
"Room on the Broom"

My Pick: “Feral”

Who who would actually win: “Possessions:

Who actually won: “Mr. Hublot”

Best Animated Feature
"The Croods"
"Despicable Me 2"
"Ernest and Celestine"
"Frozen"
"The Wind Rises"

My Pick: “Frozen”

Who would actually win: “Frozen”

Who actually won: “Frozen”

Best Visual Effects

"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Iron Man 3"
"The Lone Ranger"
"Star Trek Into Darkness"

My Pick: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Who would actually win: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Who actually won: “Gravity”

Best Live Action Short Film
"Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)"
"Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)"
"Helium"
"Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have To Take Care of Everything?)"
"The Voorman Problem"

My Pick: “Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)”

Who would actually win: "Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)"

Who actually won: “Helium”

Best Documentary - Short Subject
"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life"
"Cavedigger"
"Facing Fear"
"Karama Has No Walls"
"Prison Terminal: Last Days of Private Jack Hall"

My Pick: I'm going with “Cavedigger”.

Who would actually win: Um...”The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved my Life”

Who actually won: ”The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved my Life” Well...I guessed right on this one, didn't I?

Best Documentary - Feature
"20 Feet From Stardom"
"The Act of Killing"
"Cutie and the Boxer"
"Dirty Wars"
"The Square"

My Pick: No clue. “Dirty Wars” because reasons

Who would actually win: ...let's go with “The Square”

Who actually won: "20 Feet From Stardom"

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Broken Circle Breakdown"
"The Great Beauty"
"The Hunt"
"The Missing Picture"
"Omar"

My Pick: I didn't see any of these so let's go with...”The Missing Picture”

Who would actually win: I don't know... “The Broken Circle Breakdown”

Who actually won: “The Great Beauty”

Best Sound Mixing
"Gravity"
"Captain Phillips"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Lone Survivor"

My Pick: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". Again...bias

Who would actually win: "Captain Phillips"

Who actually won: “Gravity”

Best Sound Editing
"Gravity"
"Captain Phillips"
"All is Lost"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Lone Survivor"

My pick: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". Purely because I am biased based on my love of Tolkien.

Who would actually win: "Gravity"

Who actually won: “Gravity” (sort of not shocked with this one)

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"
Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine"
Lupita Nyong’o, "12 Years a Slave"
Julia Roberts, "August: Osage County"
June Squibb, "Nebraska"

My Pick: Lupita Nyong'o, hands down. If you saw her performance, you'd agree.

Who would actually win: Lupita Nyong'o. Seriously. She deserves this.

Who actually won: Lupita Nyong'o

Best Cinematography
"Gravity"
"The Grandmaster"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Nebraska"

“Prisoner”

My Pick: "Inside Llewyn Davis"

Who would actually win: "Gravity"

Who actually won: “Gravity” (Well...they're kicking some ass tonight)

Best Film Editing
"Gravity"
"12 Years a Slave"
"Captain Phillips"
"American Hustle"
"Dallas Buyers Club"

My Pick: "Gravity"

Who would actually win: "American Hustle”

Who actually won: Gravity

Best Production Design

"American Hustle"
"Gravity"
"The Great Gatsby"
"Her"
"12 Years a Slave"

My Pick: "The Great Gatsby"

Who would probably win: "12 Years a Slave"

Who actually won: "The Great Gatsby"

Best Original Score
Steven Price, "Gravity"
Alexandre Desplat, "Philomena"
William Butler and Owen Pallett, "Her"
John Williams, "The Book Thief"
Thomas Newman, "Saving Mr. Banks"

My Pick: William Butler and Owen Pallett, "Her"

Who would actually win: Thomas Newman, "Saving Mr. Banks"

Who actually won: Steven Price, "Gravity"

Best Original Song

"Alone Yet Not Alone" from "Alone Yet Not Alone"
"The Moon Song" from "Her," Karen O. and Spike Jonze
"Let It Go" from "Frozen," Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
"Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.) and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton)
"Happy" from "Despicable Me 2," Pharrell Williams

My Pick: “The Moon Song”

Who will probably win: “Ordinary Love” because Bono

Who actually won: "Let It Go" from "Frozen," Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Wow, I should have seen this one coming)

Best Adapted Screenplay
"12 Years a Slave"
"Before Midnight"
"Captain Phillips"
"Philomena"
"The Wolf of Wall Street"

My Pick: “12 Years a Slave”. I cannot express how much I loved this movie.

Who would actually win: I don't know...I'm sticking with “12 Years a Slave”

Who actually won: "12 Years a Slave" (Saw that one coming)

Best Original Screenplay
"American Hustle"
"Blue Jasmine"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Her"
"Nebraska"

My Pick: Oh...so many good ones...it's between “Her” and “Dallas Buyers Club”

Who would actually win: “American Hustle” for reasons I cannot fathom

Who actually won: "Her" (Well, it was one of my picks)

Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity"
David O. Russell, "American Hustle"
Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"
Alexander Payne, "Nebraska"
Martin Scorsese, "The Wolf of Wall Street"

My Pick: Tough call on this one...I'm torn between Alfonso Cuarón and Steve McQueen.

Who would actually win: Freaking David O. Russell. Again, what was so appealing about “American Hustle”?

Who actually won: Alfonso Cuarón (Not shocked, seeing as how “Gravity” has won so much tonight but I was rooting for Steve McQueen)

Best Actress
Amy Adams, "American Hustle"
Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"
Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"
Judi Dench, "Philomena"
Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County"

My Pick: This year seems like one of the hardest years. All of their performances were great, except Amy Adams who always seems to play this innocent looking woman. She didn't even get a decent shirt in this movie.

I'm going to say Cate Blanchett.

Who would actually win: Surprisingly, I'm giving this one to Sandra Bullock for “Gravity”.

Who actually won: Cate Blanchett (Holy crap! Nailed it!)

Best Actor
Christian Bale, "American Hustle"
Bruce Dern, "Nebraska"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"
Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyer's Club"

My Pick: Another tough call. I'm torn between Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio. But I'd like to see DiCaprio FINALLY win an Oscar after years and years of losing.

Who would actually win: Christian Bale. I see a major upset on this one though.

Who actually won: Matthew McConaughey (DAMNIT!! I'm glad he won, don't get me wrong, but I just want Leonardo DiCaprio to win just once!)

Best Picture
"12 Years a Slave"
"American Hustle"
"Gravity"
"The Wolf of Wall Street"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Her"
"Nebraska"
"Philomena"
"Captain Phillips"

My Pick: “12 Years a Slave” because it has made a huge impact on me. As intense as it was, everything about it was amazing.

Who would actually win: “American Hustle”. Seriously...what made this movie so good? I thought it was horrible.

Who actually won: “12 Years a Slave” (Amazing movie! Another seriously deserved win!)

Stoker

 What's up guys? I'm the girl who seriously needs a hobby, TheCinemaChick. I check out all the weird, indie, underground, hipster films, along with the big budget blockbusters. My last review was a lesbian coming of age story set in France. So what could I possibly be looking at this time? Well...this one is less sexually explicit but a lot more...weird. You'll see when I post my warnings for this one.


Also, briefly, if I get a little off topic or ramble on and on, I sincerely apologize. I have a nerve condition and it causes me a huge amount of pain. As of right now, I have taken a very strong painkiller, so I tend to get a little wordy. On the plus side, that should make things a lot more interesting.


**Warning: This film involves murder, sex, rape and implied incest. It's not graphic but most of it does happen on screen. I will try not to get into too much detail but I like to give a heads up when I have touchy topics.**


Now, let's discuss the movie “Stoker”. It has nothing to do with Bram Stoker, the original Dracula though that was an inspiration for this story. To my surprise, the screenplay was written by Wentworth Miller. If you don't know who he is, he was a breakout actor in the TV show “Prison Break”. He's also famous for being an openly gay man in Hollywood, which I respect. I had no idea he had such amazing talent when it came to writing. I am impressed with his skills and if he writes something else and has it adapted to film, I will gladly watch it.


“Stoker” is definitely not for everyone. It's weird, it's creepy and it's twisted. As I mentioned in the warning, there is some implied incest. I'll get to that in a bit. See, it starts off with India (Mia Wasikowska) and it's her eighteenth birthday. Her world is shattered when she learns her father has died in a tragic car accident. Her uncle Charlie shows up under mysterious circumstances. So, India and her mentally unstable mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman) let weird uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode) stay with them. I'll explain why he's weird in a bit.


So, strange things start happening. The caretaker Mrs. Garrick and Aunt Gwendolyn suddenly disappear. India later finds Mrs. Garrick in the basement freezer when she goes to get some ice cream. India is a really smart kid and realizes Charlie is a killer but does nothing about it. She just keeps this to herself. Things take a turn when she stabs a class mate in the hand with a pencil and another boy, named Whip takes an interest in her. Back at home, India sees her mother and and her uncle getting a little too close. This upsets her so she goes to a nearby diner. Whip happens to be there and they go into the forest to make out.


Why is there always a conveniently placed forest in the movies? Also, how come when someone goes into said forest, you know something bad's going to happen? It's like one of the worst cliches ever when it comes to a thriller. Ok, moving on. So India has a change of heart, bites Whip and tries to run away. Well, it seems Whip isn't happy with this and tries to take advantage of her. Fortunately, creepy uncle Charlie happens to show up and save her. He takes his belt and manages to break the young man's neck. The freaky part: Whip is laying on top of India when his neck snaps backwards. They bury the body in the garden, which in itself is disturbing. There are several round boulders that seem out of place but this is when we find out it's a graveyard. All of the rocks are over murdered people, including Aunt Gwendolyn and now Whip.


Now, if you don't want to read this part, I won't blame you. It gets a little...wrong. Once all that is taken care of, we get a scene of India in the shower. This is her sexual awakening. As she washes off the dirt from burying a body, she remembers the way Whip died and she becomes aroused by this. I'm not kidding. The thought of his neck getting snapped turns her on so much that she masturbates to the point of orgasm. I was extremely uneasy at this point.


India soon finds out that stalker uncle Charlie had been in a mental institution until her eighteenth birthday. When he was released, her father Richard, offered Charlie money, a car and an apartment in New York in exchange for staying away from his family. Furious, Charlie kills Richard by bludgeoning him then staging the car accident. Why was he locked away, you might ask. Because it turns out there was another uncle. It seems there were three brothers, Richard, Charlie and Johnathan. Out of envy, Charlie kills Johnathan by burying him alive. Seriously, this murder was all because he was jealous. And that, dear readers, is why he is creepy uncle Charlie.


So, as any normal human being would react, India is horrified. She is repulsed and angry to learn that the man she has gotten so close to is the reason she's lost her father. I should also mention that she was very close to her father. The following day, Sheriff Howard swings by, asking if she knows anything about Whips whereabouts since he's been reported missing. Charlie covers for India and apparently, she completely forgives him. They get close, like far too close. This is where the implied incest comes in. It never states that something happened between them or not, but it's obvious there is a sexual attraction between them. It comes to a head when Charlie takes off her old saddle shoes and slips a pair of high heels on her feet. I'm not sure how that's sexual but if you watch the movie, it makes sense.


However, Evelyn, who really isn't present much during the film, finally catches on. And she's furious. I wouldn't blame her. If my brother in law was coming on to my daughter, I'd be upset too. But then it gets really weird again. Evelyn goes off on India, telling her that she hopes she suffers. Then she starts getting intimate with Charlie. If there's one thing I've learned from this film so far, it's this. DON'T BE ALONE WITH CREEPY UNCLE CHARLIE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!!!
Well, he tries to strangle her. Luckily, India is a good shot and Charlie gets shot in the neck. She and Evelyn bury him and it seems the movie is over.


Nope.


India takes the car Charlie had and decides to leave for New York. Sheriff Howard pulls her over for speeding. She says she was hoping to get his attention then stabs him in the neck with garden shears. He stumbles into what I assumed was a wheat field but she simply gets her shot gun and follows him.


This movie is not for everyone. In fact, I don't recommend it unless you can handle intense thrillers with taboo undertones. I was highly uncomfortable throughout a good portions of the film and I genuinely wanted it to be over. Don't get me wrong, Mia Wasikowski is an amazing actor and she is incredible in “Stoker”. The entire cast was wonderful. The script was perfect. It's another one of those films I don't want to sit through again but it was worth seeing. There's something about the vaguely macabre look to it that drew me in.


It explores the taboo side of life without going overboard with it. I liked how it captured the essence of a dysfunctional family by showing how cold Evelyn and India could be towards each other. Evelyn genuinely wanted her daughter to suffer and India at one point ripped out some of her mother's hair. Charlie is a constant menace, providing a source of tension throughout the entire film. Overall, I love the Hitchcock feel it has and while the content is unsettling, it's presented in a really good manner. If you think you can get through this, go for it. It's not action packed, it's not super exciting but it's constantly eerie. The mystery surrounding creepy uncle Charlie will draw you in and keep you guessing until the end. Unless you read this then watch it. In that case, I've spoiled the entire movie for you and you have no need to sit through it now.



I'm TheCinemaChick and I might be located in your town at this very moment.

Blue is the Warmest Color

 Hello everyone, I'm known as TheCinemaChick and as always, I'm behind on my reviews. I know, I know, I said I'd try to be better about staying on top of things but you know, stuff happens. Right now, its mostly me being stressed with school and boys in general. Seriously, who basically flirts with a girl then does a 180 and friend zones her? Yeah, some guys just want to screw with my head. As always, you're not here to listen to me whine about my lack of a romantic life. Today we're going to look at a movie I watched a while back and haven't touched on yet.


**The following review will be about a controversial film. I will be discussing homosexuality, sexual interaction and alcohol in here. If any of that offends you, please do not read any further.**


What movie could I possibly be talking about, you may ask yourself. Judging from that little warning, you might think I've watched some sort of NC-17 film. Well, I didn't. If I did watch something rated NC-17, I would not review it or post it here. And that doesn't mean the film is sexually explicit. A lot of things with that rating are far too violent to be shown to all audiences. Also, if I see a movie that I believe is just too offensive to review, I won't review it. For instance, I did watch “Shame” with Micheal Fassbender. I found it an interesting look at dysfunctional families through the eyes of a sex addict. The woman who checked me out (Blockbuster video stores still existed) told me in a rather loud voice, “You know this is a soft core porn, right?”


And that's when I stopped going to Blockbuster Video.


My point of telling you all that is to say this. I'm going to discuss “Blue is the Warmest Color” which is a French film about two young lovers who learn the ups and downs of a relationship. The catch is, they're both female. And this film has gained notoriety for having one of the most realistic and intense sex scenes ever. Well...they're not wrong. The scene I'm talking about isn't a minute or two of brief shots...no...it's about a full seven minutes. There is no censorship, no holding back and I'm not even sure if it was simulated. Having done some research...the sex was not simulated. It was all real.


And in case you're curious, most of the sex you see in the movies isn't real. It's simulated, meaning it looks like its actually happening but its not. A lot of the time actors have on flesh colored underwear so there is no contact. In very rare instances, the actors go ahead and do it. Bear in mind this is a risky and often shocking decision. Movies like “The Brown Bunny”, which had Chloe Sevigny perform oral sex, are looked down on. It's just not something that happens with a lot of big name actors.


Now, “Blue is the Warmest Color” focuses mainly on Adele, a young woman who is starting to question a lot of things around her. She dates a boy because it is expected of her but she soon meets Emma. It is this meeting that makes her wonder if she's doing what she wants. However, when her classmates suspect that she is romantically involved with the blue haired lesbian, Adele is teased mercilessly. Soon, she finds comfort with Emma. They do form a relationship and it seemingly is a perfect one. Emma's parents love Adele while Adele is much more reserved.


Their relationship continues and the eventually move in together but things seem to get complicated. Adele still questions what she wants in life while Emma is completely confident in her decisions. In a moment a weakness, Adele sleeps with a male coworker. Emma learns of the affair and the relationship comes to a crashing halt. They part ways on bad terms which leaves Adele completely heartbroken. Years pass and they have a chance meeting where Adele admits she still loves Emma with all her heart but Emma has moved on. Once again, they part ways, this time on decent terms.


The film ends with Adele attending an art show. She sees a painting of a nude woman, knowing its her. They acknowledge each other, Adele congratulates Emma and she leaves. It's a bittersweet ending for both of them. At one point, the two were madly in love but when they realize things are going bad, they make poor decisions. I know I was hoping they'd end up together but it became apparent it would not happen. That is part of the reason I loved the story so much. It's one of the more realistic stories about relationships out there. Love never runs smoothly nor does it always have a happy ending.


While I found it enjoyable, some people may have problems with the fact that its French. I know a lot of people hate dealing with subtitles. They can be a pain to deal with but if you don't speak French, it's a necessity. As for me, I've noticed foreign films tend to be a bit more liberal in their content. Something that may not fly well here may be perfectly acceptable in their film. There is far more cursing in this and remember, the drinking age in Europe is lower than it is here in the states. So if Adele and Emma look too young to be in bars, remember that. When I was in traveling through Europe, the drinking age was 16. I'm fairly certain that has not changed.


But really, this is all going to boil back down to that one seven minute or so scene. People will dismiss it as another romantic coming of age story involving lesbians. But the sex scene is so incredibly graphic its hard not to discuss it. There is no ignoring it since it is sort of what this film is now known for. To me, that's sad. “Blue is the Warmest Color” is a wonderful movie that captures a relationship in the LGBT world, which isn't something I've seen a lot of. I don't see why people tend to overlook the homosexual community.


My personal feelings aside, I do recommend “Blue is the Warmest Color”. I am a fan of indie, foreign and romance movies so this one was the trifecta for me. A lot of people can also relate to the film, remembering how it feels to love someone and possibly end up losing them. Or perhaps there was a time in your life when you began to question your own sexuality. Maybe you know what its like to be bullied and be treated like the outcast. There are multiple layers to this film and there is something almost anyone can see themselves in.


And I know LGBT issues are a hot topic lately. Let's not go into that because everyone has an opinion on it. But in my opinion, this is something everyone should see and not just because of the now infamous sex scene.



I'm TheCinemaChick and my cosplays are Sylvester McCoy approved.

You are not stupid.

Justin "JewWario" Carmical...you were an amazing person and you will be missed very much.  The fans, including myself, love you dearly.  These words are beautiful and should be shared with everyone out there.



Folks, if you are having any suicidal thoughts, please find someone to talk to.



Remember..."You are not stupid."

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

 What's up everyone who is reading this blog, my name is TheCinemaChick! I'm the girl who watches all the movies and reports to you. Yes, you lovely reader! I've just completed a review of the feel good film “Saving Mr. Banks” and unfortunately, its going to get worse. This is going to be one the reviews where you'll either question my sanity or hopefully, question the people who made this movie. I'm guessing you'd like to know what comes next in my currently short film list.


I'm almost ashamed to admit that I chose to see “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones” for my birthday.


In case you're wondering, no I do not find them scary at all. I find them formulaic and predictable to the point where I can pinpoint when things will happen. So now you're wondering why I bothered to see it in the first place. The answer is actually quite simple. I felt like seeing a good comedy. To me, the “Paranormal Activity” franchise is a joke so I don't take it seriously. Instead, it's just funny.


So what's different about this one? Not much. I like to call this film “Paranormal Activity: The Mexican Edition”. And before anyone gets upset at me saying that, I mean no offense. I am Mexican myself. And I can explain why I call it that so don't leave now. While the movie is mostly a dud, there are things I liked better than its predecessors. For one, they start the tension much earlier than usual. Instead of things getting creepy over halfway into the movie, this one almost jumps into it.


**Spoilers Ahead...though this movie is pretty much like all the others.**


So, in this movie, we have Jesse and his best friend Hector as the main characters. Jesse has graduated high school and like everyone else in this series, has a hand held camera to play with. They believe their neighbor below them, Anna, is a witch so they want to find proof of this. In a fit of genius, they manage to lower a camera down a vent to see what's going on. They see a naked woman standing still then the neighbor, also nude, begins painting on her. Fun fact, this movie is the reason I learned the difference between brief nudity, nudity and graphic nudity. The last one in the list is where pretty much nothing is off limits. And you see everything.


Anna dies under mysterious circumstances and for some unknown reason, Jesse and Hector decide that exploring her apartment is a great idea. Yeah, ignore the bright yellow “crime scene” tape and walk right in. Brilliant. Also, how stupid are you? You're in a crime scene TOUCHING EVERYTHING! That leaves fingerprints everywhere, which makes you a suspect. I've watched enough Criminal Minds to know better. This is when they learn about “The Marked Ones”, which is the first born son getting a bite mark meaning they've been marked for possession when they come of age. Well, in order to be come a chosen one, a mother has to undergo a ritual. It gets weirder.


Remember those VHS tapes that seem to keeping popping up in the movies? They're here too.


Also, important plot point here. They steal a journal (smart idea there) and discover all sorts of witchcraft stuff in it. This is when they learn about the door. Why is this door so important? It can transport you anywhere...as long as its to an unholy place. Think about that while we move on


After playing some basketball, Jesse is jumped by some thugs and somehow has developed telekinesis. He beats them, fleeing with Hector so they can watch the footage later. Jesse has no idea how it happened believing he has super powers. It gets even stranger when he tries to fall backwards but an unseen force catches him Then there's the stupid Simon Says game. Hector and Marisol (some random chick friend of theirs) are playing with it but when Jesse tries, it fails. Somehow, it becomes a Ouija board. Red means now and green means yes. Seriously? What?


Hector and Jesse then go to a party where they attempt to hook up with some girls. Instead of taking them home, guess where they go? Yes, Anna's apartment, still blocked off by crime scene tape. Guys, take a note. If you want to hook up, do not take her to a place where someone has been killed and is under investigation. Of course, things don't go as planned and Penelope (random slut #1) finds a secret door. Oscar (also a marked one) tries to grab her but she runs. He just disappears.


Oscar warns Jesse that the only way to stop the possession is to kill himself. He then kills himself, to no one's surprise. Things just keep getting creepier. For some reason, they just can't let this go, so alone, Jesse goes back to this freaking basement where he finds pictures of himself, his mother and Oscar, making him even more suspicious. Thus beginning his descent into madness. Yeah...insert emo Jesse here now. At least when his dog goes missing, he goes to find it...in that damn basement. He sees the creepiest little kids in there (apparently it's Katie and Krisit, but I couldn't tell). Before he can get out, something attacks him and when he wakes up, he's home.


There's no place like home, there's no place like home...


With his super powers, Jesse begins torturing the dog, making Hector, Marisol (who apparently has no other friends) and Grandma scared. Don't get attached to Grandma, she's about to get thrown down some stairs to her death. Desperate, Hector and Marisol turn to an unlikely cameo, I mean, ally. Remember cute little Ali from the second movie? Apparently she became a demon hunter and knows a lot about them. She gives them all the help she can, which isn't much since her scene is about two minutes long. Jesse attacks Hector later and Marisol knocks him out with a baseball bat.


Why did you use this sooner? You could have saved Grandma if you'd just knocked Jesse a while ago so that he couldn't hurt anyone! So, since there's a place where the ritual is held (that creepy house from the end of the fourth movie), they decided its a great idea to go there. A huge black truck rams into them and steals Jesse. By some miracle, no one is hurt and the car can still be driven. So, they get Arturo and Santo (who haven't really been in this movie at all) and head out to the coven. Why do you people always go to the creepy haunted house at night?

As you can guess, they get chased, people get killed and Jesse makes his return as he tries to kill Hector. Remember those doors I told you to keep in mind? It finally shows up! Terrified, Hector sees a door with strange things carved around it and goes through it.


BAM! He's suddenly in the first movie. Katie comes down the stairs, sees Hector in the kitchen and freaks out. Micah comes running, dies when she stabs him then Jesse shows up in full possession mode and knocks Hector down. Katie turns off the camera then it ends.


It just ends. No epilogue, no nothing, just an end.


While “The Marked Ones” does connect some of the dots in the franchise, it's still leaving a lot of things really unclear. To make matters worse, “Paranormal Activity 5” comes out this October. Technically, this one is considered a spinoff but honestly, it just doesn't add anything. The only way it tied back in was at the end and with the story. That's not much to put you in the same category. I really wish this franchise would go ahead and explain how it all ties together and just end. When you have to resort to time travel, its time to call it quits. Whenever time travel, aliens and in some cases, magic are brought in, then its clear the franchise is reaching for ideas


If you want a good laugh, watch “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones”. Otherwise, don't bother. It's crap.



I'm TheCinemaChick and be prepared for a controversial review.

Saving Mr. Banks

 Hey guys, I'm your habitually tardy film blogger, TheCinemaChick! I'm about 2 weeks behind with all my reviews but I'm going to catch up. So if I bombard you with reviews, I'm caught up. My last movie was “12 Years a Slave” which was a very moving film that has left a huge impact on me. This film is also emotional, but nowhere near as intense as “12 Years”.


Folks, let's look at “Saving Mr. Banks”.


I know, this one came out late last year, but I did not get around to seeing it until this year. Actually, I resisted this one because I thought it would be kind of cheesy and sappy. Fry convinced me to give in and see it. Well, it was not what I was expecting. It has moments where it was a little too much for me but overall, its enjoyable. Emma Thompson is brilliant, Tom Hanks is spot on and even the smaller roles are perfect. The casting director deserves a medal for this one.


**Spoilers Ahead!**


Thompson stars as P.L. Travers, the woman who penned the Mary Poppins books. Yes, there are books, not just the one. She was a very difficult woman to work with, shooting down any ideas the music writers had, throwing the script from the window and being fairly demanding. The woman wouldn't even show kindness when taking her tea, unless it was done her way. Milk first, then tea, then sugar. Towards the beginning of the film, she is so unlikeable, I hated to movie right off the bat. I didn't want to watch but you know, you pay to see it, why waste the money? I didn't even like Walt Disney at first. He was confident and cocky and just rubbed me the wrong way..


Yet, as the movie went along and I got to know more about Travers, I began to like her. I also learned the true story of how Mary Poppins came to be. The story is much sadder than I originally knew. It's based on the author's actual life and how she had a nanny. The nanny tried to help the family when the father was sick. However, unlike the film, this story does not have a happy ending. He dies and she blames the nanny for his death. So it turns out Mary Poppins is there to save the father, not the children.


The film itself can be a bit jarring since it can cut between present and past with no warning. Recognize the mother in this film? If you saw “The Lone Ranger” you should. Ruth Wilson played Rebecca Reid in the now infamous box office flop. Fortunately, she redeems herself with “Saving Mr. Banks” where she plays Margaret Goff. Her performance is absolutely breathtaking and she is the reason I chose to keep watching. There's a scene she's in, I won't spoil this one, that completely changes the tone of the story, making it more interesting.


After seeing this movie, I looked up P.L. Travers and it turns out, she really was that horrible in real life. She was shrewd, uptight and generally unpleasant. She never married or had kids though she did unofficially adopt a child who ended up leaving her life. It makes me appreciate Walt Disney a little more, even if he was supposedly a very discriminating man. I'm not going into the rumors that he was sexist, racist and whatnot. I don't know if its even true but people believe what they want to believe.


It's a shame this one didn't get many Oscar nods because it genuinely is one of the best films out there right now. For the most part, it is family friendly, though younger kids might get bored because its not action packed. But the performances were spectacular, the movie itself was very well done and it encaptures the people it represents. Tom Hanks is up for nominations for his role in “Captain Philips” which is great and all but “Saving Mr. Banks” is just better. Emma Thompson definitely got snubbed this year. As far as I know, this film has one nomination and its one of the categories no one really cares about, Best Original Score.


This is really one of those few films that everyone can enjoy. While so many films are full of sex, violence and cursing, this is is light, clean fun. It has a word or two that might be too coarse for the little ones and you see Mr. Disney smoking once for maybe three seconds. Other than that, where else are you going to find a good movie for the family? There isn't anything! It disappoints me that so many of the top grossing films are about war or sex or corruption. A few years ago, there was something good for everyone coming out monthly but now...it's like the G rating doesn't exist anymore. Seriously, Disney and Pixar and even Dreamworks are moving into the PG territory.


I'm not a parent, but an aunt. I want to be able to take my nieces and nephews out to the movies and not have to worry about them seeing something that might frighten them or being too adult for them. We need more animated Disney films out there. “Saving Mr. Banks” shows that he was all for making movies for everyone, not just the grown up crowd. And if Mrs. Travers can accept how they adapted her book into celluloid, then surely we can find more movies for the children.


Seriously, she hated the movie at first. It took a long time to convince her to sign over the rights to her book. She was THAT difficult.


“Saving Mr. Banks” is a good movie for families, for a date night or if you want a movie that truly earns and deserves its happy ending. It starts off rocky but trust me, it just builds and gets better. Colin Farrell, who used to be Hollywood's resident bad boy, is wonderful as a family man. Granted he's also an alcoholic but he still shows complete devotion to his children. Paul Giamatti is also highly underrated. He's a real jerk in “12 Years a Slave” as a man holding the auction, but in this one, he's so sweet and endearing. As Ralph, he always makes sure to fix the tea in the proper way and he's one of the few people Travers opens up to. She even offers to sign a book for his disabled daughter, then gives him a list of people who overcame their disabilities to prove you can be anyone you want in life.


Do yourself a favor and see “Saving Mr. Banks”. You'll laugh, you might cry but you'll definitely walk away feeling warm and fuzzy.



I'm TheCinemaChick and I'm rather cold today.

2014 Oscar Nominations and Predictions

 Hello there fellow internet person, I'm TheCinemaChick and its that time of the year again. That's right, it's the annual award season! The Golden Globes are done, the Critic's Choice Awards are coming, along with the Screen Actor's Guild Awards. But, you know I always cover the main awards show, the Academy Awards. This year, there are some excellent choices and some categories that are going to be cutthroat. Then there are the choices I don't agree with at all. With that said, let's look at the nominees and my predictions.

Best Picture
"12 Years a Slave"
"American Hustle"
"Gravity"
"The Wolf of Wall Street"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Her"
"Nebraska"
"Philomena"
"Captain Phillips"

My Pick: “12 Years a Slave” because it has made a huge impact on me. As intense as it was, everything about it was amazing.

Who will probably win: “American Hustle”. Seriously...what made this movie so good? I thought it was horrible.

Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity"
David O. Russell, "American Hustle"
Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"
Alexander Payne, "Nebraska"
Martin Scorsese, "The Wolf of Wall Street"

My Pick: Tough call on this one...I'm torn between Alfonso Cuarón and Steve McQueen.

Who will probably win: Freaking David O. Russell. Again, what was so appealing about “American Hustle”?

Best Actor
Christian Bale, "American Hustle"
Bruce Dern, "Nebraska"
Leonardo DiCaprio, "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"
Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyer's Club"

My Pick: Another tough call. I'm torn between Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio. But I'd like to see DiCaprio FINALLY win an Oscar after years and years of losing.

Who will probably win: Christian Bale. I see a major upset on this one though.

Best Actress
Amy Adams, "American Hustle"
Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"
Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"
Judi Dench, "Philomena"
Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County"

My Pick: This year seems like one of the hardest years. All of their performances were great, except Amy Adams who always seems to play this innocent looking woman. She didn't even get a decent shirt in this movie.

I'm going to sat Cate Blanchett.

Who will probably win: Surprisingly, I'm giving this one to Sandra Bullock for “Gravity”.

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, "Captain Phillips"
Bradley Cooper, "American Hustle"
Michael Fassbender, "12 Years a Slave"
Jonah Hill, "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyer's Club"

My Pick: Damnit, another hard one! Michael Fassbender really threw himself into that role, but so did Jared Leto...and Jonah Hill's just adorable...I'm picking Jared Leto.

Who will probably win: Bradley Cooper. “American Hustle” has been sweeping the awards shows.

Best Supporting Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"
Sally Hawkins, "Blue Jasmine"
Lupita Nyong’o, "12 Years a Slave"
Julia Roberts, "August: Osage County"
June Squibb, "Nebraska"

My Pick: Lupita Nyong'o, hands down. If you saw her performance, you'd agree.

Who will probably win: Lupita Nyong'o. Seriously. She deserves this.

Best Animated Feature
"The Croods"
"Despicable Me 2"
"Ernest and Celestine"
"Frozen"
"The Wind Rises"

My Pick: Frozen

Who will probably win: Frozen

Best Original Song

"Alone Yet Not Alone" from "Alone Yet Not Alone"
"The Moon Song" from "Her," Karen O. and Spike Jonze
"Let It Go" from "Frozen," Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
"Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.) and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton)
"Happy" from "Despicable Me 2," Pharrell Williams

My Pick: “The Moon Song”

Who will probably win: “Ordinary Love” because Bono

Best Original Screenplay
"American Hustle"
"Blue Jasmine"
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Her"
"Nebraska"

My Pick: Oh...so many good ones...it's between “Her” and “Dallas Buyers Club”

Who will probably win: “American Hustle” for reasons I cannot fathom

Best Adapted Screenplay
"12 Years a Slave"
"Before Midnight"
"Captain Phillips"
"Philomena"
"The Wolf of Wall Street"

My Pick: “12 Years a Slave”. I cannot express how much I loved this movie.

Who will probably win: I don't know...I'm sticking with “12 Years a Slave”

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Broken Circle Breakdown"
"The Great Beauty"
"The Hunt"
"The Missing Picture"
"Omar"

My Pick: I didn't see any of these so let's go with...”The Missing Picture”

Who will probably win: I don't know... “The Broken Circle Breakdown”

Best Documentary - Feature
"20 Feet From Stardom"
"The Act of Killing"
"Cutie and the Boxer"
"Dirty Wars"
"The Square"

My Pick: No clue. “Dirty Wars” because reasons

Who will probably win: ...let's go with “The Square”

Best Documentary - Short Subject
"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life"
"Cavedigger"
"Facing Fear"
"Karama Has No Walls"
"Prison Terminal: Last Days of Private Jack Hall"

My Pick: I'm going with “Cavedigger”.

Who will probably win: Um...”The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved my Life”

Best Live Action Short Film
"Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)"
"Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)"
"Helium"
"Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have To Take Care of Everything?)"
"The Voorman Problem"

My Pick: “Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)”

Who will probably win: "Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)"

Best Animated Short Film
"Feral"
"Get a Horse!"
"Mr. Hublot"
"Possessions"
"Room on the Broom"

My Pick: “Feral”

Who will probably win: “Possessions:

Best Original Score
Steven Price, "Gravity"
Alexandre Desplat, "Philomena"
William Butler and Owen Pallett, "Her"
John Williams, "The Book Thief"
Thomas Newman, "Saving Mr. Banks"

My Pick: William Butler and Owen Pallett, "Her"

Who will probably win: Thomas Newman, "Saving Mr. Banks"

Best Sound Editing
"Gravity"
"Captain Phillips"
"All is Lost"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Lone Survivor"

My pick: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". Purely because I am biased based on my love of Tolkien.

Who will probably win: "Gravity"

Best Sound Mixing
"Gravity"
"Captain Phillips"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Lone Survivor"

My Pick: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". Again...bias

Who will probably win: "Captain Phillips"

Best Production Design

"American Hustle"
"Gravity"
"The Great Gatsby"
"Her"
"12 Years a Slave"

My Pick: "The Great Gatsby"

Who will probably win: "12 Years a Slave"

Best Cinematography
"Gravity"
"The Grandmaster"
"Inside Llewyn Davis"
"Nebraska"

My Pick: "Inside Llewyn Davis"

Who will probably win: "Gravity"

Best Makeup And Hairstyling
"Dallas Buyers Club"
"Bad Grandpa"
"The Lone Ranger"

My Pick: "Dallas Buyers Club"

Who will probably win: "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Costume Design
"The Great Gatsby"
"The Grandmaster"
"American Hustle"
"The Invisible Woman"
"12 Years a Slave"

My Pick: It's between "12 Years a Slave" and "The Great Gatsby"

Who will probably win: "12 Years a Slave"

Best Film Editing
"Gravity"
"12 Years a Slave"
"Captain Phillips"
"American Hustle"
"Dallas Buyers Club"

My Pick: "Gravity"

Who will probably win: "American Hustle”

Best Visual Effects

"Gravity"
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"
"Iron Man 3"
"The Lone Ranger"
"Star Trek Into Darkness"

My Pick: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Who will probably win: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"