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Trailer for The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)


The Wolf of Wall Street Poster

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The Wolf of Wall Street is based on a true story about a stockbroker named Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) who went to jail for 20 months after he refused to cooperate in a securities fraud case.

Jordan Belfort wrote the book that the film is based on and Terence Winter wrote the screenplay.

This film looks like it has Oscar written all over it.  Martin Scorsese directs DiCaprio in yet another film.  Once again the supporting cast is superb and includes Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Ethan Suplee, Kyle Chandler, Spike Jonze, Rob Reiner, and Cristin Milioti.

This movie is almost guaranteed to be great.  I will certainly see it in the theatre.

The film is set to release on 11/15/13.

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Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2


Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2

red box 

If you are thinking about renting a movie from the Redbox, you might want to read this list to help you decide exactly which movie to rent.

Here is another edition of my top 13 current Redbox movies, back by popular demand.

Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews September 2013

Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews August 2013

Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews July 2013

Click on this link to read Vol. 1 from 2/10/13.

Click on this link to read Vol. 3 from 4/21/13.

Click on this link to read Vol. 4 from 5/9/13.

I have updated the list based on all the movies that are currently available to rent at the Redbox as of 3/14/13.  They will change some of the titles weekly, but the list should still be pretty accurate for a while and hopefully be able to help you find a good movie to rent.  I have included the DVD covers and previews.  If a movie doesn’t have a cover or preview above it, simply click on the title for my full review of the movie along with the poster artwork and preview.

I do not claim to have seen all of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox, but I have seen 67 of them.  Of those 67 movies, here is the list of my top 13 Current Redbox movies:

What's Eating Gilbert Grape cover

1.  What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)     My Rating: 10

2.  The Machinist (2004) 

3.  Ted (2012)


The Dark Knight Rises cover

4.  The Dark Knight Rises (2012)               My Rating: 9

5.  The Raid: Redemption (2011)

6.  Skyfall (2012)

7.  End of Watch (2012)


looper levitt willis cover

8.  Looper (2012)                                           My Rating: 8.5


titanic blu ray cover

9.  Titanic (1997)                                            My Rating: 8.5

10.  Frankenweenie (2012)

11.  Flight (2012)

12.  Sinister (2012)


moneyball cover

13.  Moneyball (2011)                                     My Rating: 8

You really can’t go wrong with any movie on this list.  Next time you’re going to the Redbox, I recommend consulting this list.  They are in my opinion, the best current Redbox movies.

Now that you have seen my recommended Redbox movies, check out my list of movies to stay away from.  Click on the link below:

Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies

 Netflix Clouds

Are you a fan of Netflix?  Click on the following links below for Netflix related material:

Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013

20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Impression of Jack Nicholson


Leonardo DiCaprio does an impression of Jack Nicholson during an interview on Japanese television.  I thought this was hysterical so I had to post it.  I wonder if Leo picked this one up from Jack on the set of The Departed (2006).

leonardo dicaprio nicholson impression

Django Unchained (2012)


Django Unchained poster

Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained was a bloody masterpiece in film making.  Quentin Tarantino did a fantastic job writing and directing the film.  He even gave himself a fun cameo appearance in the film as he often likes to do in his movies.  He has a tendency to choose the perfect actor for each role in his films.  Somehow Tarantino seems to have the power to obtain the best possible performances out of each and every actor in all of the movies that he makes and Django Unchained was no exception.

'Django Unchained' Rome Photocall

As with most of Tarantino’s films, Django Unchained was a carefully executed and well scripted exercise in goriness and vulgarity.  I think that this excitement and intensity that is shown in previews often will actually turn a person off from seeing the film.  They may think that the film looks too violent or too R-rated.

These days there are so many straight-up violent movies filled with so much unnecessary blood, torture, cussing, and pure evil such as Hostel (2005) and its sequels, or Saw (2004) and its almost yearly sequels.  It seems like the main intention of those films is to see how far they can push the envelope in gruesomeness.  They always have to one-up the previous film of its kind.

When Quentin Tarantino first started making movies it seemed like they were almost strictly for shock value i.e. Reservoir Dogs (1992) or Pulp Fiction (1994).  Don’t get me wrong, both of those films were solid movies in their own right, but they lacked meaning and story.  They did however, have great characters portrayed by superb actors spouting very colorful dialogue.

In recent years Tarantino has perfected his craft.  He has successfully penned films with true meaning and spectacular stories.  His best example of this is Inglourious Basterds (2009) and I believe Django Unchained to be his second best film.  Although his films continue to be extreme, they are no longer strictly for shock value.  They are very edgy, but they will entertain you if you give them a chance.

Django Unchained is about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who teams up with a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to try to reunite with his wife and free her from slavery.

Django Unchained

Christoph Waltz delivers an unquestionable Oscar worthy performance in Django Unchained.  The funny thing about that is that I thought his performance in Inglourious Basterds was also without a doubt, valuable enough to receive an Oscar.  Waltz did in fact; win back to back Best Supporting Actor Oscars for both Tarantino films.  At the rate that he is going, I would not be surprised if Christoph Waltz wins another Oscar in a Tarantino movie in the future.

inglourious basterds waltz oscar

django unchained waltz oscar

In Django Unchained Waltz stole the show.  Jamie Foxx did a wonderful job as Django, but his performance was overshadowed by Waltz.  Leonardo DiCaprio would have won a Best Supporting Oscar for his role in the film if Christoph Waltz wasn’t in it.  If Dicaprio had given the same supporting performance in a different movie in any other year besides 2009 or 2012 he would have won the Oscar.  Arguably the only performance better than that of Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained was that of Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds.

django unchained dicaprio bloody

There were so many excellent actors in this film, that if I tried to list them all, I would certainly miss a few.  A few more certainly worth mentioning were Samuel L. Jackson, Don Johnson and James Remar.  James Remar (probably most known as Dexter’s adopted father in the television series Dexter.) actually played two different characters in the movie, but nobody seemed to notice.  I caught it right away though and I thought that it was a little weird.

django unchained jackson

Django Unchained is a new-age Spaghetti Western of epic proportions with heart and soul, splattered with lots of blood and violence throughout.  It definitely deserves an R-rating, but it also definitely deserves a watch.  I have wanted to see the movie for a long time and I almost went to it about a dozen times in the last couple of months.  I’m glad that I finally saw the film.

I rate this movie a 10 on a scale of 1-10.

Buy, rent, or run?  Buy.

Django Unchained

Top 13 Current Redbox Movies


Top 13 Current Redbox Movies

red box

Having trouble deciding which movie to rent at the Redbox?  This list just might help you make a good decision on what to rent.  Hopefully it will save you from wasting your money renting a bad movie.

Along with my list, I have given my rating and a “Quickie” review.

Quickie review = A film review in 13 words or less.  If a title does not have a quickie review then you may click on it for my full review.

I cannot say that I have seen all of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox, but I have seen 62 of them.  Of those 62 titles, here are my top 13 favorite movies that are currently available at the Redbox:

Rank                           Title                             13movies Rating

 

 

1.         What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)          10         

            Quickie: Johnny Depp excellent!  Young Leonardo DiCaprio maybe even better.  Fun, touching, drama.  Great!

2.         The Machinist (2004)                                       10         

3.         Ted (2012)                                                      9         

 

4.         The Dark Knight Rises (2012)                      9         

            Quickie: A grand final chapter in the Christopher Nolan directed Batman Trilogy.  Epic film.

5.         The Raid: Redemption (2011)                       9          

         

6.         Looper (2012)                                                 8.5      

            Quickie: Joseph Gordon-Levitt + = Bruce Willis in a time travel thriller puzzle.

7.         Titanic (1997)                                                            8.5      

            Quickie: Who hasn’t seen this?  Ship sink.  Dreadful historical event.  Well made recreation.  Iceberg.

8.         Frankenweenie (2012)                                   8.5      

           

9.         Flight (2012)                                                  8         

 

10.       Moneyball (2011)                                           8         

            Quickie: Brad Pitt spectacular performance!  Jonah Hill proves acting capable.  Interesting, solid baseball story.

11.       Men in Black 3 (2012)                                   8         

            Quickie: As good as 1.  Josh Brolin as Tommy Lee Jones.  Will Smith reloaded.

12.       Total Recall (2012)                                        8         

            Quickie: Colin Farell in updated Schwarzenegger role.  More fun than original.  Kate Beckinsale badass!

13.       Lawless (2012)                                               8         

            Quickie: Shia LaBeouf gets big.  Tom Hardy tough.  Jessica Chastain shows, proves herself.  Bootleggers.

 

Those are in my opinion the best movies that are currently at the Redbox.

If you would like to read Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2, click on this link. from 3/14/13

Click on this link for Vol. 3. from 4/21/13

Click on this link for Vol. 4. from 5/9/13

Now that you have seen my recommended Redbox movies, check out my list of movies to stay away from.  Click on the link below:

Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies

Here is how the rest of the movies currently at the Redbox that I have seen rate:

 

 

21 Jump Street (2012)                                                8         

            Quickie: Hilarious Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill buddy cop comedy.  One of funniest movies 2012.

The Grey (2011)                                                         8         

            Quickie: Liam Neeson fighting wolves bare-handed after a plane crash in Alaska.  Period.

Dark Shadows (2012)                                                            8         

            Quickie: Johnny Depp as a vampire in a comedy.  Rarely does he disappoint.

The Dictator (2012)                                                   8         

            Quickie: Sacha Baron Cohen’s funniest movie ever.  All levels of humor and raunch.  Absurdity.

War of the Worlds (2005)                                          8         

            Quickie: Tom Cruise fighting aliens to try to save the world.  Steven Spielberg directs.

.

The Bourne Identity (2002)                                       7.5      

            Quickie: Matt Damon gets amnesia.  He gets chased not knowing why.  He fights back.

           

Seven Psychopaths (2012)                                         7.5                  

            Quickie: Sam Rockwell steals the show.  Witty, dark comedy.  Clever characters.  Great dialogue!

                                  

Trouble with the Curve (2012)                                  7.5      

            Quickie: Amy Adams helps aging father Clint Eastwood try to keep baseball scout job.

The Bourne Legacy (2012)                                        7         

Quickie: Jeremy Renner replaces Matt Damon in the series and is more qualified.

Safe House (2012)                                                      7         

            Quickie: Ryan Reynolds tries to take fugitive Denzel Washington down.  Good action.  Good twists.

Paranorman (2012)                                                    7         

            Quickie: PG Suggested.  Delightful animated story about a kid who sees the dead.  Amusing.

The Watch (2012)                                                      7         

            Quickie: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, hysterical buddy comedy about aliens at Costco.

A Christmas Carol (2009)                                         7         

            Quickie: Amazing animation retelling of a classic story and voiced by Jim Carrey.

 

Alex Cross (2012)                                                       7         

            Quickie: Tyler Perry plays a game of cat and mouse with Matthew Fox.

Arthur Christmas (2011)                                           7         

            Quickie: Family friendly animated Christmas movie.  Fun to watch around the holidays.  Unique.

Seeking Justice (2011)                                               7         

            Quickie: Nicolas Cage wife assaulted.  Guy Pierce help.  Rift after favor not returned.  Solid.

Brake (2012)                                                               7         

            Quickie: Stephen Dorff kidnapped for information about the president.  Won’t give up.  Tense.  Exciting.

Stolen (2012)                                                              7         

Dredd (2012)                                                              6.5      

 

The Words (2012)                                                       6.5      

            Quickie: Bradley Cooper plagiarizes a story and it comes back to haunt him.

The Campaign (2012)                                                6.5      

            Quickie: Will Farrell runs against Zach Galifianakis.  Dirty politics and humor ensue.

The Expendables 2 (2012)                                         6.5      

            Quickie: Sylvester Stallone brings action hero friends back together for round 2 of battle.

Premium Rush (2012)                                                6.5      

            Quickie: Joseph Gordon-Levitt freestyle fast and furious bicycle messenger hide and seek

Wanderlust (2012)                                                     6.5      

            Quickie: Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd turn into tree hugging hippies.  Funny moments.  Tacky moments.

The Raven (2012)                                                       6.5      

            Quickie: John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe investigating crimes that he wrote.  Good enough.

The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)                         6.5      

            Quickie: Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer try to slay lions while lions slay others.

Why Stop Now (2012)                                                6.5                  

            Quickie: Jesse Eisenberg tries to drug free mother and get into music school.  Laughs.

 

People like us (2012)                                                 6.5      

            Quickie: Dysfunctional drama.  Lost siblings try to find each other after father’s death.

Red Lights (2012)                                          6.5                  

            Quickie: Robert De Niro has mind powers.  Cillian Murphy Disagrees.  Their minds tango.

                                               

American Reunion (2012)                             6.5      

            Quickie: One sequel too many.  Funny parts.  Same old story.  Slight variation.  Decent enough.

A Thousand Words (2012)                             6.5      

            Quickie: Eddie Murphy shares life with tree.  He speaks, leaves fall.  Comical and stupid.

Being Flynn (2012)                                       6.5      

            Quickie: Robert De Niro, Paul Dano bad father son relationship.  They both write.

Spider-Man (2002)                                         6.5      

            Quickie: Tobey McGuire and Kirsten Dunst are unpleasant.  Spiderman is okay.  Other cast helps.

The Avengers (2012)                                      6.5      

            Quickie: Cool Special effects technology.  Robert Downey Jr. carries the movie on his back.

The Expendables (2010)                                6         

            Quickie: Too many action heroes take away from plot.  Fun to watch though.

Officer Down (2013)                                      6         

            Quickie: Stephen Dorff tries to repair his life after being a dirty cop.  Mediocre.

The Three Stooges (2012)                              6         

            Quickie: Great impressions of original stooges.  Especially Curly.  Humorous at times.

Get the Gringo (2012)                                   6         

            Quickie: Mel Gibson goes to Mexican prison.  Trying getting out is the fun part.

Savages (2012)                                               6         

            Quickie: Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta make movie better.

The Liability (2012)                                       5.5      

            Quickie: Tim Roth is fun as a hit man.  Film dwindles halfway through.

That’s My Boy (2012)                                    5         

            Quickie: Bad movie that gets better towards the end.

All about Steve (2009)                                   5         

            Quickie: Sandra Bullock is funny at times.

Tropic Thunder (2008)                                  4.5      

            Quickie: Robert Downey Jr. is a riot as a black guy.

The Possession (2012)                                   4         

Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011)                    4         

            Quickie: The title says it all and that’s about it.

Fire with Fire (2012)                                     3         

In Bruges (2008)                                            2         

            Quickie: The only thing worse are the 2 movies below this one.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)              2         

 

The Paperboy (2012)                                      2         

Netflix Clouds

Are you a fan of Netflix?  Click on the following links below for Netflix related material:

Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013

20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly

13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly