PUSH

An underground movement called "Division" hunts people with special telekinetic and other special powers so they can harness their skills to rule the world.



I've never left a theater before the movie I was watching was completely over. I consider this to be a moral rule as well as a badge of honor. PUSH tested my limits regarding this rule to the point that I was hoping a mad-man walked into the theater with an automatic weapon and started wasting the audience.

Yes, PUSH is that bad. I'm unable to say one redeeming quality of this film. PUSH is a mess from its screenplay, acting, special affects, and direction. I feel I'm dumber for have watched it.

PUSH is directed by Paul McGuigan. As bad as PUSH is McGuigan has had success in the past. in 2004 he directed WICKER PARK which was on my honorable mention list for the best films of that year. In 2006 he directed LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN, another good film.

PUSH gets a "0". However, if McGuigan's past work is any indication of his talent. He has the possibility to rebound nicely.

TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2008

2008 was a very weak year for films. As of post date, I've viewed 112 films released in 2008. The combined average grade of those 112 films is a meager 4.91! There is no doubt that the year was dominated by The Dark Knight which ended the year as the second highest grossing film of all time. The Dark Knight represented the first time that a movie truly exceeded the Hollywood buzz expectations that precedes all "big summer block busters". The Dark Knight was a really good film. Was it classic? At this point I'm unsure as I recently viewed it for the second time and wasn't as impressed as when I saw it on opening weekend. Time will be the final judge.

TOP 10 MOVIES of 2008

1. The Dark Knight
2. In Bruges
3. Slumdog Millionaire
4. Iron Man
5. Cloverfield
6. Step Brothers
7. Doubt
8. The Bank Job
9. Tropic Thunder
10. The Visitor

Honorable Mentions
Quid Pro Quo
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Gran Torino

Slumdog Millionaire

One of the more original films I've seen in a long long time. However, how original can it be when it was based on a book? Still, A great great film. Jamie says "9".

My Bloody Valentine 3D

Ten years after a crazy miner kills a bunch of his co-workers and townsfolk and then disappears...the gruesome killings start happening again.

My Bloody Valentine is nearly the same slasher horror flick as the hundreds that have come before it. Good looking actors are terrorized my a relentless killer hell bent on causing as much bloodshed and mayhem as humanly possible. Added to the the blood curdling screams on screen is the fact that all of this happens in 3D.

I must be honest, the 3D affect drew to this flick. My Bloody Valentine is the first 3D film I've seen in a theater. Because the 3D effects are so well done the audience gets the privilege of bloody body pieces flying at their faces and appearing to land in their laps. Fun!

The plot, or lack there of, is very familiar. If you don't see the flick in 3D, there is no need to see the movie. Jamie says "4". A word of warning...My Bloody Valentine is the bloodiest slasher movie I've ever seen.

For the record...I can't wait to see "Friday the 13th"!

The Wrestler

A washed up professional wrestler (Mickey Rourke) who used to pack arenas with screaming fans nearly 20 years ago tries to hold his life together while recovering from a heart attack, wooing a stripper (Marisa Tomei), and reconciling with his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

Mickey Rourke gives a raw performance as Randy "The Ram". His Oscar nomination for the role is well deserved. Ironically, the role is more of a self portrayal of his Hollywood life than that of a fictional character. I remember Rourke from the early to mid-80s of my youth. He was a super-star. "Angel Hart" is one of my favorite films from the decade of decadence. Yes, the screenplay was great but it was Rourke's performance as a down-and-out private eye who unwittingly is hired to find himself (it works very well in the movie). After "Angel hart" he made several bad film choices, relationship choices, and life choices, and so on and so on and so on. Movie fans know the story.

As I watched The Wrestler I kept thinking of Rourke's career and the talent that he squandered over the past 2 decades. America loves a comeback. It will be interesting to see if Oscar loves a comeback at the end of the month. I wish Rourke well.

"The Wrestler" works best if you are somewhat familiar with Rourke's career. I give it a "7". At times it is a difficult film to watch due to its graphic view of the non-professional wrestling circuit. However, over all, it is a good flick.

Worst Films of 2008

1. The Love Guru
2. Mad Money
3. Mama Mia
4. In the Name of the King
5. Strange Wilderness
6. Meet Bill
7. Deception
8. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
9. Prom Night
10. Charlie Bartlett

Dishonorable Mentions
The Spirit
Miracle at St. Anna
Jumper
Semi-Pro
10,000 BC
Drillbit Taylor
Bangkok Dangerous
Babylon A.D.
The Eye
Leatherheads
88 Minutes
The Punisher:War Zone