Raising Arizona (1987)

Early Coen brothers . . . such fun! I tend to find their films always pleasant, if never spectacular. This certainly held true to that. Definitely had a couple moments that made me giggle. I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a hugely amazing movie, but it was certainly fun to sit down and watch. (I liked Intolerable Cruelty better, I must say.) 3 stars.

Must Love Dogs (2005)

Well. This was unstellar. It was unhorrible, too. I like John Cusack as an actor, so that was a plus, especially since his character was quite likeable. I have no doubt that I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movie. But now, three days later, can I remember anything about it? I cannot. And this is why this movie is far from great. 3 stars.

Bee Season (2005)

I'm not sure what this movie was trying to do or say, quite honestly. I got it expecting it to be a movie all about a spelling bee, rather like the "Spellbound" documentary, but it definitely wasn't. It became a family drama, except the family was entirely too messed up for my taste. And I never felt like anything got resolved. Mostly it just felt messy and choppy and unfinished. I wouldn't recommend it. 1 star.

The Producers (1968)

Sometimes Mel Brooks really rubs me the wrong way. At other times I find his stuff absolutely hilarious. This one was mostly the latter. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder were hilarious in their roles. A few moments of this actually made me laugh out loud, which doesn't happen very often when I watch movies. Now I'm looking forward even more eagerly to seeing the musical movie. 4 stars.

First Blood (1982)

Why did I watch this movie? Now, that's a good question. Because it was in my house and I was sick of it being in my house. So I watched it. And then I sent it back to CleanFilms. I'm not sure it was worth any more than that. At the very end of the story, it suddenly turned into a morality message movie, which I will say I didn't expect. I will also say that that seems to make the idea of sequels somewhat . . . not quite right. If the whole point is him giving himself up, then it's not cool to have him come back to kill again. Puh-lease. 1 star.

About a Boy (2002)

Plot: Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel, About A Boy is the story of a cynical, immature young man who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy.

Now I can finally take it off my "want to see it" list and put it on my "finally saw it" list. This movie was recommended to me by both Anna and Sarah L, so I figured there had to be something to it. There definitely was. This movie kept me solidly entertained the whole way through, and there were even a few moments where I laughed out loud. But besides just being amusing, it was also making a bit of a point. Sometimes movies that make a point end up sounding pretentious and preachy, but this was... surprisingly heart-warming. Definitely quite a good movie. 4 stars.

The Secret of My Succe$s (1987)

Teehee. Such silliness. It's loosely based on the story of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, although I have to admit I preferred that one. This one has a few moments, though, as the main character masquerades as two different people, and at one point even successfully attends a party attended by people who know him in both personas. However, it is CHEEEESYYY in quite a few spots, and I'm not sure I could actually recommend it to anyone because I'm not sure anyone but me would actually enjoy this, since it is such avid fluff. Oh, what the heck. Give it a shot if you like some nonsense in a movie. ;-) It's definitely one of the least inspired films I've ever seen, but it is harmless. 2.5 stars.