The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Which genre would you prefer?

hmmm.... i'd say horror would be most intriguing to see next. and then sci-fi. but do as you wish

[Steve46]

Today's blog entry is almost certain to go ignored because of the title:

Freedom Writers (drama, biography, crime)
Directed by Richard LaGravenese
Starring Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Imelda Staunton and Scott Glenn

Paramount Pictures | 2007 | 122 min | Rated PG-13 | Released May 22, 2007

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4.5/5

It's unlikely that many people know about Freedom Writers. The title makes it sound boring; how can writing be an exciting spectacle? The other problem is the first 30 minutes of the movie. It's almost exactly what you would expect and covers familiar ground. There's a chance it would lose viewers who think that the whole movie is going to be predictable.

It isn't.

The movie opens with riot scenes in Los Angeles and we hear a brief narration from one of the key characters, Eva (April Lee Hernandez). It shows her father being wrongly-convicted of a crime. This event confirms in her mind that she is right to hate all white people (as the cops were white) and anyone from another culture. She's a member of a gang and happy with her role in life.

Then we meet Erin Gruwell (Swank), who is a first-time teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School. She teaches English and is naive about what she'll face in the classroom. She believes that none of the rules apply to her because she cares, and that she can succeed where everyone else has failed. She thinks she can change the world. The movie is based on a true story and the real Erin Gruwell is interviewed for the movie's special features.

Gruwell's first day is a rough one. The desks and books she has to work with are old and falling apart and a fight breaks out during her first lesson. The class is divided into groups: there's one white kid and groups of black, Latino and Cambodian kids. They hate each other and don't want to sit near anyone not in their ethnic group.

How do you go about breaking down those boundaries? It's no different outside the classroom. There's division and hatred everywhere.

Gruwell starts to think of ways to connect with the kids. She starts by trying music, thinking it could unite them. Then she changes the seating arrangements and breaks up the groups. Some of the students stop attending.

There's an incident in a local store one night in which Eva witnesses a murder. Her culture requires her to lie and blame someone else. The resolution is an important part of the movie, but I won't reveal it here.

So we're 30 minutes into the story and all we have seen is a fairly predictable setup. But stick with it. This is where things start to improve. The power of the story is in the methods Gruwell uses to unite these kids. A drawing is passed around in class, showing a kid with big lips. Everyone laughs, apart from the target of the joke. Gruwell is outraged and compares the drawing to the drawings of Jews made by the Nazi's, calling the Nazi's the greatest gang of all time. She mentions the Holocaust and someone asks what it was. She's shocked and discovers that only one student has heard of it.

Think about that for a moment. How would you try and connect with people who had such limited knowledge? Their immediate world is dangerous and that's all that they care about. Living another day is a little victory for them. She asks anyone who has been shot at to raise their hand and almost everyone does.

Next class, she tapes a line in the middle of the classroom floor. She makes a game of it by asking people to step up to the line if they answer yes to a series of questions. The questions become increasingly serious: Do you know someone in a gang? Who has lost someone to gang violence? More than one? Some have lost four or more. The different ethnic groups step up to the line and stare at those opposite them. These people do have something in common after all.

Her colleagues won't let her give the kids new books because they will likely destroy them, but Gruwell takes a second job and buys them anyway. She gives each student a journal, on the condition that they write in it every day. She won't read it unless they give permission, but there's a secure cupboard to put it in if anyone does want her to read what they have written. Her husband isn't happy that she's taken a second job and is sick of hearing about what she does at school.

Parents' night arrives and nobody shows. She's about to leave, but checks the cupboard first. It's full of journals. We are gradually shown the stories behind many of the kids and what they have to live with each day. It's probably the first time they have ever opened up to anybody. The stories are powerful and feel real. She gains a deeper understanding of her students.

The kids are awed when she presents them with new books. Then she arranges a school trip, but has to take a weekend job to finance it herself. Her husband is even more unhappy. The trip is to a museum commemorating the Holocaust. Her father goes with her and the kids all behave. The museum experience touches them deeply when they see how many died. Many of the victims were just a few years old. It's important for them to see where their actions might lead and how misguided their reasoning is. She definitely makes a connection.

I have found that if you give someone with a bad reputation a chance to be a better person, they usually respond positively. That's exactly what happens in Freedom Writers.

It would be wrong of me to outline the entire story, but I wanted to go into enough depth to describe just how powerful and important this movie is. Gruwell achieved something significant, and you'll see the impact she had if you watch the movie. Her methods have been widely introduced in schools throughout America.

It's incredible to see what can be achieved when people work together instead of wasting their time hating others. Racism is one of the biggest problems in today's world. Although there have been improvements, there's a long way to go. What is the answer? It's easy to say that the problem is too vast to ever be eradicated, but people like Gruwell have made a tiny dent by refusing to give up.

How do you unite the entire world when it's divided by wealth, religion and politics? I'm not sure it will ever happen, but almost anything would be possible if it could be done. Maybe if the human race was threatened by malevolent aliens and was forced to work together? It has to start somewhere. What better place than in schools? It's not easy because patterns of behavior become ingrained and older generations pass on their beliefs to their children.

Swank was superb in the role of Erin Gruwell. I'm always impressed by her acting, but I think this is my favorite role of hers. Freedom Writers is an uplifting film and inspires hope and change. The actors playing the students had very little experience and were chosen because their lives were similar to those depicted in the movie. I think they did a great job and a few will go on to better things.

I think I've watched Freedom Writers four times this year. Don't be put off by the title or the first 30 minutes. If you like drama, this is one of the best you're likely to see.

Video Quality 4/5
The Blu-ray was released in 2007, but it looks pretty good. The image is damage-free, bright, and has good detail throughout. It doesn't match some of the recent releases, but there's no reason to complain about the picture quality.

Audio Quality 3.5/5
The dated Dolby Digital 5.1 track sounds about as good as a compressed audio track can. Music is heavily featured and comes across well. Dialogue is clear and the surrounds are frequently used during scenes portraying conflict. Don't avoid this release just because it doesn't have lossless audio.

Special Features 3/5

All of the special features are in standard definition with the exception of the theatrical trailer.

Commentary with Richard LaGravenese and Hilary Swank

Deleted Scenes (11:01) - There's a few good scenes which should have made it into the film. One is a class trip to see Schindler's List and kicks off a sequence which ends in a restaurant. It shows how supportive Gruwell's father became.

Making a Dream (5:25) - Showing how the main theme song was created and how the movie affected the creators.

Freedom Writers Family (19:21) - Director and cast talking about the script and how their trip to the Museum of Tolerance helped them bond.

Freedom Writers: The Story Behind the Story (10:03) - Director, cast and crew are joined by the real Erin Gruwell and talk about the situation in Long Beach.

Trailer (2:31)

Freedom Writers is a rewarding movie for anyone who likes emotional drama. Swank and the young cast draw you in and it's hard not to empathize with their situations. This should be mandatory viewing in schools and would be a valuable part of any lesson plan for teachers. It's also an important movie with a strong message. Just viewing it could have an impact on the way you view the world and make a tiny difference in the fight against racism. I hope that you give it a try.

The Blu-ray is out of print, but still easy to track down. Don't wait too long to pick it up if you end up liking the story.

Overall score 4/5

[Foggy]

Apocalypse Now (Theatrical)

It's obvious what score I'm going to give it considering I put it on my Top 15 not too long ago. However, I'll go into a little bit of detail as to what I like about it.

It's a film that is the definition of perfectly crafted, every scene builds up suspense, atmosphere, character and dread. Even the quieter scenes wind up ending with bows and arrows being shot out the jungle or Tigers attacking. It's a film that en wraps you into the feel of war, it's the most immersive film I've seen, and that is why I love it. Everything plays to affecting you, the lighting (mostly lack of it) the idea of hearing guns and explosions somewhere yet not seeing them. It's a chilling film that not even the synthesizer score can take away from you

I could go on a lot more, but I'm leaving that to this weekend when I'll watch the Redux version.

10/10

PQ - By the way I forgot the rate Moon on it's Blu-Ray-ness. Sometimes the transfer will blow you away, making you question that the film was made over 30 years ago, however, every now and again (best example of this is a crazy close up of Marlon Brando's face near the end) it'll look like they just couldn't be bothered with a few scenes. - 9.5/10

AQ - Blown away by this as well 10/10

The whole set (considering all the special features and collectibles) - 11/10

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

hmmm.... i'd say horror would be most intriguing to see next. and then sci-fi. but do as you wish

I figured out my Top 10 Horror and the order. I'll write 6-10 tomorrow.

[iam1bearcat]

The Matrix

129 minutes

Year: 1999
Director: Andy Wachowksi & Lana Wachowski
Writer: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Jeanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving

Another blind buy as I picked up The Ultimate Matrix Collection yesterday for 25 bucks.

Yes, I am only 12 years behind the eight-ball!

Very neat, very interesting, well made, terrifically directed, solidly acted and the story unfolds in a way that is easy to understand and yet, gets more and more complex with each passing scene.

I can easily see influences that Nolan ripped-off… eh… I mean borrowed… for Inception - mainly, the large amount of exposition going on at the beginning of the film getting us up to date with what the hell is going on.

Still surprised this made so much money seeing as how most of the world doesn’t like having to think at the theaters!

Keanue Reeves in probably his second best role (behind Speed) and he seems perfectly cast as someone who is confused, overly tired and lost in a maze of confusion for most of the film. But it helps that that’s just how Keanue Reeves always is.

Fishburne is awesome as Morpheus.

Fight scenes are very cool and well delivered. Last one of course, is the best.

I liked the atmosphere and “world” the Wachowksi’s have created here, but never loved it. Almost every scene has a hint or hue of green, some more than others. I wonder if that serves a purpose or not.

Highly enjoyable action, sci-fi with plenty of smarts and memorable moments. Was nice to finally see what is regarded as a modern classic, even if I may not entirely agree. At least not after one viewing, but I can definitely see how mind blowing this must have been in 1999!

PQ: 4.5/5
AQ: 4.5/5

The Film: 4/5

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I figured out my Top 10 Horror and the order. I'll write 6-10 tomorrow.

ohhhh! anxious to see this!

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Today's blog entry is almost certain to go ignored because of the title:

Freedom Writers (drama, biography, crime)
Directed by Richard LaGravenese
Starring Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Imelda Staunton and Scott Glenn

Paramount Pictures | 2007 | 122 min | Rated PG-13 | Released May 22, 2007

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4.5/5

[Show spoiler]
It's unlikely that many people know about Freedom Writers. The title makes it sound boring; how can writing be an exciting spectacle? The other problem is the first 30 minutes of the movie. It's almost exactly what you would expect and covers familiar ground. There's a chance it would lose viewers who think that the whole movie is going to be predictable.

It isn't.

The movie opens with riot scenes in Los Angeles and we hear a brief narration from one of the key characters, Eva (April Lee Hernandez). It shows her father being wrongly-convicted of a crime. This event confirms in her mind that she is right to hate all white people (as the cops were white) and anyone from another culture. She's a member of a gang and happy with her role in life.

Then we meet Erin Gruwell (Swank), who is a first-time teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School. She teaches English and is naive about what she'll face in the classroom. She believes that none of the rules apply to her because she cares, and that she can succeed where everyone else has failed. She thinks she can change the world. The movie is based on a true story and the real Erin Gruwell is interviewed for the movie's special features.

Gruwell's first day is a rough one. The desks and books she has to work with are old and falling apart and a fight breaks out during her first lesson. The class is divided into groups: there's one white kid and groups of black, Latino and Cambodian kids. They hate each other and don't want to sit near anyone not in their ethnic group.

How do you go about breaking down those boundaries? It's no different outside the classroom. There's division and hatred everywhere.

Gruwell starts to think of ways to connect with the kids. She starts by trying music, thinking it could unite them. Then she changes the seating arrangements and breaks up the groups. Some of the students stop attending.

There's an incident in a local store one night in which Eva witnesses a murder. Her culture requires her to lie and blame someone else. The resolution is an important part of the movie, but I won't reveal it here.

So we're 30 minutes into the story and all we have seen is a fairly predictable setup. But stick with it. This is where things start to improve. The power of the story is in the methods Gruwell uses to unite these kids. A drawing is passed around in class, showing a kid with big lips. Everyone laughs, apart from the target of the joke. Gruwell is outraged and compares the drawing to the drawings of Jews made by the Nazi's, calling the Nazi's the greatest gang of all time. She mentions the Holocaust and someone asks what it was. She's shocked and discovers that only one student has heard of it.

Think about that for a moment. How would you try and connect with people who had such limited knowledge? Their immediate world is dangerous and that's all that they care about. Living another day is a little victory for them. She asks anyone who has been shot at to raise their hand and almost everyone does.

Next class, she tapes a line in the middle of the classroom floor. She makes a game of it by asking people to step up to the line if they answer yes to a series of questions. The questions become increasingly serious: Do you know someone in a gang? Who has lost someone to gang violence? More than one? Some have lost four or more. The different ethnic groups step up to the line and stare at those opposite them. These people do have something in common after all.

Her colleagues won't let her give the kids new books because they will likely destroy them, but Gruwell takes a second job and buys them anyway. She gives each student a journal, on the condition that they write in it every day. She won't read it unless they give permission, but there's a secure cupboard to put it in if anyone does want her to read what they have written. Her husband isn't happy that she's taken a second job and is sick of hearing about what she does at school.

Parents' night arrives and nobody shows. She's about to leave, but checks the cupboard first. It's full of journals. We are gradually shown the stories behind many of the kids and what they have to live with each day. It's probably the first time they have ever opened up to anybody. The stories are powerful and feel real. She gains a deeper understanding of her students.

The kids are awed when she presents them with new books. Then she arranges a school trip, but has to take a weekend job to finance it herself. Her husband is even more unhappy. The trip is to a museum commemorating the Holocaust. Her father goes with her and the kids all behave. The museum experience touches them deeply when they see how many died. Many of the victims were just a few years old. It's important for them to see where their actions might lead and how misguided their reasoning is. She definitely makes a connection.

I have found that if you give someone with a bad reputation a chance to be a better person, they usually respond positively. That's exactly what happens in Freedom Writers.

It would be wrong of me to outline the entire story, but I wanted to go into enough depth to describe just how powerful and important this movie is. Gruwell achieved something significant, and you'll see the impact she had if you watch the movie. Her methods have been widely introduced in schools throughout America.

It's incredible to see what can be achieved when people work together instead of wasting their time hating others. Racism is one of the biggest problems in today's world. Although there have been improvements, there's a long way to go. What is the answer? It's easy to say that the problem is too vast to ever be eradicated, but people like Gruwell have made a tiny dent by refusing to give up.

How do you unite the entire world when it's divided by wealth, religion and politics? I'm not sure it will ever happen, but almost anything would be possible if it could be done. Maybe if the human race was threatened by malevolent aliens and was forced to work together? It has to start somewhere. What better place than in schools? It's not easy because patterns of behavior become ingrained and older generations pass on their beliefs to their children.

Swank was superb in the role of Erin Gruwell. I'm always impressed by her acting, but I think this is my favorite role of hers. Freedom Writers is an uplifting film and inspires hope and change. The actors playing the students had very little experience and were chosen because their lives were similar to those depicted in the movie. I think they did a great job and a few will go on to better things.

I think I've watched Freedom Writers four times this year. Don't be put off by the title or the first 30 minutes. If you like drama, this is one of the best you're likely to see.

Video Quality 4/5
The Blu-ray was released in 2007, but it looks pretty good. The image is damage-free, bright, and has good detail throughout. It doesn't match some of the recent releases, but there's no reason to complain about the picture quality.

Audio Quality 3.5/5
The dated Dolby Digital 5.1 track sounds about as good as a compressed audio track can. Music is heavily featured and comes across well. Dialogue is clear and the surrounds are frequently used during scenes portraying conflict. Don't avoid this release just because it doesn't have lossless audio.

Special Features 3/5

All of the special features are in standard definition with the exception of the theatrical trailer.

Commentary with Richard LaGravenese and Hilary Swank

Deleted Scenes (11:01) - There's a few good scenes which should have made it into the film. One is a class trip to see Schindler's List and kicks off a sequence which ends in a restaurant. It shows how supportive Gruwell's father became.

Making a Dream (5:25) - Showing how the main theme song was created and how the movie affected the creators.

Freedom Writers Family (19:21) - Director and cast talking about the script and how their trip to the Museum of Tolerance helped them bond.

Freedom Writers: The Story Behind the Story (10:03) - Director, cast and crew are joined by the real Erin Gruwell and talk about the situation in Long Beach.

Trailer (2:31)

Freedom Writers is a rewarding movie for anyone who likes emotional drama. Swank and the young cast draw you in and it's hard not to empathize with their situations. This should be mandatory viewing in schools and would be a valuable part of any lesson plan for teachers. It's also an important movie with a strong message. Just viewing it could have an impact on the way you view the world and make a tiny difference in the fight against racism. I hope that you give it a try.

The Blu-ray is out of print, but still easy to track down. Don't wait too long to pick it up if you end up liking the story.

Overall score 4/5

Time to surprise you. I have seen this twice on DVD and liked it both times. I've never really worried about buying it on Blu-ray, but I do think it's pretty good.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by killowertz

Time to surprise you. I have seen this twice on DVD and liked it both times. I've never really worried about buying it on Blu-ray, but I do think it's pretty good.

Wow, I didn't expect anyone to read it

Glad you like it.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I figured out my Top 10 Horror and the order. I'll write 6-10 tomorrow.

Nice. Love me some horror.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Wow, I didn't expect anyone to read it

Glad you like it.

You made that quite clear in your review.

Thanks. It's a shame it is out of print as, while I said I've never been worried about buying it, I wouldn't have minded buying it cheap sometime down the line if I was in the mood to see it again. Really the best option at the moment would be eBay or Amazon Marketplace since Bestbuy.com's price is a ridiculous $24.99.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by killowertz

You made that quite clear in your review.

Thanks. It's a shame it is out of print as, while I said I've never been worried about buying it, I wouldn't have minded buying it cheap sometime down the line if I was in the mood to see it again. Really the best option at the moment would be eBay or Amazon Marketplace since Bestbuy.com's price is a ridiculous $24.99.

Maybe a better release with lossless audio is coming?

[iam1bearcat]

The Guardian

132 minutes

Year: 2006
Director: Andrew Davis
Writer: Ron L. Brinkerhoff
Starring: Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, Sela Ward, Melissa Sagemiller, and Neal McDonough

I remember watching this in 2006 and being incredibly impressed by it. And while it’s not the best or most memorable film, it’s a solid all around picture brought to us by Disney that does what Disney does best - gives us a solid feel-good, at times heart-pounding, emotional story with moments of humor. Nothing risqué, nothing too violent or graphic, and I don’t think even a single word of “not for children” dialogue is uttered! The pinnacle of Disney and “family friendly” films but with a serious story, but a hero tale.

After watching it again this afternoon for the first time since 2006, it’s pretty much everything I remember it being then. Although, being older and “wiser” now I chuckle at the typical overly sentimental Disney music they smother over their films of this nature. My feelings on the film haven’t dropped. I still like it a lot, and it seems like a film that got reviews at best, but I enjoy it.

The story is of a young hot shot high school swim champ (Jake “Goldfish” played by Kutcher) who is attempting to become a member of the Coast Guard and is taught by what many consider the greatest member of the Coast Guard ever, Ben Randall (Kevin Costner). While it would appear that Kutcher is the main character, the story spends most of its time focusing on Ben and his career and personal life.

The film is definitely longer than I remember it being and since the majority of the film takes place in the training stages of the Coast Guard school, I’m sure many feel this could have been trimmed significantly, but I found it fascinating what they go through. I always enjoyed swimming when I was younger, but sucked terribly at it, so I couldn’t imagine doing 1/100 of what they do. And that’s just training!

Very glad to be able to pick this up for $8 the other day

Acting is generally solid. Only a few times it seemed like Kutcher was either trying too hard or just generally seemed to pronounce a line of dialogue in an odd fashion, but otherwise, like most of his films, I can more than tolerate him. I have no issue with him. Costner was solid, but again, no one was spectacular.

Rescue operations are hectic, claustrophobic, well paced and well directed. The blu-ray also looks solid and sounds pretty damn good. The only issue visually is that you can definitely see where a green screen was used (as if it wasn’t obvious they didn’t film over terrible sea storms) and the blu-ray really exposes that. Oh well.

PQ: 3.5/5
AQ: 4.5/5

The Film: 4/5

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Today's blog entry is almost certain to go ignored because of the title:

Freedom Writers (drama, biography, crime)
Directed by Richard LaGravenese
Starring Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Imelda Staunton and Scott Glenn

[Show spoiler]Paramount Pictures | 2007 | 122 min | Rated PG-13 | Released May 22, 2007

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:
English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film 4.5/5

It's unlikely that many people know about Freedom Writers. The title makes it sound boring; how can writing be an exciting spectacle? The other problem is the first 30 minutes of the movie. It's almost exactly what you would expect and covers familiar ground. There's a chance it would lose viewers who think that the whole movie is going to be predictable.

It isn't.

The movie opens with riot scenes in Los Angeles and we hear a brief narration from one of the key characters, Eva (April Lee Hernandez). It shows her father being wrongly-convicted of a crime. This event confirms in her mind that she is right to hate all white people (as the cops were white) and anyone from another culture. She's a member of a gang and happy with her role in life.

Then we meet Erin Gruwell (Swank), who is a first-time teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School. She teaches English and is naive about what she'll face in the classroom. She believes that none of the rules apply to her because she cares, and that she can succeed where everyone else has failed. She thinks she can change the world. The movie is based on a true story and the real Erin Gruwell is interviewed for the movie's special features.

Gruwell's first day is a rough one. The desks and books she has to work with are old and falling apart and a fight breaks out during her first lesson. The class is divided into groups: there's one white kid and groups of black, Latino and Cambodian kids. They hate each other and don't want to sit near anyone not in their ethnic group.

How do you go about breaking down those boundaries? It's no different outside the classroom. There's division and hatred everywhere.

Gruwell starts to think of ways to connect with the kids. She starts by trying music, thinking it could unite them. Then she changes the seating arrangements and breaks up the groups. Some of the students stop attending.

There's an incident in a local store one night in which Eva witnesses a murder. Her culture requires her to lie and blame someone else. The resolution is an important part of the movie, but I won't reveal it here.

So we're 30 minutes into the story and all we have seen is a fairly predictable setup. But stick with it. This is where things start to improve. The power of the story is in the methods Gruwell uses to unite these kids. A drawing is passed around in class, showing a kid with big lips. Everyone laughs, apart from the target of the joke. Gruwell is outraged and compares the drawing to the drawings of Jews made by the Nazi's, calling the Nazi's the greatest gang of all time. She mentions the Holocaust and someone asks what it was. She's shocked and discovers that only one student has heard of it.

Think about that for a moment. How would you try and connect with people who had such limited knowledge? Their immediate world is dangerous and that's all that they care about. Living another day is a little victory for them. She asks anyone who has been shot at to raise their hand and almost everyone does.

Next class, she tapes a line in the middle of the classroom floor. She makes a game of it by asking people to step up to the line if they answer yes to a series of questions. The questions become increasingly serious: Do you know someone in a gang? Who has lost someone to gang violence? More than one? Some have lost four or more. The different ethnic groups step up to the line and stare at those opposite them. These people do have something in common after all.

Her colleagues won't let her give the kids new books because they will likely destroy them, but Gruwell takes a second job and buys them anyway. She gives each student a journal, on the condition that they write in it every day. She won't read it unless they give permission, but there's a secure cupboard to put it in if anyone does want her to read what they have written. Her husband isn't happy that she's taken a second job and is sick of hearing about what she does at school.

Parents' night arrives and nobody shows. She's about to leave, but checks the cupboard first. It's full of journals. We are gradually shown the stories behind many of the kids and what they have to live with each day. It's probably the first time they have ever opened up to anybody. The stories are powerful and feel real. She gains a deeper understanding of her students.

The kids are awed when she presents them with new books. Then she arranges a school trip, but has to take a weekend job to finance it herself. Her husband is even more unhappy. The trip is to a museum commemorating the Holocaust. Her father goes with her and the kids all behave. The museum experience touches them deeply when they see how many died. Many of the victims were just a few years old. It's important for them to see where their actions might lead and how misguided their reasoning is. She definitely makes a connection.

I have found that if you give someone with a bad reputation a chance to be a better person, they usually respond positively. That's exactly what happens in Freedom Writers.

It would be wrong of me to outline the entire story, but I wanted to go into enough depth to describe just how powerful and important this movie is. Gruwell achieved something significant, and you'll see the impact she had if you watch the movie. Her methods have been widely introduced in schools throughout America.

It's incredible to see what can be achieved when people work together instead of wasting their time hating others. Racism is one of the biggest problems in today's world. Although there have been improvements, there's a long way to go. What is the answer? It's easy to say that the problem is too vast to ever be eradicated, but people like Gruwell have made a tiny dent by refusing to give up.

How do you unite the entire world when it's divided by wealth, religion and politics? I'm not sure it will ever happen, but almost anything would be possible if it could be done. Maybe if the human race was threatened by malevolent aliens and was forced to work together? It has to start somewhere. What better place than in schools? It's not easy because patterns of behavior become ingrained and older generations pass on their beliefs to their children.

Swank was superb in the role of Erin Gruwell. I'm always impressed by her acting, but I think this is my favorite role of hers. Freedom Writers is an uplifting film and inspires hope and change. The actors playing the students had very little experience and were chosen because their lives were similar to those depicted in the movie. I think they did a great job and a few will go on to better things.

I think I've watched Freedom Writers four times this year. Don't be put off by the title or the first 30 minutes. If you like drama, this is one of the best you're likely to see.

Video Quality 4/5
The Blu-ray was released in 2007, but it looks pretty good. The image is damage-free, bright, and has good detail throughout. It doesn't match some of the recent releases, but there's no reason to complain about the picture quality.

Audio Quality 3.5/5
The dated Dolby Digital 5.1 track sounds about as good as a compressed audio track can. Music is heavily featured and comes across well. Dialogue is clear and the surrounds are frequently used during scenes portraying conflict. Don't avoid this release just because it doesn't have lossless audio.

Special Features 3/5

All of the special features are in standard definition with the exception of the theatrical trailer.

Commentary with Richard LaGravenese and Hilary Swank

Deleted Scenes (11:01) - There's a few good scenes which should have made it into the film. One is a class trip to see Schindler's List and kicks off a sequence which ends in a restaurant. It shows how supportive Gruwell's father became.

Making a Dream (5:25) - Showing how the main theme song was created and how the movie affected the creators.

Freedom Writers Family (19:21) - Director and cast talking about the script and how their trip to the Museum of Tolerance helped them bond.

Freedom Writers: The Story Behind the Story (10:03) - Director, cast and crew are joined by the real Erin Gruwell and talk about the situation in Long Beach.

Trailer (2:31)

Freedom Writers is a rewarding movie for anyone who likes emotional drama. Swank and the young cast draw you in and it's hard not to empathize with their situations. This should be mandatory viewing in schools and would be a valuable part of any lesson plan for teachers. It's also an important movie with a strong message. Just viewing it could have an impact on the way you view the world and make a tiny difference in the fight against racism. I hope that you give it a try.

The Blu-ray is out of print, but still easy to track down. Don't wait too long to pick it up if you end up liking the story.

Overall score 4/5

great review Steve! to be honest, i was (probably one of the many) someone who was turned off by the name of the film. the trailer intrigued me, but the name made me second guess what exactly this was, and i never got around to seeing it, but your review definitely makes me want to rent it soon

i'm sure i'd like it better now anyway than if i had watched it when i was younger, so maybe it's a good thing.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

great review Steve! to be honest, i was (probably one of the many) someone who was turned off by the name of the film. the trailer intrigued me, but the name made me second guess what exactly this was, and i never got around to seeing it, but your review definitely makes me want to rent it soon

i'm sure i'd like it better now anyway than if i had watched it when i was younger, so maybe it's a good thing.

It has a good message and rapidly improves for the last 90 minutes.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Maybe a better release with lossless audio is coming?

I wouldn't count on it. You would think Paramount would have done that with some of their other early releases like Aeon Flux and Shooter by now if they were going to.

[Marcus Wright]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Matrix

[Show spoiler]129 minutes

Year: 1999
Director: Andy Wachowksi & Lana Wachowski
Writer: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Jeanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving

Another blind buy as I picked up The Ultimate Matrix Collection yesterday for 25 bucks.

Yes, I am only 12 years behind the eight-ball!

Very neat, very interesting, well made, terrifically directed, solidly acted and the story unfolds in a way that is easy to understand and yet, gets more and more complex with each passing scene.

I can easily see influences that Nolan ripped-off… eh… I mean borrowed… for Inception - mainly, the large amount of exposition going on at the beginning of the film getting us up to date with what the hell is going on.

Still surprised this made so much money seeing as how most of the world doesn’t like having to think at the theaters!

Keanue Reeves in probably his second best role (behind Speed) and he seems perfectly cast as someone who is confused, overly tired and lost in a maze of confusion for most of the film. But it helps that that’s just how Keanue Reeves always is.

Fishburne is awesome as Morpheus.

Fight scenes are very cool and well delivered. Last one of course, is the best.

I liked the atmosphere and “world” the Wachowksi’s have created here, but never loved it. Almost every scene has a hint or hue of green, some more than others. I wonder if that serves a purpose or not.

Highly enjoyable action, sci-fi with plenty of smarts and memorable moments. Was nice to finally see what is regarded as a modern classic, even if I may not entirely agree. At least not after one viewing, but I can definitely see how mind blowing this must have been in 1999!

PQ: 4.5/5
AQ: 4.5/5

The Film: 4/5

Really?
I think this is as good as any other action/sci-fi will ever get.

Well I guess its not for you otherwise I cant explain how come you never saw it before. Too bad.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

The Matrix

[Show spoiler]
129 minutes

Year: 1999
Director: Andy Wachowksi & Lana Wachowski
Writer: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Jeanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving

Another blind buy as I picked up The Ultimate Matrix Collection yesterday for 25 bucks.

Yes, I am only 12 years behind the eight-ball!

Very neat, very interesting, well made, terrifically directed, solidly acted and the story unfolds in a way that is easy to understand and yet, gets more and more complex with each passing scene.

I can easily see influences that Nolan ripped-off… eh… I mean borrowed… for Inception - mainly, the large amount of exposition going on at the beginning of the film getting us up to date with what the hell is going on.

Still surprised this made so much money seeing as how most of the world doesn’t like having to think at the theaters!

Keanue Reeves in probably his second best role (behind Speed) and he seems perfectly cast as someone who is confused, overly tired and lost in a maze of confusion for most of the film. But it helps that that’s just how Keanue Reeves always is.

Fishburne is awesome as Morpheus.

Fight scenes are very cool and well delivered. Last one of course, is the best.

I liked the atmosphere and “world” the Wachowksi’s have created here, but never loved it. Almost every scene has a hint or hue of green, some more than others. I wonder if that serves a purpose or not.

[Show spoiler]
Highly enjoyable action, sci-fi with plenty of smarts and memorable moments. Was nice to finally see what is regarded as a modern classic, even if I may not entirely agree. At least not after one viewing, but I can definitely see how mind blowing this must have been in 1999!

PQ: 4.5/5
AQ: 4.5/5

The Film: 4/5

Dude! Green = Matrix World, Blue = Real World.

When I first saw this as a high-schooler, I think 4/5 would have also been my score. It seemed good and all, but I was dissapointed with the ending (didn't realize at the time that there would be sequels). Over the years, my score has settled on a modest 5/5, and the film takes its humble place as my #3 favorite of all time. With each viewing, it seems like there's something new to discover, and the film has never felt old to me.

I have a feeling that you'll dislike the sequels, like most everybody else...

I also don't consider it a complete "Matrix" marathon without the "Animatrix," which should be a part of that box set.

[Steve46]

I'll be revealing my Top 10 horror movies over the next couple of days. With that in mind, hear's today's first blog entry:

The Omen (horror, mystery)
Directed by Richard Donner
Starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick and Billie Whitelaw

20th Century Fox | 1976 | 111 min | Rated R | Released Oct 07, 2008

Video:
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1

Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono

Subtitles:
English SDH, English, Spanish

Disc:
Single 50GB Blu-ray Disc

The Film: 4/5

Modern horror movies are very different from films such as The Omen. Released 35 years ago, the movie wasn't gory and certainly wasn't a slasher movie. It relied on creating suspense and tension and was in the tradition of Hitchcock. The characters have proper motivations for their actions and we are shown what those motivations are. It justifies some of the difficult choices made by Robert Thorn (Peck) as he learns the truth about his son.

Director Richard Donner's next movie was Superman, but The Omen, was easily the biggest project of his career at that point. Peck's involvement proved to be a huge draw and the remainder of the cast was happy to join the project.

The story opens in Rome. Thorn is the American ambassador and his wife, Katherine (Remick), is giving birth in hospital. The doctors tell him that his baby has died, but offer him another baby who lost its mother during the birth. Thorn reluctantly accepts, but hides the fact from his wife. Thorn is made ambassador to Britain and the family relocates to London. Things seem normal until Damien is five years old, when his nanny commits suicide at his birthday party.

Father Brennan, a priest from Rome, pays Thorn a visit. He claims that Thorn must take communion and accept Christ if he is to fight the son of the devil. Thorn dismisses him as a lunatic.

A new nanny, Mrs. Baylock (Whitelaw), shows up at the house to take care of Damien, but the Thorn's realize that neither of them arranged it. She is allowed to keep the job and tells Damien in private that she's there to protect him. He smiles. The Thorn's take him to church against the wishes of Baylock, but he throws a fit and they abandon the trip. He's visibly shaking at the thought of entering the church.

Thorn realizes that Damien has never been ill for a single day in his life and considers it odd. Baylock starts to take over the running of the house and allows in a black dog which seems to be another guardian for Damien. Thorn tells her to get rid of it, but she never does.

Nothing has really happened up to this point. Donner gives us clues that there's something weird about Damien, but it's all speculation. We don't actually see him do anything, but things happen to others around him. This is developed when Damien and his mother visit Windsor Safari Park and the animals act scared and run away from the boy. Now both parents are suspicious of Damien.

Father Brennan sees Thorn again and insists that Thorn's wife will die if he refuses to hear what Brennan has to say. He only wants five minutes. Thorn reluctantly agrees to listen, but Brennan sounds crazy once more, insisting that Damien isn't human and must die. Thorn still isn't convinced, but reads about Brennan's mysterious death in the newspaper the following day. Katherine is convinced that Damien is evil and that he's not her child.

Brennan claimed before he died that Katherine was pregnant again, and that she would lose the baby and then her own life. When Thorn learns that she is in fact pregnant, he begins to think about everything that Brennan has said. He teams up with a local photographer who has more information about Brennan and the two begin to look into Damien's origins.

It's incredible how little action there is throughout the movie. Donner relies on the audience's imagination and keeps building suspense. There's very little blood in the story and Damien hardly does anything to suggest that he's evil. Any problems he causes could be genuine accidents. Baylock is a more sinister character and does take direct action when she thinks that Damien is threatened.

The one thing that doesn't quite ring true is how quickly Damien's parents come to consider him evil. The bond between parent and child is usually strong enough for parents to love and forgive their children. Imagine telling any parents that their child is evil or the son of Satan. The likely reaction would be anger and the parents would defend their child against such a crazy accusation. In this instance, both parents come to the same conclusion. Why are they able to see that Damian is evil? Robert does eventually question the logic when he's ultimately tasked with killing the child, but it seems too late to be authentic.

The journey to uncover the truth sees Thorn visit two other countries as he tries to piece together Damien's past. We meet some unusual characters along the way and there's a little more action when he searches for the identity of the child's real mother.

The story has a resolution of sorts, but The Omen eventually became the first part of a trilogy. The other two movies never matched the suspense of the first and didn't attract any actors on Peck's level. Peck was excellent as Thorn and the most interesting part of the story was seeing how he approached the problem.

Video Quality: 3.5/5
The opening shots are weak and lacking in definition. Some shots are intentionally soft, but the movie is grainy and the colors subdued for the most part. Things pick up in the second half when we see more outdoor scenes. It's hard to pin down the quality because it varies so much. Some shots seem barely above DVD standard, while others border on impressive considering the age of the film. It's obviously as good as it has ever looked, so worth picking up if you are a fan.

Audio Quality: 3.5/5
Jerry Goldsmith won an Oscar for best original score and the demonic singing adds a lot of atmosphere to the story. It sounds impressive on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, as do some of the more subtle sounds such as gravel crunching underfoot. The track is front-heavy and a little quiet, but it does the job. I did watch it at a slightly higher volume level than most movies, but clarity was good once I had the level sorted out.

Special Features: 5/5

With over three hours of special features and three commentary tracks, you can satisfy your curiosity about the movie. It's a comprehensive package.

Commentary - Three different tracks.

Isolated Score Track (5.1 Dolby Digital)

Richard Donner on The Omen (14:36)

The Omen Revelations: Bonus View with Trivia Track

Introduction by Director Richard Donner from 2006 (1:55)

Deleted Scene: "Dog Attack" (1:26)

666: The Omen Revealed (46:34)

Screenwriter's Notebook (14:51)

An Appreciation: Wes Craven on The Omen (20:17)

The Omen Legacy (1:41:37)

Curse or Coincidence? (6:19)

Jerry Goldsmith on The Omen Score (17:41)

Theatrical Trailer (2:19)

Still Gallery

The original part of the trilogy remains one of the best horror movies ever made, but it won't appeal to everyone. The pacing will seem slow by today's standards and the story relies on suspense, characterization and acting ability, rather than gore and special effects. Well worth seeing if you want to see how the genre has developed over the past four decades.

Overall score 4/5

[iam1bearcat]

Matrix Reloaded

127 minutes

Year: 2003
Directors: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Writers: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Harold Perrineau

Rules of sequels are quite simple:

1) be bigger

2) be louder

3) more action, explosions, and exciting moments

4) a main character has to die, or at least appear to die or be in a precarious situation

5) something that is important to characters must be challenged or destroyed to show how serious the dire situation / story is

Matrix Reloaded nails all of these and much, much more.

I’m not gonna lie, I like Matrix Reloaded much more than The Matrix. I feel it’s a better film overall than the original. While The Matrix has a better structure, it’s main issues for me are that it feels very cold and distant. Very little I could connect to. And while Reloaded doesn’t exactly change all that, it does show relationships in a better light (or any sort of light) than The Matrix did.

I love that we see Zion and we see inhabitants of the world.. Err.. Planet.. Err… system… whatever!

I love that we see systems of government and who’s in charge. The first film made it seem like everyone followed Morpheus, no questions asked. Here we see he isn’t in charge, and there are many who think he is crazy. They’re not all sheep following their weird sunglasses-wearing bald-headed leader. Nice touch

Reloaded also contains (so far) the two best fight sequences in the franchise - the Neo vs. 1,000 Mr. Smiths fight (epic! ) and the Neo vs. the gang with old school bludgeoning weapons. And also has a ridiculous 10-15 minute highway chase sequence / fight that is extraordinary

The story is about as perplexing and odd and illogical as the first, but Reloaded slows the pace down here so we can have some character building / exploring moments. Something the original severely lacked. while also massively laying on some killer action scenes.

Sure, the odd, almost LSD-like rave party was completely ridiculous and seemed ludicrous for a civilization preparing for war, but it is what it is

The Matrix was like, learning how to get on a diving board, learning what water is, and how it effects you and how it can help you and hurt you. Reloaded was diving off the diving board and hitting the water, and I’m guessing (hoping) that Revolutions is the impact of hitting the water and the ripple effect.

Now that we knew this world, to some extent, we didn’t need copious amounts of exposition. We had a general (some may even more after dozens of viewings of The Matrix) idea what this world was and how it worked and now we were just going along for the ride.

Reloaded isn’t perfect though, the pacing has some questionable moments and three major moments that have no logical explanation or reasoning as to their existence left me almost scoffing. Almost. Those three were:

1. Why could Mr. Smith

[Show spoiler]just take over whoever he wanted? Is he now a virus? Can he become anyone? How can he make millions of himself? Why not just always do that, especially on the highway, and stop them? He talks to Neo about it, but nothing is ever stated as to why this works.

2. How could Neo

[Show spoiler]just reach into Trinity and pull out the bullet? And THEN reach back in and start her heart? Because he’s “The One” - which now apparently means nothing - and that’s just how it works?

3.

[Show spoiler]What was up with the snake-hair, white-coat ghost guys? just another random, weird, mysterious part of the Matrix universe? or something more? tell me dammit!

These seem like things the Wachowski’s wanted in their film so delivered them without any reasoning or explanation. At least, I didn’t catch any.

Some scenes definitely look like CGI - computer games, but oh well, still looks amazing.

PQ: 4.5/5
AQ: 4.5/5

The Film: 4.5/5

***oh, and also, why are these films marketed as "A Film By The Wachowski Brothers" when Lana is, a woman?! at least, that's what IMDb tells me. seems weird...

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I have a feeling that you'll dislike the sequels, like most everybody else...

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Matrix Reloaded

[Show spoiler]
127 minutes

Year: 2003
Directors: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Writers: Andy Wachowski & Lana Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Harold Perrineau

Rules of sequels are quite simple:

1) be bigger

2) be louder

3) more action, explosions, and exciting moments

4) a main character has to die, or at least appear to die or be in a precarious situation

5) something that is important to characters must be challenged or destroyed to show how serious the dire situation / story is

Matrix Reloaded nails all of these and much, much more.

I’m not gonna lie, I like Matrix Reloaded much more than The Matrix. I feel it’s a better film overall than the original. While The Matrix has a better structure, it’s main issues for me are that it feels very cold and distant. Very little I could connect to. And while Reloaded doesn’t exactly change all that, it does show relationships in a better light (or any sort of light) than The Matrix did.

I love that we see Zion and we see inhabitants of the world.. Err.. Planet.. Err… system… whatever!

I love that we see systems of government and who’s in charge. The first film made it seem like everyone followed Morpheus, no questions asked. Here we see he isn’t in charge, and there are many who think he is crazy. They’re not all sheep following their weird sunglasses-wearing bald-headed leader. Nice touch

Reloaded also contains (so far) the two best fight sequences in the franchise - the Neo vs. 1,000 Mr. Smiths fight (epic! ) and the Neo vs. the gang with old school bludgeoning weapons. And also has a ridiculous 10-15 minute highway chase sequence / fight that is extraordinary

The story is about as perplexing and odd and illogical as the first, but Reloaded slows the pace down here so we can have some character building / exploring moments. Something the original severely lacked. while also massively laying on some killer action scenes.

Sure, the odd, almost LSD-like rave party was completely ridiculous and seemed ludicrous for a civilization preparing for war, but it is what it is

The Matrix was like, learning how to get on a diving board, learning what water is, and how it effects you and how it can help you and hurt you. Reloaded was diving off the diving board and hitting the water, and I’m guessing (hoping) that Revolutions is the impact of hitting the water and the ripple effect.

Now that we knew this world, to some extent, we didn’t need copious amounts of exposition. We had a general (some may even more after dozens of viewings of The Matrix) idea what this world was and how it worked and now we were just going along for the ride.

Reloaded isn’t perfect though, the pacing has some questionable moments and three major moments that have no logical explanation or reasoning as to their existence left me almost scoffing. Almost. Those three were:

1. Why could Mr. Smith

[Show spoiler]just take over whoever he wanted? Is he now a virus? Can he become anyone? How can he make millions of himself? Why not just always do that, especially on the highway, and stop them? He talks to Neo about it, but nothing is ever stated as to why this works.

2. How could Neo

[Show spoiler]just reach into Trinity and pull out the bullet? And THEN reach back in and start her heart? Because he’s “The One” - which now apparently means nothing - and that’s just how it works?

3.

[Show spoiler]What was up with the snake-hair, white-coat ghost guys? just another random, weird, mysterious part of the Matrix universe? or something more? tell me dammit!

These seem like things the Wachowski’s wanted in their film so delivered them without any reasoning or explanation. At least, I didn’t catch any.

Some scenes definitely look like CGI - computer games, but oh well, still looks amazing.

PQ: 4.5/5
AQ: 4.5/5

The Film: 4.5/5

***oh, and also, why are these films marketed as "A Film By The Wachowski Brothers" when Lana is, a woman?! at least, that's what IMDb tells me. seems weird...

I stand corrected. Glad you enjoyed it! The highway chase in this one is probably still my favorite car chase scene ever! And the fights are great!

Regarding your questions, I figure...

1. At this point, Mr Smith is indeed a virus. Everyone becomes him. Can't say how he does it or why he doesn't do it at the more critical moments, but at the very least he's become a power-hungry entity, and is setting himself up to become Neo's perfect rival...
2. I'm thinking that with being "The One" and being able to see through all the Matrix code would allow Neo to
   [Show spoiler]penetrate physical barriers of the flesh and dig that bullet out
   . I guess. The important thing is that he continues to
   [Show spoiler]defy death
   .
3. I figured those twins were ghosts. And I always thought they were cool!
4. The Watchowskis were brothers once, and I believe one of them got a sex change recently (I forget which one). I just hope they keep making rockin' movies!