DRAG ME TO HELL

I thought it was a bunch of crap. It was awful. It was sickening. I thought to myself "Marian, why did you spend six bucks on this stupid movie?" I don't know what happens, I had my eyes closed half of the time. This old lady regurgitating in someone else's mouth. I thought I was gonna die. Please don't take your kids. Don't even go yourself. I give it a one. And you know how generous I am with my movies. I have seen some horrible movies in my time, 'cause you know how I go, but this might be the worst movie I've ever seen.

ANGELS AND DEMONS

Oh it was good! You don't know who the bad guy is until the end. It was real suspenseful. It was better than the first one. I give it a 9 1/2.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST

It was cute, really cute. It was with Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner. It was funny. I give it a 9. You can take the kids to see it. There's nothing bad in it. It's about this guy who is a photographer. It has all his past girlfriends in it. Honey, he had a whole damn roomful of old girlfriends. He was busy! He found Jennifer Garner and he really liked her. Jennifer Garner was really great.

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

THAT was hilarious. Oh God, that was so funny. It was really great. Take the kids to see it, they will crack up. It was hilarious. They were taking the people from the last time to Washington, DC. Ben Stiller wouldn't let them do it. He went to Washington and fought for them. They all came alive. It was just hilarious, them trying to get out of Washington, DC. It was better than the first one. Go see it. They had the wacky comedy with the monkeys, they just had everything. Ben Stiller played a great part.

THE SOLOIST

That was really good. It was a sad movie, kinda. Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr lived on the street. They lived in a place where people could go, like a shelter. But there were people who couldn't make it into the shelter. Jamie Foxx played a real good part in it. So did Robert Downey Jr. Boy, he's made some really good movies since he straightened up. It was worth seeing.

STAR TREK

It was great! I give it a 9 1/2. The kids who payed in that, they were all Australian. They were really, really good. It was great. At the end, you got to see Spock in real life. That was really good. I heard William Shatner was upset when they asked Spock to be in it and not him. He was really pissed, or so I hear.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE

Oh God, that was good. I give it a 9 1/2. They come out with some good ones. They are kind of on the creepy side, but they are good. Hugh Jackman is in it. And Liev Schreiber. Oh he's a creep! I never like him in anything. He was good in this. I don't know about taking little kids. It was kind of scary.

I LOVE YOU, MAN

It was a good movie, not a great one. It was funny. It was just funny. Sheila liked it too. It was really good. It was something different, let's put it that way. But go see it, or you can wait until it comes out and rent it.

FAST AND FURIOUS

Oh that was a good movie! You have to go see it! It kept you on the edge of your seat. It's about car racing. When I read about it in the paper, I thought they were going around the track. Honey, this was street racing! Honest to God. You held onto your seat, because you were right there with them. If you like action, boy it was good. Go see it. I gave it a 9 1/2. Vin Diesel was great in it. I love an action movie!

ADVENTURELAND

Let me tell you, please don't take your children. It was a lot of bad language. Every other word was "F." They drank. They were just kids! I just don't like that "F word." I gave it a 5 1/2. Sheila and I came out of it just shaking our heads.

KNOWING

This had Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne. It was a real good movie. It kept you on the edge of your seat the whole time. i even had to hide my eyes, that's how bad it was (action-wise). It's a must see. I give it a nine. It was a thriller.

DUPLICITY

It stars Clive Owens and Julia Roberts. It was hard to keep up with. They went back and forth in time. It's hard to keep up with that crap. It takes you off guard. If it was me, I'd rent it, because you'll save some money. I didn't care for it much. I give it a 6.

WATCHMEN

I really didn’t care for it that much. It was kind of crazy. There was a green man. I don’t know, it just didn’t do that much for me. I thought it was going to be good. I would give it a 7.

INKHEART

It was good. It was a funny thing. They were supposed to bring the characters to life by reading a book aloud. I give it 8 ½ . It’s worth going to see.

PUSH

I like Dakota Fanning. This was a good movie...It’s been a while since I saw it. You go so long and then you forget what the hell it was about. I’d say it was about a 7 ½.

THE READER

It was about this young kid and this woman; and they had an affair. They met years later, and they got together again. It was the nazi war trials and she was accused of heinous crimes. It wasn’t a bad movie. I thought it was about an 8 ½ .

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

I saw the one with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Anderson. That was pretty cute. It was funny. There were these girls who were dating. They were after different guys and half the time [the guys] didn’t really like them. These guys wouldn’t call them back. You know how kids are. They thought these guys would just fall all over themselves for them and they didn’t!

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

It was cute. It was sad to see how those people lived in India. That was kind of sad. I don’t see how it won all the Academy Awards, but it was ok. It was real sad the way they lived. They don’t have nothin’.

PAUL BLART MALL COP

That was hilarious! I tell you what, it started out kind of yucky, but the more it went on, you really got into it. He really kicked ass in that movie!

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

I didn’t care for it. You know how some movies turn you on and some don’t do nothing for you? It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

SPOILER ALERT We went to see that Buttons movie yesterday. Poor Sheila got sick in the movie. She thought she was gonna vomit. But we didn't leave. It was a pretty good movie. It was interesting. And how young he was. He turned into a young baby and he died as a little baby...he died like that. I don't know how they did it. It was worth going to see.

DEFIANCE

It was a pretty good movie. They escaped from the holocaust with the Germans. I enjoyed this movie. It had a lot of action in it. How they stayed in those woods, I'll never know. They lived in those woods for 2 years. I give it a 8 1/2. Those poor jews really suffered. I felt bad for them. It was really bad.

BRIDE WARS

It was okay. It wasn't as cute as I thought it was gonna be. It was two girls fighting over who was gonna get the date for their wedding. They turned against each other. it was funny in parts and in other parts it was...eh. It was just a mediocre movie. I wouldn't go see it again. I'd give it a 7. or a 6 1/2. It was kind of ickey.

GRAN TOURINO

SPOILER ALERT Clint Eastwood played a wonderful part in it. He was a true Clint Eastwood, a tough guy. He acted like he used to in his movies. I give it a 9. Go see it. He came back from the military. The neighborhood had changed. There were a lot of immigrants. He had a pretty nice place and all the rest of the places were pretty run down. He made friends with a Mexican boy. He took him under his wing. You know how gangs are. They were pretty violent. Clint Eastwood had a Gran Tourino that he had before the war. He died at the end, and he left that Gran Tourino to that little Mexican boy. His grandaughter thought she was gonna get it. Boy was she disappointed.

DOUBT

Meryl Streep and Amy Adams play in this one. It was okay. Meryl Streep played a good part in it. I would rent it if I was you. I'd give it a 7 1/2. How much are your movies there? $12? Well, that's why I'd rent it. It wasn't worth $12.

THE SPIRIT

It was far out. I didn't care for it. I would give it a 6 1/2. If you plan to see it, rent it.

BEDTIME STORIES

It was cute. His sister has to go out of town, so he babysits her kids. Every night they would make him tell them stories. He would tell them all kind of stories and then something would happen the next day and they would come true! I'd give it 8 1/2. It was good for kids. It was funny.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX

It wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I was really disappointed in it. It wasn't as good as the previews. I would only give it a 6. It was really disappointing. He's this big-eared mouse who had a hard time. It just wasn't as cute as I thought it would be. Sometimes it does you and sometimes it don't do you. It was cute but not what i expected.

MARLEY AND ME

SPOILER ALERT It was real sad. The little girl next to me was crying, so I cried too. It was sad when the dog died. The dog was funny. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston were good. It was just sad. I hated to see the kids see that.

NOBEL SON

It was stupid! Sheila and I both came out of that movie shaking our heads and saying, "What the hell did we go see that for?" It really stunk. Don't go see it.

TWILIGHT

It was pretty good, for a vampire movie. It was suspenseful. I liked it!

FOUR CHRISTMASES

That was another stupid movie. It stank. It was supposed to be funny but it wasn't really that funny. It was about a bunch of families that wouldn't stop fighting with each other. Kind of reminded me of us. It wasn't worth seeing. I'd give it a 60.

MARIAN IS TURNING 80.

That's right, Marian aka Granny, is turning 80 on December 11th. Please send her a birthday wish via the comments on this page! She has no idea that anyone reads this thing. Granny has been taking me to movies since I was able to sit through one. We have seen everything from "The Shaggy D.A." to "The Return of the Pink Panther" to "Sixteen Candles" to "Porky's". Her selections then were just as random as they are today. I love her dearly and couldn't be happier that she's turning 80 and isn't even thinking of slowing down. She retired from Washington Regional this year, but has continued to travel and keep herself busy. She's a very special lady. I love you Granny!
One other note: I'll be running in an Arthritis Foundation Jingle Jog in honor of Granny who suffers from arthritis. The run is on December 14th. Feel free to pledge a few bucks if you have any to spare. http://JBRW.brooklyn.kintera.org/dawnmadell
Thanks!
Dawn

AUSTRALIA

Oh, you have GOT to see this movie! It was 2 hours and 45 minutes long, but it was so good. I cried so much I used up 3 kleenexes. The little boy in that was beautiful. He was part aborigine, part white. He stole the show! If he doesn't win an Academy Award for this, nobody deserves it! They gave it a 77 in our paper, but I give it a 100-it was that good!

BOLT

I went by myself; Sheila had something else to do that day. It's an animation cartoon about a white German Shepherd. John Travolta is the voice of the dog. It was really cute. I'd give it a 90.

BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA

I have met those dogs! The chihuahuas! Those dogs were on my plane when I came back from New Zealand. Their handlers have a place in Arkansas. That was a cute movie. The dogs talked. It wasn't animated, but the dogs talked. Take the kids.

THE CHANGELING

It stars Angelina Jolene. It's the one about the boy who went missing. They tried to give her another boy. She knew it wasn't her son, but they kept saying it was her son. They put her in an institution. They drove her crazy. It went on for a long time before they found out it wasn't her boy. She (Angelina Jolene) played a good part. I heard she's gonna quit movies and spend time with her kids. I give it a 92.

MADAGASCAR ESCAPE 2 AFRICA

It's great. It will make you laugh. They gave it an 84 in the paper, but I thought it was at least a 90. It had the same characters as last time. It was really good. Take the kids. I enjoyed it.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

It has Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah in it. God was Dakota Fanning great in it! I mean, it was a great movie. I thought it was one of the best movies I have seen in such a long time. Dakota Fanning is a great little actress. I think she's gonna be great when she gets big.

NIGHTS IN RODANTHE

It was great! It has Richard Gere and Diane Lane. Richard Gere went to the Outer Banks. She had just broken up with her husband. It's a wonderful love story. There's nothing dirty in it, so you could take the kids. I'd give it a 90.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3

It was really good. I'd give it an 85. I liked it. So did Sheila. The kids were really good in it. It's about high school. It's about drama. They put this musical on, with dancing and singing. It was light-hearted and every once in a while, that's what you want to see.

BURN AFTER READING

Brad Pitt was in it. So was George Clooney. I didn't care for it, even though it had all those famous people in it. Brad Pitt acted like a kid. It didn't do anything for me. I wouldn't go see it again, let's put it that way.

EAGLE EYE

This had Shia Lebeouf in it. It wasn't that good. Sometimes you get a good movie and sometimes you don't.

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR

It was OK. It was just a mummy movie. It was about an emperor. He died and so did all of his men. He brought all of them back to life. It was a lot like the first mummy. I would give it about an 8. I don't like dead people coming back to life, but it was cute.

MAMA MIA

It was really great! The music was fantastic. It was really, really upbeat. It was a fun movie to see. Glenn Close was wonderful in it. I give it a 9.

TROPICAL THUNDER

It was hilarious! It had Ben Stiller, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr.. You will die laughing. It is hilarious. They go to the jungle. They are in the jungle. And it's just crazy. They do crazy stuff! You'll laugh your butt off. I give it a 9.

RIGHTEOUS KILL

It stars Al Pacino and What's-his-name. It was a mystery movie. You didn't know what was going to happen until the end. You didn't know who the good guys were until the end. One of them was a dirty cop. Them two old guys did good. It was a really good movie. It was something else.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH

I enjoyed it. It was a real interesting movie. How they got in there and how they got out. You could take the kids to this one. I'd give it a 9. I really liked it.

THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2

We went to see the one about the pants. You know the 4 girls who pass the pants around? Ugly Betty, and all them. It's been 3 years since they made that first one. It was cute. It was really good. It had a good ending. I'd give it an 8 1/2. They are all movie stars now.

SWING VOTE

Eh, it was okay. I'm used to seeing Kevin Costner looking real sharp, but in this one he was kind of down and out. They lived in a trailer. I went by myself because Sheila was camping. He had a little girl playing his daughter. She wanted him to vote. He promised her he would. Well, he got drunk and didn't go. It was just a typical movie. It wouldn't be something I'd go see again. I'd give it about an 8.