Kick-Ass (2010)

Rating: 10

Kick-Ass is one of the coolest movies I've seen all year. I was so excited to see this for months before it came out and when I finally did see it, it most definitely met my expectations.

Kick-Ass is about an average high school student who decides to become a superhero. He calls himself Kick-Ass and orders a costume online. Being a superhero doesn't really work out the way he expects though. In fact, he ends up in the hospital on more than one occasion with serious injuries. He persists though and soon he gets to meet the real thing. Real superheros in the form of Big Daddy (a delightful Nicholas Cage) and Hit Girl, Big Daddy's potty mouthed daughter, and they end up saving his butt. Big Daddy and especially Hit Girl stole the show for me. Every scene that she was in rocked! I was probably sitting in the dark theater with a big grin on my face during her scenes. So Big Daddy and Hit Girl befriend Kick-Ass and this is where the storyline comes in. It involves drug deals and stolen Coke and the very wealthy head of some underground organization. His people are killed by Big Daddy but he believes it was Kick-Ass. The wealthy head has a son who then becomes Red Mist in order to lure in Kick-Ass. There is a lot of very cool action and some one-liners that had me laughing out loud. This movie has a lot to offer: cool action, comedy, a bit of romance, a really cool soundtrack and characters I really liked and could care about. Kick-Ass easily makes it on my favorite movies list.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Rating: 10

This horror mockumentary is so funny and entertaining. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Behind the Mask is about a reporter and her two crewmen following around and filming an up-and-coming new killer who's dream is to become the next Freddy Kreuger or Michael Myers (in this world these guys are real). He explains, in a refreshingly open and sincere way, what it takes to do what he does. He takes them through it step by step, from picking out a victim, the set-up and the eventual killing itself. Many well loved horror movies are alluded too. I loved the playful nod to all the rules and conventions in the horror genre.

The acting is really great. Nathan Baesel did a fantastic job playing our aspiring killer Vernon. The character of Leslie Vernon is very likable, which makes it so amusing that he's a killer. He's so charming that he even gets the reporter to participate a bit (think Man Bites Dog). All the acting in this is entirely natural and believable.

The first two thirds of the movie are the reporter interviewing Leslie and him basically showing the reporter and crew the ropes. The final part is all slasher flick. Behind the Mask is a must see for all fans of the horror genre.

300

Rating: 10

What it's about:
Based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, 300 takes over the screen like an invading horde. With all the gushing blood of a horror movie and the scope of a classic epic, the second film from Zack Snyder (who helmed the 2004 remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD) is an impressive visual spectacle. Gerard Butler (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) plays Leonidas, the king of ancient Sparta. The city is famous for its warrior philosophy, and Leonidas won’t kneel to the demands of Persia's King Xerxes (LOST's Rodrigo Santoro). Instead, Leonidas leads his 300-strong army against Xerxes's army of millions. Meanwhile, his wife (Lena Headley, THE BROTHERS GRIMM) campaigns in Sparta for the city to send reinforcements as she butts heads with the treacherous Theron (Dominic West, THE WIRE). -taken from Rotten Tomatoes

My Thoughts:
This is an impressive movie, and I'm not just talking about all the muscles. What I noticed first about the movie is the color....or lack thereof. I think it was a great idea to lose most of the color. It's unique and fits the overall dark tone of the film. The fighting sequences are choreographed very well and make for exciting watching. They fight to some pretty heavy sounding guitars too! I love the choice of music in this movie. It's very modern and really rocks. Most period films stick to the music in that period but this one doesn't limit itself like that. The characters are awesome in this movie! I was continuously amazed at the make-up for some of these guys. The hunchback was totally believable and Xerxes really seemed larger-than-life. I know the sub-plot with the Spartan queen back home trying to drill up reinforcements wasn't in the comic book but I think it was a great idea to add it to the movie. It gives the movie way more depth.

I have read in different places how some people hated the movie because it is historically inaccurate. It's based on a comic book people! It's just some guy's (Frank Miller) idea of Thermopolylea. And I loved it!

Persian: A thousand nations of the Persian empire descend upon you. Our arrows will blot out the sun!
Stelios: Then we will fight in the shade.