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No Looking Back starring Edward Burns, Lauren Holly & Jon Bon Jovi

Posted on January 14, 2011 Written by ripitup

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No Looking Back starring Edward Burns, Lauren Holly & Jon Bon Jovi
No Looking Back starring Edward Burns, Lauren Holly & Jon Bon Jovi. Feat. Jennifer Esposito, Blythe Danner & Connie Britton. Image via filmlerim.com

Claudia (Lauren Holly) is living in the small town she grew up. Working as a diner waitress, her time is divided between her depressed mother (Blythe Danner) and her sister (Connie Britton), her live-in boyfriend Michael (Jon Bon Jovi) and with her friends – who are also Michael’s friends and they pretty much end up doing the same things every night.

Claudia is fed up with her life, but she doesn’t feel like there is much she can do, until her ex/the-love-of-her-life Charlie (Edward Burns) comes back to town. Charlie has never been content with the domestic town life and he makes sure he reminds Claudia that neither has she.

Sure, Charlie seems like an exciting change but can Claudia ever trust her again? And what about Michael?

**

Don’t accuse me of being a hypocrite for watching this just yet. So, I said I wasn’t really dying to watch Natalie Portman’s Love and Other Impossible Pursuits because it had such an unoriginal storyline. Yet here I am reviewing a film that, on the surface, offers nothing but a love triangle and small town depression. But then again, No Looking Back has two good things to offer: Jon Bon Jovi and Edward Burns. And I never had anything against Gwyneth Paltrow’s real life mother Blythe Danner, Spin City’s Nikki Connie Britton or Jennifer Esposito, who deliver nicely on the sidelines. But this movie, for me, was about Jon and Edward.

Yeah, Lauren Holly is a good actress. But what makes No Looking Back worth a look for me is that it is mainly a one-man effort, just like many Edward Burns movies.  It was written and directed by Burns, he has the lead role and he has co-produced it. He doesn’t always come up with the best storylines, but he is good at creating ordinary yet life-like characters and he has always been one of my idols. Come on- how many movie buffs fantasized about shooting their own story, with their favorite actors? I am guessing and the difference is Burns has managed it. Remember his first The Brothers McMullen? Shot with $25,000 and making 10 million – all that with an unknown cast? Yep, that was Burns. As I said, No Looking Back is nothing special storywise, but it is a nice, modest little effort.

And Jon Bon Jovi. Yes, I am a Bon Jovi fan and yeah, that automatically makes me a fan of Jon’s singing, (most) song-writing and stage presence. But believe it or not, the guy can act. He first got the acting bug when he shot a scene for buddy Emilio Estevez’ Young Guns II, where Jon was doing the soundtrack. The movie did well and the soundtrack did even better, scoring Jon a Golden Globe for Best Song, as well as an Oscar nomination.

When Jon gave acting a serious shot in the mid-90s and while he wasn’t a box office star, he was critically liked and that was what he wanted. No Looking Back is a great film for Jon to shine because the heart of the movie lies in the triangle and he is smack in the middle of it.

Jon is a good example for getting what you want the old-fashioned way. He worked really hard to become a rock star and he did. He could have bought his way into a studio, but he did auditions and took acting lessons.

So yeah, the movie is more for Burns and Jon Bon Jovi fans as well as aspiring (indie) filmmakers.

It is also for getting nostalgic. 1998. Do you remember where you were? For me, it was the start of 9th grade. But worry not- the themes in the movie won’t get obsolete. Clichéd and over-used? Sure. Obsolete? No. After all, depression, identity crisis, settling down, settling vs. chasing your dreams…they have been the core themes for a long while.

Rated 5.8 on IMDB. Sounds fair enough. No Looking Back is not recommended if you are after escapism or original screenplay. It is recommended for those who are after the familiar themes, a lovely soundtrack (Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Lynyrd Skynyrd,Pete Yorn, The Allman Brothers Band and more) and well, for those who are wondering whether Jon Bon Jovi can act.

Oh, I also like the ending.  This part has a spoiler: the movie picks a neither- nor approach rather than either or;)

Fun Stuff:

  • The singer most heard in the background is the rock legend Bruce Springsteen and he is the favorite musician of Jon Bon Jovi. They are both from New Jersey and they performed on stage together.
  • Jennifer Espesito was married to Bradley Cooper.

On Lauren Holly

Sabrina starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond & Greg Kinnear. Feat. Lauren Holly

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Lauren Holly

On Edward Burns

Why Jon Bon Jovi, Edward Burns and Timothy Ferris Ruined Us

On Jon Bon Jovi and Bon Jovi

Actor Musicians and Musician Actors: Keanu Reeves, Jon Bon Jovi, Kevin Bacon

Bon Jovi Album Trivia: 10 Facts About Bon Jovi’s Keep the Faith

Bon Jovi Songs with Contradicting Lyrics and Themes: Feat. It’s My Life, Hey God, Living on a Prayer and More

Bon Jovi Trivia: 52 More Facts About The Rock Band Bon Jovi

6 Fast Bon Jovi Songs That Feature The Word Love

6 Rock Songs on Cheating: 1 Bryan Adams, 4 Bon Jovi and 1 KISS

4 Psycho Rock Songs Feat. Def Leppard, Talking Heads, Bon Jovi and The Smiths

Bon Jovi Were Born to be Followed

Jon Bon Jovi Hosts Snl

17 Men to Marry for Their Voices: Feat. Jon Bon Jovi, David Coverdale, Jani Lane, Brett Michael, Villie Valo and More

10 Celebrities to Wear Flats for: Featuring Taylor Lautner, Johnny Depp, Kevin Bacon, Jon Bon Jovi and More

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Blythe Danner, bruce springsteen, Connie Britton, drama, Edward Burns, edward burns movies, emilio estevez, Jennifer Esposito, Jon Bon Jovi, jon bon jovi acting, jon bon jovi movies, Lauren Holly, movies, no looking back, no looking back movie, no looking back soundtrack, romance, young guns II

Can Vampires Suck Rock? : Pre-review of the Twilight Spoof Vampires Suck

Posted on July 24, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Vampires Suck- the Twilight spoof movie
Will Vampires Suck rock or suck?We will all see. Image via divxplanet.com

It was about time someone spoofed the Twilight movies. I actually like the series, but you know Hollywood loves creating spoofs of whatever is the hit movie of the time. Have you ever seen Emilio Estevez in Loaded Weapon? Please check it out – especially if you have seen or heard of Basic Instinct, Lethal Weapon series and any Clint Eastwood action/western. In fact, I watched Loaded Weapon before I saw Lethal Weapon and loved how funny was. I saw Lethal Weapon afterwards and it is now one of my favorite series of all times.

Another two great spoofs I have seen are not movies but Saturday Night Live stunts: One of 300 and one of Braveheart- both starring Gerard Butler. Given that Gerard Butler starred in the original 300 movie and is spoofing his own character and that he is a Scot make both spoofs even more hilarious. And I never thought I would enjoy something that makes fun of Braveheart as it is my favorite movie. But when something is funny as hell, you got to give its due.

So a good spoof is fun to watch, regardless of how you feel about the original. I am actually a fan of the Twilight series. I accept and enjoy the saga for what it is: an absolute female romantic fantasy with some action thrown in.

But even the title of this spoof- Vampires Suck- made me laugh so I checked out its trailer and laughed out loud. Vampires Suck is a brilliant title from whatever meaning you look at it- and the trailer is very funny. They have made fun of the plot, the way the actors are (under)dressed, the villains, the good guys and everything else. And I simply adored the delivery guy, Black Eyed Peas and the contract jokes. The movie is supposed to come out in August and the lead vampire’s name is Edward Sullen. Enjoy.

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHkPJ1ACLrg&feature=related[/pro-player]

Here’s the trailer’s link, in case the video doesn’t work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHkPJ1ACLrg&feature=related

But if you want trivia and reviews on the actual Twilight Saga- this is the ultimate link:

The Ultimate Twilight Movies and Cast Resources: 15 Posts on The Twilight Saga

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: 300, 300 movie, 300 spartans spoof, 300 spoof, Danny Glover, emilio estevez, Gerard Butler, gerard butler 300, Lethal Weapon, loaded weapon, Mel Gibson, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Twilight, Twilight saga, twilight spoof, Vampires Suck

In the mood for a fun romcom novel?

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