Attack the Block is one of my favorite movies of the year. Fun, funny, amazing young actors, awesome music and a fun plot line. The movie has great dialogue and lots of adrenaline. This is the ultimate popcorn movie!

I had the pleasure of watching Martin Scorsese’s new 3D movie Hugo. I’m not a huge fan of 3D but I loved this one. The city Scorcese and his super team created was beautiful and magical. We went to the DGA to see the movie and after the movie James Cameron and Martin came out on stage for a one-on-one interview. It was interesting and inspiring to listen to two master filmmakers geek out on 3D film-making. They talked about the unique learning curve of 3D and the future. In the end, what I walked away with was a renewed sense of inspiration in the realization that no matter who you are, and no matter what you have accomplished in your life, its really all about challenging yourself to learn something new. It is in that process that we grow as people and in our chosen profession our art and our expression.

A very busy schedule keeps me running…but I always make time to stop a smell the flowers. I want to take this moment to thank my fans and supporters for the continued inspiration xoxo Denise

I’ve spent some time in third world countries, and I’ve seen the beauty and the poverty of the people and the places that I’ve been to. It was shocking to know that the divide between the have and the have-nots was so huge and frightening to know that the divide is actually still growing. Waste Land is a documentary about the harsh reality of life at one of the worlds largest dumps located near Sao Paolo Brazil where workers make ends meet by collecting recyclable materials. Watch Brazilian born world renowned artist Vik Muniz share his story and his creative vision and let him shape the way you look at the waste lands, and the people in them. Art and humanity. This is an amazing, inspiring film — a masterpiece.

I went to see the movie “Thor” this past weekend and I’m sorry to say that I just wasn’t loving it. Is it me or is the whole 3D thing just not that great? The glasses are annoying and heavy and I can’t imagine what its like for someone who wears glasses. Also, the picture seemed very dark because of the 3D glasses.

Having said the, I did find it fun and funny to see how the director handled showing off Thor’s (played by Chris Hemsworth) rock hard eight-pack. It’s not every day that Hollywood delivers half naked hunks for the female audience to drool over. Normally you only get to see female actors running around in their panties. I say, more shirtless actors sporting killer abs for the ladies. This is motivating stuff!

Its all about me and my hard sexy Amazon muscles. It’s all about you showing your appreciation for all of my hard work. It’s all about me getting off on the fact that you know that I’m stronger than you are and that I’m superior to you. You are nothing but a Boy Toy…see for yourself!

OK, I have another must see movie for you! Win Win is a fun movie with amazing acting and although its categorized as a comedy, I would categorize it as more of a comedy/drama. Paul Giamatti is fantastic – love him in this role, Amy Ryan, was amazing and real in her role as a mother and a wife dealing with life’s day-to-day struggles, Bobby Cannavale was fun to watch and a great supporting actor and Alex Shaffer, well all I can say is WOW. I feel in love with Kyle the kid and the athlete (played by Alex Shaffer) and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Alex in future roles. In short, the movie is beautifully written, directed and performed. It’s a slice of life with all of its bitter-sweet bumps in the road and it’s funny moments.  I give Win Win two thumbs up. Go see it and let me know what you think. xoxo D

I’d heard about the movie “Waiting for Superman” for months and tonight I finally got to see it. I can honestly say that I was blown away by what I learned about the epic failures of the public educational system in our country. I’m not a parent but I am an aunt and a Godmother and I care deeply about our society and I believe that every child deserves a fighting chance for a good and productive life. This movie is important and a must see. And although I walked away upset, I was also inspired by the amazing work being done by some amazing super teachers who are working hard to take our kids from fail to pass. Have you seen it?

With the 83rd Annual Academy Award show coming up, I’m trying to see as many of the best picture nominees for Oscars as I can because I like hosting Oscar parties with close friends and competing to see who can predict the most Oscar winners. Tonight I went to see “The Kings Speech” starring Colin Firth, as King George VI of England, and Geoffrey Rush, as Lionel Logue his eccentric speech therapist. All I can say about this film is SEE IT NOW. The performances by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush are fun, funny, heartwarming, inspiring and real. This is a story of the healing power of friendship and courage. We all deal with challenges, fears and insecurities and whether we fail or succeed, it’s the courage with which we face our hardest times and biggest fears and the people we have around us that matters most.  I loved everything about this film. And what a pleasure to see Helena Bohnam-Carter’s true beauty shine through. It’s no surprise that all three of these actors are nominated for an Oscar and that The Kings Speech has a whopping 12 Oscar nominations. I hope you enjoy this inspiring true story as much as I did.

I can’t help but say I want to see Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush win Oscars for their amazing and inspiring performances in The King’s Speech. I watched the movie with a smile on my face, clapped when it was over and left the theater feeling inspired by the power of courage and friendship.

I went to see The Black Swan this weekend and although the movie is very dark, I loved the performances in this movie a lot. My two favorite performances included Natalie Portman (as The Black & White Swan) and her artistic director played by Vincent Cassel. Many are talking about how erotic the film is and although it is sexually charged, I don’t know that there is anything earth shattering about the girl on girl scenes. Having said that, I will agree that both Natalie and Mila are beautiful women you just love to watch. In my opinion, the film is more disturbing than sexy and at times it’s so dark that I found myself annoyed.  I say that because, I am the consummate optimist who always looks for the light in the dark, even if it’s just a couple of small bright spots. I think that what the film does really well, with the help of Natalie Portman’s amazing performance is that it shows what emotional stress can do to the mind and the body. As a professional female bodybuilder I know what it’s like to be committed to an art form that speaks to creative expression and extremes. It’s a beautiful thing… so long as it’s pursued with some sense of balance.  So there you have it, my two cents on The Black Swan. – Denise

PS: I loved the makeup and the visual representation of the metamorphosis from White to Black Swan and from the light to the dark.