Baseball seasons over, Hockey starts, another year as the world turns, Blue Jays were rubbish and the Leafs will probably go the same way again. Who knows, maybe the Raptors will make the playoffs. Oh how we live in hope in Toronto!
Still, this all means there is plenty of time to watch some good movies, lots of blockbusters (not the store!) coming out (Oh I don’t know!) the first real Halloween title is reviewed, some comedies and a glorious Adrien Brody movie!

Year One

Cast: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, David Cross, Hank Azaria, Juno Temple, Oliver Platt, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Gabriel Sunday

In a Paleolithic kind of-Eden live brash hunter Zed (Black) and sensitive gatherer Oh (Cera). But, after Zed eats forbidden fruit and accidentally burns down their village, he and Oh are exiled, leading them on a journey towards Sodom; via a few biblical incidents.
Director Harold Ramis has tried this before with Bill Murray and John Belushi at the Second City improve lounge; there it worked but here it sort of reminds me of the Toronto Blue Jays, shoulda, coulda, didn’ta. Personally I laughed a lot, but then I like gross humour and I’m a huge Michael Cera fan; but this movie yearns for some Mel Brooks type script or even some Monty Python outtakes. I suppose if you really want to laugh at the Old Testament, watch some of the work by the aforementioned experts.



My Life In Ruins

Cast: Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, María Ádanez, Sheila Bernette, María Botto, Rachel Dratch, Alexis Georgoulis, Ralph Nossek, Bernice Stegers, Harland Williams

Georgia has lost her kefi (Greek for "mojo"). Discouraged by her lack of direction in life, she works as a travel guide, leading a rag-tag group of tourists as she tries to show them the beauty of her native Greece while waiting to land her dream job. Opening their eyes to an exotic foreign land, she too begins to see things in new ways finding love in the process.
Once upon a time ago (actually 2002), Tom Hanks, and Nia Vardalos teamed for what proved to be the surprise hit of the year, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. (still the most profitable romantic comedy of all time) The delightfully appealing film had enough to keep it from turning to mush and enough chemistry between the leads to get us rooting for the happy ending. Now Nia Vardalos tries it again as Greek-American Georgia who returns to her roots as a down-on-her-luck Athens tour guide, lurching from one disaster to the next as she shepherds a motley crew of Australians, kleptomaniac octogenarians and brash Yanks from one Athenian antiquity to the next. A nice travelogue of Greece and not a bad little movie mainly thanks to Vardalos’ warm performance, and it’s a pleasure to see Richard Dreyfuss back on the screen as kindly if irritating widower Irv. The DVD has an alternative ending which I haven’t seen yet, someone fill me in on that.



Trick R Treat

Cast: Quinn Lord, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Moneca Delain, Anna Paquin, Rochelle Aytes, Tahmoh Penikett, Lauren Lee Smith, Britt McKillip

It is said that Halloween is the night when the dead rise to walk among us and other unspeakable things roam free. The rituals of All Hallows Eve were devised to protect us from their evil mischief, and one small town is about to be taught a terrifying lesson that some traditions are best not forgotten. Nothing is what it seems when a suburban couple learns the dangers of blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight; four women cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend; and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick. Costumes and candy, ghouls and goblins, monsters and mayhem; the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly as strange creatures of every variety; human and otherwise; try to survive the scariest night of the year.
Michael Doughterty’s movie has been waiting in the wings for a release for two years, and finally its here. It is A delicious, twisted, gleeful anthology, with each story complimenting and, in some cases, completing the one before it. Connecting them all is the instantly iconic figure of Sam. About the height of a child, wearing tattered pajamas, a sack over his head, and wielding a large bag full of candy, this little guy is the stuff nightmares are made of. At 87 minutes, there is not a dull moment. The tone is morbidly charming, effortlessly switching between laughs and screams. The ensemble cast works marvelously and other than perhaps 1978's Halloween, Trick 'r Treat sets out to be the definitive movie of the holiday, and it succeeds. This is a very good movie, why did we have to wait 2 years for this to come out?



Imagine That

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Nicole Ari Parker, Ronny Cox, Martin Sheen

Eddie Murphy is terrific as Evan Danielson, an overworked financial advisor who is so immersed in his job he’s forgotten about Olivia, his daughter from an estranged marriage. When he is given custody for a week and he gets too busy with work, she retreats into her fantasy world, imagining a group of princesses who, as it turns out, really know their way around big business. When Dad figures out his daughter’s special blanket and otherworldly friends have the magic touch for investment advice, he becomes an instant superstar in his firm. But his newfound success soon sets up a confrontation with his chief rival, Johnny Whitefeather.
Eddie Murphy has carved out a solid alternate career as a star of family-friendly movies. But none of those previous works play to his overall talents as a comedian better than this movie. The purely delightful premise, in which Murphy faces off with skeptical business partners, is perfectly toned to his talents and allows him to be widely appealing for both kids and their parents. As daughter Olivia, newcomer Yara Shahidi won out over 3000 girls and is wonderful, a real charmer who goes toe to toe with Eddie. Thomas Haden Church provides the perfect foil for Murphy as Whitefeather, a guy who plays off a phony Native American heritage and spouts nonsensical advice like he’s E.F. Hutton. Ronny Cox and Martin Sheen play it straight allowing Eddie to shine; this is a great movie, the best thing Eddie Murphy has done for a while and probably missed at the theatre, so if you need a laugh, go rent this one. So sayeth the Spotter!



The Brothers Bloom

Cast: Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz , Rinko Kikuchi, Nora Zehetner, Mark Ruffalo, Robbie Coltrane, Andy Nyman, Maximilian Schell, Noah Segan, Zachary Gordon

My pick of the week!
From their childhood in a long series of gloomy foster homes to their high-flying lives as international con artists, Stephen and Bloom have shared everything. Stephen brilliantly concocts intricate stories that the brothers live out, but he's still searching for the perfect con, the one where "everyone gets what they want." Eager to retire, Bloom agrees to take part in one last grand scam. He insinuates himself into the life of Penelope, a bored, single New Jersey heiress. When a genuine romance begins to blossom between them, she impulsively joins Bloom, Stephen and their "associate," a sexy Japanese explosives expert named Bang Bang on an ocean liner to Greece. Penelope is convinced she's happened upon the adventure of a lifetime and offers to bankroll a million dollar deal. But as Stephen's elaborate web of deceit pulls tighter, Bloom begins to wonder if his brother has devised the most dangerous con of his life.
Adrien Brody plays the role of Bloom with a suitable helping of melancholy and loneliness, and works surprisingly well as a romantic lead. Mark Ruffalo is a likeable rogue a change of pace for a guy who usually plays darker and heavier parts. Rachel Weisz positively sparkles, lending her blend of sexiness to this film; Rinko Kikuchi steals scenes with her nearly-mute portrayal of Bang Bang. This is my pick to rent, spend 2 hours with these loveable rogues, you’ll thank me!



Newly added Movies You have to watch again (or maybe for the first time!)
Friday the 13th

Cast: Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Laurie Bartram, Jeannine Taylor, Kevin Bacon, Mark Nelson

As we’re getting ready for Halloween I thought we might want to add to the kiosks the first of the series that introduced us to the hockey mask wearing nut case Jason. On Friday, June 13th 1958, two Camp Crystal Lake counselors, Claudette and Barry, slip away from the campfire for an illicit rendezvous. They are discovered and murdered by an unseen assailant (hello Jason!) Two decades later, the camp is preparing to reopen. "Camp Blood" has a death curse, the murders in '58, a boy drowning in '57, the fires and bad water that thwarted attempts to reopen the camp etc, etc. This highly successful franchise consists of twelve slasher films, a television show, games and comic books. This is the first and probably the best of the lot, it’s campy, scary and funny like the one idiot girl who chases down a faint cry for help through the woods in the middle of the night in the rain in her nightgown, just what every girl should do isn’t it. Admittedly the film lacks John Carpenter’s skill in making Halloween, it isn’t nearly as suspenseful but Jason Voorhees has sold a lot of masks, models and posters just like Michael Myers, so stuff that into your body bags!

Face Off

Cast: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, Harve Presnell
Directed by John Woo

Woo, who is known and appreciated for his unique stylistic approach to violence and bloodshed, creates a ballet of bullets and explosions that drives the adrenaline level through the roof. This is my favorite all time John Travolta and Nicholas Cage movie; now let’s see if you can get the plot. Sean Archer (John Travolta) is a dedicated federal officer whose obsession with bringing down one particular master criminal, Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage), has blinded him to all other concerns; you see six years prior, Troy's attempt to kill Archer went wrong, and Archer's young son was killed. Since then, a thirst for revenge has driven the FBI agent to pursue Troy with such vigor that it has alienated both his wife (Joan Allen) and his teenage daughter (Dominique Swain). When the latest confrontation between the two leaves the criminal in a coma, Archer is forced to undergo a face transplant with Troy's features so that he can go undercover in a prison, and interact with Troy's paranoid brother, Pollux (Alessandro Nivola), because very bad guy Nicholas Cage has a bomb that is ticking away somewhere in downtown L.A. But, while Archer is masquerading as his arch- enemy, the real Troy regains consciousness and hijacks Archer's face. Got it so far? So now Nick Cage is John Travolta and vice versa. So good John is now bad Nick and we are now rooting for Nick and booing John. Sci-Fi predicament? You bet, action galore and really good acting, this is one of the best action movies ever in my opinion so go out and rent this it really is good.



Transformers

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox ,Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Rachael Taylor, , John Turturro, Jon Voight

Our world will be transformed when two races of robots; the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons (which are able to change into a variety of objects, including cars, trucks, planes and other technological creations); make Earth their final battleground. As the forces of evil seek the key to ultimate power, our last chance for survival rests in the hands of young Shia LaBeouf. Michael Bay’s live-action rendition of the cult Japanese toy-line, is a film about big toys attacking a lot of small toys, and some equally as big, and some much bigger (Transformers are equal-opportunity), and a lot of humans (if you’re a Decepticon) and buildings (mostly downtown LA). This film is miles better than the sequel, I found that one to be a little difficult to figure out who’s who (Decepticon or Autobots), not hard for my 10 year old however! Both John Turturro and Jon Voight are wonderfully political and unlike the sequel, LaBeouf’s parents play parents and not silly straight men! This film also introduced us to the latest femme fatale, cover girl Megan Fox, so that alone probably recommends it. This is a perfect 5.1 surround sound DVD, crank it up it’ll blow the doors down!

Black Rain

Cast: Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Yusaku Matsuda. Directed by Ridley Scott

Michael Douglas plays again the hard-boiled cop in the form of Nick Cunkley who’s out of favor due to his wife and has a chance to redeem himself by escorting with his partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) a notorious mob boss predictably called Sato (Yusaku Matsuda) back to Japan, only to lose him when they turn him over to the mobsters disguised as policemen. So Douglas and Garcia have to reluctantly team up with Japanese cop Mashahiro Matsumoto (Ken Takakura) to track him and his Yakuza buddies.
Black Rain explodes with action it’s really a much layered film that offers content between the raindrops of a soaky Osaka.
Michael Douglas plays rough well his diction is edged with a harshness that effectively captures the pragmatic cop Nick Conklin. Andy Garcia is given a wonderful opportunity to shine in the role of Nick’s partner. Ken Takakura lends perfect balance to Douglas and Garcia, and the thick delivery of Tomisaburo Wakayama as Sugai, one of the Oyabuns or family heads of the Japanese Mafia is reminiscent of Brando in The Godfather. Sugai is one dangerous dude.
Ridley Scott made this film after “Blade Runner” and the magnificent scenery and rainy ambience that defined said film is alive and well in Black Rain. The grit versus the glitz of New York City and Osaka is replicated admirably. The score by Hans Zimmer sounds terrific on this Dolby Digital 5:1 DVD. Well recommended for anyone who enjoys a good cop movie.



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See you next week!