James' Take On

Bite-Sized Movie Reviews

valko — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:33:19 +0000

Welcome to Valko’s Bite Sized Movie Reviews If you are anything like me, when reading a review of a movie there are three things you want to know: 1. A brief description of what the movie is about. 2. Who stars in it. 3. Was it good, or not, according to the reviewer’s opinion.
Bite Sized Movie Reviews offers the above three criteria only (and sometimes not even all of them). The reviews are simply my self-determined, selfish, cocky opinion of the movies I watched. Think of me as the guy you went to the show with. When it was over, and we were walking out of the theater, you asked: “Well, what did you think?” My answer are the reviews you see here.

Bite Sized Movie Reviews rating system:

Scrupulous
Delicious
Tasty
So so
Awful

Welcome to James’ Take On

valko — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:59:10 +0000

Can you trust the government with YOUR health?

I’ve heard many arguments about what a government health care system would be like. Those against it state that the quality of care will suffer and there will be long wait times for treatment, “Just like those people in Canada,” the naysayers claim. Those who favor government health care say it isn’t so. They seem to talk to a different breed Canadians — Canadians who say that it’s all wonderful…so wonderful that all their care costs are covered.

But wait…the US has had a national health care system for years. In fact it’s has two. We don’t have to ask anyone else.

If you want to know what a US government health care system would be like all you have to do is ask our war veterans. Just visit a V.A. hospital and survey the patients. Or, interview those who have Medicare.

There’s no mystery as to what a national health care system would be like in this country. If you don’t want to check out the V.A. or Medicare than look at our Social Security System, which reportedly has been broke for years. Big government equals waste, incompetence, corruption and higher taxes. Why would Obama’s national health care be any different?

Reviews of Valko’s books

valko — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:13:06 +0000

Read what people are saying about James’ books, or add your own using the form below.

500 Days of Summer

valko — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:05:08 +0000

Scrupulous
At the very beginning of the movie, on the screen, text tells the audience that “…this is not a love story.” I beg to differ. In fact, it‘s the best love story I’ve seen on the silver screen in a long, long time. It’s a love story between the audience and the main characters: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom Hansen and Zooey Deschanel as Summer Finn. Both actors did a super job, but it was Zooey who made the move. The term, “The camera loves her” has never been more apropos. The girl shined, as they say. Girls, don’t be too harsh on your man, if after he sees this movie he comes down with “crush on Zooey” syndrome. Don’t ask about it. He only deny it. But know it’s true. She is yummy. And the movie is Scrupulous.

The Hangover

valko — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:06:09 +0000

So, so.
The title of the movie tells you everything you need to know about the premises. A group of men on a weekend bachelor party in Las Vegas get so blasted that the next day they can’t remember what happened the night before. There are hints everywhere, however, like they wake up in their suite with a tiger in the room and an infant in the closet, without a mother. I admit that there were times where I had to laugh. Many times. But there were just as many times when I cringed at the low level of toilet humor. I don’t know, maybe I’m old fashioned. I just don’t think it’s funny to take a baby infant and, by pumping its arm up and down, make it look like its masturbating. Ha. Ha. It took a genius to come up with that one. If you can get past the crass humor it’s funny. If you don’t mind seeing pictures of ugly women giving blowjobs, you might want to pass.

The Proposal

valko — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:43:03 +0000

Tasty
A contrived script. A predictable plot. A forgettable story. But I liked it anyway. Go figure. Sandra Bullock is really hard not to like. So is the man she has to marry in order to keep in citizenship in the U.S., Ryan Reynolds. Especially good was Sandra romping around the bedroom in her birthday suit. But that’s not fair. She’s a fine actor. Anybody that can carry a movie has got to be good. And she is. I could have done without the male stripper being crammed down my throat. If you want to laugh a little, and feel the love, check it out.

Terminator Salvation

valko — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:35:44 +0000

So so
Fantastic special effects. But special effects alone don’t do it for me. I need characters I can feel for, and a plot that I can buy into. Terminator Salvation offered neither. Unlike the characters that I could connect with in The Terminator and Terminator 2 — Judgment Day, the characters in this latest attempt left me cold—like I was on a date with someone in which I had little in common. You know the feeling? Bottom line: I just didn’t care what happened to the characters. Nevertheless, I like Terminator Salvation better than I expected. Probably because of the special effects.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

valko — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:35:23 +0000

Scrupulous
The story of a reverse aging. A man is born an old man and for the next three hours grows young on the screen. The word charming comes to mind, with an understated (but excellent) performance from Brad Pitt, and a fine performance from Kate Blanchette, who convincingly spans several decades as her (like Pitt’s) character ages. Screenwriter Ed Roth (Forrest Gump), takes an improbable short story by F Scott Fitzgerald and turns it a believable story you don’t want to end. It’s long, about three hours, but well worth the sit. I can’t wait to see it again.

Slumdog Millionaire

valko — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:34:55 +0000

Scrupulous
One of the best movies I’ve seen in years. The devise used to unravel the rags to riches story of a “slumdog” Indian boy, through the playing of the game, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, is fresh and captivating. For us Americans who believe a “crisis” is paying a dollar more per gallon of gas, be prepared so see a real crisis, which is the lives of slumdogs, as depicted in this film. Also be prepared to share in the ecstasy.

The Wrestler

valko — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:21:29 +0000

Delicious
The Wrestler is about a washed up pro wrestler whose career and life has passed him by. It’s one of those films where the actor and the movie become one. Mickey Rourke is the part he plays. It’s a wonderful character study. Marisa Tomei plays a stripper who’s Rourke’s love interest. She does a fine job as well. I think professional wrestling is as ridiculous as you can get—I’ve never liked it, nor spent more than ten minutes watching it (since about the age nine). That said, I loved this film. It’s not as much about wrestling as it is about life, or the waste of a life.