Madea's Big Happy Family (2011)

I loved this film, just as I love everything Tyler Perry has done.

I agree with the first reviewer, there weren't many positive women in this film and the men did seem to be pretty lame.

However, it's a comedy, and when Madea comes on it's laughter all the way for me. I own all of Mr. Perry's movies and plays and will buy this one too.

It doesn't bother me to see the negative side of family, I have a family with alot of drama and negative and violent things happened to at least one of us. It's reality for some people. I think that's what Tyler Perry draws on. With God, we can hold on to the hope and promise of something better. That's why I buy his movies and plays, he is not shy about sharing God's word, even if at it's misquoted by Madea.

Shirley (Loretta Devine) has been fighting cancer for about seven years, but it hasn't gotten her down. She's thanking God for the days she's had and accepting what is to come. All she wants more than anything is to sit down at a nice dinner with her adult children so they will all be together when she tells them the sad news.

Madea's Big Happy Family sends much needed messages to husbands and wives, battling siblings, bad behind children, teenage single parents... any family dealing with sensitive issues, disrespecting each other and keeping secrets. There were `zany' parts in this movie I can deal with zany for a little bit, but it gets on my nerves after a while but there were also quite a few touching and eye-opening moments. The first time I saw this movie was in the theater. The Opening Credits shows like an animated mini-movie, so I was entertained even before the movie began. My main thought after the movie was that families really need to stop wasting time and taking each other for granted. A sequel would be nice, because I would like to know what happens with Kimberly's (Shannon Kane) situation.

Favorite Character: Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis) she's honest, bold and witty.

Favorite Line: You don't feel bad for me. You feel bad for somebody who don't know Jesus.

Favorite Scenes: Something's Got to Give/Look in the Mirror

I appreciate the fact that Mr. Perry brings humor into people's lives. I've always seen the ability to make others laugh as one of the most precious gifts a person could have. This world needs more happiness; I know I could use a good laugh daily. Mr. Perry has created a character or two who can be a little over the top zany but as a whole I enjoy his work. Laughter is only one thing his films bring to my life. What I like most is the lessons he teaches with his movies. When she's not acting crazy and going off on people, Madea shares words of wisdom that can reach my heart like a good Bible teaching. (Don't ask her about The Bible, though, because she is not very good at interpreting Scripture). And even when Madea doesn't play a part in a movie, somebody is going to say something thought-provoking. I don't have many of Mr. Perry's plays on DVD, but I do own every movie. I will continue to support his work.

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Tyler Perry produces entertaining morality plays. Why do people get upset that it is NOT high art? Other movies are fluff and fun and don't have a decent message. At least Mr. Perry gives us a nice message with the silliness.

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This movie is based on a play that was written shortly after Mr. Perry's mother has passed. From bereavement, he created a play and movie that offers hope to many families that have gone through tragedy and pulled through into a stronger one. This is easier said than done: however, Mr. Perry's life is testament that it can and is possible. I look forward to many more of his films. God bless.

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This was a great movie and as with all of Mr. Perry's movies it had message to offer. The movie at the beginning has somewhat of a corny beginning....but stay with it. The movie gets better and you can't help laughing even though it does have a sad moment.

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Come Blow Your Horn (1963)

This is Fun!! Frankie is a bit old for the part at 48 tryin to be 35!! but always great to watch Frankie!! Lee J.Cobb as Dad is just Hysterical!! Cobb was

a briliant Dramatic Actor but watch him handle Comedy!! Molly Picon is fabulous!! A Great Cast and most enjoyable!!!

The story is very cute, although a bit dated. The production values are excellent, but the color in the DVD version is very bland and faded. Having seen the movie when it was first shown in movie theaters, there is no comparison with color quality.

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Losing Control (2012)

I'm a 24 year old UCLA grad (class of 2010) and I loved this film. I love how at the beginning, the director shows the audience Sam's life chart--a chart she made showing what she's accomplished thus far in the field of science and in her personal life(i.e. "first science experiment" and "first kiss" "first breakup" etc). Her life chart also shows what age she would like to accomplish certain goals. Among this list is "get an updated wardrobe," "travel," "get married," "get a pet," "assistant professorship at Harvard," and "tenure at Harvard." I laughed when I saw this chart because I feel like my friends and I have similar charts and even if some of my friends don't have it on paper, I know we have at least talked about what age we intend to accomplish certain things. What I love about this film is its originality. This film is more than just a cute love story. This film is about a woman who has a passion for science and discovery. She has always felt strongly about the subject and certain about its methodology, until she cannot prove her theory which she needs in order to graduate from her doctorate program. When she has trouble in the lab, the doubt she feels about her experiment carries over into her personal relationship with her boyfriend, Ben. Sam likes to ask questions she's cautious and analytical. She wants to find a reason for everything. In one scene, her mom says "How do I know?...You've been asking that question since you could talk. It makes for a great scientist, but it's ruining your life, Sam."

This is a great film about letting go of control and the need for proof. Like her boyfriend Ben says, "You don't need proof, you need faith." I used to hate science (I was awful at chemistry) but this movie made me feel so amazed at women in science. Watching this film actually made me curious about science much more than any article in TIME magazine could. I loved watching Sam create a lab in her own kitchen. For the first time ever, science looked fun to me. Through watching the movie, I understood why she was so passionate about it. There are so many great things about this film. I love the casting. I love that the main character, Sam, is not your picture-perfect-Blonde. I'm so tired of seeing movies where this super gorgeous girl gets the super hot guy. I think THAT is pretty predictable. I think the fact that Sam is a natural beauty and she still got a hottie like Sam says a LOT more. It says that he's attracted to her beauty and her passion. The fact that he proposed to her and was so certain about his feelings for her shows that SHE (even if she's not the next supermodel on the cover of Maxim) is the one for him. It shows that Sam being Sam (idiosyncrasies and all) is what makes her The One for him. At one point in the movie, when Sam is talking to a guy at the bar she says something like she suspected she was attractive but that she never received the attention you hear about "a man brining you flowers and all of that." Yet, at the end of the film, the audience realizes (just as Sam does) that what turns out to be more romantic than "flowers and all of that" is the fact that Ben loves that Sam checks her "sleeping stations." He accepts her, supports her dreams, and loves her for who she is.

I love the details that the director/writer focused on. For example, at the beginning we see a picture of Ben and Sam wearing yellow plastic ponchos in the rain. To me, this picture speaks a thousand words. It says that they are co-adventurers, which is exactly what Ben believes him and Sam to be. I love that Sam's mom is a hypochondriac. The fact that her mom is neurotic helps make Sam's upbringing not-so-perfect, which makes her more relatable. Plus, part of her own struggle probably has a lot to do with how she was raised and the types of thinking she was exposed to for the majority of her life.

I love this movie mainly for the following reasons:

The characters were so real and relatable. The actors who played them were fantastic.

The film made me feel respect for women in science

The film made me think about my own relationship and that I should be grateful that I have a boyfriend like Ben and I shouldn't push him away and I should just learn to "let go" and "have faith"

The film was written and directed by a woman. I am truly inspired!

I rented Losing Control in HD to watch with my wife and we both enjoyed it. It was a good choice for a movie rental date. I laughed out loud regarding the bedtime rituals of the main character. I recommend giving it a watch.

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This is a really great flick. Fun, funny, definitely worth the watch! Writing is solid, directing and acting sells the concept.

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I loved it a wacky, fun, clever movie. It is heartfelt like a John Hughes film, absurd like an Almodovar film, and very, very funny. Definitely see it !

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Get Him to the Greek (2-Disc Unrated Collector's Edition) (2010)

Instead of reviewing the plot to one of the funniest movies of the year, which can be found in all other reviews, I will focus on what you get with this 2-disc Blu-Ray edition.

This set includes both the theatrical and an unrated version, which includes approximately 4 additional minutes.

Additional Features:

3 Documentaries -

"Getting Him to the Greek" which includes behind the scenes clips and interviews with the cast and crew

"Getting in Tune with the Greek" the writing and recording of the music of 'Infant Sorrow'

"The Making of African Child" a look at the making of the music video

Music extras -

Hilarious music videos for 5 songs from the film

Concert footage of the performances of 7 additional songs

Karaoke! Sing along with 15 of Aldous Snow's hits

Alternate Ending "Riding Daphne" (VERY entertaining!)

Audio Commentary the feature length commentary includes Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, director Nicholas Stoller, and producer Rodney Rothman.

Also includes Deleted and extended scenes, alternate intro 'The Castle,' two gag reels, Line-o-Rama, and cast auditions.

If you liked the movie you will not be disappointed with this Collector's Edition.

Brand and Hill are great, but P. Diddy steals the show in some scenes.

Right up there with Superbad, American Pie, the Hangover and Caddyshack.

Only "off" part was the end...look like they were desperate to wrap it up.

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This movie surpassed by expectations. It looked funny from the previews I'd seen and it was WAY better than I expected. Watching it never gets old. The only moderately negative thing I could say about it is do NOT watch this one with your parents or parents do not watch with your children. I'm 23 and would be exceedingly uncomfortable if my parents watched this with me.

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If you're easily offended by raunchy humor or satire is not your cup of tea, then this probably is not the ideal movie choice for you. I thought it was funny and entertaining from the beginning all the way to the end of the credits.

I loved the ridiculous songs and lyrics, and Russell Brand did an excellent job delivering them. To me this was a sort of 21st century take on the "This is Spinal Tap" type scenario minus the spoof documentary treatment (which I also love). If you've been in a rock band, spent some time around one or were a die hard follower especially during the '80s to mid '90s I think you might enjoy this even more.

I've read some reviews that mentioned a weakness in the "serious" moments in the film, but that's lost on me because I didn't see a serious scene in the entire film. And every time there was even a hint of a "warm and fuzzy moment" it paid off with another dose of humor. Drug abuse, outrageous parties, destructiveness and/or total self-indulgence has been the downfall of many entertainers and much like the film "Walk Hard" this an over-the-top satire of that unfortunate fact.

This is definitely going in my comedy collection.

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Sergio (Sean Combs) is looking for the next big thing to bring in revenue for Pinnacle Records. Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) suggests that they bring Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) to the Greek Theater in Los Angeles for the tenth anniversary of his last live concert there, which was the highest selling live album of all time. As a result Sergio sets up the concert and gives Aaron the task of escorting Aldous from London to Los Angeles in 72 hours. But since Aldous is off the wagon getting him there might be a little harder than Aaron imagined.

The character of Aldous Snow was first conjured up by Jason Segel and brought to life by Russell Brand in the 2008 movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Not too long after the release of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, director Nick Stoller announced they would be doing a spin off movie based on Aldous Snow falling off the wagon, and that movie would star Russell Brand and Jonah Hill, albeit, in a different role than Hill played Marshall. While the idea seemed intriguing, and the character of Aldous was brilliant in Marshall, I have to admit I had some reservations about the idea of a spinoff focusing on Aldous as a main character. So how did the movie turn out?

It turns out I had nothing to worry about. While the premise might sound a bit contrived at first (and the trailers don't help that feeling when you see Combs's character bring it up) the plotting feels nothing less than organic. While at times over the top, it never truly feels over the top, making the world these characters live in feel real. Part of the reason for that is the characters have been perfectly rounded out. One of the things that I was worried about, was in Sarah Marshall Snow wasn't completely fleshed out nor did he need to be, he was a blissed out rock star, and you really didn't need to know more about him for his role in the plot. For Greek writer/director Nick Stoller gives the character a soul, and Russell Brand does a great job of breathing life into that soul.

Speaking of Russell Brand, he might have stolen every scene he was in during Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but here he's upstaged, not by Jonah Hill, but (dare I say it) Sean Combs. I never would have expected that I would be saying anything of the sort, but Sean Combs truly steals the movie playing a music executive who's the spiritual brother of Tom Cruise's Les Grossman from Tropic Thunder. Everyone does a great job in their roles, but it's Combs and Brand that really make the movie.

Of course not everything comes up roses, the movie suffers from a nearly cliché third act that stops nearly dead in it's tracks as it gets overly serious. It's understood that in a movie where they show excessive drug use and debauchery things are eventually going to have to come to a head for the characters, at the same time this probably could have been handled in a more entertaining manner. About half way through the third act though things pick up, but it feels like a long way through the third act before they bring back the funny.

Overall I highly recommend this movie, and I wouldn't be surprised if when all is said and done at year's end this remains the funniest movie of the year. If you like other movies produced by Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad, Pineapple Express, Knocked Up, and most definitely Forgetting Sarah Marshall) you'll most likely, almost definitely love this movie. Come for the brilliant performances of Russell Brand and Sean Combs, stay for the Vegas scene with the Jeffrey, trust me!

4/5

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Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball (2010)

Lots of questions out there about the whole prequel/sequel argument and the inevitable comparisons between the two films, but in the end this is really about Carnahan having a fun time indulging the premise of his success by making another film (have to watch the supplements).

The story contains two characters from the first film, but there is no other other connection and each of them only have bit parts that provide a few laughs so watching the first film is not mandatory to get anything happening here. The FBI protects one of their own from a conglomerate of assassins, all of whom get their chance to display their special skills. Tom Berenger plays the FBI target, and he does play his age but I really only liked his last scene. Vinnie Jones gets some corny screen time, the Tremors are way over the top and the majority of their scenes were filmed like Natural Born Killers (fake backgrounds while driving). The film does get some stand-alone uniqueness with exploding clowns and a 50s retro FBI fashion look, but the cheese gets pretty heavy.

The BD clarity is excellent, so much so that when they tried any special effects they looked horrible, but both the interior and exterior shots without effects were pristine. The 5.1 DTS gets used extensively, reference the exploding clowns through the walls sequence. The makeup looked so thick on Berenger that you sometimes wished the BD wasn't so clear. The supplements are thorough and include (some are hidef and some are not):

* Deleted scenes, 10:01 minutes. Glad most of them were deleted, this also includes the alternate ending but I think most people will agree the ending included is much better (a revenge thing for how this whole movie was written).

* Gag reel, 6:32 minutes. Had a couple of funny moments, but they were mostly tedious (watching the FBI gal repeatedly cuss like a sailor was funny though).

* Behind Carnahan, 6:30 minutes. Covers everything about Smokin Aces I, and a little about why this came to be.

* Confessions of an Assassin, 25:59 minutes. The behind the scenes as told through the month of filming (in a day by day format). The two things I liked about this the most were the old guy Michael Parks who plays one of the Tremors and the foul mouthed producer Elliot. Both of those guys are hilarious, hard to tell with Parks but I think he was genuinely pissed off anytime a camera was rolling. Elliot slammed everything I hate about these kinds of documentaries so the self-loathing thing worked well.

* Weapons of SA II, 4:17 minutes. The main weapons guy reviews the variety of armaments in the film.

* Cue Clown, 2:57 minutes. Reviews how you make an exploding clown scene, gross.

* Bunker Mentality, 3:35 minutes. Reviews production design and construction for the best set in the film nice room.

* pocketBlu. More iPhone/iPod stuff for portable fans.

* BD Live, nothing relative or new to this film online.

* Unrated version, 2 minutes longer. The majority of the added footage is in the beginning as they removed the sex scene from the rated cut you get to see AK-47 Tremor do her very wild thing sans clothing, worth the watch.

Once you watch the supplements one should understand this was about having fun and putting some cheese on film. The critics who slam this film are all correct, but having no expectations helps. 2 for the film, 2 for the BD clarity and supplements. Enjoy.

This movie is great. There are no necessary connection between the first and the this one but to be enjoyed by itself, I think this is better or at least the same quality. The story is more thrilling, the action is little more frequent and the quality of the action is the same. The dialogues are great for a B movie or direct to DVD movie. Tom Berenger and Calyne Crawford have a great conversation and relationship in this whole movie in many different angles. Satisfying ending and pretty good message they put in the movie. I easily say it's at least the same quality as the 1st one or even better. If you enjoyed the first one, you will definitely enjoy this one, as far you put in mind that this is just another smokin' aces movie, not a sequel or continuing from the first one. Enjoy the shootout and little sarcastic (and sometime smart) jokes there. Ooo.. one flaw, they make the FBI look dumb in this movie even worse than the first one, especially agent Durane?? We as a normal citizen (except you're a high class, FBI or assassin hehehe..) know that's the worst reaction you can give to something that suspicious.... counter attack special agent? and the whole team with lack of sensitivity or weirdness and communications, anyway, just enjoy the ride for the shootout and twist and political struggle, nothing more and you'll enjoy it!

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This is a great action flick for those who don't take their action flicks too seriously. Walter, a low level FBI worker suddenly has a $3 million dollar bounty on his head and no one knows why. The first part of the movie shows us a number of ingenious assassins performing their various skills on their victims. They are all mercenaries.

One group, the Tremor family appears to have been copied from a Rob Zombie film down to the sexy sophomoric humor of Sherrie Moon Zombie as the pretty Autumn Reeser. The action moves along to a good soundtrack. The movie uses its own fast forward for fight scenes. The unrated edition has simulated sex and very brief nudity. While the assassins are being introduced, Walter is moved to a secure bunker in Chicago under a jazz club. The assassins show up and fighting and killing break out between the FBI men and the assassins who also fight amongst themselves. There is a slight plot twist but the story line isn't worth a flip to care. Yes the acting is campy. It is a cult movie and I found it more enjoyable than the first one.

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I'll start off by saying I didn't really love the first Smokin Aces. It was alright, and my type of movie, it just wasn't pulled off very well. I wasn't expecting nearly as much from the sequel and I came away a bit surprised!

If you like the over the top, crank-like movies (Crank [Blu-ray] ), this has a lot of that. Unfortunately, rather than making it a pure "Crank" movie, they split it up with some story. I never found myself bored, but was always looking forward to the stylized action scenes.

Yeah, it's stupid but sometimes thats what you need! If these movies were realistic, they wouldn't be nearly as fun!

Video and Audio were both nice crisp video and some nice DTS-HD sound. Unfortunately, the poor CG effects really look bad in HD.

Fortunately this one had a lot of nice extras no U-Control this time around, but a decent set of features on the disc (most in HD).

If you like the crazy over-the-top stylized movies, it's worth checking out. You might not love it, but you'll definitely like parts of it.

I picked it up in the Smokin' Aces: 2-Movie Collection [Blu-ray] pretty cheap, and wasn't disappointed, keeping in mind its a direct to video title.

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Of course, not as good as the first one, but still a must-see for fans of the first. I wish they would've spent a little more time on Martha Higareda's and Vinnie Jones' characters. The twist was predictable; lots of action and violence but it still was a likeable movie. I would only recommend this to fans of the first one ... and even still, it's not as good as that one.

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Stand Off BD/Combo (2011)

This movie was alot of fun to watch, and very enjoyable. It starts off a bit slow as you are introduced to the various characters, However, after that it really takes off, and the longer you watch, the better it gets. The actors were all very very good and the plot was great. The interaction between the actors makes for rich humor with out being stupid, and you never know what will happen next. So, you have humor, action, budding romance, hitmen, mob bosses, crime, upset mothers, and all kinds of wonderfull characters to enjoy. Filmed in Northern Irland, so sometimes the accents are a bit hard to understand, but not often. This movie can be viewed by the whole family. No F-bombs, no nudity, no sexual situations, and what violence there is was done with taste and consideration. If you decide to see this movie, I'll bet you will not be dissatisfied. Enjoy.

"We were robbed, he got the brown bag. Yes, that brown bag." Jimbo is a young father who has a gambling problem. When he gets in deep to a local mob boss he has one choice. Pay him back or give him his son. With his back against the wall he decides to rob a fish market, but for a non-criminal things don't always go right. This first and foremost is a really funny comedy. Just seeing the events unfold on its own is really funny and entertaining to watch but when mixed with the dialog it makes it that much more fun to watch. This movie combines the best of British crime movies with American comedy. While this movie won't win any awards it is one of the most entertaining movies that I have seen in a while and I recommend this. The type of movie you can just put in and not really have to think about, just watch and enjoy. I liked it. Overall, very entertaining and very much worth seeing. I give it a B+.

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Very funny movie. It is set in Belfast Ireland and the cast is mostly Irish and British, other than Brendan and YaYa. Fast paced with lots of action and humor. I am a fan of Brendan Fraser from the Mummy movies. Colm Meaney provides a strong perfomance as well. The film is directed by academy award winning director Terry George.

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I really liked the film. I am a big fan of Director Terry George, and he really delivers. I am a big fan of YaYa and Colm Meaney. It was good to see Brendan Fraser again. I loved him in the Mummy movies!

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In Ireland a local gambler owes a hood $. The hood decides instead of the $ he will take the local's son as the hood has been unable to have a child.

The local, encouraged by his friend, decideds to rob the fish market as it is said that there is $ there. When he arrives to do the deed there is little $ there because people use debit cards. He takes off and ends up in Brendan Fraser's antique shop. Reminded me of Albino Alligator and Dog Day Afternoon as they are stuck there.

Some occasional funny parts, some swearing, thick accents. Brandan appears on the front but he is not the main chracter, likeable none-the-less. Also, an odd character twist that not even Brandon is sure about.

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Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Safety Not Guaranteed is a quirky love story that sucks you in the second it starts.

The story is about a team of 3 journalists (Aubrey Plaza, Jake M. Johnson, and Karan Soni) who decide to write a story about a man who is seeking someone to travel with him back in time. He doesn't say where he's going or why, but the ad he writes is interesting enough for the story. Besides a wonderful subplot, thats basically the story. Its funny, cute, and above all else brutally honest. Our three journalists are all in someways emotionally damaged or emotionally distant, and watching these characters grow is a wonderful and move beyond their troubles is pure joy. Mark Duplass as Kenneth, the one who wrote the ad, is fantastic. He does such a good job with the character that about halfway through the movie, you begin to question if he really does know how to travel back in time or not. Aubrey Plaza as the one who gets close to him also does a great job, a character worth rooting for and one that by the end may have you holding back a few tears. Karan Soni plays the lovable geek while Jake Johnson has a subplot involving a past lover that is as heart wrenching as it is funny.

This movie is so beautifully simple that I can't recommend it enough. The performances are great, the music is wonderful, and the story is all being told in front of a beautiful backdrop (mostly filmed in or around Seattle).

5 stars.

This is a great gem of a movie that has all the tell tale markings of a sleeper hit. I have to say this film made me realize how jaded I've grown toward independent films. Having seen the trailer, I expected to be entertained and enjoy the film, but I was sure that I was beyond its warm and fuzzy sentiments I never expected to fall so hard for this movie.

It was absolutely lovely to watch a film that both my teenage son and I could enjoy that has great characters, plot, dialogue and direction. Not to mention heart, warmth, and a refreshing lack of violence and nudity. The film walks a fine line, yet never falls into the realm of the sappy, cliché, or bland family film. This is the kind of film that shows you how delightful it is to be surprised and charmed by everyday reality.

Highly Recommended!

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Safety may not be guaranteed when you travel through time, but I can safely guarantee that this is an excellent movie. I ,on a whim, just decided to buy Safety Not Guaranteed through Amazon Instant Video. The performances are just great in this movie especially Mark Duplass (The League) as Kenneth and Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation) as Darius. Mark Duplass really shows what he can do as an actor in this movie as he plays a completely different character than Pete from the League. Kenneth is introverted and highly intelligent, but also is a bit crazy in an endearing way. There is also some good side story stuff featuring Jake Johnson (New Girl) and Karan Soni (Worst.Prom.Ever.) where Karan's character Arnau convinces Johnson's Jeff to give a girl a chance even if she looks different than she did twenty years ago. This movie is just so well acted, directed (Colin Trevorrow), and written (Derek Connolly) . There is a lot of deeper thoughts and feelings especially regarding the reasons for going back in time and the relationship that forms between Darius and Kenneth. There are also some great heartfelt moments and just as many fun moments. The ending is also not what you'd expect, and it was awesome. I absolutely loved this movie, and it's the best indie movie I've seen a while. GO BUY THIS NOW!

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An ad appears in the paper:

"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. Safety not guaranteed."

Jeff (Jake Johnson from "New Girl"), an assistant editor for a magazine convinces his editor to let him and his two interns Arnau and Darius (Aubrey Plaza from "Parks and Recreation") try and find the person who placed the ad as there might be something there about which an article can be written. She agrees.

It turns out he has an ulterior motive, his old girl friend lives there and he wants to see if you can go home again. One of many subplots, this adds depth but is not the main focus of the film. They find the author of the ad, but he spots the assistant editor as a ringer right away. They then send in the incredibly withdrawn intern Darius and in an unconventional way, they bond.

Although the question of whether or not he can build a time machine is answered, I'm not going to reveal that here. That's OK; you see, It Doesn't Matter. This is not a movie about time travel. It's about what happens to all these people in the process of finding out.

I can't say enough good about this film. Well acted, well directed, good story, the whole thing. I can say that almost everyone will be thoroughly delighted. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes bittersweet, sometimes joyful, sometimes philosophical, always charmingly offbeat, this movie is a unique treasure.

I also can't say enough about what a pleasant surprise this movie is. It grossed less than $4 million so far, it's not the "Dark Knight" after all, so there is a whole world out there that hasn't yet experienced this gem. Become one of them. This is HIGHLY recommended.

A recommendation: Get the DVD vs. the Blu-Ray. This is a small indie film, and neither the video nor the audio are going to benefit that much from Blu-Ray. So, as long as they do a decent DVD transfer (and if they don't it's unlikely they'd be able to afford to do so on the Blu-Ray), I wouldn't endorse the 25% surcharge for Blu, especially given how well players upscale DVDs.

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The last we heard of the Duplass Brothers (Jay and Mark), they brought us "Jeff, WHo Lives at Home". Now comes this, which is co-produced by the Duplass brothers and others, and which stars Mark Duplass.

"Safety Not Guaranteed" (86 min.) is based on a real ad which appeared in a magazine, looking for a time travel mate, "please bring your own weapons, safety not guaranteed". From that writer Derek Connolly made up this story. In its very essence, a journalist and 2 interns from Seattle Magazine go out to Ocean View, WA, to find out who placed the ad (which turns out to be Kenneth, played by Mark Duplass), and why. One of the interns, Darius (played by Aubrey Plaza) poses as the time traveler-wanna be. Apart from this main story line, there are several parallel lines, one involving the magazine reporter looking up a HS girlfriend, now 20 years later. Duplass plays Kenneth straight up and you cannot tell whether the guy really believes that he can time travel, or whether he's just putting us on. That is one of the movie's biggest strenghts as it keeps the interest in the plot. That said, I was a bit let down by the ending, which came with a number of things unexplained, or worse, simply not believable.

This is a quirky little movie that is mostly entertaining. The acting performances are great, in particular from Mark Duplass and Aubrey Plaza. Kudos also for the excellent soundtrack from Ryan Miller. Make sure to stick around to the very end, as "Big Machine", a song that Duplass briefly plays solo in the movie, plays in full band mode as the end credits roll, and it's a fantastic tune (performed by/credited to Ryan Miller and Mark Duplass). This movie is MILES away from your standard Hollywood fare, but if you are in the mood for a good indie movie, I'd readily recommend "Safety Not Guaranteed".

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