The Skin I Live In Review: A Sophisticated Revenge Thriller

The Skin I Live In stars Antonio Banderas as the mad plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Ledgard, who has had to deal with a series of maddening events in his life. Mad because his wife, burned beyond recognition in a car accident, commits suicide after seeing her once-beautiful-self transformed into an unrecognizable monster. Madder still because his daughter follows in her mother’s footsteps by jumping to her death, apparently at an asylum after having witnessed her own mother take her life. Maddest of all because the mad doctor himself stops at nothing in an attempt to somehow fix the madness of his past life. The film opens with a sultry Vera (Elena Anaya) wearing a flesh-colored…

The Big Year Review: Fowl Play on The Big Screen

The real-life Big Year competition, on which this film is loosely based, is a race to see who can spot the most species of birds in North America duri¬ng a single calendar year. This reminds me of one of my favorite professors back in college who was an avid bird watcher. Because of my respect for the man, I conceded that there was probably something about birding that I had missed that made it worthwhile. The three men starring in “The Big year” – Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson – are also avid birders in this film, but whatever it is that makes birding interesting certainly won’t be found in this movie. In…

Amazing Race 19 Results: Who Is Eliminated On 10/16 In Thailand?

Amazing Race 19 contestants left Indonesia finally and headed to Thailand tonight. One team had trouble throughout the whole show but were saved from elimination. The show started tonight with the teams heading to Phuket, Thailand after a two week stay in Indonesia. Andy and Tommy were the first out of the gate again but made some mistakes with their airline schedules and it put them 1 hour behind the rest of the field. The first stop was a Marina and all the teams were lined up to get the clue when it finally opened at 8am. The first clue revealed a challenge. Teams could choose to set up Beach Chairs and umbrellas or make…

Footloose 2011 Review: Not The Original And Not A Bad Movie

The Footloose remake promised an updated and energetic take on the 80′s classic and it delivered a nicely entertaining movie that will have you tapping your feet. I usually hate remakes and really didn’t expect this movie to be so enjoyable. Randy Quaid, playing the Reverend Moore, was a standout in this film. Quaid’s character was deeper and less intense than the one played by John Lithgow in the original. Actually, character development is what made this movie shine. Ren, played by Kenny Wormald, and Ariel, played by Julianne Hough, are presented in a more detailed light. You can actually see the chemistry of these two on the screen and it is a credit to…

X Factor USA Recap 10/13: First 16 Get To Shine Tonight

X Factor USA had the first “Judges Homes” episode tonight in a delayed broadcast because of the ALCS Baseball game. Episode 2 of “Judges Homes” will be on Sunday October 16 now. We got to see the first 16 of the 32 contestants and groups and there was some great talent tonight. First, Simon Cowell met his group, “The Girls”, in Paris, France without a celebrity guest mentor. Mariah Carey was scheduled but weather delays kept her from the show. It didn’t phase the girls though as Simone Battle launched into a rendition of “Help” that was remarkable. Simon actually complimented her on her “emotion” during the song. Next was Tora Woloshin and she did…