The Avengers (2012)

by D. Jacob Ryals

imdb  trailer

Best movie of the '012 summer.

Sorry Batman.  Not only did Marvel Studios do it right, when DC/WB had every opportunity before they did, they did it AWESOME!  There isn't much to say about this movie, that doesn't end with high pitched little girl squealing.  Joss Whedon, the biggest head on the BCX Mt. Rushmore, really has done his best work with this one.  He brings 4 different franchises and puts them in 1 movie flawlessly. He gives us very memorable moments with each character and gives us one of the best if not THE best superhero movie EVER.  Any thing anyone has to say negative about this movie is either nitpicking, or Marvin's Room is their favorite movie.

Best Hulk!

Total Recall (2012)

by D. Jacob Ryals

imdb  trailer

Didn't WOW me.  I give it a "meh".

If you feel like watching 'the Fugitive' and 'Minority Report' and you only have 2 hours to kill, just put in this movie.  I want to say, it didn't suck.  It just didn't impress me.  I was hoping that since the first version of this movie was filled with so many iconic images, that have stayed with most of us since our childhood, that this movie would have been just a little more creative.  I am going to go ahead and let you know one thing (not a spoiler, but), no Mars.  Just don't even look for it.  It ain't coming.  No mutants either.  I felt like that's the kind of thing though, this movie was missing.  

On a positive note, the fight scenes were great and I think the movie was okay.  The story was really wobbly though, because I feel like there were some logic leaps regarding the setting and set up.

"Where was the KaBoom?  There was supposed to be an earth shattering KABOOM!"

- Marvin the Martian

The Brothers Solomon (2007)

by D. Jacob Ryals

imdb  trailer

Home schooled kids have never been this funny.

You forget that there are some good jokes in this movie.  You never hear about this movie, and it won't go down in anyone's comedy hall of fame, but its actually better than I thought it would be.  Then again, I didn't realize till just now that Bob Odenkirk was the director and I don't think there is a movie he's been connected to I haven't liked in some fashion.  I would definitley say give this a movie a chance.  There are some jokes that fall a little flat (like the movie rental return joke) but there are some really great ones (like the coaxing of the little girl into their car).  Will Arnett and Forte are great in this movie.  They are both really good at playing innocent awkwardly.  Chi McBride also does a great angry black man.  

Give this one a chance.

Iggy & the Stooges (1973) Raw Power remastered (2010)

by D. Jacob Ryals

allmusic  wiki

Enter Iggy Pop as the Godfather of Punk

This album was evidently the beginning of the end for Iggy and the Stooges but was the rumbling beginnings of Punk Rawk!  When the album came out, it wasn't recieved well and while it was being recorded the band was having bruised ego problems.  You can really feel the anger at times and the drying up of the creative pool as a band.  This may sound like garbled mesh to the masses but to the little punk kids in training this was one of the records that taught those kids how to break the rules of rock so they could remake it in their own image.  This isn't one of those albums that is observed for its intricate musical detail, but its attitude.  

The remastered version is the original David Bowie mix and contains a bonus live recordings of a show in Atlanta.

The Tallest Man on Earth (2010) The Wild Hunt

by D. Jacob Ryals

allmusic  wiki

Swedish Americana?!!

I don't play an instrument and do not call my self a musician.  I can carry a tune, and so it is this aspect of a band I listen for.  This is a significantly distinctive voice.  He does have a strong simularity to Dylan, but he still pulls off his own sound and keeps diving deeper into that Americana plains sound that as of a couple of years has become my new favorite genre.  His lyrics are full of story, which is another thing about music and songs that captures my attention and imagination.  The fact that the singer is Swedish doesn't even enter your listening experience because his songs are so relateable, no matter where you might hail.  This is the sound you thought Jakob Dylan was going to come up with before he opened his mouth and dissapointed.  Pick this album up and take a long drive.

Did Dylan ever tour in Sweden?  I think I know where he stayed the night.

Let's Go to Prison (2006)

by D. Jacob Ryals

imdb  trailer

Fuck Shawshank Redemption!  This is the funniest prison movie.

There are a handful of movies that no one knows about that are awesome.  This is one of them.  I don't know why this isn't one of people's favorite comedies.  Bob "the best writer SNL has ever had" Odenkirk directs this hilarious movie about a guy (Dax Shepard) who goes to prison for no other reason than to make Will Arnett's life a nightmare.  Chi Mcbride shows up to help, but ends up falling in love.  This movie has so many good jokes and quotes, but no one has seen it.  

Please watch this movie.

High Tension (2003)

by D. Jacob Ryals

imdb  trailer

French Fried Peice of Shit!

This movie actually had me for most of it, until you get to the end. 

SPOILER

Don't care that I spoil this right away, because it came out in '03, so come on!  Secondly, I WANT you to watch it (if you decide to anyway) with this information, so maybe you can answer a question for me.  The blonde chick is the killer the whole time?  Huh?

.........sigh......

if this is true, WHERE THE FUCK DID THE CREEPY TRUCK COME FROM?!!!!!!!!

Don't give me this bullshit answer about how all the holes can be explained as being a psycological construct of her own psychosis, because that is HORSESHIT!!!!!!!   

She was obviously in the truck for real, and her bound friend reacted to her, because if she didn't then WHERE THE FUCK DID THE KNIFE COME FROM?!!

AND STOP MAKING THE MEEK CHARACTER THE KILLER!!!!!!

WE KNOW!!!!!!

THATS "Mind-blowing" EHHHH!!!!

But, on the positive note.

I actually enjoyed this movie, and I do believe the shots are great, and the pacing was thrilling, but once you get to the end, you hate it and it kills any enjoyment you had. 

I hate french people.