My First Post

For the sake of introduction, my name is James Nussbaum and I am a senior at Northwestern University in Chicago. I believe that you can tell a lot about a person by the movies that they like. That being said, you’ll learn much more about me as this blog continues.

Joey and I go way back. In elementary school and middle school we spent many a weekend playing AAU basketball together. We developed a great friendship that continued on into high school. In high school we continued our hooping ways. I played football as well, while Joey chose to focus on basketball (many thanks to Coach Wessling). We had crazy schedules, but always made time to hang out and catch a movie. The two of us with the help of Trent Brunic even started an informal group. We called ourselves the Movie Rats.

We were the Frank, Dean, and Sammy of movie watching. We watched movies voraciously and it didn’t matter what kind. It usually turned out that I would orchestrate when we would seen new releases in theaters, and Joey’s place was where we would go to lounge around and watch a rental or the latest comedy he had found on sale. When we weren’t working out or shooting in the gym, we were watching movies. It was the life.

But all good things come to an end. Trent ended up in another high school, while Joey and I found another thing in common. We had been benched. After choosing us to practice with the Indiana All-Stars (I have the pictures to prove it), our Joe Pesci look-alike coach decided we weren’t good enough anymore. We began to get real cozy on the bench. I think we may have even been the reasons for our assigned seats on the bench. It’s weird how a friendship can deepen through some adversity, but ours truly did (shout out to Eric Hazelbaker too). I know I am getting soft on you, but it’s truth.

We went our separate ways in college, but our love for movies didn’t waver. Without Joey to talk to as much, I picked up the hobby of writing short movie reviews online. I began to post them on facebook and Joey took notice. He sent me a message saying that we should start a website or a blog to share our love for movies with whoever would listen. I loved the idea. So this is it.

You’re not going to find detailed analysis of editing and directing in this blog. Nor are you going to find two guys who are too eccentric to relate to. We are two real guys, giving real reviews. We each have our own personal areas of expertise and will share anything and everything related to movies. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.



For a bit of a teaser, Joey and I are doing a Top 5. My Top 5 will be different from Joey’s in that they are in no particular order. Movies differ so much from genre to genre that it is often times hard to compare movies across genres. Usually I would go into much more detail when reviewing movies (stay tuned for more in the future), but today will be a small appetizer so that you can get a feel of what is important to me in movies.
Drumroll please…

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
The greatest heist film of all-time. This movie has it all, action, humor, backstabbing, love, a spectacular soundtrack, and it is all executed by own of the best casts ever assembled. A remake of the Rat Pack’s original, Clooney and Pitt are as close to the superstar status of Sinatra and Dino that anyone in Hollywood could be. Whether you view it by itself or as an installment of the trilogy, it is a great movie.

Remember the Titans (2000)
This movie captures the fundamental essence of sports. Having played football, I am often very critical of football movies, but this one gets it right. I am also usually skeptical of movies primarily about race, but again, this one gets it right. Again an awesome soundtrack and an amazing performance by Denzel Washington (you’ll learn he is own of my favorites) make this movie one of the best in the sports genre.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The fact that I did not choose Return of the King may surprise many. However, Two Towers best captures the spirit of the overall trilogy. Peter Jackson masterfully brings JR Tolkien’s epic work of genius to life. The story is basic in principle, but the added layers of detail and character development that make up Middle Earth create a story that the viewer can nearly participate in. And once again, great soundtrack.

Toy Story (1995)
A movie that will forever change the way in which animation is made. One of the best examples of fun for the whole family. A great cast and a great story told in the wonderful way that only Disney can. Randy Newman put his touch on this one while Pixar introduced revolutionary animation techniques making this one a feast for both eyes and ears. Toy Story revolutionized animation and created such lasting characters that a decade an a half later the third installment will debut (pretty pumped for Toy Story 3).

Home Alone (1990)
A definite must watch each holiday season. What kid didn’t want a Talkboy or imagine being left at home while his family went on vacation after watching this movie? What is amazing is that even as an adult this movie is wonderful. Quotes range from “Snakes, I don’t know no Snakes” to “Kevin, you're what the French call les incompetents.” And how can you go wrong with a score by John Williams? A holiday tradition no family should be without.




Hope you liked my first entry. Please shoot us an e-mail and clawandnussreviews@gmail.com or comment to let us know what you think. New posts are just around the corner. In the meantime, tell everyone you know about the best movie blog you have ever read (let’s face it you haven’t read another one). We’re hoping that if we build it, they will come. Thanks guys.

-Nuss