The Last Word

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: April 20, 2008

DVD Release Date: April 21, 2009

Plot 411: A freelance suicide note writer falls in love with his client's sister.

Review: Evan (Wes Bentley) is a struggling writer who falls into and capitalizes upon writing other people's suicide notes. Strangely enough, he is really good at what he does. He creates a whole system to facilitate this process and even markets his talents on a website. While attending one of his client's funerals (to get writing tips out of the sermon), he interacts with his client's sister. Being quite introverted and awkward, Evan is intrigued with Charlotte (Winona Ryder). They soon develop a relationship, but Evan continues to hide his real job. Evan is also learning new things from his client Abel (Ray Romano), a symphony conductor who has let an early failure ruin his life. The movie is not quite a drama, not quite a black comedy and not quite a romantic comedy. It's a mix of the three. I think the concept of a suicide note writer is pretty fascinating, but the movie could've done so much more with it had it been done in a lighter tone. Overall, this was a dark comedy that had more drama than laughs. Bentley was perfect for this role. He's almost as creepy as he was in P2 but still has a bit of awkwardness that makes him endearing.

Watch It: For an interesting but underdeveloped plot.

Skip It: And write your own script with the basic plotline instead. How cool would that be?

Angels In The Outfield

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: July 15, 1994

DVD Release Date: April 23, 2002

Plot 411: Two foster kids who love baseball cause a sensation when one of them begins seeing angels.

Review: A young Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Roger, a boy who wishes on a star for the California Angels to win a penant, because this is when his deadbeat dad told him they'll become a family again. When Roger begins to see real angels like Al (Christopher Lloyd) helping the team, he informs their coach George Knox (Danny Glover). Whenever Roger sees an angel, he tells Knox. Against his better judgment, Knox does what Roger says and the team begins to win games. Can they win enough games to reunite father and son? You never know . . . because angels are always watching. This is a good family dramedy from the '90s that deals with some serious issues like the fostercare system and faith. Gordon-Levitt does a good job at playing the down-but-never-out Roger, who, despite life's circumstances, still believes in goodness. With a child-like innocence, he creates a fervor in the entire Angels team. Soon the team, who is down in the dumps, begins to have faith in each other and develops a will to succeed. Led by Mel, an ailing pitcher (Tony Danza), the team is soon better than ever. The film includes some now-famous actors like Adrien Brody and Matthew McConaughey. Why don't they make movies like this these days?

Watch It: For a throwback to times when good old fashion family sports movies were all the rage in Hollywood.

Skip It: If The Sandlot, Rookie Of The Year and all the other baseball films of the '90s seem to be playing the same song.

Zombieland

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: October 2, 2009

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: When the world is taken over by zombies, there are certain rules you develop to keep yourself alive. However, sometimes those rules are made to be broken and you cross your fingers hoping to survive it all.

Review: In this hilarious horror comedy, mad cow disease has turned humans into zombies and the population is dwindling away as people get killed and eaten. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is making his way home from college to see if his parents are still alive. He is a loner who has developed a list of rules that keeps him relatively safe from zombies. On the way home he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a guy who is seeking the world's last Twinkie because he believes you have to enjoy the little things. The two join up because in every horror film there's safety in numbers. Along the way, they meet two sisters Witchita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who are headed to California to reclaim a piece of their childhood. The girls are crafty and swipe Tallahassee's ride. This links their futures together and lots of zombie killings ensue. I laughed my butt off at the ridiculousness of this film and all the blood and gore. It's just a good old fashioned slasher film with a decent dose of humor. I found Harrelson to be both a sympathetic character and a deranged lunatic. He played both very well. Stone was just as enjoyable as she was in The House Bunny. I guess she has some sort of charisma going on. Breslin seems to be taking a step away from kid flicks and into the tween/teen arena. Eisenberg continues to be a lovable dork, for which he seems to have a knack.

Watch It: With a bunch of your guy friends and a cooler full of cold ones.

Skip It: If you're disgusted by excessive blood splatter and dangling entrails give you the willies.