10.04.12
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Renga

My rating:  

Renga is an interactive, cinematic game in which the audience gets a laser pointer, and using it, they must build their ship, defend it, and battle “the Boss”- Renga. Renga won Best New Platform at the Palo Alto International Film Festival (PAIFF), and I was lucky to attend it at the film festival. I enjoyed this experience, especially taking part of the plot, and  even being encouraged to be loud and share ideas with others in the audience. At the end of the movie there was a Q&A session with the two filmmakers – both from England – and I asked a question about the inspiration behind the making of Renga. “People were already making social games” they answered, “and we thought there must be a way of making a social game that includes many people together in a room, in a way that makes the theatrical experience still necessary and relevant”.

I was excited to meet the filmmakers and take part in such a unique cinematic experience! This photo features me with Adam Russell, one of the two movie directors (the other director is named John Sear).  

The PAIFF also offered a youth filmmaking workshop, which I attended. I enjoyed learning about the history of filmmaking, and exeprience production-making with some other young movie lovers.

09.26.12
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Partysaurus Rex

My rating:

Those who will see Finding Nemo 3D this fall will also see the third short film in the “Toy Story Toons” short film series, Partysaurus Rex. The first two short films, Hawaiian Vacation and Small Fry, were as hilarious as this one, which involves Rex (voiced by Wallace Shawn) getting left out at the bathroom and making friends with bath toys. I think everyone will enjoy this hilarious short film.

Also, here is a 40-second clip from Partysaurus Rex.

09.22.12
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Finding Nemo 3D

My rating:  

A touching Pixar film, Finding Nemo, was re-released in theaters in 3D, and I recently saw it with my brothers. It stars Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGenres, and Alexander Gould. It is a movie about friendship, and is the story of a clownfish named Marlin (played by Albert Brooks) who searches for his son (played by Alexander Gould), who was captured by divers. The 3D of the film is amazing I think everyone will enjoy it, including adults.

Also, here is the website and the trailer of the movie.

09.15.12
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

My rating: 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is the third installment to the film saga based on the graphic novel series written by Jeff Kinney (this film is based on the third and fourth books in the series, The Last Straw and Dog Days). I found the film very hilarious and touching. It stars Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Devon Bostick, Peyton List, Melissa Roxburgh, Steve Zahn, Rachel Harris and Karan Brar. It is the story of Greg Heffley (played by Zachary Gordon), who intends to play video games all summer, but when his parents (played by Steve Zahn and Rachel Harris) ban television and video games for the whole summer, Greg ends up doing other fun things like going to country clubs, boardwalks, parties, fishing, pools, camping trips and many other fun things. I would reccomend this movie for everyone, including adults. This film is still in theaters, but if you don’t watch it in theaters, don’t worry because it will be available on DVD starting December 18!

Also, here is the website of the movie. It includes fun games, videos, and more!

Also, here is the trailer of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.

09.03.12
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Born To Be Wild

My rating: 

Born To Be Wild, which I saw a few days ago, is a nice documentary about orphaned elephants and orangutans being raised by humans and being returned to the wild once they’re ready to, but I think the movie is way too short (it’s only 40 minutes long). The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman, and it features Daphne Sheldrick and Birute Galdikas, the two animal experts who raised the elephants and orangutans. In the movie, the animals act really smart, knowing that the humans are trying to help them and not harm them. I learned that although some people are really cruel to animals (hunters and poachers kill animals for no good reason but greed), if the rest of us care enough, we can help make the world a better place. This film is now on DVD and Blu-ray.

Also, here is the trailer of Born To Be Wild.

08.18.12
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Rio

My rating: ratings4

I saw the movie Rio, which I really enjoyed. It stars Jesse Eisenberg (who you might recognize from  The Social Network) as Blu, Anne Hathaway (from The Princess Diaries and Becoming Jane) as Jewel, Will.i.am (rapper of The Black Eyed Peas) as Pedro, Jamie Foxx as Nico, George Lopez as Rafael, Tracy Morgan as a bulldog named Luiz, Jemaine Clement as Nigel, and Leslie Mann as Linda, Blu’s owner. The film is about a blue macaw named Blu, who lives with his owner, Linda, in her bookstore in Moose Lake, Minnesota. One day, Blu and Linda are brought to Rio de Janeiro, where they are told that Blu is the last male of his species, and he is later brought to the last female of his species, Jewel. But they are soon kidnapped by smugglers, and they go on an adventure in Rio to find Linda. The views and landscapes of Rio in the movie are very beautiful, and I would recommend this movie for the whole family.

Also, here is the trailer of Rio.And here is the first 2 minutes of the movie.

08.18.12
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Bruce Almighty

My rating: 

Yesterday I saw the movie Bruce Almighty, which I really enjoyed and thought it was really funny. The movie stars Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell, Lisa Ann Walter, Phillip Baker Hall and Cathrine Bell. It is about a man named Bruce Nolan (played by Jim Carrey), who is a reporter for Eyewitness News at Buffalo, New York. He lives with his girlfriend, Grace Conelly(played by Jennifer Aniston), who he will soon be engaged with. One day, Bruce is fired for making obscence remarks at a live broadcast in Niagra Falls. Later, he meets God (played by Morgan Freeman), who gives him cool powers like his own, and he soon is known as Mr. Exclusive. I think Bruce Almighty is one of Jim Carrey’s most funny movies (another movie I really enjoyed starring Jim Carrey is Mr. Popper’s Penguin’s), and I also think that the most funny parts in the movie are when Bruce uses his new almighty powers to do supernatural things, like pulling the moon closer to the Earth with his bare hands, which makes the moon look larger in the sky, driving his car at hyperspeed, and using his hands to mimic parting the Red Sea in a red soup bowl. Even the trailer of the movie would make you laugh. I would reccomend this movie for kids my age or older and adults. This film is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Also, here is the trailer of Bruce Almighty.

08.17.12
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Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas!

My rating: 

2 days ago, I saw the movie Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas! The movie was OK, but it was funny, too. It is based on the 2010 Disney Channel TV show Good Luck Charlie, and it is the story of the Duncan family (Bob(dad), Amy(mom), PJ, Teddy,  Gabe, and Charlie(kids)), who plan to go to Palm Springs, California for Christmas to visit Amy’s parents, Petunia (played by Debra Monk) and Hank (played by Michael Kagan). But when Teddy (played by Bridgit Mendler) gives up her airplane seat for a free flight ticket for her spring break trip to Florida (Amy (played by Leigh-Allyn Baker) also leaves the plane, not wanting Teddy to travel alone), they go on a long adventure to Palm Springs, and try to get there before Christmas. The rest of the cast includes Bradley Steven Perry as Gabe, Mia Talerico as Charlie, Eric Allen Kramer as Bob, Jason Dolley as PJ, and Raven Goodwin as Ivy, Teddy’s best friend. This movie is one of my favorite Disney Channel movies (another one of my favorite Disney Chanell movies is Frenemies), and I would recommend this movie for the whole family. This movie is now available on DVD.

Also, here is the trailer of Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas!