On the last day of 2012, Indy Movies gives to you... Five new reviews!

With scheduling conflicts and time restrictions, I don’t have much time to thoroughly review every new movie I watch. More often than not, I find myself having to bunch a whole slew of reviews all at once. I usually don’t have as much to say about these films as I do in individual reviews, but I love jotting them down anyway. I hope you enjoy reading these five reviews, and stay tuned for more reviews during Oscar season. Have a Happy New Year!

Lincoln movie review.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this movie for months, and what wasn’t there to look forward to? It’s directed by Steven Spielberg, my favorite living director, as well as the director of my all time favorite movie Jurassic Park. It stars a magnificent cast, including Daniel Day-Lewis, one of my favorite actors, and it’s written by Tony Kushner, the mind behind the masterpiece Angels in America. With all three of them working together, how could this go wrong? In short, it doesn’t. Lincoln is among the best movies of 2012, and at least better than that horrid Vampire Hunter clone.

Happy Birthday to Hayley Williams!

I know this has absolutely nothing to do with movies, or the holidays, but how could I not address this? Hayley Williams (24 today) is the madly talented lead singer of my favorite band, Paramore, after all. I've been a die hard fan of their music since I first heard them ("That's What You Get", to be specific), and a huge reason for that is because of Williams' strong, passionate, energetic vocals. Doesn't hurt that she has such an energetic, likable personality. Seeing the whole band live in concert is an experience I'll never forget. I guess I'm also very spoiled by their style, because I can never bear to listen to a cover of one of their songs.

I'll admit that, like my fellow fanboys, I had worries about the future of the band since the departure of the two Farro brothers. However, their most recent songs following Brand New Eyes (a collection of perfection I'll never get tired of) have put all my worries to rest. I am beyond excited for their upcoming fourth album, and I look forward to everything else they've got coming up in the future.

Attached here is the music video for "The Only Exception". Not only is this my favorite Paramore song, it's my favorite song, period.

Just do me a favor, and never listen to Glee's cover of this song. They completely BUTCHER it!

The rest of my favorites: Misery Business, Renegade, Ignorance, That's What You Get, Brick By Boring Brick, My Heart.

Rise of the Guardians movie review.

Happy Holidays, everybody! Well, it won’t be long until Christmas day finally comes, and boy, am I excited! One of my favorite traditions this time of year is the numerous Christmas movies and specials that come out leading up to the day itself. With that in mind, one movie that I decided to lend my attention to was Dreamworks Animation’s Rise of the Guardians. Does it meet the high standards of How to Train Your Dragon, or, even worse, does it prove to be just as boring and stale as Madagascar 3? I’m leaning towards the former, because this holiday treat brought me nothing but enjoyment.

Happy Birthday to Steven Spielberg!

Today, director Steven Spielberg turned 66 years old. I’d say the day a filmmaking legend was born is worth a big celebration. I often look to the man as my favorite living director. Not everyone loves him, though. There are just as many who criticize his movies for over-sentimentality as those who love his movies, and I can see the detractors’ point, but I’ve always found his sentimentality to be less syrupy, and more honest and well deserved. Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T. are among my favorite movies of all time, and I love movies of his like Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Saving Private Ryan, War Horse and Jaws.

By far my favorite film he’s ever directed is 1993’s Jurassic Park. Not only is it my favorite Spielberg movie, it’s my single favorite movie of all time. Period. I could go on and on about how much I love that movie, and what it means to me, and I still wouldn’t be doing it justice. It is, always has been, and always will be my favorite.

Attached here is a clip that is not only my favorite scene of my favorite movie, but my favorite scene in ANY movie:

 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie review.

I'll confess, that when this movie ended, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to say about it. All I knew is that I loved it. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on the beloved book by Stephen Chbosky (who actually wrote and directed the movie), really seems to resonate with a lot of people, and I can see why. I can also see why others might not like it.