Life-Size

 Released Year: 2000

Directed by Mark Rosman

Casted by:

Lindsay Lohan as Casey Stuart

Tyra Banks as Eve

Jere Burns as Ben Stuart

Anne Marie Loder as Drew Mitchell

 Story:

Casey Stuart, is a tomboy who is the quarterback of her school's 7th-grade football team. Since her mother died, she has been avoiding her old friends and arguing with a boy on her team. Wanting to bring her mother back to life, Casey finds a book of magic with a section on resurrecting the dead at a local book store. A successful resurrection will become permanent unless it is undone before sunset on the fourth day after it begins. However, since the book was expensive, she left all the money she had on the shelf in a glass compartment which is where the book was. Following the book's instructions, Casey collects artifacts from her mother's life, including strands of hair in her hairbrush. However, the resurrection is unwittingly sabotaged when Drew Mitchell, a woman who works with and is romantically interested in Casey's father Ben, gives Casey an Eve doll. Eve is a plastic doll in the form of a beautiful young woman, manufactured by Marathon Toys. She has lots of accessories, including outfits appropriate to challenging careers such as law enforcement, medicine, and aerospace, and lives in Sunnyvale, "in the middle of America".

As Casey is preparing to resurrect her mother, Drew stops by to give her the doll for her birthday and uses the hairbrush to brush the doll's hair. With strands from the doll remaining on the brush as Casey utters the incantation, the magic acts on the doll rather than Casey's mother, and Casey wakes up the next morning to find Eve in bed with her in full-size human form. Casey is upset by this, but Eve is excited about being human. Over the next few days, Eve buys clothes at the local shopping mall, uses her police training to stop a truck that almost runs Casey over, smells and eats for the first time, tries to do secretarial work, sings her theme song, and almost sets the Stuarts' kitchen on fire. She also helps Casey cope with the loss of her mother. Meanwhile, Casey discovers that she needs the second volume of the magic book to reverse Eve's spell.

During this time, tension builds between Casey and her father, who has been missing her football games while trying to secure a promotion in his law firm. The tension is further increased by Ben's attraction to Eve, which Casey resents as a betrayal of her mother. Eve helps people turn into a better version of themselves.

As the film proceeds, Casey and Eve gradually become friends. Eve displays insight and sensitivity in talking with Casey about her mother, and she helps Casey with her self-confidence. In exchange, Casey gives Eve tips on how to be a popular doll and a good role model. By the time the magic book arrives at the local bookstore, Casey has decided she likes Eve, so she doesn't buy it. Unfortunately, Eve has been getting homesick. Discouraged by her difficulties in being human and worried about being discontinued by Marathon, Eve decides to undo the spell herself. After buying the book and saying good-bye to Ben at Casey's championship game, she goes to Sunnyvale, a specially decorated room at Marathon headquarters, and recites the incantation. When Casey and Ben arrive, she tearfully bids them farewell and turns back into a doll. Sometime later, with the lessons learned from her experiences in the human world, she becomes a popular toy again. Casey resumes her old friendships, Ben is promoted at work, and Drew takes him to lunch.

The film ends as the cast dances to Eve's theme song.

 L² Scored: 4/10

L² Comment:

15 years ago when Tyra is in her best shape ever, yes she looks like a perfect doll. Announced in September 2015, there will be a sequel of this movie after so man years and it will shows in Xmas 2016 with Tyra as the doll again, can she?

I don't think the fucked up Lohan will still be used by Disney but there's a possibility for Tyra if she keep back her shape, or she can recommend one of her contestant from ANTM to be in the movie with her, it will be so cool :)

Higher Learning

Released Year: 1995

Directed by John Singleton

Casted by:

 Omar Epps as Malik Williams

Kristy Swanson as Kristen Connor

Michael Rapaport as Remy

Ice Cube as Fudge

Jennifer Connelly as Taryn

Tyra Banks as Deja

Regina King as Monet

Jason Wiles as Wayne

Cole Hauser as Scott Moss

Busta Rhymes as Dreads

Laurence Fishburne as Professor Maurice Phipps

Bradford English as Officer Bradley

Jay R. Ferguson as Billy

 Story: 

At Columbus University, a fictitious college in southern California, we first see Malik Williams, a black man, Kristen Connor, a white woman, and Remy, another white man, at the opening freshman pep rally and as they are decorating their rooms. Malik and Kristen meet in the elevator, with the nervous Kristen shielding her purse and Malik seeing this and resenting it. There is a montage of each putting up pictures and posters in their rooms. Track star Malik goes to his first practice unprepared, and is chastised severely by the coach.

Kristen meets her roommate, Monet, a black girl, and attends a fraternity rush party, where she meets two outgoing freshmen Nicole and Claudi. Monet and Malik attend a party with other black students, hosted by Fudge, an afrocentric and militant senior whom has been at the university for six years now. Remy, who is Fudge's roommate, is upset at the loud rap music being played late into the night. He calls security, who breaks up the party. Fudge is upset that they don't tell the room down the hall to stop their loud "hillbilly" music. Kristen, while walking home, meets Taryn, a junior lesbian student who warns Kristen about walking alone late at night and invites her to a student group. Malik's roommate, Wayne, is then introduced, with Malik angry about his filthy bed area and lack of hygiene.

The next day at the campus square, Fudge points out to Monet the self-segregation of the various ethnic groups on campus. We then see Malik's first class, with Professor Maurice Phipps, a conservative black man from the West Indies whom is teaching Political Science 101. In the class, Malik's and Kristen's names (among others) are called out for having financial problems, embarrassing them. They go to the financial aid office, where Kristen is told she needs a job since her parents are bankrupt, and Malik learns that his athletic scholarship is partial, not full. He talks to the coach, who agrees to help him out if he keeps his grades up and works extra hard on the field.

Fudge returns to his room with his friend Dreads, and plays his rap music loud, disrupting Remy's studying. When Remy complains, Fudge mocks and threatens him, causing Remy to move out. Later, Remy is beaten by Malik at a video game who further mocks him. Remey then rejects an offer of pool from Wayne and David Isaacs, Remy's new Jewish roommate.

Meanwhile, Kristen is shown getting drunk and leaving with frat boy Billy, retreating back to his frat room. Billy and Kristen prepare to have sex, but when Billy indicates that he does not have a condom, Kristen decides she doesn't want to have sex. Despite this, Billy ignores her refusal, and rapes her. She eventually fights him off, and flees.

Monet returns to their room and finds Kristen crying in her bed. When Billy calls, Monet refuses give the phone to Kristen, and Billy suddenly reacts violently and insults her racially. Angered, she turns to Fudge, who recruits his friends to confront him at the frat party. Monet forces Kristen to tag along with them where she willingly points out Billy to the black students. Fudge and Dreads pull Billy outside, threatening him and forcing him to apologize to Monet. The security guards arrive and the black students leave.

The next day, despite being ostracized by her friends, Kristen attends Taryn's student group on harmony between different groups.

Meanwhile, Malik borrows a copy of the autobiography of Frederick Douglass. After telling Fudge he only needs it for a class, Fudge kicks him out, telling him to read it for himself and not for school.

That evening, Remy is reading alone outside in the student quad when he is approached and asked out for a drink by Scott Moss, a white supremacist and neo-Nazi skinhead whom had been glimpsed in the background shadowing Remy for the past few days. Remy also meets Scott's skinhead friends: Erik, James, and the weight-lifting hulking Knocko.

A few days later, Professor Phipps challenges his class (including Kristen and Malik) to determine who they are for themselves and not let others categorize them.

Kristen talks about her rape with Taryn, with Taryn encouraging her to report it and attempting to console her.

Malik confronts Phipps about a paper he graded, arguing he should have a better grade. When Phipps shows him the various spelling and grammar errors, Malik calls him a sellout for the "white establishment". Phipps angrily responds that the world owes Malik nothing and he must work for his own good to make a difference in this world.

Malik is then shown racing in a relay, losing ground to another runner. When his teammates confront him, he responds with Fudge's ideology. He walks away and flirts with fellow runner Deja (Tyra Banks).

Remy is seen in Scott's dorm room with James, Erik, and Knocko. The room is decorated with Swastikas and Nazi paraphernalia. Scott expresses his racist beliefs, and the troubled Remy is slowly being convinced that "the white man is endangered" and he is encouraged to shave his head to join Scott's underground neo-Nazi group.

In the campus library, Deja is shown helping Malik with his essay and his spelling errors. Nearby, Kristen is shown realizing her growing attraction to Taryn.

Phipps then criticizes Kristen's bland paper, telling her that only writing the facts is fine for journalism, but not for a political science course. Phipps tells her that her purpose at college is to think for herself. Phipps then talks with Malik about his much improved paper.

Remy is shown working in a class, surrounded by students of other races. He removes his hat, showing he has shaved his head and is wearing an Iron Cross necklace.

Wayne asks Kristen for a flier for their group, confronting her when she says the anti-sexism group is for women, flirting with her as well.

On Halloween night, Monet attends a costume party with Dreads while Malik also attends with Deja. Kristen attends a rape awareness rally with Taryn. Remy and the other neo-Nazis attack an interracial couple, by raping and assaulting them. After the rally, Kristen asks to spend the night with Taryn. Taryn rebuffs her, saying she wants Kristen to be sure about it.

While stretching on the track, Malik continues spouting Fudge's ideology to Deja, saying he hates feeling like a thoroughbred. Deja rebuffs him, saying he has opportunities that people would do anything for and he should take them. The stretching and running is then intercut in a montage with a love scene, showing they have started dating. Kristen is also seen going on a date with Wayne.

Scott shows Remy his gun collection and Remy talks about his abusive, survivalist father in his Idaho home town (which is the indirect result of Remy's troubled behavior and childhood).

Kristen is shown walking holding hands with Taryn in public across the campus. They have a run-in with Monet and another friend of hers who see them. A montage love sequence is shown with Kristen where she sleeps with Wayne, but fantasizes about Taryn. (In a deleted scene, Kristen goes to Taryn's room and indeed has sex with her as well).

One day, while Malik and Deja talk about Christopher Columbus and of the college, Remy approaches, condemning Malik's Black Panther shirt and calling him a racial slur. Malik, angered, goes to Remy's room and confronts him about being a racist and Nazi after finding him reading a copy of Adolph Hitler's book 'Mein Kampf' (My Struggle). Remy backs down from a fistfight, with Malik insulting him and leaving. Remy trashes the room, contemplating suicide. After David returns, he confronts Remy about the mess. Remy starts beating David and Malik intervenes. Remy pulls his Glock 9mm, threatening the two and leaving. Malik runs after him, only to be stopped by security guards asking for ID. Resisting, he is arrested, letting Remy escape. Malik then moves in with Fudge and the rest of his friends.

A day or two later, Malik and Fudge are relaxing on the student quad when they have a run-in with Professor Phipps and the three of them have a discussion on race, knowledge, and "the system". Phipps tells Malik that he must play the game of life to win, because no one wants to hear excuses. It is here that Fudge used to attend Phipps class when he was a freshman years ago and Malik is somewhat surprised when Phipps addresses Fudge by his real name, which happens to be 'Christopher White'. At the same time, Kristen begins organizing a peace festival with Monet to calm down the students after Remy's actions.

Meanwhile, Scott chastises Remy for dropping out of school, arguing that the white community needs more successful members and that he is betraying his race. After Knocko calls out a racial slur, Fudge, Malik, Dreads, and another black student start a gang fight with the white power skinheads, beating them. Later, Deja confronts Malik on his intentions of dropping out and fighting for no good reason. Malik is becoming more and more angry about racial issues. At the underground skinheads's doorm, Scott says that Remy's posturing means nothing, and only actions do. He then shows Remy a sniper rifle and challenges him to action. The alienated and warped Remy agrees to kill for the white race.

We then see Malik and Deja walking at the Peace Fest, with Malik saying he wouldn't drop out of college because he'd lose her. Kristen stands on the podum of the rally where she addresses the students while she sees both Wayne and Taryn standing separate among the students, leaving Kristen feeling uneasy to both of them whom she is dating without the others knowledge. Remy has moved to the rooftop of a nearby building with the sniper rifle and prepares to open fire on the students. Erik stands lookout while the other racist skinheads attack a gay couple to distract security. Remy is obviously having trouble with doing this, but acquiesces when pushed by Scott who tells him to "do it for the Aryan Nation". He opens fire on the Peace Fest, causing a riot. An unnamed student is killed, and Deja is shot in the stomach. She collapses in Malik's arms. After Phipps tries to help, Malik goes crazy and attacks Remy, meeting him on the stairs of the building and beating him severely and nearly choking him to death before racist security guards, led by the racist Officer Bradley (Bradford English) intervenes and beats him. Bradley and his men confront Remy as he tries to leave. Remy pulls out a pistol, resulting in a stand-off. Remy apologizes to the police for everything that he did and shoots himself in the head, killing himself. After the security guards let Malik go, he returns outside and finds that Deja has died, and he collapses into Phipps' arms, crying and wailing.

The racist skinheads are shown mourning Remy's death when they see a TV news report of the university shooting. Knocko, Erik, and James then begin celebrating his actions, chanting, "white power". Scott quietly sits back and for a brief moment seems to smile.

(It is strongly implied that Scott and his skinheads intentionally approached, brainwashed, and set Remy up as the patsy for their own actions, taking advantage of the troubled youth to make him do their murderous deeds and they will get away with it since there is nothing to connect Remy to either Scott or his skinheads.)

A few days later, Malik and Phipps discuss his future away from the university, with Phipps saying he trusts Malik's judgment whatever it will be. Malik walks out of the office, making it unclear if he is going to drop out of the university or stay on. Afterwords, Malik and Kristen are seen meeting for the first time at a memorial to Deja. Kristen feels guilty about the deaths because she started the festival. Malik assuages her guilt. And shortly after, they part. Malik goes to the campus track and runs around the racetrack alone... running for himself and not for the school.

In the final scene, a graduation ceremony is held where Fudge is seen finally graduating with the other students having long ago acquired all of the credits he needs, but refusing to wear a cap or smile for his graduation photo. As Professor Phipps leaves his office, the final shot shows the USA flag fluttering in the wind as the caption "unlearn" appears over it as the image fades to black

 L² Scored: 2.5/10

L² Comment:

The movie is kinda boring, i watched it because its Tyra Banks' first movie ever... for the first 1.5 hour of the movie, it is so boring that i need to keep myself awake by having some coffee. Or course this movie did touch on the racist issue which is quite a big concern 20 years back in the State and the college love life and sexuality issue. But when Ms Tyra die, the scene was so damn fake then i almost laugh out loud~ lol.... 

Coyote Ugly

 Released Year: 2000

Directed by David McNally

 

Casted by:

Piper Perabo as Violet Sanford
 Adam Garcia as Kevin O'Donnell
 John Goodman as William Sanford
 Maria Bello as Lil
 Izabella Miko as Cammie
 Tyra Banks as Zoe
 Bridget Moynahan as Rachel
 Melanie Lynskey as Gloria

  Story:

Violet Sanford leaves her hometown of South Amboy, New Jersey, her father Bill, and best friend Gloria to pursue her dreams of becoming a songwriter in nearby New York City. The pizza shop where she works has a wall covered with the autographs of employees that left, hoping to make it big, and Violet adds hers to the wall.

Violet tries unsuccessfully, dozens of times, to get her demo tape noticed by the recording studios. One night, she tries to get herself noticed by a music industry scout. The bartender jokingly points out Kevin O'Donnell, making her believe that he is the bar owner. When the joke is discovered, Violet feels that Kevin was making a fool out of her. With only a few dollars left in her pocket after her apartment is robbed, she goes to an all-night diner and notices three girls, Cammie, Rachel, and Zoe, flaunting the hundreds of dollars in tips they earned. After inquiring, she finds out that they work at a trendy bar named Coyote Ugly.

She finds her way to the bar and convinces the bar owner Lil to give her an audition. Violet's first audition does not go well; but after breaking up a fight between two customers, Lil agrees to give her a second audition. At her second audition, Violet douses the fire warden in water costing Lil $250. In order to keep her job, she has to make up $250 in one night. Kevin turns up at the bar to give Violet her tape back, but ends up being auctioned off to one of the women in the bar. In order to pay off her debt to Kevin, Violet agrees to go on four dates with him. The two begin a relationship.

Kevin commits himself to helping Violet overcome her stage fright so that she can sell her music. It is discovered that Violet's stage fright is inherited from her mother who also came to New York to be a singer. It is also discovered that Violet can sing to songs that aren't her own. We learn this when she sings on the bar in the bar in order to save the necks of Cammie and Rachel who were trying to break up a fight between the customers.

One night a patron takes a picture of Violet in the middle of a raunchy move and with water pouring on her. When the picture appears in the paper, Violet's father happens to see it and gets angry at her. She continues to pursue her dream, though, and performs at an open mic night at the Bowery Ballroom with the "Coyotes" from the Coyote Ugly saloon, her father, her best friend, and Kevin all there for moral support. The performance goes over very well and she finally lands a deal with a record label.

The film concludes back at Coyote Ugly with LeAnn Rimes, as a Coyote, singing Violet's song. Violet joins in as her father and Kevin watch from the audience.

 L² Scored: 10/10

 

L² Comment:

Hannah Montana: The Movie

 Released Year: 2009

Directed by Peter Chelsom

Casted by:
    Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana
    Billy Ray Cyrus as Robby Ray Stewart

Lucas Till as Travis Brody
    Emily Osment as Lilly Truscott
      Taylor Swift as herself

Tyra Banks as herself

 Story:

 Miley Stewart is struggling with her alter-ego and her popularity as Hannah Montana and keeping her double-life a secret from the media but Oswald Granger, a sneaky undercover journalist for celeb magazine BonChic, becomes suspicious and vows to uncover her secret. Later, Miley ends up in a fight with Tyra Banks over a pair of shoes that she wanted to buy for Lilly as a birthday present. When Oswald secretly follows her limo to the party, Miley is forced to attend as Hannah instead of herself, resulting in the guests turning their attention to her instead of her Lilly, especially when Hannah is accompanied by Steve Rushton and Days Difference in her performance of "Let's Get Crazy". Oliver Oken and Rico Suave try to stop Lilly from leaving, but the party is ruined by Rico's exploding "Happy Birthday Lilly" cake. Upset at Miley, Lilly accidentally tells Oswald that Hannah is from a place called Crowley Corners, Tennessee, not realizing that he is a journalist.

Robby is furious over the fight between Hannah Montana and Tyra Banks reported over the newspapers and her general behavior over the past few months. He tells her that as Hannah she is going out of control and needs to gain perspective and remember who she truly is. Instead of leaving for the World Music Awards in New York on a private jet, Stewarts land in Crowley Corners, Tennessee, their hometown, for Miley's grandmother Ruby's birthday. Miley is angry at her father for the switch but Robby points out that this is the life she could've been leading if she wasn't famous. Despite Miley's protests, Robby decides to spend at least two weeks in Crowley Corners and ends up falling in love with a woman named Lorelai. Miley eventually warms up to her hometown when she rekindles a connection with childhood friend Travis Brody after he helps her with riding her old horse, Blue Jeans.

Nevertheless, Miley is eager to resume her Hannah duties and becomes chastened after Robby snaps that she seems to want to be Hannah Montana more than she wants to be with her family. Oswald, acting on Lilly's tip, follows Miley to her hometown. Miley takes the opportunity to try to write new songs but when she is ignored by Travis, she develop's writers' block. Meanwhile, there is a firm battle developing with the residents of Crowley Corners and a team of developers who are planning to destroy the meadows and build a shopping mall on the site. At a barn party that night, several singers contribute to the charity to save Crowley Corners, singing "Back to Tennessee" by Billy Ray Cyrus, and "Crazier" by Taylor Swift. Miley sings as herself with "Hoedown Throwdown" until the mall developers arrive. Travis suggests that Miley ask Hannah Montana, whom she claims to know from saving the singer's life in a surfing accident, to make an appearance to support the town, unaware that is Miley's alter ego.

Miley doesn't know what to do without exposing her secret or letting the town down but to her surprise, Lilly arrives, disguised as Hannah Montana along with the band and crew, offering to help. As the two make up, Miley confides in Lilly that she has been having rough time adjusting to farm life while trying to be herself and Hannah. Oswald sneaks up on the girls and takes pictures of them, believing Lilly to be Hannah Montana. That is when Lilly realizes she has inadvertently led Oswald to Crowley Corners and apologizes. The town is overjoyed to have Hannah Montana in town but Travis is unimpressed and admits to Hannah that he has had a crush on Miley for some time. As Hannah, Miley urges Travis to ask Miley out and he does. Miley accepts, but she has already been invited to dinner with the mayor by Lorelai.

Miley tries to be in two places at once but accidentally lets her guard down and is caught by Travis and a little girl mid-switch. He is understandably confused and rejects Miley, calling her a liar. Miley is devastated and Robbie breaks up with Lorelai to tend to his daughter. Miley finishes her song "Butterfly Fly Away", which she and Robby Ray sing together to cheer up. Miley finishes the chicken coop that she and Travis were building. He finds it and is touched by the gesture and after hearing the Hannah Montana song "Rock Star", Travis decides to go to the concert to support Miley.

Seeing Travis show up, Hannah suddenly stops midsong. She explains to the crowd that she cannot live a lie anymore, especially when she is home. Hannah then removes her blond wig, revealing that her secret identity. She then sings her original song "The Climb." Afterwards, the crowd pleads with her to carry on being Hannah, promising not to reveal her secret, but Oswald is in the crowd and takes a picture. His twin daughters beg him not to reveal Miley's secret and he accepts, quitting his job. Miley kisses Travis and then returns to the stage to finish with the song, "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home". Miley leaves Tennessee to lead her double life again but with greater perspective and a better attitude.

 L² Scored: 6/10

L² Comment:

Seriously, if it weren't for Ms Tyra Banks, i'll never watch this movie. I heard about Hanna Montana this series before, but i am not interested to watch a "GEM" in real human version. Basically Miley's voice is just ok, nothing special about her to make her an icon for the teenagers like Bieber. However, the storyline is still acceptable though its a bit lame...