June 5: Paul

"Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51."

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are amazing together and every "outing" they share is certainly a watch. Paul is no exception and while it may not be as hilarious as the duo's other films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) it does have its own little charm. It is a raunchy, sci-fi comedy with a great cast filled with plenty of cameos and a ton of movie references. It is its own sci-fi film but pays plenty of homage to plenty of other films in the genre which deepen the experience. That is, if you actually can understand the slight nods to past flicks. If you don't, then you're pretty much left in the dark to a lot of the jokes.

Keep in mind that the film is based loosely on the life of politician, and Gandalf look-alike, Ron Paul. 

Paul tells the story of two British nerds, Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) who are on holiday in America, with plans to take a road-trip through all of the alien hot spot tourist locations of the South West. While they are on the road, making their way to Area 51, they meet Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), an alien who has escaped a government facility. The nerds are huge fans of everything sci-fi and find their new friend to be mindblowingly cool. The three of them bond as they evade government agent Zoil (Jason Bateman), who is after the pot-smoking, bird-eating extra terrestrial and will do whatever it takes to recapture him. Paul refuses to be captured again, as he simply just wants to go home.

Familiar story, no glowing finger. Oh, and very, very, R-Rated. 

Paul is great. It's fun, it's funny, and it shows two actors having a blast working together in a genre they love. While the film never reaches epic heights and may be a little too raunchy for its own good, it is still very enjoyable. Sci-fi films, in general, do not come around too frequently, let alone a sci-fi comedy, so anytime one of them is even just okay, it's worth a watch. 

The Good:

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost having fun... and we get to watch

The Bad:

some overused and unfunny jokes that seem like they forced themselves into the script

The Ugly:

realizing that a film in the hands of this duo could have been much better... where's Edgar Wright when you need him?

Overall: 7.3/10

Trailer:

Jan 28: 50/50*

"Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease."

   Joseph Gordon-Levitt is due for an Oscar any day now as he proves, yet again, that he is one of the elite actors working today. It is in his realism and honesty that makes 50/50 the rare kind of film that hits every single emotion and makes you want to hug the cancer out of him. 50/50 is a movie that knows the topic of cancer is taboo, but handles it with a reverence so real you can't help but feel for the characters on an entirely different level. A part of this may be that the film is written by Will Reiser, who wrote the film as an almost autobiography. Seth Rogen, who not only stars in the film but also produced it, is good friends with Reiser and told him to write about cancer as a way of coping. I feel that, because of this, Rogen is better than ever. 

    50/50 is a simple film with a heavy topic that pulls the hearts strings and makes you cry, laugh, and surprisingly feel good about life. The movie shows that life is hard and unexpected but, when you have family and friends, you can get through anything. 50/50 makes you appreciate what you have, be it a best friend, a significant other, parents, or life itself. It teaches you that even in the darkest of moments, humor exists, and you are never on your own. 

   When a film like 50/50 is pitch-perfect in its casting, acting, and story, there is not a lot else needed. In the simplest form, 50/50 shows that you don't need flashy special effects or explosions to make a movie worth watching. Realism and honesty go so much further than Hollywood leads on, and more films like 50/50 need to be made. Sure, a movie with as much heart as this one is rare, and it is because of that fact that we appreciate them even more, but 50/50 needs to be seen as an example of what a film should be. 

Sight: The film is almost a peek inside the lives of these characters, and it is all fun and heart wrenching to watch. 
Sound: 50/50 has a great soundtrack, with songs from Pearl Jam, Radio Head and even the Bee Gees.
Skill: Phenomenal is the best word to describe the acting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is absolutely, utterly underrated and his work needs to be recognized and awarded as soon as possible. 
Script: The script of 50/50 is just as solid as its acting, and without it, the film would not have as much heart as it does. 

Overall: 9.6/10

Best Quote:
Adam: "See, but... that's bullshit. That's what everyone has been telling me since the beginning. "Oh, you're gonna be okay," and "Oh, everything's fine," and like, it's not... It makes it worse... that no one will just come out and say it. Like, "hey man, you're gonna die." 

P.S Levitt is not only doing a great job in Hollywood but he also has a website called hitRECord that encourages everyone and anyone to work together to make art of any kind, be it photos, films or music. 

Check it out at www.hitrecord.org