Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)

Genre: Musical

Running Time: 48 min

Plot: A poor otter family risks everything they own to enter and win the prize money of a talent contest in the next town over.

Review: I'm pretty sure that most people have never heard of Emmet Otter and it's a shame. The Jug-Band Christmas is a Christmas classic and everyone should know what it is. My family has been watching this for as long as I can remember going back to the early 1990s. It is not Christmas without watching Emmet.

The movie itself was amazing back in the 1970s when it was made, but if you watch it now you will just laugh at how bad the puppeteering is. You will smile through out the entire movie and start repeating a lot of the classic dialogue. You will recognize a lot of the voices because it is a Jim Henson movie and a lot of the voices of the Muppets are in the film.

The set is amazing because everything is hand-built and the detailing is some of the best I have ever seen on a landscape model. Everyone should see this movie at least once because Emmet Otter should be a tradition in every family.

Quote you might say after watching this: "I'm not hungry.... I'm HHHUUUNNNGGGRRRYYY!"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 8/10 bottles

Black Swan (2010)

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 108 min

Plot: A New York City ballet company wants to reinvent itself with a new adaptation of Swan Lake. Portman wins the starring role of the Swan Queen and quickly unravels with all the pressure of being the face of one of the most prestigious ballet companies.

Review: Have you ever wondered what it would feel like going through a nervous breakdown and on the edge of psychosis? Black Swan delivers this feeling to the audience as they sit back and enjoy a truly unique story.

You might wonder what actually happens in the movie and you realize that you are in the same boat as Portman's character. You think one thing happens, but it turns out to be a fantasy or a mind trick she plays on herself. The intensity builds and builds and explodes in chaotic beauty during the final performance.

I have never felt the way that I did after the film ended, and I'm guessing the entire movie theatre felt the same way because it was completely silent. After a few seconds to process what just happened you can hear a stir of echos of cheering mixed with confused comments. Black Swan is one of the darkest movies I've seen and it is not meant for everyone. If you are curious about what movies should do to audiences, Black Swan is a perfect example to get people talking and is now one of my favorites.

Quote you might say after watching this: "What just happened? I will never mess with a ballet dancer again."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 10/10 bottles

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008)

Genre: Musical

Running Time: 45 min

Plot: An up-and-coming supervillan named Dr. Horrible, video blogs about his struggles of balancing his evil career and his pursuit of a young woman he has a crush on.

Review: Dr. Horrible is actually a three part Internet special, but when you watch all three acts together it's more of a musical short film masterpiece. My best friend introduced Dr. Horrible to me on Netflix, and as a big fan of musicals and superheros, it was the perfect short movie someone can make.

Neil Patrick Harris is the perfect cast for Dr. Horrible and the short film wouldn't work without him. All of the songs are very entertaining and you will find yourself tapping your feet along with the beat. The screenplay is creative and will have you laughing out loud through most the movie as you sympathize with Dr. Horrible.

Even though Dr. Horrible is the star, Captain Hammer throws in his cocky ego and adds to the pure amazingness. The best aspect of the film is that it was low budget and seems like a side project that a music/comic book geek did for a senior project at college.

Quote you might say after watching this: "Does anyone else want to start a sing-along blog?"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 10/10 bottles

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Genre: Musical

Running Time: 98 min

Plot: After a world-wide epidemic GeneCo builds the technology for replacement organs. GeneCo finances these organs at a high price: if you don't make a repayment, they will send a Repo Man to get their property back. Oh... and it's a Rock Opera!

Review: This is an instant cult classic! I would even say that it is this generation's Rocky Horror. It is an off the wall rock opera that is entertaining from start to finish. It is a strange feeling to be happy and rocking out out to people getting killed over financed organs which seems all to possible in the near future.

The music is high quality and the characters are all interesting making everything blend into one of my favorite musicals. This a great movie to watch on any occasion unless you or someone you know just got an organ transplant.

Repo! is an original idea and a great movie to introduce to all of your friends. Who knows... maybe you will even dress up like the characters and go see it at a mid-night movie house. If you like musicals like Rocky Horror, I would definitely recommend Repo! The Genetic Opera.

Quote you might say after watching this: "I can't believe I liked a movie with Paris Hilton in it."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 9/10 bottles

Skyline (2010)

Genre: Thriller

Running Time: 94 min

Plot: An army of unknown extraterrestrials wreak havoc on the human race and harvest their brains. Powerful blue lights paralyze and force humans up into the foreign spacecraft.

Review: Did anyone else think Michael Bay directed this when the trailers came out? Come on... the first thing I said was, "It looks like Michael Bay is remaking Independence Day." Strange enough that after I watched the film; I was even more convinced that he was a part of it and was uncredited. Average thriller/horror with fake drama, average acting, average plot, used all the films budget on special effects sums up to be most Michael Bay movies.

I went to see this for two reasons: the special effects looked good and Turk was in it. There were two good reviews after watching the movie: the special effects were great and Turk was in it.

Skyline is a lot of fun to watch for a boring night and you want to play board games and have noise in the background. If you want to see a better made action/horror/thriller with extraterrestrials, I would watch Cloverfield, District 9, or even Starship Troopers.

Quote you might say after watching this: "At least Skyline isn't the worst movie that I've seen."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 5.5/10 bottles

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 146 min

Plot: Harry drops out of Hogwarts on a race against time to seek and destroy the Horcruxes, while discovering the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world. Ron and Hermione join Harry in part one of the finale to the highest selling saga of all time.

Review: I can't help but compare The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 to LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring. The movie is centered around traveling all over the place but not really getting anywhere. Just like the Fellowship, a close group of heroes sacrifice their safety to destroy the tools of the most evil entity known in their world. Part 1 like the Fellowship is only there to set up the plot and build up the drama that will happen in the real finale.

Even though Part 1 is only a "filler" movie, it still builds on the great story of Harry Potter and will leave you wanting more. If you are a stuck up Harry Potter book fan who always complains about the movies... don't watch them because you ruin it for everyone else who doesn't care about the things that they changed just for the movie.

This is a must see if you are a movie fan.

Quote you might say after watching this: "I can't wait to see the real finale... I bet one of the Horcruxes is going to be in Mt. Doom! "

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 8.5/10 bottles

Due Date (2010)

Genre: Comedy

Running Time: 90 min

Plot: After being kicked off a plane and placed on the "No-Fly" list, Downey hitches a ride cross country with one of the most annoying people in the world: Galifianakis.

Review: Due Date is the follow up movie that was over-hyped because of the success of The Hangover. Todd Phillips is hit or miss to the nth degree for me. Some movies are fantastic like The Hangover, Old School, and Road Trip; however, Due Date and School for Scoundrels almost ruin everything.

Phillips fell for the same mistake he made with School for Scoundrels, and that was casting someone who had tremendous success with a overrated comedian who is only funny in small doses. Galifianakis is great in smaller roles like The Hangover and Out Cold, but his excessive ignorant humor is plain annoying when the movie uses it in almost every scene. Yes, there are a lot of great scenes in Due Date but they are over shadowed by the overacting of Galifianakis.

Even though Phillips made a big mistake with one of his lead roles, his other headliner (Downey) was at the top of his game and makes the movie worth watching. All of the humorous scenes in Due Date except for a few are credited to Downey's acting and sharp tongue. I would definitely recommend this to people if they are fans of Downey Jr. but never pay more than a few dollars to see this.

Quote you might say after watching this: "Why didn't Downey Jr. just leave Galifianakis at the rest stop and save us from the rest of the movie?"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 6/10 bottles

The Social Network (2010)

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 121 min

Plot: The story behind the founders of Facebook and the lawsuits that were filed after its tremendous success.

Review: Do you remember the good ol' times when Facebook was "The Facebook?" I'm pretty sure I only went to college to get an university email address so I could create a Facebook account. I can't even explain how much I hate the new Facebook because it lost all of it's luster and added pointless brainwashing applications. Yes, I still have an account but most days I wonder why...

Mark Zuckerberg, the mastermind behind Facebook is truly a interesting person, and Jesse Eisenberg did a great job. I love how he did some of the things he did (Facematch) just because he could. Most of the relationships that he has are very awkward and hilarious and I can only hope that they were not made up just for the movie. He is by far the best character in the entire movie with a supporting cast of people who are good at complaining.

As the movie was progressing, I discovered why I don't like Facebook anymore... and it was when Sean Parker, the creator of Napster weaseled his way into the company. Yes, he helped Facebook explode into the global phenomenon, but in lost it's core principles it had when it was created.

It is a great movie to watch no matter what your views are on the most popular social network. By the end of the movie you kind of feel bad for Zuckerberg, then you realize that the money he lost in the lawsuits didn't even make a dent in his bank account...

Quote you might say after watching this: "I wonder how many people updated their Facebook Status while they were watching The Social Network?"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 9/10 bottles

Saw 3D (2010)

Genre: Horror

Running Time: 90 min

Plot: The "last chapter" of the Saw saga centers around the support group for Jigsaw survivors and the entourage that created the group. As the Police still frantically search for the apprentice of Jigsaw, the creators of the support group find themselves thrown into a brutal Jigsaw test.

Review: The first thing I will say is if you like the Saw saga, then you will enjoy this chapter. They say that this is the last movie but that's like Brett Favre saying that he is going to retire. Instead of ending the story they expand the plot line and leave it wide open for another movie.

The first three quarters of the movie are very entertaining just like the others in the saga. New and creative ways to torture with the intention of making the victims better people. It was on it's way to being one of the better movies but then it all unraveled for me at the end. The new puzzle that the leader of the support group has to fight through is very creative and is worth watching, but they tried way too hard to tie it into the first movie with the re-introduction of Cary Elwes. It turns out that Elwes character who was the doctor in the first movie learned a life lesson from his encounter with Jigsaw and helps aide in other puzzles. It was good to see Cary in another "As you wish" role!

There is absolutely no reason to see this movie in 3D... but it is still worth watching and might make you never want to go the the dentist again.

Quote you might say after watching this: "The next chapter of Saw is going to take place in the Fire Swamp, where the victims have to fight through the flame spurts, lightning sand, and Rodents of Unusual Size."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 6.5/10 bottles

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Genre: Horror

Running Time: 91 min

Plot: The prequel to the original film about Katie's sister and her family. After what they think is a robbery, they install security cameras that happen to capture paranormal activity in their house. The family includes a mother, father, teenage daughter, infant boy, and their pet German Sheppard. The original couple of Katie and Micah also make appearances giving explanation and set-up for the first chapter. The "demon" makes its presence know as soon as baby Hunter is born, and will not stop until the baby is taken.

Review: First... do not watch this if you haven't seen the original. You will not appreciate what this movie does and how it makes lost connections with the first chapter.

The movie really begins when the family installs a security system after a "robbery" but was more likely the demon that posses the house. I feel like this movie idea was more realistic when a family is involved instead of a couple for multiple reasons. The interactions between family members is what I imagine would happen because I have had conversations with my family about weird things that happen around the house. Most of my family believes in ideas like this and that's why I am a big fan of these movies.

Just like the first addition of Paranormal Activity, the majority of the movie is non-climatic but like most really effective horror films... it's the sounds and progression of activity that builds suspense and has you at the edge of your seat. I kept waiting for something to happen and most of the time there was nothing. Then when you expect not much to happen, subtle movements and noises start to scare you.

With most movies especially horror films, they are always better if you go with the right audience. I went to go see Paranormal Activity 2 with my sister who believes that she has a spirit who follows her, so when we were in the movie it seemed more realistic and suspenseful.

Overall, I loved this movie (even more than the original) and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see what's like not having a good night sleep because you start thinking that every little sound and movement is a demon and it's about to kill you.

Quote you might say after watching this: "Want to have a pajama party because I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight?"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 8.5/10 bottles

Jackass 3D (2010)

Genre: Comedy

Running Time: 94 min

Plot: What Plot? The Jackass crew get together for their third movie filled with more and more extreme stunts... but now they have slow motion and 3D!

Review: Jackass 3D has the greatest introduction into the movie that rivals Super Troopers and Austin Powers. The intro alone was worth the money I spent because it was with out a doubt the best use of 3D-slow motion cameras I have seen. The ending is also very good using the same style of slow motion and the two scenes pair up as the whole-grain slices of bread that contains the rather hilarious yet disgusting stunt filled movie.

The rest of the movie is pretty much what you should expect from the Jackass guys... over-the-top-gross-painful-humorous pranks and skits. There are definitely some scenes that stand out and might make you nauseous. I almost lost my dinner during the "Sweatsuit cocktail" which was the icing on the cake for me.

The movie is definitely a lot longer than it should be and I lost interest with some of the skits, but it is by far the best movie out of the trilogy.

Quote you might say after watching this: "$20 million well spent!"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 8/10 bottles

RED (2010)

Genre: Action

Running Time: 111 min

Plot: Retired Black-ops agents are targeted by the Government and hunted down by the new class of special forces. Frank Moses contacts and forms an ultimate strike force of retired agents and leads them into the heart of the CIA to stop the attacks.

Review: Nothing can put me in a better mood than watching a action packed comedy (I can think of other activities that put me in a good mood but we are talking about movies here...), and RED is by far a perfect example of what makes me smile.

Everything comes together perfectly including the screenwriting, cast, action, comedy, music, and pure epicness. Bruce Willis is in his comfort zone and makes everything look manly, but John Malkovich steals the show. Malkovich is crazy and corky and is a perfect compliment to Willis' cool demeanor.

If you are a fan of the realistic hand-to-hand combat of the Bourne movies, the clever planning and deliveries of the Ocean movies, and ridiculously unbelievable action scenes of 007, you will leave the movie smiling and thoroughly entertained.

Quote you might say after watching this: "I wish Bruce Willis was my father and John Malkovich was my crazy uncle who is paranoid about everything."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 9.5/10 bottles

Let Me In (2010)

Genre: Horror

Running time: 116 min

Plot: A remake of the Swedish film about a bullied young boy who befriends his new neighbor who is really a vampire. It's the story about how a relationship can build between two people no mater what the age or what their history entails.

Review: First thought... this movies reminds me of a Swedish version of Twilight mixed with ultra softcore child pornography... Yeah, sounds horrible but surprisingly entertaining. The relationship that builds between Abbey and Owen is a great reminder of how awkward you felt when you spent time with the first person you had feelings for. The plain innocence of the relationship seems so real and deminstrates how blinding feelings can be. They can make you forgive and forget a lot of hardships that can happen... like Abbey morphing into demonic vampire and mutilating people infront Owen on multiple occasions.

Let Me In is a very slow paced movie with spurts of vampiric action but mostly revolves around the two main characters. As the movie continues, you slowly learn some interesting details about Abbey's past. There are some details that were incuded in the original but left out of the remake. Is Abbey is really a girl or a boy or something completely else? The movie hints at what Abby is but you leave without an answer.

You might leave the movie craving Now and Laters but at least you dont have to ask yourself, "When did vampires start sparkling and become sissy-la-las?" Definitely a good movie to watch if you are in the mood for differnt style of a bloody romantic-horror.

Quote you might say after watching this: "The Twilight story is sooooo much better when you don't have to please stupid high school girls."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 7.5/10 bottles

Devil (2010)

Genre: Horror

Running Time: 80 min

Plot: A group of strangers all meet up in an elevator to go on with their day when all Hell breaks loose. The elevator breaks down and every so often the lights flicker and fade out... when the power comes back on there are more and more devious acts that occur. Is this group of strangers really strangers or were they pre-destined to all be in this elevator at the same time.

Review: This is my first response when I heard about this movie, "Great... Another good idea for a movie that M. Night Shyamalan can ruin." Do I really want to take the chance on Devil? Will it be more like M.Night's better movies like Sixth Sense and Unbreakable or like his disastrous movies like The Happening and The Village?

Surprisingly, I would classify Devil with Night's better movies... (Gasp here) He finally was able to re-capture suspense like he did in the Sixth Sense. It was about the noises, lighting, and subtle details that ingage you throughout the movie. A very simple plot of a group of strangers on a elevator that breaks down and people start dying.

The best part about Shyamalan's movies are trying to figure out the plot twist before it happens which is extremely easy with most of his movies, but Devil is a bit more difficult to figure out. You start out with wondering if one of these people are possessed by the devil or if there is something else present. Are these people really strangers or do they have something in common? Everything is slowly revealed with some shock and awe and there is one plot twist I really wanted to see but didn't happen... I wanted the creepy/goofy kid to start licking the wall trying to taste Snozzberries.

I was very entertained by Devil and it had my brain going non-stop trying to figure out the movie before it ended. I was able to figure out who the Devil was after a lot of second guessing but was totally surprised by the main plot twist towards the end with the last "I'm so sorry" connection. It's a very good horror/thriller to watch this year during Halloween time!

Quote you might say after watching this: "Do snozzberries taste like snozzberries in Hell?"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 7/10 bottles

Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

Genre: Action

Running Time: 97 min

Plot: Loosely based on Resident Evil 5 for the gamers out there... If you haven't played the game it is the continuation of the story of Resident Evil: Extinction. Alice is her usual self by kicking everything's ass if it gets in her way, as she fights the Umbrella Corporation who is responsible for the zombie epidemic.

Alice meets up with old and new friends as they try and make their way to a sanctuary (that is zombie free) from a high-security prison in California. Most people die along the way just like all the other Resident Evil movies with a few upgraded enemies that are more difficult to kill.

Review: I am a huge fan of the Resident Evil series and find them good examples of "brainless" entertainment... Besides the first movie, the remaining of the saga is relatively the same movie with a few different enemies and outrageous upgrades to Alice. This episode, Alice starts off like a scene from The Matrix where she is taken over by Mr. Smith and f's some Umbrella workers up in Tokyo. She is successful at killing everyone except the Neo of the Corporation who ends up taking away all of her ridiculous powers.... thank you!

The rest of the movie takes place in a prison where the survivors try and make a plan to get to the ship in the ocean. I know if I wanted to make a movie like this work I would have to cast Michael Scofield from Prison Break who knows everything about the prison.... check!

The movie is full of fun action, horrible stereotypes, a juggernaut zombie, and two very beautiful women that we all love. Definitely a good movie to watch only if you have seen the others in the series and you want to sit and veg out for about 90 minutes.

Quote you might say after watching this: "I love how Resident Evil became the love child of The Matrix and Prison Break.... and the baby was born a zombie."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 6/10 Bottles

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Genre: Comedy

Running Time: 112 min

Plot: The classic story of an overly skinny young adult male who overcomes obstacles to try and win the love of a rebellious young woman..... except that the obstacles are seven evil-superhuman ex-boyfriends and not something lame like a lack of self-esteem.

Review: Wait.... Michael Cera is starring as geeky young boy who tries to score with a relatively good looking alternative girl.... How can the same movie still be entertaining to watch? Easy, you inject this redundant story into a world of comic books that has a three-way with steroids, ecstasy, and Coke Zero. The tagline says it perfectly: "An Epic of Epic Epicness."

I can't describe how happy I was while watching Scott's adventures scene-by-scene. Maybe it was the company that was with me during the movie that made me so giddy, but I'm pretty sure it was the pure 100% portrait of what every geek at heart imagines.

This movie embodies everything a cinematic adventure strives for.... entertainment value. Yes, the movie according to a snobby stuck-up critic, would be classified as a brainless movie that has no value, but they can go (fill in the blank).

Quote you might say after watching this: "Thank you for making a movie about one of my dreams that I had when I was sleep deprived!"

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 9.5/10 bottles

Never Let Me Go (2010)

Genre: Drama

Running Time: 103 min

Plot: The life of love and betrayal of a group of perfectly awkward (so we think) British boarding school students. These so-called students go through their pre-designed lives with the knowledge that their sole purpose for existence is organ donation.

Review: I was fantastically surprised with this (seemed to be) drama about the two most common feelings in life: love and betrayal. It started out just like other life-drama movies with a group of people who create friendships and betray each other for their own jealous reasons and blah blah blah. Everything seemed normal except for the bracelets that the children had to wear to get in and out of the boarding school.

It turns out that these children are in many ways human versions of "Free-range Chickens." The movie gets interesting and sucks you in when the new teacher reveals the secret of what the boarding school actually is: A business of raising humans for, what I call "the supermarket of Organs." This is where the movie gets really strange, because these children seem to accept that they will not have a life of their own and will be harvested for their "Original."

Some things were not exactly clear about if these children were clones, test-tube babies, or only orphans, but I actually love how the movie left this ambiguous because the focus should be on how a society could even think about having a business that harvests human parts that can save the lives of others.... kill people to save people.

Overall, the movie is slow-paced but it is full of emotion and above average acting. The movie will tug at your heart strings especially towards the end when you realize that there is no hope and the power of love doesn't mean anything in a pre-determined life.

Quote you might say after watching this: "I'm glad I'm not British because they're all sorts of crazy."

Bottled Youth Movie Review Rating: 7.5/10 bottles