The Haunted Mansion

Check your pulse at the door... if you have one

Review
When a man (Murphy) and his family encounter a ghost while visiting a haunted house during a job interview, he learns the value of family, and the lesson that he should make sure he never neglects them. Based upon the popular Disney theme park attraction.

The Haunted Mansion Trailer

My rate & Comment	*** Even the tittle suppose to be a horror movie but it's not scary at all nor funny even Murphy on it. But good visual.
Directed by	Rob Minkoff
Produced by	Andrew Gunn, Don Hahn
Written by	David Berenbaum
Starring	Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Tilly, Terence Stamp, Marsha Thomason, Nathaniel Parker
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s)	November 26, 2003
Genre	Fantasy, Comedy, Family
Running time	89 min.
Country
Language	English
Budget	$90,000,000 (estimated)
Gross revenue

Plot
Jim and Sara Evers are proprietors of Evers and Evers Real Estate and parents of 10-year-old Michael and 13-year-old Megan. Jim is a workaholic who has not been spending time with his family, much to the disapproval of his wife. On a weekend trip in which he has promised to devote time to the family, they make a detour through the swamps of New Orleans, Louisiana to Gracey Manor, a decaying but valuable property. The owners had earlier contacted Sara with interest in selling,but they end up seeing ghosts at the house.

Once the Evers arrive, a violent rainstorm erupts, and they are led inside by Ramsley, the creepy butler who is immediately disturbed that Sara did not come alone. The family is introduced to Master Edward Gracey, the heir of the house, and invited to stay the night as the roads have flooded. Michael and Megan are sent to one bedroom, Jim and Sara to another.

As Jim and Sara are separated, and Jim finds himself trapped in a secret passage, Michael and Megan are led by a floating blue orb into an attic room where they discover an antiquated painting that looks exactly like their mother. They encounter Ezra and Emma, a footman and maid respectively who work for the mansion and also warn the kids of impending danger. Megan and Michael discover that Emma and Ezra are actually ghosts, as is Master Gracey, and that Master Gracey thinks their mother is his lover Elizabeth returned to him from beyond the grave; years ago, she had seemingly committed suicide.

Meanwhile, Jim discovers the animated head of gypsy Madame Leota stored inside a crystal ball. Through her help, he is led to his kids and together, they follow her instructions through a ghost-populated graveyard to find a key that will help them flee the mansion. Jim, Michael, and Megan learn that there is a curse binding the souls of everyone who has died in the mansion to walk its premises until it is broken.

Jim and Megan go into a mausoleum, per Madame Leota's instructions, and locate the key in question, only to be attacked by hundreds of zombies. They find themselves trapped in the mausoleum, but Michael overcomes his fear of spiders (which are crawling all over the outside of the crypt door) and frees his father and sister just in time. They use the key to unlock a trunk, inside of which is a letter from Elizabeth declaring that she loved Master Gracey and that she did want to marry him. It is revealed that Ramsley, also a ghost, did not like the idea of Master Gracey and Elizabeth getting married. So he wrote a different letter (which was taken as Elizabeth's) stating that Elizabeth felt differently than she really did, and poisoned Elizabeth to prevent an interracial marriage between her and Gracey. Ramsley traps Michael and Megan in a trunk suitcase, and literally throws Jim out of the mansion, locking him outside. He confronts Sara and makes it clear that she will either proceed with the marriage (and a suicide), or that her children will die.

Jim, attempting to break back into the mansion but finding it magically sealed, sits outside in vain until the head of Madame Leota rolls up to him to encourage him to keep trying. Jim drives his BMW E65 through the wall just in time to stop the wedding and confront Gracey with the truth. When all is revealed, Ramsley becomes enraged and invokes the fires of Hell. The multiple windows of the mansion shatter as evil spirits fly around the room. Then out of the fireplace comes a giant demonic dragon. The dragon sucks Ramsley into the fireplace for his eternal punishment in Hell. Unfortunately, Sara has had enough of the poison given to her before the wedding to die. Just in time, Elizabeth's spirit, which is actually the blue orb, moves into Sara's body and revives her, breaking the curse and saving her life. After everything he's put the Evers through, Master Gracey repays them by giving them the deed to the mansion. Thus all of the spirits in the mansion, including Elizabeth, Master Gracey, Ezra, and Emma ascend into the light of Heaven, their curse broken.

Jim has learned an important lesson about family, and his son and daughter have learned bravery in the face of evil. The family, now in possession of the deed to the house, head out on their vacation to the lake (with the encased head of Madame Leota in the back seat and a quartet of singing busts strapped to the back of the car singing their own version of "When the Saints Come Marching In").

Juno

"A Fresh, Unusually Intelligent Comedy" - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Review
Juno (Ellen Page) is a Mid-Western highschooler, who decides one day, out of boredom or curiosity, to have sex with with her friend Paulle Bleeker (Michael Cera), a member of her school's track team. She likes him well enough, but isn't hung up on him. This one time encounter results in Juno's pregnancy. She and her best friend Leah (Olivia Thiriby) decide to take control of the situation by browsing for prospective adoptive parents in the local Pennysaver newspaper, and Juno settles on seemingly the perfect, affluent couple mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) who is desperate to have a child.

Juno Trailer

My rate & Comment	* * * * Actually the reason I watched this film because of Jennifer Garner on it. But then I found this movie very interesting. The story is kinda slow but its different and not boring. This movie is cool.
Directed by	Jason Reitman
Produced by	John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick, Russell Smith
Written by	Diablo Cody
Starring	Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby
Distributed by	Fox Searchlight
Release date(s)	September 1, 2007 (Telluride) December 5, 2007 (limited) December 25, 2007 (wide)
Genre	Comedy - Drama
Running time	96 min.
Country	Canada United States
Language	English
Budget	$6.5 million
Gross revenue	$229,911,304

Plot

Sixteen-year-old Minnesotan high-schooler Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) discovers she is pregnant with a child fathered by her friend and longtime admirer, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). While at first she intends to have an abortion, she changes her mind and decides to make a plan for the child's adoption. With the help of her friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby), Juno searches the ads in the Pennysaver and finds a couple she feels will provide a suitable home.

Along with her father, Mac (J. K. Simmons), Juno meets the couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), in their expensive home and expresses a desire for a closed adoption.

Vanessa is extremely anxious around Juno and their initial interactions are uneasy. However, Juno and Leah happen to see Vanessa in a shopping mall being completely at ease with a child, and Juno encourages Vanessa to talk to Juno's baby in the womb, where it obligingly kicks for her. On the other hand, Juno more easily forms a friendship with Mark, with whom she shares tastes in punk rock and horror films. Mark, who has set aside his rock band youth (now confined to memorabilia displayed in the one room of the house allowed him by Vanessa), works at home composing commercial jingles. Juno hangs out with Mark a few times, ignoring a warning from her stepmother Bren (Allison Janney) that she should not spend time alone with a married man.

As the pregnancy progresses, Juno struggles with the emotions she feels for her baby's father, Paulie, who is clearly—although passively—in love with Juno. Juno maintains an outwardly indifferent attitude toward Paulie, but when she learns he has asked another girl to the prom, she is hurt and angrily confronts him. Paulie reminds Juno that it is at her request they remain distant and tells her that she broke his heart. He also suggests that she has feelings for him she is unable to admit.

Not long before her baby is due, Juno is again visiting with Mark when their interaction becomes strongly emotional. Mark then tells her that he will be leaving Vanessa. Vanessa arrives home, and, to her shock, Mark tells her he does not feel ready to be a father and that there are still things he wants to do first—dreams Vanessa does not share. Juno watches the Loring marriage fall apart, then drives away and cries by the side of the road before coming to a decision. Returning to the Lorings' home, she leaves a note.

After a heartfelt discussion with Mac, Juno accepts that she loves Paulie. Juno then tells Paulie that she loves him, and Paulie's actions make it clear that her feelings are reciprocated. At his track meet, when Paulie notices Juno is not in the stands and realizes she must be in labor, he rushes to the hospital to be with her (she had not told him because she did not want him to miss the meet). He arrives to find Juno has given birth, and comforts Juno as she cries. Vanessa comes to the hospital where she joyfully claims the newborn boy as a single adoptive mother. On the wall in the baby's new nursery, Vanessa has framed Juno's note—addressed only to her—which reads "Vanessa: If you're still in, I'm still in. —Juno."

The film ends in the summertime with Juno and Paulie playing guitar and singing together, followed by a kiss.

Plot source: Wiki

Click

What If You Had a Universal Remote....
That Control Your Universe?

Review:
Adam Sandler portrays Michael Newman, a family man whose busy career as an architect doesn’t leave much time for his wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and two kids. Unable to figure out which of his many remotes turns on the television, he goes shopping for a universal remote and finds the perfect device through Morty (Christopher Walken), who gives him a one-of-a-kind remote with magical powers. With each click, Michael is able to control his career and personal life. But complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices.

Click Trailer:

My rate & Comment	* * * Just fun to watch. Click!
Directed by	Frank Coraci
Produced by	Jack Giarraputo, Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe, Adam Sandler
Written by	Mark O'Keefe, Steve Koren
Starring	Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, Henry Winkler, Julie Kavner, David Hasselhoff
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	Australia June 22, 2006 United States June 23, 2006 United Kingdom Ireland September 29, 2006
Genre	Comedy
Running time	107 minutes
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	$70,000,000
Gross revenue	$237,681,299

Plot:
Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is an architect whose desire for promotion leads him to assume many tasks on behalf of his boss John Ammer (David Hasselhoff), with the result that he is often missed by his family. One night, Michael goes in search of a universal remote control for his appliances. Finding most stores closed, he enters the still open Bed, Bath and Beyond, where in the "Way Beyond" section he meets Morty (Christopher Walken), an eccentric inventor who gives him a remote control answering to the description of "universal", warning Michael that it can never be returned.


To Michael's amazement, he finds out that the remote is literally universal, in that it controls the universe (as seen from his perspective) and interprets his wishes, even learning to anticipate them. After having used it to fulfill momentary whims, Michael "fast-forwards" himself to the promotion that he thought to be three months away, but which is in fact one year in his future. Further use of the remote control reveals that it is automatically programmed to skip or fast-forward through sickness, sexual intercourse, bathing, traffic, arguments with Michael's wife Donna, and promotions. In each case, he is alive but "on autopilot" during the interim, so he has no conscious experience of it. This presents a problem, in that during such interims his behavior is mechanical and unresponsive to the actions of others, alienating him further from his wife and children. Having learned of these effects, he attempts to rid himself of the control, but cannot.


Michael later goes to work by bicycle, wearing his bathrobe, to avoid automatically fast-forwarding through traffic or showering. When he arrives at work on his first day as his ex-boss's business partner, Ammer queries his lax dress-code and is convinced by his explanation. He is so impressed by Michael's answer that he, again, gives him a promotion. Thereafter, Michael is put into "autopilot" for ten years until the year 2017, where he finds that Donna has divorced him and married their son's former swimming instructor Bill while Michael himself has become grossly overweight, as has his son Ben. Samantha, Michael and Donna's daughter, has become prone to attending orgies. Later, Michael and Donna begin to argue, whereupon Michael's remote control "fast-forwards" him to the year 2023, just as Michael is knocked unconscious by the family's third dog. Having been, in his concussion, diagnosed with cancer, he is "fast-forwarded" through a period of serious sickness. When he wakes up, he is no longer fat, but retains copious quantities of loose skin as a result of liposuction. Later, he finds that his son Ben has lost weight and is now taking over his father's work, while Samantha has become her brother's friend. Here, Ben reveals that Michael's father Ted died during Michael's sickness. With the aid of the remote control, Michael attends his father's grave and learns that he had insulted his father shortly prior to the latter's death, but had never apologized. During Michael's grief, Morty appears and reveals that he (Morty) is the Angel of Death, a revelation that may explain his name, which includes the syllable "mort", a French synonym of the English "Death". Upon hearing this, Michael tries to attack Morty, but is unable to do so owing to the other's ability of teleportation.


Michael then transfers himself seven years into the future, to arrive at Ben's wedding in 2030. There he hears Samantha calling Bill "Dad" and is thereby shocked into breaking one of his own arteries. He is saved by Ben and Samantha, who transport him to a hospital. There, Ben suggests that he, like Michael, will attend more to his work than to his wife Julie, frightening his father. Michael, despite Morty's warnings, discards the instruments keeping him alive and walks out into a heavy downpour to warn Ben of the danger. He succeeds, but dies in the act of doing so. His death is witnessed by Ben, Samantha, and Donna, who mourn him as he loses consciousness.

There is then a white flash, and Michael wakes up on a displayed bed in Bed, Bath and Beyond, alive. Believing his misadventure to have been a dream, he rushes to visit his father, ultimately atoning for his insult and inviting his parents to dine with him each day. He then hastens to reassure Donna, Ben, and Samantha of his affection for them and for his dog Sundance. At the end of the movie, Michael finds the familiar remote on his kitchen counter, bearing a note from Morty stating "Michael, like I said, good guys need a break. I know you'll do the right thing this time, Love Morty. P.S. Your wife's rockin' body still drives me crazy". This shows that the misadventure was not all a dream, but Morty has rewound Michael's life back to this point to give him another chance. Learning what he must do as well as what he must avoid doing, Michael throws the remote aside and begins to enjoy life.

Source: Wiki

What Happens in Vegas

"Intelligent... Entertaining" - Richard Schickel, TIME

Review
For charismatic party guy Jack Fuller (Ashton Kutcher) and buttoned-up commodities trader Joy McNally (Cameron Diaz), arowdy weekend coincidentally shared in Las Vegas should have, by all rights, ended up being little more than a randomblur. That is, if these two vacationing New Yorkers didn't have a signed marriage license staring them in the face to shockingly remind them.

What Happens in Vegas Trailer

My rate & Comment	* * * * I really enjoyed the laugh on this movie. Light storyline and predictable, that would makes you feel relax.
Directed by	Tom Vaughan
Produced by	Michael Aguilar, Dean Georgaris
Written by	Dana Fox
Starring	Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher
Distributed by	20th Century Fox, Regency Enterprises
Release date(s)	May 9, 2008
Genre	Romantic comedy
Running time	99 min.
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	$35,000,000
Gross revenue	$212,222,646 (worldwide)

Plot
In New York City, high-strung stockbroker Joy (Cameron Diaz) is dumped by her fiancee at his surprise birthday she threw for him in front of all their friends, and easy-going carpenter Jack (Ashton Kutcher) is fired from his job by his father. Both become emotionally distraught and travel to Las Vegas with their best friends. They meet by chance when they are given the same hotel room because of a computer error.

After clearing up the misunderstanding and receiving and upgraded rooms and coupons to various clubs, they party and drink together and Joy and Jack end up getting married. The next morning, they realize it was a mistake and decide to divorce.

Before they do so, Jack uses a quarter Joy gave him in a slot machine. He hits a $3,000,000 USD jackpot and Joy reminds Jack they are married and is entitled to some of the money. The couple returns to New York, where they attempt to divorce.

Their judge (Dennis Miller) declares that the couple cannot divorce until they attempt to co-exist for six months, while attending weekly sessions with a marriage counselor (Queen Latifah). If they work at the marriage but still want to divorce after six months, each will be permitted to keep half the winnings from Las Vegas. If either party does not cooperate, their fortune will be tied up in litigation by the judge.

The newlyweds devise more and more cunning schemes to undermine one another such as, Jack telling Joy that their counseling session is canceled to prove she's not committed, and Joy inviting hot girls to their apartment to try to get Jack to cheat on her. They do this to keep the other's share. At Joy's job retreat, Jack and Joy ironically find themselves developing an unexpected sexual attraction to one another and they soon realize that being with each other has brought out the best in both of them.

Mamma Mia! The Movie

One Bride. Three Possible Fathers. A Trip Down the Aisle You'll Never Forget.

The only missing from Sophie's wedding is the father of the bride... whichever one he is.

"...Here We Go Again" Everybody Is Coming To Sophie's Wedding

Review

In the upcoming musical romantic comedy Mamma Mia!, based on the phenomenally successful stage hit of the same name, a young bride-to-be tries to find her real father — out of three men her mother fooled around with — while much of the cast sings ABBA’s hit songs of the 1970s.

20 year old Sophie (Seyfried) is preparing to marry her boyfriend Sky (Cooper) at her mother's hotel on an island in Greece. She seemingly has it all - a carefree life, a loving fiance, and happy friends - but one thing has been missing all her life: a father. Her only wish now is to be given away by her dad at her wedding. By reading her mother's diary she discovers that she has three possible fathers. Sophie then secretly invites all three men to the wedding in a desperate bid. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Mamma Mia! Trailer

My rate & Comment	* * * * Actually I am not really fans of musical movie. But this Mamma Mia! is fine. Very entertaining with its cheerful musical. Its like you were there and feel the joy and happiness. I never seen Meryl Streep acted like that. Made me to think .. how she could do that lol She is a good one.
Directed by	Phyllida Lloyd
Produced by	Judy Craymer, Gary Goetzman, Executive producers, Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks
Written by	Catherine Johnson
Starring	Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski
Distributed by	Universal Pictures Playtone
Release date(s)	July 2008
Genre	Musical romantic comedy
Running time	108 min
Country	US, UK, Germany
Language	English, Greek, French
Budget	$52,000,000
Gross revenue	$520,624,064

Plot
20-year-old Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) lives with her mother Donna (Meryl Streep) in her hotel ‘Villa Donna’, on the small Greek island of Kalokairi. She wants her father present at her upcoming wedding to Sky (Dominic Cooper), but does not know his identity (I Have a Dream). Sophie confides in her friends Ali (Ashley Lilley) and Lisa (Rachel McDowall) about her potential fathers.

Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried

After reading her mother's old diary, she has concluded he must be one of three men: Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Harry Bright (Colin Firth), or Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgård) (Honey, Honey). She secretly sends wedding invitations to all three – under Donna’s name and that she expects to recognize her real father instantly, but when she meets all the men at once, she realizes she cannot tell which he is. She hides them from her mother and makes them promise not to reveal she invited them to the wedding.

Meanwhile, Donna bemoans to her newly-arrived friends Rosie (Julie Walters) and Tanya (Christine Baranski) the troubles of running and repairing a hotel by herself (Money, Money, Money), although she insists she is happier alone. While making repairs, she accidentally discovers the three men and panics. While trying to get another look at them and fighting a losing battle of desire versus sanity (Mamma Mia!), she falls through the trapdoor in the roof, and the men convince her that their presence there is a coincidence, honoring their promise to Sophie. A horrified Donna asks the three men to leave the island.

Tanya and Rosie try to comfort Donna after seeing her upset (Chiquitita). Donna explains that the three potential fathers are on the island, dubbing it a ‘hideous trick of fate’. Tanya and Rosie, who used to be her backing dancers in ABBA-esque girl group “Donna and the Dynamos”, remind her of her free-spirited past, and they gradually cheer her up spectacularly (Dancing Queen).

Sophie visits the three men as they prepare to leave Kalokairi, persuades them to stay for the wedding, and listens to their memories of her mother (Our Last Summer). She returns to Sky and they talk about their love (Lay All Your Love On Me) on the beach, where he is ambushed by friends from his bachelor party.

That evening, “Donna and the Dynamos” recreate their act for Sophie’s bachelorette party (Super Trouper) to entertain the guests, and Bill, Sam and Harry end up at the party by mistake. The bachelorettes pounce on the unsuspecting men at the bar (Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!).

Sophie talks to Bill alone, who realizes he could be her father, (The Name of the Game) and agrees to give her away at the wedding. Meanwhile, the others also conclude that they could be her father. Sky's bachelor party invades the hen party (Voulez-Vous), and in the commotion, each ‘father’ separately tells her that he will give her away at the wedding. In the midst of the party, Sophie faints over her dilemma.

The following day, while Donna’s friends are trying to keep the men away from the wedding, Sophie and Donna argue, as Sophie believes her mother wants her to call off the wedding, while she still resents growing up unaware of her father’s identity.

Harry feels badly for missing Sophie's upbringing, and insists that Donna accept a large monetary gift to cover the “cost of the wedding”. Sam and Donna try to talk but are increasingly frustrated with each other, and they separately lament their lost love (SOS). Tanya rejects the playful advances of younger barman Pepper (Philip Michael) and some of Sky's other friends (Does Your Mother Know).

Sophie confesses to Sky what she has done, and he becomes unsure about their coming wedding, feeling sidelined by her ‘fathers’. A distressed Sophie asks her mother if she will help her dress for the wedding (instead of her bridesmaids) and Donna agrees, thrilled. Donna reminisces about precious times with her now grown-up daughter (Slipping Through My Fingers). Sophie asks her mother to give her away at the wedding.

En route, Donna rebuffs Sam, as she is still deeply hurt that he left her (The Winner Takes It All) because he was engaged to another woman. She then runs away to her daughter’s wedding on the hilltop.

During the ceremony, Donna reveals that Sophie’s father (although she doesn’t know who) is present, and then realizes Sophie had invited them all. The three men declare they are all thrilled to be Sophie’s potential father, and will gladly be ‘a third of a father each’. Sophie cancels the wedding, to Sky’s delight, so that they can go traveling together instead, as they still feel too young to settle down.

Making the most of the surroundings, Sam declares he is still in love with Donna, and proposes, explaining that after leaving her 20 years ago, he went to England to break off his engagement, but returned to Kalokairi to be told she was away dating another man (Bill). He went home and got married anyway, but he is now divorced. Donna eventually says yes after learning the truth (I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do).

While Sam and Donna celebrate with their newfound family and friends (When All Is Said and Done), Rosie pursues her attraction to the (initially reluctant) Bill, (Take a Chance on Me), and it is revealed that Harry is gay. As the crowd dances in the courtyard, a tremor breaks open its central mosaic, and a tall spray rains over the party (Mamma Mia! reprise). Sophie and Sky sail away on their travels (I Have a Dream reprise), leaving Sam and Donna to live happily ever after on the island.

During the end credits, Donna and the Dynamos perform "Dancing Queen", and the main cast join with Waterloo. Amanda Seyfried sings Thank You for the Music over the final credits.