Movie Mash Up: The Hurt Locker

    The Hurt Locker may be the front runner for best picture.  This low budget, small publicized movie has been creeping its way up critics' list of favorite movies of the year.
    This movie blows all other Iraqi war movies out of the water.  The movie is about a small team that is put together for one reason... to find and neutralize bombs.  The team gets a new leader who is reckless and has no concern for his safety.  His jeopardizes his team and throughout the movie it shows how even when you are in the military and surrounded by fellow soldiers, you can still be isolated and alone.  The movie brings on some pretty intense scenes.

Rating: 8.6

Music In Review: Top 20 songs of 2009

20. Island, IS- Volcano Choir
19. Lovesick Teenagers- Bear In Heaven
18. Empire State of Mind- Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys
17. Actor Out of Work- St. Vincent
16. Daylight- Matt and Kim
15. 1901-Phoenix
14. Quiet Dog Bite Hard- Mos Def
13. Blood Bank- Bon Iver
12. Crystalized- The xx
11. My Girls- Animal Collective
10. Daniel- Bat For Lashes
9. While You Wait for the Others- Grizzly Bear
8. Laura- Girls
7. Watching the Planets- The Flaming Lips ft. Karen O
6. Young Hearts Speak Fire- Japandroids
5. French Navy- Camera Obscura
4. Little Secrets- Passion Pit
3. Knotty Pine- Dirty Projectors and David Byrne
2 Anonanimal- Andrew Bird
1. Two Weeks- Grizzly Bear

Movie Mash Up: The Blind Side

      The Blind Side is one of the better sports stories put onto the big screen since Remember The Titans.  The Blind Side is a true story of a black teenager from the projects of Memphis.  Michael Oher was put in a private school to be given a shot at real academics and football.  One of the moms of fellow students (played by Sandra Bullock) discovers that Michael Oher has no home and basically fends for himself, so she provides him a home and cares for him.  He goes on to play football at Ole Miss and become the 23rd pick in the 2009 NFL for the Baltimore Ravens.  The story is truly a great one in that it shows the compassion of a one human being to another, even when they are on opposite sides of the social spectrum.  The movie also shows what it means to be a family even to those who are not related to you and what you would do in order to help and protect them.
     This movie is not just like any other sport stories in the sense that it is by disney therefore it keeps it family oriented.  Don't get me wrong, it is still very family oriented, but it shows the real story with real life troubles (drugs, violence, abandoned children).  It is a well directed movie that could see some nominations in the Oscars, especially a best-actress nom from Sandra Bullock (yes, i said Sandra Bullock).  She portrays Leigh Anne Tuohy with a strong yet compassionate demeanor.  Honestly, i think no one else could have played the part better.

Rating: 7.9