30 Nights of Paranormal Activity With the Devil (2012)

I knew that mocking the scary movies can be fun, but this doesn't even come close. Total waste of time and money.

Wow, who knew a parody film could be this unfunny? Usually you can get a couple of good laughs... not here. This movie makes the Wayan's brothers look like comedic genius's. I can't believe I watched the whole thing, but I'm here to warn you stay away. It's no gem awaiting discovery THERE IS A REASON YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF THIS "FILM"

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If you're in the mood to watch a cheesy movie with poor acting then I recommend this movie. If you're looking for a more serious parody then look away.

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Craig Moss may be the single most untalented writer and director that ever lived, as evidenced by 30 NIGHTS OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY WITH THE DEVIL INSIDE THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, the latest in low-brow Horror spoofs that is a disgrace to the art of filmmaking. Moss takes on everything from the "found-footage" genre to Storage Wars and other lame pop culture references, posing only the most basic and expected humor to an increasingly irritated audience. When the idiotic attempts at parody fail, Moss falls back on what he knows best: crude sex and fart jokes. Moss selfishly allows the awful cast to make complete fools of themselves on screen, ensuring their availability for his next project (should anyone allow him to work again). 30 NIGHTS OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY WITH THE DEVIL INSIDE THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO should serve as an embarrassment to all parties involved in its creation, but especially to French Stewart, Peter Gilroy, and Tyler Phillips, who are most likely to face public ridicule for their performances. Without needing to see another film, 30 NIGHTS OF PARANORMAL ACTIVITY WITH THE DEVIL INSIDE THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO should be voted "Worst in 2013."

-Carl Manes

I Like Horror Movies

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This is another multiple movie spoof. The main movie that is spoofed is "Paranormal Activity 3", considering the role of the pool crawler. If I claimed I got every spoof and pop culture reference, I would be a liar. The movie starts out with found footage of a man who killed the cast of "The Artist" in 1989. Clearly this is a spoof of the multiple anachronisms that have popped up in the Paranormal series. Fans of Adele and "The Black Swan" be forewarned as they are not treated kindly.

The humor is course and crude for too much of the film. It ruined what good scenes and satire the writers came up with. Early in the film they have multiple camera men shooting from different angles etc. Later in a scene we see the director. Again spoofs of the absurdity of these films. In addition to movies being spoofed, TV shows are spoofed as well as pop games and Internet porn.

Being hip to pop culture is a must to enjoy this film. If you enjoyed this feature, you might want to catch "A Haunted House."

Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity.

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Hitch (2005)

Will Smith stars as Hitch, a counselor for men who are having trouble making that first move toward a relationship. One of his main focuses during the movie is an accountant played by a thinner Kevin James (compared to the first couple of seasons in King of Queens). Kevin's character is attracted to a beautiful heiress played by Cameron Diaz-wannabe Amber Valetta.

Enter sub-plot #2: Eva Mendes portrays a gossip columnist headstrong in the belief that, sooner or later, every guy with lie to you, cheat on you, or both. Hitch tries to convince her otherwise while convincing himself that not all women are eventually evil either.

The movie's greatest feature is being able to show just about every aspect or viewpoint one would have about starting a relationship, from the lovesick to the downright sick of love individuals.

The writing and acting are very well done, mostly because they keep Amber's lines to a minimum.

The reason for my ALMOST perfect title to this is because, toward the end, the movie gets WAY too Hallmark card-ish. If you see the movie, you'll know where it starts. This plus the Ellis Island scene could have had some of the documentary part trimmed a bit.

I would highly recommend this movie for a date, especially a first date. I would not advise bringing the kids to this one due to all of the sexual innuendo.

Warnings: profanity, sexual innuendo, people doing the 'robot' dance, and pigheadedness from both sexes. Like I said, it's a great date movie. :)

Final note of the movie: if your movie is being sponsored by, let's say, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, it's probably not a good idea to represent them as a source for suicide inducing and heart failure.

Until the final ten minutes of HITCH, this was one of the best romantic comedies I had seen in a long time. The premise was fairly original, though in a way an inversion of the Cyrano de Bergerac theme. The difference here is that instead of an ugly man capable of great love who gives voice to a less deserving, but handsome surrogate, Will Smith's Hitch is a man who is afraid of love enabling somewhat unattractive men who are capable of a great love, an opportunity to express it. Hitch is a date doctor, someone who corrects the errors in a person's dating style that prevents his meeting the woman of his dreams. The film revolves around two poles: Hitch's efforts to help the hapless Albert--an overweight, clumsy accountant with bad taste and music and a hopeless dance style--woo the woman of his dreams, the socialite and heiress Allegra Cole on the one hand, and Hitch's own attempts to get to know (but not to love) Sara, a gossip columnist. I like the way the two story lines intersect and complicate one another, so that at the end of the film Hitch ends up with not one but two disasters to correct. Like in so many romantic comedies, the way to true happiness is paved with misunderstandings, and this is no exception. My only problem with the movie is the way Hitch takes care of his own problems at the end of the film. The person I saw this with hated the ending even more than I did, and she was quite upset that Sara had not taken what she considered to be the minimal steps that should have been expected for Hitch to be able to forgive her before trying to win her back. I didn't hate the ending as much as she did, but I do agree that the final ten minutes of the film are much, much weaker than the rest of it. On an intellectual level I understand why the decided to portray Hitch as temporarily bumbling and inarticulate, but I just couldn't buy the particular way that they pulled it off.

How nice to see Will Smith in a romantic role! And how refreshing to see Hollywood present an interracial relationship! Granted, Eva Mendes is a dark complexioned Hispanic of Cuban descent, but it is one of the very few times we've ever seen a romance between an African American and a person of European descent. Interracial relationships are common today, so it is nice to see Hollywood stop pretending that they don't occur. Smith has never been funnier than in this one, and the scene in which he suffers an allergic reaction to shellfish is about as funny as I have seen in a while (the make up is exceptional in that scene). Eva Mendes I had only scene previously in a film I absolutely detest, TRAINING DAY (as Denzel Washington's wife) and in the mess that was ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO. She is much better served in this film, and she acquits herself admirably. She has a feistiness and projects a confidence that I really like. Kevin James is a stitch as Albert, and reveals himself to be one of the more physically graceful large actors to appear in some time. Model Amber Valletta is fine as Allegra, the object of Albert's affections, but since she is quite attractive in an arm-trophy sort of way, she was perfect for the role. Special mention must be made of Jerry Donovan, who is excellent as the reptilian Vance, who wants to hire Hitch to help him "bang" a girl he had met (Sara's best friend) so that he could forget about her and move on.

I will confess that my own personal favorite type of film from the birth of the sound film to the present is the romantic comedy. I wish as much effort was expended in the making of romantic comedies as in the production of movies based on comic book heroes or remakes of classics or TV shows. That day may never come, but in the meantime I will be happy to see the occasional excellent representative of the genre such as HITCH.

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I cannot believe that Will Smith had never done a romantic comedy before "Hitch". He has so much charisma that it would seem that he would have done about 10 of these type of movies by now. But as it turns out, his first one "Hitch" is not bad and Will gets a little help from his co-star Kevin James.

"Hitch" is a man named Alex Hitchins (Will Smith). He is a "date doctor," meaning he helps pathetic guys to get really hot chicks that they would normally would not be able to get. He has helped many men, and then comes Albert (Kevin James). Albert is basically the type of guy that spills everything, says the wrong thing every time or does not have the nerve to say anything at all. Albert wants to be able to get the movie star Allegra Coles. So Hitch helps him and along the way he meets Sara Meles (Eva Mendes). He falls for this girl and forgets everything that he teaches all of his clients by making a complete fool of himself. Obviously thats where the humor comes in and then the dramtic climax of whether Hitch gets the girl or not.

Will Smith does a great job as this character. As mentioned earlier, his on-screen charisma makes him the perfect choice for this character. The person that steals this movie from him is Kevin James. Being a big "King of Queens" fan, he is the reason that I saw this movie and he did not disappoint. Most of the movie's big laughs came from his antics. I didn't really like Eva Mende's character. She was too much of a pain in the neck (to put it nicely).

This movie would be definately worth the watch, especially if you have a significant other to view it with. It is funny and romantic, but I wouldn't say that its a chick flick. So there you go guys, this one is okay to watch.

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Will Smith is a cute, funny, and charismatic actor who has charm to spare. It is, therefore, surprising that Hollywood has never before cast him as the lead in a romantic comedy. I doubt that this oversight will occur again, as Mr. Smith takes to the genre like a duck takes to water and makes it his own. His seemingly effortless, laidback style of acting strikes pay dirt as the romantic lead in this film. I am sure that Hollywood has now taken notice that Will Smith has what it takes to be the lead in a romantic comedy.

Will Smith is cast in the role of Alex "Hitch" Hitchens, a young, suave, successful, sophisticated, smooth talker who has devised a career out of his ability to show even the most clumsy and shy, geeky guy how to get hitched to the woman of his dreams. He takes on clients whom he then coaches in the mysteries of finding one's way into the heart of a beloved, but seemingly unattainable, woman.

Our erstwhile dating consultant is hired by Albert (Kevin James), a chubby, earnest, tongue-tied accountant, who has fallen for one of his firm's own clients, socialite-heiress Allegra Cole (Amber Valleta). She is a trophy type of woman who, one would think, would not even given Albert a second look. Under Hitch's careful coaching, however, even our unlikely, lovesick accountant seems to be on the road to true love.

Of course, them that can, do, while them that can't, coach, and Hitch is no exception. While he can successfully coach his clients to attain the love of their lives, Hitch runs into a whole host of problems in his life when dealing with his own romance. It appears that he has fallen for the gorgeous Sara (Eva Mendes), a local gossip columnist. Despite his ability to ensure that the path of true love runs smoothly for others, he himself runs into many roadblocks and bumps in the road.

Will Smith is simply terrific in the role of "Hitch", playing the role with insouciant charm. His likeability quotient can't get much higher, and he certainly infuses the role with his effortless charm and humor. Hollywood would be remiss in not casting Will Smith in other romantic comedies, as he is such an ingratiating performer that the viewer cannot help but fall in love with him. As his love interest, Eva Mendes is certainly a gorgeous leading lady, although her character is not always likable. Still, she makes the most of her role as the feisty Sara, and I look forward to seeing her in more films.

I totally enjoyed seeing Kevin James in the film. He is the star of the long-running, hit television series, "The King of Queens", a show that I love and wish would run forever. I was not disappointed by his transition to the big screen, as I really enjoyed his performance. He is simply a big, cuddly, teddy bear sort of guy that you can't help but love, which helps make his on-screen pairing with Amber Valleta believable. They are simply adorable together. Amber Valleta successfully infuses her character, Allegra Cole, with a certain vulnerability that makes her very likable.

Kudos also go to director, Andy Tennant, whose deft direction contributes to the success of this film. This is a well-written, well-acted romantic comedy that is highly enjoyable. Co-stars Will Smith and Kevin James have great chemistry in the film and are excellent foils for each other. I would love to see them paired together in a buddy movie, as I think that they would be sensational. Fans of romantic comedies, however, would be well-advised to see this film. They will be glad that they did.

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Okay I'm a guy who likes Will Smith in comedies and action films. I love to share a good romantic comedy with the Mrs. but unfortunately WAY too many romantic comedies are not good. I saw the ads for "Hitch" back when it came into the theatres and what I saw didn't make me want to see it.

The Mrs. rented it last night, and we're both glad! Will Smith plays the title character, a high-priced consultant who turns romantic, but unskilled men into objects of desire. An opening montage shows hapless klutzes scoring with babes and we buy that "Hitch" must be good at his job. Eva Mendez is the saucy Sara, a gossip columnist who is so busy and successful at her job that she hasn't thought about romance for years. Kevin James meets Smith's comic chops every step along the way as the chubby bumbling accountant Albert who secretly pines for his high-profile client, zillionaire heiress Allegra Cole.

For a movie like this to work, there has to be a generous and believable dose of "heart" and "Hitch" has it. The central conflict in the movie comes from the perception about the mysterious "Date Doctor" Hitch. The actual character has professional morals and ethics. He doesn't train his clients to deceive their objets d'amour, he just "gives them opportunity". We meet a jerk early in the film who hires Hitch to get tricks to bed women. How Hitch sidesteps the guy is the right mixture of heart and machismo. Wouldn't you know that "Mr. Wrong" later goes out with the best friend of Hitch's romance Sara? Certainly it makes sense that Sara the gossip columnist would be tracking every move made by Paris Hilton surrogate Allegra. It even makes sense to question why beautiful Allegra is being seen about town with dumpy Albert.

The movie is not perfect. But there were some honest belly laughs, and more thought than usual into the wittier than usual script. The Mrs. and I give 2 thumbs up!

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Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

William Butler Yeats:

When You Are Old

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

That comes from a scene where Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) is talking to a poet Michael Fitzsimmons (Kevin J. O'Connor) while she is visiting her high school years. The scene is one of my favorite movie scenes ever and I feel that the movie itself is a timeless piece of cinema. Look out for performances from Jim Carrey, Nicholas Cage, Hellen Hunt, and a young Sofia Copola (director of Lost in Translation, Virgin Suicides) as Peggy's bratty kid sister (is there another kind?) Great musical score. And this is the one flick guranteed to make me tear up everytime.

I consider Francis Coppola as one of the five best directors of the last 30 years. Even in his less successful movies, there is still the sparkle of the genius. And ONE FROM THE HEART which was a huge flop, critical and popular, is, in my opinion, a masterpiece, along with APOCALYPSE NOW and THE GODFATHER, part I, II and III.

Now why would Francis Coppola be interested in the screenplay of PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, a light and nostalgic comedy about life and its disenchantments ? Perhaps the subject touched him because of the recent fall of Zoetrope Studios which, at this time, was falling apart with Coppola's dreams and money. In this perspective, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED is a formidable statement of a bleeding director : " If I could live again now, knowing what I know, I won't change a thing ! ".

Speaking of perspective, let's observe that there aren't any mirrors in the real world of Peggy Sue, Coppola choosing to shoot the back of another actress when Kathleen Turner faces her mirror. This creates an uneasiness in the audience because we have the impression that Peggy Sue will jump out of the mirror. Great idea of an always innovative director.

You will have understood that PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED is a movie you can watch several times and still discover another little pearl hidden in it. That's cinema. And I like it this way.

A DVD for your library.

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First, I can't believe how shallow, misinformed, obtuse and insensitive Tom Keogh's editorial review is.

"Peggy Sue Got Married" is a wonderful, funny, heartfelt and somewhat haunting story about how the ghosts of high school affect us throughout our lives.

Kathleen Turner's performance, as a woman who time-travels back to her last year of high school, is nothing short of a brilliant. It's a physical marvel the way Turner transforms, through her subtle facial gestures and mannerisms, back into the body of a teenager. Faced with the awesome possibility of being able to relive high school, knowing what she knows now, Peggy Sue behaves like anyone would given the chance. What would you say to your grandmother, now dead? What about the boy you're going to marry, and who you later divorce?

The movie is very touching, and also very funny, and is definitely the last great film that Francis Ford Coppola made. Coppola was, by 1986, in a very tumultuous period in his career wasting his time developing cinematic technology and experimental narratives that derailed his career. With "Peggy Sue Got Married," Coppola had a great story, a great actress, and he simply decided to make a great film.

"Peggy Sue Got Married" is one of the best films of mid-1980s.

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This an excellent film to watch primarily bacause all the cast members, including Coppola's daughter who plays Sue's sister in the movie, did a super job of acting their parts. I understand that Miss Kathleen Turner did not want Mr. Cage to be her co-star; however, Coppola wisely insisted that his nephew play the roll Some reviews are critical of Mr. Cage's performance; on the contrary, he does capture the part of that type of kid. I knew several fellas like him when I went to high school in the 40's. With the exception of one scene in which Miss Turner sexually get's involved with the student poet, the entire family can watch the film without being embarrassed. I feel Peggy Sue Got Married will be appreciated in the future like many of us now appreciate "It Happened One Night" with Cable and Colbert. "It Happened One Night," with Cable and Colbert.

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I remember watching this at the movies and not ever wanting it to end. Back in the day, movie tickets weren't too expensive so I think I saw it 3 times there and rented it out on video when it came out about 50 times. It's been about 12 years since I saw it until today, and it's just as good and I still love it.

Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) goes to her high school reunion and faints. Upon waking, she is back in school as if it were all those years ago again. I think for me, it was one of the first 'time travel' movies I saw. It's not especially funny or dramatic, but it's really nice and warm and beautifully done. It also stars a very young Jim Carrey which is funny to look back on.

This really is a cute movie and worth watching because there is good music in it (also a very nice score throughout), familiar faces (Helen Hunt, Joan Allen and a young Nicholas Cage to name a few) and a good feeling to finish with. You'll love it.

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Carnage (2011)

This was a great and fun/funny film. A drama where two kids parents meet at ones apartment to decide "how to handle" the situation where one of the boys hit another boy with a stick, knocking out teeth. Who's fault was it? Who should apologize to whom? Should the parents get involved? Should they also take responsibility for their kids aggression and the others timidness? We learn the issue of aggression and short comings might be more so with the parents, than with the kids. And that poor hamster? A film by Roman Polanski, more so a short dinner theater type play brought to film. The shortest film I've seen in a theater. 1 hr 15 min. But great stars, fun plot. Things go from simple casual attempt(s) between two sets of parents with coming to an agreement concerning responsibility for their kids actions, to the parents engaged in something close to total WWIII. With a little apple cobbler tossed in (and up) along with way, plus way too many social cocktails in the mix. And a busy cell phone adding to the never ending comedy-drama.

With stars this wonderful, this film is a must see hit. And again... that poor hamster.

There are great court room dramas that keep you engaged. This is not a court room drama, but equal to such as a social drama between agreeing/disagreeing, then agreeing then back to disagreeing sets of parents.

With everyone carrying, then unloading, a lot of psychological baggage.

And YOU are the fly on the wall.

Great! Very fun! Interesting! Too short. I wanted more, a lot more. But what Roman Polanski gives us is totally worth experiencing.

Great directing mixed with great actors/acting really does make the difference.

NOTE: And just who was that peeking out the next door apartment at all the ruckus going on in the hall way? Could it have been by chance a VERY FAMOUS DIRECTOR's face????

And no... it wasn't Alfred Hitchcock. lol

What a good film. What good acting. Great stars. Great director. Great directing. But I'd totally skip the cobbler...

So what happens in NYC when parents of two boys decide to have a private meeting in order to resolve a conflict between their children? Meet two couples, who are equally concerned about well being of their 11 year old sons. Two boys got into a fight and the fight got physical. Before long, one boy is grounded and another one nearly looses his tooth. Surely, these young people need to be punished and thought a lesson; so their parents decide to meet and assess what to do next.

The entire movie is entirely set in a NYC apartment of one of the couples. It starts as civil and cordial meeting between two pairs of concerned parents and turns into, well carnage. In nearly two hours, we see these four people fighting it out with each other in words. It starts as one pair of parents against the other, but then lines become blurry as aliences between them start to shift. Every now and then, pairs would re-group, but then things would fall into a chaos again. It is witty, contemporary story about modern life, alienation between people, parents and their children; greed, glutony, assessment of our priorities and purpose in middle life. Great cast of actors, wonderful verbal duels. I truly enjoyed this movie. I always loved Roman Polanski's movies and this one adds to the wonderful collection of his already prized work.

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"Carnage" opens like the play it is adapted from and is directed by Roman Polanski. Penelope Longstreet (Jodie Foster) along with husband Michael (John C. Reilly) invite the Cowans to their apartment; Nancy (Kate Winslet) and her work-consumed husband, Christoph Waltz.

The Longstreets feel it necessary to discuss the reason why their "victim" son was struck, and badly hurt, by the "maniac brutalizer" Cowan's son. Michael would simply appreciate an apology from their child, although Penelope seems to have her own agenda and intends to push it.

Penelope and Nancy have a tremendous amount of tension between them which is palpable from the onset. Michael appears personable, overly generous and friendly ... at first. Mr. Cowan is on the cell phone constantly as a pharmaceutical lawyer and much more absent in the genesis of the conversation.

The 'go-around' all plays out in the living room as you can sense the air suck right out of the room. It becomes almost claustrophobic, in feel, as the couples begin wildly talking, accusing, and definitely getting far off-the-topic of their sons.

In this obvious stress inducing situation, especially for Nancy and then Penelope, anxiety builds and the topics get verbally and emotionally out of control. The discussion of the children's situation is quickly set aside, as marital issues insidiously invade the 'conversation'. More like spouting-offs!

The husbands slowly get involved, by first defending their wives, arguing with each other and then challenging each other. The 'Scotch' comes on the scene, as they decide it would be a great time to take a vintage bottle out for a ride. Nancy demands a drink of her own, while defending Penelope, and challenges a reluctant Michael to pour his wife some also.

Alliances are formed and broken then reattached almost as fast as the mercurial, rapid-fire dialogue. The words are shot between them as bullets from a gun and land as caustically. The husbands start to turn on their wives while getting pretty frustrated; "you think too much...women think too much" and "yes, I feel like being completely despicable".

The talking and commenting becomes amazingly ludicrous in the verbal smack-down. All four actors are on top of their game in this; tightly wound, inflammatory, taut and hilarious 'study', as one topic is flying into another then back again.

At the very end of the film, before the credits roll, there is one of the best scenes for tying-up all the loose ends and a good shot in the arm of laughter for myself. It does put seemingly huge things in perspective in a very scant amount of time.

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I though this was one of those slasher movies until I saw the names of the stars. This is actually very similar to the classic Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Two-Disc Special Edition). All of the action takes place during one afternoon after a schoolyard fight between two boys leads to a meeting between both sets of parents to settle the tiff. Very different socially, the two couples at first perform the usual polite dance of parents everywhere, trying to remain polite and civil. A bottle of single-malt scotch, and some expensive cigars, lead to a loosening of social norms and shifting alliances among the group. I found this to be among the most intelligent films that I have seen in quite some time, especially since it is not an "art film" and is readily accessible to a mass audience. This is like attending a well done one act play right in your living room.

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...despite his, er, private behavior, but gah! What awful people. Yes, it was funny in a very, very unpleasant way, but I think I watched it with an expression of horrified disgust pasted to my face. Don't we all know people like this? Completely tense, unable to stop the diarrhea of boring small talk about cobbler recipes and toilet parts while their restrained hostility growls audibly below the polite chatter? I felt like taking a hot bath after watching this. Yes, and becoming a hermit in a cave somewhere so I'd never have to see a human being again.

I will never, ever watch this movie again; it was like fingernails on a blackboard to me. And yet it was a great movie. I saw no flaw in the acting or direction. There was an ugly fascination in seeing how four people could all be arrogant bourgeois thugs, yet so different. Four different shades of awful.

I loved the hilarious irony of the scene in the park as the credits roll. You could almost miss it, but it beautifully sums up the ludicrousness of the situation that has just played out between the four adults.

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What Women Want

This is a very formulatic romantic comedy, but it shines largely in part to the performance of Mel Gibson. It takes someone very confident in his masculinity to put on a bra, paint his nails, and put on pantyhose all in the name of comedy. When he is suddenly struck with the gift to hear what women think, it is almost karmic destiny in retribution for his playboy ways of the past. When the shoe is on the other foot, and he sees first hand what is dealt to the fairer sex, it changes him profoundly.

It's not a new premise. It's actually an old one. What do other people think about you? More importantly, what do members of the opposite sex think about you? And if you knew, what could you do with that information?

These are the questions posed to Nick (Mel Gibson). A self professed "ladies man" he waltzes through life from one sexual conquest to another, all the while confident that he is a handsome, well liked, object of affection to women everywhere. But soon Nick's world comes crashing down. He is passed over for a promotion, and his job is given to woman (Helen Hunt). Through a series of comical event Nick is blessed (or cursed... you decide) with the ability to hear the thoughts of the females (not specifically human) around him. He soon learns that he in not the end all, be all object of desire to the female community that he thought he was. After he re-groups, what Nick decides to do with his new found powers makes for some very funny moments. What does he do you ask? Well, I'm not going to be the one to spoil it for you.

Overall, "What Women Want" is a very good movie. It has all the makings of a fine romantic comedy; A handsome man, a beautiful woman, and a great deal of conflict. The only real flaw to the film is towards the end when it starts to become a little too heavy and takes itself just a little too seriously. Those are the times when the movie seems to drag and has trouble getting started again.

Gibson and Hunt are actually quite good together, and really have some good on screen chemistry. In addition, the use of Alan Alda, Bette Midler, Delta Burke, and Marisa Tomei in supporting roles is terrific. The soundtrack is also top notch with a great collection of classic standards by the Chairman of the Board, mixed with a few modern Top 40 tunes. Gibson really surprises with a small homage to Fred Astaire, and shows that he actually quite light on his feet.

If you haven't seen this yet, then you really should, but I would suggest renting before buying... just in case.

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This movie is surprisingly charming, given the fact that critics pilloried it when it first came out. All I can say is that Mel Gibson still has what it takes to be a leading man in a romantic comedy.

The movie certainly opens promisingly enough with a hilarious sneak preview into the childhood of the main character, Nick, a top advertising agency executive that Mel Gibson plays with great aplomb. Nick is a divorced, male chauvinist who thinks that he is God's gift to women. Unfortunately, as so many men of this type are, he is dead wrong. He is just a man's man who thinks that he is a ladies' man.

He begins to get his comeuppance when the coveted job of Creative Director, to which he is expecting to be promoted, is offered to someone outside the agency, another advertising whiz named Darcie, affectingly played by Helen Hunt. She gets the job, rather than he, so that the agency might be better able to tap into the women's market. She is now his new boss, and Nick is not happy.

After their first meeting, the disgruntled Nick goes home and drinks himself into a stupor. Look for the wonderful dance routine done in best Fred Astaire style. It is a charming salute to an all time great. While in his inebriated state, however, Nick has a shocking accident (pun intended) that enables him to be able to read women's minds.

This ability causes him some distress, as he is amazed to find out what women really think of him, and it is not always flattering. It also enables him to please women as never before, as he is able to read their innermost thoughts and anticipate their needs. It even helps him repair his relationship with his fifteen year old daughter who is undergoing teenage angst.

He uses this ability, however, to trump Darcie, unbeknownst to her, as he has every intention of getting the job he coveted. What he does not anticipate is falling in love with her. This certainly puts a kink into his plans. The question is whether love will triumph. Watch the movie and find out.

The contrivance of being able to read women's minds creates some very funny scenes and interesting situations. It also allows Nick's character to grow as a person and become more three dimensional. There is a strong supporting cast that includes Delta Burke, Marisa Tomei, and an unbilled cameo by by Bette Midler. This is an engaging film that, oddly enough, is sure to delight both men and women, and Mel Gibson, with his easy going charm, is definitely what women want.

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A star-studded cast is gathered in this tale of an advertising man who manages to gain the power to hear what women are thinking. While at first he almost goes crazy, he soon learns, with the help of an odd therapist, to take advantage of the situation and improve his relationships with the various women he is in contact with. Three women are his main targets. Marisa Tomei is a simple sexual conquest. Helen Hunt is the woman who became his boss. And a quiet office worker who may need more help than anyone.

Mel Gibson does an excellent job as the man with the power. Helen Hunt does a passable job as a love interest but the script just does not show her as qualified for her new job. She is shown as being a good advertiser but not as a Creative Director. This is the fault of the script and not the actress. I was a little put off by the Bette Midler character who basically convinces Mel to take advantage of women. This is probably not really what was intended but it is what the script results in. But still, the acting is pretty good throughout with Gibson really shining during his solo scenes.

A pretty good movie for couples although the final resolution may be a little weak for couples looking for a really good romance story. Light humor, heavy humor, and some touching moments combine to keep the movie fresh and moving. Check it out.

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What can I say? Ladies will most likely love this movie, and men will most likely not. Funny, romantic, but ultimately sexist and insulting, "What Women Want" is not the movie you should suggest on your first date. Cheer it on with your girlfriends, but spare your boyfriend or husband this "relationship test" and watch "When Harry Met Sally" instead.

Mel Gibson plays a charming yet chauvanistic man who suddenly finds he has the ability to read women's minds. At first overwhelmed, Mel uses his gift for his own personal gain, yet gradually he learns to understand and love women, and in the end he is stripped of his undesirable male qualities and falls for the film's "every-woman", Helen Hunt. Gibson's subtle performance provides the only personality in this entire film, keeping it from becoming a dry, sexist political statement. This includes a beautiful dance number to Sinatra which recalls Estare and Crosby (this scene was entirely Gibson's idea). The other performances, including Helen Hunt's, all fall along the lines of "the universal woman" vs. "the universal man." Basically, all the women Gibson interacts with are the same woman, just at different stages in her life. All the men are deceitful, uncaring, or clueless, save for gorgious hunk Gibson who "changes".

Fans of this movie might claim that Gibson's highly chauvanistic character lends some balance to the male-bashing, but they fail to realize that healthy men and women are offended by both. Consider: not only does this film's "perfect man" look like Mel Gibson, but he can read minds as well. Not even the real Mel Gibson can meet those standards. The "romantic" ending of this film has Gibson kissing the heroine right after she fires him. Our hero. I find it funny that the trailers for this movie showed some derrogatory scenes against Arab women which were cut from the film (pre-Sep 11) for obvious reasons. It highlights the basic nature of this film.

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Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar, Part 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2009)

Babalun, Dagmeyer and the male Sacred Mechamasters have begun their attack on the Holy Land and have captured it! But with all hope is lost, the women of the Holy Land have one person they can put their trust in...one who may be able to save their lives...Kenshi!

Can Kenshi pull it off and will Kenshi ever return back home? Or will his friends or the temptation of so many girls wanting to marry him, will make him want to stay? Find out in the final part 2 of "Tenchi Muyou!: War on Geminar".

What is "Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar"?

In 2009, a spinoff OVA series that is a spin-off of "Tenchi Muyo!" was created by original creator Masaki Kajishima.

Presented in 13 OVA episodes which was released from March 2009-March 2010 and produced by AIC Spirits and BeSTACK, the OVA series would lead to a light novel adaptation by Atsushi Wada in 2009, a manga adaptation serialized in Comic REX in 2010 and now released in America on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of FUNimation (Note: Part 2 comes with episodes 8-13),

According to Kajishima, the anime is part of the "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki" continuity and takes place 15 years after the events of "Tenchi Muyo! GXP". Because "Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar" features the debut of Tenchi's half brother Kenshi, this would lead many fans to discuss theories of Kenshi and its connection to the original series.

The series revolves around 15-year-old Kenshi Masaki who ended up in an alternate world of Geminar. This world has been waging war against each other using Sacred Mechanoids (humanoid weapons discovered in ancient ruins).

We are first introduced to Lashara Earth XXVIII, the 12-year-old ruler of the Shrtrayu Empire and her bodyguard Chiaia Flan who fights against intruders in the Holy Land. One of these intruders proves to be an excellent fighter and is revealed to be Kenshi.

Kenshi has been ordered to assassinate Lashara Earth XXVIII but can't do it as he is not a killer. Seeing good within Kenshi, as the group hold him captive and to find out his whereabouts, it is quickly learned that Kenshi is not of this world. In fact, he was being used by the enemies of Shtrayu Empire who had promised him a safe return back to his homeworld, which became false.

Finding out he had been betrayed, he is rescued by Dark Elf Aura Shurifon, who returns him back to Lashara. But they realize that he has caught a disease and will die unless he receives treatment. So, everyone works quickly to try and save him.

For now, Kenshi can be useful to the empire who is suffering from enormous debt. So, as they try to find a way for Kenshi to return back home, Lashara Earth XXVIII has Kenshi become her assistant, so he can learn and assimilate with society (which the female population outnumber males by a very large margin). So, naturally many of the women he comes into contact with are impressed by his demeanor, his work ethic and are amazed by his uncanny fighting skills and bravery.

But as Lashara and those working for her try to keep Kenshi's identity secret, there are those in the Holy Land who are working for the enemy and are keeping their eyes on Kenshi.

VIDEO:

"Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar Part 2″ is presented in 1080p High Definition. Because the series is an OVA series and not a television series, I was expecting the picture quality to be vibrant and fully-detailed. If anything, "Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar" seems more like a television series when it comes to picture quality.

There is a hint of softness, but the series does feature good shading, character and mechanical designs designs but similar to the original series, tends to use a lot of lush backgrounds, blue skies, mountains, a lot of trees, etc. But there are some emphasis on building structures, cement walls and most importantly its use of mechanical designs with Mecha featured throughout the series. There is also a good use of CG for floating structures and backgrounds. There are some indoor scenes which are nicely detailed but overall, picture quality is good but it is a bit soft.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar" is presented in Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. I have to admit that I was so excited for the lossless soundtrack because the opening theme really comes out crystal clear and utilizes the surround channels immediately. But the overall presentation, while clear, is not as immersive as I would have hoped. Audio is primarily dialogue driven and center and front-channel, while music gets the surround sound treatment. But for a television series, audio is could and didn't notice any difference in terms of surround sound use on both Japanese or English lossless tracks.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

"Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar Part 2″ comes with the following special features:

Audio Commentary for Episode 13 Joe McDonald, ADR Director interviews the English dub voice talent and technical crew.

Information and Sneak Peek of the Pay-Per-View Program 7-13 (3:33) The Japanese previews for the pay-per-view commercials for "Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar".

Presale Promotional Videos (:43) Promotional videos for the "Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar" DVD.

Teaser Trailers 3-5 (4:27) Teaser trailers for "Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar".

A Taste of a Day Recording Tenchi Muyou! War on Geminar's Radio Broadcast (8:04) Featuring personality Hiro Shimono (voice of Kenshi) and guest Mie Sonozaki (voice of Yukine) and a footage from the episode radio broadcast.

Web Trailers (3:42) The web trailers for "Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar".

Textless Opening Song "Follow Me"

Textless Opening Song "Destino"

U.S. Trailer U.S. Trailer for "Tenchi Muyou!: War on Geminar"

Trailers FUNimation trailers

EXTRAS:

"Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar Part 2″ comes with the Blu-ray and DVD version of episodes 8-13.

JUDGMENT CALL:

I have been watching every "Tenchi Muyo!" series since it was first released in Japan. A big fan of the original OVA's and animated films, it's always fascinating to see how the storyline is without the characters that fans have followed for many years.

First with "Tenchi Muyo! GXP" and now with "Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar", what will interest fans the most is the introduction of a 15-year-old named Kenshi, the half brother of Tenchi Masaki. How did this happen? Fans will find theories from other fans about who Kenshi may be. But in terms of the series, we have Kenshi stuck in another world and for the first half, the series is more introductory to the characters and a secret plot taking place behind-the-scenes.

The second half of "Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar" focuses on Babalun and his son Dagmyer along with the male Sacred Mechmasters of the Academy capturing the Holy Land. But also Babalun possessing the Shield of Gaia and trying to defeat Kenshi and restore the Sacred Mechalord Gaia. But to save the land, Kenshi must do all that is necessary to stop Gaia's revival.

The series does tend to play out as a harem anime series with flocks of women, not just a few, wanting to marry Kenshi. But fortunately, a much more deeper storyline is presented in the final half of the OVA series.

There are references to the "Tenchi Muyo!" characters in the anime series such as Washu and others when Kenshi is questioned about his home and these crystals that belong to him. But also his unusual abilities that surpass normal people in the planet.

As mentioned in my review of "part 1″, there is a little sexual humor in the series, so you may not want to watch this series with children in the room.

As for the Blu-ray release, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that the OVA series looked more like a television series. Back in the day, "Tenchi Muyo!" was a series that captivated our attention at anime club screenings as the series was known as a quality series on LaserDisc at the time. Fast forward to 2010, when this series was first released, while shown on the Animax pay per view channel, I was hoping for sharper, crisper animation and less softness. But the series was soft and while many scenes did have good detail for its art backgrounds and some scenes and characters were well-shaded, it seemed more like the picture quality of a TV series than OVA series.

As for the lossless soundtrack, I loved how the music was utilized for the surround channels but I was hoping the action sequences would feature a bit more LFE and surround use. Dialogue and music are crystal clear but was hoping for something more immersive.

For special features, you get many of the Japanese special features included such as the commercial previews or trailers, a behind-the-scenes radio featurette and an audio commentary featuring the English dub voice talent and the FUNimation crew that worked on the series.

Overall, "Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar" is a harem sci-fi anime series that is enjoyable and fun. While the first half of the series is more about the fun and harem side of Tenchi, his gullible nature and the women who love him, there is more story, more action and things become a bit more deeper for the second and final of the OVA series.

If you are a fan of "Tenchi Muyo!", while none of the original characters appear in this OVA series, we are introduced to Kenshi Masaki, a 15-year-old half brother of Tenchi that is stuck in an alternate world and with his kind nature and his special ability, he proves himself as important in the lives of many people. But will he stay or will he go home back to Earth?

"Tenchi Muyo!: War on Geminar Part 2″ is recommended for fans who love sci-fi anime with a harem twist!

Poor Kenchi stuck on another planet with a lot of lovely ladies, sounds like another Misaki we know and love. But when the Holy Land is invaded by a power hungry ruler, he must reveal his abilities to protect the innocent. Now it is a race against time as the crew of the Swan tries to get enough help to take back the Holy Land but also as more and more ladies try to get Kenchi alone and perhaps married. Why can't more guys get that lucky???

Overall I enjoyed this series. The 45 minute episodes might be a little different than most people are used to, but it fits as each one tells a good story. I enjoy the tenchi's since the beginning and this is a good addition. If you enjoy the side stories like GXP and Rhy Oh Ohki you will enjoy this.

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Like with the other series Tenchi Muyo GXP while some of the characters will be familiar others are pretty much new to the Tenchi Universe namely the younger brother of Tenchi named Kenshi Masaki, though you'll of course have the usual hilarity and harem drama of the Tenchi plot the action and mecha fights are pretty exciting a little reminiscent of another series Escaflowne. While the info of the series shows only thirteen episodes remember that each episode is about forty five minutes so if you compare that with the usual length of anime episodes you get a twenty-six episode series. The animation and soundtrack fit nicely and the Japanese subbed cast did terrifically and as expected from Funimation the English dubbed cast did great in their character roles. While the series sets are somewhat pricey the overall enjoyment of the series for myself makes it worth it so if you're a fan of the Tenchi franchise or Ranma 1/2 or looking for a comedic/romantic/dramatic action anime with an endearing cast and good story here's one worth taking a peek at....

Read Best Reviews of Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar, Part 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2009) Here

Other than a few mentions and one flash of one the characters from the tenchi series, War on Geminar is a complete stand alone series. There is some character development but not much. However the story is solid, the characters are likable and memorable. This is a harem but the male lead is not some pathetic pushover that doesn't deserve a following. For only having thirteen episodes, though long, the series gets a lot done for story and plot progression. There really isn't a pointless episode. Every episode leads into the next smoothly and moves the story forward. There is fan-service but I would be hard pressed to find a harem anime without any. (One thing I am hoping for is Good English voice acting, and good packaging.)

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If you like the Tenchi OVA's and GXP then this is pretty much a must get. I got it for $30 for each part which was a great price.

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Crank / Crank 2 (Two-Pack) (2010)

I myself have not experienced any issues watching either film as numerously complained about all over the web and on most of the other reviews here. Crank 1 takes itself a touch more seriously while 2 just completely blurs the lines between reality and goofiness. I love both films for what they are, adrenaline packed action with an unrealistic story and concept.

The issue most people are referring to is that with older players the crank 2 disc works fine, but with newer ones that do not have a built in hard drive to receive updates the disc will sometimes not work. Or will work in weird ways. It seems this update forces itself to download and then if it isn't able to be received it wonks out the film. Two things to clear this up, first off get your blu-ray player online with the most up to date firmware installed, and secondly if the blu ray player doesn't have a hard drive built in. Such as my own (Samsung BD-c5500). Then just plug a USB stick of 1gb or higher on any of the player's ports and it will download the updates and work fine for any BD-Live enabled film including this one.

I hadn't received any updates at all when putting in this disc, and cannot even find any of the LG-Live/BD-Live content. Where on a disc like the expendables the content is in plain site, either they removed it for future prints, or perhaps I'm just not looking where I am supposed to?

The picture quality and sound is excellent, the movies are lots of fun but very mature in nature and not meant for kids or people who can't handle, nudity, lot's of cursing, and violence.

I give this set an A grade wise. Statham kicks A** in these ;)

I bought this set. Crank 1 (Disc 1) was good, but Crank 2 (Disc 2). It had the same issue like other reviews (showing 2 inches square box)

Thanks for Amazon's Customer Service Return policy.

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Crank 2 won't play. The picture shows a small square in the center of the screen and the rest of the screen is black. Upgrading the firmware in the blu-ray player did not help any.

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The problem is the BD Live needs somewhere to store updates, if there isn't any internal or external memory on your blu-ray player you will get that small annoying square in the center of your TV screen. The good news is that it is easy to resolve simply by adding memory with a SD Card or USB flash drive.

Old blu-ray players may not have a problem, as that hardware lacks any BD Live functionality. And naturally, if you own a PS3, the title plays without problems because of the built in hard drive.

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I was extremely unhappy with my purchase. the crank 2 does not work in my sony blu ray player. tryin to get it fixed has also been a nightmare. i have owed it for a few weeks and havnt been able to watch it yet. :(

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Chick Flick Blu-ray 3-Pack (Juno / 27 Dresses / The Devil Wears Prada) (2008)

Wonderful, If you like Chick flicks this is the trilogy for you. Gave as Christmas gift. Well received. Will purchase more sets.

I love this! You get three great movies at a really good price. All the movies are worth watching, so if you like these movies then this is the way to go!

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These are all classic chick flicks! Juno wasn't my favorite but the other two I would definitely watch over and over again!

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You Again (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (2010)

This flick was cute in the previews and delivers even more than it promised in the full-length film.

After years of healing success and maturity post high-school, Marnie aka MOO, finds out that her brother is marrying her nastiest high-school tormentor. With no time to process the information or put on full body armor, Marnie is thrown into the situation just days before the wedding. Joanna, oddly, doesn't even remember Marnie the queen-of-geeks and has gone on to become a perfect blend of Martha Stewart and Mother Teresa. Or maybe not!

Chick-flicky, yes. But its more about friends, enemies and the painful art of growing-up. The movie contains a few cheesy moments and a few underdeveloped relationships because the cast of characters is huge. But, it's respectful of friendship, forgiveness, character and marriage. Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver are delightfully amusing and seem to enjoy every bit of working together in this film. There is a scene at the end of the movie that is hilarious and worth every bit of cheese and I can't say one more thing about it because it would be a big spoiler. The film is clean and would be a terrific pre-teen movie choice.

Comparable movies are Mean Girls, Monster-In-Law, Bride Wars, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton and Confessions of a Shopaholic. If you liked any of the above or any of the You Again cast of characters you should enjoy this film. This is one I'll be adding to my DVD collection.

I see a lot of movies and one of the movies that really surprised me the most is YOU AGAIN. It is so well written, so well acted and just left a smile on my face throughout the entire movie because it was so hilarious -yet it was also so heartfelt -these characters are really likeable people and the situations they get into is just so well done. I highly recommend this movie. Hands down the best comedy of the year -and by the way -it got a cinemascore (the people who first saw the movie) gave it an A and if you look on boxofficeguru.com, people also gave it an A.

It's superb.

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I saw "YOU Again" when it was in theaters and I have to say it was one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. And it is not just a chick flick! I'm a guy in my 20's and me and my friends all enjoyed it. If you like physical comedy, you'll love this movie. Jamie Lee Curtis and Sigourney Weaver are top notch. So, if you want to laugh, buy this DVD.

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You Again, finds humor in all of the expected places and even more! The movie centers around Marni Olivia Olsen (Kristen Bell), who as a previous high school "loser" becomes a beautiful, successful VP out of school. Always antagonized by the "popular girl", aka Jo-Jo (Odette Yustman), Joanna as she now goes by; Marni has suddenly found herself thrown into an unexpected dilemma. Her brother Will is engaged to marry Joanna. As they first meet face-to-face, Joanna seems to have no recollection of Marni. But as days tick on, the obviously frustrated Marni cannot stand to see her brother fall for her act and devises a plan to show Joanna's true colors. Hilariousness ensues and with ode to the 80's, Hall & Oats and other assorted music, the event goes on without a hitch. A movie to enjoy with the whole family. Not one inappropriate situation to shield young eyes from. Loved it! Betty White, Sigourney Weaver and Jamie Lee Curtis are awesome as the older versions of high school meanness.

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After reading some of the reviews slaughtering this campy flick I had to comment. First it has such a great cast I had to see it. Sigourney Weaver's acting was the best. Jamie Lee Curtis who is normally amazing was a bit overboard but that's probably the fault of the some of the writing. Nevertheless, my young tween and teen and I had fun watching it. It speaks to the pressures of being popular and getting your self worth trampled by your peers. And, it does a decent job treating revenge, repentance and forgiveness. It was often funny and the ending scene was hilarious. It's just the sort of movie Disney used to churn out in the 60's and 70's.

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