Psycho (1960) Movie Review

Psycho. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch. Starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, and John Gavin. Rated R with a running time of 109 minutes. Given an 8.6/10 on IMDB.com and 97% Fresh on Rottentomatoes.com 

"A thirty-something secretary steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother."

"Bates Motel" the modern prequel series to Psycho has left me absolutely intriqued. I had heard of Hitchcock's masterpiece but I had never actually seen and with myself being an immense film addict, how could I have possibly missed such a remarkable gem? I'd known the entire plot. Every twist turn and stab. I honestly thought I was capable of understanding exactly what I was going to get here, but boy was I wrong. Thrills beyond belief and spectacular story-telling. 

Alfred Hitchcock is an absolute cinematic genius. Choosing to keep the film in black and white, killing off his protagonist halfway through the film, pushing and pulling the audience in every direction he wants them to be in. His camera angles and overall eye for entertainment has yet to be matched by any modern filmmaker. This man and this film are not only responsible for revolutionizing the horror genre, but showing the world the validity of it. Expect to be mesmermized by this piece.

We are given Anthony Perkins, who doesn't just play the role of Norman Bates, but he becomes him. The character is embodied with such power and perfection that seeing Perkins in any role but this terrifies me beyond belief. Vera Miles and John Gavin team up as Lila Crane and Sam Loomis. Together they weave a team of compassionate and caring people, searching for answers in a mindbending mystery. Miles performs beautifully. She's innocent and loving and just wants to find her sister, but there's this air to her that strikes me, making me wonder how complex Lila is capable of being. If you're able to protray a character to the point that a viewer wishes to know more about that character, I give you the utmost respect. John Gavin as Sam Loomis bored me at the start but soon he became ideal. Loomis and Bates are compared and contrasted in an ironically obvious but eye-opening light. They are both extremely handsome men but Loomis is intimidating, strong, manly. Whereas, Norman Bates is a shy, childish, coward. The scenes where the two actors battle in out in conversation kept me on the edge of my seat. Once again, I have to add that Anthony Perkins is a genius and every motion, reaction, and word that comes from him in this film delivers an unforgettable experience.

My only complant worth noting is the scene in which the psychologist explains Norman and His Mother to the audience. It's a bit drawn out and the psycholigist is delivering shocking and heartbreaking information but there seems to be little reaction from him or anyone in the room. Rather than telling me what happened, I'd have rather seen it for myself, Someting that's easy to do in film. But this scene is nescessary and it won't take a single thing away from this movie.

Overall, Psycho is one of the greatest films I've ever seen. It's a horriying thrill-ride with a twist that noone will ever see coming and what it did for the movie world will never be forgotten. Alfred Hitchcock toys with our wildest emotions and fears and spawns a true work of art. I'll have to ask my mother what she thought of the film because, well, mother knows best. But, I'd say that if you decide that Bates Motel has No Vacany's for you, well Norman and I will both in form you that we have 12 Vacancy's and all 12 should be filled by you.

*****
5/5 Stars

I'll see you at the movies!

~Tyler Skye Gordon

The Great Gatsby (2013) Movie Review

The Great Gatsby. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Starring Leonardo Dicaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 143 Minutes. Given a 7.5/10 on IMDB.com and certified 48% Rotten on Rottentomatoes.com

"A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor."

So I've read "The Great Gatsby" in my current english class and I've found that I thorougly enjoy the story but I don't really like the book or the 1974 movie. However, I attempted to watch this film with an open mind, from the point of view of an average movie goer, with no prior knowledge of Gatsby and here's what I took from the film overall.

Luhrmann delivers as always with a dreamlike beauty on the side of cinemetography. Each scene is beautifully scultped, flashy, and absolutely magnificient. However, the vast amounts of green screen used to create these scenes tends to be too "in your face" for my taste and I eventually got so tired of it to the point that I was getting a headache. I can't imagine the pain that anyone watching in 3D was feeling. That being said, the visuals on this film are definitely worth the $10 I dropped to watch it.

The cast did a fanominal job with their characters. Carey Mulligan who plays Daisy Buchanan gave just enough flair and melacholy to her character to be admired. Tobey Maguire sadly fell short in a role that's absolutely important to the plot but ultimately so simple that anyone could've pulled it off, which is what saddens me considering Maguire is a capable actor but it seems he just missed it on this role. Leonardo Dicaprio's Jay Gatsby is honestly the best part of this film. He truly embodies all of the complexities of Gatsby is a way that's never been done before and I'd argue that this is, if not one of, his greatest performances of his entire career. However, try as they might, the fanominal acting just isn't enough to the film out of the water.

The first half of the film is full of grandeur and tantalizing imagery, but the Kanye West soundtrack and lack of any 'real' plot development left me bored and disappointed. Sadly, I wanted to leave the theater in within the first thirty minutes. About midway, when Daisy and Gatsby meet, the film does get better but at this point it just isn't enough. There's an immense amount of overacting, weird shots, and a level of silliness that just can't be shaken. Nick Carraway's constant narration becomes annoying. I found myself on the edge of my seat as the film spiralled into it's climactic conclusion, spinning a beautiful end, but it was too difficult for me not to laugh at how hard they were trying to pick something up after it had dropped and shattered upon the floor. I had to check my watch multiple times in the cinema and I was relieved by the time the credits finally began to roll.

Overall, The Great Gatsby had entirely too much potential to be absolutely incredible and a spectacular rendition of it's source material, but it fails to capture the true heart and meaning of the book. It weaves a carnival of wonder and I really wanted to love this film. It's not a disaster, but by the time it decides what it's doing, it's already too late. I suggest it's better to "beat on" then to waste your time. Sorry, Old Sport.

* *

2/5 Stars

I'll see you at the movies!

~Tyler Skye Gordon

Long Time No Blog

Lights! Camera! Action! In this scene the sad excuse for a movie critic beats himself up and attempts to apologize to the empty room he calls an audience...

Well there's always that guy :P

On a serious note, I'd like to apologize for making a blog, taking it seriously for a day, and then quitting. I'll spill the beans and tell everyone that I always do this sort of thing. Meaning, I'll start something, be decent at it and although I enjoy it immensely, give it up without even giving the project a chance. I realize that I didn't really have a large audience or any regular viewers to begin with and this particular blog post might in fact just go out to an ostrich, but what I've done with this blog is pathetic.

I left this page but I never left my passion for film or my love of reviewing movies. Truly, I've been inspired. I'm a bit late on the bandwagon, but I recently discovered Roger Ebert (May he rest in peace). To learn about a man who honestly and passionately put everything he had into something that I myself am passionate about was mesmerizing. I was absolutely captivated by his beauty and grace and I just want to take the time to relay to you all how incredibly brilliant and snazzy this man is. The perfect way he

Right. I'll stop before the brown stuff on my nose melts and drips onto the floor, down the stairs, out the door and to the general public where the government will package it and market it and the cops will where football helmets while the entire human race will become radically addicted to it only to discover that it's actually the feces of a great man.

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF SOYLENT POO?!

If anybody can catch that reference you deserve THE HIGHEST OF FIVES!!!

What I'm ultimately getting at here though is today I read a quote by Ebert: 

"One of the gifts a movie lover can give another is the title of a wonderful film they have not yet discovered."

and it really meant something. Yeah it's a fairly simple quote but at the same time it completely reminded me of the exact reason why I wanted to start this blog in the first place. If you look back at my introduction post or my biography you'll see that I said I only started all of this because I was bored but if you also read my earlier posts you'll realize that I was just a self obsessed, pretentious douche canoe. 

In actuality I only wrote that to make myself seem better than I actually am. I was a huge idiot and in my prolonged absence I've done a lot of growing and self discovery and I've had an Epiphany:

I started this blog because I love the feeling I get when I watch a magical film. It makes me feel alive, like I can do anything and if I can somehow share such a positive experience with another human being I intend to do everything in my power to accomplish just that.

So I'd like to ask you to accept my sincerest of apologies. I know I joke around a lot and the things I say can and more than likely will be offensive at some point, but if you stick with me, I guarantee you won't regret it. The humor is going to stay, as it's part of who I am and through laughter I can spread happiness, but I am certainly going to buckle down, take this more seriously and make people glad that they came to my page. I know that This Is Just Another Movie Blog and it's ridiculous for me to feel bad for abandoning a project that didn't take off to begin with, but it's MY movie blog and it's going to make a huge roar one day!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I know most of you are new viewers and this entire post won't make much sense to you, but still, it's something I had to do, even if I'm making a fool out of myself.

Actually yes

WELCOME TO TIJAMB! TAKE TWO!

~Tyler

 

May The Noms Be Ever In Your Flavor! (The Hunger Games)

WOOHOO!!! HUNGER GAMES! HUNGER GAMES! HUNGER GAMES! Woah! Wait Tyler! You're a movie reviewer now. You can't give biased reviews. Let's do this professionally................... WHO AM I KIDDING?! DISTRICT 12! GO KATNISS!!! Okay, now that I've gotten that out of my system, The Hunger Games. Directed by Gary Ross. Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. Rated PG-13 with a running time of 142 minutes. Given a 7.7/10 on IMDB.com and certified 85% Fresh on Rottentomatoes.com.

"Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match." 


Now, going into this you might be like 99% of our sad excuse of a species saying "Kids killing kids? Why would I want to see that?" or "Isn't this America's sad excuse at copying Battle Royale?" or my personal favorite "Two boys and one girl? A love triangle? This is Twilight!" 

If you're one of those people, please stop wasting the limited space we currently have left on this forsaken planet and if you don't have the guts to do that, keep it in your pants. I'd rather not have my children running around with a bunch of inbred fools. Here we have The Hunger Games. If you haven't already guessed, I'm a huge fan of both the books and this film adaptation, but I'll honestly try to keep my fangirling out of this for now on. 

I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!!!

Let's start with the cast, shall we? A+! 

We have the academy award nominated, beautiful, and sexy Jennifer Lawrence as our heroine Katniss Everdeen. Lawrence does more than an amazing portrayal. She embodies the character in a stunning light and honestly could carry the entire film on her shoulders if needed. I agree with the legend, Donald Sutherland, when I say she may be one the greatest actresses of our generation. Girl deserves ALL the Oscars! I definitely can't say enough about her. If you're unsure that she's too attractive for Katniss, or too old, or are even the slightest bit doubtful, make sure to check out what landed her the nomination, Winter's Bone, and see how brilliant she is. 

Then we have Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark, the sweet and innocent baker's son. Although Hutcherson started as what some would call a mediocre child actor, He's never ceased to entertain me. With his very moving films such as Bridge to Tarabithia and The Kids are Alright, JOSH HUTCHERSON IS PEETA MELLARK! His chemistry with Jennifer is inspirational and every scene he's in really pokes at them ole' heartstrings. I think he's going to go far after this.

 Liam Hemsworth as the hunky boy from back home, Gale Hawthorn. Originally I wasn't too fond of Hemsworth. I mean come on! The guys dating Miley Cyrus! How intelligent can he possibly be? But I had the chance to watch some interviews and actually meet him at a Hunger Games event and he's actually a very fun and down-to-Earth guy! He masters the American accent in this film and you really believe he is a completely different person. Liam becomes Gale and I'm very impressed considering this is the first film I've seen him in. 

Who else is worth a mention? Lenny Kravitz in his first big film as Katniss' Stylist, Cinna. At first I thought he might make me want to 'Fly Away'. I felt like asking him "Are You Gonna Go My Way'. But he said 'It Aint Over Til' It's Over' and now 'I Can't Get You Off My Mind' :P Too much? 






So I guess that pretty much sums up my thoughts on him. Kravitz completely blue my expectations out of the water. 

Stanley Tucci! The man who does every role he's ever been given perfectly. No surprise in this film. He plays the announcer for the games, Caesar Flickerman. Blue hair, ridiculous outfit and demeanor and a silly grin. Just amazing! Tucci man, Tucci. 

Wes Bentley's beard in this film! Bentley gives life to a character barely mentioned in the books. He does this so well that one of the scenes he's in is my favorite and as an extremely dedicated fan (9 HG posters in my bedroom thank you very much), that's saying a lot considering it's not in the books. 

Elizabeth banks plays the bubbly Effie Trinket, Katniss and Peeta's mentor from the Capitol. I was really not into her playing this character but every second of screentime she had excited me. You can't even tell it's Elizabeth with the amount of fanominal makeup that's in this movie. 

Donald Sutherland...DONALD BLOODY SUTHERLAND! THE MAN HIMSELF! Sutherland plays the tyrant himself, the man in charge of all the disgusting Hunger Games and poverty and starvation in the Districts, President Snow! Oh my god! Genius. This man gets about three minutes and he is so memorable that words can't even begin to praise him. Just Wow! 

Lastly, We have Woody Harrelson as himself... Harrelson plays Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss' mentor and only lifeline in the Arena. He's drunk, sarcastic, and lazy. I love it! Woody was perfect for the role to begin with. He makes it believable and serious. Just enough drunk too work. The character isn't silly and comical. He's dark, he understands what it is like to be in Katniss' shoes etc. Woody Harrelson makes all of this believable and so much more. Nicely done, dude!

What a cast we have here!




 I think I've written so much at this point that you'd rather be put up against 23 kids and fight to the death then even go on for another second. 

<YOU

Too bad. 




Making $58.5 Million at the box office as of writing this review, this movie speaks for itself. Truly something you've never seen before. No stereotypical movie cliches, it's done in such an unrecognizable fashion by Ross, but it works! Hunger Games is the type of story that I personally believe everyone should taste. Wink Wink. 

It shows us how easy we will give up everything, our intelligence, our bodies, our rights, as long as we are fed and enteratined. Even if that means killing out children. Once again I'm going to quote Whitney Houston. 

What a woman! 




Children are the future, man! Where are we if we kill our children? The scariest thing about this story is we really are not as far from this as you think. Look at how we treat celebrities as gods or the corrupt way our government is currently. Dark Days are upon us. With a movie that's almost two and a half hours, you are never bored. It keeps moving, it's full of action, it's got a real message to get across and it makes you feel. Them heartstrings bein' plucked, yo. Don't miss out on such an extraordinarily entertaining film. Adults and Teens alike will love the experience, I guarantee it. Romance, Action, Love, Tragedy, Sci-Fi, A strong Heroine, An A-list cast, remarkable cinematography, makeup, and costumes, Leprechauns, Gypseys, Pokemon, Digimon, Llamas, Adrian Brody, Batman, Walt Disney, Simply Unforgettable! I can't say enough about how good this movie is. Watch it! The Hunger Games. The Movie On Fire!

~Tyler
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Lights! Camera! FAIL! Welcome to TIJAMB!

Well hello there! My lovely audience that doesn't exist! I wish I could sit down right now and weave poetic wonders about how brilliant my blog is, how it's the only piece of magic on the internet that you should even begin to spend your time viewing, and how I am the god of film and reviewing movies, that everything I say is law and only movies I suggest are worthy of your mortal eyes. Sorry, I can't say that. Although I prefer you view me as a god, I'm not one. I sure have the ego for it though. Moving on? I named this appropriately. This is just another movie blog. I'm not trying to sound sarcastic or funny. This isn't some sort of joke or lack of a more interesting, witty name for a blog. Quite literally, there is nothing that sets my blog apart from any other persons. So why make it? Why spend the time to sit for hours on end talking to anyone that cares to listen about something as unproductive as sitting in a cold, dark, uncomfortable movie theater, surrounded by at least fifty of my hated peers? The answer is quite as simple as beating a horse with a bat. Boredom. I truly cannot sleep until I did something productive that day.

As you can more than likely guess, I don't get much sleep. 

But Alas! I watch loads upon loads of movies and although I switch obsessions every thirty seconds, it's probably what I'm most passionate about currently. I mean I even want to major in film and direct for a living. I got this. Okay maybe not. Maybe I'm not the best at this thing. I've never actually made a blog and every project I work on, take my youtube channel for example (Had about 350 subscribers and around 60,000 total video views, a nice following) It crashed and burned harder than a twelve year old boy staring through his neighbors window.

Truth be told, I just love listening to myself talk. Call me narcissistic and I'll tell you "What was that? I was too busy admiring how unbelievably sexy I am!".

Enough rambling on and on about why you shouldn't stick around and read my blog. Allow me to bullshit a few reasons why you should. Now, of course, you could run along to a huge movie review site that actually takes the time to hire people with experience in this stuff that give unbiased reviews of current movies etc. But let's face the facts here, broski. You're young. Why would you want to read essays written by bald, obese, forever alone men, wreaking of cheap movie theater popcorn butter, sweat, and nostalgia, who clearly have nothing better to do then watch movies about lovesick, emotionless bimbos and fairys

TEAM EDWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 when you could be doing about the same exact thing here? Except my blog is better! It's written by a lousy, lazy, sixteen year old highschool student. You know the kid, the one with a mouth worse than DeadPool. The kid that has to weave his way in and out of fights by outsmarting an entire basketball team. Let's talk about me for a minute! WOOHOO! Yes. I'm a lonely sixteen year old geek with a tendency to run my mouth. I'm short, skinny, haven't had a girlfriend and a damn long time, I spent my nights with a bag of sower patch kids, 4Chan, and Netflix. But listen to me!

Like the beautiful goddess Whitney Houston told us all. I believe children are the future! Is that so? Well, love, I can't let you die in vain! I'm a kid, kids have the power to do a ton. We are all just too busy reading Homestuck, watching My Little Pony, and worrying about how our lives have come to an end because our boyfriend that we dated for twenty minutes broke up with us....I LOVED HIM! :( Ahem! Anyway. What you'll find here is hopefully some entertainment. I've got nothing better to do with my life and I'm passionate about how easy you can feel something real when you watch a movie. Movies have the power to inspire us all, change the way we think, open our eyes, encourage us to make a difference, and make us realize things that we never thought possible in all our years of existing...They can also teach us that as long as you are ugly, a vampire and a werewolf will fight over you and nothing bad will ever happen to you and you'll live happily ever after. Oh! I almost forgot! You'll sparkle too! YAY! Trust me. It's going to be fun here. This is just another movie blog, but I hope it's one you'll enjoy. :D

~Tyler

P.S. If you've made it this far with out guoging your own eyes out with an aborted fetus on a rusty fork, Here's a picture of a trubbish! ^_^