Top 10 Best and Top 5 Worst Movie Moms

Hello, Bloggers, in honor of Mother's Day, I figured I'd do a list of the top ten best movie moms, and the top 5 worst movie moms. Anyways, here we go:

Best:

10. Fantine from Les Miserables: Fantine may have made a few mistakes and doesn't exactly live an idealistic or dream-like lifestyle, but the mistakes she has made, resorting to prostitution in particular, she did to support her daughter. She is a character that over the years, has become an embodiment of devoted motherhood.

9. Melanie Freeland from Thirteen: Just like Fantine, Melanie doesn't exactly live in a perfect or idealistic household and has certainly made her fair share of mistakes, but one thing is certain: She really knows how to love her children. Even when they're on the verge of a breakdown, she'll step up and help them pull through.

8. Rosemary Penderghast from Easy A: Rosemary is a very cool mom because she is not only compassionate and witty, but she understands the rough parts about being a teenager. As her daughter Olive is explaining her newfound reputation at school to her, Rosemary is very sympathetic as she had a very similar reputation when she was her age.

7. Peg Boggs from Edward Scissorhands: Peg's love is so unconditional, that she sees a lonely, pale  man who has scissors for hands, says "I think you should just come home with me".. Pretty much sums it up right there.

6. Mrs. Weasley from the Harry Potter series: Mrs. Weasley is not only a good mother to her own children, but she is also a good motherly figure to Harry Potter, who lost his own mother when he was a baby. While she is normally sweet and bubbly, if you try to mess with one of her children, she'll have no problem using the "Avada Cavadra" curse on you.

   

5. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Sarah Connor is pretty much the ultimate badass mom. Not just because of her muscles and use of guns, but because of how protective of her son she is. For example, at the climax of T2, when the T-1000 tortured Sarah to get her to reveal the location of her son, John, she didn't even care that she was being tortured as she wasn't going to tell him anyway. That's pretty badass.

4. Elaine Miller from Almost Famous: When it comes to mothers that are stern, Elaine really takes the cake, although she has good intentions as she just wants her children to go down the right track in life. Plus, despite her skepticism, she allows her son William to roam free with the rock-n-roll band Stillwater, but gives quite a lecture to the lead singer Russell Hammond, in order for him not to break her son's spirit.

3. Mrs. Parker from A Christmas Story: As her family goes through a somewhat chaotic Christmas season, Mrs. Parker is quite able to remain grounded. In the midst of events ranging from her husband's leg lamp, a pack of the neighbor's dogs barging into their house and her oldest son saying "The Queen Mother of All Dirty Words", she handles it all with great humility.

2. Leigh Anne Tuohy from The Blind Side: Leigh Anne Tuohy has a very unique motherly trait: She is graceful and her love is unconditional, but she also has a bit of ferocity to her. For example, when she first meets Michael, her adopted son, and sees him walking in the cold rainy weather with no coat and no hope, she steps out of the car and kindly asks him "Do you have a place to stay tonight?", he nods his head yes, but she says "Don't do you dare lie to me". As he then tells the truth by nodding his head no, she asks him to come with her and her family to stay the night, and she would eventually adopt him and love him as if he was her own child.

1. Mama Gump from Forrest Gump: Throughout the entire film, Mama Gump's wisdom affects her son Forrest whenever she is on or off screen. Whether Forrest is telling people words of advice that she always gave him, or whether she is there to remind him that he is no different than anyone else, despite his mental condition. Her words of wisdom are something that those who watch Forrest Gump can take with them as they go forward in life, or maybe even teach their own kids, and that is why Mama Gump is the best movie mom.

And now onto the top 5 moms that could use a parenting book or two...

Worst:

5. Sara Fitzgerald from My Sister's Keeper: While Sara does change towards the end of the film, she still makes the list because of how she uses her youngest daughter, Anna, as a walking organ bank for her older terminally ill daughter Kate, and whenever they talk about Kate's health and what medical procedures to go through, she doesn't care about anyone else's opinion or voice, but her own. There was even a point in the film where her own husband threatened to divorce her.

4. Erica Sayers from Black Swan: Erica is pretty much the kind of mother that still treats her child like she's still a child, as she is always undressing her and cutting her toenails, and she almost NEVER gives her any privacy. She has very clingy and obsessive behavior that to me, is quite creepy.

3. Norma Bates from Psycho: Even though (*SPOILER ALERT*) we only see Norma's corpse at the very end of the film and her voice is heard, it was pretty clear that her son Norman had very severe "mommy issues". So severe, that she still quite possessive of her son, even in death. That's pretty messed up, folks.

 

2. Margaret White from Carrie: There is being a normal religious follower, and then there is being a religious zealot. Sadly for Carrie, her mother is the latter. Not only does Margaret try to shove her religion down her daughter's throat, but she is also quite physically abusive towards her. Not a very healthy combination, is it?

 

1. Mary Jones from Precious: To describe how horrible of a mother Mary is, I'll explain how she abuses her daughter: She lets her daughter's father rape her and impregnate her TWICE, uses her to collect welfare checks, always has her do the chores while she's lazily sitting on the couch smoking cigarettes, calls her every bad name in the book, is quite physically abusive, and even tries to drop a TV on her and her daughter's newborn baby. I wouldn't even classify Mary as a human being, but sadly, that's what she is and what's even sadder is there are mothers out there like her.
But I guess it's horrible mothers like her that really make us appreciate our own wonderful mothers.

So, if you agree or disagree with any of my choices for both of my lists, feel free to comment and let me know, and Happy Mother's Day! Peace!

Review: Iron Man 3

                                             'Third' Time Is Quite The Charm
 
                          And so the summer movie season begins with the superhero sequel, known as Iron Man 3, and I have to say, it surely started off the summer movie season with a bang.

                          Story:
                         Iron Man 3 deals with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), also known as Iron Man, and his trauma from went on in the final climax of The Avengers. He becomes a recluse and distant from his girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Plus, two new villains (Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley) create a terrorist attack on a larger scale.

                         What I Liked About It;
                        Well, once again, RDJ inhales the role of Iron Man and chews the scenery. I can only hope he continues to play Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow does a fine job as Pepper Potts, and unlike the last Iron Man, she becomes more of a fighter. Even though he has slightly limited screen time, Don Cheadle does a good job at Col. James Rhodes, now known as the Iron Patriot, and has great chemistry with RDJ. But aside from RDJ, the actor who gives the best performance has to be Ben Kingsley, who plays The Mandarin, the film's secondary antagonist. Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall also deliver fine performances.

                        Another thing I liked is how Tony Stark spends much of the movie without the Iron Man armor. I think the director Shane Black mainly wanted to show how it isn't the suit that makes the man, it is his intelligence. I even loved the big plot twist towards the end of the film. Some Iron Man fans probably hated it, but I personally liked it. I liked the special effects as well.

                        What I Didn't Like About It:
                       Nothing.

                        Consensus:
                      Overall, Iron Man 3 is a fun, action-filled spectacle that features a humanistic storyline, and starts off the summer blockbuster season with a bang and I can only hope to see more successful films follow.

Rating: 4/5
                       

Trailer Talk #3: Fast and Furious 6, White House Down, The Lone Ranger, Thor: The Dark World, R.I.P.D., Red 2

Hello, Bloggers, here is a new episode of Trailer Talk. Now, I saw Iron Man 3 last night, which I will post a review of very soon, and I picked four of the trailers I saw because two of them that they showed, I already reviewed, and those were the trailers for The Hangover: Part III and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. So I picked a couple trailers that I watched online. So, here we go:

Fast and Furious 6: First, we have Fast and Furious 6. Now, I am not the biggest fan of the Fast and the Furious series. I've only seen Fast Five, and thought that one was pretty decent and I was entertained, but these movies aren't really my cup of tea. They look cool and have good car chase scenes, but those are pretty much the film's selling points. I think I'm going to rent this one or watch it when it's on TV.
                                          

White House Down: Next is White House Down, starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. While the film does look pretty action-packed, I am not the biggest fan of the director: Roland Emmerich. Plus, the film doesn't seem to have much of a story. It just seems like an average blow-em-up hostage movie. I think I'm going to skip this one.
                                                 
                                                  

The Lone Ranger: Next, this is the trailer for the adaptation of The Lone Ranger. Now, this is a movie that looks like it has promise. It's got Johnny Depp, who is my favorite actor, Armie Hammer, who is an amazing young talent, and Helena Bonham Carter, who is an actress that never fails to impress me. Plus, it's a western and we rarely ever see those. I'm more than likely going to see this in theaters, and I think I'm going to take my grandmother to see this, as she loves Westerns and Johnny Depp.

Thor: The Dark World: Next is Thor: The Dark World. Now, after The Avengers was released, I have become psyched to see the subsequent Marvel movies, and I am definitely excited to see Thor: The Dark World. I loved the first one, and I love seeing Chris Hemsworth playing Thor. I am seeing this in theaters.

R.I.P.D.: Next up is the first trailer that I watched online, and that is the trailer for R.I.P.D., or Rest In Peace Department. When I first read what the movie was about, I was pretty intrigued, and when I first saw the trailer, it left me pretty interested. It's got Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, who are always good, and has a unique plot, involving a cop trying to solve his own murder. I might check this out in theaters.

Red 2: Last and certainly not least is the trailer for Red 2, another sequel on this segment. I can honestly say that I am really looking forward to this film, as I had a lot of fun with the first one. It's got the same cast and even has some new faces, such as the always-amazing Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones. I think I'll see this in theaters.

So, that was episode #3 of Trailer Talk, and I hope you all liked my reviews of the above previews. Episode #4 will come the next time I see a movie in theaters or depending on whether I watch some trailers before then. Until then, have a nice day!

Review: The Place Beyond The Pines

       
                                               A 'Beyond' Extraordinary Piece of Filmmaking

                 The Place Beyond The Pines is without a doubt, one of the best most flawless movies I've seen in quite some time. It is a triumphant exercise in how actions and consequences affect the lives of those around us.

                 Story:
                The Place Beyond The Pines is about a travelling motorcycle stunt rider named Luke (Ryan Gosling) who reunites with an old flame of his named Romina (Eva Mendes) and realizes she is mothering his child. Once he finds out, he decides to quit the stunt riding gig and provide for his family. In order to do so, he takes up bank-robbing and becomes followed by a rookie cop-turned-politician named Avery (Bradley Cooper).

                What I Liked About It:
               Where do I begin here? I loved everything: the acting, the direction, the story, the beautiful scenery, etc. I loved how the film is essentially three different stories: The first one deals with Luke, the second one deals with Avery after his pursuit of Luke, and the final one shifts over 15 years later with both Avery and Luke's sons wrestling with the legacies they've inherited.

               Ryan Gosling delivers a solid performance as Luke, and Bradley Cooper delivers the best performance in the entire film as Avery. In this film, Cooper really showcases his dramatic acting chops and proves why he is one of the best actors working today, and not just a handsome face. Eva Mendes gives her best performance to date as Romina, Luke's longlost love interest torn between her child's father and her loyalty to her husband. But a few actors that also really stood out were Ben Mendelsohn, who plays Luke's friend Robin who is a former bank robber with a heart of gold, and Dane DeHaan, who plays an older version of Luke's son Jason, who longs for the truth about his father, but struggles to grasp it when he finds out.

               Another thing I really liked about this marvelous film was the direction. This is the first film I've seen from Derek Cianfrance, who also did Blue Valentine, which I haven't seen yet, but when I watched this film, I fell in love with how he directed it. Plus, the scenery, which was in upstate New York, which isn't far from where I live, was gorgeous.

               What I Didn't Like About It:
              Nothing.

               Consensus:
              Overall, The Place Beyond The Pines is a stunningly flawless epic dealing with themes of redemption, consequences, love, anger, father-son relationships, and most importantly, legacy. I would recommend it to anybody I know as I feel it is noy only a fantastic film, but a rather important film.

Rating: 5/5

                 

Trailer Talk #2: Sequel Edition- Grown Ups 2, Kick Ass 2, Iron Man 3, Hangover: Part III, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Hello, Bloggers, I had just seen The Place Beyond The Pines, which I will post a review of very soon, and they only showed two trailers. So I figured for my next Trailer Talk post, I would discuss trailers for upcoming sequels. Anyways, here we go:

Grown Ups 2: First off, I'll discuss the trailer for Grown Ups 2. Now, before I watched the trailer, I was unsure of what to expect after seeing Adam Sandler's recent body of work, and after I got through watching the trailer, I worry that Sandler's bad movie streak might continue. I don't even know how Grown Ups got a sequel. I mean, it wasn't spectacular or bad, it was just kinda there. I think I'm gonna skip this one.
                                                    

Kick-Ass 2: Next up, the trailer for Kick-Ass 2. Now, I was a pretty big fan of the first one, and when I saw the trailer for the sequel, I was pretty stoked. One reason is because this one has Jim Carrey, who never fails to make me laugh. I feel that he's gonna steal the show. Plus, it looks like it's gonna be funny and action-packed like the first one. I'll probably see this in theaters.

                                                      
Iron Man 3: Next, there is Iron Man 3, the first threequel on this post. Now, unlike the first two, this one looks much darker, which has me pretty intrigued. My only worry is the fact that it has a bit too many villains, but that's more of a nitpick than anything else. Plus, this one looks just as action-packed as the first two. I may check this one out in theaters.
                                                     

The Hangover: Part III: Next up is the only other threequel on this post, The Hangover: Part III. Now, I loved the first one, but thought the second one was good, but just a carbon copy of the first one. So, that leaves me wondering what this entry in the franchise will bring to the table. I'm sure Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zach Galifanakis will be funny as always, even Ken Jeong, who plays my favorite character from the first two: Mr. Chow, but I'm just hoping that this one'll be different. But to be fair, the trailer has me intrigued as they don't give a whole lot of plot details away. I think I'm gonna rent this one, though.
                                                   

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: Last, and certainly not least, is the movie that I am the most excited for this year, and that is The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Now, Catching Fire is my favorite book in the trilogy, so I was really excited when I saw the trailer for this at the MTV Movie Awards. I loved how they did the same thing they did when they released the trailer for the first Hunger Games and kept out further plot details to increase the audience's anticipation. Even though I already read the books, I still can't wait to see more. No doubt i'm seeing this in theaters.

So, that was episode 2 of Trailer Talk, and I'm unsure of what my next movie will be, but when I see it, I will do another episode, but until then, have a good one!

Review: Evil Dead (2013)

                                    The Most Terrifying Film You'll Ever Experience? Not Really

                      While Evil Dead is one of the best horror remakes I've seen in quite some time, I definitely wouldn't say it lives up to its tagline.

                       Story:
                     The new Evil Dead is about a recovering drug addict named Mia (Jane Levy) who is brought to a cabin by her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez) and their friends (Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore). Once they find the Book of the Dead, all hell breaks loose and they become possessed by demons one by one.

                       What I Liked About It:
                     First off, I loved the actors and the solid character development. Jane Levy truly shines as Mia, the main protagonist who struggles with being possessed by demons and her own personal demons as well. After her performance in this, I really look forward to her future work. Shiloh Fernandez also shines as David, and even though this is technically the first thing I've seen him in, as i've only seen smidges of Red Riding Hood, he is truly amazing in this. Lou Taylor Pucci delivers a solid supporting performance as Eric, who is probably the bravest character as he is constantly beaten and stabbed, yet he never gives up. Even though Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore have smaller roles, they manage to hold their own amongst the other three actors. Even though some Evil Dead fans were skeptical about this move, I liked how they didn't include Ash. If they did, then people would just draw comparisons between Bruce Campbell and whoever would play Ash.

                    Another thing I really liked about the film was the old-school feel that it had. From the score to the bleak, dreary atmosphere and the practical effects, it just seemed like a wonderful homage to classic horror. While I do LOVE horror films, if there is one thing I don't like about today's horror films, it's the extensive use of CGI effects. To me, they are just cheap and unrealistic. I only don't mind them if they have to be used. So because I prefer practical effects, I was glad that director Fede Alvarez decided to use practical effects to make the look of the monsters and the scares more effective.
 
                      What I Didn't Like About It:
                     Nothing.
        
                      Consensus:
                   Overall, Evil Dead is a solid re-imagining of the 1981 classic and is a wonderful homage to classic from the 70's and early 80's. Anyone who enjoys horror films should definitely give this one a watch.

*Note: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, watch if you are squeamish!

Rating: 4.5/5

Trailer Talk #1: You're Next, Scary Movie 5, The Conjuring, The Purge,This Is The End, Carrie

Hello Bloggers, I figured for my next post, I'd do something different than a normal review. Now, while I was leaving the theater after I saw Evil Dead, which I will post a review of soon, I had an idea of posting reviews of trailers I've watched before the movie, in a new segment called Trailer Talk. After I talk about each trailer, I will say whether or not I will see the film in theaters, rent it, or just skip it. For my first post, I'll start by doing reviews of trailers I saw when I saw Evil Dead, and here we go:

 You're Next: First, they showed the trailer for an upcoming horror film titled You're Next. Now, the movie has a very old-school title, but that's what I like about it. It deals with a very simple story about a home invasion and the title gives the film a very old-school feeling. I might check this one out.

Scary Movie 5: Next, I had the slight misfortune of watching the trailer for Scary Movie 5. As I have seen the first four films and thought they were funny, this one just doesn't look funny. I predict the critics will tear this movie to pieces, and i'm more than likely going to skip this one.

The Conjuring: Next, there is the trailer for The Conjuring, which is made by the makers of Saw and Insidious. While I'm not overly fond of haunted house movies, this one definitely looks promising, as it features a stellar cast which includes Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, and Ron Livingston. Plus, it looks pretty "f'in" scary! I think I'll see it in theaters.

The Purge: Next, there is the trailer for The Purge, which is another home invasion thriller, and stars Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. Now, what really intrigues me about this film is the plot: The Purge is about the U.S. government and how they give criminals a 12-hour period to let off steam, so to speak. A hunted man is then let into a family's home, only for the family to be victims of a home invasion. It looks scary, original, and action-packed. I am definitely seeing this in the theaters!

This Is The End: Then, there is the trailer for This Is The End, an apocalyptic comedy which stars such funnymen as Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, and Craig Robinson, playing fictional versions of themselves. That alone is a good enough reason to see this film. Plus, it comes out seven days before my birthday:) It looks like something to see in theaters, so I probably will.
                                                 

Carrie: Lastly, there is the trailer that got me the most excited, and that is the trailer for the remake of Carrie. First off, I am a HUGE fan of the original Carrie, and I will probably watch it before I go see this in theaters. Plus, I can't wait to see Chloe Grace Moretz play Carrie, and Julianne Moore play Carrie's mother Margaret. Even though it looks slightly different from the original, it definitely didn't bother me as I don't expect all remakes to be carbon copies of their original counterparts. But, this looks like it'll be amazing, and I especially loved the cover of the song "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" by The Shirelles that played at the end of the trailer. No doubt I will see this in theaters!

Well, those are the trailers I saw with Evil Dead, and for the most part I was impressed with them. I'll do my next "Trailer Talk" segment once I see my next movie, which is tentatively The Place Beyond The Pines. Catch ya later!