NEW SECTION: Top Movies 10/1/10

This time last year I started working with my dear friend, and mentor, film and TV critic Candace Havens as her personal assistant. After some time attending screenings for her, she encouraged me to pursue entertainment writing. By March of this year I had a syndicated soap opera column, and by July I was writing for 3 high-profile Dallas film sites. I was learning to balance my day job with Fresh Fiction with my love of movie and TV writing. But I was also facing a new challenge. Each passing week I would see more movies than I could possibly write long-form articles about. I wanted to keep seeing them, and I needed to write more about them than just 140 character Tweets.

So, I decided to start a new section on ReelVixens. I'm going to put up some short blurbs about the movies I see each week and tell you why I think you need to head to your local Cinemark or Angelika (my theaters of choice) that weekend.

Let's jump right in shall we?? Movies are listed in my own, completely partial order. And yes, where relevant, I will also rate the movies based on their beard representation.

1) THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield (le swoon!!), and Justin Timberlake...among others
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Aaron Sorkin

The movie takes place from fall of 2003 through 2005, and is told through flashbacks while Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) is in litigation for two different lawsuits--one between he and his best friend Eduardo (Andrew Garfield, Never Let Me Go) and the other with the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer, "Gossip Girl") who claim Zuckerberg stole the idea for his site. The writing is stellar, and I believe that if this movie doesn't get nominated for writing there is something wrong in this world. The movie is over two hours, but it moves so quickly. Eisenberg fully embodies the character, and it's hard to see where he ends and Zuckerberg begins. Garfield is the heart that the movie needs, since the majority of the characters in it are so self-absorbed that they can't see past themselves. He definitely steals the movie.

And then there is Justin Timberlake. He plays the notorious Napster founder Sean Parker who comes onto help Facebook venture past a site for college students and into the phenom it is today. Timberlake's evolution through Parker's at one moment calm and charming character to a dark and paranoid wannabe is incredible. He's been trying to make an acting name for himself for so many years, and this is really the role he needed.

2) LET ME IN
Starring: Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins, and Elias Koteas
Director: Matt Reeves
Writer: Matt Reeves
Plot: A bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian. Based on the book and 2008 Swedish film "Let the Right One In."

Many people are going to compare it to the original film, which I watched this weekend also and loved. I think both movies stand on their own though. The original is much more visually stunning, while "Let Me In" simplifies the story more. It is more mainstream, embraces gore and violent feeding scenes, while still allowing the story to unfold slowly for the audience. The original left a lot of details ambiguous, where the remake goes deeper and focuses not only on the two children, but also the characters around them. Abby (Chloe Moretz, Hitgirl from Kick-Ass) and Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) had great chemistry and truly embodied their characters. I think Chloe's experience in Kick-Ass really helped her play the 12-year old vampire. While the movie isn't perfect, it's a great American horror movie and a very engaging and exciting vampire movie.

3) HATCHET II
Starring: Danielle Harris, Tony Todd, Kane Hodder
Director: Adam Green
Writer: Adam Green

Plot: Marybeth (Danielle Harris) escapes the clutches of the deformed, swamp-dwelling iconic killer Victor Crowley. After learning the truth about her family's connection to the hatchet-wielding madman, Marybeth returns to the Louisiana swamps along with an army of hunters to recover the bodies of her family and exact the bloodiest revenge against the bayou butcher. Sequel to HATCHET (2006)

This was hands down one of the more violent torture porns I have seen in years. (That was until I saw the remake of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE--but that's for next week). I think I only watched half the movie, because the other half I listened to with my eyes closed. It is definitely a gross-out movie and takes what the original did to new extremes. I love Adam Green (FROZEN, HATCHET, SPIRAL) movies, and fans of his will really get a kick out of it. It's funny and gory all at the same time--typical Adam Green. There isn't much plot, just a basic revenge film. Marybeth wants revenge for Crowley killing her family, and Crowley wants revenge for his father's death. Some may argue that the kills didn't really go far enough, but I say that those people are fucked in the head.

I also counted two beards--so bonus points for that

Oh, and Lloyd Kaufman makes a funny cookie-eating cameo. So, fellow Troma fans should go for that alone.