2010 June Review Club by Half Hollow Hills Schools

The Half Hollow Hills Review Club Presents

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

June 2010

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

June 2010

The Ratings An absolute classic for All TIME. The absolute best you can ever get! Exemplifies perfection!

Near perfection. Will be remembered in the future and will be an example of what greatness is all about. Great! Amazing! A Superb piece of work! Totally memorable and worth the money.

Wow! Wonderful! Very, very good. A must. Now this is GOOD. damned good!

Maybe not special, but

Average, but enjoyable. Fair. You MAY like it, but you’re not really missing anything.

Not good. Don’t bother. Poor. Worthless junk.

½ star

So horrific, it is painful to endure.

0 stars

Beyond Abysmal. So bad it is insulting. Who is the idiot that allowed this to be produced?!

This issue is now found ONLINE at the Half Hollow Hills website. Go to: Schools – Candlewood – Clubs and Activities – HHH Review Club

http://www.halfhollowhills.k12.ny. us/page.cfm?p=977519 Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

The Half Hollow Hills Review Club June 2010 Volume 5 Issue 2

Table of Contents Topic

Page

The Ratings Movie Reviews – 2009 Oscar Nominees

3 8

Features: Reviews of top movies of 2009 –Avatar, The Blind Side Up, Inglourious Baserds, Up in the Air, and more…

Movie Reviews

Features: Book vs. Movie for Percy Jackson, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rating all the Harry Potter Movies vs. the Books Reviews on Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief, Alice in Wonderland, Princess & the Frog, How to Train your Dragon, 2012, The Hangover, Alvin & the Chipmunks 2, The Tooth Fairy, Zombieland, Valentine’s Day, Kickass, Transformers 2, and more…

Movie Flashbacks

Features: The Willy Wonka-New vs. Old Reviews on Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, King Kong, Fantastic 4, Pay it Forward, Dances with Wolves, Back to the Future, Airplane!, The Shining, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail, The Sound of Music, and more…

FEATURE: We ask the Club & Staff

“What were the BEST movies of the DECADE?”

FEATURE: We ask the Club & Staff

102

“What was the WORST movie EVER?”

Staff Interview – Dr. Roth Book Reviews

108 110

Features: The Face on the Milk Carton Series Reviews on House Rules, The 3 Musketeers, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and more…

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Music Reviews

118

Reviews on LCD Soundsystem, Lady Gaga, The Crooked Vultures, Owl City, and more…

Music Flashbacks

123

Reviews on The Beatles-Let it Be, and Heavy Metal albums

Television Reviews

125

Reviews on Spartacus, Life, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Glee, South Park and more…

Broadway Reviews

134

Features: High School West’s presentation of Grease Reviews on The Lion King, Billy Elliot, Mama Mia, Phantom of the Opera, and more…

Video Game Reviews

140

Features: NHL 2K10 vs. NHL 10 Reviews on Modern Warfare 2, Mario Cart, Super Mario Brothers, Halo 3, and more…

FEATURE: We ask the club & staff

148

“What are your FAVORITE video games EVER?”

Vacation Reviews

150

Features: Ireland, and Great Adventure’s Frightfest

Sports

153

Features: The Mets, The Knicks, The Red Sox MLB 2010 Predictions

Restaurant Review

161

La Familgia in Smithtown

This Issue’s Club Critics

167

Photograph Pages: 6, 72, 73, 91, 133, 139, 147, 171 All reviews are the opinions of the writer. You may agree with their opinion or you may not. Some reviewers often give high ratings, while others are much more critical. Regardless, the reviewer is asked to be objective, fair, critical and as professional as possible while supporting their opinion. If you want to express your opinion, the Half Hollow Hills Review Club always welcomes new members.

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

HHH Review Club June 2010

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Wanted!!! Critics for the Review Club Attention Half Hollow Hills We need critics New members are always welcome

Movies, Music, Broadway, Restaurants, Vacations, Books,

Sports If you are interested please contact by eboard or stop by Room 710 in Candlewood MS and talk to

Mr. Bund or you can contact

Mrs. Silberman in High School East Room 105 Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

2009 Best picture Nominees This was the first year that the Academy nominated 10 movies for best picture. What did you think of their choices? Who do you think should have won? Our reviewers have some very different opinions…

Best Picture Nominees Avatar The Blind Side District 9 An Education The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious A Serious Man Up Up in the Air

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

2009 Oscar Winner – Best Picture

The Hurt Locker ¾

I did not even hear about this movie until it was out of the theater. By the time it was on DVD, people were talking about it possibly being nominated for best picture. When the Oscars were all over, it took home that prestigious award. So how was the movie? It was very good. Basically, it is about a group of soldiers in Iraq who diffuse bombs. It was tense, violent, and definitely kept your attention. Jeremy Renner especially did a good job as the risktaking and just a little bit unbalanced bomb diffusing expert. Overall, a very good movie, but was it the best picture of the year? You can certainly make a strong argument for it, even though I heard few people say so before it won. Will it stand the test of time? – Well that remains to be seen. – Mr. Bund

It’s a very solid film. It puts you on the edge of your seat. It probably shouldn’t have won Best Picture, but it definitely deserve to be in the top three. There was also great filmmaking by Katherine Bigalo. Once again, it’s a solid film. – Daniel Rudin

I think The Hurt Locker was a decent movie. There were a lot of suspenseful moments, and YOU felt like YOU were there, and YOU were the one in danger. The movie was so tense, from defusing bombs, to being pinned down by snipers, that it almost felt like a documentary. The sniper scene was especially fantastic, and you really had no idea what was going to happen. I’m also still trying to figure out what the title of has to do with the movie. - Eric Hechler

Uh oh, dreaded Iraq War movie alert! Its too bad people refuse to see movies that are urgent or discuss an impending topic, because the Hurt Locker is a fantastic movie. If only the story flew better, as it sometimes loses focus and momentum, then it might have number one film of 2009. Instead it’s a great flick, with solid writing and savvy directing, but one that is not deserving of its Best Picture win. – Dean Essner

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.19 stars

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees

Avatar

No, I didn’t like Avatar. Get over it. Yes it looked great, but the script was tacky and awfully trite. Hire a real writer next time James Cameron…then the movie could have been good. – Dean Essner This movie did have pretty pictures, but think of the plot: it’s Pocahontas, Ferngully, and Dances with Wolves. All of these movies ripped each other off, and now Avatar. It doesn’t deserve to be the highest grossing movie of all time. It is good and I would see it again, but it’s not a masterpiece. Also, if you think a blue half cat women is hot, you need help! – Nick Frankel

This was the best movie I have ever seen, plain and simple. It is action packed and it keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire movie. The special effects are better than any other movie. The computer animation is unbelievable. I still have no idea how they made it so good. This movie is almost three hours long, and I wish it was longer. The one thing that I would criticize about this movie is the story. The same story has been used over and over again, but no movie projected it better than this one. In Imax 3D, you feel like you’re actually in the movie. The ending to this movie was awesome. Not to mention that this movie had everything from drama, to comedy, to action. This movie is the best movie I have ever seen. - Brandon Nomberg I know everyone says that the Avatar “sunk the Titanic” and was “the best movie of the year,” but sorry, I didn’t think it was all that great. Don’t get me wrong- the special effects were amazing. I just thought it was waaaaaay to long--almost 3 hours! I couldn’t sit through it all. I felt that it took a long time to get to the point of the story. The story line was ok, but I honestly thought it needed just a little bit more.-Morgan Rampolla

This movie has many positives, and only one negative. The negative is that THE MOVIE IS WAY TOO LONG. The rest of the movie is definitely positive! Jake, a young man with legs that are not able to walk, has a chance to be an avatar. An avatar is a tall, blue creature that grows with human DNA. Jake works for a man that promises to give him his leg back, and eventually Jake has to make the decision of his lifetime. Overall this was an amazing movie! – Tara Ranjbar

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Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Avatar continued… +1/2 star in 3D/Imax Avatar is easily the best science fiction movie of the year. It’s about a soldier (that can’t use his legs) who transforms into an avatar on another planet, and lives a different life as a native species called the Nav’i. The story turns when the humans decide to drill for energy, and force the Nav’i tribe to leave their home. I suggest seeing the movie in 3D or Imax, since the 3D effects are revolutionary. The graphics don’t just pop out, they make the world come alive. This makes the movie that much more enjoyable. Even without the effects, the movie was really good. The plot made plenty of sense, and the characters’ personalities were strong. The best scenes were the battle scenes, which were the most entertaining. 3D and Imax made the battles seem almost real. Avatar is mostly positive, but there are some weak spots. If you saw the movie, then you know that there is an overly dramatic scene. It can get cheesy, and could’ve been shortened. It takes a while to set up the story so the action also doesn’t get very entertaining until two-thirds into the movie. Overall, Avatar is a near perfect sci-fi movie. It has plenty of action, and is interesting from beginning to end, however, it can get dramatic, and the beginning isn’t very entertaining. I recommend this movie for ages 12 and up, for its strong violence. This movie is revolutionary and a must be seen in 3D/Imax. - Matthew Bielskas Avatar is a wonderful movie, but considering the most money ever spent on a movie was used to make it was expected. The special effects and animations look so real, especially in 3D. The story is good, but that is not what makes this movie great. The action and graphics are unbelievable, better than any I have ever seen. This is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Eric Hechler This movie was supposed to be epic and James Cameron made that magic happen. It was even more than I expected! Just like Titanic it got up there as the top-grossing movie of all-time even though it also cost the most money to make. At first I thought that this was nothing special, just another sci-fi movie, and the hype was huge. When I finally saw it, I was blown away by the stunning special effects. I felt like I was there in Pandora. The only flaw was the plot. It was the same old overplayed plot of people fighting with people that are different, a person from each side falls in love with each other and tries to protect each other, and the ones who are not supposed to win do. Still, this movie was amazing. I would see it again in the theaters, but not on DVD on my plain old TV with no 3-D. – Andrew Faber

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Avatar continued… This did not only have great special effects and action scenes, it had a great plot and lesson. This movie was made for action/sci-fi fans. Avatar was made to show that we have to be careful of what humans do, because everything we do affects our planet.-Zach Levitan

James Cameron is a genius! This was probably one of the best movies I’ve experienced. The special effects were great, but the 3-D didn’t do much of an effect. Two things about the movie I liked were the plot and the score. It’s a good movie, but don’t watch it in 3-D. – Sam Leifer

What a movie! This was one of the best movies I have seen. The story (which most people said made no sense) was amazing. Don’t even get me started with the graphics. They are like nothing I have ever seen, especially in IMAX. It’s like HD times 10! Great movie!! – Jeremiah Sullivan The new movie Avatar was like nothing I have ever seen. In IMAX 3-D, the picture and visual effects were outstanding. Once I saw the first five minutes, I got hooked, and the next two and a half hours flew by. The plot was a bit confusing in the beginning, but I caught on a couple of minutes in. Overall, I loved all the action and adventure throughout the film. – Frankie Marrone It has become the highest grossing movie EVER, of course this movie has to be amazing, and only James Cameron could do it. – Brett Levine

If had to rate this movie just on the special effects I would personally give it five stars. Since this movie does not have a good plot it has to get 2 and a half stars. The plot has been done so many times and is quite frankly boring. It was predictable and was way too elongated. The special effects were still mind blowing combined with the 3D. - Noah Berley

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Avatar continued… [Caution: SPOILER ALERT! Do not read this review if you did NOT see the movie]. This movie was excellent! The setting takes place 150 years in the future, when all of the Earth’s natural resources are gone. In order to find other energy sources so that the Earth can survive, corporations on Earth arrange to transport scientists, workers and machinery to other planets and moons in space in order to collect the resources and return them to Earth. A former Marine, Jake Sully, played by Sam Worthington, had a scientist brother who was tragically killed in a mugging. Jake, who is paralyzed from the waist down from a former battle while still a Marine, has been offered his brother’s job by one of the corporations located on the planet, Pandora. The corporation executives explain to Jake, that since he and his brother share the same DNA that Jake would be perfect for the job. Despite not being a scientist or familiar with Pandora, Jake decides to take this job so that he can earn enough money for an operation to fix his paralyzed legs. Pandora, a forest like planet, is inhabited by 10 feet tall blue humanoids known as the Na’vis. Jake and other members of the scientist team have Avatars created in their likeness in the form of a Na’vi so that they can travel around the planet. Humans cannot exist on Pandora’s atmosphere and need oxygen masks to walk around. Once in Avatar form, Jake can breathe and travel around the Planet. The corporation that has sent Jake to Pandora plans to overtake the Na’vi people by force in order to gather the minerals and resources of the planet. Jake has made a deal with the Colonel, the head of the corporation’s security forces, to allow him to exist in Avatar form and live among the Na’vi for three months in order to understand their ways and perhaps negotiate a relocation. As an Avatar, Jake has many adventures and meets a beautiful girl name Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana). After the three months are up, the Colonel does not keep his word and plows through the beautiful land destroying trees and setting fire to the villages. Jake leads a team of warriors to fight off the corporate soldiers. With the help of other Na’vi tribes and the animals of the forest, the corporations are badly defeated in a battle and decide to leave the planet forever. The Na’vi destruction compares to the plight of the American Indians during the westward movement in the United States. The movie had very sad moments when we realize that American corporations, only seeking a profit, set out to destroy Pandora and wipe out the Na’vi race. Overall, the scenery was great and the planet looks beautiful. It was a great movie and is loved by everyone. – Kara Rofe The movie was not that good. Sorry, don’t get mad when you read this, because anyone rating Avatar higher is just thinking of the effects. The plot was old, the characters were computer generated, except for like 3 people, and only the Colonial was any good. So why does everyone think this is the best movie ever? Because instead of even thinking about the plot, or characters, they just got brainwashed by the effects. The effects were the best ever by far and I loved them, but effects aren’t everything in a movie. It’s a must see, but without the effects Avatar is just 2 stars. - Paul DeCarlo

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Avatar continued…

Oh, avatar! The biggest box office hit ever and possibly the

single most over rated film of the 21st century. If you didn’t see this movie, you probably couldn’t participate in all the conversations at school, work, on late night shows, the news, twitter, etc. I presume that anything enjoyable from this movie is purely from the brilliant use of movie making tricks and audience manipulations, which are generally used to enhance a good story and characters, not create them. Now where have I seen those big sympathetic eyes..? Oh yeah, this was an effect Disney has been using for the last 80 years. The characters in this movie are pure stereotypes, straight out of Sunday morning cartoons. The story is so predictable you’ll swear you’ve seen it before (and probably have). And the plot is purely a slave to the special effects. Everything that happens is because it will result in a superfluous CG sequence. If you’re not sold yet then I’ll set it up for you: There is a native alien race, of eleven foot tall supermodel cat people with great abs. hey love all nature, have the ability to mentally interface with all the animals and in fact the planet itself. The native alien race don't have any unlikeable native/tribal tendencies, like war, jealousy, pooping, hunting and killing animals, polygamy or any form of sexism, etc. They are the perfect race, living in perfect harmony with their perfect planet and all of nature. Aliens = good guys. Got it! And then... an evil corporation, lead by a selfish and single minded company-man who wants to strip mine the lovely planet of all the precious ore, aptly named "unobtanium", to make a profit, without care for any harm to nature or the natives. Are you getting dumber yet? Your brain is being strip mined for a profit. Corporation = bad guys. Brilliant! So the supermodel Smurfs with great abs go to war with the evil corporation and the evil military when their sacred magic tree-fort of life is threatened (boy, does this sound like Fernugully to you?), because it sits right on top of the unobtanium motherload. (This whole thing is a mother-load.) Caught in the middle of it all is Jake, the nice paraplegic soldier-hero guy that wants to do the right thing. At first he wants to be loyal and help his military unit by infiltrating the alien tribe, by injecting his consciousness into the body of a genetic copy of one of the sexy aliens, or an "Avatar." After infiltrating

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Avatar continued… and living with the aliens in his Avatar, Jake decides that they have it "so right", living with nature, respecting the planet, flying around on dragons, not to mention his new alien girlfriend is super hot. So Jake has a change of heart and perspective and decides to help the aliens fight the bad guys. But I wonder if the main human character would still have fallen in love with the alien princess and opted to help the alien natives if they had been short fat frog people with acne and patchy body hair, and a tendency for chronic laziness and eating bunnies. Would audiences have been so willing to worship the film? Way to challenge the status quo James. The love story is astoundingly corny and hopelessly silly: the hottest, strongest, smartest alien chick, who's also the princess of the tribe, was apparently holding out for an incompetent guy that she has to keep from dying 15 times a day. Apparently that's what hot alien princesses are looking for in a guy. To sum up the plot: the main character arrives, dopey dialogue, bad guys are established, more dopey dialogue, main character meets sexy aliens, dragon flying sequence, more flying, big battle sequence, one liner, more battle sequence with more dragon flying, battle, battle, battle, dopey dialogue with weak moral lesson, set up for sequel, end credits. Woo hoo! The end! One question for James Cameron though - If you have half a billion dollars to make a movie completely from CG, you can do anything you want that no one has ever done or seen before, you can blow the minds of everyone with unprecedented visuals and ideas, you can build an entire world from scratch so you can tell any story conceivable, limited only by your imagination and the imagination of hundreds of artists, writers, and technical people, and you give us Dances with Smurfs. Really? No REALLY? Skip Avatar, unless you need to fit in with the "seen it" crowd. Besides, what’s the point of seeing it now if it’s not going to look as pretty than in the movies! – Suedeh Ranjbar

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Avatar continued…

You have to admit that Avatar was fun. The 3-D was an experience and it was visually stunning. Director/Writer James Cameron’s vision and depiction of the entire world of Pandora was imaginative and pretty breathtaking. It was the most expensive movie ever made, and it is raking in unbelievable amounts of money. So what is my problem? – The script and the acting. There is nothing really original here and it is highly predictable even for any 10-year-old. Basically, Jake Sully (played by James Worthington) and his mind-controlled, genetically engineered avatar, begin to identify with the mysterious indigenous people of the planet, the Na’vi. OK – the mind-controlled avatar is original and it is on another planet, but it is the same old story as Dances with Wolves and The Last Samurai, both which are much more convincingly done. It was basically the big, bad Americans with all their crazy, modern, destructive weapons versus the innocent, nature-loving, natives with their bow and arrows. The leader of the natives (the Na’vi) was even played by a real Native American, Wes Studi, who – surprise surprise – was in Dances with Wolves. There were lots of preachy monologues about ecology, the environment, freedom, and the peaceful coexistence of civilizations, set against the gung-ho ‘kill’em all’ attitude of Colonel Miles Quaritch. It was like watching a commentary on the evil Europeans during 16th century coming into the New World and wiping out all the Natives. The only difference was that it was on a different planet and the natives actually win! I guess you have to give James Cameron some credit. He does know how to make a blockbuster. Keep the story simple and predictable; do not make anyone have to think too hard; make the movie appeal from 7 to 70 year olds; and wrap it all in huge special effects. You can not deny the millions and millions of dollars it has brought in. The Bottom line – Avatar is a visual spectacle, with a weak, unoriginal script and wooden acting, but definitely lots of fun. – Mr. Bund

¼ No movie in history has had more hype than James Cameron’s Avatar. The $300 million epic packed in more action than The Rumble in the Jungle. It didn’t take long for James Cameron to shatter his own record for creating the most successful box office movie of all time. I’ll give the movie credit about one thing, the special effects were astonishing. The colors were so bright that the 3-D only complimented how cool it was watching it. The problem is that the effects were not the whole movie - I’ll say about 30%. Acting, directing, and writing are still key elements to making a movie, and all 3 of them were horrible. The acting was so theater-like and dramatic. It didn’t fit the kind of film Avatar was. The directing was just sub par - James Cameron didn’t do a good job handling his actors. – Miles Essner

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.29 stars 16

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees

District 9

Summer 2009 kicked off with an action packed thrill ride called District 9. It was about an agency that only deals with aliens who are lead by a British analyst, trying to move the aliens over from District 9 to District 10. I can only go so far into detail, because there are so many important things that can’t be said, but I will say it was gory. I would like to give it a little more credit, but these kind of movies aren’t usually my cup of tea. Still, it was very good. – Miles Essner

If one were to grade District 9, it must be done so in three separate acts. Act 1- 4 stars. Act 2- 4 stars. Act 3- 2 ½ Stars. Why the dip in rating? Well, District 9 throughout most of the way is without a doubt one of the most important portrayals of alien life since E.T., one that melds together political ideals and tongue-in-cheek humor. In the end, however, it attempts to wow with special effects. It is still awesome overall though. – Dean Essner

This is a very good and intelligent sci-fi movie. It is fast-paced, not entirely predictable, and interesting. Peter Jackson successfully combines excellent special effects with a good story – something that so many sci-fi movies seem to lack. When an alien ship unexpectedly arrives over Johannesburg, South Africa, the city and world hold their breath to see what will happen, but nothing does. The ship just sits there. Finally, the military moves in to explore the spacecraft, and finds it loaded with undernourished and seemingly unintelligent aliens. The aliens are moved into the city, but tensions between the locals force the authorities to relocate the aliens into slums. The latest relocation is to move the aliens from district 9 into district 10. It is no mistake that this movie is in South Africa. The racial tensions and prejudices towards others are a powerful comment on Apartheid – the government policy that segregated South Africa for so many years. This movie makes an interesting analogy between how humans treat each other, and how we may react when confronted with a real alien race. – Mr. Bund People say that this movie could have done better, but to me it’s very well done. The beginning is a load of boring stuff, but by the end, it is mind blowing. It will ruin seafood for you, and it will have disgusting scenes, but it’s impossible to walk away from. – Nick Frankel As nominated for best picture this movie must be good, and it was. District 9 has everything you need - action, humor and aliens. The aliens are like Shrimplike people that get their ship stuck on Earth and now we put them into a camp called “District 9." After 20 years of communications with them we need them to sign an agreement and this doctor-dude is trying to get them to do it. The special effects are good - not like in Avatar, but nice. I would not beg anybody to see the movie, but I would see it again. – Andrew Faber

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.30 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees

The Blind Side Saccharine? Yes. Cliché? At times. Enjoyable? Yes. I am a sucker for any feel-good movie based on a true story. I like the fact that no one is portrayed as a hero in this movie – just ordinary people who are trying to do the right thing. Sandra Bullock is terrific, and so is Quinton Aaron (the actor portraying Michael Oher). In fact, I think Quinton Aaron deserves more recognition for handling this role so well. It could have easily become a total cliché, but Aaron gives it heart and depth. – Ms. Whitney This overwhelming and heartwarming story was the best movie of the decade that I have seen. This movie is about a homeless boy that lived a tragic life and is taken in by a rich family, where the boy and family’s relationship is taken to a whole new level. This movie was worth every minute and penny I spent watching it. The cast was fantastic, but Sandra Bullock’s acting really made this movie. By the way, Sandra Bullock deserved her Oscar after playing a role in such a meaningful way. – Elizabeth Georgakopoulos This movie is about a family who is adopting an African American boy named Michael Oher. Michael is poor, was taken away from his family, and failing school. When he started to live with this family, things started to change for him. He started to play on the high school football team, and because his grades were good in school, he began being accepted to colleges. This movie was great and really touching. It made me feel good inside. I would recommend this movie to anybody who likes football, likes touching movies, and has read the book before. – Josh Cohen This movie was totally unexpected. It was about a boy who played football in high school. Based on a true story, this movie was unpredictable and surprising. The plot was amazing as well as the ending. A MUST SEE! - Andrew Baker

This was a very good movie. It was really good but at the same time, very sad. Sandra Bullock is nothing short of phenomenal in this movie. This movie was even based on a true story, which only helped its ratings. This is one movie that I definitely recommend seeing, – Brandon Nomberg

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees The Blind Side continued… A heart warming movie that does not only meet the interests of football fans, since football has little to do with this film. This is all about the changes that Michael Oher and his adopted family went through in order to give him the family he never had. A touching film that has everything from comedy to tears, and possibly the best movie I’ve seen all year. The only part I did not like is that the Patriots traded their draft pick to Baltimore so they could get him, ughhh! – Brett Levine The Blind Side was one of the best movies I’ve seen all year! I even wanted to see it a second time! This true story had a good plot and I didn’t want to get out of my seat. It was sad and funny with a sprinkle of action. Sandra Bullock was great in this movie, and so was every other actor. How much better could this movie get? This movie was amazing.-Justin Wieder

“The Blind Side” was a fascinating movie based on a true story. The story is about a boy named Michael Oher who has been in foster care, and now has no place to stay. He is then enrolled in yet another school where he befriends SJ Touhy. Later SJ’s mom, Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) takes him into their home. The whole family welcomes him with open arms. Once the semester started, it becomes clear that Michael isn’t the best at school, but with help soon gets his grades up enough to play football. At first, Michael doesn’t get the concept of this sport, but with assistance from Leigh Anne and SJ he becomes a star. Michael may have scored low in all aspects of his entrance exams, but he scores highly in just one. It is this attribute that Leigh Anne realized would help him to protect the quarterback’s blind side. This movie had sports action, heart, and comedy. Sandra Bullock did an amazing job portraying the real-life “mother”. She had a lot of funny and well timed lines. She played a tough character whose sheer determination and take charge attitude helped Michael become a high school football star and eventually a National Football League player. If you want a great family movie with lots of fun and heart-warming moments then catch “The Blind Side”. - Ryan Winthrop

Blind side wasn’t awesome or amazing, but it was average (good). The best part of Blind side was the story; it was about a homeless young teenager Michael Oher, who only knows about the streets and projects of Memphis. One day a woman, Leigh Anne Touhy, sees Michael alone on the street in the poring rain and asks if Mike would like to live with her and her family and he says yes. So if you have nothing to do one night, I would recommend watching his movie. But I have to admit in some parts the movie got boring. – Stephen McDonald

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees The Blind Side continued…

What a great movie. I came in there with low expectations and leaving with a smile. When I first heard about this movie, I thought it was just a football movie, but once I saw it I realized it was much more. The Blind Side is a fantastic movie that is actually based on a real story, and it touched my heart. It is about a poor boy named Michael Oher, who has no family. Then he meets SJ Touhy at school and his mother invites him to stay at their house, which, by the way, is very extravagant. They start to form a bond and their relationship grows and grows every day. Michael isn’t that smart and finds school difficult, but he works hard with a tutor. He doesn’t get football, but he gets help from his new mom, Leigh Anne and SJ. With the help of everyone, he becomes a pro. As many times as he has failed, he has accomplished something to be proud of. The reason the movie is called the blind side is because of the position he plays in football. His job is to protect the blind side of the quarterback. The mom, Leigh Anne Touhy, teaches him the position by having him understand that the team members are like members of his family. She told Michael to protect the quarterback like he protected her. This story really reaches out to you and makes you understand and appreciate life. If you like love, action, and a little comedy, this is the right movie for you. Sandra Bullock totally deserved the Oscar for best actress. She was convincing as the mom, and acted as if this actually happened to her in real life. I would recommend this movie to anyone because it relates to all different types of people. - Dana Winthrop

The Oscar winner, "The Blind Side," depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American teenager from a broken home, taken in by Leigh Anne Touhy, a caring woman, and her well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, Michael faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle. This story is really heart-warming. It makes us appreciate the things that we are lucky enough to have and encourages those who watch it that they can do anything they set their minds to. Based on a true story, “The Blind Side” is an inventive and touching movie. - Paige Botie A good movie. Touching, sentimental, a nice message, good direction, and solid acting all around. I believe it is worth seeing, and will appeal to all ages. Was it the best picture of the year? No, but I do recommend it. – Mr. Bund

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees The Blind Side continued…

I have to say that this was a great movie. It wasn’t just one of those cheesy sad stories. It’s based on a true story and felt very real. The acting was amazing and you really cared what happened to the characters. It was very entertaining and was very enjoyable. The movie had some great moments you can’t believe actually happened. Overall, a fantastic movie that I would recommend all people to watch. - Eric Hechler

This movie was inspirational and touching! It definitely pulls on your heart strings. Any age, any gender, and any personality would LOVE this movie. It’s based on a real story also! A rich family befriends a homeless boy they see around their neighborhood. Sandra Bullock, who plays Leigh Anne Tuohy (the familes mother), takes this teen into their house, clothes, shelters, and even enrolls him into private school. Everything goes great until he tries to find his real mom, who happens to be a drug addict and things get heated. Leigh Anne gets him into football and he becomes a star! You will laugh, cry, and feel emotional through this whole movie. Don’t just take my word on it... GO SEE IT! – Jamie Cohen

The Blind Side was one of my favorite movies of the last year. The plot was outstanding and I couldn’t believe it was a true story. – Frankie Marrone

The Blind Side was a very good movie. It's about a woman who helps a man when he has no education. She lets him stay at her house and he gets a good education and makes it on a football team. Recommended for ages 10 and up. - Jonathan Reichfield This heartwarming, emotional, wonderful, funny and most unbelievable of all: true movie, was deserving of the best picture nomination. This movie tells the incredible story of Michael Oher as he is taken off the streets by a kind, wealthy family. Sandra Bullock put on a beautiful performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a kind woman who teaches Michael how important it is for the left tackle to protect the quarterback's blind side. She also showers him with support and pride as he becomes one of the best at his game. This movie was powerful and all of the characters acted their roles brilliantly. It was a truly marvelous picture. – Brandon Fluhr

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.50 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees

With its heart-wrenching opening monologue, to the outstanding CGI effects, Up continues the Pixar streak - even with a main character that is possibly Pixar’s most nondescript protagonist ever (played by Ed Asner). It doesn’t matter one bit as Up is just as wonderful and endearing as WALL E, if not better. Plus, the score by Michael Giacchino is hands down Oscar worthy. – Dean Essner

I’ve officially come to the conclusion that Pixar can’t make a bad movie. It seems that every time they have an idea it’s an Oscar win, a Golden Globe win, etc. They all are so gifted and they used those talents in Up. It seemed that the story was a little too bleak, but the talents of the filmmakers covered it up with symbolism and entertainment beyond the normal standards. I hope that Pixar can keep on striving to reach new heights in the future. – Miles Essner

A very good cartoon movie. I would have to say the best of 2009. It is touching, funny and clever – something many of the cartoon movies seem to be lacking these past few years. – Mr. Bund

½ What an amazing movie. It was perfectly written and it even left ME speechless when the movie ended. – Brett Levine

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Up continued… I usually hate children’s movies, and I despise Disney, but this was amazing. Given the story, it is kind of weird, and I really can’t figure out what the kid is all about. It’s a good family style adventure for all ages. – Nick Frankel This was an amazing movie. This is about an old man who lost his wife. When they were young she showed him her adventure book, and since then his dream was to go to Paradise Falls. When he does, he meets a lot of people during the trip, such as dogs, a boy name Russel, and Kevin. They have many good times together, and some bad times. You have to see this movie. – Tina Ranjbar

The movie Up had an interesting plot. I really didn’t expect all of the adventure I saw. You really only see an old man in a balloon in the commercials, but if you watch the movie, there is so much more. Overall, this movie was OK, and if you like these types of animated films, you should check it out.

This was a pretty good movie, unlike many other animated movies. It is about an old man who had a dream that he and his wife would go to Paradise Falls in South America. When his wife dies, and he is about to lose his home, he goes on a journey there. He will make some new friends and foes on his journey. I thought this was one of Disney Pixar's better movies made. It had some funny parts that made me laugh. This was a good movie for all ages and a movie worth watching. – Matt Avallone

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.34 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees

Inglourious Basterds ½

I am still in awe of the fact that a movie made about one of the darkest periods in history could be entertaining, smart and even funny. Christopher Waltz deserved the Oscar he earned for playing Col. Hans Landa – he captured the insidious evil Nazi without verging into a caricature. Brad Pitt was actually my least favorite part of the movie. I thought the plot was interesting and thoughtful, and Quentin Tarantino is an expert at capturing the tiny details that make a good movie become an excellent one. – Ms. Whitney This masterpiece begins with the insane mind of Quentin Tarantino thinking he could get away with no spell check for the title. It stars Brad Pitt as “Lt. Aldo Rain,” who rounds up a bunch of shabby officers and turns them into the ultimate Nazi killing unit. This is very much a Tarantino film with credits in the beginning and a storyline arranged into chapters. And yes, the blood in this movie would be enough to fill a swimming pool, but the awesome action, dialogue and overall idea of Nazi killers is what makes this movie so darn great. – Miles Essner

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees Inglourious Basterds continued…

Ahhh…the best movie of the summer and probably the year. It was funny, witty, violent, irreverent, but most of all…it was brilliant. If there is any writer better than Quentin Tarantino in Hollywood, then he must reveal himself immediately! In addition, Christopher Waltz deserved the Best Supporting Actor award, because his legendary performance is worthy of the sparkling Academy gold. – Dean Essner ¼ Quentin Tarantino is an excellent story teller. He can write fascinating, shocking and graphic scenes, and then put them together like they are episodes of a twisted television series. This time he completely rewrites the results of none other than World War 2. This is very entertaining alternative history, with Brad Pitt leading an undercover band of Jews behind enemy lines in France to terrorize the Nazis stationed there. The ultimate objective is to hopefully find, and assassinate Hitler, and end the war. This movie was very well cast, directed and acted, but it was supporting actor Christopher Waltz (winner of the Oscar for best supporting actor) that really stole the movie. In the opening scene he was just brilliant. – Mr. Bund

¼ Very funny, very long and very entertaining. I

would not see it again, but it was still a good movie. – Brett Levine Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.40 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees

Precious ½

This movie was about a girl named Precious. She was poor, abused by her mother and father, and didn’t go to school. She was really upset that she couldn’t have a good life, but things started to change when she has a baby after her father raped her, and she started to take care of the baby. She started to go to high school and starts to get good grades. She made some friends in a reading class that she took and she got to spend some time with her teacher. This movie was really inspiring and really sad as well – Josh Cohen

A Serious Man The Coen Brothers are the best directors around today. Yes this is a bold statement, but with a miniscule budget with unknown actors, they are able to make a film that is personable and intriguing, funny and devastating. How’s that for dedication to cinema? – Dean Essner

It is hard to review a movie like this. It was well acted – it is impossible to deny that – but will you enjoy it? If you are the average teenager – probably not. Actually, if you are the average American moviegoer looking for an entertaining movie, I would probably recommend you choose something else. Like many Coen Brothers movies, it is well made, and its power lies in the script and strong performances from unknown actors, but in the end you feel like saying, “What???” – Mr. Bund

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June 2010

Movie Reviews-2009 Best picture Nominees

Up In The Air ½

Jason Reitman is perhaps the finest young director in Hollywood. After portraying the corporate slimery of the tobacco industry in Thank You For Smoking, and the ballad of two lovers drawn apart by a pregnancy in Juno, “Up In The Air” could possibly be his finest effort yet. It’s dark when it needs to be, sad when it needs to be poignant, and hilarious in the most unexpected places. George Clooney is brilliantly realistic as Ryan Bingham, the traveling businessman, whose job is to fire people from their professions throughout the country. Backed by a great supporting cast (Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman), “Up In The Air” is at heart a simple story of loneliness: Ryan in denial with his loneliness on the road, and the helplessness involved in getting canned in the middle of an economic crisis. Is that not a perfect theme for today’s American life? – Dean Essner

Up in the Air was a good movie. It’s about a man who has to travel to different places across the world. This is for business and the movie is mostly up in the air. This should be recommended for everyone 9 and up. – Jonathan Reichfield

I understand when I hear several students say that they did not like this movie. It is not geared towards 13 year olds, it is a movie really made for adults. George Clooney is excellent as a man whose job is to travel the country and fire people for companies that do not have the guts to do it themselves. With a job like this, he is constantly Up in the Air, and it seriously affects his family and personal relationships. Overall, this movie is clever, smart, kept my attention and I thought it was well done. – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.33 stars

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

What Movie do you think SHOULD have won the Oscar for Best Picture? I think that Precious should have won for Best Picture. – Mrs. Prinzelvalli It was an amazing depiction of what life was like for the unfortunate in Harlem in the late 80's. It is really eye opening. Either Inglourious Basterds or A Serious Man. The Hurt Locker was a good film, but doesn't surpass either of these by any means. Avatar was a visually exciting movie, but I always had a problem with that being the deciding factor in one film winning over another. – Mr. Brozzoski

Christopher Waltz was brilliant and won the Oscar for best supporting actor.

I think Avatar should have won best picture. – Frankie Marrone The Hurt Locker – Mrs. Strand

Jeff Bridges wins the Oscar for best Actor in the movie Crazy Heart

Inglorious Basterds should have won. This year at the Oscars, Inglorious Basterds was nominated, but the only two in the running were Avatar and the Hurt Locker. Inglorious Basterds was genius. It was a crystal in filmmaking. I really do think that Quentin Tarentino is too underrated. In this movie, I see people transformed by war through fantastic acting. It had a perfect screenplay, perfect acting, perfect direction, and results in a perfect movie. Why didn’t this win?! – Daniel Rudin

Inglourious Basterds – Matthew Tierney

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Iron Man 2 ½

This movie was good! It was very exciting and everything looked realistic. I think a lot of people wanted to see it though, was because Scarlett Johansen was in it. There was a little humor, but a lot of action and fun. Robert Downey Jr. is good as Ironman and I hope will continue to be. Overall, it was excellent! – Kara Rofe

Iron Man 2 was just as good as the first one. Its funny, it has a good story, and some all new bad guys and unexpected twists. But the movie doesn’t score well without Tony Stark’s bad-ass attitude. He takes on a Russian terminator and an uptight business man and has to cope with the fact that he is dying, but still has the best party ever. This movie is a must see. – Paul DeCarlo

Robin Hood I’m sorry, but this movie just comes up empty. The battle scenes are impossible to comprehend through the storm of jolting images, and the rest is clouded by campfire smoke and endless yards of fabric obscuring the people wearing it. Someone falls down, arrow through the neck, and we’re supposed to feel something. It was just these continuous blurry battle scenes through the whole film. Everyone loves a good battle scene, but it has to be good and the rest of the movie has to have content. Also, there is little effort to engage us to the characters. Once you start to get into a character and their role, they get impaled. It’s a blurry, incomprehensible mess and works on a mind numbing template of battle, battle, battle, battle, moment, and battle. There is no time for recovery between battles so none of it makes the slightest bit of sense or inspires any emotion. I found myself lost throughout the entire movie and found myself asking, “What just happened?” There’s no acting, just choreography in endless battle scenes and the occasional punch round the campfire. In summary, Robin Hood is fuzzy, remote, and icy, devoid of feeling and a true mystery – how could a project with this caliber of cast and crew go so horribly wrong? How can the story of Robin Hood put you to sleep? - Paige Botie Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Shutter Island This was a fantastic movie with such an amazing twist that it leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Although it was probably the best movie of the year so far, the only truly amazing actor was DiCaprio, who just was phenomenal. The events were difficult to understand, but if you were able to follow along, then you could agree the twist that only Scorsese could do was just unbelievable. Great movie. – Brett Levine

Hot Tub Time Machine ¼

As proved by Superbad, there is honestly nothing better than a raunchy comedy done well. And Hot Tub Time Machine is simply hilarious… with a funny script and few stupendously cheesy 80s jokes. Plus, when was John Cusack in a movie this good? – Dean Essner

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Kick Ass

I thought this was pretty good! The violence looked real. I really liked all the flashing and strobe lights because it looked very exciting. Kick-Ass had a lot of action and was very fun to watch. I think a lot of little kids wanted to see it because a 12 year old girl (Chloe Moretz) fights in the movie and they think it’s a kid superhero movie. It’s DEFINETLY not a kid’s movie! I recommend this movie to teens 13 and up. – Kara Rofe

Nothing like you would ever expect, yet it was amazing. Very entertaining and funny! It reminded me of a kid/comedy version of The Matrix in a way. – Brett Levine The name is faithful. It sure kicks ass. However the most ass kicking part of the film isn’t in the title character…its in the relationship between the foul-mouthed child superhero of Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) and her violent-obsessed father (the immortal, always reliable, best actor in Hollywood when he is given a damn good movie Nicholas Cage). – Dean Essner

A Single Man Perhaps the most frustrating movie of 2009, A Single Man has glimpses of greatness, but instead only moderately achieves its ambitions. Surrounding a story about a man who in the midst of mourning his gay lover plans to kill himself, Colin Firth is stupendous caught between a life of depression or death. The movie’s flaws lie in the over directing of director and writer Tom Ford. He tends to overuse the close-up and it can get annoying at times. But when Firth wears his emotions on his sleeve, the movie is wonderful. – Dean Essner

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief ½

It is really cool that they made this fantastic book into a movie, however, this movie isn’t even close to being a masterpiece. In this movie, Percy Jackson finds out that he is a demigod (half human and half god) and has to stop a war between the gods. In order to do this, he has to retrieve Zeus’s master lightning bolt. It’s amazing how they brought Greek mythology into the modern world. The battles are pretty entertaining, however, they are too repetitive. The movie’s weak spot is its plot. They have cut out most of the story from the book. The lack of plot practically makes the movie a string of action sequences more than anything, and sadly makes the movie too predictable. In the movie, they basically tell you the plot before they even show the main character. I think it will be hard to have any good movie sequels, because of the way they ended the Lightning Thief movie when compared to the books ending. The Lightning Thief is a decent, but not a great movie. The plot was made to be more basic and predictable than the book, but the battles and action were super. It’s also great that you can enjoy the movie with no knowledge of Greek gods. I recommend this movie for 6 to 16 year olds, especially those who have some interest in Greek mythology. I liked the movie, but the book was much better. – Matthew Bielskas

This movie, I think was a little informative. In the movie Percy Jackson is what they call a demi-god. His mother is kidnapped by the evil forecast the under world and he has to go rescue her. He also has to go to Olympus and prove his innocence to Zeus for stealing his lightning bolt. I think these 2 plots kind of go together and merge at the end. This story blends exletment and adventure with history. All and all, okay.Michael Sardrello

My brother was extremely disappointed at the end of this movie. Even he, a big time Percy Jackson fan, was really upset with the production. I thought the acting was terrible, it appeared to be all fake. I’ll admit it was a bit entertaining though. Fans should definitely be very disgruntled. - Noah Berley

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief continued…

This was a great movie. I could not get it out of my head. All I could think about when I got home was this movie. No matter where I went, it just popped into my head. The special effects were great, the animated creatures (like Medusa) were unbelievably cool, the plot was pretty good and the actors played their rolls very well. Before I went to see this movie, I had already finished reading the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. The book is almost always better than the movie, and this was no exception. While the movie was great, the book was much better. This movie will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Anyone who has read the Harry Potter books and/or seen the movies, you will love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. This movie has a lot to do with Greek mythology, but you catch on after a little while. Percy Jackson and the Olympians has the potential to be the next Harry Potter. - Brandon Nomberg

½ What action!

What graphics! What an awesome movie! This movie was great, but very different than I expected. This movie is about a boy named Percy Jackson who isn’t very good at school. He can’t read well or answers questions well, but he can read Greek letters. The reason for this is because he is a demi-god or a half-blood. His dad is a Greek god and his mom is mortal…what a life! His dad is Poseidon the god of the Seas. But, it’s not as great as you think when he is in danger and has to leave his mother. He must go to Camp Half-blood where he trains with all other demi-gods. And, all of this is happening in one day, so this is all too new to this one kid, but his luck turns around again when he is in deep trouble. Zeus, the king of the gods, is blaming Percy Jackson for stealing his lightning bolt. Percy is in big trouble, because if he doesn’t return the lightning bolt in 10 days, (June 21), he goes into the underworld. But there is one problem…he didn’t steal it. He is being blamed for something he didn’t do. At the same time, his mother is in trouble with the underworld god Hades. With the help of his two friends Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a satyr and his protector; he goes on his mission. Does Percy Jackson find the lightning bolt? You have to go see if he makes it as he races against time. This movie has a lot of action in it and has a little humor, but overall, I thought it was a good movie. The book is very different than the movie, but hey, isn’t that usually the case? - Dana Winthrop

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief continued…

This movie was great to see. It looks like some ordinary movie, but it was great. With Greek mythology, teachers should take their students to see it. The movie was mixed with action and adventure. The only thing that I did not like was the plot. Boy meets girl and then the boy loves the girl, but still this was a great movie to see. – Justin Wieder

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” is a movie based on the first book of a series by author Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson is a boy who lives in New York City with his mom. Percy first appears to be dyslexic with ADHD, but it is because he is a half-blood (demigod) that those issues surfaced. A demi-god is half mortal and half Greek god. His father is Poseidon, god of the seas. He and Grover (his friend and a satyr) then head for Camp Half-Blood. However, Zeus, the king of the gods thinks Percy stole his Master Bolt. Percy has ten days until the summer solstice to return it. Percy, Grover, and a fellow demigod Annabeth (daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom) head on a quest to retrieve and return this lightning bolt, and to rescue his mother from Hades. Along the way they meet many monsters like Medusa, and distractions like the Lotus Casino, all designed to stop them from reaching their goal. Will they succeed? Will they survive? This movie was enjoyable. I read the book before and loved it, so I knew I would like the movie as well. Personally, it could have been a bit funnier, as the trailer showed it to be. I like funny movies, and this had so-so humor. Also, while a little change in the storyline was nice, they took out some characters and places that should have been in there. For example, people like Clarisse, Beckendorf, and the Stoll Brothers would have added a twist. Places like the school and St. Louis could have been venues that played a role. Otherwise, this was a good movie, and was happy I got to see it. - Ryan Winthrop 34

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief continued…

BOOK vs. MOVIE Books:

The Percy Jackson books are some of the best bo oks out there. The plot is extremely good and has some surprises. It is also very funny. The relation of the Greek gods and real life is awesome and the whole series really wowed me. If you haven’t read the books you really should, because even adults will enjoy it. Movie: The movie was pretty bad: they characters were played by amateurs, the gods were supposed to look kind of funny, but they weren’t, and worst of all, the best parts of the plot were cut out. They didn’t even mention Ares or Cronus! The movie does not even compare with the book! DO NOT watch this movie, especially if you read the books, you will just be disappointed. – Paul DeCarlo

Another point of view: Movie Book Both the movie and the book have the same basic idea, but the movie left out some really important details. Some of these details include: leaving out Nancy Bobofit and Clarisse, also Dionysus (the God of Wine), Percy’s friend Grover staying in the Underworld instead of Percy’s mom (who was sent back by Hades), Ares (the God of War), Luke fighting at Olympus with Percy (instead of Camp Half-Blood with scorpions), and finally Hades being the villain instead of Kranos. I therefore conclude that the book was better than the movie. -

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.69 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

June 2010

Movie Reviews

Alice In Wonderland It’s rare that Tim Burton misses. But Alice In Wonderland is a tepid remake that feels like a drug-addled children’s book. It has minimal fieriness, suspense and comedy. If not for Helena Bonham Carter’s deliciously sinister take as the Red Queen, Alice In Wonderland would have been a virtually worthless 2 hours of your life. – Dean Essner

Alice in Wonderland is a very cute and weird movie! Walt Disney made a cartoon version first, but this movie is a human version. Alice goes back to Wonderland, where she went when she was younger. Alice meets the red queen (who has a HUGE head) and the white queen (who has a normal size head). Johnny Depp who played The Mad Hatter did some amazing acting (AS ALWAYS). Alice meets new friends (which she met before when she was younger, but does not remember them). Also Alice needs to find who she is! Overall this was a good movie. - Tara Ranjbar Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” was one of this year’s films that I enjoyed. This story is not only based off the Walt Disney version, it also is set in the future. Alice Kingsley (played by newcomer Mia Wasikowska) is now 19, and while briefly escaping her wedding proposal, she stumbles down the rabbit hole again. In Wonderland, she reunites with the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). There is a debate whether she is the “real” Alice, but the Mad Hatter assures her that she is. At the tea party, the Mad Hatter tells Alice that since she has gone, the Red Queen (Helen Bonham Carter) has taken over Wonderland. After escaping the Red Queen’s army, Alice then seeks out the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). The Red Queen and the White Queen are sisters, and completely opposite people. While the Red Queen is mean, aggressive, and big-headed (maybe she let her power go to her head), the White Queen is nice, light, and happy. The White Queen is looking for her champion, who on Frabjous Day will slay the Red Queen’s Jaberwocky, and allow her to reclaim her crown. Alice is reluctant at first, but with the encouragement of all her friends she decides to head into battle. This movie was dark, twisted, creepy, and bizarre, but then again, what would you expect from Tim Burton. If anyone can turn a fairy tale into a dark scary world, it’s him. The plot was good, and the 3-D experience made it more fun to watch. Action just jumps off the screen. Johnny Depp was excellent as the Mad Hatter, and Helen Bonham Carter did a great job as the Red Queen. I didn’t care for the performance by Wasikowska, and personally her lines weren’t that clear. But, Tim Burton raised the bar this time, and it paid off. You’re invited to a very important date, so don’t be late to see Alice in Wonderland. - Ryan Winthrop

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Alice in Wonderland continued… Ok, let’s face it. Alice and Wonderland wasn’t the best movie I ever saw or even “great”…it was average. Tim Burton obviously added a hint of mystery and a dose of weird. It is far from the happy, musical and lovable Disney version, I agree, but it kept me entertained. I saw this movie in 3D so it made the experience worthwhile. It is also something I can look back and remember. This movie is about Alice falling down the hole again…after 13 years! She is now 19 and it takes her a while to remember everything, and at first not everyone remembers Alice. The Red Queen is mean, as usual, and now that she knows that Alice is back, she wants her head off….which is basically all what the queen says, “Off with her head!” But, the White Queen, her sister, decides Alice is the Champion to kill the Reds Queen’s beast. With the help of her friends, like the Mad Hatter, she might be able to do it? Does she kill the beast? Does the White Queen win? Or, does the Red Queen? Does Alice stay in Wonderland? You have to go see it to find out! - Dana Winthrop

Oh boy, am I disappointed. This is the first time I have ever been let down by Tim Burton. Here’s the story: The trailer comes out, I go crazy, tell everyone about it, see it in IMAX and come home disappointed. It had great visuals and Johnny Depp, but everything else was bad. I think Tim Burton was a little loony when he made this. – Daniel Rudin Okay, when I first heard of a new Tim Burton movie in the works, I dashed to watch Edward Scissorhands and all of his other classics. But watching Alice in Wonderland, I felt a bit disappointed. This film was nearly not twisted enough to be a work of his. Sure the effects were great in some parts, but the overall story was not that creative. When you think of Alice in Wonderland you think of this Trippy-like journey into a world of talking animals and plants, but the film didn’t live up to the wonderland Disney had created decades ago. The cast was okay, with of course there was Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp, two people you frequently see in his films. The film just doesn’t live up to some of Tim Burton’s best movies and I doubt would be remembered in future years. Matthew Tierney

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.25 stars

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

June 2010

Movie Reviews

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Diary of a Wimpy Kid was very funny and gross at the same time. The actors did a great job. I could tell that the director took some parts out or shortened them to fit the movie. The movie missed some important parts that the audience would consider adding. If the director added some other parts from the book, it would be better. Overall, the book was MUCH better than the movie. – Kara Rofe It’s fine. The book better than the movie. – Sam Leifer

This movie wasn’t even close to special. It had the same plot, bullies, and friends like any ordinary movie. The only thing that kept the movie from being one star is how kids relate this movie to real life. This movie was first a book, and the book was a hundred times better. The thing that was the worst is that it ended too quickly. This is good as a family movie. – Justin Wieder

I liked this! As a big Wimpy Kid reader, it held up to my expectations. This described the average middle school 100%. The actors were great in playing the characters. I recommend this for a good laugh! – Evan Hirsch

I have to say it was great! In this movie Greg Heffley tells about his life in middle school. During this movie we see some scenes from the book originally written, but some new characters are added to help explain the story line better. We see some scenes (you would know these parts if you read the first and second books) like the Halloween chase, and the Wizard of Oz play. Even though they were right with some scenes, they added new ones and left out others. All I have to say is this - it was a great movie to see with friends. Matthew Garber

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.04 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Diary of a Wimpy Kid continued…

Book vs. movie By Brandon Epstein Book This was a very good book! I enjoyed reading it. It is about a middle school boy, Greg, who has a friend named Rowley. Over time Rowley starts to become indifferent towards Greg. Eventually, they have a fight. The Cheese is a rotten piece of cheese. If one touches it, they have The Cheese Touch, which can only be healed by touching someone else, thereby giving them The Cheese Touch. This cheese is important in this story because teenagers want revenge from what happened to them on Halloween and they make Rowley eat the cheese. The kids at the middle school wanted to know how the cheese “disappeared” and Greg covered for Rowley, saying that it was him who ate the cheese. Rowley appreciated what Greg did for him, so he and Greg became friends again. Movie I loved this movie. Although it didn’t always correspond with the book, it basically had the same plot. This movie was so good; I hope another Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie comes out!

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

500 Days of Summer Great soundtrack, cute indie stars and a more realistic look at romance than most other movies in this genre. It is not the typical cutesy film; it is honest and quirky. Yet, it doesn’t try too hard (except for the name of the female protagonist – Summer Finn is a name that is dying for hipster cred). It’s a cool concept, moving the romantic comedy genre beyond mere linear story-telling. Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are indie perfection: beautiful in an unconventional way, intelligent, honestly absurd and actually believable. – Ms. Whitney Not your typical overdone romantic comedy. In fact, you could argue it was not romantic and it was not a comedy. What you can not deny is that it is clever and original. I actually liked this movie more than I expected and it kept my often distracted attention. Basically Zoe Deschanel plays a woman who does not believe in love, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the man who falls in love with her. Both did a very a good job acting and complimented the very clever script. Worth seeing, and I would say one of the better “date-movies” in awhile. – Mr. Bund

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Book of Eli It is very hard to describe this movie. Violent would be a good start. This movie starts off in the middle of a story, in a post-apocalyptic world with very few details as to how it happened. The action is hard to describe, because you can’t see much with all of the blood and severed limbs flying around. There are a lot of things that don’t make much sense, like how they are able to make guns and bullets, and how they are able to get gasoline for their cars. In the end though, it is very entertaining, but leaves a lot of questions unanswered. – Eric Hechler

Brooklyn's Finest A star studded cast and the movie turned out to be just only okay. This definitely was caught up in the hype and was not as good as people said it was, however, it was still an enjoyable movie, just not a great one. – Brett Levine

Will the new Twilight live up to the hype???

There are some huge releases coming out: Prince of Persia, The A-Team, The Karate Kid, Toy Story 3, Grown Ups, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Predators, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Inception, Eat Pray Love, The Eagle of the Ninth, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Tangled, Red Dawn, Chronicles of Narnia: Voyages of the Dawn Treader, Tron Legacy, Meet the Fockers Sequel, and many more. Will they live up to the hype? The Review Club wants your opinions!

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Princess and the Frog ¼

This was a Disney movie unlike any movie since about 2001. It brought back memories of when Disney movies were done as cartoons. It was good and entertaining with lots of music. There was jazz music and songs sung. It is about this witch doctor who turns a prince into a frog. The frog asks Tiana, a hard working woman trying to achieve this goal to open up a restaurant just like her dad had dreamed of before he died, to kiss him. She does and since she isn't a princess she turns into a frog too. They get chased away from New Orleans and are trying to get home and break the spell. They will end up meeting new friends and go on an adventure throughout the movie. – Matt Avallone

Wow! What a great movie. It was about how a prince turns into a frog and turns a girl into another frog. Then they have a great adventure together and the prince falls in love with her and they live happily ever after. – Tina Ranjibar

I actually thought this movie was rather good. It will definitely be one of the “good ones” from Disney. The songs were great and the characters’ voices were really good too. The storyline was basically the story of “The Frog Prince”, but with a twist. You will laugh and maybe even shed a tear, but believe it or not, it was a little scary! One of the characters was very into dark magic, and that is scary for little children. Overall, this was a very good movie and you should see it with your family. - Morgan Rampolla

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.42 stars 42

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

How to Train Your Dragon ½

When I first entered the movie theater, I had no idea the movie I was about to see was going to be so funny, brilliant, beautifully animated and awesome. I was expecting just another cute DreamWorks flick, nothing substantial, just something to while the vacation hours away. I was totally wrong. The characters in How to Train Your Dragon are hilarious, from their names, to their voices, to their physical appearance. The young protagonist Hiccup is engaging and likeable; he makes you root for him even though he is just the Viking equivalent of a wimpy nerd. The dialogue between the characters is witty and clever. The animation is stunning: the viewer truly loses them self in this beautiful world of dragons. The flying scenes are breathtaking. This is one of the movies you should see in 3D. The effects are woven seamlessly into an entertaining plot and likeable characters. The best part was also the truest part: the love between a boy and his pet as they go on adventures together. While most will go to see the Miley Cyrus chick flick The Last Song or see supreme powers collide in Clash of the Titans, I am a staunch supporter in what I believe to be one of the greatest animated movies we’ve seen in a while. – Grace Segers

It’s a great one. It is lots of fun, fabulous 3D and a great screenplay. It is another great Dreamworks masterpiece. I recommend this movie. – Daniel Rudin This movie was a fun, exciting and adventurous. It’s a must see. The plot was intriguing and there was a bit of humor too, but for the most part, it was a good story. This is great in 3-D. You would probably see this in a top 10 movie awards. – Tanner Asadorian Not too often do DreamWorks movies create an enjoyable experience for middle schoolers, but this one was quite the opposite. When I went to see it, I was expecting childish comedy, but I got a touching, humorous and enchanting movie. The 3D was icing on the cake and gave that movie the extra ½ star. Basically, you will not find many problems with this movie. – Anthony Passela

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.63 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Hangover The Hangover was refreshing to watch. There are too many “Comedy” movies that are not funny, but the Hangover had me laughing the entire time. The movie doesn’t have a great plot, but it sure is funny. The movie is basically about a guy who is getting married and has a bachelor party in Las Vegas with his two best friends and his brother in law. After a few drinks they wake up in the morning in a trashed apartment with no Hank (The Bachelor) and can’t remember a thing. The friends must find Hank and get to the wedding in time. Overall I give I give it 3 stars. – Paul DeCarlo

I am quite frankly sick and tired of hearing how The Hangover is the breakout comedy of the year because that award belongs to either Duplicity or Observe And Report. But, for mainstream hilarity, The Hangover is a funny bone tickling winner. I will even go as far to say that Zack Galafiankas as the chunky, idiot brother-in-law-to-be deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination. – Dean Essner

Any movie that takes place in Vegas has a 9/10 chance of being a good movie. This is the god of Vegas movies! This kicks butt! Nothing will ever make you laugh as hard as this. – Nick Frankel

This was a very good movie. It takes place in Vegas. One of the guys, Doug, got lost and the other three guys have to find him. A man comes out of his car and says that if they give him a lot of money, he will give them Doug back. His wedding is really soon, and they have to get the money quick. Will they find Doug in time to make the wedding? – Jonathan Reichfield

One of the funnier movies I have seen in years! – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.35 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Sherlock Holmes ½

This was a classic movie about a Sherlock Holmes mystery. In this movie Holmes is played by Robert Downy Jr. and he fits this role very well. I enjoyed watching because it had action and a pretty good story plot. Holmes is trying to stop Lord Blackwood and his followers from taking over the world using black magic. Sherlock is this logical thinker who always knows who did the crime by finding clues with the help of his partner Watson played by Jude Law. This is not a good movie for younger kids, but good for teens and adults. This movie was entertaining and enjoyable. – Matthew Avallone

Robert Downey Jr. has had a nature of taking classics and adding gun fights and explosions. This was no exception. However, I think that he played the best Sherlock Holmes ever! Just something about the way he manages to be funny and serious at the same time is amazing. The supporting cast was great at setting him up for the jokes without making the story idiotic. – Nick Frankel

This movie is not deserving of the name Sherlock Holmes. He does everything Sherlock Holmes does but….. the movie was just bad. There were plenty of clever twists and turns and gadgets but it was just a disappointing movie. Not much good to say about it. - Eric Hechler Sherlock Holmes has a reputation as an amazing detective with an eye that could catch every little detail and evaluate it as a clue. This movie showed that exactly as Sherlock. Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.), and Watson are on the case again to find and question this magical mad man Lord Blackwood. It has its moments of humor, action, and just plain old Holmes stuff that some people might just find crazy. I think people have under rated this movie because it was a fun movie mystery. – Andrew Faber

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.50 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was just an average movie. The film was basically a flight of stairs; each event was a step, and the “steps” in the movie ultimately led to the most important event of all. My big complaint is that the movie didn’t really correspond with the book! Also, the movie lacked in action and violence, but the cool visual effects (spellcasting) mainly compensated for that loss and were probably what kept this movie intact and from falling apart. Was the film terrible? No, but it wasn’t extraordinary either. – Kevin Liang Being a Harry Potter fan, I was very excited when I heard this movie was coming out. I ran to the theater the first night I was able to get there! There was a lot of hype for this movie. It pains me to say this, but I thought this movie would be better. Overall, it was dark and the dialogue was not easy to understand. I felt that if I had not read the book, I would have had no idea what was going on. The storyline that you actually could understand was not too bad, and the action was good, but there was just too much missing. I was deeply disappointed by this movie, and I hope the 7th will be better – Morgan Rampolla

Look, I understand you Harry Potter fans were very excited for this flick, but I gotta tell you, this movie was a waste of time and money. It was only a big build up to important events involving Dumbledore. OK – now what? Sure, there were some cool special effects, but the plot was so simple, that it was not worth it. – Elliott Vogel

This movie did not have enough action and did not live up to its expectations. I think they should have showed Lord Voldormort more. Overall, it is not the best in the series. – Brandon Ozley This movie was complete overkill. The popularity of fans from the book made the movies’ profit. The turn took 3 weeks from fantastic to terrible. The fans saw their movie, but others had nothing good to say. Bottom line; you can see it, but your not missing anything, unless you’re a Harry Potter fan. – Tanner Asadorian

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Harry Potter Continued… ½ Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince was an okay movie. However, it is definitely not my favorite out of the series. It didn’t have enough action and there was way too much drama. The story was focused on Ron and Hermione’s

“feelings” more than the main conflict, involving Harry and Dumbledore searching for Horcruxes. Overall, this is a decent movie. –Jason Zelamsky

I have always loved the Harry Potter films and Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince was another great one. This movie is about Harry, Ron, and Hermoine returning to Hogwarts School for their sixth year. There is a lot in store for these characters, with surprises around every corner. There is a new professor who teaches a Potions Class, and Harry finds a textbook which belonged to a former student, but this student was no ordinary student. It was the Half-Blood Prince who was a master at potions and his notes helped Harry to excel in this class and beyond. Harry uncovers his spells which are useful, but have a very dark side. There are also scenes which reveal Snape’s Defense Against the Dark Arts position. So many aspects of Harry and Snape’s relationship are explored and add to the drama. As the year continues Harry, Ron, and Hermoine learn to Apparate (transport), visit Fred and George’s Joke Shop, play Quidditch, and learn more about Voldemort’s dark past. Dangerous secrets are being uncovered and you can’t believe what they find. Also, rivalries continue to develop and grow. The movie was exciting and thrilling with all new spells like Episkey (fix something that is broken) and Aguamenti (produces a jet of water). This movie, unlike the previous ones in the series, focused more on drama than on action, which was a bit disappointing, but it did have some romance. Plus, the movie ends with the biggest surprise! You might be shocked for days. If you are a Harry Potter fan you won’t want to miss it! - Ryan Winthrop After being disappointed from the last movie, I was expecting a lot for this one. The movie fulfilled my expectations but not as much I was hoping for. The Imax Experience was TERRIBLE. Only 5 minutes of the movie was in 3-D. It was not worth paying an extra ten dollars for. The plot of the story was a little better. Harry is going to confront the dark wizard Voldemort. Headmaster Dumbledore wants Harry to be prepared to battle Voldemort. Harry goes through memories of Voldemort as a student in Hogwarts, in order to learn more about him. Then some romance occurs at Hogwarts, where Harry secretly loves Ron’s younger sister Ginny. By the end I was very disappointed. The beginning and middle were true to the book but then was ruined by the ending. If it wasn’t for the ending this movie would be the best Harry Potter film of all time. Despite the OK plot, the visual effects made it up, because they were amazing. It was the best I have seen in the film series, despite the OK plot. Overall, pretty good and I enjoyed it. - Umer Chaudhry

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Harry Potter Continued… ¼

Here it is…another movie from J. K. Rowling’s book series. I am an average fan, but I thought this movie was very good. It is about Harry Potter, who connects with Dumbledore (the headmaster of Hogwarts School). Harry, Ron, and Hermione are going into their sixth year as students at Hogwarts. They learn all about Lord Voldemort‘s past and how it relates to Harry’s life. Harry and Dumbledore can capture other people’s memories and use them as puzzle pieces in otherwise incomplete memories to see the true meaning. The new secrets can be very shocking, but in the end, it makes sense by pulling it altogether. A new professor comes to teach the Potions Class which Harry seemed to like and “lessons” learned there played an important part of the story. A lot of new secrets roam the halls of Hogwarts and some are too hard to believe. And, a certain character changes incredibly as the year goes by. It seems as the character is racing against time and experiences something new. A shocking ending lifts you off the seats and has the audience begging to know the big question…WHY??? You will not believe the ending. I gave these movie 3 ¼ stars because it was well done. It had a lot of drama, a lot of romance, some action, and unbelievable dedication by some of the characters. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves magic, drama, and anything that will make you gasp. You did not have to read the book to enjoy the movie. Its fast pace and vivid storytelling was enough to keep anyone involved. This movie may have been a hit for dedicated Harry Potter fans, but it was not a classic movie. For me, it was an enjoyable movie worth watching. - Dana Winthrop

Although not anything spectacular this movie did a decent job of recreating the book. This movie had a deep plot and good acting. It was less violent than the last two movies in the series. Some moments might be disturbing for little kids. Overall, a mediocre adaptation of a great story. – Brandon Fluhr

You have to admit this it was not the best Harry Potter movie. – Tina

Ranjbar

Totally fun. I thought it was going to be bad, because of the

PG rating. I was wrong. – Tara Ranjbar

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.58 stars 48

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Harry Potter Continued… Tara Ranjbar rates all the Harry Potter movies: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – 2 ¾ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 2 ½ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 3 ½

Paige Botie Rates All Of The Harry Potter Movies and Books Movie Book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

2 ½ stars 2 ¾ stars 2 ½ stars 2 ¾ stars 2 stars 4 stars 3 ¾ stars

“Off the Record”

3 ¼ stars 2 ½ stars 2 ¾ stars 3 ½ stars 2 ¼ stars 2 ½ stars

June 2010

Movie Reviews

2012

2012 was a stupid movie. There are a lot of things wrong – too many to go into. It is just a stupid movie. – Sal Liotta The plot behind the movie is based on a father and his family trying to survive a worldwide catastrophe predicted by the Mayans to occur on December 21, 2012. The special effects were really cool, especially a tidal wave scene. They try to get to China before the world floods. There are super strong submarines (arks) built to withstand the flood. The movie was good and exciting. – Joe Anderson 2012 is an action packed movie with tons of special effects. As in most movies the story takes a while to take off. The main family has to get to these space rocket things in China, but they have no tickets or anything, but they always see some clue or somebody that helps the journey. The story was weak and you could pretty much predict what was going to happen. There’s an earthquake in California and the main character, Jackson goes to pick up his family right after they walk out the door the house collapsed and then they got into the car when he pulled away the earth behind him cracked. Then they got into a plane and right when they took off you now know the earth cracked behind them! And when the world is in the middle of crumbling a car passes by that just happens to have tickets to the ship. In another scene when Jackson and his little daughter were in an RV a volcano erupted and they got through and dodged everything. Some of it wasn’t even possible to pull off in real life. The most suspenseful parts were at the end when the earth was blowing up piece by piece and the scenes kept switching from America to India to China. In the end all the rich people board the ships and all the poor people are left behind. I give it 3 stars, because the special effects were amazing. – Andrew Faber

The movie is basically about what scientists believe will happen on the winter solstice (December 21, 2012) based on the Mayan calendar. This movie also shows an average Californian family going through the many challenges of the chaos. Based on the movie, this tragic day starts in California with mini earthquakes, a humungous explosion in Yellow Stone Park, (where the father and kids of the family happen to be staying) and finally, a big earthquake splitting the Pacific plate completely. It ends with a big tsunami and a big flood between the Himalayan Mountains. The acting needed work and the special effects were pretty good. This movie is rated PG-13 for intense disaster sequences and some language. If you think you would get scared from this movie, you shouldn’t watch it. Only watch it if you believe that the theory of December, 2012 is true, and you’re willing to find out what might happen. – Nick Robinson

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June 2010

Movie Reviews 2012 continued… This movie is about a disaster that is predicted to happen on December 12, 2012. It is the biggest disaster and it will affect the whole world. There was no place for people to be safe. Many of the people are terrified and they don’t want to die. In this movie there are actors like John Cusack who plays Jackson Curtis and Amanda Peet who plays his wife, and they both take care of the family and try to protect them from the end of the world as they know it. I really liked the movie because it was exciting, and had lots of action. – Josh Cohen

People love explosions and watching millions of people die. If it is a movie with one person dying then it is a sad, dramatic, and touching film. OK – we do not want that here! Let’s throw every possible disaster in one movie, kill off 99% of the planet, and throw in lots of high speed action with the heroes always getting away by the skin of their teeth. Now that is the formula for a blockbuster action movie! Too bad it stunk! One thing that drove me crazy was how every time they were escaping with every building, tree and object falling around them, they were in a plane and they just kept on flying up and up an up, but still rocks and buildings keep falling around them. How long do you have to keep flying UP to get away from a falling bridge? I guess on Earth in this movie we build 7 mile high bridges and buildings. It was almost as bad as Transformers 2 – now that is bad!!! – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.00 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Alvin & the Chipmunks

The “Squeakuel” When I saw this movie, I did not pay for it because I snuck into it after a previous movie I saw. I AM GALD I DIDN’T PAY FOR IT!!! This movie was terrible, it was painful to watch, and immensely boring. The storyline was pointless and the jokes were corny. Kids, however (younger kids) liked this movie because (I have to admit) the chipmunks have cool voices and the singing in their squeaky voices is also pretty cool. Aside from that, this was probably one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen. Don’t waste you money, wait until it comes out on DVD, at the very least. – Morgan Rampolla

0 stars

Don’t ask! NEVER SEE THIS MOVIE! – Brett Levine

0 stars

This movie was (and still is) the worst movie in history. The movie is pointless, stupid, horrible and just plain bad. It had almost no plot and the singing sucked. Most movies have something special about them. Some are comedies, some are action movies, and some are horror movies. This movie had nothing special about it. It was like staring at a blank computer screen, just waiting for it to turn on. In the movie, you were sitting in your seat hoping that something would finally happen, but it didn't. The best part of the movie was the credits, and the singing ruined the credits, too. It was even worse than the first movie, and the first movie was absolutely HORRIBLE, but, this one was even worse. - Brandon Nomberg

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Alvin & the Chipmunks-The Squeakquel continued…

The movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks was okay. They were cute and all, but it was also kind of annoying. I’m sick of hearing those squeaky voices! If anyone wants to be tortured for two hours, just go see Alvin and the Chipmunks! Nothing in this movie made sense to me, really. I wouldn’t see it if I were you. – Kara Rofe

I could see how it got good reviews, because here and there I smiled a bit. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t death also! Still, their squeaky voices are really annoying! - Sam Leifer

½ star

I know this movie was made for 3-7 year olds, but it really was bad. Sorry. – Mr. Bund

¾ star

Okay, for me personally this movie was just obnoxious and annoying. Honestly, I thought I had enough of that incessant squeaking of chipmunks in the first movie, but now this is too much. Wow, how realistic chipmunks enter high school and whoa, now girl chipmunks can sing! Seriously who wants to see a movie about singing rodents? Now, they are releasing a soundtrack from the movie! If I hear another squeak of a chipmunk, I will explode. I would have rated this 0 stars, but I have to admit this movie is fun for younger kids and I mean kids from 4 to 7 years old. That is not a really wide demographic at all, but these kids get a kick out of it. For me, well, I just flat out hate it. I hope there is not a triqueal. -Paige Botie

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 0.82 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Last Song ½

This was the saddest movie I’ve ever seen, but it was magnificent! There were so many unbelievable, exciting and sad moments, that you couldn’t stop watching. They probably shouldn’t have chosen Miley Cyrus to be Ronnie because all her little 8 year old and younger fans want to come, thinking it’s a love story from the previews, and come out disappointed. I would definitely recommend this movie to teens and children 10 and older. Overall, the plot was great and will be something to remember. – Kara Rofe

A different roll for Miley Cyrus. Hannah Montana fans may love it, but reviews have overall been absolutely terrible. What do you think??? You make you own opinion! – Mr. Bund

The HHH Review Club wants YOUR opinion! Do you agree with these reviews? Are your reviews similar to the average ratings of thousands on the internet? On imdb.com The Last Song received 3.0 out of 10 stars, and Rottentomatoes.com only has it at 20%. The Men Who Stare at Goats received 6.5 out of 10 on imdb.com, and only 52% on Rottentomatoes.com

The Men Who Stare At Goats Looney, goony and extremely outrageous, this film is fun if you can close your brain for 2 hours and enjoy the madness on the screen. This, by no means, is quality stuff though. Luckily, George Clooney is there to half-save the day. – Dean Essner

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Paranormal Activity

My my, where to begin! This movie was very disappointing to me. We begin with the filming technique. The shaky cam is something that was first used as a horror gimmick for the film The Blair Witch Project. This film wishes it was The Blair Witch Project. Never mind the comparisons - it truly WANTS to be that film. I'm over it. I’m done with the shaky film technique. It was cool the first time, but to continue to keep making movies like this is like asking a person to go on a rollercoaster who knows it’s going to make them puke halfway through it. This is a very boring movie. Nothing really happens until the last two minutes. I actually liked the last couple of minutes. Up until then, nothing happens. Sure, you get a growl, a door will move a bit, a chandelier will shake, keys will be moved, other small things happen, but that's it. I was just waiting for something to happen, and all we see is a door move. That's it folks. As the movies goes on, we do see some interesting things. A door slams, and then knocking, the girl is dragged out of bed and across the floor and then out of the room down the hall, and it possessed Katie. I actually liked that part, and that was at the end. I loved that! The movie should have started off like that, or have that happen sooner. The acting was also not that good. At first, they seem like a pretty nice couple, but then they just get downright annoying. Micah is constantly pushed around by Katie, and Katie is just crying the entire time. This movie is 10 minutes horror, and the rest of it is them talking about nonsense. And that psychic? What a joke. But I will admit one thing, I did enjoy the fact that they didn’t show the demon. The unseen is sometimes more frightening, which is what Hitchcock was all about, but overall, it didn’t obtain those elements that it needed to be a successful thrill ride. Yawn, boring. This film is all hype. You hear about people leaving the theatre crying, or hyperventilating. Those are the types of people that have never seen a good horror movie—no scratch that. I meant to say those types of people have never seen a Hitchcock movie. Get over yourselves people, it really wasn’t THAT good. – Sue Ranjbar

On October 22, 2010 Paranormal Activity 2 will be released. Will it be better than the first? Will it be better? The Review Club wants your opinions!

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June 2010

Movie Reviews 2009 Where the Wild Things Are ¾

Not a really great movie. I walked in thinking it was going to be much better, but left disappointed. There was very little plot. When the boy became king I felt it was just boring and nothing happened. Overall, it is not a movie to see. – Evan Alcazar

¼ Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s amazing children’s book is nothing short of a masterpiece. Unfortunately, the raw emotions associated with the movie are not for everyone, and I was left teary eyed as a result of sadness, not because of the story’s beauty. Luckily the vast ambitions of Spike and company are easy to grasp, as you may not understand what he is doing, but you can certainly acknowledge that he is doing it well. – Dean Essner

½ star

I’m being generous with a ½ star. Yeah, this movie is pretty awful. This was possibly one of the worst movies I have ever seen, and my little brother would agree. This movie was nothing like the book we remember from pre-school. It lacked a good plot, comedy or anything that would have made this movie the least bit enjoyable. This movie is Blockbuster poison, so stay away. – Anthony Passela Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.83 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Tooth Fairy ½

In this movie Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is a hockey player who sustained a injury and is always destroying kids dreams. He then is summoned to be a tooth fairy to realize something. After his time of being a tooth fairy, his life is turned around. He then sees that living in the past won't get you anywhere. I recommend this movie for families with young kids. - Matthew Garber The Tooth Fairy was about a hockey player, name Derek Thompson, (Dwayne Johnson) who routinely crushes kids’ dreams, such as being a rock star, a famous hockey player, or believing in the Tooth Fairy. One night, Derek tells his girlfriend’s (Ashley Judd) daughter that there is no such thing as the Tooth Fairy. As his punishment, he is sentenced to two weeks of being a Tooth Fairy by the Queen of the Tooth Fairies (Julie Andrews). The Tooth Fairy was cute and funny, but would be best enjoyed by children ages 5-9. There were a few funny moments, such as a brief appearance by Billy Crystal as a wacky fairy, but overall, not the best movie ever. – Kara Rofe

¾ stars

Yikes! What a stupid movie. It may entertain younger kids, but not me. Just not good… - Paige Botie

Are you kidding me? I really like The Rock, but yikes! This is good for young kids, but not for the rest of us – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.08 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

It’s Complicated ½

This is a great example of how enjoyable a romantic comedy can be. (Compare that to “Valentine’s Day” – which is an example of a rom-com gone awry!) Everything Meryl Streep touches turns to gold, and this movie does too. In it, she is funny, intelligent and successful – the woman you want to be. She more than holds her own comically with Alec Baldwin (who overacts to perfection) and Steve Martin (who plays it low-key but just as funny). This is a great way to spend a few hours – it’s thoughtful, funny and never preachy or fake. – Ms. Whitney

Couples Retreat ½

This movie was really funny. It had actors such as Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman. It is about a couple that is about to break up and wanted to take their friends to a special vacation trip. The couple says that they would do the therapy stuff while the other couples go and have fun. When they get there the plans begin to change. The couples are really upset that they all had to partake in the therapy sessions instead of having a good time. This movie will crack you up. – Josh Cohen

Decent-at best – Brett Levine Bottom line – Stupid! It tried to be funny, and had a laugh or two, but that is about it. It was boring, poorly acted, predictable, and actually quite annoying. I would have to label this poor excuse for a movie as a “must-miss.” – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.83 stars 58

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Zombieland ¼

Somewhere between pure (stupid) fun and brilliance lies Zombieland, a movie where the laughs aren’t because of the flesh eating creatures themselves, but the excellent script that allows Jesse Eisenberg to relieve the shackles of involved in “adolescent” films (The Squid and The Whale, Adventureland) for a much lighter brand of acting. – Dean Essner Fun Fun Fun Fun Fun. It was the right dosage at the right times. Woody Harrelson was incredibly funny for his mission to not only to kick the butts of every zombie he sees, but also to get the last Twinkie left in humanity. It wasn’t the best zombie movie ever, Shaun of the Dead holds that spot, but it’s hard to review a movie that you can’t break down; you just have to enjoy it. – Miles Essner

Zombieland was a really good movie. The plot, the humor and the zombies were all very entertaining. The actors and actresses also did a great job. It was a very original plot that was very interesting. – Sal Liotta

Fun, entertaining, bloody, ridiculous action. It is a zombie movie – what do you expect? But it has a good sense of humor and will keep your attention. – Mr. Bund Hilarious!!! Woody Harrelson is a comedy god! This new guy is a riot, Little Miss Sunshine is amazing, and The Girl Who Nobody Remembers is great. If zombies take over the world, and I have a choice between the United States military and these four with shotguns, I would pick these four guys with shotguns. – Nick Frankel

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 3.30 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Bounty Hunter The Bounty Hunter was pretty good. It had some funny characters, a decent plot, and a few good jokes. I’ll get straight to the point: It’s good but its just another comedy, nothing new or anything. Whoever was quoted saying “It’s as good as the Hangover” in the preview should be fired. If you are bored and there is nothing to do, go see it. It is ok, but if you don’t your not missing much. – Paul DeCarlo

Fired Up! This movie was very funny, it had a good plot, and even though I never heard any of the actors names before, they put on a good show. The plot is funny, but it is a bit predictable and is not meant for older people. This movie had a lot more jokes then I thought and it is very funny. It won’t win any awards but it delivered what it promises: a very good comedy. – Paul DeCarlo

Thomas and Friends Hero of the Rails This is a great children’s movie, with excitement at every turn. There was a lot of adventure for younger minds and encourages good character traits. This was the first movie from HIT entertainment which was a big leap. A part that was disappointing was there was a 10 minute promo episode of “Thumbelina” which was a terrible idea because “Thumbelina” is a girls’ show and “Thomas and Friends” is geared toward younger boys. This caused a lot of shouts and screams, but when it started, parents and kids clapped and cheered. Overall, it was an excellent plot and story line. It’s a must see for very young children. – Tanner Asadorian

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Night at the Museum

Battle of the Smithsonian

Many of you saw the first “Night at the Museum”, and now the sequel came out. The first movie was fun and exciting. It had me wanting more, so I had great expectations when the second one came out. In my opinion, I thought the first one was a lot better. In this movie, most of the artifacts and wax figures go to a new museum called the Smithsonian, and there everything turns to life just like in the first film. The waxed figures try to take over the whole museum. Old characters come back and try to help Larry Daly (Ben Stiller). This movie does have some adventure, comedy, and a little bit of history. I think in this movie they tried to add too many events in such a short time frame. It would have been better if they focused on one main story line and developed it, however, some of you might enjoy it and some of you may have even loved it, but I got my hopes up too high and I was let down. Again, it could be a good movie if you like that type of silly humor, but in my eyes it could have been a lot better. It had a few laughs here and there, but it wasn’t “a must see” type of movie. New characters came along with a new plot but they did not add anything. I don’t think they should have made a sequel. This movie had a very slow start, but it had a better ending than I expected. This is one of the reasons why I thought it was okay, but not great. This movie didn’t have me at the edge of my seat, nor excited about what would happen next. It was not a thrilling piece of work. – Dana Winthrop

¼ Star

It’s lamer than lame and tamer than tame…or it’s simply terrible, and destroys any of the cuteness earned in the first movie. You choose… - Dean Essner

The first one wasn’t a hit so this review clearly won’t be very positive. General Custer was probably the funniest for being in love with himself when he led two hundred Americans to their death. I wish that Robin Williams were in this for one minute total. Ben Stiller is a good actor and for some people this movie was worth the money, but sequels - they just don’t work – Nick Frankel Not the best movie. They showed all the funny scenes in the trailer and I hate when they do that! Don’t you want to be surprised and actually laugh? Ben Stiller should stick to romantic comedy movies like Along Came Polly and Something about Mary. He is the funniest in these kind of movies. He stinks at kid movies. (No offense Ben, but stick to romantic comedy movies! Then, people will actually be entertained!). –Kara Rofe

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.88 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Spy Next Door The plot was lame, and predictable. It’s another Russia vs. USA movie. However, the stunts and special effects were OK. - Sam Leifer

It’s a good movie with a surprising betrayal. With a little more action, it would’ve been great. It’s also kind of funny. You should see it. – Jake Geller

This was a pretty good movie. Jackie Chan is very good as a spy named Bob, who tries to juggle being a spy, earning his girlfriend’s kids’ trust, and keeping his girlfriend. I thought that this would be a really stupid movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. This movie would have been even better if the other actors had “chipped in” more. It was pretty funny, but not hysterical like most people thought it would be. – Brandon Nomberg

This movie was OK, but it was very predictable. If you like comedy mixed with action, you should definitely go see it. – Nick Kohlhepp

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.44 stars

Moon ½

This was a wonderfully intriguing science fiction flick. With homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Duncan Jones’ directorial debut is the most original portrait of outer space in quite some time. – Dean Essner

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Valentine’s Day ½

This movie was hilarious! It had great actors who had likes and dislikes of Valentine’s Day. The bad thing is that it had so many peoples’ different point of view. It got a little confusing. But along the way I found out so many secrets and it got exciting. I would definitely recommend this movie to kids 10 and up because of its language and action. - Kara Rofe’ The movie was…cute. It was funny. It was worth spending my money for, but it did not meet my expectations. With actors such as George Lopez, Ashton Kutcher, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Biel, any fan of good Hollywood movies would not be able to resist. Valentine’s Day follows different people – flower sellers (George Lopez and Ashton Kutcher), a jock and his dance team girlfriend (Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift), a teen desperate to save her relationship with her boyfriend (Emma Roberts), and many more. Overall, it was pretty good, but not great – Tahra Friedman I thought that the movie Valentine’s Day was just OK. It was funny at times, but I felt the overall movie had too much going on, and was hard to keep up with. Of course, each actor’s life in this movie finished with a happy, fairytale like ending. Although the movie wasn't to great, I think the actors and actress are what people like in it. I personally don't think Valentine’s Day is worth seeing again or even at all. - Victoria Korine

½ The perfect chick flick? Save it for a date night at home.–Mr. Bund Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.25 stars CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS???: Julia Roberts appears in Valentine’s Day for a total of only about 3 minutes! New Line Cinema paid Roberts $3 million up front against 3 percent of the gross for what is little more than an extended cameo. That comes out to an astonishing $8,333 per second of screen time, or roughly $1 millio a minute. Verbally, it's a minimum of $11,952 per spoken word. ( http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/02/julia_roberts_valentines_day.html)

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

X-Men Origins Wolverine ½

This was a very highly anticipated movie, but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. The special effects drove the movie to a point where it was getting a little annoying. But the fierce role of Jackman was one of the good points the movie had to offer. I will give the movie is interesting at best, but to adore the series you'll have to watch the other movies. – Miles Essner

“X-Men Origins Wolverine” is the 4th movie in the X-Men series. Logan/Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman) and Victor/Sabertooth (played by Leiv Scheriber) play mutant brothers who fight together. They fought in the Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2, and the Vietnam War. William Stryker invites them to join a team of mutants with special powers. Logan leaves and the group breaks up. Six years later, Logan is living with his girlfriend and is now a logger. But when his girlfriend gets killed by Victor, and their old group is being hunted down, again by Victor, he agrees to become invincible. When Logan is invincible, nothing can destroy him. The conflict is Brother vs. Brother in the final showdown. When Stryker reveals his plan, Logan escapes. Now he has to defeat Victor with the help of others and save the world. I gave this movie 3 Stars. One reason is that Hugh Jackman is an amazing actor as usual. Also, the stunts are fascinating! They keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. For example, Logan throws a bomb in a grounded helicopter and as he walks off, it explodes right behind him with a cloud (like an atomic bomb). What happens to Victor? What is Stryker planning? Will Wolverine save the world? Only way to find out is to watch “X-Men Origins Wolverine” unravel. - Ryan Winthrop No, this movie is not going to change your life, but if you like the X-Men series, and you are interested in a little backstory about Wolverine, this is worth viewing. It is always fun to watch Hugh Jackman play this haunted “mutant”. – Ms. Whitney 64

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

X-Men Origins: Wolverine continued…

If you like superheroes or ever wondered what James Howlett’s (a.k.a. Wolverine) life was like before he joined the X-Men or how he got his adamantium claws and skeleton, then X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the perfect movie for you! This movie is an action-packed thriller and will appeal to any avid X-Men/Wolverine fan. Also, I personally thought that this movie was one of the most outstanding of all the Marvel superhero movies I’ve watched, and believe me, I’ve watched many (Fantastic 4, SpiderMan, X-Men: I, II, III). This film will keep you interested and on the brink of your seat for the full 107 minutes. Your eyes will stay open the entire time; it will be impossible to close them. This just proves how stellar X-Men Origins: Wolverine is. After the movie concluded, all I could say was, “Wow! Definitely going to get that on DVD.” – Kevin Liang

½ I enjoy the X‐men movies, and Wolverine is my favorite. Hugh Jackman is perfect for the role. Learning about Wolverine’s origins was fun and entertaining. That being said, it was overall an OK movie. Honestly, I like these kinds of movies, but that does not make them 4 stars. There is a big difference between enjoying a movie, and being honest about the rating. X‐men Origins was worth seeing if you like the comic book movies, but it is still only a 2 ½ star movie. – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.50 stars In June 2011, X-Men: First Class will be released. Before Professor Xavier and Megneto were arch-enemies, they were the closest of friends. Find out their story, and what rift opened between them that lead to their eternal war.

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Box ½

This is guaranteed to make you angry. At first it is a simple story - press the button and someone dies, but you get $1million. I read the original story and the book’s story was over half an hour into the movie, so they made all this confusing filler about the villain kidnapping their son, her foot missing, a bunch of people with nose bleeds, and the man in a box of water. I hated it and would gladly recommend biting a mouthful of nails than watching it again. – Nick Frankel

The Box was an OK movie. I read the

original short story first. There was not enough in the story to make it into a movie. They tried their best, but it did not work. I did not hate it, but did not love it either. – Sal Liotta

Interesting concept, but could not hold my attention. You are not missing anything here. – Mr. Bund

½ star

There really is nothing positive to say about this movie. The story made absolute no sense, with a lot of loose ends in the end. This movie was based on a short story. I read the short story, and it ended completely different, and about halfway through the movie the story stopped and a whole lot of garbage began. Then they added all of this weird alien stuff that was just bad. - Eric Hechler This movie was really good. It's about a women named Nara and a box arrives at her house. She has a big decision to make and she does not know what to do. She pushes the button and the rest of the movie is action packed and suspenseful. When there is a box with a button in it DO NOT PUSH THE BUTTON!!- Jonathan Reichfield

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 1.70 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

The Proposal

½ Starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal is an absolutely hilarious movie and a hit! In this comedy, Margaret (Bullock) has been so focused on her career that she has been ignoring the fact that her Visa for the United States is past due. The only way she will not be sent back to Canada, and keep building her career, is to marry an American. Margaret impulsively ‘confesses’ that she is marrying Andrew (Reynolds), her underappreciated assistant. Margaret bribes Andrew with the position of his dreams – an editor. The complication of marriage and ‘love’ sends the couple to Andrew’s home in Alaska, where Margaret has to endure Andrew’s crazy family, all while hiding their true feelings. With the comical styling of Betty White, this movie will surely make you laugh. This is a great comedy and is worth the money. – Paige Botie

This was hysterical! A very good movie. Sandra Bullock was too good. I will definitely see it again. – Daniel Rudin

Funny and entertaining. Sandra Bullock is very good as a self‐ centered, high stakes, big city boss. Ryan Reynolds was also pretty convincing and likable as the underappreciated assistant. A fun and good date movie. – Mr. Bund

Chick flick that featured a predictable plot that was very boring and not at all creative in an way. Though unoriginal, it contained moments of weak light humor that made it somewhat funny. – Brandon Fluhr

Surprisingly cute and funny movie with two charming stars. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock have good chemistry together and make this a fun summer flick. It is light, breezy and predictable, but enjoyable, like watching a rerun of a favorite show. I am not ashamed to admit I caught myself laughing aloud during this movie. – Ms. Whitney

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.55 stars

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June 2010

Movie Reviews The Time Traveler’s Wife ½

The Time Traveler’s Wife was a very touching story about how a man has the curse of traveling through time. The catch is he cannot control when or where he travels. He has to live his whole life with this horrific gift – disappointing loved ones, almost missing his wedding, and even his daughter’s birth. It is such a heart warming story with a twisted ending that may make you cry. – Paige Botie

A complete waste of time. The book didn’t impress me, but I like the concept behind it, so I was willing to give the movie a try. It dragged, and it was hard to feel any real emotional connection to the main characters. Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, two normally good actors, were wasted in this movie. – Ms. Whitney

Definitely an original story. Eric Bana plays Henry, a man who is cursed by traveling through different periods of his life. He time travels unexpectedly and never knows where or when he will appear. Many of his time travels seem to be focused around the love of his life, played by a very competent and attractive, Rachel McAdams, and he begins visiting her when she is just a little girl. The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Audrey Niffenegger, and like most movies based on novels it is never quite as good. Overall, an OK movie, but it could have been so much more. – Mr. Bund

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.42 stars

Book vs. Movie Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger This beautifully written novel has to be a favorite of mine. The concept of time travel has never been so eloquently portrayed as in this story of true love. –Mrs. Silberman

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Have You Heard About the Morgans? ½ star

Wow – was this bad!!! Look, I respect Sarah Jessica Parker, and Hugh Grant has acted in some good movies (About a Boy was my personal favorite of his), but this movie was just dreadful. They are a troubled married couple living in New York City, witness a murder, and have to go in the Witness Protection Program out in the middle of nowhere, while (of course) the murderer is trying to find them. Can you guess what happens? I will not ruin it for you, but it is predictable even for the average 6 year old. I can’t believe Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant were convinced to act in this movie. Their agents should be fired! – Mr. Bund

There are some big movies that will be released in the summer of 2010. We want your opinions!!! New members are always welcome in The HHH Review Club.

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ½

To be quite frank with you, this wasn’t a good movie. There was a lot of action and a cheesy and predictable plot. Of course the acting was terrible. And then there was just Megan Fox. I say the words “there was just” because she pretty much just stood there - she didn’t act, just stood there and looked pretty. Michael Bay should be ashamed. In fact I’m writing a letter to him now that I want those two hours of my life back a.s.a.p. The only good thing about this trash was the special effects. - Noah Berley This was a good movie, however, it wasn't as good as the first one. It is action-packed and the graphics are amazing. This is a fun movie to watch and you should be able to enjoy it whether or not you have seen the original. – Jason Zelamsky It was a good movie with good graphics. It may not be the best, but it was decent and the whole family can watch and enjoy it. – Ananth Nagaraj

Let us be honest – this is a horrible movie. Yes, there was a lot of action and explosions, but just having action does make a movie all of sudden good. The story stinks and has so many plot holes it is an insult to anyone with half a brain. And the acting is so horrific I do not know where to start. Just having tons of high speed action and cool effects does not make up for it. Really – it was painful to watch. I guess it is what I should expect from Michael Bay (the director) at this point. I do give him credit – he knows the formula for earning money at the box office: Great effects, cool looking robots, a few stupid jokes, and a great looking female (so it does not matter if she can act or not). I am sorry Michael Bay, just a terrible, stupid movie! Actually I am not sorry. – Mr. Bund 70

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen continued…

Underrated. Everybody said that it was bad and had a weak plot. This is true to an extent. I definitely did not walk into it and expect to see a deep, moving, Oscar winning plot. I got exactly what I expected - lots of explosions, action packed, energetic and very fun to watch. I’m not rating it as if it was a serious story. It wasn’t about the plot, it was about good special effects and explosions. I don’t think that it deserves all of the criticism that it received for being a bad movie because it did not essentially focus on plot. Every movie focuses on different things as there are many different genres of movies and each of them has at least one good movie. Some movies are about being stupid and making you crack up. Some are about making you cry. Some are about capturing your hearts and giving you a warm loving feeling, and some movies focus on attracting little kids with pointless characters and plot points. And finally, some movies focus on keeping you on the edge of your seat with explosions and being a fun fast paced movie, like this one, and it delivered. – Brandon Fluhr

½ star

Absolute crap!!! – Miles Essner

Transformers 2 was a total let-down. The action was really good; but honestly, the storyline was disastrous. There were just too many thing s happening at once. First, Sam’s house is destroyed, and then he’s going to Harvard. Not long after he ends up in Washington D.C. and then out of nowhere he randomly appears in Egypt. It is almost impossible to keep up with this movie. The acting was good, but this only goes as an O.K. movie. They better consider this before filming the third movie. – Arthur Sarkisyan

Average HHH Review Club Rating: 2.00 stars Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

HHH Review Club June 2010

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

HHH Review Club June 2010

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

This movie deserves a lot of credit. It is a rare example of how remakes can be better. First of all, the Oompa-Loompa songs proved once again that Danny Elfman is a techno-music genius. The actors were way better and now that we could train animals to do stunts, we saw a much crueler plot. Thanks to computers, we got way better special effects in this film. The best part had to be the boat ride, though. In the old film, it was made scary by lighting effects, however, the boat ride in this film was like a huge water coaster. The plot, for those who haven’t seen it, goes like this: Charlie (Freddie Highmore) comes from a lowclass family. A local candy maker (Johnny Depp) holds a contest to let five lucky children visit his factory, which has been closed to the public for almost 15 years. The five lucky winners happen to be an German overweight pig (Philip Weigratz), a spoiled Daddy’s girl (Julia Winter), a competitive gum chewer and karate master (AnnaSophia Robb), a TV freak (Jordan Fry), and Charlie. One of the tour members will inherit the factory after the tour. Overall, it’s a great movie, but had its weak moments. – Sam Leifer

Johnny Depp, what a guy. He always makes me laugh as he ranges from hilarious to psychotic. He was a little creepy as Willy Wonka though. If he had offered me candy I would run. Charlie was just awful. I mean, he did well, but he’s just too nice. He has no emotion. Seriously, this kid could try out for a saint. The music (not counting the one when the factory doors opened that haunted people for months) was interesting because it took you through all of the different generations of music, from fifties do-wop to eighties punk. All in all, it was memorable no matter what way you look at it. – Nick Frankel HHH Review Club June 2010

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June 2010

Movie Reviews 5 years ago – 2005…continued How does the 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory compare to the original 1971 version??? Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original)

This is a fantastic story/movie! If you have not seen it by now, where have you been? Truly a great story about appreciating the finer things. Complete with a chocolate river, pink boat, annoying kids (expect one alone - Charlie), and a crazy man who runs the whole place, this surely is a great movie. Plus, it is much better than the second rendition with Johnny Depp. That versio n was just weird and creepy. Hate the newer version, love the original. Don’t try to ruin something that hasn’t gone bad Hollywood! This is such a great picture that we will never forget. - Paige Botie

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2005 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith After the horror of The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clone, being just okay, this was a big step up. First the graphics, everything from the light sabers to the lava, looked amazing. I wished that I had lived in that world. Also the story, the last two episodes were more like a long T.V. Series than a continuation of an epic movie. This also gives us the answer to how Darth Vader (probably the coolest villain ever) came to be. Finally the actors, these people deserve a lot more credit. They disappeared before anyone could even learn their names. I love Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and James Earl Jones, but these guys are just breathtaking. – Nick Frankel

This is a movie full of action and a bit of romance. In this movie, Anakin grows older and begins getting seduced by the dark side. The separatists begin to crumble and Chancellor Palpatine reveals his true nature - the Dark Side. Also, when Obi-Wan Kenobi defeats General Grievous, the Jedi Council thought they defeated the separatists until the Chancellor turns on the Republic and orders Execution Order 66. All the clones kill the Jedi and the survivors take refuge across the galaxy. Sadly, after Padme discovers Anakin’s fate, she dies of a broken heart during child birth. Also, The Emperor (Chancellor Palpatine) begins building the Galactic Empire with Anakin, who is now Darth Vader. – Jake Geller

As movies progress, they become more about graphics than the story. This was good, had a nice plot, had a dark turn (seriously, does he have to kill little kids?) but the originals were so much more fun to watch.

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June 2010

Movie Reviews Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith continued… George Lucas has done it! He completes the Star Wars saga with a masterpiece. Thank goodness! For those of you who do not know Star Wars, it may be confusing that episode 3 out of 6 is the final chapter, but it makes perfect sense to the rest of us. After the stunning success of the original trilogy (1977’s Episode IV: Star Wars, 1981’s Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and 1983’s Episode VI: Return of the Jedi), Lucas decided to enlighten his legions of fans with the origins of the Darth Vader, the Empire, the rebellion, and so much more. Episode I: The Phantom Menace was OK, but a serious letdown. Episode II: The Attack of the Clones was better, but still nothing compared to the original trilogy, and left us disenchanted. Fans were nervous when Revenge of the Sith was released. Would Lucas deliver? It is not easy to create a film in which the fans already basically know what is going to happen, but Lucas did it, and he did it with style. The effects and cinematography were excellent, but did not dominate the movie. Some of the dialogue and acting was amateur, but others, like Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan, and Ian McDiarmid as the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, were stellar. Watching Anakin struggle and eventually turn to the dark side of the force as Palpatine twists his mind is superbly done. I think after seeing this film many Star Wars fans let out a breath of relief. Was it perfect? No. The movie had its flaws, and there were scenes that were a bit weak. But overall, it was entertaining, intriguing, action-packed, and it was worthy of the Star Wars name. Revenge of the Sith tied together both trilogies, and completed the most important and greatest science-fiction series in cinematic history. – Mr. Bund When this movie came out people expected it to equal the Star Wars Trilogy of old, arguably the best 3 movies ever. I am very proud to say it is at least as good. The movies plot is precise and intricate, yet simple enough to follow. The actors had their career best performance too. Unlike Episode 2, this movie is good outside the lightsaber fights and special effects, but these are even better now and it shows. The ending fight between Anakin, opps I mean Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan-Kenobi was the best ending you could get. This movie had high expectations, and it delivered higher results. – Paul DeCarlo

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2005

King Kong After making Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson was under pressure to make

something spectacular. Well, he did it! Yes it is long, but to me the time flew. I was into the characters and the movie, and liked how they extended the Skull Island story compared to the original and wonderful 1933 version. (And while I am on it – this is a huge improvement compared to the 1976 version of “King Kong”). The action was great, and the effects were most impressive. This is a blockbuster and one of those movies that is actually worth paying the overpriced theatres to see it on the big screen (and I mean really big – not the 60” you may have in your house – it is not the same as the real theater). – Mr. Bund Jack Black was a casting error. Yes, he is supposed to be the movies comic relief, but it’s King Kong. I want action, not an obsessed director. But to be fair it does have that Peter Jackson feeling. It chills, it scares, it thrills, it excites, and it’s King Kong. – Nick Frankel

Fabulous remake! It was a genius interpretation of the original film. It was very entertaining, solid acting, and a great film. I give my props to Jack Black and Peter Jackson. – Daniel Rudin

I thought this movie was OK. There weren't really any new parts, but the effects were good. It needed to be redone to make it better overall, but otherwise it was the same. If you haven't seen any of the King Kong movies then this is the one to see. It's about a giant gorilla who is trapped and taken off of an island unknown to pretty much everyone, and taken to New York City. King Kong develops a special bond with the leading lady. It had a lot of action and good special effects for an old story that needed to be redone into this movie. - Matt Avallone King Kong was an ok movie. It definitely could have been better. I personally think the movie was too long and very boring; it was a Waste of time. I honestly feel a sleep the second time I saw it. The only reason why I thought the movie was boring was because the story of the movie was the same as the cartoon and the first King Kong. Everyone knows King Kong finds this girl he likes and protects her on top of the Empire State Building! But otherwise the movie was interesting in some parts. – Stephen McDonald 78

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Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2005 The Fantastic 4 ½

I never really liked super heroes, but that’s still no excuse for this movie. It’s weird, bland, and just plain old boring. It was one of those movies that you only watch for the pretty pictures. – Nick Frankel

I know people like superhero movies, and the movie industry knows that it is often easy money, but this was just terrible. Bad acting, a poor script, and just too much hype. It was better than Daredevil, but should not even be mentioned in the same conversation as The Dark Knight, Spiderman, or X-Men. – Mr. Bund

This is the beginning of Doctor Doom and the Fantastic 4. This movie is what started the Fantastic 4. It is worth seeing because of some of the cool action parts. – Jake Geller

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Movie Reviews

5 years ago – 2005 March of the Penguins ½

This is one of the most breath-taking documentaries I have seen. All of these cameramen, they had to spend months in the freezing Antarctica, filming these amazing creatures. It was amazing how close the cameramen got to the Emperor Penguins. Morgan Freeman was the perfect person to narrate this movie. His deep voice strung these beautiful words into gorgeous sentences. Over all, the artistry was overwhelming and just fun to watch.-Morgan Rampolla If you seen this I feel bad! To me this is a lullaby. Penguins marching - their life is boring. Instead of making movies of penguins’ lives, they should make movies on more interesting things. If you make Penguin movies, make it more like kiddy, like Happy Feet. So just warning you don’t watch movies like this!-Matthew Garber

¾ star OK, I know this is a documentary, but come on!

This was extremely boring and I felt like I was drifting off to sleep. Ignore the comments on the DVD cover that says “Irresistible” and “Don’t Miss It!” because you should! Such a boring movie, it depicts the lives of penguins with great graphics and video, but it just did not keep my attention. YAWN! – Paige Botie

Chicken Little ¾

I actually enjoyed this movie. I love the theme of a little person making a big difference and FINALLY being heard. It is a very cute movie and the animation is very good. This is a really good movie from the plot to the characters to the singing. It is a movie you should really try and see. - Paige Botie

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

10 years ago – 2000

Pay It Forward In my opinion, the best movie ever made. This tells the story of Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment), a middle school boy who, challenged by his Social Studies teacher (Kevin Spacey), thinks of an idea that could change the world. Unlike the other children in his class, Trevor actually puts his idea into action: do an act of kindness for three people, and instead of having them pay you back, have them do a good deed for three more people and so on. When Trevor brings home a homeless man, this frustrates his alcoholic mother (Helen Hunt), who gives Trevor's social studies teacher a piece of her mind. Trevor tries getting them together, and this provides an insight into Mr. Simonet's past. Although Trevor thinks his idea has flopped, at a certain point he meets a reporter who has received a good act of kindness with the words "Pay it forward". He manages to trace this story all the way back to Trevor! Along with the incredible acting done by the main characters (including a 12 year-old) this movie will bring you to tears over the strength of a seventh grader's heart and what he would be willing to do for the right reasons. Right up to the last scene you will be shocked at how a fearless young boy can stare danger in the face as long as he knows he is doing the right thing. – Brandon Fluhr

The HHH Review Club wants YOUR opinion!!! Do you agree with this review? It is hard to argue with someone who says they think Pay it Forward is the “best movie ever made.” For the club, 5 stars means “An absolute classic for All TIME. The absolute best you can ever get! Exemplifies perfection!” But it has a 6.5 out of 10 on imdb.com, and 40% on Rottentomatoes.com. Who is right? That is what opinions are all about. What do you think are some of the best movies EVER made? What movies would you say are actually worthy of 5 stars??? Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

10 years ago – 2000 Dude, Where’s My Car? When I was 8 or 9 I would watch this movie religiously. I maybe watched it 5 or 6 times, but looking back on it now, I realize it isn’t that memorable. This jerk gets his car stolen and goes through so much to find it and in doing so becomes a better person. It had some good moments, but you really aren’t missing anything. - Paige Botie

The Grinch ½ star

I have to admit I am a little harsh on this rating, but I have my reasons! I saw this movie when I was three year old and it was one of the worst movie-watching experiences of my life. I saw it with my family and let’s just say I wasn’t expecting the Grinch to be that scary. I started to cry and ran out of theater. Who knew a monster could be that scary? Even after the incident, I remember this movie being terrible and the creepy Grinch only made it worse. The only part that was good was seeing a cute dog as a reindeer. Other than that, horrific! - Paige Botie

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Movie Reviews

15 years ago – 1995 Toy Story ½

This film was actually pretty good. It is a great children’s movie with its bright characters, ‘easy to follow’ plot, and the fact that it’s all about talking toys. A great family film. - Paige Botie I personally loved this movie when I was younger, even though it was not a great film. It was Disney’s first Pixar film about a toy called “Buzz Lightyear” who becomes his owner’s favorite toy. Andy’s (the boy) old favorite toy, Woody, becomes jealous and tries to get rid of him. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen star as Buzz and Woody. It was a good movie for young kids, and I just hope that Toy Story 3 will be just as good. – Matt Avallone

Jumanji JUMANGI begins with a 19th century expedition to bury a “CURSED” board game. In 1969, young Alan happens to dig up the game and plays it. When he does play, let’s just say it comes to life! He plays the game with a girl named Sarah Whittle. While playing, with a roll of the dice, Alan gets sucked into the jungle-world of the game. Sarah is horrified when her friend is sucked into the game, runs away, and tries to forget all about it. More than 25 years later two orphans move into Alan's old house, find the game, and start playing, unleashing a fresh rampage of vicious beasts and Alan (Robin Williams). Alan is now a full-grown semi-wild man, thrust into the future world. Things have changed, and Alan has to make up the time he has lost while being trapped in that wretched game. The only way to return everything to normal is for the kids, Alan, and Sarah, to play until the end of game, even though each roll of the dice unleashes more attacking animals and danger at every turn. This is a great family movie and worth watching, although it may be scary for younger children under the age of seven. Still, it is a fun and exciting picture. Paige Botie

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

20 years ago – 1990 Dances with Wolves "1990 - 10 years ago!! It is hard to believe that one of my alltime favorite movies is already two decade old! Dances with Wolves is not to be missed. Kevin Costner won the Oscar for Best Director and the film won in the Best Picture category. Dances with Wolves is the story of Lt. John Dunbar, a Civil War veteran who is sent to command a western outpost of the U.S. Army. He arrives to find his new post deserted, but is determined to stay and not give up his new command until reinforcements arrive. The movie is the story of a clash of cultures European/white settlers versus the Native Americans who have inhabited these lands for thousands of years. Both civilizations are dealing with many changes and Dunbar is curious about his new neighbors. Despite language and other barriers, he establishes a rapport with the Sioux tribe and comes to respect their culture. The story takes a new twist when Dunbar falls in love with the adopted European/white daughter of the tribe's medicine man, Kicking Bird. He eventually does leave the Army fort and lives with the Sioux people. Once the U.S. Army realizes that Lt. Dunbar has, in fact, abandoned his post, they pursue him. To tell anymore would give too much of the story away! Rent this movie and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the open lands of America's West. You will also learn a lot about the culture of the Native American tribes who called the West their home." – Mrs. Kane

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Movie Reviews

25 years ago – 1985

Back to the Future Flashback to the 80’s! This movie has a little bit of everything, from comedy to action to science fiction. It is one of those movies that I can watch over and over again, and still find it enjoyable. Twenty-five years later this movie still lives on, and I will bet it still will in another 25 years. – Anthony Passela This movie was a different movie than most, because the plot involved things like time traveling. Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly, a 16 year old teen who gets stuck living 30 years in the past. His friend Doc builds a time machine car and when Marty was driving in a parking lot too fast, the car zoomed 30 years into the past. It was entertaining and exciting. The movie wasn’t a great movie, but it was a good movie to watch. Now Marty has to find a way to get back to the future… - Matt Avallone As a classic movie Back to the Future is a fun family movie about going back in time. The movie sucks you right in with its hook of a plot with a kind of a mad scientist dude building a time machine. His sort of partner Marty then tests it with his permission, goes back in time, and can’t get back. The humor is not laugh out loud all the time, but there are some parts where you could chuckle. I love this movie just because it’s fun to watch. – Andrew Faber

An absolute classic. Spielberg shows his originality and why his is THE master storyteller. – Mr. Bund

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Movie Reviews

30 years ago – 1980

Airplane! This movie is probably the most hilarious film I’ve ever seen. You have to watch it about two to three times to understand it, though. It combines comedy, romance, and luck in about 2 hours. It also seems to parody a lot of movies. The plot goes like this: Ted Striker was an ex-Navy pilot who was traumatized in an accident during a war. He is now afraid of flying, however, when he tries to win his exgirlfriend, Elaine, he must fly on a plane to Chicago, where she is a stewardess. During the flight, people have a choice between having fish or steak for dinner. A bunch of people start to get sick, and they need to be taken to a hospital. A doctor on board concludes that the people who are sick (besides a termin ally ill girl waiting for a heart transplant) ate fish for dinner. It turns out that both pilots and the navigator ate fish and passed out. With no one able to fly the plane, Elaine tries to pilot it herself, and then turns on the autopilot, which turns out to be a big inflatable doll. Seeing that the only solution to landing the plane safely would be to ask Ted, Elaine finally gets him to overcome his fear and land the plane safely, winning back Elaine in the process. If you like really old movies, or just want to crack up, this would be the perfect movie to watch. Recommended for ages 10+ - Sam Leifer As one of the funniest movies of all time it just can’t be beat. Some movies come in a close second, but this movie is the king. Airplane has many famous lines and quotes like “ Don’t call me Shirley” and many memorable scenes. This movie is comedy gold that never gets old. – Andrew Faber

½ Really funny and entertaining! A must see for ages 12 and up – Paige Botie

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June 2010

Movie Reviews

30 years ago – 1980 The Shining ½

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most brilliant artistic directors of the 20th century. His talents are shown in full strength during this film encounter. It is a psychedelic thrill ride through the gates of hell. The cheap effects only enhance my love for this movie – Miles Essner

Stanley Kubrick is a perfectionist. He takes 5-6 years to write, produce and direct a movie – The Shining from 1980 is no exception. From the eerie simplicity of the Kubrick-esque red tile floor to the gold lame ballroom, to the macabre soundscape created by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind, Kubrick know the right formula to toy with your emotions and ask to you fear what is behind the next door. A film, based on the Stephen King novel, is set in the Rocky Mountains at the Overlook Hotel. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), his wife and son are taking up winter residence in this secluded Summer Playground, isolated in winter by weather and impassible roads. Their loneliness is compounded by the “voi ces” and “personality” of this old hotel. History begins repeating itself as the effects of seclusion are driving Jack crazy. Special kudos to Mr. Nicholson’s performance, for which he should have received an Oscar nomination. This is a spectacularly simple horror film and a must see. – Mr. Essner

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Movie Reviews

35 years ago – 1975 Monty Python and the Holy Grail Very enjoyable! I thought this movie was going to be just a stupid comedy, but the jokes were actually pretty good. You’ll crack a bunch of laughs and smiles from this movie. This variety of dry humor was pulled off very well. Absolutely hilarious! - Paige Botie Stupidity has never been funnier. I don’t know how they think in England, but they know how to look like morons just enough to not make people nip-pick the scenes and just laugh until you can’t breathe. Monty Python’s best movie was easily the Holy Grail. It was funny, but had some history in it. Although at times completely random, Monty Python has managed to transform a great mythical legend into one of the funniest movies ever. It’s really is amazing that the plot takes turns from seriousness to pure comedy. This is must see but who hasn’t seen it? - Paul DeCarlo

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Movie Reviews

35 years ago – 1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest This is a masterpiece. A sharply acted, and sharply directed film. The movie’s story gracefully unfolds without one unneeded scene. Jack Nicholson’s Oscar winning performance was the role of R.P. McMurphy, a criminal who fakes his craziness to go to a mental institution instead of jail. This film was also awarded best picture, and best screenplay, as well as Louis Fletcher’s role as the oppressive Nurse Ratchet winning best supporting actress. This is a classic and will forever have its place in history as one of the best movies in history. – Miles Essner Truly one of the best movies you will ever see. Jack Nicholson is simply brilliant. Here is a movie that truly stands the test of time, even after 35 years. – Mr. Bund

Jaws ½

Nowadays, horror movies are scaring us with zombies and slashers, but 35 years ago beaches everywhere were turned into ghost towns, because of this movie. Absolutely a movie that will keep you on the edge of our seat, however, if you are afraid of sharks then you should stay away. A great movie! – Anthony Passela

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Movie Reviews

45 years ago – 1965 The Sound of Music I am a huge fan of musicals, however, I didn’t care much for this movie since I didn’t find it special and it was somewhat old-fashioned. I gave it three stars for three reasons. 1) Julie Andrews has a wonderful voice. 2) The storyline was great. 3) It had a few funny bits. The plot goes like this. A woman (Julie Andrews) is studying to become a nun, but she realizes that she isn’t cut out for a religious life. The head nun sends her to the house of an Ex-Navy Captain to be a governess to his seven children. She realizes that the children have been living in an Army-like matter and have never heard or sang music or danced. She brings music and dance into their lives, but the Nazis are about to invade Austria, which puts the whole family into danger and hiding. – Sam Leifer

An absolute classic! This is one of my favorite movies of all-time. It had great casting, songs, choreography, and most of all, a great plot. Songs such as “A Few of My Favorite Things”, “Maria”, “Do-Re-Mi”, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, and “Edelweiss” are beautiful with great lyrics and vocals. Julie Andrews steals the show with her starring role as Maria. Maria is a young postulant at the Nonnberg Abbey, is a free spirit, seldom on time, and constantly trying the patience of the nuns. Doubting her devotion to a life in service to God, the Mother Abbess appoints Maria as the von Trapp family’s governess. The movie has various moods and plot lines throughout the duration of the film and all are executed perfectly. This movie is everything that a movie could aspire to. A true work of art! - Paige Botie 90

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HHH Review Club June 2010

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Best Movies of the Decade

2000 - 2009 The first decade of the 21st century has seen some remarkable movies. Action, drama and comedy have all had their standouts. Here is a list of some of the best of the decade. How many have you seen? What do you think were the best movies of the decade? – Mr. Bund

300 (2006) A Beautiful Mind (2001) Almost Famous (2000) Amelie (2001) Apocolypto (2006) Artificial Intelligence (2001) Avatar (2009) Being John Malkovich (2000) Borat (2006) Brokeback Mountain (2005) Casino Royale (2006) Children of Men (2006) City of God (2003) Crash (2004) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) District 9 (2009) Donnie Darko (2001) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2003) Gladiator (2000) Gomorrah (2008) Gran Torino (2008) Hero (2002) History of Violence (2001) Hotel Rwanda (2004) Inglourious Basterds (2009) Juno (2007) Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 (2003-04) Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) Lost in Translation (2003) Memento (2000) Milk (2008)

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Million Dollar Baby (2004) Minority Report (2002) Mulholland Drive (2001) Munich (2005) Mystic River (2003) No Country for Old Men (2007) O Brother Where Art Thou (2000) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) Ratatouille (2007) Road to Perdition (2002) Shrek (2001) Sideways (2004) Sin City (2005) Slumdog Millionaire (2008) Snatch (2000) Spirited Away (2002) Star Wars: Episode III-Revenge of the Sith (2005) The Bourne Trilogy (2002, 04, 07) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) The Dark Knight (2008) The Departed (2006) The Hurt Locker (2009) The Incredibles (2004) The Last King of Scotland (2006) The Last Samurai (2003) The Lives of Others (2006) The Pianist (2002) The Prestige (2006) The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) The Wrestler (2008) There Will Be Blood (2007) Traffic (2000) United 93 (2006) Up (2009) Wall-E (2008) Whale Rider (2002) Where the Wild Things Are (2009) Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)

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June 2010

Top 10 Movies of the Decade by Paige Botie #10: Crash (2004) Tensions erupt when the tangled lives of a Brentwood housewife, her district attorney husband, a Persian shopkeeper, two cops, a pair of carjackers and a Korean couple converge over a 36hour period in Los Angeles. Wow, who knows what will happen!? Lion Gate Films take a look at the complexity of racial tolerance in contemporary America through this movie. #9: Batman: The Dark Knight (2008) This superhero crime thriller is sure to get your heart racing! In Gotham City, the Joker, robs a mob bank with his accomplices, whom he tricks into killing one another, ultimately killing the last one himself. While investigating this crime with Lieutenant James Gordon he wonders if he can trust Harvey Dent to help him put an end to all this crime done by these mobsters. There are many other elements to this movie and it is sure to make you feel like you are fighting right along side Batman. #8: Juno (2007) Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one adoptive couple in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, an upscale couple (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work and what about Bleeker? #7: The Prestige (2006) The Prestige is about two illusionists who compete to steal the show. Each are determined to be the best and will go to extraordinary lengths to do this. Now I can’t tell you the ways, but let’s just stay they would do anything. Although the trick may seem magnificent, no one cares if there is no prestige. If one shows that they can disappear, no one is impressed, but if they manage to reappear this makes the trick like magic! This movie will keep you guessing until the very end and though it may confuse you at points it is still an amazing movie. A must-see!

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June 2010

Top 10 Movies of the Decade by Paige Botie continued…

#6: Finding Nemo (2003) I know many people have seen this child’s classic, but I feel that it is such a dynamic children’s movie. Marlin, an overprotective clownfish, and his son Nemo live in a coral reef in Australia. This over protectiveness of his father causes him to rebel and swim past the “Drop-Off” There his is taken by a scuba diver and put in a fish tank in a dentist’s office. The dentist plans to give him to his terrible niece, but the other fish in the tank won’t let that happen. While Nemo and his new friends try to find a way back to the sea, Marlin goes on a journey to find his son. He travels great distances and meets new friends such as Dory, an angelfish, who has short-term memory. This is a movie that all ages will love. #5: Ratatouille (2007) The Disney movie Ratatouille tells the story of a rat named Remy who is different from all of the other rats in his pack. He is not a scavenger that eats any food he finds, but a little chef. When he ends up in Paris without the rest of his pack, he stumbles into Gusteau’s restaurant. Remy cooks a magnificent soup, secretly, and the new dish boy, Linguini, is thought to have made it. The soup is delicious and Linguini is promoted. Linguini, instead of killing the rat, takes him home and realizes he can understand him. Secretly Remy hides under Linguini’s hat and controls him like a marionette in the kitchen. However, no one must know that a rat is cooking the food, because who would want a rodent cooking their food? This is a great children’s movie that anyone could enjoy. #4:Slumdog Millionaire (2008)A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers. It is a film about friendship, gratitude, love, betrayal, poverty and hope. It makes you laugh, weep and cheer. A phenomenal movie!!!! #3: Wall- E (2008) In a distant, but not so unrealistic future, where mankind has abandoned Earth because it has become covered with trash from products sold by the powerful multinational Buy N Large corporation, WALL-E, a garbage collecting robot has been left to clean up the mess. Mesmerized with trinkets of Earth's history and show tunes, WALL-E is alone on Earth except for a pet cockroach. One day, Eve, a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, is sent to Earth to find proof that life is once again sustainable. On this other world the people are all obese and rely on technology for everything. They roll around in scooters that have everything they need without moving a muscle. This isn’t just another children’s movie. It contains a message that if mankind relies on technology to much, it can consume them.

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June 2010

Top 10 Movies of the Decade by Paige Botie continued… #2: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I think is one of the best of the decade. On the day that Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans, elderly Daisy Williams is on her deathbed in a hospital. At her side is her adult daughter, Caroline. Daisy asks Caroline to read to her aloud the diary of Daisy's lifelong friend, Benjamin Button. Benjamin's diary recounts his entire extraordinary life, the primary unusual aspect of which was his aging backwards. Being diagnosed with several aging diseases at birth and thus given little chance of survival, he does survive and gets younger with time. Abandoned by his biological father, Thomas Button, after Benjamin's biological mother died in childbirth, Benjamin was raised by Queenie, a black woman and caregiver at a seniors’ home. Daisy's grandmother was a resident at that home, which is where she first met Benjamin. Although separated through the years, Daisy and Benjamin remain in contact throughout their lives, reconnecting in their forties when in age they finally match up. These unique story is very interesting and remarkable. I have never seen a movie like this and I don’t think I ever will again. #1: Spirited Away (2002) Chihiro and her family are on their way to their new house in the suburbs when her father decides to take a shortcut along a dirt road. After walking along a path for a while, they discover a restaurant filled with food, but with no workers or customers present. Mom and Dad don't hesitate to sit down and dig in, but Chihiro senses danger and refuses. As night falls, she is terrified to see the area fill with faceless spirits, but when she runs to find her parents, she discovers that they have been turned into pigs. She is found by a mysterious boy named Haku, who promises to help her. He gets her a job working in a nearby building, which turns out to be a bathhouse for the thousands of Japan's gods and spirits. Though the work is hard and the people strange, she does as well as she can. Her parents, however, are still waiting in the hotel's stockyard as pigs, and Chihiro must find a way to break the spell on them before they end up as the main course of some guest's dinner.

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June 2010

Best Movies of the Decade

By Daniel Rudin

Inglorious Basterds Lord of the Rings Trilogy Milk No Country for Old Men Ratatouille The Dark Knight The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Hurt locker There Will Be Blood Wall-E

Nick Frankel’s Top 10 movies of the decade: 10.Shrek 9.300 8.Avatar 7.Disrict 9 6.The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 5.Artificial Intelligence 4.Star Wars: Episode 3 3.Casino Royal 2.Slumdog Millionaire 1.The Dark Knight

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Best Movies of the Decade THE STAFF: Emily Prinzevalli A Beautiful Mind Slumdog Millionaire Little Miss Sunshine Mystic River

Mr. Van Cott Eternal Sunshine Royal Tenenbaums Almost Famous Inglourious Basterds The Lord of the Rings Trilogy City of God

Mr. Brozzoski 1. Memento with Guy Pierce. It's simply a masterpiece of film. 2. Brick with Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Lucas Haas. This is a detective story that is one of the most clever films I've ever seen. 3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carrey & Kate Winslett. Nothing else like it. 4. The Big Lebowski - Anyone who's seen a Coen Brothes movie will love this one. Anyone who hasn't...this is a good place to start. 5. Mulholland Drive - For anyone who remembers the Twin Peaks series picture, but only 100 times more bizarre. I think it's David Lynch's best. 6. Me And You And Everyone We Know - People seeking meaningful connections despite the risk. The mundane is very transcendent in this film. 7. Bringing Out The Dead - I think of this as the lost Martin Scorsese picture. Not many people know about it, but it's excellent. Also, Elmer Bernstein did the film score. 8. Lords of Dogtown - For anyone who grew up on skateboarding as I did. It tells the story of the three original extreme skaters. There is also a great Heath Ledger performance. 9. Blow - Probably Johnny Depp in his best performance. 10. Fight Club - This one came right at the turn of the decade and is still mind-blowing.

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Off the Recordâ&#x20AC;?

June 2010

Best Movies of the Decade By Dean Essner 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

There Will Be Blood Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street Ratatouille Best In Show Almost Famous No Country For Old Men The Dark Knight Inglourious Basterds Finding Nemo Michael Clayton

Honorable Mentions: A Serious Man The Incredibles WALL E Fantastic Mr. Fox The Departed O Brother Where Art Thou? Borat Shrek Juno The Prestige

Frank Marrone: AVATAR and UP Matthew Tieney: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Inglorious Basterds Mean Girls The Patriot

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Best Movies of the Decade Miles Essner’s Top 20 best Movies of the Decade 20. School of Rock 19. Fantastic Mr. Fox 18. The Incredibles 17. WALL-E 16. The Bourne Trilogy 15. Shrek 14. Milk 13. Juno 12. Borat 11. High Fidelity 10. Little Miss Sunshine 9. Ratatouille 8. Inglorious Basterds 7. There Will Be Blood 6. Almost Famous 5. Gladiator 4. O Brother Where Art Thou? 3. Sweeney Todd 2. No Country for Old Men 1. The Departed

100

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Best Movies of the Decade Paul DeCarlo Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith The Longest Yard The Mysterious Case of Benjamin Button Avatar Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Best Movies of the Decade By Brett Levine 1. First, you have to do best pictures, which would involve Gladiator, Million Dollar Baby, The Departed and Slumdog Millionaire. All four of these movies were fantastic, not just because they won the Oscar, but because they were good movies, they kept the audience into everything and took the audience on an emotional ride that was amazing. These were definitely the best of the decade. 2. Second, we have to do the animations. Shrek, Wall-E and Up fall under this category and were up there in the top 5 for the decade because I thing Finding Nemo and Toy Story deserve to be there as well. For me, these three movies were just so much fun and I had a blast watching. 3. Next, the movies that won Oscars, or should have won, but not best picture. This is Juno, The Dark Knight and Kill Bill. These were good movies because they were entertaining. In Juno there was Ellen Page, for The Dark Night there was Heath Ledger, and Uma Thurman for Kill Bill. However, this these actors were the best part about them. 4. Lastly, there was Avatar. This has to be in this category because it grossed the most money for any other movie ever. This was a very entertaining movie and that is why people watched it. Having James Cameron direct it also helped, but it was still a great entertaining movie.

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What is the WORST movie EVER?! What are the WORST movie experiences you have ever had? This is your chance to warn people about movies that are so terrible that they should never watch them, because they will never get those 2 hours of their lives back!!!

THE CLUB: Frank Marrone Land of the Lost Jason Zelamsky Shorts Planet 51 March of the Penguins was probably the worst movie I ever saw. This may not be fair because I saw it years ago, but I was bored to death by it! It was a documentary about penguins. John Riechfeld Flubber Justin Wieder Planet 51 March of the Penguins Diary of a Wimpy Kid Alvin and the Chipmunks Matthew Tierney Alvin and the Chipmunks Kara Rofe Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel Alvin and the Chipmunks Tooth Fairy All Shrek Movies!

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What is the WORST movie EVER?! The CLUB Continued… Miles Essner Pee Wee’s Big Adventure Pinocchio (remake) Transformers 2 Transformers Cloverfield Justin Zelamsky March of the Penguins Bright Star Hannah Montana: The Movie Shorts Planet 51 G.I. Joe Gone With the Wind Tahra Friedman Hannah Montana: The Movie Jake Geller Finding Nemo The Game Plan Tooth Fairy Nick Kohlhepp Wall-E Transformers 2 Paul DeCarlo Major League Star Wars: The Clone Wars Twilight

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What is the WORST movie EVER?! The CLUB Continued… Worst Movie Experience: If I learned anything from Review Club, it’s that it’s much easier to find the worst movie experience ever than trying to find the best movie experience ever. I trashed “Where the Wild Things Are” in this issue, but I think I’ve seen worse movies than that, and surprise - It’s a children’s movie! Every year they keep on putting all these cheesy jokes in to kid’s movies that kids don’t even find funny. “The Tale of Desperuax” was no different. It was a decent book, turned into an absolutely horrible movie. I can’t believe the author let this happen to his book. If you’re thinking about getting this for a little brother or sister, you’ve been warned! – Anthony Passela

Worst Movie Ever: Bio Dome Bio Dome is one of those horrible 90’s movies starring the total idiot from Hell, Paulie Shore, and Steven Baldwin. For those of you that haven’t heard of them…you lucky, lucky person. The movie is about two morons that get stuck in a scientific experiment known as “The Bio Dome” and just be idiots. Seriously, before you had YouTube, if you wanted to see two idiots do idiotic things where one idiot got hurt and the other idiot just laughed, this is what you would watch. It’s just stupid, wrong, pointless, time wasting, and what’s the word? Oh yeah, IDIOTIC!!!!!! – Nick Frankel

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June 2010

The Worst Movie EVER!!!

STAFF:

A Walk in the Clouds with Keanu Reeves. I generally don't have a problem sucking it up every now and then and watching a chick-flick, however, this movie was an absolute piece of crap. The fact that Keanu is a horrible actor surely didn't help the cause at all. – Mr. Fitzpatrick By far..."Up in the Air"...I know it got rave reviews, but I thought it was horrible and depressing...this coming from a HUGE Clooney fan! – Mrs. Garnets The Box – Mrs. Duarte The Minus Man 'When he's around, nothing adds up.' – Mr. Heller Final Fantasy – Mrs. Laudage Without Boarders - The worst computer generated baby I have ever seen... – Mrs. Zusmer Final Cut with Robin Williams. TERRIBLE MOVIE! – Mrs. Kelso Before Sunrise was awful--I know they made a sequel--but the first was too painful to even consider the second! – Mrs. Schultheis Gangs of New York and The Departed – Mrs. Jedrlinic Raising Arizona, and against popular movies like Titanic and Dances with Wolves. Not into the long drawn out movies or romantic Chick Flicks. I could watch any Terminator movie or action film repeatedly. – Mrs. Olsen The English Patient – Mrs. Gryszkin

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The Worst Movie EVER!!!

STAFF continued:

The Reflecting Skin... and independent film my husband brought home years ago and show me and some friends... I remember something about a whale bone and a fetus that a boy finds in a barn and he carries it around. We all laugh about this one still years later!!!! - Lisa Lo Piano I hated Pulp Fiction....I know everyone loved it...it’s a classic...I don't care...I hated it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – Mrs. Mandel

Mr. Brozzoski 1. Wendigo - This is definitely one of the worst. Stay away from this one...or watch it if you're curious as to just how bad it is. 2. Howard The Duck - For anyone who forgot about this one...late '80's and definitely pretty bad. 3. Troll 2 - Has nothing to do with the first Troll...and I don't remember there even being any trolls in the movie...c'mon now. 4. Alone In The Dark - Just don't even bother. 5. The Postman - A bad Kevin Costner film which I believe followed Waterworld. Bad dialogue, bad ending and just all around boring.

Mrs. Pilgrim The worst movie I've ever seen is called Supernova. It was my second date with my husband. He chose the movie and I've never let him forget it. It was a science fiction movie which came out in 2000 and it included some well-known actors, including James Spader, Angela Bassatt, and Lou Diamond Philips. It was horrible. The plot was thin, the effects nonexistent, and the characters poorly cast and developed. It was supposed to be similar to Alien, but there's no comparison. My favorite bad movie was Plan Nine from Outer Space. But that is so awful that it’s wonderfully funny. It is filled with continuity problems and the effects are hilarious. Its director, the infamous Ed Wood, was credited with being the worst director ever. But the movie is campy and fun. A must-see for any fan of fifties, sci-fi! 106

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

“Off the Record”

June 2010

The Worst Movie EVER!!!

STAFF continued:

Mr. Curtin A Jean-Claude Van Damme film called "Knock off"- My wife and I walked out, it was so awful. Also..."Spawn"... I wish that I had the time back. "Ernest Goes to Camp" – Mrs. Casazza Any home movie that I have ever seen in my life – Mr. Ulrich John Huston's "The Dead..." It received many stars in its day, I thought it would be a good idea to go on a date there! He was too polite to ask me if we could walk out... I was too nervous to tell him I was bored!!!! LOL – Mrs. Kane Pineapple Express!!! Dumb, Dumb, Dumb!!!! Didn't get it - hard to follow. Grease 2 - It was like a really bad high school play! – Mrs. Jarvis "The Happening" was truly awful. I kept waiting for it to get better, but it just never happened. Shyamalan should be ashamed of himself. – Mr. VanCott Mall Cop – Mrs. Strand Eraserhead - If you don't believe me go to YouTube and type in Eraserhead and watch the chicken dinner scene....... – Mr. Toles Burn After Reading and Zodiac – Mrs. Bliss Twilight – Mrs. Lennon RV – Mrs. Carlsen

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June 2010

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Staff Interviews

Dr. Roth

On March 16, 2010, Sam Leifer and Jason Zelamsky sat down with Candlewood Assistant Principal, Dr. Roth, to find out more about him. After many years of dedicated service he will retire from The Half Hollow Hills School District. Who is Dr. Roth when he leaves work? What does he do in his spare time? What things will he do in his retirement? 1.

What is your favorite type of music? Jazz, some contemporary, opera, classical, reggae, and show tunes.

2. What is your favorite movies ever? Casablanca 3. What is a movie you would recommend to students? Pan’s Labyrinth 4. What are some of your favorite books? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The King Mutiny, The Transposed Heads, Siddhartha 5. What is a book you would recommend all students to read? A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

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6. Do you play any sports? I used to play golf and racketball. I like to go biking. 7. What are some of your favorite sports teams? The Mets 8. What are some things you like to do in your spare time? Writing and play games 9. If you can go anywhere on vacation, where would it be? Greece – I want to see the Parthenon 10. What are your favorite foods? Japanese foods like sushi and sashimi 11. Do you play any instruments? Guitar and I can play the radio! 12. What is your biggest pet peeve? Rudeness 13. What is one thing you never leave home without? My car keys 14. What made you become an administrator? I started as an English teacher in Wyandanch, and after 7 years became head of the English department. I was a teacher in Wyandanch for 17 years, moved to Valley Stream as director of Language Arts, and eventually moved to HHH after 29 years of teaching. I worked in Central Office, but missed the kids, so I came to Candlewood 10 years ago as Assistant Principal. 15. If you can have any other job in the world, what would it be? I would not change a thing about my career. 16. What is the best part about working in schools? Watching kids grow up and change. 17. Who is your role model and why? I am my own model, because I am comfortable with who I am. 18. What do you look forward to doing in your retirement? Learn to play guitar. Do some writing. Go back to college for art courses, philosophy, and foreign languages. Play with my 7 grandchildren. 19. Finish this sentence…If I were to retire right now… I would stay vice principal, because I like working. I have been working for 44 ½ years.

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

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Book Reviews

House Rules By Jodi Picoult Despite the fact that House Rules is a typical Jodi Picoult book, you can’t help but connect to each and every character in the book. Using her trademark first-person narratives of all characters, Jodi immediately paints a picture of a family with so many holes in it, it’s almost Swiss cheese. The Hunt family is torn apart due to Jacob suffering from Asperger’s syndrome. Asperger’s doesn’t allow a human being to be able to connect to others in the society, doesn’t like his/her schedule messed up, and is unable to read emotions/gestures. Jacob’s dad left when he was 3 because he couldn’t handle his tantrums, which his mother, Emma, has been coping with forever. And into the mess, we add Theo, Jacob’s neglected brother that serves as a marker for Emma to see how close Jacob is to being normal. Jacob, like many others with Asperger’s, has one focus, which for him is forensics analysis. He is obsessed with everything to do with it, reading every book on it to re-enacting crime scenes in his living room to helping police officers solve crimes. He watches Crimebusters everyday at 4:30 and becomes even violent when something changes his schedule. Emma, like a typical mom, always has hope that one day Jacob will become better and goes to all corners of the world trying to make this happen. She hires Jess, a tutor who works on social skills with her son. But one day, things go a little too far. Jess is found murdered in a forest and the last person to have seen her alive was Jacob. Soon the police are at his doorstep and mistaking the typical signs of Asperger’s for guilt. The police have a good reason to believe it is him: the fact that he would be the only one capable of carrying out a crime so precisely and that many of Jess’s items are retrieved at his house. Jacob is arrested and Emma runs around hysterically trying to find a piece of evidence that will prove her son innocent. He is autistic after all and has to be cared by his mommy at all times. But did his obsession with forensics go a bit too far this time? Could Jacob have really carried out the perfect crime? Read the latest tragedy novel in a long line of Jodi Picoult’s bestsellers today. Hiral Doshi

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June 2010

Book Reviews The Three Musketeers

by Alexandre Dumas Filled with awful betrayals, grisly assassinations and executions, beautiful romance, and page after page of swordfights, it’s no wonder The Three Musketeers has been in continuous publication for hundreds of years. The work is well written and engaging; and unless you’re a 17th century French history buff, you will definitely learn new things about the reign of King Louis XIII. The protagonists of the story, however, are where the novel takes a minor turn for the worse. Young Musketeer hopeful D’Artagnan (we never learn his first name) is, according to Dumas, a noble and honest gentleman who is loyal to his friends and his king. From my perspective, however, he was selfish and self-serving, always looking for someone to fight with. D’Artagnan was more interested in glory than doing good deeds for the sake of being good. Also, his three musketeer friends, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis never seem to follow the famous “all for one and one for all” theme. Athos is the ringleader of the clan; broodingly brilliant and self-pitying. We never truly learn what the other two are like on the inside. Luckily, the villains are exquisitely evil; and one in particular, the vicious Milady, leaves you hoping for her inevitable demise. The Three Musketeers is as addicting and satisfying as a bag of M&Ms, but the lack of likeable heroes prevents it from ever becoming more than well-written junk food. – Grace Segers

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Book Reviews

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

By Jeff Kinney

½ Have you ever had a summer that was just horrible? In Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, Greg deals with another terrible summer. Greg has to face trips to the town pool, a “great” birthday, and a new pet dog that he despises. However, all of this mayhem turns out to be an amazing book. In my opinion, this is a very funny book. This sequel brings in new characters, new events, yet the same comical humor that makes this a wonderful series. I find this funnier than the second and third books, however, its humor falls a bit flat compared to the original. Despite that, I was fully interested. When I finished the book, I wanted to read more. This book was truly awesome. It could’ve had a little more humor, but it was funny enough to make me laugh. I’d say that Dog Days (and the whole series) is geared towards middle school students from the ages of 10 to 13. I recommend this book for preteens too. – Matthew Bielskas

Diary of a Young Girl By Anne Frank This is a story about Anne Frank, a girl who moves into hiding from Nazis. She writes about her experiences in this diary. I recommend this book to almost any literate person above the fifth grade. This is a very popular book. It has been popular for decades and will be for years to come. It is special to me because I visited the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam in the summer of 2007. – Brandon Epstein

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June 2010

Book Reviews Everest Trilogy By Gordan Korman Everest Trilogy is about four children who are having a contest to see who will be the youngest person ever to climb Mount Everest. This book has many exciting, unexpected, and sad adventures. Read this book if you want to see who will reach the summit and who will go down in flames! I recommend this book to 10-13 year olds who like extreme adventure books!! - Kara Rofe

Get Well Soon By Julie Halpren ½

“Get Well Soon” is about a girl name Anna Bloom who is 16 and depressed. Her parents don’t know what to do with her and send her to a mental hospital. She meets a roommate with a crazy life, an angry doctor, and a cute, shy boy. This is so hilarious, romantic, and everything she says about life is so, so true! I recommend this book to anyone who has a sense of humor and a heart! – Kara Rofe

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Book Reviews The Boy in the Striped Pajamas ¼ The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne was such an enjoyable and touching book to read about the Holocaust. The story written by an outside narrator tells the story of 9 year-old Bruno. He lives in Berlin, Germany with his family until his father is sent to work at Auschwitz, or as Bruno thinks, Out-With. Bruno meets a child in the concentration camp named Shmuel. He builds a friendship with this Jewish boy in the camp, but will this ultimately lead to his demise? Well, you have to read it! How Boyne writes in the “speak” of a nine year-old the book is very much believable. He writes as Bruno and clearly shows how this young boy does not understand the situation he is in. This book displays the pure nature of children and how they do not judge others as adults do. This is surely is a heart-wrenching and touching story. It a great starter Holocaust book for younger teens, because it does not explain what is done to the people in the concentration camps as graphically. I would recommend this book for ages 11+. With Boyne taking such a different point of view on Holocaust books this is definitely a must-read. - Paige Botie 114

Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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June 2010

Book Reviews The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By Stephen Chbosky

This certainly is one of the best books I have read in a while. It relates to your life and others so well. The quest to be somebody, but sometimes it doesn’t matter if you meet people, as long as you find with who you are. This book takes you on a journey through the life of Charlie, a teenage boy in HighSchool. He experiences many different things that change his course in life - smoking, drugs, alcohol, and relationships. He really just wants to understand everything. He starts out as just a “wallflower” but soon makes friends with a group of people who thinks he is more than just that. This book narrates the tragic times in his family’s lives and his friends, but also the times where he just feels “infinite”. This is the type of book you won’t stop reading. It really takes you on a thinking journey in what it is like to be these different people who are all friends. Charlie’s adventures in High-School never end when there is always somebody that needs a shoulder to cry on, and that is his. This book definitely makes you feel “infinite”. It does contain mature content, but overall it is a book you will never put down. - Matthew Tierney

Smiles to Go By Jerry Spinelli

This book is about a 9th grade boy named Will Tuppence who has a very exciting little sister named Tabby. She would eat her dinner with tools, yell into the phone, and turn on every faucet in the house. Will hardly knows his little sister and when Tabby gets into an accident, he realizes how much she loves him. I thought this book was so heartwarming and it made me realize how important siblings are to you. I loved it! -Kara Rofé

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Book Reviews The Face on the Milk Carton Series By Caroline B. Cooney

The Face on the Milk Carton Series consists of four books. Here they are with their ratings.

1. 2. 3. 4.

The Face on the Milk Carton. Whatever Happened to Janie? The Voice on the Radio. What Janie Found.

4 3 4 4

stars stars stars ½ stars

Many kids enjoy finding a book series that they can follow and enjoy so much that they want more…this was one of those series. This series overall keeps you glued to the drama. In the first book, it is about a girl named Janie Spring who saw her picture on the back on the milk carton. The picture claims she was kidnapped 11 years ago. She can’t believe it. She can’t get it off of her mind and decides to uncover the truth. She finds out that her current parents did not kidnap her, but the real daughter of these parents did. Her name was Hannah. Hannah kidnapped Janie in the mall when she was 3 years old and gave the child to her parents who have since been taking care of her. It follows into the second book where Janie meets her birth family and tries to fit in, but having two families is very hard to do. Realizing that her “fake” parents can be in trouble for kidnapping her, she decides to come to their rescue. With the help of her boyfriend, Reeve, anything can happen. Relationships are broken and made, families are pulled apart and love is created. This is a great book for anyone who likes love, comedy, romance, and adventure. What will happen? Does she find her true kidnapper? Which family does she continue to live with? Will Janie ever know the real…truth? The suspense mounts to the very end of the series. You will have to read it to find out. Overall rating as a series:

4 ½ stars Dana Winthrop

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Book Reviews The Face on the Milk Carton continued… This was a very good book. It was a mystery, but it was not scary or anything, so it was enjoyable to read. But the plot twisted near the end and everything got more confusing to follow. It was about a girl who sees her picture on a milk carton under the words “MISSING.” Now the whole book is up to Janie (the girl) to try to piece together her life, and whether or not her parents kidnapped her or not. It does not sound confusing, but then her parents say that they have another daughter, which screws up any thought of figuring this book out. Overall, this book was very good and I could not put it down! – Morgan Rampolla

Whatever happened to Janie? By Caroline Cooney ½

This book was the sequel to “The Face on the Milk Carton” and was equally as great. Janie is now forced to choose whether to stay with her birth parents, which have four children or her “parents” that unknowingly took part in her kidnapping, yet have raised her for 12 years. Janie now faces an internal conflict in which she should choose to live with. This book had lots of suspense and was somewhat sad. I found myself yearning to head to the next chapter every time I finished a new one. This was very good, but it would be hard to understand if you hadn’t read the first book of the series. – Morgan Rampolla

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MUSIC REVIEWS LCD Soundsystem This Is Happening ½

It’s most certainly happening. You know an album is fantastic when it is leaked in its entirety on the band’s website and the first listen is great. Well for me, the first listen knocked me on my face, and by the third listen I was a goner. Not only does this album improve on 2007’s masterpiece “Sound Of Silver”, it is a dance-punk masterpiece on it own. From the first track “Dance Yrself Clean” all the way to the closer “Home”, there is not one weak move. Now for an avid LCD fan, I find the most endearing aspect of the band the little idiosyncrasies that they quaintly slip in each track of their, like the faint shout that singer James Murphy gives on the song “Sound Of Silver” off the album of that name after the refrain a minute in. Or the fact that “All I Want” off this new album is perhaps the finest reboot of David Bowie’s “Heroes” ever, without covering the song. Or the off beat synths on the 9-minute opus “You Wanted A Hit.” But the most fun moment on this album is “Pow Pow”, a simple discorock repetition done in Murphy’s dead pan sing/talk voice. It is by no means the best musical song on the album, but it certainly gives me the warmest feelings…feeling warm enough to make this an early contender for album of the year, and maybe album of the decade. – Dean Essner

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MUSIC REVIEWS Vampire Weekend Contra ½ “Contra” is Vampire Weekends second album. I liked their first album and hoped this one would be as good. It wasn’t. The first album sounded different and had good songs from beginning to end. This one sounded mostly the same, with a lot average songs. It did have some great songs like “Cousins”, “Hortacha” and “Giving Up The Gun”, but there weren’t that many. I still like Vampire Weekend and think they will make better albums. Instead of buying the CD, you could download the good songs and wait for their next album. Matthew Bielskas

Them Crooked Vultures Self-titled ½

What do you get when you take Queens Of The Stone Age front man Josh Homme, Led Zeppelin base player John Paul Jones, and Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl? Why a hit album of course! And on their self titled debut LP, most of the tracks are 70’s hard rock masterpieces such as the gritty yet beautiful “Bandoliers”. – Dean Essner

MGMT Congratulatons ¼

Congratulations MGMT, you guys are no longer synth-pop radio stars. You have upgraded to psych rock weirdos! Luckily, their new album proves this transition is fluid and beneficial as shown on tracks like “Its Working”, “Somethings Missing” and the folk-rock fantasy “I Found A Whistle”. – Dean Essner

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MUSIC REVIEWS Lady Gaga The Fame Monster ½

Wow...That’s all I can say. Lady Gaga has truly outdone herself once again. She is crazy! Behind the blonde-wig-wearing, boy-crazy singer, there actually is a normal brunette, green-eyed Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. Songs like ‘Telephone ft. Beyonce’ and ‘Dance In The Dark’ have that same fast beat you would find in a Madonna song, but not all the songs are upbeat. She belts out her ballad ‘Speechless’ that makes some of her fans, or as she refers to them ‘monsters’, want to cry. The big hit of the album is ‘Bad Romance.’ All eight songs on the album are pretty good. My favorite song is ‘Telephone ft. Beyonce.’ I have to admit, her songs have a strong beat, and she is actually a talent singer, but the themes of the songs are... interesting. Her songs are explicit. She seems to attract young adults between the ages of 20-27. If you want to have an album that has racy lyrics but a good beat, then go ahead and buy this. But if you want to keep it G-rated, stay away! – Tahra Friedman

Black-Eyed Peas IN CONCERT (March 1st, 2010)

Loud and fun, The Black-Eyed Peas had a great concert. If you go to a concert like this one, I’m warning you beware of bright lights shinning in your face. The Black-Eyed Peas had crazy outfits, but you should still go, it was a lot of fun. The Black-Eyed Peas sang a lot of their hits like: Get it Started, Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta a Feeling and many other great songs. I recommend going. – Jake Geller

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Owl City Ocean Eyes This is an amazing album that has been (and deserved to be) on the Billboard Charts ever since it debuted! Lead singer Adam Young has songs that are fun, witty, and great to listen to. On July 14, 2009, the song "Fireflies" was chosen as the Single of the Week by the iTunes music store. This led to a huge success as the song was downloaded over 650,000 times and this helped the album reach #2 on the US store. The single has gained worldwide success, topping the charts in the United States, Australia, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Owl City creates deep, melodic songs, such as ‘Meteor Shower’ and ‘The Saltwater Room’ but he also sings upbeat songs you can dance to, such as ‘Fireflies’ and ‘Dental Care.’ There is one song that stands out - 'Vanilla Twilight'. This song is about Young's past girlfriend (who died in a car crash) and how he felt when this tragic event occurred: "But I'll miss your arms around me, I'd send a postcard to you, dear, 'cause I wish you were here" sings Young. I’d recommend this album to anyone and everyone! It truly is a great album to listen to, for however you feel! - Tahra Friedman

Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue It’s amazing that Alice in Chains could survive without Layne Staley, but they pulled it off. I think the new singer is almost as good as Layne Staley. This is also an amazing album. If you don’t want to buy the whole album, at least listen to “Last of my Kind” and “Check my Brain.” – Sal Liotta

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Best Albums of the 2000s by Dean Essner 1. Kid A- Radiohead tied with In Rainbows by Radiohead 2. Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 3. My Morning Jacket- Z 4. White Stripes- Elephant 5. LCD Soundsystem- Sound Of Silver 6. TV On The Radio- Dear Science 7. Animal Collective- Meriwether Post Pavilion 8. Wilco- A Ghost Is Born 9. The Shins- Wincing The Night Away 10. Arctic Monkeys- Favourite Worst Nightmare

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MUSIC REVIEWS

Heavy Metal Flashbacks By Sal Liotta 15 years ago – 1995 Alice in Chains ½

The truth is that for a title album, it was kind of a disappointment. I wasn't impressed by it, and thy are my favorite grunge band! The reason I gave it 2 1/2 stars was because there were some OK songs. I do like "Heaven Beside you", "Sludge Factory" and "Frogs". If you like the band, it’s not that bad of an album. It just wasn't one of my favorites. – Sal Liotta

20 years ago – 1990

Judas Priest - Pain Killer

½ Judas Priest has had a lot of different sounds. One

of my favorite is around the “Pain Killer” and “Screaming for Vengeance” albums. I just like the high pitched screaming. Pain Killer is one of my favorite albums that I own. It is also just a great Judas Priest song. – Sal Liotta

Pantera - Cowboys from Hell

This was a pretty good album. Pantera is a real ‘dimebag’ metal band. The song itself is a classic in Heavy metal music. This album is a must if you like this kind of music. – Sal Liotta

Megadeth-Rust in Piece

Rust in Pieces is a great song and a great album. There is a reason this was Megadeth’s first album that was nominated for a Grammy. Mega Death is a great metal band. Rust in Peace was a great metal album. It is simple as that.-Sal Liotta

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MUSIC REVIEWS

40 years ago – 1970 The Beatles Let It Be

Let It Be was the Beatles last, but not one of their greatest albums. It has some terrific songs like “The Long and Winding Road”, “Across the Universe”, “Let It Be” and “Get Back”. Many of these songs were singles and made the album famous. It also wasn’t really the last album in a way, since it was recorded before Abbey Road. There were also some good, but underrated songs as well. Some of these songs included “I’ve Got a Feeling”, “Two of Us”, and “One After 909”. However, Let It Be contains some of the worst Beatles songs ever like “Dig A Pony” and “I Me Mine”. These songs weren’t that bad, they’re just mediocre. These mediocre songs take up more of the album then with most Beatles albums. Let It Be was a pretty decent album. It contained some of the best and worst Beatles songs. It is an album that I recommend to Beatle fans, but not for everybody. They could buy the Beatles Number One album and get the three hits. - Matthew Bielskas

My personal favorite will always be “A Hard Day’s Night” but there may have been no better way for the Beatles to have ended their work together. “Dig a Pony,” “Get Back” and “I Me Mine” are songs that I will always love. You don’t need to be a Beatle’s fan to fall in love with this album. If I had a copy of this album in one hand and a person in the other and they were dangling off a cliff and I had just enough strength to save both, I would let the person go, just to make sure that I could save the album. – Nick Frankel

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MUSIC REVIEWS

40 years ago – 1970 The Beatles-Let it Be continued… “…whisper words of wisdom, Let it Be…” The swan song of Lennon and McCartney – the last quiet comment from this revolutionizing writing team – is a thing of beauty. The separationism of “The White Album” and the complex composition of “Abbey Road” are The Beatles Last fight, while “Let it Be” is the friendly last reconciliation. There are classic moments, including “The Long and Winding Road”, “Let it Be” and “Get Back”, my highlights are the surreal “Across the Universe”, the super bluesy “I Dig a Pony” and the sweet diddy “Two of Us”. Originally conceived as a roof top concert at Abbey Road studios – the execution of that performance with Billy Preston on keyboard was a less than stellar. The residual of those sessions are the master work we get to enjoy, 40 years later. Marred by an over-the-top Phil Spector production job, the rerelease “Let it Be…Naked” from 2003, stripped away all the sizzle and left us with the glorious, tasty, perfectly cooked rare porterhouse Steak. The Beatles left us just before this release, exhorting fans to Let it Be. We are thankful that this last helping of beauty is titled with words to live by. – Mr. Essner

45years ago – 1965 The Beatles-Help! This album is among their best, with great songs like “Yesterday”, “Ticket To Ride”, and “Help”. The album also has underrated songs “Act Naturally” and “I’ve Just Seen A Face”. This album also marks the start of their transition from a pop sensation to the first great rock group. This is a must have, because it has something for everyone. - Paul DeCarlo

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Television Reviews

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Starz’s new miniseries is a winner. In history, a gladiator was a walking contradiction. The best were as famous as today’s elite sports athletes, and Romans argued, discussed and debated about technique, matches and who was the best. On the other hand, gladiators were considered the scum of the Earth. They may be famous, but they were slaves, and their masters had control over their life and death. Who can be a gladiator? They were criminals, slaves, prisoners of war, or even free men who needed money or wanted to be famous. Spartacus was a Thracian (present-day northern Greece and Bulgaria), who fought with the Roman legions, but something happened and he was forced to become a gladiator. Apparently he was quite successful, but this is not why we still know his name today. It is the rebellion he eventually leads that evolves into a massive slave revolt sweeping through Italy and laying waste to one Roman Legion after another that made him famous. Over 2000 years later, Spartacus’ rebellion still influences modern-day rebellions, revolutionaries, politicians, film and literature. Starz’s first season of Spartacus is a winner. Over 13 blood-soaked episodes it effectively and gradually develops who Spartacus was, where he came from, how he became a gladiator and why he rebelled. Andy Whitfield is a perfect Spartacus, and he is supported by a talented and well-cast group of actors. Overall, the entire series seems like the most violent ancient soap opera you will ever experience. There is plotting, back-stabbing, unexpected twists, lies and deceit. If you are into ancient history, or liked movies like 300, this is a series for you. But be warned, every episode is filled with graphic violence, language and sexuality, and it is for mature audiences only. They do not hold back and anything! The highly anticipated 2nd season, entitled Spartacus: Vengeance, has been approved by Starz. Unfortunately the main star, Any Whitfield, has just been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and will begin treatment immediately in New Zealand. As a result, production on the second season of Spartacus - which would be underway right now - has been delayed. To keep the audience’s interest, NY Magazine has reported that Starz is developing a 6-episode mini-series prequel, with a younger actor playing the younger Spartacus. This should keep the momentum going with the shows nearly one million weekly viewers. Hopefully Andy Whitfield has a speedy recovery, and hopefully Starz develops a script for the second season as intriguing and engaging as the first season. – Mr. Bund

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Television Reviews

Life ½

The T.V. series "Life" has been one of my favorite nature shows. The footage is just outstanding and it took them three years to film it all. I could almost feel as if I am at the scene. Each week a different animal group or nature species shows for one hour. Oprah Winfrey is a great narrator and speaks very clear. If you love animals and plants I would start watching this show! Frankie Marrone

An amazing documentary series about the wonders of nature. It is kind of hard to believe that the stuff in this documentary is happening on our planet! Excellent, highly recommended you buy it on DVD – Anthony Passela

The Simpson’s Season 21 ½

It’s no wonder that this show has lasted so long. Every thing from when Homer became a thin acting super hero, to when we learn Marge is left handed! May this show continue to Mr. Plow its way to season 100! Life truly is unimaginable without the Simpsons.-Nick Frankel Aye Carumba! Has it been 21 season's already? Some criticize this show as having declined in quality, but season 21 was a reminder that this show still has what it takes to make us laugh. After a great start to the season, the show began to get somewhat sloppy, but it had a great comeback in the later episodes that utterly gave the season the extra star it needed. My favorite part of the season? Bart's humorous chalkboard gags that he writes at the beginning of most episodes. Some of my favorite episodes were "The World May End in 2012, But This Show Won't" and "South Park- we'd stand beside you if we weren't so scared" (In response to the south park 200th episode controversy.) Not to mention that the recent opening of one of the episodes, which had the characters lip syncing "Tik tok", was hilarious as well. All and all, this season wasn't amazing, but it had just enough comedy and emotions to satisfy us. I would not be surprised if this show last's another 10 or 15 years. -Anthony Passela

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Television Reviews

Family Guy Season 8 On the very short list of shows that were cancelled and brought back, Family Guy stands out. This season has been filled with side splitting jokes every second. They introduced new characters like the two Mexicans that can almost speak English, and had guest stars like Dan Ackroyd and Chevy Chase. They also took risks like making fun of Sarah Palin’s daughter. This show will never end unless Fox is burned to the ground and Seth McFarlane is killed.Nick Frankel

This was a very interesting season. Some episode's left me laughing my brains out, while others left me disgusted and sometimes offended. If you ever watch the older episodes, they are so much better. Why can't this show have that same kind of quality it did back then? I would watch it more often if the writers did that. Overall, still a funny and decent season. - Anthony Passela Since Cleveland left, it is not as funny as the last 3 seasons. The format has also changed a lot. This new format is now a pre- plot that leads to two different plots. There were a lot more cutaways, and much more Meg and Chris. One good thing about this season is that Stewie is less popular, giving other characters a chance. – Sam Leifer

The Clevland Show Season 1 Review ½

What can I say? Not the next Family Guy, but not a huge bomb. Jokes were funny, but they didn’t make me laugh like I do with other Family Guy. Expect this show to stick around for a while, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. - Anthony Passela

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Television Reviews

Glee This is a great show! Each show hooks your attention and has you begging to see the next. It is a show about a modern high school choir class. It shows the exact twists and turns that happen in a high school, but people never think to tell about. It tells stories with singing and dancing. It is basically one huge musical theater production on TV. Each character deals with their own conflict, which brings them all together after. I love this show, and I am addicted to each passing episode. – Evan Hirsch

What a hit! On the off-season I am so upset. I can’t be ‘Gleeless.’ I love the humor, music, and plot. Amazing! – Paige Botie

Big Bang Theory No, I’m not talking about the things that bore us in science class; I’m talking about the CBS show. This TV show is about four science loving nerds and their struggles through everyday life. The plot may not seem too appealing at first, but once you watch this show, you’ll see why this show is one to stick around for a while, with jokes that are perfect for adults and middle schoolers to comprehend. - Anthony Passela

Undercover Boss ½

CBS’s new hit show, Undercover Boss is a documentary series about Presidents and CEOs of big name companies (like Seven-Eleven and White Castle) that go undercover in their companies to find out if their policies are being enforced and if there are any changes that need to be made. So join the other million people and watch this show every Sunday at 9:00pm. Anthony Passela

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Television Reviews

Son’s of Tucson ½ star First of all, this show shouldn’t be into Fox’s Animation Domination, and smashed in with The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show and Family Guy. I don’t even think I laughed once during watching this show. My suggestion: Don’t watch it unless your life depends on it! – Anthony Passela

America: The Story Of Us ¼

This is a great 12 part series on the History Channel about how our country went from a vast landscape of possibilities to the nation we know today. Seriously recommend watching, especially if you’re into this kind of stuff. -Anthony Passela

Minute To Win It ½

As far as game shows go, this one’s got some potential. It’s got all the basics down - a good concept and a decent host (Guy Fieri); though Guy kind of does better on food shows. This show isn’t exactly the next “Deal or No Deal” or “Jeopardy,” but it’s going to stick around for awhile. – Anthony Passela

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Television Reviews

South Park:

Created in 1997 by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, this outstanding show never fails to make fun of everything in the funniest way possible. With 14 seasons, and signed on for 15, this show will hopefully go on forever. This show is about the daily life of four 9 year-olds living in South Park, Colorado, a quiet little mountain town. From Cartman’s insanely hilarious loud mouth, to Kenny’s deaths that are never fully explained, this show keeps on delivering the funniest content on TV. It parodies issues such as abortion, celebrities, censorship, drugs, environmentalism and global warming, Nazis, homosexuality, religion, politics, The War on Terror, and many others. The show has sparked many controversies and debates. Though it contains a lot of immature content, under the cursing and inappropriate subject matter, it provides many deep lessons about the world we live in and shows a true wonderful insight into how messed up it is. – Brandon Fluhr

24: Season 8 24, the eighth season is an action packed show with a new exciting episode every week. The plot and characters are amazing. Each episode is another hour in the 24 hours of the season - so obviously each show is an hour. At the end of each episode I think to myself "Oh my God". This TV series is a must see. - Justin Wieder

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Television Reviews Top People of American Idol By Sam Liefer

1 Taylor Hicks 2 Jordin Sparks 3 Mekinda Doolittle 4 David Archuletta 5 Kelly Clarkson 6 Jennifer Hudson 7 Chris Daughtry 8 Katherine McPhee 9 Carrie Underwood 10 “Pants on the Ground” By Paige Botie 1. Carrie Underwood 2. Jennifer Hudson 3. Chris Daughtry 4. Kelly Clarkson 5. Jordin Sparks Honorable Mentions Kris Allen and “Pants on the Ground”

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HHH Review Club June 2010

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Broadway Reviews The Lion King I recently saw The Loin King on Broadway. It was very good. The costumes were magnificent, and brightly colored. In the beginning all of the animals come through the aisles and onto the stage. It is so cool because all the animals’ costumes are built and then people are inside of them to move them around. My favorite part of the play was the stampede. They had this rotating thing which made the animals “run”. When I went it was “kids’ night on Broadway” so there were a lot of kids. The worst part of the night was the eight year old behind me, kicking me in the back, literally EVERY 2 SECONDS, but it didn’t take that much out of the play. I highly recommend this play, it was one of the best I’ve seen.-Morgan Rampolla

This really was a wonderful Broadway play. It is something the entire family can enjoy. – Mr. Bund HHH Review Club June 2010

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Broadway Reviews Lion King continued… I have been to many, many Broadway plays and this is by far my favorite one! Everything single thing about it was amazing! I loved it so much! The acting was just amazing! Scar especially was incredible. He did such a great job playing a character so evil and sinister. He had a grace to him that really defined his character. Probably, the only actor who wasn’t good was the young Simba. Speaking of young actors and actresses, the girl who played the young Nala was one of the best young actresses I’ve ever seen. The person who played Zazu was hilarious. The actors who played Timone and Pumbaa were also funny, but not as funny as Zazu. They sounded remarkably like Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella. The sets and especially the props were wonderful. The coolest one was Pride Rock. It was awesome! A big trapdoor on the stage opened and Pride Rock rose and spiraled out of the stage. Another cool set was the Elephant Graveyards. The special effects were pretty good, but there were two that just blew my mind. The first one was the gazelle stampede scene. You would think they couldn’t recreate a huge valley with hundreds and hundreds of gazelles running down into the valley and through it, but they did. It is very complicated how they recreated it and too hard to explain, so you will have to see it yourself. The other special effect was when they conjure up Mufasa’s face in the sky. If you remember this scene from the movie, this scene in the play is much better. Everybody I went with was raving about how in the world they managed to do that. The thing that blows me away the most is how detailed his face and how realistic the stars looked. The whole theater darkened and they made his face seem to hang in midair just like in the sky. I still can’t get over it! The costumes and puppeteers were incredible! They were definitely one of the best things about the play. The costumes and puppets were beautiful, detailed and vivacious, and truly captured the liveliness and exuberance of the Serengeti Plains. The people who controlled the puppets were masters at it. Their movements were so realistic that it was the puppets that really created that Serengeti atmosphere. All of these things made the Lion King so great, but the best thing of all was the music. It was absolutely astounding! It gave the play life! It was so much better than in the movie! Every person in the play had a wonderful voice. When they all got together to sing some songs, such as the “Circle of Life,” it was out of this world. All of the African songs and melodies were beautiful and really got you going. I truly believe that the woman who played Rafiki, Tsidi Leloka, had the greatest voice! She sang some of the best songs in the play, plus, she was hilarious. Some plays and movies have one song that really gets you into the mood of the performance. For the Lion King it was “He Lives In You”. It was the song they sang during the scene where they show Mufasa’s face in the sky. After the play, my family and I went down to the gift shop and bought the soundtrack on CD! It is fantastic! I would look forward to seeing this play again!– Jordan Wilner Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Broadway Reviews Play vs. Movie

Billy Elliot ¾

Musical: I liked this. It’s not the worst show. At least I have seen worse! There were a lot of parts I didn’t get. Some parts kept running on and on! Don’t get me wrong, the dancing was spectacular and the props were very good. I also took some catchy songs and lines away from it. The first act was intense, but the second was so quiet, if a cast member backstage put their lunch in a microwave, I could hear it full volume! It’s mainly about a young boy who wants to dance at a ballet school, but is halted by people and a mining strike. Movie: That was not good! I really didn’t like it. Same story, but was boring even more than the musical. We didn’t even want to see the musical because we saw the movie first. I skipped two scenes, because I got too bored. If you could possibly like that kind of thing, go ahead, but as far as for me. NOPE! – Evan Hirsch

Hairspray on Tour ¾

I loved this! I thought this was great! The mix of Broadway music with 60’s music was perfect for both the audience and story. For the most part, it was about a girl who wanted to achieve stardom, but faces many challenges because of her weight. The props were just as good as the original Broadway show. The acting was very convincing and spectacular. I don’t blame the person who said, “With so many numbers that raise the roof, it’s a wonder the theater is still standing!” – Evan Hirsch

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Broadway Reviews The Addams Family The Addams Family have always been cooky and creepy. However, your view may change after seeing this Broadway play. At first look, this play is good. The first rate cast, unsurprisingly, acts well, especially Gomez. The scenery is also well designed and makes the play come alive. The plot, however, is weak. It revolves around Wednesday (the Addams Family Daughter) falling in love with a "normal" boyfriend, and invites his family to come to the Addams' house. See the shocks on the Adams Family's faces when Wednesday tells them that they have to act "normal". Hear weird arguments that erupt between the two families. Watch Uncle Fester fall in love with the moon, and much more. The play is also pretty long. Combine that with the lame plot, and you could be bored out of your mind. The play isn't as bad as it could have been. There are quite a few funny references to the Addams Family T.V show. The Grandma of the family also brings a few laughs, and Fester has his moments. Overall, The Addams Family was alright. It was set up to be a good show, but the weak plot ruined it for me. The Addams Family doesn’t seem to be creepy, but crazy. - Matthew Bielskas

Play vs. Movie Mamma Mia ¾

Movie: Wow! It was great! The

fact that I saw the musical first made me think nothing could ever top the stage show. How could I be so wrong?! It is the basic story of a bride to be who must find her father, but has 3 choices. Through the whole movie, I could not stop watching the character, Tanya, a rich woman, who is the main character’s wacky sidekick who has had 3 millionaire husbands. The great acting mixed with the music of ABBA, will get you up and dancing when you see it! -Evan Hirsch

Broadway Show: I really like this show as well! It was

all the same story with way less props but much more singing and dancing! I loved the entire cast, especially Beth Leavel who played the mother. It was a great show! – Evan Hirsch

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Broadway Reviews HHH High School West presents GREASE! How should I start this? Oh yeah, absolutely amazing! I thought it was just plain good. The students in the play did a very good job. I thought Adrienne Iannicello, who played Sandy Dumbrowski has a wonderful voice and is a great actress. Also Corrine Valenti who played Marty (one of the pink girls), and Bryce Garcia who played Danny Zuko, had a great voices and good acting. What made this show so good? Well First the actors/actresses (students), and of course the crew. Without them it would be hard - the scenery for the show was wonderful. If I could watch it again I would see it one million times! Oh wait, I can’t forget about the ensembles. They are very good dancers. Honestly without dancers the play would be one step lower! That’s all I will say about the AMAZING school play Grease! Overall this was a great show - maybe as good as a Broadway show! – Tara Ranjbar

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera is a superb piece of work! No wonder it is the longest running show on Broadway of all time. With wonderful music by the Andrew Lloyd Weber, great special effects, and extravagant sets and costumes this show is a must-see. This show tells the story of the Angel of Music that is haunting an opera house. It turns out that he falls in love with the new lead singer at the opera. Will he end up with her? Well, you will have to find out! Although the story may be confusing at times, sit tight, for all the pieces of the puzzle will be put together at the end. With fog cascading over the stage, a giant moving chandelier, and many other props, the mood is set to tell the eerie story of The Phantom of the Opera! - Paige Botie

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HHH Review Club June 2010

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Video Game Reviews

Comparison of NHL 2K10 to NHL 10 (both for the PS3) Better game: NHL 10 There are major differences between these two games. The biggest difference is that NHL 10 is awesome, and NHL 2K10 is really bad. The graphics in NHL 10 can not be matched by any other hockey video game, especially not NHL 2K10. NHL 2K10 has horrible graphics. The players are huge compared to the hockey rink, and they look like mini bobble- head dolls. In NHL 10, all of the players look realistic. In franchise mode, NHL 10 is the best. The franchise mode part of NHL 2K10 was the one part that was actually decent. In NHL 2K10, you can edit the draft class and make them as good or as bad as you want. While you can't do that in NHL 10, you can actually scout the prospects, which I think is more fun than just editing the players. Each game came out with a playoff mode, where you control everything about it, like what team versus who, how easy or hard the computer is, etc. The NHL 2K10 playoff mode is horrible at best, because of the player's stats in the playoffs. You would have your worst player have more goals than your best player and your goalie start giving up more goals than he should. NHL 10 is definitely a better game in every area than NHL 2K10. - Brandon Nomberg

NHL 2K10 (PS3) This is one of the worst video games I have ever played. The hockey players look like miniature bobble-head dolls and the hockey rinks are really small compared to the players. The only bright side to this game is the franchise mode, which is not even that good. I had high expectations for this game because of how good NHL 2K9 was, but I was very disappointed. If you are looking for a really good hockey video game, I highly recommend NHL 10. – Brandon Nomberg

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Video Game Reviews

Call of Duty:

Modern Warfare 2 ½

This game has been one of the most anticipated games of all time, and the original sold almost 500 million copies worldwide. This game is great, but does not live up to the expectations. Then again, I don’t think any game could live up to this game’s expectations. The one thing I prayed for and I got was a longer campaign. The campaign of the original only lasted about 6 hours, which I could have easily completed on a Saturday afternoon. This games campaign is much longer and more action packed than the first one. There is not much to be said about the multiplayer, as it is the same as the first - Great. The new mode added to this game is Special Ops as you fight off waves of terrorists. I know many people have been waiting for this for over a year, and love it, but I am not as impressed as I expected. – Eric Hechler

This game is very popular. It is available on playstation 3, xbox 360, and nintendo wii. It is very realistic and very fun. You can play online with friends or with random people. In addition to playing online, you may also play campaign mode and special operations. This game is probably the best of all the Call of Duty games. When playing with friends, you talk to them via Bluetooth headset or by typing. One thing about this game that makes it so popular is the graphics and its realistic levels. In the online portion of the game, you level up earning new weapons and equipment to face opponents. You can choose many game modes such as capture the flag, team deathmatch, or domination. This game's variety makes it very special. There aren't many flaws to this game except for the fact that you can only do one player for online mode. Games like Halo 3 allow two people to play online on one TV at the same time. - Andrew Baker

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Video Game Reviews

Sky Burger - IPod/iPhone App The app, Sky Burger is insanely addicting, which is my favorite part of any app! In the game, you’re supposed to read the recipe for the burger and then you try to catch the ingredients you need for the burger by tilting the iPod/iPhone. The company is Nimblebit and the price is only $1.99. You can also access your scores on Facebook or Twitter. It’s a lot of fun! - Kara Rofe

FIFA Soccer ‘10 ¼

I liked FIFA Soccer ’10 a lot. I think it is one of the best soccer video games. The rosters are up to date and the graphics are really clear. The players look and act realistic. The league has many different teams from Europe, North America and other continents. What you can do is pretty much the same as some other video games, except for the fact that FIFA looks better, is up to date with the rosters and is more fun to play. This is my favorite soccer video game. – Matt Avallone

BattleField: Bad Company 2 This video game was very good. The campaign is the best there is, the multiplayer rivals Modern Warfare 2, and the graphics are incredible. But as good as it is, it’s just like every other game on the market. His game is extremely good but if you have any of the Halo, Gears of War, or Call of Duty games, you can wait for the game to sell for less then $60. - Paul DeCarlo

MLB 2K10

This game is like all the other 2K10's that have come out, just with player changes and a few new features. Some new features are it’s easier to make a season. This game is good if you like baseball and the controls are also made easier, so you have a better time and don’t get fed up! – Andrew Faber

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Video Game Reviews

Mario Kart for Wii ½

` The classic Mario Brothers are at it again with Mario Kart for Wii! The game has been out for awhile, but still, a whole lot of people have not experienced this game. This version of Mario Kart has all of the old venues to race in and the same characters, but the game play is still intense. The graphics are great and you feel as if you are IN the game. You can choose options from single play, to verses, battle, or WFC connection. In this new feature you can connect with other Wii Mario Kart users and battle head to head. As for the racing itself, you can either operate your car with your Wii remote turned sideways or use the special Wii Mario Kart Wheel. The wheel reacts to your movement to turn the car through all sorts of obstacles in the game to a victory. Using the wheel takes a little getting used to, for you can’t be to violent with your turns, but it gets easier as you use it more. This game sure will give a fun and interactive experience for all ages to enjoy! - Paige Botie

I have Mario Kart Wii and it’s really fun. You can play as yourself or your favorite Nintendo characters. You can unlock new cups, characters, and karts/bikes. You can win awards and play at many different circuits. This is a very fun game and it is only for Wii. It is recommended for all ages. – Jonathan Reichfield

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Video Game Reviews

Super Mario Brothers

Wii Mario returns in another amazing game, but he’s not alone. This time he can go and defeat his enemy Bowser with Luigi, and the two Toads. Now you can have endless fun with your friends working together in story mode, or battling for the most coins in Coin Battle. Besides a fun multiplayer experience, the levels are spectacular and insanely fun. The levels are also improved from the DS original. The controls are surprisingly simple, which is a pretty good thing. Yoshi returns in this game, which makes for better play. There are tons of new enemies and bosses to beat. The new power-ups are the best. They now have Ice Flowers that shoot ice. They also have Penguin Suits that shoot ice, belly slide on ice and water, and helps you swim easier. The Propeller Mushroom actually lets you fly for a few seconds. Fans of the Mario series will enjoy the games difficulty. The later levels can be super challenging, but not too frustrating. The bad part of the game is the choice of worlds. There are no new worlds; they all come from the DS version. Overall this game is really awesome. It’s a lot fun and super hard. Even though the worlds are the same, the new enemies, power-ups, and the availability to play with friends makes it the ultimate Mario game. I strongly recommend this game for people of all ages, from 3 to 60. Even though this is one of my favorite games, I know it’s not perfect. - Matthew Bielskas

Super Mario Brothers for the Wii is very fun and I would recommend it to anyone. You get to be Mario and Luigi and do many different levels. I just did not like the gaps and the graphics were okay. That’s why I would rate this 3 ½ stars. Other than that, it is a very good game for the Wii. Once again, this should be recommended to everyone. – Jonathan Reichfield

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Video Game Reviews

Halo 3: ODST ¾ For people who already fans of the Halo series, ODST is much different from the first three games. The biggest change is that you do not play as the main character of the previous Halo games, Master Chief. In fact, he does not appear at all. Instead you play as an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper) on Earth between the end of Halo 2 and the end of Halo 3. This game plays out much differently than the old Halo games… much more like a mystery. You are separated from your squad of ODSTs and are out to find them. As you travel around the city of New Mombasa, you find different clues like a helmet, and a broken sniper rifle which cause flashbacks and allow you to see what happened to your squad. There were two things about this game that people wanted to see that were not in the other games. One was the final Vidmaster Achievements, which allowed you to unlock Recon Armor (The only way you could get this before ODST was to have it given to you by a Bungie employee). The second thing as called Firefight mode. It does not matter what you call it. Firefight, Horde Mode(Gears of War) or Nazi Zombies (Call of Duty World at War), they all mean the same thing: survival. You can team up with your friends and fight endless waves of Covenant soldiers from annoying little Grunts to Wraiths to Brute Chieftains and Hunters. Overall, even though the Campaign was very short, Firefight mode and the Halo 3 map pack pick up the slack to give this game its grade. - Eric Hechler

¾ ODST is a really cool game. You play as various ODST squad members and find out clues about them. The reason I did not give it a full 3 stars is that you play the same levels more than once, and that all the guns are the same as Halo 3. I think they could have made some new weapons. I would recommend you still buy the game anyway, because it is a lot of fun. – Sal Liotta

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Video Game Reviews

MLB: The Show ½

This is arguably the best baseball game of all time. The graphics are unbeatable. You feel like you are in the ballpark. There are few glitches, but they are minor. There are so many features including RTTS (Road to the Show), where you create a player and go through the challenges of a major league baseball player. The game is only available for the Playstation Systems (PS2, PS3, PSP). – Vishnu Nagaraj MLB 09 The Show

This is one of the best baseball games ever made. It has great graphics, the rule 5 draft and 40 man rosters. This game has everything a baseball fan could want. You can make your own player and try to make it to the big leagues or be the general manager of your own team and make trades, sign free agents and battle it out for the World Series title. Brandon Nomberg

Madden NFL 10 ½ The next version of the very popular Madden series is definitely one of the best. It features things that we have always wanted in the game. One thing is a mode where you can play with former greats such as Dan Marino and Jerry Rice. This was put into the game to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the AFL (American Football League). The graphics are, of course, unbelievable. However there are still a few minor glitches, but I still recommend this game to anyone with an interest in football. The game is available for PS3, XBOX 360, Wii, PSP, and even your IPod Touch. - Vishnu Nagaraj

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Video Game Reviews What are your FAVORITE video games EVER? Favorite video game of all time has to be Mike Tyson's Punch Out. That's my vintage favorite. I loved Tekken 3 for Playstation, Final Fantasy VII, Gran Turismo, I could go on and on... – Mr. Brozzoski Ms. Pac-Man – Mrs. Strand Frankie Marrone Modern Warfare 2 Mario Kart RockBand Robert Marrone Modern Warfare 2 Jonathan Reichfield Mario Kart Wii Call of Duty 4 Wii Sports Summer Sports 2 RockBand Justin Silberlust Modern Warfare 2 Grand Theft Auto 4 Super Smash Bros Brawl Madden 10 MLB RK9 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare New Super Mario Bros Wii Super Smash Bros Brawl Wii Call of Duty: World of War Grand Theft Auto Paul DeCarlo Gears of War 2 Modern Warfare 2 Madden ‘10 Assassin’s Creed Gears of War 1

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Video Game Reviews What are your FAVORITE video games EVER? Continued… Justin Zelamsky Call of Duty Modern Warfare Super Smash Brothers Brawl Band Hero New Super Mario Bros Wii Matt Avallone FIFA 10 Ultimate Alliance Call of Duty 3 MLB 2K8 Guitar Hero Kara Rofe Guitar Hero Rockband Mario Kart Wii Super Smash Bros Brawl Tahra Friedman Sims 3 Amped 3 Grand Theft Auto Wii Fit Nintendogs Guitar Hero Nick Kohlhepp

Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty 4 Grand Theft Auto 4 Left for Dead 2 Eric Hechler 1. Legend of Zelch series 2. Mass Effect 3. Halo Trilogy 4. Assassin’s Creed 2 5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

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Vacation Reviews - Ireland

The Epstein Family Trip to Ireland At the end of the past summer, the Epstein family embarked on a trip to scenic, southern Ireland. We flew into Dublin airport and arrived early in the morning. We were met by the tour director, and along with several other tourists arriving with us, we took a tour bus to the hotel. We were all pretty tired from jet lag, but after a brief rest we explored Ireland. The highlight of the day was a tour through the Guinness brewery. Over the next Beautiful ruins few days, we explored Ireland, including Trinity College and saw the famous Book of Kells. We then traveled along the southern coast of Ireland to the city of Cork, where the Titanic made its last stop before its ill-fated voyage to America. At night we enjoyed some wonderful dinners with the Trinity College other members of the tour, along with nighttime entertainment. During the day, we traveled to some of the most beautiful and scenic points of interest on earth, such as the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher, which are several 800 foot precipices over the Atlantic Ocean. The tour ended in Limerick with a trip to the Blarney Stone (we all kissed it!) and a wonderful medieval dinner theater show. We said good-bye to our friends, our family then took a two day trip to Galway, where we stayed for one night. There was a wonderful town to explore, and we had the best dinner of the trip at McSwiggan’s restaurant. The next day, we took a ride to Mayo County and stayed at the world famous Ashford Castle, an 800 year old medieval castle, which is now an opulent resort. We all had a wonderful time in Ireland! – by Elyse and Mark Epstein (Brandon Epstein’s Parents)

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Vacation Reviews – Ireland continued…

I thought this was a great vacation! We went to Dublin, Cork, Cliffs of Maher, Guinness Brewery, and many other places. We even stayed in Ashford Castle, built 800 years ago, for the last night! I thought the food was great (and it was the first time I tried spare ribs). I loved the bread rolls so much. My mom loved the picture-taking and sight-seeing. I liked Blarney Castle and kissed the Blarney Stone. The only thing I hated about this vacation was there were so many people smoking. We went to a monastery with tombs Cliffs of Moher dating back to several hundred years. We went on a tour bus, and even met new friends living in Sayville. At their hotel room, I had a pillow fight with them. It was one of my best experiences in Ireland. It was a fun vacation. I wonder where we’re going in the summer of 2010 – Brandon Epstein

Mr. Bund visits Ireland Ireland is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. Using Dublin as my homebase, every day I would wander throughout the gorgeous countryside. If you are visiting wonderful medieval ruins or wandering through a cemetery filled with magnificent Celtic crosses, you will not be disappointed. Cemeteries of Celtic Crosses Everything is so green and alive. Pictures do not capture the seemingly endless variations and shades of green. I was not on a tour, but I did book some day-tours (with only about 10 people) for the trips out to countryside. They were wonderful and the tour guides were knowledgeable and passionate. At night I would return to Dublin and enjoy the always active nightlife. If you are either with the natives or the tourists, people just had a great attitude and you will enjoy their company while hanging out listening live band after live band. A great live music scene! I got over to the west coast and the Cliffs of Moher only for 1 day, and when I return to Ireland I will spend more time there. I wondered what people were growing on their farms on this side of the island. It just seemed like fields of green grass separated by old stone walls. Probably potatoes, but whatever it was, it was beautiful. Just a warning – I was there in the summer and it was still jacket weather. You are pretty far north, and it gets cool even in the summer. Also, prepare for rain. I had some fantastic weather, but a Dulbiner put it something like this to me, “We have rain only 2 days a week – Sunday thru Wednesday and Thursday thru Saturday!” - Mr. Bund All Photos by Mr. Bund

Climbing on the Ruins

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Vacation Reviews

Six Flags Great Fright Fest

Adventure

By Jenna Weissler ½

Great Adventure is supposed to be a fantastic fun experience where you can spend a whole day and still not want to leave. With my sights set high, I insisted on a trip to Great Adventure to experience the highly publicized Halloween Fright Fest. My family raced through the city and down the New Jersey Turnpike to be the first people to arrive at the park. Hopes were high, wallets were full and the excitement was building. After all, what better way to spend Halloween than at the place that claimed to be scary, fun, and full of surprises? The food was barely edible and the prices were extremely high. Since the choices were limited, it wasn’t optional to spend $12.00 on chicken nuggets and French Fries. If you like greasy foods such as fries, funnel cakes and fried chicken, then this was the place to be. The choice was either eat that or starve! The rides were fun and the lines were not very long, making fun for a long day. Some of the rides were very scary but the advertised Fright Fest was scheduled to begin at sundown. Not knowing what to expect, the park guests were all looking forward to 6PM for the true adventure to begin. When the night activities began, it turned out that the “Fright Fest” was only people dressed in costumes, walking through the park and surprising you by coming right up to you and looking in your face. The special effects, such as smoke screens, were interesting but were frightening only to young children. The haunted houses set up just for Halloween required an extra charge which was disappointing, considering the amount of money that it cost just to get into the park. This was one “Fright Fest” that you should miss, unless you are under 6 years old, of course.

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Sports Reviews What do THE KNICKS Need to do this Off-Season? Oh God the Knicks need to pick up the pace next season. How well will the Knicks do next year? First thing they need a true center, because all of the players on the Knicks are tall but thinner than usual big men. They are going to get outscored if they don't have any beef. The next thing is that they want some one good like Dwane Wade, because when he is under pressure he can get the job done. Also they need to keep McGrady healthy if they resign him. If they resign him they will need someone else other than McGrady, because no one really is that good. You can't leave him on the court by himself. The Knicks have good shooting with Danilo Gallinari and T-Mac. They have a good rebounder with David lee, but do not have the best point guard position. On the bench they at least get 30 points per game. At the end of each game the Knicks come back from a lot of points. Hopefully they will get someone good from the draft, but you never know what will happen. – Lucus Liberatore

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Sports Reviews

5 things that the Mets need in order to be contenders this year: by Brandon Nomberg 1. John Maine and Oliver Perez: The back end of the rotation has to pick up the slack. If Maine and Perez were to pitch like they did in 2007, the Mets will be a shoe‐ in for the playoffs. The rest of the rotation is fine. 2. David Wright: David Wright is largely considered the “face of the franchise” but he is not hitting like it now. All of the Mets are hitting well EXCEPT for David Wright. Bay is coming around, along with Reyes. Wright needs to hit in order for the Mets to contend. 3. Bullpen: The bullpen has been way overworked up to this point. While they have been very good, they collapsed in the 2007 and 2008 season. If the bullpen is superb, the Mets will definitely be contenders. 4. Baserunning aggressiveness: The Mets have to play “small ball” since the only real power threat they have without Carlos Beltran is Jason Bay, since Wright hasn’t been very well hitting so far. A stolen base and a single is an easy way to get a run. 5. Carlos Beltran: Beltran is supposed to come back around the all‐star break. If the Mets are in contention when he comes back and he hits like the Beltran of 2006, he will give them a big boost. 6. INJURIES: We do NOT need a replay of last year. The players should stretch extra before each game so they don’t pull a muscle, which would result in missing at least 2 weeks. Injuries plagued the Mets last year, so they have to be extra careful this year.

If the Mets do all of these things, they have a pretty good chance at the wild card, but they have little to no chance of taking down Ryan Howard and the Phillies stacked lineup.

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Sports Reviews

Baseball Prediction: How are the Mets going to do this season? How are the Mets going to do? I will tell you. The Mets are going to be much better. They have new additions in pitching and batting. They added Jason Bay to left field from the Red Sox. They got Rod Barajas from free agency. They also got Gary Matthews Jr. from free agency as well. Jason Bay and Rod Barajas are good power men and run producers for them, and Matthews Jr. is a good backup for the outfield. In pitching they got great relief pitchers. They got Hisanori Takahasi from Japan and Jenry Mejia from the draft. They have both been solid to start the season. The Mets have started the season pretty well. At the end of April they are 14 wins 9 losses. They have also had some good winning streaks where the pitching has been almost perfect and the bats have come alive. Mike Pelfrey started 4-0 with the best ERA in the league. Early on, The Mets also had three players starting to hit homeruns; Wright, Barajas, and Francoeur. I think their only weakness is if the starters stay healthy and good the whole season? Other than that, they look good. I predict their record to be 89-73, and 2nd in the NL East Division, and that they do not make the playoffs by a few games to the Wildcard winner, San Francisco Giants. -Jesse Liberatore

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Sports Reviews How are the Red Sox going to do this season? The Boston Red Sox (my favorite team) has probably the busiest offseason for any baseball organization; however, were their moves a good decision? Well, let’s start with the acquisition of Lackey. With this, the Red Sox have the best rotation in the entire major league, and every night they will have an ac e on the mound. Hitting is more of an issue for the Sox, with the loss of Bay, they lose an important part of their power game. Although the loss was tragic, I doubt this will have a major effect on the team. They play in the smallest park in the league, so a homer is not hard to come by, also, with players like Drew, Youkillis, Martinez and Ortiz. Power is not what the Sox are about while hitting anyway, they play hit and run. The Red Sox have speed with Ellsbury and Lowrie, and when they are on base, the contact bats of the rest of the line-up and power of Ortiz will be able to have the ability to bring in runs every inning. However, the best part of the Red Sox this year will be their defense. With Martinez coming back and the acquisitions of Cameron and Scutaro, the Red Sox now have an amazing defense that will be extremely tough to get balls through the gaps. With the best pitching rotation and unbelievable infield, it is easy to say that the Red Sox will be a favorite for the World Series, and could destroy and team that comes in their way, including the aging Yankees! – Brett Levine

HEY!!! What about the YANKEES??? The Review Club needs YOU! We want YOUR opinion and predictions!!!

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Sports Reviews

2010 MLB Predictions by Brandon Nomberg AL East Rays Yankees Red Sox Blue jays Orioles

AL Central Twins Tigers White Sox Indians Royals

AL West Mariners Angels Rangers Athletics

NL East Phillies Mets Marlins Braves Nationals

NL Central Cardinals Brewers Cubs Astros Reds Pirates

NL West Giants Dodgers Rockies San Diego Arizona

NL wild card: Mets AL Wild card: Yankees World Series: Cardinals vs. Rays Winner: Cardinals

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Predictions for 2010 baseball season By Matthew Jarvis AL East 1) New York Yankees 2) Boston Red Sox 3) Tampa Bay Rays 4) Baltimore Orioles 5) Toronto Blue Jays

NL East 1) Philadelphia Phillies 2) Florida Marlins 3) New York Mets 4) Atlanta Braves 5) Washington Nationals

AL Central 1) Minnesota Twins 2) Chicago White Sox 3) Detroit Tigers 4) Kansas City Royals 5) Cleveland Indians 6) Pittsburg Pirates

NL Central 1) St. Louis Cardinals 2) Chicago Cubs 3) Milwaukee Brewers 4) Cincinnati Reds 5) Houston Astros

AL West 1) Los Angeles Angels 2) Texas Rangers 3) Seattle Mariners 4) Oakland Athletics 5) San Diego Padres

NL West 1) San Francisco Giants 2) Colorado Rockies 3) Los Angeles Dodgers 4) Arizona Diamond Backs

This season I expect to be very competitive. Let’s start with the AL East - the Yankees obviously made two huge moves by acquiring Curtis Granderson and Javy Vazquez, but may miss Matsui's bat in the DH spot. The Red Sox have upgraded a ton by signing both Jon Lackey and Adrian Beltre, who would pay off in place of aging David Ortiz; the Red Sox have the best pitching in the division. The Tampa Bay Rays have to play good this year if they want to a least come close to affording the big contract that Carl Crawford will be wanting, but I don't think that they have enough depth in the bull pen leading up to Rafael Soriano. The Baltimore Orioles will have their best season in a long time after upgrading their lineup with Garret Adkins and Miguel Tejeda, also the signing of Kevin Millwood will pay off big for them; too bad their in the AL East; any other division and their a second place 158

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team. The Toronto Blue Jays on the other hand are probably the worst overall team in the major leagues after trading Roy Halladay to the Phillies and their poor lineup. Now for the NL East. The Phillies have probably one of the best lineups in the major leagues and after acquiring Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays they will be tough to beat this season. The Florida Marlins will once again have a good year with an explosion of young talent. The New York Mets will be much of the same as they have been over the past few years. Sorry all Met fans, the Mets need pitching, not Jason Bay! The Atlanta Braves will continue to decline after losing two pitchers who came up big for them last year, Javy Vazquez and Rafael Soriano. Even though they still have Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrgens to lead their rotation they still don't have the bullpen or lineup to compete in the NL East. Finally let’s get to the Nationals. The Nationals will definitely be competitive with the Braves and Mets within the division with their upgraded lineup and pitching with the additions of Ivan Rodriguez and Adam Kennedy.

Playoff Brackett (projected) Yankees vs. Twins \ Yankees

Red Sox vs. Angels / Angels Yankees win American League

World Series Yankees vs. Phillies Phillies / Phillies vs. Giants

Phillies win National League Cardinals \ Cardinals vs. Marlins

YANKEES WIN IN 6!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Sports Reviews Baseball Predictions 2010 By Anthony Passela OK, here’s the deal. I started writing this review knowing The Mets wouldn’t have a prayer, and thinking the Yankees were going to make it to the playoffs, but not the World Series. Then I looked more into it, and I realized that The Yankees, even with a bunch of new guys, could win the World Series again, because there is just not that much competition. I just wanted to make that clear, and that this is a completely un-bias article. Division winners AL East – New York Yankees Al Central – Minnesota Twins AL West – Oakland A’s Al Wildcard – Tampa Bay Rays NL East – Philadelphia Phillies NL Central – St. Louis Cardinals NL West – San Francisco Giants NL Wildcard – Florida Marlins

The Playoffs First Round American League Yankees Minnesota

Championship Series

World Series

Yankees

Oakland Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay

National League St. Louis Florida Phillies San Francisco •

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The Yankees vs. Tampa will be a fight to the death, and probably the toughest challenge for the Yankees in the post-season.

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Restaurant Reviews On November 17, 2009 the HHH Review Club sampled the food of La Famiglia – a Family Style Italian Restaurant at 250 West Main Street in Smithtown. There was an enormous amount of enthusiasm with us reviewing our first Italian restaurant and many wanted to participate. I met with the owner, John, and we decided that it would be best if I picked up the food and brought it back to school. So on that Tuesday after school I picked up 6 huge trays of food: Penne a la Vodka Fried Calamari in a red sauce Rigatoni Campagnola – with meat, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and oil sauce Chicken Francaise - Chicken in a lemon sauce Eggplant Parmesan Chicken Famiglia - Chicken on the bone with sausage, mushrooms, onions, peppers and potatoes The portions were enormous, and even though there were about 30 of us dining, there was still a considerable amount of leftovers. It is hard to say what my personal favorite was. The Calamari was fantastic and I highly recommend it. I am not usually an eggplant fan, but the eggplant was perfect and will order it again. Several people were reluctant to try eggplant for the first time, but after trying it they were going back for more. The Chicken Famiglia was also very good and I loved the combination of the sausage and mushrooms. Overall, the excellent variety of dishes was excellent. It was not just an extremely satisfying dinner, but the leftovers kept me full for days. On behalf of the Half Hollow Hills Review Club I want to say thank you John and La Familgia for a fantastic experience. – Mr. Bund

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued… All the food was delicious. Here is what I sampled: Penne Ala Vodka – Very rich and creamy. Very good tasting Chicken Francese – Great chicken with an excellent tasting sauce Eggplant Parmesan – Amazing eggplant with fresh cheese and marinara on top Friend Calamari – Fresh taste with crunchy breading, amazing marinara sauce with a little kick Rolls – soft and doughy I would definitely go back to this restaurant!!! – Justin Silberlust For our Fall 2009 issue, we reviewed a restaurant. However, this time, instead of the club going to the food, the food came to us. We had it in Mr. Bund’s classroom. The theme this time was Italian with fare from a Smithtown restaurant named La Famiglia. There were six delectable dishes to try. They were called Penne a la Vodka, Fried Calamari in a red sauce, Rigatoni Famiglia, Chicken Francaise, Eggplant Parmesan, and Chicken Famiglia. Now, I am Italian so I truly enjoy that cuisine. I had the Penne a la Vodka first. It was pasta in a creamy, pink sauce with some spicy peppers thrown in. It was delicious, and I even went back for seconds. Next, was the Fried Calamari which was in a red sauce. I am not a big fan of seafood, but I did have a taste. It had an interesting flavor with the sauce having some “bite.” Next up was the Rigatoni Famiglia which had meat and spinach. It was very good with a juicy flavor and was complimented by the spinach. Then I ate the Chicken Francaise which was in a tangy, lemon sauce. The sauce really made the chicken quite good, and the lemony flavor was the key. It was sweet and spicy at the same time. I didn’t try the Eggplant Parmesan or the Chicken Famiglia, but I heard from others that it was quite a hit. I had a great time, and surprised myself. I tried new dishes that I would not ordinarily eat. And, I enjoyed it. So, if you want fine Italian food and a place for a family, then go to La Famiglia. It will be worth the trip. - Ryan Winthrop

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued… I was very excited that the club decided to review the La Famiglia restaurant, and I am happy we did! There was a variety of foods for us to try. We chose from six different delicious dishes: Penne a la Vodka, Fried Calamari in a red sauce, Rigatoni Famiglia with meat and spinach, Chicken Francaise in a lemon sauce, Eggplant Parmesan, and last, the Chicken Famiglia. Already, the dishes even sounded good! I had my favorites which were the Penne a la Vodka, Chicken Francaise, and the Chicken Famiglia, but I must admit they were all very good. The penne a la Vodka has a great sauce, light and pinkish. The penne had a nice taste and was a good choice of pasta for this dish. The fried Calamari had an interesting taste. I normally don’t like this type of seafood, but there was something about it that made me want to eat more. I think having it in the red sauce made the flavor pop a little more than having the squid alone. The Rigatoni Famigila was something I always like to have and I loved it. It was a nice selection of sauce and it had a delectable taste with the flavor of the meat and the spinach. The rigatoni played a nice part in that dish, too. The Chicken Francaise was one of my favorites because of the way the chicken was prepared and the special sauce mixture. It was actually one of the best chicken dishes I have ever tried. The lemon sauce bursts with flavor in every bite. The Eggplant Parmesan, I have to say was okay. I have never cared for eggplant, but this dish really opened my eyes to trying more eggplant. It had Parmesan cheese on top, something that I like, so that helped me enjoy it more. The last dish was the Chicken Famigila which was one of my favorites. This is really just a big combo dish with mushrooms, sausage, and chicken on a bone. It really made my taste buds love it. This restaurant is a great place for a celebration, holiday, or really any occasion. But no matter what the event, even for a night out, it’s a great place to go to. It’s a classic Italian restaurant. I recommend it to all. I hope when you go there that you will enjoy it as much as I did!! - Dana Winthrop This year in Review Club, instead of going out to our restaurant, we ordered take out. We had plenty of delicious Italian food. My favorite was the Penne alla Vodka. It was delicious. The Calamari was good, except it was drowned in too much sauce with a bit of spice to it. I also really enjoyed the Lemon Chicken dish. The chicken itself was great, as was the sauce it was in. La Famiglia had some great food so I would definitely go back again. - Eric Hechler

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued… I

thought the food was fantastic. My favorite was the Chicken Frances. It was chicken lathered in lemon sauce - mmmmm! I also liked the Penne a la Vodka. It wasn’t as good as the Chicken Frances but it was good. The noodles were good and the sauce was rich. The calamari was ok too. That place is good and recommend it. – James Madden All of Tuesday, November 17th, I have been waiting for one thing. That thing was for 9th period to come to an end. I have been waiting for the restaurant review after school. La Famiglia’s food was great! There were 6 dishes. There was Calamari, Penne a la Vodka, Eggplant Parmesan, Lemon Chicken, Chicken on the Bone with Sausage and a Spinach Dish. I tried the Eggplant Parmesan, Penne a la Vodka, and the Chicken with Sausage. These three dishes were filling and great! I never tried Eggplant Parmesan but it looked so delicious. After I tried it, I thought it was very good. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves Italian Food. - Justin Wieder “All the food was excellent. I strongly recommend the Penne ala Vodka. That was the best! You won’t be disappointed with this restaurant.” – Sal Liotta

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued… “I would recommend this restaurant to a family looking for a place to eat on a Sunday evening.” – Noah Berley

This restaurant has good Italian Food! My favorite dishes were Penne Ala Vodka and Chicken Francese. The Penne Ala Vodka had just the right amount of sauce and great taste. The Chicken Francese, I think was perfectly prepared with just the right taste. I was glad to try La Famiglia’s food. I would love to visit the restaurant with my family and hope they will enjoy the food as much as I did! – Andrew Faber On November 17, 2009, the Review Club at Candlewood Middle School feasted on several dishes prepared by La Famiglia, a restaurant in Smithtown. The first dish I tried was Penne a la Vodka, pasta in pink cream sauce. It was very good, even though I rarely choose this dish. The sauce was flavorful, and the pasta was cooked to perfection! Another dish I sampled was the bread rolls. They were absolutely delicious, especially to a bread-lover like me. These bread rolls had a flaky crust and a moist, soft middle, warmed to perfection. Both dishes were presented in the finest of aluminum platters with light brown corrugated cardboard borders. Other dishes presented that I didn’t specifically try were Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken Famiglia, Rigatoni Famiglia, Fried Calamari, and Chicken Francaise. I heard from other people that they thoroughly enjoyed these dishes too. I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys Italian food such as Penne a la Vodka, Fried Calamari in red sauce, or Eggplant Parmesan. – Brandon Epstein Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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La Famiglia Restaurant Review Continued…

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Meet this issue’s Critics Extra Special Thanks to:

ALL the PARENTS, ADMINISTRATION and PTA for their CONTINUED SUPPORT and CONTRIBUTIONS . Ms. Whitney, Mrs. Kane, Mr. Essner and Mrs. Silberman. All the many teachers and administrators who have contributed their survey answers, time, help and support.

All the students from Candlewood Middle School, High School East and High School West for their contributions All Review Club members of the past who have contributed articles and are printed in this issue. This issue is now found online at the Half Hollow Hills website. Go to: Schools – Candlewood – Clubs and Activities – HHH Review Club

http://www.halfhollowhills.k12.ny. us/page.cfm?p=977519

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Meet this issue’s Critics – continued NAME – GRADUATION CLASS

Andrew Baker - 2015 Andrew Faber - 2016 Anthony Passela - 2016 Brandon Epstein - 2016 Brandon Fluhr - 2014 Brandon Nomberg - 2015 Brandon Ozley – 2015 Brett Levine - 2011 Dana Winthrop - 2016 Daniel Rudin - 2015 Dean Essner - 2012 Elizabeth Georgakopoulos - 2016 Eric Hechler - 2015 Evan Hirsch – 2015 Frank Marrone - 2016 Jake Geller - 2016 Jason Zelamsky - 2014 Jeremiah Sullivan - 2015 Jesse Libberatore - 2015 Jonathan Reichfield - 2015 Josh Cohen - 2014 Justin Silberlust - 2016 Justin Wieder - 2016 Justin Zelamsky - 2016 Kara Rofe - 2016 Matt Avallone - 2015 Matthew Bielskas - 2015 Matthew Garber – 2014 Matthew Jarvis - 2015 Matthew Tierney – 2016 Michael Sardrello – 2015 Miles Essner - 2015 Morgan Rampolla - 2015 168

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Nick Frankel - 2015 Nick Kohlhepp - 2016 Noah Berley - 2014 Paul DeCarlo – 2015 Paige Botie - 2014 Ryan Winthrop – 2014 Robert Marrone - 2016 Sal Liotta – 2015 Sam Leifer – 2016 Stephen McDonald - 2015 Suedeh Ranjbar – 2012 Tahra Friedman - 2015 Tanner Asadorian – 2016 Tara Ranjbar – 2016 Tina Ranjbar – 2016 Victoria Korine - 2015 Zach Levitan - 2015 The Editors Dean Essner Paige Botie – Co-editor Miles Essner Brandon Epstein – Grammar Brandon Fluhr – Movies Evan Hirsch – Broadway Jason Zelamsky Typists Jason Zelamsky Sam Leifer Brandon Nomberg Matthew Garber And a special thanks to Kara Rofe for all of her typing and editing Half Hollow Hills Review Club

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Meet this issue’s Critics – continued

All reviews are the opinions of the writer. You may agree with their opinion or you may not. Some reviewers often give high ratings, while others are much more critical. Regardless, the reviewer is asked to be objective, fair, critical and as professional as possible while supporting their opinion. Many are still developing their writing and critical thinking skills, and it is one of The Review Club’s goals help these writers. If you want to express your opinion, the Half Hollow Hills Review Club always welcomes new members. Meetings for the HHH Review Club are held at Candlewood Middle School by Mr. Bund.

The Half Hollow Hills Review Club and “Off the Record” created and edited by Mr. Bund at Candlewood Middle School, Dix Hills, New York. WORKS CITED: Almost all pictures were taken from Google.com. If there are any questions concerning pictures or statistics please contact The Half Hollow Hills Review Club. 170

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Wanted!!! Critics for the Review Club Attention Half Hollow Hills We need critics New members are always welcome

Movies, Music, Broadway, Restaurants, Vacations, Books,

Sports If you are interested please contact by eboard or stop by Room 710 in Candlewood MS and talk to

Mr. Bund or you can contact

Mrs. Silberman in High School East Room 105 172

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