“VAMPIRES” POKES CLEVER FUN AT POPULAR TWILIGHT

Movie review MOVIEBEAT WITH BLAIRYou knew it was bound to happen, a parody film about a famous vampire saga that has played out for the past three years on movie theaters everywhere, not to mention years in teen girls’ hearts from the book series.
The movie powers that be have finally made a “Twilight” parody and it is one that can shame those idiotic movie genre parodies that have emerged over the past few years (Epic Movie anyone?).
“Vampires Suck” follows closely the greatest melodramatic moments featured in “Twilight” and “New Moon,” accentuating the obvious humor behind the “meaningful” or “thought-provoking” moments in the two films.
Instead of the story revolving around Bella Swan, audiences follow Rebecca Crane (Jenn Proske) as she attends a new school in Sporks, Washington and quickly learns she is in for the ride of her life after meeting the mysterious Edward Sullen (Matt Lanter).
The actors portraying the famous troubled couple, Bella and Edward, Rebecca and Edward bring the characters to life by embodying the mannerisms and dialect as the original actors. The supporting cast, mostly of unknown or little known actors, also bring humorous depictions of one of American teens’ most beloved tales.
The film’s one downfall is that it can get carried away with the bathroom humor and innuendo jokes that take away the film’s effortless humor.
Overall, Twilight fans and Twilight fan-haters will find “Vampires Suck” the complete opposite – “Vampires Rock.”
 
Trivia Question: Sean Bean and Pierce Bronson are among the elite supporting cast in “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.” They starred together in another well-known movie franchise. What is it?
Answer: James Bond’s “Goldeneye”
 
DVD Rental: “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief” – starring Pierce Bronson, Uma Thurman and Rosario Dawson. Film that carries tons of pop-up cameos by recognized Hollywood names, “Percy” caters more to the teen and tween age realm as it brings together history with adventure. You might notice several similarities to another book-turned-film series, “Harry Potter,” as “Percy” director is Chris Columbus who also directed the first two “Potter” films.
Three and a half heartbeats

Three and a half heartbeats
 

STAR WARS CONVENTION MORE THAN A MOVIE-LOVER’S PARADISE

If you were to ask me if I were excited about going to the Star Wars convention (FOR WORK) last Friday, I might randomly start spouting out classic movie lines, describe what we might be filming for our online web site video or even mention that I would be attending dressed as Princess Leia (sorry guys, no golden bikini).

I was looking forward to seeing costumes, creatures and creativity at its finest, as conventions always bring the three together into one chaotic but colorful setting. (I think I’m C-eeing a pattern here in this sentence…) 

As I walked around the convention with the Lake County couple LAKE Magazine would be featuring on the video [to be posted this week], I learned of a special “hero” that would be making an appearance at the event.

No, it wasn’t Luke Skywalker (although Mark Hamill was there) or a costumed movie hero that you would only see on rare occasions.

No, the hero I speak of is a little boy named Wyatt who was attending his first-ever convention with his family. What makes Wyatt a hero is that he has spinal bifida and hydrocephalus, but neither medical condition has him.

Rocking a blue Mohawk that matches his father’s, Wyatt was grinning from ear to ear as he stopped to talk to several of his favorite Star Wars characters walking by about – what else? – Star Wars.

He even asked me to pose in a picture with him and nothing could top the feeling of having that little boy put his arm across my shoulders for the picture. It was an endearing hug and picture from someone with more inner strength than I would could ever hope to have. 

The couple we were videotaping, Amy and Randy Herman of Clermont, told me they got in contact with Wyatt through their friend and fellow 501st member Todd Erdman of Clermont. Todd was attending a Tampa Bay Storm arena football game with friends when he came across the spirited boy in the wheelchair with the blue Mohawk.

“He is a huge Star Wars fan and his family had never heard about the Star Wars Celebration convention so we [The Hermans and Todd and his wife Shannon] came up with tickets for the whole family to go and found some merchandise for them,” Todd says.

“This is why I do this [being a Star Wars costumed character]. I’ve been lucky in life and I want to help others as much as I can.”

Todd also told me that Wyatt had undergone more than a few surgeries in the last year for his medical conditions, yet you would never have known as he excitedly told me the film premise of the Transformers sequel (with interjections by his younger sister).

Wyatt briefly talked about his condition when he asked me if I had seen ”The Karate Kid.” He then went on to tell me that he found the lead character Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and his determination to stop the bullies pushing him around as what encouraged him to pull through all his surgeries.

Even around fantasy characters at the convention or comic-book heros in general with different kinds of powers and abilities, Wyatt looked to the everyday hero of Daniel from “The Karate Kid” as someone he aspired to be.  

I aspired to be just like Wyatt in the same way, someone who appreciates every moment of life and doesn’t let conditions out of his hands get in the way of living life to the fullest. That is the making of a true hero, one that is extraordinary yet relatable.

P.S. Just in case you wanted to know what I looked like in my Princess Leia getup, here it is.  

“EAT, PRAY, LOVE” GOOD BUT NOT GREAT ADAPTATION

Movie Review for MOVIEBEAT WITH BLAIR 8/16 radio broadcast

Trivia Question: What character in “Eat, Pray, Love” was offered a lead role in “Shakespeare in Love” but turned it down?
Answer: Julia Roberts as the role that Gwyneth Paltrow took and one an Oscar for.
 
It has Julia Roberts, exotic locations and an endearing story of finding one’s soul again.
Based off from the hugely popular autobiographical story of travel writer Elizabeth Gilbert’s year-long quest to “eat, pray and love,” the movie was to reach audiences that hadn’t already fallen in love with the book (and maybe even capture those who had).
Something, however, seemed to be missing in the new release, even with the blockbuster-worthy elements already stated. If it weren’t for a superb supporting cast of men, the film may not have been as worthy of a comeback for Julia.
Elizabeth “Liz” Gilbert is trapped in a marriage (with a quite energetic Billy Crudup) that is suffocating her emotionally. A chance meeting with a medicine man in Bali encourages her to get out of her current situation and find her spirit, appetite and smile in a year-long trip to Italy, India and Bali.
What Liz finds is something more than she could ever imagine from people she will never forget.
A fan myself of the book, I was looking forward to the movie version of “Eat, Pray, Love,” especially after hearing that Hollywood’s Golden Girl, Julia Roberts, would be the lead.
Watching the film was another story, as it seemed to have everything the book had but didn’t have the magic that made the story a page-turner.
One highlight that brought the characters to life were the two men that helped Liz out the most in the film. Richard (portrayed by an impressive Richard Jenkins), who Liz meets in India, holds the acting power of being able to crack audiences up in one second and make them tear up in the next.
Felipe (performed by swoon-worthy Javier Bardem) is a smooth operator as a business man from Bali, showing women and men alike that they shouldn’t be fooled by his hairdo in “No Country for Old Men.” The man has a charming presence about him you can’t deny!
Nobody can also complain about the picturesque places Liz goes to on her quest to love herself again. From the peaceful vegetation of Bali to the smog-filled streets of India, you feel like your own Samantha Browne as you watch the film.
All in all, “Eat, Pray, Love” should be seen by anyone who loves the book and/or loves Julia Roberts, but don’t expected to be as captivated. 
Three and a Half Heartbeats 

DVD Rental: Letters to God – Christian-produced and based film about one sickly boy’s prayer-filled relationship with God through letters and the impact his letters make on family, friends and even perfect strangers. Not as powerful as “Fireproof,” “Letters to God” is a worthwhile rent for every age to show every day should be seen and appreciated as a blessed gift.
Four Heartbeats

“OTHER GUYS” NOT QUITE THE HILARIOUS COP CAPER

Movie review of MOVIEBEAT WITH BLAIR 8/9 radio broadcast
 
Trivia Question: Besides starring opposite Will Smith in “Hitch,” what other film time did Eva Mendes and Will Smith share?
Answer: Mendes says Welcome to Miami in Spanish for the music video for Will Smith’s song “Miami.”
 
Everyone can name their favorite cop movie duo, from Riggs and Murtog to Turner and Hooch it’s the movie duo that you love to see in action.
Unfortunately, Holtz and Gamble won’t be a police team you will care to remember.
Detectives Terry Holtz (Mark Wahlberg) and Allen Gamble (Will Ferrell) are the “other guys,” police officers who are deemed the laughing jokes of the NYPD. They are the rejections next to the superior law enforcement team of P.K. Highsmith and Christopher Danson (Samuel Jackson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) who always seem to get their bad guys while still looking good.
When team Highsmith/Danson are killed in the line of duty (fairly early in the film), Holtz and Gamble step up to the plate to find out more of the suspecting doings of a billionaire financial advisor.
That’s what you can get from the first 45 minutes of the movie – after that, you are on your own to figure out what the story is about and what the point in watching it is.
What’s worse, Wahlberg’s acting only seems to get worse with Ferrell’s over the top antics. Although they create a lot of laughs together, they by no means have great comical chemistry together.
Even more disheartening is that supposed bright points in the movie – talented Michael Keaton as Captain Gene Mauch (who has an infinity for songs by a certain girl group) and the lovely Eva Mendes as w’s “plain” wife Sheila – only seem to fall by the wayside next to the larger than life Wahlberg and Ferrell.
“Other Guys” is good for a laugh here and there but don’t put any serious thought or interest into understanding the plot. Watching Turner and the slobbering Hooch is more entertaining and more thought-provoking.
Two and a half Heartbeats 

DVD Rental: “The Ghost Writer” – Starring Ewen McGregor, Pierce Bronson and Kim Cattrell. Suspense film that resembles a modern-day Alfred Hitchcock thriller, “The Ghost Writer” follows the tangled web of secrets a writer (McGregor) enters when he agrees to ghost write the memoir of a former British Prime Minister (Bronson) in hot political waters. More plodding than intriguing, “Writer” worth the peruse.
Three and a half Heartbeats

DISNEY’S “APPRENTICE” IS MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Movie Review from radio broadcast of MOVIEBEAT WITH BLAIR 8/2

Trivia Question: Alfred Molina plays Maxim Horvath in the action adventure “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” What film did he make his debut in?
Answer: Satipo in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Watch those spears!
 
It’s not just your typical Disney remake or one former star’s latest attempt to revive his floundering career. It’s a film that takes a recognized story idea and helps it become a worthy blockbuster.
Strong characters, eye-popping special effects and a storyline with a meaningful message make Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” a powerful contender for the summer movie season.
Loosely based on the Disney animated classic, “Apprentice” follows the discombobulated path of college kid Dave (Jay Baruchel) who learns the ways of his destiny as a sorcerer from teachings by the world-traveling, ageless sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicholas Cage).
If college, girls and learning you are the ancient heir of Merlin the Sorcerer wasn’t enough for Dave, he also is being chased down by a second sorcerer, Maxim Horvath (SpiderMan 2‘s Alfred Molina), who plans to unleash a dangerous sorceress in the world held captive by Dave.
You might say, ‘Been there, seen that’ when you first hear the premise of the story but the talented cast demonstrate the film is worth a second look.
Although there is talk and display of sorcery and magic, the film centers most around Dave and his desire to feel that he is more than the science nerd everyone sees on the outside. Baruchel brings the heart out in Dave to show that the hero can come out of the most unlikely person.
Cage as Balthazar is charming and humorous with a touch of fatherly authority and makes it clear to audiences that his bad film choices as of late were just that, bad choices, and not bad acting.
Molina completes the trio of sorcerers by playing his delightful meanie with debonair and sophistication that you almost hate to root against him.
This isn’t a film to encourage magic or give Disney a few more dollars in their box office but more a film about believing in yourself and knowing you are more than what others tell you as what you are supposed to be. 
Four Heartbeats

 
DVD Rental: LAST CHANCE HARVEY – starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Heartfelt, grown-up love story of a jingle-writing composer and his life-changing meeting with a British airport employee while attending his daughter’s wedding in England. Hoffman shows he can be quite the romantic and the chemistry between he and Thompson is electric but meaningful.
FOUR HEARTBEATS

“INCEPTION” WORTH DREAMING ABOUT (FIVE HEARTBEATS)

 Moviebeat movie review from radio broadcast 7/26
Even though the summer movie season is not over yet, it’s safe to say that the best movie for the season has already been released. Sorry Julia, but it’s not Eat, Pray, Love.
 
Led by the talented direction of The Dark Knight’s Christopher Nolan, Inception is a film that grabs hold of you from the start and doesn’t let go even after the ending.
 
The film is packed with a superb cast, scenic film locations and a storyline with enough power on its own to prompt audience intrigue – Can you put ideas into people’s dreams?
 
Inception has all the ingredients to top the season’s hyped remakes and sequels to show what a true action-adventure, suspense film should be.
 
The storyline circles around the notion of whether our dreams can be controlled. Can a loved one live on inside a person’s dreams? Can you put an idea into a person’s head and make it seem like an original thought to them?
 
Inception plays about with those exact questions as a team of dream thieves try to infiltrate the sleeping mind of a billionaire’s neglected son (Batman Begins’Cillian Murphy) to “incept” the idea of separating his dying father’s company.
 
As the team get more entangled in the dreams of the son, they start to realize that not everyone on the team is working with a clear mind and those thoughts could sabotage the entire mission.
 
I’ve not been much of a DiCaprio fan but this is definitely a new favorite of mine that he has helmed. Playing a man whose thoughts betray him, DiCaprio carries the mental and physical burdens of his character and demonstrates why he is at the peak of the acting pyramid.
 
DiCaprio is joined by a supporting cast of indie favorites such as Ellen Page (Juno), Ken Watanabe (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Murphy. One supporting cast member, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, almost outshines DiCaprio in the film, showing his acting capabilities
far surpass romantic comedies.
 
A unique film that carries as many twists and turns as a game of cat’s cradle, Inception will have your heart pounding and your mind wondering about what will happen when you sleep tonight.
 
Best advice: Go to the bathroom before the film starts so you don’t miss anything!

Five Heartbeats
 
 
Soon to be DVD Rental: Letters to Juliet – starring Mammia Mia’s Amanda Seyfried and Vanessa Redgrave, the film creates a predictable love story around the real life letter writing spot in Verona, Italy where women leave letters to be answered by Shakespeare’s Juliet. Highlights of the film are Redgrave’s endearing performance and picturesque glimpses at the Italian countryside.
Three Heartbeats

“DESPICABLE” NOT DESPICABLE IN HEART

MovieBeat review from 7/19 radio broadcast
We’ve been seeing commercials since last summer – trailers depicting an unusual man freeze framing harmless customers at a coffee café as he gets his morning coffee.
 
The film, “Despicable Me,” was shown in trailers as a hilarious animated comedy filled with jokes and gags parents and children would love. It had several recognizable names in comedy created the lovable characters and state-of-the art computer graphics.
 
Yet what trailers failed to show was that “Despicable Me” overflows with heart and meaningful lessons in love and life.
 
“Despicable” tells the story of Gru (Steve Carell), the most cunning, meticulous, egotistical villain/thief in the world – yet no one knows about him. His biggest steal was the Times Square JumboTron from New York City.
 
News soon travels that someone has stolen the Pyramids of Gaza and Gru is on a mission to find who is trying to one up him in the thief department.
 
His plans to stop his new arch-nemesis, and steal the moon, are soon hampered by the innocent efforts of three little girls.
 
“Despicable” fell into the same trap as several comedies (both animated and live-action) where the best jokes are those shown on television. The film doesn’t even really get the laughs until the girls enter the picture.
 
What trailers don’t show is the heartfelt storyline of how love can enter into anyone’s life, no matter how cold-hearted or selfish they may be.
 
Parents can teach a lot to their children about Gru’s relationship to the three girls as they both laugh at the sweet humor that is propelled by the characters.
 
Three and a half Heartbeats
 
Classic DVD Rental: “The Long, Hot Summer” – Real life couple, the late Paul Newman, and Joanne Woodward ignite the romance in this William Faulkner tale about love in the South. A timeless summer love story that is intertwined with family turmoil, life expectations and crimes of passion, enough to keep you steamy in the summer heat.
 
Four and a half Heartbeats

“ECLIPSE” ANOTHER WAVE OF SUPERNATURAL MELODRAMA

Movie review from MOVIEBEAT WITH BLAIR radio broadcast – 7/12 (on HeartBeat Radio for Women)

It’s one of the biggest film franchise to hit the box office, closely following Star Wars, Harry Potter and Star Trek.
“Twilight” brought audiences its latest bite into the ongoing love saga of Bella Swan, Edward Cullen and Jacob Black with the release of “Eclipse,” the third book-turned-film in the series.
Where I would like to say with a new director for the third film came a more coherent production of the series, I am sadden to say that not much has improved.
One shining light throughout the whole film was Taylor Lautner as Jacob, who seems to have moved past just being the buff body in the film (though he still has it) to show he has the talent to boot.
He put shame to his lead castmates by demonstrating that you can actually make Twilight dialogue believable and not something you read out of a Harlequin romance novel.
“Eclipse” picks up where the second film, “New Moon,” left off, as Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) continue their sugary sweet romance.
Lurking in the shadows is still Bella’s vampire enemy, revenge-seeking Victoria (now played by Bryce Dallas Howard), along with a still lovesick Jacob (Lautner) who continues to walk around shirtless as he pines for Bella.
The film still keeps a firm grasp on the swoon-worthy moments between Edward and Bella, with Pattinson improving slightly on his portrayal of Edward with Stewart faltering even more on her portrayal of Bella (the girl doesn’t know what to do with her hands during emotional scenes).
Action scenes were more intense and believable in the film and overshadowed several scenes of important dialogue from the book that didn’t pan out too much on the screen.
Some actors stepped up to the plate as their characters were explored more in the film – Jackson Rathbone as Jasper, Nikki Reed as Rosalie – but no one is able to top the enterprising talent of Lautner. Is it too soon to say he could be the next Matthew McConaguhey?
The final verdict: Different elements of this film have improved from its predecessors but Twilight’s “Eclipse” still caters to tweens and their moms.
Three Heartbeats
 
DVD Rental: The Wolfman – Universal’s latest remake of the classic story ‘Wolfman’ starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt. Though there are one too many blood- filled attacks in the film, the suspenseful plot and impressive performances from the three leads help make the film not a total gore-fest.
Three and a Half Heartbeats

Experiencing the Lightning

Baseball is in full “swing” this summer with Leesburg’s own Collegiate Summer League baseball team, the Leesburg Lightning,  already halfway through their season with some wins and some losses.

We recently had on our LAKE Magazine Hour the former MLB pitcher and current Lightning coach Frank Viola. He told us on air how the team was doing so far this season and how much he enjoyed helping the young men on his team reach their full potential on the field.

Hearing his passion and admiration for what he does with the Lightning, along with talk of the amazing support from the cowbell-ringing fans, led me to spend a Friday evening watching a home game.

Although it was quite balmy outside, the excitement encouraged me to stay and watching how the team fared against strong competition from the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs. Fans cheered, hollered, chanted and rang every kind of noisy instrument they could in support of their boys.

Many of the fans knew the players by name (which showed their interest in the team since players didn’t have their names on the back of their uniforms) so it brought more of the homegrown encouragement to the game.

As for the team itself, the players had their slip-ups here and there but overall worked as a team to make for some great double plays and impressive catches. Of course whenever the team made a great play or hit a decent ground ball, the 100-120 fan capacity were almost in hysterics with praise.

Sadly the team lost in extra innings to the Diamond Dawgs, ending the game at a score of 11-10 Dawgs. However, the loss will only prompt the team (and Mr. Viola) to reassess what needs to be done to improve for their next game. They are two-time champions for a reason!

I’d be interested in going again to another game as it definitely felt like I journeyed back into another time when evenings were spent with your family in the summer air and not in front of a television, computer or phone separated from one another.

To learn of future home games for the Leesburg Lightning, visit their Web site at www.leesburglightning.com .   

Clumsy “Grown Ups” More Stand Up than Story (Moviebeat with Blair)

You couldn’t help but be interesting when you first heard the talented line-up for the film “Grown Ups” – Adam Sandler, David Spade, Kevin James, Chris Rock and Rob Schneider, not to mention Salma Hayek, Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph as some of the men’s wives.

 However, “Grown Ups” never seemed to mature past being a film with just a bunch of guys sitting around talking about the good old days. Side stories to help connect the movie together only make the story more confusing and awkward, just like a few of the leads.

 At the start of “Grown Ups,” we are first introduced to the five male leads as 12-year-old boys who win a basketball championship by working together as a team and as friends.

 Thirty years later, the now grown men are brought together again for the funeral of their beloved basketball coach and decide to make it a weekend together with their families.

 Let the debauchery and bathroom humor begin. No territory is sacred or off-limits, so be prepared.

 Although there are a few laughs to be had here and there, the overall film is nothing more than a joke competition between the five actors (who are all friends in real life).

 The supporting cast of Hayek and Bello as some of the leads’ “hot” wives only further the disappointment audience may feel for the film as the actresses try hard to save “Grown Ups” with no help in sight.

 If you are a Sandler fan or a fan of the other leads, you might be the most disappointed of all as this was the worst film to come from any of the five’s movie resumes. Even “Billy Madison” and “Deuce Biglow” had more story flow than this film did.

 Go only to see “Grown Ups” if you want to spend an afternoon laughing at mindless, stand-up humor but the comical magic is not to be found in this film.  

 Two Heartbeats

DVD Rental: GI Joe – The Rise of Cobra– starring Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans and Sienna Miller. Based on the popular action figure and television series, GI Joe is chocked full of cliché dialogue, over-the-top action and truly “character” actors with no sense of believability. One bright spot is the humorous Wayans who makes the most of his one-dimensional Ripcord character.

Two Heartbeats