Why "The Walking Dead" Is Overrated

Although popular amongst viewers, I dare to say The Walking Dead is one of the most overrated shows currently on air. Here are some pros and cons 

Pros:

-Phenomonal first season

-One of the best Pilots I've ever seen

-Intriguing story line (on paper)

-Acting is typically first rate

Cons:

-Deathly slow second season

-Many episodes drag and feel like a chore to watch

-Although there is character development, all of it is abrupt and doesn't make sense

-Humans become more of a problem than the Walkers

-Rick Grimes becomes one of the most boring characters on television

The show isn't the worst thing on television, but it certainly is the most overrated. AMC should make a point to have the series focus on the zombies and what they can do to stop them rather than the Governor and other human antagonists. After starting the fourth season I have dropped the show entirely. I understand this is an unpopular opinion but hopefully you can see my points and at least take that into consideration. 

American Beauty: Beautiful Filmmaking

The 1999 Oscar Best Picture winner, American Beauty stars Kevin Spacey(The Usual Suspects) as a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis who becomes infatuated with his daughter's friend, thus causing him to try and turn his life around. Directed by Sam Mendes(Skyfall) who has been a consistent director ever since this film. With "Beauty" in the name it would be expected that the camera work would be stellar which it is, capturing everything possible. I believe it is the message this film has on society, family, and life that truly pushes it past a lot of movies. Kevin Spacey is in nearly every scene and he is the lone man I wound want for this role, from his classic narrating to his onscreen depression, you feel for him. Wes Bentley(The Hunger Games) has a role in the movie as well and is certainly overlooked often. Mendes captures elegance, awe, spectacle, and deep thought in this masterpiece. 

9/10

Magneto

Perhaps one of the more powerful villains in Marvel and comic book lore, however what I believe makes him such a scary villain is the fact that he thinks his motives are right. His true identity as Erik Lehnsherr has a deep backstory, traveling back to the Holocaust where he was separated from his parents who both eventually died. Since then, Erik discovered his mutant powers which allow him to control magnetic fields and manipulate metal. He leads a resistance against the US Government seeking civil rights for mutants and more. Magneto firmly believes that mutants are the higher power and humans have no place on earth, this is what makes him so horrifying. Along with nice character development and interesting motives, performances by Sir Ian McKellen(Lord of the Rings) and Michael Fassbender(Shame) in the X-Men Franchise. Ranked #1 best comic book villain by IGN.com in 2009, Magneto remains a force in cinema. Often compared to Malcolm X, Erik Lahnsherr is a notable character in comic book lore and will remain so through film as he is expected to star in X-Men: Apocalypse in 2016. 

9/10 

Christopher Nolan

Some would say he is a modern master, others would criticize his technique. But I'm here to give my opinion on Nolan, and to me, he is a living legend. From Following to Inception to The Dark Knight Trilogy, he has reinvented and innovated a plethora of fantastic films. From his incredible use of visual effects to his grand scale set pieces, Nolan puts his own ideas onto the big screen in a unique manner. Known for his darker tones, you know what to expect in a Nolan film, heavy tone, rich back story, and little comedy. He has reused actors often, especially as of late, but this is key to what makes him a smart director, knowing what he can deal with. Perhaps my favorite director right now, but definitely one of the tops in the business. 

Favorite film: This is such a tough decision, but I have to say my favorite is Memento(2000), it barely beat out The Dark Knight(2008). Although I believe The Dark Knight is the better film, I firmly believe that Memento is the better directed movie. From its catching beginning scene all the way to its calm and deep ending, Nolan keeps you captured and thinking. Utilizing a series of live action to black and white flashbacks, Christopher Nolan makes the audience think. He does not spoonfeed you information and expects the audience to think for themselves and understand the film. A true masterpiece from the director's chair and a film that requires multiple (yet still entertaining) viewings. 

In Conclusion: Christopher Nolan has been a force in Hollywood for 15 years now and will continue to be for hopefully many more. I cannot wait to see what he does with space and wormhole travel in Interstellar, coming November 2014.

X-Men Series: Better than your X-Wife

I will be ranking the 7 X-Men films from worst to best below

7. X-Men: The Last Stand

Brett Ratner(Tower Heist) took helm after Bryan Singer's(The Usual Suspects) departure to work on his Superman film. In the third installment of the X-Men franchise, a cure for mutants has been found and Magneto decides this cannot be and goes on a mission to destroy it. Sounding interesting on paper, this film is easily the worst X-Men film for me. A muddled plot has mutants fighting without any real reason, and fails to provide us with any character development whatsoever. This adaptation of the famous Phoenix Saga from the Marvel comics was ruined and honestly insulting to fans everywhere. 

3/10

6. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The first film after the original trilogy is a simple origin story for Wolverine. Instead of developing the character and fleshing out his backstory we are left with little to no character development, poor editing, well below average CGI and effects, and a ruined Deadpool character. The film would've been much more intriguing had it focused on the montage that opens the movie. A lone bright spot is Taylor Kitsch(Friday Night Lights) as Gambit, who only has a couple of scenes. 

4/10

5. X-Men

Bryan Singer rejuvenated the idea of superhero movies in Hollywood and essentially started up this genre. We are introduced to the X-Men and their struggle for acceptance. What seperates X-Men from every other superhero story is the fact that is a political struggle more than a battle of "Good vs Evil." This is what pushes its boundaries as a story and comic altogether. 

7/10

4. The Wolverine(2013)

Somewhat a follow up from X-Men Origins, this film follows Wolverine after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand. Wolverine shines in this movie in what I believe is, a good interpretation of Wolverine's mission as a man. His entire life is so interesting and his blessing/curse is focused on here. The Silver Samurai and Viper were cast aside as villains so perhaps that hurts the film overall but it does provide a nice insight into Wolverine.

7.2/10

3. X2: X-Men United(2003)

The X-Men are at odds when they face Striker, who is constructing a horrible scheme against mutants everywhere. Great performances all around, a near perfect set piece, and stunning action bring this movie all together very well. The set up for X3 was great although The Last Stand faltered and could not live up to any expectations.

7.5/10

2. X-Men: First Class(2011)

The origin of Magneto and Professor X is told through Matthew Vaughn's(Kick-Ass) perspective in this attempt to kick start the franchise. A near perfect story followed by scene stealing perfomances by Michael Fassbender(Shame, Inglorious Basterds) and James McAvoy(Trance, Filth) make this movie one of the best in the franchise. 

8/10

1. X-Men: Days Of Future Past(2014)

When Sentinels have taken over the world and leave the Mutant race barely alive, Wolverine must travel back in time and save the day. With a time travel story many parts can be messed up and their needs to be a fully thought out script/story or else there will be plot holes and a poor film. The most recent installment of the franchise will knock your socks off. Sadly there are some slower parts but the movie is gripping, touching, and devastating. Bryan Singer's return to the X-Men Universe creates the best episode yet and I can't wait for more. 

8.5/10

The Fault in Our Stars: The Faults in our Cancer Drama

Based off of John Green's(Looking For Alaska) novel with the same title; The Fault in Our Stars focuses on a young girl, Shailene Woodley (The Descendants, Divergent), who has thyroid cancer and is forced to go to a support group by her parents. Through the support group she meets a boy, Ansel Elgort (Divergent), who is in remission and lost his leg in his own battle with cancer. Although this film's target demographic is teenage girls it sure reaches out to everyone by focusing on cancer. There is an instant connection between Hazel (Woodley) and Gus (Elgort), their chemistry is near perfect throughout the movie. The narrative pushes us past the stages of being diagnosed with cancer and opens with Hazel already having cancer, this is something most cancer dramas don't do. Woodley and Elgort carry themselves well and really keep the movie going, though there are some great performances by Willem Dafoe(Spider-Man) who is in the film for one scene and Nat Wolff(Stuck in Love) who had a cancerous tumor on his eye. I will give the movie the praise that it deserves however there are some issues at hand and one glaring fault. Cancer is something that has, is, or will affect everyone at some point in time and cancer is not pretty. Josh Boone's story avoids the hazards of cancer and such by taking a leg away from one character or an eye from another thinking it will make up for not showing the atrocities that come with cancer (this problem has more to do with the source material rather than the film itself). Along with that, it seems as though every other scene is trying to make the viewer sad rather than let the audience understand the sadness themselves. Perhaps not the best cancer drama I've seen (50/50), and perhaps not the best teen romance I've seen (The Spectacular Now, also starring Shailene Woodley), but certainly the best of the two combined. Driven by a strong narrative, perfect pacing, and a near perfect script, albeit with some bugs, The Fault in Our Stars will certainly dampen your mood but also leave you hopeful and optimistic.

7/10

The Dark Knight: It'll Make Your Night

The Dark Knight picks up right where the last film, Batman Begins, left off. Batman and Joker come to odds and Batman struggles to do what is morally and ethically right. If you haven't seen this movie by now, I suggest you drop what you're doing, get it, and watch. This movie could be better than having a child. At a run time of over 2 hours and 40 minutes, you'd think it would slow down at parts and albeit it does but the movie keeps you on edge and paying attention throughout. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, Inception), he is best known for his darker tones in films which you can truly feel when you watch The Dark Knight. For a superhero film, it is shot wonderfully and simply done with style, a plethora of memorable shots are in this movie. Directing and camera work aside, this film is star studded and each delivers. Before I get into The Joker, some honorable mentions have to be Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Air Force One) as Gordon, who will be overlooked time and time again by the Academy, Christian Bale (The Prestige, The Fighter) who plays Bruce Wayne and does a magnificent job, and finally the most overlooked: Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking) as Harvey Dent, who, if not for The Joker would have stolen the show. Now The Joker, tragically after filming, Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) passed. But his memory will be enshrined forever in The Joker, with what some would say is the best perfomance ever. In every single scene your eyes will be drawn to The Joker and his little ticks to go along with his maniacal laugh and his menacing scars. The Dark Knight was truly snubbed of an Oscar Nomination and it was so controversial that it pushed the number of films allowed to be nominated from 5 to 10. It's on my Best of the Best (http://dilpreetmovies.blogspot.com/2014/05/best-of-best.html) list and deserves to be there.

10/10

Edge of Tomorrow: Edge of Your Seat

Edge of Tomorrow (based off of a book called, "All You Need Is Kill") focuses on a man who is thrown into an inter species war of human and alien. During his first day of combat, he is infected by an alien and must reset the same day every time he dies. Appearing like a standard sci-fi action movie starring Tom Cruise (Oblivion, Jack Reacher), I'm sure we're all thinking the same thing, "Oh Tom Cruise, action, I've seen this before." Let me be the first to tell you, we have not. This seemingly new take on an old idea of sci-fi repetition is done masterfully, uniquely, and although conventional, fresh. Tom Cruise is stellar in this film, really carries the movie from start to finish. The only major co-star is Emily Blunt (Looper), who for the most part, is a badass soldier with a helicopter blade for a weapon (she is also referred to as the "Full Metal Bitch"). Although she is handed a basic role, she does a fantastic job and is not overpowered by Cruise. The story was done well, although the storyline focuses on repeating the same day you will never feel bored or tired of this same act. The script and storytelling keeps you interested throughout the movie. I have a few issues with this movie, the very very end bothered me due to the fact that it could've been adjusted and send the movie into a far more interesting ending, although it would change the entire dynamic of the film. Enthralling, riveting, fresh, and edge of your seat thrilling... Edge of Tomorrow is a MUST-SEE.

8/10

Best of the Best

By: Dilpreet Raju

My reviews/picks for the best movies of all time.

Note: These are in no particular order and are my sole opinions.

Somewhere(2010)

Sofia Coppola captures the emptiness of life through a movie star's inner raging battle for self worth and understanding. 

Best Parts: Beautiful cinematography, great soundtrack, overall message, fantastic character development.

10/10

The Dark Knight(2008)

Christopher Nolan's dark take on the beloved superhero creates one of the best genre films ever. Batman must take on the Joker who is ravaging Gotham City.

Best Parts: Hans Zimmer's score, acting, immense set pieces.

10/10

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind(2005)

Jim Carrey takes a new, dramtic role in this sci-fi/romance/drama about strangers falling in love, it poses the question: "What do we love for?" A unique film on the surface and within. 

Best Parts: Acting, cinematography, themes.

10/10

Her(2013)

Director Spike Jonze captures the essence of relationships, selfishness, help, and what provokes true emotion in this Sci-Fi Drama where a man falls in love with a machine. Although we never witness Scarlett Johansson, she delivers one of her best perfomances with nothing but audio. Joaquin Phoenix establishes his mark on Hollywood and we are entertained by the two for 2 hours.

Best Part: Themes, acting, set pieces, cinematography

10/10

12 Years A Slave(2013)

A free black man is sold into slavery, he must prove his freedom so he can go back to his family up north. Acting from Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, and Lupita Nyong'o elevate an already great story and script. This is a heart wrenching film that will leave you scarred and needing a cold shower.

Best Parts: grittiness, not afraid to show what slaves went through, good narrative.

10/10

Fight Club(1999)

Visionary director David Fincher displays all his talents in this film about 2 men who try to free themselves of the social norm, although things go much deeper. This movie has many messages about the way humans live life now, especially in America. A must watch.

Best Parts: Themes, acting, narrative, engaging scenes throughout.

10/10

Memento(2000)

Guy Pearce has short term memory loss caused from a traumatic incident where he lost his wife, he now embarks on a journey for Justice. A film that goes deep beyond surface value, has multiple viewing pleasure. Christopher Nolan puts his first imprint on Hollywood, best picture winner.

Best Parts: Narrative, film structure, Guy Pearce's performance.

10/10

The Master(2012)

Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman perfom a story about "The Cause," a cult religious group that is trying to gain a following. Although not a typical linear film, it has a stylistic element and has a lot to say about religion and our purpose on earth.

Best Parts: Phoenix and Hoffman's on screen chemistry, style, themes.

10/10

Donnie Darko(2001)

Donnie is a child who's upset with his life and where it's headed, but once he's plagued by visions of a bunny his life changes drastically. Widely unpopular when first debuted, however it gained a following soon after DVD release. The film explores a variety of topics and truly immerses the viewer in this world.

Best Parts: Narrative, climax, themes.

10/10

The Departed(2006)

A story about corruption and honor within the Boston police force and the Boston mob led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. Although a somewhat complex plot, if you follow along it is easy to understand and easier to enjoy. A massive thrill ride with multiple plot turns and twists.

Best Parts: Character development, plot twists, acting.

10/10

Inception(2010)

A man who was separated from his children has a way of getting back to them, and it lies within a dream, within a dream, within a dream. Christopher Nolan's mindbending sci-fi thriller is jam packed with action and great screenwriting. One that will leave you on the edge of your seat till the credits roll. 

Best Parts: Acting, character development, special effects, story telling.

10/10

The Royal Tenenbaums(2001)

When an estranged father gets cancer he tries to reconnect with his wide spread family. Wes Anderson creates a comical, quirky, yet true and dark story about family and its importance. 

Best Parts: Script, jokes, story telling, exposition.

10/10

Fantastic Mr. Fox(2009)

Based off the Roald Dahl's child book, Wes Anderson creates a stop-motion movie that has subtle yet effective comedy. Voiced by a star studded cast of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and others.

Best Parts: Stop motion, voicing, comedy

10/10

Moneyball(2010)

A true story about Billy Beane's journey to win a World Series. A stunning performance from Brad Pitt leads this film with a fantastic narrative and good storytelling in one of the best baseball movies ever.

Best Parts: Storytelling, narrative, baseball story.

10/10

Drive(2010)

A man's certain criminal world job endangers him and a family he has grown close with, this leads to desperate decisions and a lot of problems. Nicolas Winding Refn delivers a powerful and edge-of-your-seat thriller with a fantastic performance from Ryan Gosling. 

Best Parts: Acting, use of dialogue, script, storytelling, cinematography.

10/10

Up In The Air(2009)

Mr. Clooney stars in a drama where his job is to go around the country firing people. In a very original screenplay and story, George Clooney and Anna Kendrick deliver. There is a plot twist that leave you with your heart in your stomach.

Best Parts: Acting, screenplay, script.

10/10

American Psycho(2000)

Commonly mistaken for a horror/thriller, this film is a satire for America and the business world. A hilarious yet suspenseful film, fully immerses the view in Christain Bale's mind, the mind of an American Psycho.

Best Parts: Comedy, acting, screenplay.

10/10

The Wolf Of Wall Street(2013)

The true story of Jordan Belfort, the news York stock exchange's prime stock trader. A movie that was called a "disgrace" to cinema during initial screenings due to its vulgarity is now praised for its realness. Leonardo DiCaprio performs as Scorsese directs another memorable film.

Best Parts: Script, comedy, acting.

10/10

The Descendants(2010)

A story about one family's journey to recover after the mother is put into a coma.George Clooney puts on a masterful performance in this dark yet beautiful drama.

Best Parts: Story, script, cinematography. 

10/10

500 Days Of Summer(2009)

A romance from Marc Webb that shocked many indie viewers. Joseph Gordon-Levitt proves he is a talented actor in this creative film. Marc Webb shows a masterful hand at making characters connect.

Best Parts: JGL, screenplay, script.

10/10

There Will Be Blood(2007)

A man searches for land to mine oil and goes to lengths of true desperation to do so. Paul Thomas Anderson creates a film of true emotion and deeper meanings than what is actually on screen. 

Best Part: Acting, screenplay, climax, themes.

10/10

Se7en(1995)

David Fincher's mystery/crime movie is one of true reverence. Brad Pitt establishes himself as a true lead in Hollywood and Morgan Freeman is consistent as always. 

Best Parts: climax, mystery effect, acting.

10/10

Zodiac(2007)

Based off of the true zodiac killer, David Fincher creates another amazing mystery film with haunting suspense. There is little to complain about with this movie, great cast lead by Jake Gyllenhaal, good narrative, consistent suspense.

Best Parts: narrative, acting, screenplay, suspense.

10/10