Todd B. Freese » Movies

Moneyball

Todd — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:53:31 +0000

I just rented Moneyball on VUDU this weekend and was pleasantly surprised with it. I umpired baseball in the minor leagues for 10 years and ran across Billy Bean during my time on the diamond. I’m sure he doesn’t remember me, but I remember him as being a decent guy (can’t say that about all of the boys I met on the field). So I was extra curious about this movie.

Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane (I bet Billy was happy with the casting) and is cast along side mostly character actors. I love how the actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who played Art Howe (A’s manager) portrayed his character. I’m not sure if the real Art Howe was too thrilled, word was he wasn’t. The sidekick to Beane is artfully played by Jonah Hill. He made me believe he was a numbers nerd from Yale!

The movie begins with the loss to the Yankees in 2001. The next year the A’s lose their big time players: Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon being the two biggest losses. The A’s must fill the roster spots, but of course can not pay what the Red Sox and Yankees can afford to pay, so they have to come up with a different method: moneyball.

The kid places a premium on guys that get on base using a complicated numeric formula and behold, you have the theme for the movie. I won’t ruin it for you (of course you can look up how the A’s did in 2002), but we are led to believe this is the future. I liked it, and if you like baseball you should check it out. Let me know what you think.

Movie: Hannah

Todd — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 20:08:59 +0000

I am heading to the movies with my munchkins (kids) to check out the movie Hannah. We decided to do something other than hang around Easter. I miss the days when we always did stuff together. Those days are long fine as each of my kids have their own activities, at least the older three. So I am thrilled to go and something together, hope the movie is good.

Unknown – My Review

Todd — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 01:56:26 +0000

TK, my youngest son, and I saw Unknown this afternoon. It was much like what I thought it was going to be with a few surprised thrown in for kicks. I liked the movie because I like that genre, but the more I think about it the more I think you might want to wait for the DVD. Liam Nielson is good, but it seemed as if he was playing the same character he played in Taken. He was good at it, but almost seems typecast. Amazing because of his role in Schindler’s list.

Overall I would give it 6.5 out of ten. TK said 7, but we both found it enjoyable, but if you aren’t sure about the movie, wait to see it on DVD. If you are a diehard fan of Nielson and are eager to see it, I think you will enjoy it. Check out the trailer and leave a comment, would love to hear what you think!

Salt and . . . Family

Todd — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:34:40 +0000

I got home last night and the plan was to run, cook, eat and then get some work done. I really need to get some work done, but when I got home my lovely wife told me my son wanted to know if I was cooking. She said yes and he told her he was coming home and could he get a movie that we all could watch, hang on for this, as a family. As a dad who values my family above all else, family time is a rare thing. I was thrilled and although the night wasn’t perfect, it was fantastic to know my son wanted to spend time with his old mom and dad.

He even picked out a movie he knew I wanted to see. What a gift. Our time together is so rare now, and my son is in college locally and older daughter is a senior. I sometimes get misty-eyed about the days gone by, I sure miss all-the-time family time. Hope it happens a lot more, love you son and thanks for a great surprise.

By the way, the movie we watched was called, SALT. I have been anxious to see it. Below is the trailer. I thought it was very good, 3.8 stars. But then again I like the espionage movies. Check it out and see what you think.

True Grit – The Old and the New

Todd — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 22:02:11 +0000

I loved John Wayne, he was the super American hero, always doing the right thing. John was never compromised. In a world where the boy got the girl and spent the night with her, Wayne was different (except for one movie, can you name it?), he was a throwback.

So it was with ambivalence I went to see the new True Grit. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was true to the old movie enough of a twist to make the move “new”. Hats off to the Cohen brothers. While I prefer the old, I enjoyed the new. Check out the trailers below.

About Schmidt

Todd — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:01:22 +0000

Since I have been laid up with recovering from my hernia surgery, I decided to catch up on some of the movies I have been wanting to watch, but just haven’t had time. This movie, About Schmidt, is a movie I have seen before and was impressed by, probably because of what I was going through in my own life.

Warren Schmidt is just retired, put out to pasture and finds his old files thrown away on a trip to the office. We get the feeling that he feels his life as an actuary was all for nothing. His wife dies and leaves him all alone to contemplate what he has done with his life. He discovers his wife wasn’t who he thought she was and his daughter is getting ready to marry a guy that isn’t “up to snuff” by his standards.

However, within all this he answers one of those late night ads to sponsor a child. This proves to be his saving grace. After a crazy trip to Denver for the wedding we see Warren alone again. I think the movie is great, especially if you are going through a transition in your life . Check it out, I think you will like it if you some years behind you.

Book of Eli

Todd — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 05:49:09 +0000

My wife and I saw this movie last weekend with Gene and Betty, our dear friends. We wanted to see, Edge of Darkness, but it was sold out. I am glad we were able to view Book of Eli, it was a good movie.

As a Christian who holds the Bible to be not only important, but the source of life, I was pleased to see the book treated with respect from a movie from Hollywood. Without giving the plot away I was impressed with how the movie showed how this book, this Word of God, is so important. Too often in today’s society we treat the Bible as just another book, even we Christians, but in fact it is the Word of Life!

The movie is a futuristic movie that conveys the future one in which much of civilization has lost its classics of lierature. The quest that the main character sees himself on is a quest of faith, one led by the Holy Bible. He uses terms that have double meaning, e.g. I am walking by faith.

This movie does have an R rating for violence and language, but if you can past that I think it is thought provoking movie. We recommend it to you. You may need to do what we did, have a cup of coffee afterwards to process it with dear friends, enjoy.

The Blind Side

Todd — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:43:38 +0000

My wife and I went and saw a wonderful movie yesterday afternoon, The Blind Side, it was excellent. It tells the true life story of an African-American young man who is left homeless after his mother is evicted due to her drug use.

Sandra Bullock plays the mother who is strong-willed and determined. Tim Mcgraw plays the husband who is supportive of his wife. The young man, Michael Orr, is taken in and loved, nurtured and challenged by his new family. Challenges occur along the way, but this gentle giant is a heart tugger.

I highly recommend this movie to all who want to feel good about themselves and those around them.

Public Enemies Review

Todd — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:35:17 +0000

Yesterday my wife and I saw the movie, Public Enemies, starrring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. I was eager to see a movie about John Dillinger the 1930′s Public Enemy number one. I loved Christian Bale in the Batman movie and have come to appreciate Johnny Depp, but . . . I was dissapointed with this one. I came into the movie wanting to love it, but came away saying less than glowing things about the movie.

I asked my wife on the way out what she thought and she succinctly summed up my feelings, “It was OK” and that is the best I can say of it. The action was slow, the movie too long (143 minutes), and the story barely followed the timeline of the last few years on Dillinger’s life. There were huge gaps in the last year of Dillinger’s life (check this link for an accurate timeline of John Dillinger’s life), some of would have been very interesting.

Christian Bale played Marvin Pervis, the FBI agent who was credited with tracking down several public enemy number ones, but his accent was barely believeable. He played it like he did Batman. Depp was good, as usual, but seemed to be too reserved for the real John Dillinger. The movie spent a great deal of time on the love affair Dillinger had with his girlfriend, but the real Dillinger had several girlfriends and was in the company of a prosititute the night he was gunned down in Chicago.

Maybe I expect to much historical accuracy, but nonetheless I was disappointed with the movie. I wish I would have waited for the movie on DVD, at least then I could have fast forward and made the movie shorter.

Leave your opinion if you see it, I would love to hear what you think.

Movie Day

Todd — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:48:44 +0000

PUBLIC ENEMIES

We are heading out to see the new Johnny Depp movie, Public Enemies. The trailer looks good, will give you the critique when we return. Today is the perfect day for a movie during the summer. It is raining, overcast and dreary, so instead of golf we are heading indoors.