Purim 2012!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer!!!

This past Wednesday, Netflix ended numerous contracts with several film providers that has seriously diminished their movie database for streaming. Unbeknown to me when I wrote my post, Frozen had been removed from the live streaming database. I apologize for the inconvenience and will try my hardest to give you true gems in the future.

Why You May Never Go on a Chairlift Ever Again. (Netflix Jewel #4 Frozen)

If you are one of those beginner skiers who immediately pull down the bar the second the chairlift is moving and yell at your friend for swinging the chair because you are afraid the chair may fall, don’t see this movie. Frozen is a not so well known film that will have you cringing until the very end. This thriller/horror film revolves around three skier/snowboarder friends who take one last run on a ski mountain when unknowingly; the ski resort shuts down for the week leaving the three friends stranded on the chair to endure the freezing cold weather and brutal conditions. With no way down, the threat of frostbite and hypothermia lurking, the friends realize there is a new danger out there, one that not only strikes but is hungry. The film is gruesome at times and will definitely have you feeling uneasy but that is the true beauty of the film. I will be honest. It is not the greatest film ever made and neither the cast nor the script is quite strong enough to carry the movie in ways that will change you but they do the job.For a low budget film you will definitely get your monies worth here.

Again there is not much to the plot other than the survival of these three individuals but you will be entertained and you will watch to see what happens, even if your stomach is telling you to look away at times. Being a life-long skier, I felt like I needed to see this film and though not blown away, it is definitely worth a watch.

I would like to issue a warning; please sit through the first 15 minutes of the film and endure the pain that you will suffer. The acting and dialogue is particularly atrocious but once the trio gets stuck on the chair the film really begins. I read a great review of the film by Perri Nemiroff and wanted to include part of it here.

“Green (director) doesn’t hold back in the least when it comes to the sheer terror of the situation. There’s gore, screaming and disturbing concepts guaranteed to make you squirm in your seat. What makes each element so powerful is how real they feel, which, ironically, is somewhat due to the characters. The group that was once inauthentic becomes so emotionally engaging that their predicament will break your heart. Of course this reaction also stems from the peril and extreme nature of their situation.

As the friends start to fall apart, we get to see every gory detail – literally. Rather than a slasher movie stab-and-go, the suffering the characters endure is so drawn out, there’s ample time to digest the situation and really relate to their pain. Even the less-physical moments are powerful.

Ultimately Frozen weathers the storm and delivers a truly horrifying experience. It’s nearly impossible to keep your hands from covering your eyes or at least taking a quick breather and glancing to the side of the screen. More importantly, Frozen is just a fun film. This is a perfect movie to enjoy with your friends, not because it’s too frightening to see alone, but because it evokes the kind of WTF/OMG reaction and that’s just awkward to share that with a stranger.”

I strongly suggest the film as a source of entertainment. Just be sure not to watch it the day before you hit the slopes.

Sex: Nothing
Violence: Very graphic violence and gore
Language: Not bad at all
Drugs: None
Rated: R
Run time: 134 minutes
Grade: 3 Stars

Why People Should Give LeBron James a Break!

I grew up loving Michael Jordan. In my opinion he is the greatest basketball player of all time. LeBron James is not Michael Jordan. In fact, if there has ever been an NBA player similar to Jordan it has to be Kobe Bryant. But unlike many critics of King James, I think we all need to give LeBron James a break. LeBron has broken records and has outdone what many people thought he would do when he started his career straight out of high school. LeBron is criticized for his leadership skills and clutchness or lack thereof. People see the fact that he is now 27 without an NBA championship as a failure. I could not disagree more.

LeBron James came out of St. Vincent St. Mary’s high school as the highest touted and anticipated high school athlete ever. He had a 90 million dollar endorsement deal before ever playing a single NBA game. With the entire weight of the world on his soldiers, LeBron began his career for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. James started out amazing averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game while earning Rookie of the Year honors. He instantly put the Cavaliers on the map while steadily improving the team year after year. In only his third year he scored 35 or more points in nine consecutive games, joining Jordan and Kobe Bryant as the only players since 1970 to accomplish the feat. For the season, James averaged 31.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. Those are crazy numbers. The Cavaliers ending up losing a heart breaker to the Defending Champion Detroit Pistons in a 7 game Eastern Conference Finals. He did this with a horrible team. In only his fourth season, James averaged 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. This was the year that LeBron finally moved from very good to great. In the Eastern Conference Finals, James led the Cavaliers from an 0–2 deficit against the Detroit Pistons to win the series in six games. His performance in Game 5 was especially memorable. James recorded a franchise-record 48 points on 54.5% field goal shooting, to go with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. In addition, James scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, including the team's final 25 points in a double-overtime victory. He concluded the night with a game-winning lay-up with 2 seconds left. NBA analyst Marv Albert referred to James' performance as "one of the greatest moments in postseason history," while color commentator Steve Kerr called it "Jordan-esque.” Though they were swept by the Spurs in the finals, James had accomplished so much, so quickly, with so little support behind him. With the likes of Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Joe Smith, Wally Szcerbiak, Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden, Lebron had almost no support and did this all on his own.

There is proof to LeBron’s value currently rotting in Cleveland as we speak. The team that LeBron left, while bringing his talents to South Beach was arguably the worst team in the history of the NBA. The Cavaliers were 19-63 and had lost 26 games in a row. This was a “championship caliber” team less one player. That must say something amazing about that one player. LeBron continues to set records every season and has become one of if not the best defending guard in all of basketball.

In his 9th season LeBron is widely considered the greatest athlete in the NBA and is almost mentioned as the #1 or #2 best basketball players. In a recent poll, 34% of people said he would be their #1 choice when starting a new team. He is a complete player who not only scores 27-35 a game but he has amazing court vision and makes those around him better (see Cleveland). Again, I am not looking to compare LeBron to Jordan because they are different players. But if I were to point out one thing; it took Jordan quite a few years to win his first title. He ended up winning 6 with some of the best supporting casts ever. Jordan started out his career as a selfish ball hog that scored 35 points a game as his team failed to make the playoffs. LeBron’s path has not quite been the same and he accomplished perhaps even more than Jordan in his first few years with a poor supporting cast. I have myself criticized LeBron when I have not seen that “killer instinct” that Jordan possessed but I also feel that we are too hard on LeBron. In his first year with a supporting cast, he led the best team in the NBA to game 6 of the Finals. If LeBron fails to win again this year or even the year after that, it will be time to view him as a disappointment. Right now he has everything in place to not only win one, but to win numerous championships. If he continues to fail, then it will be time to criticize; but until then, let’s give LeBron a break.

Why I Spent Almost Three Hours Enjoying 'The Next Three Days'. (Netflix Jewel #3)

If you take upcoming attractions and advertisements into account, I spent almost three hours at the theater for this action packed flick. Rather unknown after a disappointing run in theaters, The Next Three days is an underrated film. The premise is extreme and the plot implausible but the execution of this film is pure fun entertainment. The film revolves around John Brennan (Russell Crowe), a college professor who plots to break his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks) out of prison after she is accused (perhaps wrongfully) of murder. The majority of the film focuses on the planning and preparations for the escape along with the escape itself. This film is a non-stop action packed thrill ride with every tense moment you can imagine. Russell Crowe is one of my favorite actors of all time and he serves the role well in the film. The solid performances by Crowe and Banks cover up most of the films weaknesses.
For those of you like my father who hate anything at all unrealistic you will have enough to complain about but the film is done well enough to hold face. Crowe is obviously very intelligent and brave as the college professor looking to break his wife out of prison. He approaches the escape as he would a school project, methodically, clear headed and without hesitation. A brief appearance by Liam Neeson, as an ex-con who has escaped prison and yet written a well known book about it, is always welcome but probably adds more confusion than helping the story line. The escape is the real star of the film. The escape is well planned, not rushed and executed beautifully. Obviously there are the few unbelievable coincidences and timing issues but there is no insane unrealistic car jump or explosion. The married couple manages to get away clean and in a clean fashion. Obviously I am a little biased because these are my favorite type of films but I thought that this was a refreshing take on the genre and if nothing else I promise you that you won’t be bored.

Sex: Nothing
Violence: There is action and one very violent scene
Language: Its PG13!
Drugs: Drug Dealers and some referencing
Rated: PG-13
Run time: 124 minutes
Grade: 3 Stars