Recommendations: January 11

Gangster Squad - This one was supposed to be released in September, but had the date delayed due to the Batman shooting.  Starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and Sean Penn, it's set in the 1940s and 50s and is about gangsters and cops.  I want to see this so badly.

Quartet - Sadly this one's only getting a limited release, but it still looks funny.  Dustin Hoffman's directoral debut, it's about a group of opera singers in a retirement home preparing for their annual concert. Oh, and it stars Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, and Michael Gambon.

Struck by Lightning - Another limited release, but an important one at that.  Struck by Lightning is written by and stars Glee's Chris Colfer, and is about a guy who is struck and killed by lightning and his life before it.  A friend of mine has read the book and says it's amazing.

Frankenweenie - The latest adaptation of Frankenstein this one follows a young boy, Victor, as he reanimates his beloved dog, Sparky.  It was cute, a definite return to some of the more classic Tim Burton films.

Dredd - The newest take on the Judge Dredd comics, this one received better ratings than the first.  I haven't seen it yet, but I do really want to.

House at the End of the Street - The best thing that this horror film has going for it is Jennifer Lawrence.  She plays a girl who's just moved to a new town and discovered that there was a murder in the house next door to hers.  Horror ensues.

Game Change - This TV movie has a lot of big names attached to it - including Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, and Woody Harrelson - and follows John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, with a heavy focus on his running mate, Sarah Palin.

Struck by Lightning - Speaking of the book, let's just outright recommend it here.  Check out the book, also written by Chris Colfer.  Because why wouldn't you want to read about a guy who was struck by lightning? It's a great read!

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat Loaf, Charles Gray

Director: Jim Sharman

Genre: Comedy, Musical

Rating: A+

If you somehow don't already know The Rocky Horror Picture Show my recommendation is to go and check it out now.  An update of the classic Frankenstein story, this one is one of the few to really take the idea and go in a completely different direction.  Here we have newly engaged, rather vanilla couple Brad (Bostwick) and Janet (Sarandon) are on their way to see Dr. Everett Scott (Adams) when their car breaks down, so they go to the nearest house looking for a phone (this is well before the advent of cell phones).  There they find the eccentric and mad Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Curry), a transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania, and his attendees, namely Riff Raff (O'Brien), Magenta (Quinn), and Columbia (Campbell).  Dr. Frank is a scientist who has made a man, Rocky Horror (Hinwood), although there is talk of another man, Eddie (Loaf).  Overseeing and narrating the whole thing is the Criminologist (Grey).

The thing I like most about this movie is the fact that every time you watch it you notice some other little thing about it.  While a total B-flick at best - or, really a parody of B-flicks - it's also horribly intricate and has all these little details to it.  There's something new to notice every time you watch it.  It's about more than just transvestites, aliens, cross-dressing, and songs - that's all very much in the foreground, but there is more going on.

Actually, that's a lie.  That's not my favourite part about this film, although it's up there.  My favourite part is the music.  The movie in general is fun, if not really weird and at times a bit confusing, and that's largely because of the music.  The soundtrack is just fun and there isn't a single song in it that doesn't serve a great purpose.  The best part here is the fact that the eclecticness of some of the music really embraces the eclecticness of the overall film.  It's really all over the place, but in Rocky Horror it somehow works.  The fact that this is meant to be a parody just makes things better.  It covers both the B-flicks and in a way life in general.  Looking at it - a movie about a singing transvestite who creates a man while basically holding two strangers hostage before things all go to shit - you wouldn't expect it to say anything really profound, but the more you watch it the more you start to see this kind of commentary.  There's a reason it's the longest-running release film in history.  It's something you want to see in theatres on the big screen, and not just because of the audience participation.

Recommendations: October 5

Frankenweenie - I'm really excited about this movie, which I'm sure will mean that it's going to be horrible.  Frankenweenie is the latest from Tim Burton, but is based on an short that he did before he became famous and doesn't feature Johnny Depp.  This could be the return to Tim Burton awesomeness that I hope for every time I go to see a trailer for the next new Tim Burton movie.

Butter - This movie is about butter carving.  I honestly don't really know anything else about it, but I want to see it just because the idea of a butter carving based comedy intrigues me.

The Oranges - This one's about the prodigal Ostroff daughter (Leighton Meester) who has an affair with the head of the Walling family (Hugh Laurie), and how their families, who have an enduring friendship, deal.

Dark Shadows - The last Tim Burton movie to come out, I actually enjoyed this one.  It could have been better, but meh. I'm a fan.  I would say it's definitely a good Halloween film, especially if you're not a big horror fan.

People Like Us - Another one of those movies that went in a few interesting places.  I'm not exactly sure if People Like Us met all of my expectations, and I definitely didn't like a few of the directions that it went (or at least tried to go in), but overall I found it enjoyable.  If you haven't seen it yet, check it out now.

The Casual Vacancy - Did you know there's a new J.K. Rowling book out?  If you didn't, go check it out now.  If you did and you haven't, what are you waiting for? Unlike the Harry Potter books, The Casual Vacancy is for adults and follows the little town of Pagford following the unexpected death of Barry Fairbrother.