Daybreakers

Vampire Thriller

Starring Ethan Hawk and Willem Dafoe

That's right, I created a new genre: Vampire Thrillers. You knew it was coming with the vampire show/movie craze: True Blood, The Twilight Saga, Vampire Diaries. I rest my case.  

To the point -  I was looking forward to re-heating some left-over spaghetti for dinner after watching this movie on a quiet Sunday afternoon. That dream was abruptly shattered after watching the gore in this movie. Needless to say, I don't think i will be eating spaghetti, or rather an red food for a while.  

I hope the creators of the fake blood for the movie set made it truly edible or at least full of vitamins - because the actors sure ate/drank a lot of it.

The only thing that cleared the permanent mental picture of a pack of 20 vampires feeding on one helpless human, ripped body parts flying all over, was a half hour of some good old America's Funniest Videos. There is nothing a montage of crotch shots can't handle.

You may be thinking, "there isn't much in here about the movie." Exactly. Not much there to say. 

Reel Recommendation: If you like weak story lines and gory vampire scenes, this movie is for you! 

Life As We Know It

Romantic Comedy

Starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel

Cute movie - even though my fiance would disagree. He says, and I quote, "the movie, as we know it, sucked." However, I caught him laughing quite a few times at the relationship banter made funny by Mr. Duhamel. 

Katherine Heigl plays her staple successful, established, control freak character, the same person we saw in Knocked Up. Josh Duhamel's "rough around the edges" care-free character is what makes this movie funny. His one-liners are hysterical but sometimes hard to hear if your fiance is still laughing at the last one. 

I'll put it this way, I can see why this movie made it to theaters, and I can see why it was only there for a couple weeks.

Reel Recommendation: don't move it to the top of your Netflix queue, but it could be worth an instant play 

Edge of Darkness

Thriller

Starring Mel Gibson

This movie grabbed me in the first 10 minutes and kept me biting my newly manicured nails all the way through till the end. The only thing that annoyed me, is that between both Tommy and I, we couldn't keep some of the characters straight. We found ourselves asking - "wait, is that the guy in the beginning that was in the garage? Is that the Senator?" 

The plot was twisted and there were quite a few unpleasant surprises, but I wouldn't say its a "must see" or a Mel Gibson film legend. The next time you are playing trivia at your favorite bar and the announcer asks you to name five Mel Gibson movies - your answer sheet will read Braveheart, The Patriot, Signs, Lethal Weapon (all 3) and What Women Want. Edge of Darkness will be one of those movies that while browsing IMDB you say to yourself, "oh yeah, i totally forgot about that movie." Much like I did when i was reminded that Mel was the voice of John Smith in Pocahontas. RIGHT?

Reel Recommendation: Right on the edge of being a pretty good movie

The Adjustment Bureau

Sci-Fi Thriller

Starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt

I saw this one in the theaters and I will say it was worth the $20 in tickets, and $20 in popcorn, Skittles, Nestle Crunch Bites, and 1 large Diet Coke (for TWO - as I didn't see this movie alone). I'd say this movie was a mix between Inception and The Matrix. The storyline was especially creative and intricate, but not to the point of confusion. Sometimes I find myself exhausted by movies that get so far into the details that a flow-chart is needed to get through a 2-hour movie.

Emily Blunt's character was my favorite. She plays the unattainable love interest.  Her humorous disregard for the linear political agenda not only entertains us, but also mirrors the core message of the film - [insert message here] - I don't want to be a spoiler :)

Reel Recommendation: Adjust your fate so this movie is in it