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Juno, a review by Jon

Juno ****
4 out of 5

Juno (Ellen Page) is 16 years old and pregnant. She can't bring herself to have an abortion, so she decides to continue the pregnancy for a childless couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman).

This isn't the sort of film I'd normally go for, but I've heard so much about Diablo Cody's script that I wanted to see it. I really enjoyed it for that reason. It's humble, but very sharp, unpredictable, smart and frequently funny. I don't know any 16 year-olds, let alone pregnant ones, but I think the average teenager should be pleased by this adult representation. It doesn't feel as accurate as a John Hughe's Breakfast Club, but if all teens were this well grounded, even while experimenting against better judgment, the world would be a happier place. Perhaps it's a bit of a fantasy in that respect, but a fun one at least.

Ellen Page is particularly good. She's a smart-arse and every other line is quote worthy, but while any decent actress can deliver a zinger or ten, Page also puts across the emotion and the story has a poignancy because of that. Juno, both character and film, never get too clever for their own good. The rest of the cast are all solid too, well served by characters that refuse to be conventional. And it's reassuringly positive; J.K. Simmons is great as Juno's dad anyway, but the moment he finds out about the pregnancy is fantastic. Michael Cera is great too. The overview calls him "charmingly unassuming" and I can't think of a better way to put it.

In keeping with the overall tone, the ending is realistic. It isn't a neat, happy ever after fantasy, but dependable optimism. It is a wonderful example of a very good script being brought to life by brilliant, honest acting throughout.

(From Jon's Random Reviews on August 30th, 2009)

The Silence of the Lambs, a review by Eric

The Silence of the Lambs




Overview:My Thoughts:  What could I possibly write about this movie that hasn't already been said many times and in a much better way.  Although I've seen it many times and know what's gonna happen I can still feel the tension when I watch it. 

The Blu-Ray version is definitely worth buying.

A perfect score



(From Eric's 2009 "Best Effort" October Horror Marathon. on October 4th, 2009)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

Game Over
GAME OVER is the critically hailed CGI animated comedy set in the world of video games. The comedy revolves around the Smashenburns, you typical video game family.

Rip (Patrick Warburton of "Seinfeld" and "The Tick") is a race car driver who's better at crashing than crossing the finish line. His wife, Raquel (Lucy Liu), struggles to balance her responsibilities as a mom with her career as a secret agent in search of the emerald monkey. Yet every day the biggest challenge these parents face is with their kids.

Alice (Rachel Dratch of "Saturday Night Live") is a teen with supreme angst. And Billy (E.G. Daily of "Powerpuff Girls") is a trend obsessed mook in love with an anime exchange student.

To complicate matters, they adopt Turbo (Artie Lange of "The Howard Stern Show"), a fat, purple cigar smoking pet of undetermined origin to bring the family together.

They're the first family of video games, glitches and all.

Meet the Smashenburns
The Smashenburns are worried that the family is breaking away from each other, causing them to go their separate ways. This inspires the family to buy a new pet, which might bring them back together again. A 300-pound creature, with the ability to speak is brought into the family. They name it "Turbo." This creature gets urges to perform a crime and a need for cigars.

My Thoughts:
Another fun animated series. One that didn't last long at all. It makes a family (and neighborhood) of video game characters. While it is fun I understand why it didn't last long. The whole idea of it gets a little old after a while. But over all a series I am glad I added to my collection. Is a fun watch when you are in the mood.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on January 26th, 2010)