Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Trailer Kevin Smith's Red State
Trailer for Kevin Smith's long talked about horror movie, huge departure for the him and it looks surprisingly stylish, who knows if it'll work or just come off as a variation on Children of the Corn....
Sunday, December 26, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: THE TOWN
ON DVD
THE TOWN
Boston bank robber Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) falls for a woman his gang had previously taken hostage after feigning a chance meeting with her to ensure that she can't identify them in Affleck's adaptation of author Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. The son of a tough Charlestown, MA thief, Doug passed on his chance to walk the straight and narrow in favor of becoming a career bank robber. Not only is Doug's crew one of the most ruthless in Boston, but they're also one of the best; they never leave a trace of evidence, and always make a clean break. Over the years, Doug's fearless partners in crime have become something of a surrogate family to him; Jem (Jeremy Renner), the most dangerous of the bunch, is the closest thing Doug has ever had to a brother. But a divide begins to open between the two career criminals when Jem takes bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage during a particularly tense heist, and the group subsequently discovers that she hails from their own tight-knit suburb. When Jem proposes that the gang make an effort to find out just how much Claire recalls about the crime, Doug fears that his volatile partner may do more harm than good and volunteers himself for the job. Later, Doug turns on the charm while pretending to bump into Claire by chance, and becomes convinced that she doesn't suspect him of being the same man who just robbed her bank. As the feds turn up the heat on the gang, Doug finds himself falling for Claire, and searching desperately for a means of cutting his ties to his criminal past. But with each passing day, Jem grows increasingly suspicious of Doug's true motivations. Now caught between two worlds with no chance of turning back, Doug realizes that his only hope for finding a happy future is to betray the only family he's ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively.
Release Date: Sep 17, 2010
Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use
Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Ben Affleck’s sophomore directorial effort is a dirty gritty heist drama that’s always interesting even if the story feels predictable. Affleck has an undeniable talent to capture the feel of the area and the people who live there. Even if the plot is a bit far fetched Affleck keeps the film grounded with characters that feel lived in and world weary. In the lead role, Affleck turns in his best work in years allowing the audience to feel the character conflicted nature. While Affleck is impressively strong, Jeremy Renner is absolutely stellar in a supporting role. Renner almost disappears into his character, creating a character that’s menacing and unpredictable. Jon Hamm also delivers strong work as the pressing FBI agent. Blake Lively is appropriately grimy but her performance occasionally feels forced. Faring worse is Rebecca Hall who just seems to blend in with the scenery never making much of an impression. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite have small but important roles, they both perform well and make you wish they’d been given a bit more screen time since the characters are so intriguing. The film ends with a pulse pounding bang with a massive action set piece that’s a perfect bloody send off for a well crafted and acted film.
B+
THE TOWN
Boston bank robber Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) falls for a woman his gang had previously taken hostage after feigning a chance meeting with her to ensure that she can't identify them in Affleck's adaptation of author Chuck Hogan's novel Prince of Thieves. The son of a tough Charlestown, MA thief, Doug passed on his chance to walk the straight and narrow in favor of becoming a career bank robber. Not only is Doug's crew one of the most ruthless in Boston, but they're also one of the best; they never leave a trace of evidence, and always make a clean break. Over the years, Doug's fearless partners in crime have become something of a surrogate family to him; Jem (Jeremy Renner), the most dangerous of the bunch, is the closest thing Doug has ever had to a brother. But a divide begins to open between the two career criminals when Jem takes bank manager Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) hostage during a particularly tense heist, and the group subsequently discovers that she hails from their own tight-knit suburb. When Jem proposes that the gang make an effort to find out just how much Claire recalls about the crime, Doug fears that his volatile partner may do more harm than good and volunteers himself for the job. Later, Doug turns on the charm while pretending to bump into Claire by chance, and becomes convinced that she doesn't suspect him of being the same man who just robbed her bank. As the feds turn up the heat on the gang, Doug finds himself falling for Claire, and searching desperately for a means of cutting his ties to his criminal past. But with each passing day, Jem grows increasingly suspicious of Doug's true motivations. Now caught between two worlds with no chance of turning back, Doug realizes that his only hope for finding a happy future is to betray the only family he's ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively.
Release Date: Sep 17, 2010
Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language, some sexuality and drug use
Runtime: 2 hr. 5 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Ben Affleck’s sophomore directorial effort is a dirty gritty heist drama that’s always interesting even if the story feels predictable. Affleck has an undeniable talent to capture the feel of the area and the people who live there. Even if the plot is a bit far fetched Affleck keeps the film grounded with characters that feel lived in and world weary. In the lead role, Affleck turns in his best work in years allowing the audience to feel the character conflicted nature. While Affleck is impressively strong, Jeremy Renner is absolutely stellar in a supporting role. Renner almost disappears into his character, creating a character that’s menacing and unpredictable. Jon Hamm also delivers strong work as the pressing FBI agent. Blake Lively is appropriately grimy but her performance occasionally feels forced. Faring worse is Rebecca Hall who just seems to blend in with the scenery never making much of an impression. Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite have small but important roles, they both perform well and make you wish they’d been given a bit more screen time since the characters are so intriguing. The film ends with a pulse pounding bang with a massive action set piece that’s a perfect bloody send off for a well crafted and acted film.
B+
Saturday, December 25, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: TRUE GRIT
IN THEATERS
TRUE GRIT
14-year-old mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) joins an aging U.S. marshal (Jeff Bridges) and another lawman (Matt Damon) in tracking her father's killer into hostile Indian territory in Joel and Ethan Coen's adaptation of Charles Portis' original novel. Sticking more closely to the source material than the 1969 feature adaptation starring Western icon John Wayne, the Coens' True Grit tells the story from the young girl's perspective, and re-teams the celebrated filmmaking duo with their No Country for Old Men producing partner Scott Rudin. Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, Dakin Matthews.
Release Date: Dec 22, 2010
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of western violence including disturbing images
Runtime: 2 hr. 8 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Being unfamiliar with the novel and John Wayne film, I came to the Coen’s brother’s True Grit a clean slate. Westerns of yesteryear had never had much appeal for me outside of the occasional spaghetti western. The most recent western I’ve found more appealing for some reason and True Grit is one of those films that perfectly personifies why. Its characters are well drawn and thoroughly complex and never disinteresting. The Coen’s have a wonderful eye and love of the wide open spaces and varied climates. They pace this film steadily and thoughtfully so you can savor ever aspect of the scene and sharp dialogue. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld is a revelation from the outset; she gives her character a forceful strength and wisdom that demand you attention throughout. She more than comfortable onscreen with the big name talent and holds her own with ease. Jeff Bridges chews scenery from the moment his character is introduced; it’s a delightful performance that’s surprisingly multilayered and textured. Bridges and Steinfeld share excellent chemistry together, something much needed for a story like this. Matt Damon turns in solid supporting work as a Texas Ranger who appears to be more talk and vanity than substance. Damon displays strong flexibility and range here working as a solid ying to Bridge’s yang. Josh Brolin and Barry Peppers are excellent in tiny but pivotal roles.
A
TRUE GRIT
14-year-old mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) joins an aging U.S. marshal (Jeff Bridges) and another lawman (Matt Damon) in tracking her father's killer into hostile Indian territory in Joel and Ethan Coen's adaptation of Charles Portis' original novel. Sticking more closely to the source material than the 1969 feature adaptation starring Western icon John Wayne, the Coens' True Grit tells the story from the young girl's perspective, and re-teams the celebrated filmmaking duo with their No Country for Old Men producing partner Scott Rudin. Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, Dakin Matthews.
Release Date: Dec 22, 2010
Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of western violence including disturbing images
Runtime: 2 hr. 8 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Being unfamiliar with the novel and John Wayne film, I came to the Coen’s brother’s True Grit a clean slate. Westerns of yesteryear had never had much appeal for me outside of the occasional spaghetti western. The most recent western I’ve found more appealing for some reason and True Grit is one of those films that perfectly personifies why. Its characters are well drawn and thoroughly complex and never disinteresting. The Coen’s have a wonderful eye and love of the wide open spaces and varied climates. They pace this film steadily and thoughtfully so you can savor ever aspect of the scene and sharp dialogue. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld is a revelation from the outset; she gives her character a forceful strength and wisdom that demand you attention throughout. She more than comfortable onscreen with the big name talent and holds her own with ease. Jeff Bridges chews scenery from the moment his character is introduced; it’s a delightful performance that’s surprisingly multilayered and textured. Bridges and Steinfeld share excellent chemistry together, something much needed for a story like this. Matt Damon turns in solid supporting work as a Texas Ranger who appears to be more talk and vanity than substance. Damon displays strong flexibility and range here working as a solid ying to Bridge’s yang. Josh Brolin and Barry Peppers are excellent in tiny but pivotal roles.
A
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry X-mas everyone!!!
Just wanted to wish everyone who reads my reviews a wonderful and happy X-mas and holidays.
I truly appreciate all of you guys and gals!
I truly appreciate all of you guys and gals!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: TRON: LEGACY
IN THEATERS
TRON:LEGACY 3D
The Master Control Program is booted back up in this revamped Tron continuation that sees the return of original star Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, the brilliant computer programmer whose disappearance leads his son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), to search for him in and out of the computer world. Original director and co-writer Steven Lisberger produces the new film, which is helmed by commercial director Joseph Kosinski. James Frain, Olivia Wilde, Beau Garrett, and Michael Sheen also star, with Bruce Boxleitner returning as Alan Bradley and Tron, the heroic protagonist of the original film. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen.
Release Date: Dec 17, 2010
Rated: Sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language
Runtime: 2 hr. 7 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Tron: Legacy is very much like a jaw breaker candy, a cinematic concoction of tightly pressed sugar that’s tasty but difficult to get through and when you’re done you have nothing. That not to say it’s a horrible movie as much as it’s purely a visual experience, similar to the 1982 original. The biggest asset to this film is ascetic, they are amazing to behold especially in 3D. The digital world is a fully realized wonder that’s going to give everyone endless gee whiz moments. The battles whether disk to disk, light cycle or light planes are all thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable. The problem with this film is the script which is thoroughly complex yet incredibly basic and features characters that are thoroughly uninteresting. Rookie director Joseph Kosinski has the visual flair to make the film watchable but his inexperience shine through with the wooden performances he coxed out of his cast. Flat dialogue runs amok throughout the film with Bridges being the only one who doesn’t look like he’s acting. Garrett Hedlund is so disinteresting as the lead her that you kind of wish he’d just stay off the screen. The aforementioned Bridges seems to be having fun or at least seems a little high as he channels The Dude as the elder Flynn. As his villainous doppelganger Clu, with the creepy de-aged digital face which is far from perfect, Bridges is mostly just asked to yell a lot and not much more. Olivia Wilde seems content to pose for the camera since her character is so thinly conceived. Michael Sheen, in a small but memorable role, goes all out in a full camp mode reminding me of a flamboyant Riddler from the 60’s Batman show. Tron: Legacy is a film that follows its predecessor’s footsteps being all flash and no substance.
C-
TRON:LEGACY 3D
The Master Control Program is booted back up in this revamped Tron continuation that sees the return of original star Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, the brilliant computer programmer whose disappearance leads his son, Sam (Garrett Hedlund), to search for him in and out of the computer world. Original director and co-writer Steven Lisberger produces the new film, which is helmed by commercial director Joseph Kosinski. James Frain, Olivia Wilde, Beau Garrett, and Michael Sheen also star, with Bruce Boxleitner returning as Alan Bradley and Tron, the heroic protagonist of the original film. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, Michael Sheen.
Release Date: Dec 17, 2010
Rated: Sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language
Runtime: 2 hr. 7 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Tron: Legacy is very much like a jaw breaker candy, a cinematic concoction of tightly pressed sugar that’s tasty but difficult to get through and when you’re done you have nothing. That not to say it’s a horrible movie as much as it’s purely a visual experience, similar to the 1982 original. The biggest asset to this film is ascetic, they are amazing to behold especially in 3D. The digital world is a fully realized wonder that’s going to give everyone endless gee whiz moments. The battles whether disk to disk, light cycle or light planes are all thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable. The problem with this film is the script which is thoroughly complex yet incredibly basic and features characters that are thoroughly uninteresting. Rookie director Joseph Kosinski has the visual flair to make the film watchable but his inexperience shine through with the wooden performances he coxed out of his cast. Flat dialogue runs amok throughout the film with Bridges being the only one who doesn’t look like he’s acting. Garrett Hedlund is so disinteresting as the lead her that you kind of wish he’d just stay off the screen. The aforementioned Bridges seems to be having fun or at least seems a little high as he channels The Dude as the elder Flynn. As his villainous doppelganger Clu, with the creepy de-aged digital face which is far from perfect, Bridges is mostly just asked to yell a lot and not much more. Olivia Wilde seems content to pose for the camera since her character is so thinly conceived. Michael Sheen, in a small but memorable role, goes all out in a full camp mode reminding me of a flamboyant Riddler from the 60’s Batman show. Tron: Legacy is a film that follows its predecessor’s footsteps being all flash and no substance.
C-
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life Trailer
Malick is one of my all time favorite directors, needless to say I'm terribly excited about his next film.....
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: BLACK SWAN
IN THEATERS
BLACK SWAN
New York City ballet dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) enters into an intense battle of wills with a talented and ambitious new arrival (Mila Kunis) who seems intent on edging her out of the spotlight in this supernatural-flavored psychological thriller from director Darren Aronofsky. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder.
Release Date: Dec 03, 2010
Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Genres: Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Macabre, mystifying and absolutely engrossing, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is an operatic dark fair tale. Aronofsky, shooting mostly via handheld camera, creates an impressively arresting tale that has a sense of immediacy and intensity from the first frame of the film. While the actual plot is fairly simplistic, Aronofsky’s ability to take us through the throws of insanity and lunacy by showing the character’s crumbling reality elevates it’s into high art. While it stumbles on a few occasions in particular near the finale, deciding to be overly visual with the extended metaphor which leads into unintended camp. Natalie Portman shines in a meticulously measured performance. Her beautiful but emaciated figure walks and dances through the film in a detached but dedicated haze. Portman and Barbara Hershey share some excellent chemistry with forays into Nina’s disturbing homelife which display the levels of arrested development in play. Vincent Cassel is appropriately sleazy as the lothario dance director. Mila Kunis isn’t asked to do much of depth here and is mostly a one dimensional foil. Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a beautiful film that occasionally borders on high class horror.
A-
BLACK SWAN
New York City ballet dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) enters into an intense battle of wills with a talented and ambitious new arrival (Mila Kunis) who seems intent on edging her out of the spotlight in this supernatural-flavored psychological thriller from director Darren Aronofsky. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder.
Release Date: Dec 03, 2010
Rated R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Genres: Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Macabre, mystifying and absolutely engrossing, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is an operatic dark fair tale. Aronofsky, shooting mostly via handheld camera, creates an impressively arresting tale that has a sense of immediacy and intensity from the first frame of the film. While the actual plot is fairly simplistic, Aronofsky’s ability to take us through the throws of insanity and lunacy by showing the character’s crumbling reality elevates it’s into high art. While it stumbles on a few occasions in particular near the finale, deciding to be overly visual with the extended metaphor which leads into unintended camp. Natalie Portman shines in a meticulously measured performance. Her beautiful but emaciated figure walks and dances through the film in a detached but dedicated haze. Portman and Barbara Hershey share some excellent chemistry with forays into Nina’s disturbing homelife which display the levels of arrested development in play. Vincent Cassel is appropriately sleazy as the lothario dance director. Mila Kunis isn’t asked to do much of depth here and is mostly a one dimensional foil. Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a beautiful film that occasionally borders on high class horror.
A-
Monday, November 29, 2010
Rest in Peace Leslie Nielsen
LOS ANGELES - Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in "Airplane!" and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in "The Naked Gun" comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84.
The Canadian-born actor died from complications from pneumonia at a hospital near his home at 5:34 p.m., surrounded by his wife, Barbaree, and friends, his agent John S. Kelly said in a statement.
"We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in 'The Naked Gun' series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television," said Kelly.
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/leslie-nielsen-naked-gun-fame-dies-age-84-ap
One of my favorite actors ever, he was such a big part of my childhood with Airplane and the Naked Gun movies, he will be sorely missed....
Saturday, November 20, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
IN THEATERS
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
The first installment of the two-film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they search for the pieces of Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) soul that he extracted from his being and hid in obscure locations both far and wide. If the trio is unable to locate and destroy them all, Voldemort will remain immortal. Despite their long friendship, a combination of dark forces, romantic tensions, and long-held secrets.
Director: David Yates
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes
Release Date: Nov 19, 2010
Rated: For some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images
Runtime: 2 hr. 27 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Taking a purely cinematic journey through J.K. Rowling’s now classic tome about the titular boy wizard, mainly because fantasy books have never grabbed my attention in the slightest, has been in interesting if somewhat confounding experience. The first 3 or 4 films really felt closer to standard issue preteen fantasy writing and story telling that while mildly interesting was never thoroughly engaging. Still I trudged forward, mainly because I like to finish whatever I start, and as the child actors grew the storytelling became more layered and detailed, creating a more engaging story and series of events. While I’d hardly ever call myself a diehard I had grown to enjoy the story and its darker far more adult undertones as the finale drew closer. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an epic start to what’s sure to be a rousing and hopefully fulfilling finish. David Yates again directs and he’s been a wonderful guide for these latter entries. Part 1 has an epic and world weary, at times almost apocalyptic feel to it that been building for the last couple of chapters. It’s a thoughtful film that knows when to insert humor or character moments when needed to break the occasionally oppressive tone of story. There is enough action to keep novice interested while some of mythology mumbo jumbo sinks in. The cast is equally comfortable in their roles, the primary trinity now having spent the majority of their adolescence in these characters. They are all more than capable of handling the characters more intensive story lines. While Radcliffe and Grint have shown a steady improvement as they’ve aged, Emma Watson has become the best of the lot and displays an impressive level of naturalism here. A few dead spots here and there especially in the final act where the film kind of starts to feel like Harry Potter and the Fellowship of the Horcrux as they wander the woods before a hurried finale that simply reinforces the point that this is the end of act 1.
B+
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
The first installment of the two-film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) as they search for the pieces of Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) soul that he extracted from his being and hid in obscure locations both far and wide. If the trio is unable to locate and destroy them all, Voldemort will remain immortal. Despite their long friendship, a combination of dark forces, romantic tensions, and long-held secrets.
Director: David Yates
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes
Release Date: Nov 19, 2010
Rated: For some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images
Runtime: 2 hr. 27 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Taking a purely cinematic journey through J.K. Rowling’s now classic tome about the titular boy wizard, mainly because fantasy books have never grabbed my attention in the slightest, has been in interesting if somewhat confounding experience. The first 3 or 4 films really felt closer to standard issue preteen fantasy writing and story telling that while mildly interesting was never thoroughly engaging. Still I trudged forward, mainly because I like to finish whatever I start, and as the child actors grew the storytelling became more layered and detailed, creating a more engaging story and series of events. While I’d hardly ever call myself a diehard I had grown to enjoy the story and its darker far more adult undertones as the finale drew closer. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an epic start to what’s sure to be a rousing and hopefully fulfilling finish. David Yates again directs and he’s been a wonderful guide for these latter entries. Part 1 has an epic and world weary, at times almost apocalyptic feel to it that been building for the last couple of chapters. It’s a thoughtful film that knows when to insert humor or character moments when needed to break the occasionally oppressive tone of story. There is enough action to keep novice interested while some of mythology mumbo jumbo sinks in. The cast is equally comfortable in their roles, the primary trinity now having spent the majority of their adolescence in these characters. They are all more than capable of handling the characters more intensive story lines. While Radcliffe and Grint have shown a steady improvement as they’ve aged, Emma Watson has become the best of the lot and displays an impressive level of naturalism here. A few dead spots here and there especially in the final act where the film kind of starts to feel like Harry Potter and the Fellowship of the Horcrux as they wander the woods before a hurried finale that simply reinforces the point that this is the end of act 1.
B+
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: 127 HOURS
IN THEATERS
127 HOURS
Filmmaker Danny Boyle adapts the true-life story of Aron Ralston with this Fox Searchlight production detailing the hiker's harrowing quest for survival after losing an arm to a fallen rock and the grueling five-day ordeal that finally ended with his rescue. James Franco steps into the role of the unfortunate climber. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Lizzy Caplan.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images
Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is an engaging incredibly impressive cinematic achievement considering the film’s plot concerns a climber being stuck under a boulder for 5 days. Boyle flexes his impressive imagination and uses various cinematic tropes to take us through the experience Aron Ralston suffered in as visceral a manner that when the pivotal scene comes you winch and squirm with each tear and rough cut. It’s an overtly elemental and primal story one that harkens back to a bevy of man vs. nature tomes from the past. James Franco owns the role of Ralston, it’s his show and if either he or Boyle falters it’s a failure of a film. Thankful Franco, like Boyle, deliver the goods. He gives the audience a clear taste of who Ralston is and lets us feel his spirit and emotional states throughout. He’s always interesting and always connects with the audience even though he has nobody to interact with besides himself and occasionally a camera. Once he’s freed, you feel that moment in a personal way. It’s a fitting tribute and testament to Ralston’s real life experience.
A
127 HOURS
Filmmaker Danny Boyle adapts the true-life story of Aron Ralston with this Fox Searchlight production detailing the hiker's harrowing quest for survival after losing an arm to a fallen rock and the grueling five-day ordeal that finally ended with his rescue. James Franco steps into the role of the unfortunate climber. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara, Clémence Poésy, Lizzy Caplan.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language and some disturbing violent content/bloody images
Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is an engaging incredibly impressive cinematic achievement considering the film’s plot concerns a climber being stuck under a boulder for 5 days. Boyle flexes his impressive imagination and uses various cinematic tropes to take us through the experience Aron Ralston suffered in as visceral a manner that when the pivotal scene comes you winch and squirm with each tear and rough cut. It’s an overtly elemental and primal story one that harkens back to a bevy of man vs. nature tomes from the past. James Franco owns the role of Ralston, it’s his show and if either he or Boyle falters it’s a failure of a film. Thankful Franco, like Boyle, deliver the goods. He gives the audience a clear taste of who Ralston is and lets us feel his spirit and emotional states throughout. He’s always interesting and always connects with the audience even though he has nobody to interact with besides himself and occasionally a camera. Once he’s freed, you feel that moment in a personal way. It’s a fitting tribute and testament to Ralston’s real life experience.
A
Sunday, November 7, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: DUE DATE
IN THEATERS
DUE DATE
Director Todd Phillips re-teams with his break-out Hangover star Zach Galifianakis for this road movie concerning a soon-to-be father (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and his cross-country trip to make it back in time for his baby's birth -- with the only roadblock being the dubious passenger (Galifianakis) who's along for the ride. Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx co-star in the Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, RZA.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language, drug use and sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Comedy
Review:
Todd Phillips has made this type of film various times throughout his career; he has an almost unhealthy obsession with road trips and odd ball characters. Here Phillips throws together as many odd couple traveling clichés possible and contrived situations to make a plot. It’s barely a plot but it’s enough to give Galifianakis and Downey Jr. a showcase. Galifianaskis is in full man child mode, pretty much playing an even stranger version of his Hangover character. He gives his character enough heart to make a slightly different animal from that other role. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a strong performance as well, he’s like a tightly wound ball of rage and mania ready to burst at any point. He and Galifianakis have solid chemistry together and they are best thing about this entire film. Sadly, its strength is limited to these two and when the script tries shoe horn some sentiment or contrived connection it just rings incredibly false and hollow. These moments drag the film down and make it feel a lot longer than it actually is. Jamie Foxx walks through a few scenes and Michelle Monaghan is given less to do than Juliet Lewis and Danny McBride who both have memorable cameos. Due Date is a generally funny movie that feels like fast food and has as much nutritional value.
C+
DUE DATE
Director Todd Phillips re-teams with his break-out Hangover star Zach Galifianakis for this road movie concerning a soon-to-be father (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and his cross-country trip to make it back in time for his baby's birth -- with the only roadblock being the dubious passenger (Galifianakis) who's along for the ride. Michelle Monaghan and Jamie Foxx co-star in the Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, RZA.
Release Date: Nov 05, 2010
Rated: Language, drug use and sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Comedy
Review:
Todd Phillips has made this type of film various times throughout his career; he has an almost unhealthy obsession with road trips and odd ball characters. Here Phillips throws together as many odd couple traveling clichés possible and contrived situations to make a plot. It’s barely a plot but it’s enough to give Galifianakis and Downey Jr. a showcase. Galifianaskis is in full man child mode, pretty much playing an even stranger version of his Hangover character. He gives his character enough heart to make a slightly different animal from that other role. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a strong performance as well, he’s like a tightly wound ball of rage and mania ready to burst at any point. He and Galifianakis have solid chemistry together and they are best thing about this entire film. Sadly, its strength is limited to these two and when the script tries shoe horn some sentiment or contrived connection it just rings incredibly false and hollow. These moments drag the film down and make it feel a lot longer than it actually is. Jamie Foxx walks through a few scenes and Michelle Monaghan is given less to do than Juliet Lewis and Danny McBride who both have memorable cameos. Due Date is a generally funny movie that feels like fast food and has as much nutritional value.
C+
MOVIE REVIEWS: CENTURION
ON DVD
CENTURION
A Roman soldier (Michael Fassbender) leads a small band of troops on a mission to rescue a key Roman general after becoming trapped in the territory of their sworn enemies in this period action-adventure film from director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday). The year is A.D. 117: despite the growing strength of the Roman Empire, a fierce tribe known as the Picts has prevented Hadrian's armies from conquering northern Britain. The Picts offer a devastating display of their guerilla power when they raid a Roman frontier fort, and Quintus just barely manages to escape with his life. Thirsting for revenge, Quintus joins General Virilus' Ninth Legion as the squadron begins traveling north on a mission to find and kill Gorlacon, the leader of the Picts. That mission is complicated when the Ninth Legion is ambushed and General Virilus is captured, leaving his men stranded behind enemy lines. Now, as the Quintus and the surviving members of the Ninth Legion are hunted from the shadows, they prepare to make one last, desperate bid to save General Virilus and reach the Roman frontier before being captured or killed by the Picts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Neil Marshall
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated R for grisly images, strong bloody violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Neil Marshall’s Gladiator meets The Warriors bloody exercise is a surprising film in many ways. Throughout the run time there are blood spurts aplenty, body parts are cleaved at a amazing rate, Marshall’s ability to keep this interesting and shoot it beautifully elevate this film over the usual genre garbage. Marshall has an exceptional talent to create films that keep genre fans happy (see The Decent, Dog Soldiers & Doomsday) but what’s generally overlooked is his growth as a filmmaker. Marshall gives this film an epic feel with huge expansive landscape shots that gives the audience a real scene of the location. It sounds like a small thing but visually it’s a huge plus for this film that occasionally falters with hackneyed scripting. The cast is all game with only a few hiccups. Michael Fassbender is impressively comfortable in a leading man role. He brings a nice sense of gravitas even when delivering some of the more wooden dialogue. Olga Kurylenko is hit or miss throughout; occasionally she finds the right sense of danger and menace while other times it looks like she’s just playing dress up. Marshall’s wife Axelle Carolyn actually comes off far more menacing in a small role. Dominic West delivers solid work but he’s given a terribly small role. Those looking for a strong history lesson should probably look elsewhere but those looking for a solid piece of genre filmmaking that’s fairly entertaining throughout should find plenty to like here.
B
CENTURION
A Roman soldier (Michael Fassbender) leads a small band of troops on a mission to rescue a key Roman general after becoming trapped in the territory of their sworn enemies in this period action-adventure film from director Neil Marshall (The Descent, Doomsday). The year is A.D. 117: despite the growing strength of the Roman Empire, a fierce tribe known as the Picts has prevented Hadrian's armies from conquering northern Britain. The Picts offer a devastating display of their guerilla power when they raid a Roman frontier fort, and Quintus just barely manages to escape with his life. Thirsting for revenge, Quintus joins General Virilus' Ninth Legion as the squadron begins traveling north on a mission to find and kill Gorlacon, the leader of the Picts. That mission is complicated when the Ninth Legion is ambushed and General Virilus is captured, leaving his men stranded behind enemy lines. Now, as the Quintus and the surviving members of the Ninth Legion are hunted from the shadows, they prepare to make one last, desperate bid to save General Virilus and reach the Roman frontier before being captured or killed by the Picts. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Neil Marshall
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated R for grisly images, strong bloody violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Neil Marshall’s Gladiator meets The Warriors bloody exercise is a surprising film in many ways. Throughout the run time there are blood spurts aplenty, body parts are cleaved at a amazing rate, Marshall’s ability to keep this interesting and shoot it beautifully elevate this film over the usual genre garbage. Marshall has an exceptional talent to create films that keep genre fans happy (see The Decent, Dog Soldiers & Doomsday) but what’s generally overlooked is his growth as a filmmaker. Marshall gives this film an epic feel with huge expansive landscape shots that gives the audience a real scene of the location. It sounds like a small thing but visually it’s a huge plus for this film that occasionally falters with hackneyed scripting. The cast is all game with only a few hiccups. Michael Fassbender is impressively comfortable in a leading man role. He brings a nice sense of gravitas even when delivering some of the more wooden dialogue. Olga Kurylenko is hit or miss throughout; occasionally she finds the right sense of danger and menace while other times it looks like she’s just playing dress up. Marshall’s wife Axelle Carolyn actually comes off far more menacing in a small role. Dominic West delivers solid work but he’s given a terribly small role. Those looking for a strong history lesson should probably look elsewhere but those looking for a solid piece of genre filmmaking that’s fairly entertaining throughout should find plenty to like here.
B
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monsters Trailer
Alien life forms have spread throughout the U.S.-Mexico border region leading to the quarantine of half of Mexico. The U.S. and Mexican militaries are battling to contain the creatures, with a wall stretching along the American border. The story follows Andrew, an American photojournalist helping his wealthy employer's daughter, Samantha, get back to America. Their journey takes them across Central America and eventually into the 'infected zone'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsters_(2010_film)
Some how I'd never heard of this UK film until a friend of mine told me about it, looks fantastic!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
IN THEATERS
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
Spooky hauntings are once again the main course in this Paramount Pictures follow-up to Oren Peli's wildly successful supernatural thriller, Paranormal Activity. Kip Williams directs from a script by Michael Perry. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Tod "Kip" Williams
Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Sprague Grayden, Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim
Release Date: Oct 22, 2010
Rated: R for some language and brief violent material
Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Paranormal Activity 2 avoids the Blair Witch sequel issue by sticking with what worked so well in the first film. Tod Williams formats his film very much like the bare bones original and opens it up more with more camera angles and is more overt about the demonic goings on. William’s smartly continues to build tension throughout and set ups up the audience for big scares. The script is well crafted and bookends the original offering insight to open story threads from the original along with some fairly shocking reveals. This prequel’s cast is a strong throughout creating an organic naturalistic feel. With a few exceptions they all feel authentic and are believable. The films faults are obvious but not unexpected. The plot is mostly the same as the original and while the scares are bigger they don’t provide the same surprise as the first. The third act is stronger and what seems like the finale is a white knuckle experience that might remind some viewer of REC. All and all if you enjoyed the first and it’s type of none splatter horror then you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
B+
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
Spooky hauntings are once again the main course in this Paramount Pictures follow-up to Oren Peli's wildly successful supernatural thriller, Paranormal Activity. Kip Williams directs from a script by Michael Perry. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Tod "Kip" Williams
Cast: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Sprague Grayden, Brian Boland, Molly Ephraim
Release Date: Oct 22, 2010
Rated: R for some language and brief violent material
Runtime: 1 hr. 31 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Paranormal Activity 2 avoids the Blair Witch sequel issue by sticking with what worked so well in the first film. Tod Williams formats his film very much like the bare bones original and opens it up more with more camera angles and is more overt about the demonic goings on. William’s smartly continues to build tension throughout and set ups up the audience for big scares. The script is well crafted and bookends the original offering insight to open story threads from the original along with some fairly shocking reveals. This prequel’s cast is a strong throughout creating an organic naturalistic feel. With a few exceptions they all feel authentic and are believable. The films faults are obvious but not unexpected. The plot is mostly the same as the original and while the scares are bigger they don’t provide the same surprise as the first. The third act is stronger and what seems like the finale is a white knuckle experience that might remind some viewer of REC. All and all if you enjoyed the first and it’s type of none splatter horror then you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.
B+
Sunday, October 17, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: RED
IN THEATERS
RED
A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' acclaimed DC Comics graphic novels. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) used to be a hired gun for the CIA. Along with Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Frank's specialty was carrying out contracts that the government didn't want the public to know about. These days, Frank and his old gang are all retired, but the powers that be are still concerned that they know too much, and dispatch a team of top assassins to ensure their silence. Now, Frank and his former team members realize that their only hope for survival is to break into CIA headquarters and expose the truth. But once they're in, the group uncovers evidence of a massive cover-up that promises to rock the very foundation of our government. Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker.
Release Date: Oct 15, 2010
Rated: Intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language
Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy
Review:
An uneven but mostly enjoyable romp, RED delivers enough fun to overlook some of the more obvious flaws. Robert Schwentke directs with an uneven hand, he’s unable to find a nice rhythm for the proceedings. Schwentke inability to find this results in various dead spot throughout, making what should be a very fun action comedy lose steam a bit too often. When the he hits the right notes it’s enjoyable if unoriginal, most of the credit here goes to the stellar cast which makes the entire thing watchable. Bruce Willis headlines playing a smirking knockoff of every character he’s ever played. Willis is having good fun and he and his costars have great chemistry throughout. Mary-Louise Parker is along for the ride and mainly just acts kooky and smiles a lot. Morgan Freeman and John Malkovick are both playing along with Willis and doing what they’ve done before with Malkovick’s nutty level set to 11. Helen Mirren is an incredible sight to behold once she shows up in the latter portion of film embracing her action role with great gusto. The always reliable Brian Cox and terribly watchable Karl Urban make the most of supporting roles. The story is an illogical mess that doesn’t make much sense or provide any three dimensional characters. Still as fluff it’s decent and it’s stars elevate it above the material.
C+
RED
A group of former government assassins fights back against the CIA after they're targeted for knowing too much in this adaptation of Warren Ellis' acclaimed DC Comics graphic novels. Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) used to be a hired gun for the CIA. Along with Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren), Frank's specialty was carrying out contracts that the government didn't want the public to know about. These days, Frank and his old gang are all retired, but the powers that be are still concerned that they know too much, and dispatch a team of top assassins to ensure their silence. Now, Frank and his former team members realize that their only hope for survival is to break into CIA headquarters and expose the truth. But once they're in, the group uncovers evidence of a massive cover-up that promises to rock the very foundation of our government. Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ernest Borgnine co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Robert Schwentke
Cast: Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Mary-Louise Parker.
Release Date: Oct 15, 2010
Rated: Intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language
Runtime: 1 hr. 51 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy
Review:
An uneven but mostly enjoyable romp, RED delivers enough fun to overlook some of the more obvious flaws. Robert Schwentke directs with an uneven hand, he’s unable to find a nice rhythm for the proceedings. Schwentke inability to find this results in various dead spot throughout, making what should be a very fun action comedy lose steam a bit too often. When the he hits the right notes it’s enjoyable if unoriginal, most of the credit here goes to the stellar cast which makes the entire thing watchable. Bruce Willis headlines playing a smirking knockoff of every character he’s ever played. Willis is having good fun and he and his costars have great chemistry throughout. Mary-Louise Parker is along for the ride and mainly just acts kooky and smiles a lot. Morgan Freeman and John Malkovick are both playing along with Willis and doing what they’ve done before with Malkovick’s nutty level set to 11. Helen Mirren is an incredible sight to behold once she shows up in the latter portion of film embracing her action role with great gusto. The always reliable Brian Cox and terribly watchable Karl Urban make the most of supporting roles. The story is an illogical mess that doesn’t make much sense or provide any three dimensional characters. Still as fluff it’s decent and it’s stars elevate it above the material.
C+
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Teaser Trailer for The Thing Prequel Bootleg
Its terrible quality (from New York Comic Con) but you get some idea of what's going on there, I'm still very iffy about this movie since the original movie is one of my favorite horror movies of all time.
Watch while you can.....
Watch while you can.....
Sunday, October 10, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: LET ME IN
IN THEATERS
LET ME IN
John Ajvide Lindqvist's celebrated vampire novel makes the leap to the big screen once again with the second feature adaptation in so many years (Tomas Alfredson's critically acclaimed 2008 hit Let the Right One In, being the first). The sensitive target of vicious bullying at school, 12-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a social misfit from a broken home. By day Owen dreams about laying waste to his classroom tormentors; by night his attentions turn to his reclusive neighbors in their austere apartment complex. One evening, as Owen takes out his pent-up aggressions on a tree, his new neighbor Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz) appears over his shoulder. A young girl wise beyond her years, Abby just moved in next door to Owen with her stoic caretaker (Richard Jenkins), who seems to harbor a sinister secret. Compelled by Abby's apparent imperviousness to the harsh winter elements, her frail disposition, and the fact that she's nowhere to be found before the sun falls, Owen senses a kindred soul, and strikes up a friendship with the girl, despite her repeated attempts to maintain an emotional distance. Simultaneously, their community grows vigilant following a series of vicious murders, and Abby's caretaker vanishes without a trace. Later, as Abby begins to grow vulnerable, her bond with Owen strengthens. By the time Owen begins to suspect that his evasive new friend is something other than human, it starts to seem as if Abby could use a good friend after all. Given that his bullies are growing more emboldened by the day, so too, could Owen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono.
Release Date: Oct 01, 2010
Rated: Strong bloody horror violence, language and a brief sexual situation
Runtime: 1 hr. 55 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Remaking an excellent foreign film that came out just a few years ago seems like a recipe for disaster. Let the Right One In is an artistic masterpiece, the type that would make Stanley Kubrick proud. Its direction and acting were all perfectly done, it was chilling beautiful and timeless. Matt Reeves is given the unenviable task of remaking this and he somehow manages to make his version equally beautiful but with more clearly defined themes. Reeves follows the original film very closely changing a few things here and there, changing the setting to New Mexico in the 80’s seem kind of pointless, but mostly stays true to the heart of the story. Reeves uses more CGI than the original and excises the neighbors subplot only to replace them with a detective. His cast is just as impressive as their Swedish counterparts. Chloe Moretz continues to shine here in a measure performance adding a bit more ferocity to the character. Kodi Smith McPhee is perfectly suited for the role and is appropriately awkward, frail and naive. Richard Jenkins has limited screen time but does make the caretaker role more sympathetic and Abby’s relationship with Owen more sinister. It’s a common theme in this version of this story, Reeves avoids ambiguity in general and spells out things that were left for interpretation in the Swedish film. It’s a matter of taste as to whether that a good thing or not. Still, Reeves does succeed in making a wonderful tome whose greatest achievement might be making new fans discover the Swedish film and original book.
B
LET ME IN
John Ajvide Lindqvist's celebrated vampire novel makes the leap to the big screen once again with the second feature adaptation in so many years (Tomas Alfredson's critically acclaimed 2008 hit Let the Right One In, being the first). The sensitive target of vicious bullying at school, 12-year-old Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a social misfit from a broken home. By day Owen dreams about laying waste to his classroom tormentors; by night his attentions turn to his reclusive neighbors in their austere apartment complex. One evening, as Owen takes out his pent-up aggressions on a tree, his new neighbor Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz) appears over his shoulder. A young girl wise beyond her years, Abby just moved in next door to Owen with her stoic caretaker (Richard Jenkins), who seems to harbor a sinister secret. Compelled by Abby's apparent imperviousness to the harsh winter elements, her frail disposition, and the fact that she's nowhere to be found before the sun falls, Owen senses a kindred soul, and strikes up a friendship with the girl, despite her repeated attempts to maintain an emotional distance. Simultaneously, their community grows vigilant following a series of vicious murders, and Abby's caretaker vanishes without a trace. Later, as Abby begins to grow vulnerable, her bond with Owen strengthens. By the time Owen begins to suspect that his evasive new friend is something other than human, it starts to seem as if Abby could use a good friend after all. Given that his bullies are growing more emboldened by the day, so too, could Owen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Chloe Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono.
Release Date: Oct 01, 2010
Rated: Strong bloody horror violence, language and a brief sexual situation
Runtime: 1 hr. 55 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
Remaking an excellent foreign film that came out just a few years ago seems like a recipe for disaster. Let the Right One In is an artistic masterpiece, the type that would make Stanley Kubrick proud. Its direction and acting were all perfectly done, it was chilling beautiful and timeless. Matt Reeves is given the unenviable task of remaking this and he somehow manages to make his version equally beautiful but with more clearly defined themes. Reeves follows the original film very closely changing a few things here and there, changing the setting to New Mexico in the 80’s seem kind of pointless, but mostly stays true to the heart of the story. Reeves uses more CGI than the original and excises the neighbors subplot only to replace them with a detective. His cast is just as impressive as their Swedish counterparts. Chloe Moretz continues to shine here in a measure performance adding a bit more ferocity to the character. Kodi Smith McPhee is perfectly suited for the role and is appropriately awkward, frail and naive. Richard Jenkins has limited screen time but does make the caretaker role more sympathetic and Abby’s relationship with Owen more sinister. It’s a common theme in this version of this story, Reeves avoids ambiguity in general and spells out things that were left for interpretation in the Swedish film. It’s a matter of taste as to whether that a good thing or not. Still, Reeves does succeed in making a wonderful tome whose greatest achievement might be making new fans discover the Swedish film and original book.
B
Saturday, October 9, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
IN THEATERS
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
The survivor of a vicious gang rape turns the tables on her attackers in this remake of director Meir Zarchi's notorious 1978 horror classic. In order to seek inspiration for her next book, urbanite author Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) retreats to a secluded cabin in the woods. Little does Jennifer realize that she's just caught the attention of some particularly depraved locals, and her peaceful retreat is about to become a living hell. At first the sadistic intruders attempt to frighten Jennifer by breaking into her cabin, but then the attack gets out of hand. Desperate to escape after being badly brutalized, Jennifer throws herself into the river and allows her body to be carried away by the rapids. When her attackers fail to locate her corpse, they assume she is dead and return to their normal lives. But Jennifer isn't dead, and she doesn't forgive. Her attackers will pay for what they did, and nothing they say or do can prevent her from savaging them in the worst way imaginable before she sends them to hell screaming. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Steven R. Monroe
Cast: Sarah Butler, Daniel Franzese, Jeff Branson, Chad Lindberg, Andrew Howard, Rodney Eastman
Release Date: Oct 08, 2010
Rated R for pervasive strong sadistic brutal violence, rape and torture, nudity and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
The original I Spit on Your Grave is the type of movie that generally reviled by the most and while I can’t say I ever enjoyed it, I did get its significance in exploitation movie history. When word came down that it was being remade, the next left me kind of perplexed mainly because it’s not anything people had been clamoring for and because the original is such a product of it’s time. At this point in time most of the exploitative aspects of the film that made it shocking aren’t as shocking nowadays. The remake doesn’t shy away from the more repugnant aspect of the film, it’s is a rape revenge film after all but it doesn’t push the boundaries either. Hence when the film is over, you’re left wondering if the whole enterprise was a misguided attempt to capture something that can’t be captured anymore, the limits of excess have been routinely pushed over the last 30 years. As a film, the remake is an admirable attempt at beefing up a film which was never a perfect creation. Monroe succeeds in making the film more dense and a more rounded out experience. The cast is fairly consistent throughout with Butler doing most of the heavy lifting. Butler has an impressive ability to display strength and determination especially after the assault. The cast of redneck miscreants are solid if fairly clichéd, Andrew Howard has the most interesting role one which wasn’t in the original. The film though has a lot of flaws and the most glaring being serious gaps in logic and a nonsensical timeline. It’s a solid attempt to improve on the original but not by such a large degree that it validates its existence or necessity.
C
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
The survivor of a vicious gang rape turns the tables on her attackers in this remake of director Meir Zarchi's notorious 1978 horror classic. In order to seek inspiration for her next book, urbanite author Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) retreats to a secluded cabin in the woods. Little does Jennifer realize that she's just caught the attention of some particularly depraved locals, and her peaceful retreat is about to become a living hell. At first the sadistic intruders attempt to frighten Jennifer by breaking into her cabin, but then the attack gets out of hand. Desperate to escape after being badly brutalized, Jennifer throws herself into the river and allows her body to be carried away by the rapids. When her attackers fail to locate her corpse, they assume she is dead and return to their normal lives. But Jennifer isn't dead, and she doesn't forgive. Her attackers will pay for what they did, and nothing they say or do can prevent her from savaging them in the worst way imaginable before she sends them to hell screaming. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Steven R. Monroe
Cast: Sarah Butler, Daniel Franzese, Jeff Branson, Chad Lindberg, Andrew Howard, Rodney Eastman
Release Date: Oct 08, 2010
Rated R for pervasive strong sadistic brutal violence, rape and torture, nudity and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
The original I Spit on Your Grave is the type of movie that generally reviled by the most and while I can’t say I ever enjoyed it, I did get its significance in exploitation movie history. When word came down that it was being remade, the next left me kind of perplexed mainly because it’s not anything people had been clamoring for and because the original is such a product of it’s time. At this point in time most of the exploitative aspects of the film that made it shocking aren’t as shocking nowadays. The remake doesn’t shy away from the more repugnant aspect of the film, it’s is a rape revenge film after all but it doesn’t push the boundaries either. Hence when the film is over, you’re left wondering if the whole enterprise was a misguided attempt to capture something that can’t be captured anymore, the limits of excess have been routinely pushed over the last 30 years. As a film, the remake is an admirable attempt at beefing up a film which was never a perfect creation. Monroe succeeds in making the film more dense and a more rounded out experience. The cast is fairly consistent throughout with Butler doing most of the heavy lifting. Butler has an impressive ability to display strength and determination especially after the assault. The cast of redneck miscreants are solid if fairly clichéd, Andrew Howard has the most interesting role one which wasn’t in the original. The film though has a lot of flaws and the most glaring being serious gaps in logic and a nonsensical timeline. It’s a solid attempt to improve on the original but not by such a large degree that it validates its existence or necessity.
C
Saturday, October 2, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW: THE SOCIAL NETWORK
IN THEATERS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
The remarkable story behind Facebook comes to the big screen with this Columbia Pictures production scripted by The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac). The year was 2003. Computer programming wizard Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) was a Harvard undergrad when he laid the foundation for a social networking website that would revolutionize the way we communicate. Six years later the ambitious entrepreneur made his first million -- but that was just the beginning. Despite all of Zuckerberg's wealth and success, his personal life began to suffer as he became marred in legal disputes, and discovered that many of the 500 million people he had friended during his rise to the top were eager to see him fall. Justin Timberlake co-stars as Napster co-creator Sean Parker, with Andrew Garfield filling the role of ousted Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. The Social Network is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones.
Release Date: Oct 01, 2010
Rated: Language, drug and alcohol use and sexual content
Runtime: 2 hr. 1 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
My favorite filmmakers can make me watch films about subjects I’d never give another thought about. Most recently Paul Thomas Anderson had me thoroughly intrigued with turn of the century oil prospectors and now David Fincher has me terribly interested in the creation and founding of Facebook. I’ll be honest, when I heard that a movie about Facebook was in the works, I was terribly skeptical but when Fincher was tapped to direct and with Aaron Sorkin doing the script my interest was piqued. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, any concerns I may have had about the film were laid to rest with a rapid fire character establishing segment that covers more ground than some characters. Sorkin’s script sizzles throughout and Fincher’s direction is incredibly impressive, throw in a subtle but engaging musical score provided by Trent Reznor. Jesse Eisenberg is top notch in the lead role adding multiple layers to his character outside of his general nervous guy routine. Eisenberg makes Zuckerberg come across as terribly detached and cold but insanely intelligent and quick witted. Andrew Garfield is equally impressive as the overly compassionate and naïve Eduardo Saverin, he should probably receive a supporting Oscar nod for his work here, serving as a wonderful ying to Zuckerberg’s yang. Armie Hammer does double duty as the Winklevoss twin which is done with such technical precision that you’d never know it was 1 guy playing both roles. Justin Timberlake boarders on cartoonish as Napster founder Sean Parker showing up for a portion of the third act but disappears before the finale. Rooney Mara is the closest thing to a female character in the film and she has a total of 2 scenes. It’s a minor issue and doesn’t detract from Fincher’s work as he captures an energy and moment, even if the truth is somewhat fictionalized, of an era.
A
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
The remarkable story behind Facebook comes to the big screen with this Columbia Pictures production scripted by The West Wing's Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Zodiac). The year was 2003. Computer programming wizard Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) was a Harvard undergrad when he laid the foundation for a social networking website that would revolutionize the way we communicate. Six years later the ambitious entrepreneur made his first million -- but that was just the beginning. Despite all of Zuckerberg's wealth and success, his personal life began to suffer as he became marred in legal disputes, and discovered that many of the 500 million people he had friended during his rise to the top were eager to see him fall. Justin Timberlake co-stars as Napster co-creator Sean Parker, with Andrew Garfield filling the role of ousted Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. The Social Network is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones.
Release Date: Oct 01, 2010
Rated: Language, drug and alcohol use and sexual content
Runtime: 2 hr. 1 min.
Genres: Drama
Review:
My favorite filmmakers can make me watch films about subjects I’d never give another thought about. Most recently Paul Thomas Anderson had me thoroughly intrigued with turn of the century oil prospectors and now David Fincher has me terribly interested in the creation and founding of Facebook. I’ll be honest, when I heard that a movie about Facebook was in the works, I was terribly skeptical but when Fincher was tapped to direct and with Aaron Sorkin doing the script my interest was piqued. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, any concerns I may have had about the film were laid to rest with a rapid fire character establishing segment that covers more ground than some characters. Sorkin’s script sizzles throughout and Fincher’s direction is incredibly impressive, throw in a subtle but engaging musical score provided by Trent Reznor. Jesse Eisenberg is top notch in the lead role adding multiple layers to his character outside of his general nervous guy routine. Eisenberg makes Zuckerberg come across as terribly detached and cold but insanely intelligent and quick witted. Andrew Garfield is equally impressive as the overly compassionate and naïve Eduardo Saverin, he should probably receive a supporting Oscar nod for his work here, serving as a wonderful ying to Zuckerberg’s yang. Armie Hammer does double duty as the Winklevoss twin which is done with such technical precision that you’d never know it was 1 guy playing both roles. Justin Timberlake boarders on cartoonish as Napster founder Sean Parker showing up for a portion of the third act but disappears before the finale. Rooney Mara is the closest thing to a female character in the film and she has a total of 2 scenes. It’s a minor issue and doesn’t detract from Fincher’s work as he captures an energy and moment, even if the truth is somewhat fictionalized, of an era.
A
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Coen Brothers True Grit Trailer
Coen Brothers' adaptation of the book, not a remake of the John Wayne movie, and amazing cast, this one looks like it'll be a winner.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: EASY A
IN THEATERS
EASY A
Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is re-imagined as a contemporary high school comedy in this tale of a scheming student who plots to give her popularity a boost by painting herself the easiest lay in school. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Will Gluck
Cast: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson
Release Date: Sep 17, 2010
Rated: Mature thematic elements involving teen sexuality, language and some drug material
Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.
Genres: Comedy
Review:
Quick witted, smart and just incredibly likable, Easy A should be Emma Stone’s coming out party. Director Will Gluck is fully aware that the film’s strength is it’s cast and script so he keeps it nice and tight. Gluck moves the story along at a brisk pace and he keeps Emma Stone front and center. Stone is more than up for the task and delivers her lines with a wonderful deadpan delivery. She brings an instant likeability and authenticity to her role. She owns the screen uses excellent comedic timing to keep you laughing throughout. The supporting cast is equally impressive. Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson all have limited screen time but each make an impression. Amanda Bynes is decent if a tad over the top as school Bible beater. Easy A is the type of movie that light while dealing with some interesting topics about the current world kids live in. It’s not a message movie and that’s alright. What it is is an incredibly funny comedy that’s gives movies like Mean Girls a run for its money. The wonderful Emma Stone keeps proving that she’s a force to be reckoned with in comedy.
A
EASY A
Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is re-imagined as a contemporary high school comedy in this tale of a scheming student who plots to give her popularity a boost by painting herself the easiest lay in school. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Will Gluck
Cast: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson
Release Date: Sep 17, 2010
Rated: Mature thematic elements involving teen sexuality, language and some drug material
Runtime: 1 hr. 33 min.
Genres: Comedy
Review:
Quick witted, smart and just incredibly likable, Easy A should be Emma Stone’s coming out party. Director Will Gluck is fully aware that the film’s strength is it’s cast and script so he keeps it nice and tight. Gluck moves the story along at a brisk pace and he keeps Emma Stone front and center. Stone is more than up for the task and delivers her lines with a wonderful deadpan delivery. She brings an instant likeability and authenticity to her role. She owns the screen uses excellent comedic timing to keep you laughing throughout. The supporting cast is equally impressive. Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson all have limited screen time but each make an impression. Amanda Bynes is decent if a tad over the top as school Bible beater. Easy A is the type of movie that light while dealing with some interesting topics about the current world kids live in. It’s not a message movie and that’s alright. What it is is an incredibly funny comedy that’s gives movies like Mean Girls a run for its money. The wonderful Emma Stone keeps proving that she’s a force to be reckoned with in comedy.
A
Friday, September 17, 2010
Possible Voltron movie concept art
Being a child of the 80's, Transformer, Voltron and Robotech pretty much dominated my TV watching when I was growing up.
Michael Bay has done what he's done with Transformers and while the Robotech film has been in production hell for the better part of the last 5 years, Toby Maguire is producing. Voltron had been a project that I'd pretty much assumed had died after it'd been hinted at a few years ago.
Told via Joblo we get these possible concept art for the movie, see below.
If anything comes of it, time will tell but it's interesting to see. High res shots can be seen at http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=33872
Michael Bay has done what he's done with Transformers and while the Robotech film has been in production hell for the better part of the last 5 years, Toby Maguire is producing. Voltron had been a project that I'd pretty much assumed had died after it'd been hinted at a few years ago.
Told via Joblo we get these possible concept art for the movie, see below.
If anything comes of it, time will tell but it's interesting to see. High res shots can be seen at http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=33872
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Fighter [Trailer]
David O. Russell directs with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale starring, I'm there....
Sunday, September 12, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D
IN THEATERS
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D
Experience a new dimension in action horror as director Paul W.S. Anderson uses the 3D technology pioneered by James Cameron and Vincent Pace to take movie lovers on a nightmare thrill-ride. It's been five years since the zombie virus swept across the globe, and Alice (Milla Jovovich) is still traveling tirelessly in search of survivors. When the Umbrella Corporation ratchets up the stakes, an old friend turns up to lend Alice a helping hand. Rumor has it that some survivors have found sanctuary in Los Angeles, but when Alice and friends show up they find the city overrun with zombies, and quickly realize they've stumbled into a diabolical trap. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Paul Anderson
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta.
Release Date: Sep 10, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
There are plenty of unexplainable events in the world but none boggles the mind more than the Resident Evil franchise. How and why it’s made it to 4 films and why I’m there ever opening weekend. I don’t know, maybe I find Milla Jovovich terribly likable and think she could be a stellar action heroine for this generation. I keep hoping that someday she’ll find the right project and really make something impressive, after The Fifth Element of course. I’ve now sat through Ultraviolet and all these Resident Evil movies, even rewatched the first 3 films of this series, 2nd one gets closest to the actual video game feel. I’ve been a fan of the Resident Evil series since I first played the game back in college and it’s always seem like the type of game that would work impressively well on film. Sadly, Paul W. Anderson was given the keys to the car and never really had much interest in anything, outside of token moments, close to faithfulness. With Anderson at the helm the series we got lots of slowmo and lots of pointlessness. The plot is incredibly pointless, they take care of the hook from the last movie in the first 10 minutes and then just go on about their business. The reason for this film to exist is simply to showcase James Cameron’s 3D tech without the Smurfs. As a tech demo for 3D it’s a massive success. There is no reason to see this movie in 2D because if you do you’ll be left with nothing but a strange feeling of being robbed of time and money. So my answer is spend more money on higher price tickets? Yeah kind of, the only reason to see this movie is to see what an action movie would look in proper 3D. The action sequences are all set up well and Anderson’s overuse of slowmo lets you appreciate the experience. Speaking about anything else like acting or story is pointless as there is nothing else to this movie but 3D action.
D-
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE 3D
Experience a new dimension in action horror as director Paul W.S. Anderson uses the 3D technology pioneered by James Cameron and Vincent Pace to take movie lovers on a nightmare thrill-ride. It's been five years since the zombie virus swept across the globe, and Alice (Milla Jovovich) is still traveling tirelessly in search of survivors. When the Umbrella Corporation ratchets up the stakes, an old friend turns up to lend Alice a helping hand. Rumor has it that some survivors have found sanctuary in Los Angeles, but when Alice and friends show up they find the city overrun with zombies, and quickly realize they've stumbled into a diabolical trap. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Paul Anderson
Cast: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Sergio Peris-Mencheta.
Release Date: Sep 10, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong violence and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
There are plenty of unexplainable events in the world but none boggles the mind more than the Resident Evil franchise. How and why it’s made it to 4 films and why I’m there ever opening weekend. I don’t know, maybe I find Milla Jovovich terribly likable and think she could be a stellar action heroine for this generation. I keep hoping that someday she’ll find the right project and really make something impressive, after The Fifth Element of course. I’ve now sat through Ultraviolet and all these Resident Evil movies, even rewatched the first 3 films of this series, 2nd one gets closest to the actual video game feel. I’ve been a fan of the Resident Evil series since I first played the game back in college and it’s always seem like the type of game that would work impressively well on film. Sadly, Paul W. Anderson was given the keys to the car and never really had much interest in anything, outside of token moments, close to faithfulness. With Anderson at the helm the series we got lots of slowmo and lots of pointlessness. The plot is incredibly pointless, they take care of the hook from the last movie in the first 10 minutes and then just go on about their business. The reason for this film to exist is simply to showcase James Cameron’s 3D tech without the Smurfs. As a tech demo for 3D it’s a massive success. There is no reason to see this movie in 2D because if you do you’ll be left with nothing but a strange feeling of being robbed of time and money. So my answer is spend more money on higher price tickets? Yeah kind of, the only reason to see this movie is to see what an action movie would look in proper 3D. The action sequences are all set up well and Anderson’s overuse of slowmo lets you appreciate the experience. Speaking about anything else like acting or story is pointless as there is nothing else to this movie but 3D action.
D-
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Hobo With a Shotgun Trailer [UNRATED]
With the release of Machete and Grindhouse film, it appears that there is a resurgence of exploitation films, something that makes me rather happy as I've always enjoyed the genre.
Up next, the film version of Grindhouse Jason Eisner’s contest winner, Hobo with a Shotgun and it looks like it'll be right up my alley.....
Up next, the film version of Grindhouse Jason Eisner’s contest winner, Hobo with a Shotgun and it looks like it'll be right up my alley.....
Saturday, September 4, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW: MACHETE
IN THEATERS
MACHETE
Robert Rodriguez brings a new breed of anti-hero to the big screen in this hyper-violent adaptation of the "fake" trailer originally featured in the 2007 double-feature exploitation throwback Grindhouse. Machete (Danny Trejo) is a former Mexican Federale who plays by his own rules, and doesn't answer to anybody. In the wake of a harrowing encounter with feared drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal), Machete finds himself in Texas, where the shadowy Benz (Jeff Fahey) offers him the opportunity to make some quick cash by assassinating the unscrupulous Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro). When the job goes awry and Machete realizes he's been set up, he turns to fierce taco queen Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), heavily-armed holy man Padre (Cheech Marin), and trigger-happy socialite April (Lindsay Lohan) to show Benz that he just messed with the wrong Mexican. But before they can get to Benz, Machete's gang will have to contend with blade-wielding ICE agent Sartana (Jessica Alba), who never met an adversary she couldn't flay. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Cast: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez.
Release Date: Sep 03, 2010
Rated: strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
Robert Rodriguez’s Machete could have easily been added to Grindhouse for a full on triple feature. It feels like such an extension of that wonderfully unappreciated exercise that it makes you wish Grindhouse has been more successful so as to spawn more films from those mock trailers, prays for Edgar Wright’s Don’t!. Future prospects might be better should this one do well at the box office but that might be a difficult sell as this film is very much for a certain niche of the film viewing audience. You’ll find out if you are part of this niche within the first 10 minutes of the movie. You’ll either be gleefully grinning like some sort of demented Cheshire Cat or utterly disgusted, a nude woman pulling a cell phone out of her, um, well……nevermind. Rodriguez’s fleshed out story plays out with a strong pro-immigration sentiment throughout but with all the depth of an exploitation film from the 70’s. It’s a modern day Brown-ploitation film using trademark plot points from classic exploitation films like Shaft or Foxy Brown. The entire plot plays out with a self aware sense of self, always keeping things fun and light even if Rodriguez makes it very obvious he’s using this film to make a point. Danny Trejo, one of the legion of “that guy” actors, is stoic and cool throughout, never breaking as much as a grin or a sweat. He’s a superhero in prison tattoos, a wonderful showcase for an actor who has worked in the background for decades. Michelle Rodriguez delivers a strong and believable performance and is slowly but surely becoming a more naturalistic actress. Jessica Alba is everything you’d expect, her character never appears on screen without stilettos, here and plays up her own detached Hispanicity. Jeff Fahey, with those piercing blue eyes, is always terribly interesting to watch. Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin and Don Johnson all ham it up to great effect, Johnson doesn’t leave as much an impression as the other two. Lindsay Lohan’s role is small and feels slightly shoehorned in. Outside of a few dead spots Machete delivers the bloody gory goods you’d expect plus a little more.
B+
MACHETE
Robert Rodriguez brings a new breed of anti-hero to the big screen in this hyper-violent adaptation of the "fake" trailer originally featured in the 2007 double-feature exploitation throwback Grindhouse. Machete (Danny Trejo) is a former Mexican Federale who plays by his own rules, and doesn't answer to anybody. In the wake of a harrowing encounter with feared drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal), Machete finds himself in Texas, where the shadowy Benz (Jeff Fahey) offers him the opportunity to make some quick cash by assassinating the unscrupulous Senator McLaughlin (Robert DeNiro). When the job goes awry and Machete realizes he's been set up, he turns to fierce taco queen Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), heavily-armed holy man Padre (Cheech Marin), and trigger-happy socialite April (Lindsay Lohan) to show Benz that he just messed with the wrong Mexican. But before they can get to Benz, Machete's gang will have to contend with blade-wielding ICE agent Sartana (Jessica Alba), who never met an adversary she couldn't flay. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Cast: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez.
Release Date: Sep 03, 2010
Rated: strong bloody violence throughout, language, some sexual content and nudity
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
Robert Rodriguez’s Machete could have easily been added to Grindhouse for a full on triple feature. It feels like such an extension of that wonderfully unappreciated exercise that it makes you wish Grindhouse has been more successful so as to spawn more films from those mock trailers, prays for Edgar Wright’s Don’t!. Future prospects might be better should this one do well at the box office but that might be a difficult sell as this film is very much for a certain niche of the film viewing audience. You’ll find out if you are part of this niche within the first 10 minutes of the movie. You’ll either be gleefully grinning like some sort of demented Cheshire Cat or utterly disgusted, a nude woman pulling a cell phone out of her, um, well……nevermind. Rodriguez’s fleshed out story plays out with a strong pro-immigration sentiment throughout but with all the depth of an exploitation film from the 70’s. It’s a modern day Brown-ploitation film using trademark plot points from classic exploitation films like Shaft or Foxy Brown. The entire plot plays out with a self aware sense of self, always keeping things fun and light even if Rodriguez makes it very obvious he’s using this film to make a point. Danny Trejo, one of the legion of “that guy” actors, is stoic and cool throughout, never breaking as much as a grin or a sweat. He’s a superhero in prison tattoos, a wonderful showcase for an actor who has worked in the background for decades. Michelle Rodriguez delivers a strong and believable performance and is slowly but surely becoming a more naturalistic actress. Jessica Alba is everything you’d expect, her character never appears on screen without stilettos, here and plays up her own detached Hispanicity. Jeff Fahey, with those piercing blue eyes, is always terribly interesting to watch. Robert DeNiro, Steven Seagal, Cheech Marin and Don Johnson all ham it up to great effect, Johnson doesn’t leave as much an impression as the other two. Lindsay Lohan’s role is small and feels slightly shoehorned in. Outside of a few dead spots Machete delivers the bloody gory goods you’d expect plus a little more.
B+
Saturday, August 28, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: THE LAST EXORCISM
IN THEATERS
THE LAST EXORCISM
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell – and themselves – before it is too late.
Director: Daniel Stamm
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Jones, Tony Bentley.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated: Disturbing violent content, thematic material, terror and some sexual references
Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Daniel Stamm spends the better part of his film building up tension and having you question your expectations of what’s really going on in this story. Unfortunately, the film takes an unexpected and unneeded U turn that makes everything before it seem totally and utterly pointless. It makes me wonder if Eli Roth, serving as producer, just couldn’t keep himself contained and felt the need to add his own flavor to the ending. The set up is interesting and compelling, giving you something unexpected from what has become a terribly predictable subgenre of horror. The cast of unknowns play their roles well and are believable for the most part, only a few spots of just plain bad acting early standout. Patrick Fabian is the strongest of the group as a PT Barnum type reverend who’s trying to expose religious rituals with a healthy dose of cynicism. Ashley Bell is more than adequately disturbing throughout, besides the fact that she looks a tad too much like Michael Cera for my taste. She plays innocent well but with a strong under current of something off throughout. Her ability as a contortionist is extremely helpful. The supporting player, like the camera crew and the girl’s father, are solid enough but forgettable. The Last Exorcism could have been a low budget gem if Stamm had just stuck to the trail he’d made earlier in the film instead of ripping off a classic movie about demonic shenanigans and it’s not the one you think.
C-
THE LAST EXORCISM
When he arrives on the rural Louisiana farm of Louis Sweetzer, the Reverend Cotton Marcus expects to perform just another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic. An earnest fundamentalist, Sweetzer has contacted the charismatic preacher as a last resort, certain his teenage daughter Nell is possessed by a demon who must be exorcized before their terrifying ordeal ends in unimaginable tragedy. Buckling under the weight of his conscience after years of parting desperate believers with their money, Cotton and his crew plan to film a confessionary documentary of this, his last exorcism. But upon arriving at the already blood drenched family farm, it is soon clear that nothing could have prepared him for the true evil he encounters there. Now, too late to turn back, Reverend Marcus’ own beliefs are shaken to the core when he and his crew must find a way to save Nell – and themselves – before it is too late.
Director: Daniel Stamm
Cast: Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum, Caleb Jones, Tony Bentley.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2010
Rated: Disturbing violent content, thematic material, terror and some sexual references
Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Daniel Stamm spends the better part of his film building up tension and having you question your expectations of what’s really going on in this story. Unfortunately, the film takes an unexpected and unneeded U turn that makes everything before it seem totally and utterly pointless. It makes me wonder if Eli Roth, serving as producer, just couldn’t keep himself contained and felt the need to add his own flavor to the ending. The set up is interesting and compelling, giving you something unexpected from what has become a terribly predictable subgenre of horror. The cast of unknowns play their roles well and are believable for the most part, only a few spots of just plain bad acting early standout. Patrick Fabian is the strongest of the group as a PT Barnum type reverend who’s trying to expose religious rituals with a healthy dose of cynicism. Ashley Bell is more than adequately disturbing throughout, besides the fact that she looks a tad too much like Michael Cera for my taste. She plays innocent well but with a strong under current of something off throughout. Her ability as a contortionist is extremely helpful. The supporting player, like the camera crew and the girl’s father, are solid enough but forgettable. The Last Exorcism could have been a low budget gem if Stamm had just stuck to the trail he’d made earlier in the film instead of ripping off a classic movie about demonic shenanigans and it’s not the one you think.
C-
Friday, August 27, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: PIRANHA 3D
IN THEATERS
PIRANHA 3D
Haute Tension and Hills Have Eyes director Alexandre Aja pays homage to the films that made him fall in love with the horror genre by helming this comedic remake of director Joe Dante's 1978 Jaws parody. Lake Victoria may look peaceful, but beneath the placid waters of this painterly lake lurks a deadly menace. A powerful underwater tremor has released scores of man-eating prehistoric fish into the waters, and now it's up to a group of unlikely heroes to band together and defeat the razor-toothed predators. With time running out and the aquatic carnivores taking over, one brave heroine (Elisabeth Shue) will risk everything to save the lake and prevent her family from becoming fish food. Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames, Jerry O'Connell, and Adam Scott star in the Dimension Films production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames, Jessica Szohr.
Release Date: Aug 20, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong bloody horror violence and gore, graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr. 29 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Roger Corman’s sole direction when he produced the original B-movie classic Piranha was “More blood...” The low budget original filled that bill capably and while Alexandre Aja’s redux shares little, outside of the titular fish, in common with the original he does keep the spirit of it alive in all its gory goodness. His remake is filled with enough blood, gore and full frontal nudity to appease even the most cynical of horror fans. Aja moves his film at an incredibly fast pace staging some of the larger scenes of carnage with a precise technical eye but never losing the sight of the fun of the entire endeavor. His film is classic B-movie goodness, something that’s become a lost art. He finds that perfect mix of the exploitive, an egregiously long fully nude underwater ballet is a prime example, and visceral excess. Nothing is ever taken very serious, the cast plays it mostly straight with only the slightest of a wink, enough to let you know they are very aware of the kind of film they are making. Elisabeth Shue is given the unenviable job of trying to carry some semblance of a story and she does a fine job while displaying a nicely toned physique. Steven R. McQueen plays a fairly paint by the number goofy kid in love character and is mostly forgettable. Everyone else, from the good natured cameos to porn stars are pretty much cannon fodder for the meat grinder. Once the carnage starts its keeps going till the end but once it ended I could help wondering or maybe wishing that Aja pushed the envelope a little bit further. Perhaps that speaks more to my general blood lust.
B-
The 3D doesn’t make nearly the impression it should and mostly feel unnecessary.
PIRANHA 3D
Haute Tension and Hills Have Eyes director Alexandre Aja pays homage to the films that made him fall in love with the horror genre by helming this comedic remake of director Joe Dante's 1978 Jaws parody. Lake Victoria may look peaceful, but beneath the placid waters of this painterly lake lurks a deadly menace. A powerful underwater tremor has released scores of man-eating prehistoric fish into the waters, and now it's up to a group of unlikely heroes to band together and defeat the razor-toothed predators. With time running out and the aquatic carnivores taking over, one brave heroine (Elisabeth Shue) will risk everything to save the lake and prevent her family from becoming fish food. Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames, Jerry O'Connell, and Adam Scott star in the Dimension Films production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Alexandre Aja
Cast: Elisabeth Shue, Adam Scott, Jerry O'Connell, Ving Rhames, Jessica Szohr.
Release Date: Aug 20, 2010
Rated: Sequences of strong bloody horror violence and gore, graphic nudity, sexual content, language and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr. 29 min.
Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Roger Corman’s sole direction when he produced the original B-movie classic Piranha was “More blood...” The low budget original filled that bill capably and while Alexandre Aja’s redux shares little, outside of the titular fish, in common with the original he does keep the spirit of it alive in all its gory goodness. His remake is filled with enough blood, gore and full frontal nudity to appease even the most cynical of horror fans. Aja moves his film at an incredibly fast pace staging some of the larger scenes of carnage with a precise technical eye but never losing the sight of the fun of the entire endeavor. His film is classic B-movie goodness, something that’s become a lost art. He finds that perfect mix of the exploitive, an egregiously long fully nude underwater ballet is a prime example, and visceral excess. Nothing is ever taken very serious, the cast plays it mostly straight with only the slightest of a wink, enough to let you know they are very aware of the kind of film they are making. Elisabeth Shue is given the unenviable job of trying to carry some semblance of a story and she does a fine job while displaying a nicely toned physique. Steven R. McQueen plays a fairly paint by the number goofy kid in love character and is mostly forgettable. Everyone else, from the good natured cameos to porn stars are pretty much cannon fodder for the meat grinder. Once the carnage starts its keeps going till the end but once it ended I could help wondering or maybe wishing that Aja pushed the envelope a little bit further. Perhaps that speaks more to my general blood lust.
B-
The 3D doesn’t make nearly the impression it should and mostly feel unnecessary.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Danny Boyle's 127 Hours Trailer
Danny Boyle has long been one of my favorite directors, needless to say I'm looking foward to this movie, based on Aaron Ralston experience...
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan Trailer
This looks like it'll be another amazing film from Aronofsky...
Sunday, August 15, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
IN THEATERS
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
Based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's Oni Press comic book of the same name, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World follows the eponymous slacker rocker on his colorful quest to defeat his dream girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends. Twenty-two-year-old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) may not have a job, but rocking the bass for his band, Sex Bob-omb, is a tough job unto itself. When Scott locks eyes with Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), he knows she's the girl he wants to grow old with. But Ramona has some serious baggage; her supercharged exes rue the thought of her being with another man, and they'll crush any guy who gives her a second glance. Now, in order to win Ramona's heart, Scott will do battle with everyone from vegan-powered rock gods to sinister skateboarders, never losing sight of his gorgeous goal as he pummels his way to victory. Shaun of the Dead's Edgar Wright directs the film from a script he penned with Michael Bacall. Superhero veterans Chris Evans and Brandon Routh co-star in the action comedy as two of the seven ex-boyfriends. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh.
Release Date: Aug 13, 2010
Rated: stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references
Runtime: 1 hr. 53 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
If you’ve ever wondered what a Baz Luhrmann dream would look like if it had 16-bit sensibility, I know I have on various occasions, then Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is right up your alley. Like Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, Wright has a basic and fairly straightforward story as his base but the visuals elevate it to an inspired bit of kinetic epilepsy inducing filmmaking that’s easy to love. Wright uses anime and old school video tropes in telling this story and it’s a visual marvel to behold, something that’s insane but perfectly logical within the story. Acting, like the story is 2nd fiddle here and with a few standouts, Kieran Culkin leaves the most tangible impression, the cast is mostly just going with the flow of the film’s lunacy. Wright has really flexed his directorial muscle here and created visual candy which is s tad overlong and probably not terribly accessible to the general public.
B+
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
Based on Bryan Lee O'Malley's Oni Press comic book of the same name, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World follows the eponymous slacker rocker on his colorful quest to defeat his dream girl's seven evil ex-boyfriends. Twenty-two-year-old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) may not have a job, but rocking the bass for his band, Sex Bob-omb, is a tough job unto itself. When Scott locks eyes with Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), he knows she's the girl he wants to grow old with. But Ramona has some serious baggage; her supercharged exes rue the thought of her being with another man, and they'll crush any guy who gives her a second glance. Now, in order to win Ramona's heart, Scott will do battle with everyone from vegan-powered rock gods to sinister skateboarders, never losing sight of his gorgeous goal as he pummels his way to victory. Shaun of the Dead's Edgar Wright directs the film from a script he penned with Michael Bacall. Superhero veterans Chris Evans and Brandon Routh co-star in the action comedy as two of the seven ex-boyfriends. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh.
Release Date: Aug 13, 2010
Rated: stylized violence, sexual content, language and drug references
Runtime: 1 hr. 53 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
If you’ve ever wondered what a Baz Luhrmann dream would look like if it had 16-bit sensibility, I know I have on various occasions, then Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is right up your alley. Like Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, Wright has a basic and fairly straightforward story as his base but the visuals elevate it to an inspired bit of kinetic epilepsy inducing filmmaking that’s easy to love. Wright uses anime and old school video tropes in telling this story and it’s a visual marvel to behold, something that’s insane but perfectly logical within the story. Acting, like the story is 2nd fiddle here and with a few standouts, Kieran Culkin leaves the most tangible impression, the cast is mostly just going with the flow of the film’s lunacy. Wright has really flexed his directorial muscle here and created visual candy which is s tad overlong and probably not terribly accessible to the general public.
B+
Saturday, August 14, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: THE EXPENDABLES
IN THEATERS
THE EXPENDABLES
An all-star cast of action-movie icons headline Sylvester Stallone's explosive action thriller about a group of hard-nosed mercenaries who are double-crossed during a treacherous mission. Approached by the shadowy Church to overthrow tyrannical South American dictator General Gaza (David Zayas) and restore order to the troubled island country of Vilena, stoic soldier of fortune Barney Ross (Stallone) rounds up an unstoppable team that includes former SAS soldier and blade specialist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham); martial arts expert Yin (Jet Li); trigger-happy Hale Caesar (Terry Crews); cerebral demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture); and haunted sniper Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), a combat veteran who never misses his mark. Traveling to Vilena on a reconnaissance mission with his old pal Christmas, Barney meets their local contact, a cagey guerrilla fighter named Sandra (Giselle Itie). It isn't long before Barney and Christmas have discovered that their actual target is not General Gaza but James Monroe (Eric Roberts), a former CIA operative who has recently gone rogue. Monroe won't be easy to get to either, because his hulking bodyguard Paine (Steve Austin) is a force to be reckoned with. When their mission is compromised, Barney and Christmas are forced to flee, leaving Sandra behind to face almost certain death. But Barney isn't the kind of soldier to abandon a mission, or a hostage, and now in order to get the job done he'll need the help of his old crew. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Jet Li.
Release Date: Aug 13, 2010
Rated: strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
Sylvester Stallone wants to revive the ghost of mindless 80’s action flicks, the kind he headlined for years. He’s mostly successful even if in bringing this style of film back with warts and all leaves something to be desired from time to time. Stallone’s direction is generic but single minded and when the action gets hot and heavy its done well without losing focus from the point of the film as a whole. The point being, of course, is to provide lots of bloody carnage replete with bodies exploding, decapitations and bullets with minimal reloading throughout. The cast assembled is of course more than capable to fill the bill. Stallone in the lead role comes off a tad distant and distracted, seemingly more interested in taking in everything he’s brought together and feeling somewhat self satisfied. Needless to say, his acting here is fairly wooden. Jason Statham fairs far better feeling more like the real lead of the film, he comes off the most comfortable of the main cast and he’s good fun throughout. Jet Li is mostly short changed, pun intended, for the most part and what little time he’s given he does well with. Terry Crews has some fun parts popping up here and there throughout the movie. Randy Couture gets a few sections and comes off as wooden but he handles the action well. Mickey Rourke and Dolph Lungren both have small parts that I would have enjoyed to see fleshed out a bit more. Eric Roberts is having a good time laying it on thick as a typical 80’s action movie villain. Don’t expect much more screen time out of Willis and Schwarzenegger than what you see in the trailer even if the exchange is lots of fun. The Expendables delivers exactly what you’d expect and it’s a fun time at the movies, occasionally hitting a few inspired moments of awesomeness.
B-
THE EXPENDABLES
An all-star cast of action-movie icons headline Sylvester Stallone's explosive action thriller about a group of hard-nosed mercenaries who are double-crossed during a treacherous mission. Approached by the shadowy Church to overthrow tyrannical South American dictator General Gaza (David Zayas) and restore order to the troubled island country of Vilena, stoic soldier of fortune Barney Ross (Stallone) rounds up an unstoppable team that includes former SAS soldier and blade specialist Lee Christmas (Jason Statham); martial arts expert Yin (Jet Li); trigger-happy Hale Caesar (Terry Crews); cerebral demolitions expert Toll Road (Randy Couture); and haunted sniper Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), a combat veteran who never misses his mark. Traveling to Vilena on a reconnaissance mission with his old pal Christmas, Barney meets their local contact, a cagey guerrilla fighter named Sandra (Giselle Itie). It isn't long before Barney and Christmas have discovered that their actual target is not General Gaza but James Monroe (Eric Roberts), a former CIA operative who has recently gone rogue. Monroe won't be easy to get to either, because his hulking bodyguard Paine (Steve Austin) is a force to be reckoned with. When their mission is compromised, Barney and Christmas are forced to flee, leaving Sandra behind to face almost certain death. But Barney isn't the kind of soldier to abandon a mission, or a hostage, and now in order to get the job done he'll need the help of his old crew. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Jet Li.
Release Date: Aug 13, 2010
Rated: strong action and bloody violence throughout, and for some language
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure
Review:
Sylvester Stallone wants to revive the ghost of mindless 80’s action flicks, the kind he headlined for years. He’s mostly successful even if in bringing this style of film back with warts and all leaves something to be desired from time to time. Stallone’s direction is generic but single minded and when the action gets hot and heavy its done well without losing focus from the point of the film as a whole. The point being, of course, is to provide lots of bloody carnage replete with bodies exploding, decapitations and bullets with minimal reloading throughout. The cast assembled is of course more than capable to fill the bill. Stallone in the lead role comes off a tad distant and distracted, seemingly more interested in taking in everything he’s brought together and feeling somewhat self satisfied. Needless to say, his acting here is fairly wooden. Jason Statham fairs far better feeling more like the real lead of the film, he comes off the most comfortable of the main cast and he’s good fun throughout. Jet Li is mostly short changed, pun intended, for the most part and what little time he’s given he does well with. Terry Crews has some fun parts popping up here and there throughout the movie. Randy Couture gets a few sections and comes off as wooden but he handles the action well. Mickey Rourke and Dolph Lungren both have small parts that I would have enjoyed to see fleshed out a bit more. Eric Roberts is having a good time laying it on thick as a typical 80’s action movie villain. Don’t expect much more screen time out of Willis and Schwarzenegger than what you see in the trailer even if the exchange is lots of fun. The Expendables delivers exactly what you’d expect and it’s a fun time at the movies, occasionally hitting a few inspired moments of awesomeness.
B-
Saturday, August 7, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: THE OTHER GUYS
IN THEATERS
THE OTHER GUYS
A desk-jockey detective and his tough-talking partner get their moment to shine in this buddy police comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby). New York City detective Allen Gamble (Ferrell) is more comfortable pushing pencils than busting bad guys. A meticulous forensic accountant, his numbers are never off. Detective Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) is Gamble's reluctant partner. Try as Detective Hoitz might to get back on the streets, an embarrassing encounter with Derek Jeter has left a sizable black mark on his permanent record. Detectives Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) are the complete opposites of Gamble and Hoitz: unwaveringly confident, they always get their man, and they do it with style to spare. When the time comes for Gamble and Hoitz to prove their mettle and save the day, their incompetence becomes the stuff of legend. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Dwayne Johnson.
Release Date: Aug 06, 2010
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, violence, some drug material and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy
Review:
Adam McKay and Will Ferrell are usually comedic gold and they have the absurdist resume to prove it. The Other Guys is another strong comedic outing for the pair this time bringing Mark Wahlberg into the fold who’s finally having a little fun with himself by playing a parody of his typical character. McKay set the table with a ridiculous and entertaining opening action sequence involving Sam Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, both who are more just around for what amounts to an extended cameo, as your usual super cops. From the there, McKay introduces Ferrell and Wahlberg’s characters and keeps the film moving at a steady pace, throwing jokes left and right with great effect as both actors share palpable comedic chemistry onscreen. They play off each other extremely well throughout. Ferrell bounces back after last summer abysmal Land of the Lost by doing what he does best, creating likable weirdos who are more layered than you’d think. His character is like a more thoroughly realized SNL character complete with a “tragic” past. Wahlberg is well at ease playing a tongue in cheek version of the type of role he usually plays. He’s believable and only occasionally borders on caricature. Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan and Eva Mendes are all strong in supporting roles and it’s always good to see Rome’s Ray Stevenson large productions. McKay had something close to a classic on his hands till the 3rd act nearly brings the film to a dead stop as the convoluted plot gets in the way and it kind of saps the life out of the film.
B-
THE OTHER GUYS
A desk-jockey detective and his tough-talking partner get their moment to shine in this buddy police comedy starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, and directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby). New York City detective Allen Gamble (Ferrell) is more comfortable pushing pencils than busting bad guys. A meticulous forensic accountant, his numbers are never off. Detective Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg) is Gamble's reluctant partner. Try as Detective Hoitz might to get back on the streets, an embarrassing encounter with Derek Jeter has left a sizable black mark on his permanent record. Detectives Danson (Dwayne Johnson) and Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) are the complete opposites of Gamble and Hoitz: unwaveringly confident, they always get their man, and they do it with style to spare. When the time comes for Gamble and Hoitz to prove their mettle and save the day, their incompetence becomes the stuff of legend. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Dwayne Johnson.
Release Date: Aug 06, 2010
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, violence, some drug material and language
Runtime: 1 hr. 47 min.
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy
Review:
Adam McKay and Will Ferrell are usually comedic gold and they have the absurdist resume to prove it. The Other Guys is another strong comedic outing for the pair this time bringing Mark Wahlberg into the fold who’s finally having a little fun with himself by playing a parody of his typical character. McKay set the table with a ridiculous and entertaining opening action sequence involving Sam Jackson and Dwayne Johnson, both who are more just around for what amounts to an extended cameo, as your usual super cops. From the there, McKay introduces Ferrell and Wahlberg’s characters and keeps the film moving at a steady pace, throwing jokes left and right with great effect as both actors share palpable comedic chemistry onscreen. They play off each other extremely well throughout. Ferrell bounces back after last summer abysmal Land of the Lost by doing what he does best, creating likable weirdos who are more layered than you’d think. His character is like a more thoroughly realized SNL character complete with a “tragic” past. Wahlberg is well at ease playing a tongue in cheek version of the type of role he usually plays. He’s believable and only occasionally borders on caricature. Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan and Eva Mendes are all strong in supporting roles and it’s always good to see Rome’s Ray Stevenson large productions. McKay had something close to a classic on his hands till the 3rd act nearly brings the film to a dead stop as the convoluted plot gets in the way and it kind of saps the life out of the film.
B-
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK Teaser Trailer
Guillermo del Toro Presents Don’t be Afraid of the Dark, directed by first timer Troy Nixey, looks impressive and fun but the January release dates makes me a tad cautious….
Monday, August 2, 2010
Alexander Aja’s PIRANHA 3-D 9 min bootleg footage
9 mins of crazy bloody footage filled with gore and nudity.....NSFW
The original movie was always a childhood favorite of mine, don't ask, and this one looks like it might have just captured the spirit of it....
The original movie was always a childhood favorite of mine, don't ask, and this one looks like it might have just captured the spirit of it....
Sunday, August 1, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
IN THEATERS
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
Tim, is an up-and-coming executive who has just received his first invitation to the "dinner for idiots," a monthly event hosted by his boss that promises bragging rights to the exec that shows up with the biggest buffoon. Tim's fiancée, Julie, finds it distasteful and Tim agrees to skip the dinner, until he bumps into Barry--an IRS employee who devotes his spare time to building elaborate taxidermy mouse dioramas--and quickly realizes he's struck idiot gold. Tim can't resist, and invites Barry, whose blundering good intentions soon sends Tim's life into a frenzied downward spiral and a series of misadventures, threatening a major business deal, bringing crazy stalker ex-girlfriend, Darla, back into Tim's life and driving Julie into the arms of another man.
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood
Release Date: Jul 30, 2010
Rated PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language and sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.
Genres: Comedy, Comedy
Review:
Kind of like an old basketball court with too many dead spots Dinner For Schmucks looks like its ready made for classic comedy status with a strong cast and a funny concept, it’s a remake of the French film Le Dîner de Cons, but plays it too safe throughout and fails to keep the laughs coming at a consist basis. Jay Roach, the walk example of directorial mediocrity, directs this film with a unfocused hand and delivers an uneven and overlong comedy. Running nearly 2 hours and feeling every second of it, Roach can’t seem stay focused on the funny aspects of the film or his cast. Steve Carell is totally committed to his character and is likable and funny more often than not. Paul Rudd doesn’t fare as well as he’s left to function as the straight man to the general zaniness around him. It’s a shame that Rudd’s finally gotten headlining roles but been denied to the ability to be funny, just take a peek at his older films and you’ll see how terribly he’s being misused as of late. Zach Galifianakis has a small role but he steals every scene he’s in and you’re left wishing his character had had a bigger part. Lucy Punch is semi terrifying as Tim’s one night stand. Jemaine Clement is relegated to overly cartoonish over the top role as the “cutting edge” artist. His character is a good example of what’s wrong with the film. The script peppers the film with all these overblown characters but never utilizes them properly and plays it to safe and thoroughly avoids anything even close to mean spirited even though the concept is very much so. Instead, we are left with a generally predictable paint by the number affair that holds off on the big dinner scene for way too long and leaves wondering if it was worth the wait.
C-
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
Tim, is an up-and-coming executive who has just received his first invitation to the "dinner for idiots," a monthly event hosted by his boss that promises bragging rights to the exec that shows up with the biggest buffoon. Tim's fiancée, Julie, finds it distasteful and Tim agrees to skip the dinner, until he bumps into Barry--an IRS employee who devotes his spare time to building elaborate taxidermy mouse dioramas--and quickly realizes he's struck idiot gold. Tim can't resist, and invites Barry, whose blundering good intentions soon sends Tim's life into a frenzied downward spiral and a series of misadventures, threatening a major business deal, bringing crazy stalker ex-girlfriend, Darla, back into Tim's life and driving Julie into the arms of another man.
Director: Jay Roach
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood
Release Date: Jul 30, 2010
Rated PG-13 for sequences of crude and sexual content, some partial nudity and language and sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.
Genres: Comedy, Comedy
Review:
Kind of like an old basketball court with too many dead spots Dinner For Schmucks looks like its ready made for classic comedy status with a strong cast and a funny concept, it’s a remake of the French film Le Dîner de Cons, but plays it too safe throughout and fails to keep the laughs coming at a consist basis. Jay Roach, the walk example of directorial mediocrity, directs this film with a unfocused hand and delivers an uneven and overlong comedy. Running nearly 2 hours and feeling every second of it, Roach can’t seem stay focused on the funny aspects of the film or his cast. Steve Carell is totally committed to his character and is likable and funny more often than not. Paul Rudd doesn’t fare as well as he’s left to function as the straight man to the general zaniness around him. It’s a shame that Rudd’s finally gotten headlining roles but been denied to the ability to be funny, just take a peek at his older films and you’ll see how terribly he’s being misused as of late. Zach Galifianakis has a small role but he steals every scene he’s in and you’re left wishing his character had had a bigger part. Lucy Punch is semi terrifying as Tim’s one night stand. Jemaine Clement is relegated to overly cartoonish over the top role as the “cutting edge” artist. His character is a good example of what’s wrong with the film. The script peppers the film with all these overblown characters but never utilizes them properly and plays it to safe and thoroughly avoids anything even close to mean spirited even though the concept is very much so. Instead, we are left with a generally predictable paint by the number affair that holds off on the big dinner scene for way too long and leaves wondering if it was worth the wait.
C-
Thursday, July 29, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW: HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
ON DVD
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
Disappointed at the way their lives have turned out, four longtime friends reunite at the ski resort where they used to party and find themselves transported back to the year 1986 by a magical Jacuzzi. Adam (John Cusack), Lou (Rob Corddry), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Jacob (Clark Duke) have all seen better days; Adam's and Nick's love lives are in the dumps, Lou is clinging to his hard-partying past, and video-game addict Jacob can't even muster the courage to walk outside. A fun stay at the ski resort where the gang made some of their best memories seems like just the thing to cheer everyone up, but after a night of heavy drinking in the hot tub, the four friends wake up to find they're about to live through the '80s a second time. Determined not to make the same mistakes twice, Adam, Lou, Nick, and Jacob decide to take full advantage of the unique opportunity presented to them, and create the lives they've always wanted. Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover, and Lizzy Caplan co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Steve Pink
Cast: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover
Release Date: Mar 26, 2010
Rated R for strong crude content, nudity, pervasive language, drug use and strong sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Comedy, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Simplistic to the point of absurdity Hot Tub Time Machine is one of those movies that should be a hell of lot funnier than it actually is. First time director Steve Pink has a clean slate to work with because of the simple and basic premise that is laid out in title. The problem is that Pink doesn’t quite know what to do with it, so he goes for gross out gags and predictable jokes more often than not. It’s not that it isn’t funny from time to time but it isn’t nearly as funny as it could be. The cast does what it can with the jokes, giving laughs from time to time but never consistently. John Cusack is kind of spotty here, occasionally going through the motions but he does end up in outfit very similar to what he wore in Say Anything so you can’t complain too much. Rob Corddry is on full blast throughout, over the top and mostly funny with occasional spats of annoying. Craig Robinson is solid always delivering strong delivery on his lines. Clark Duke isn’t given much to do outside of spouting out generic nerd speak. Chevy Chase walks through the set from time to time and seems as confused as to why he there was we are. Crispin Glover is given the task of carrying a running joke that goes on way too long for it’s own good. Somehow with 4 writers behind the script it’s the best they could for him. It’s a shame that Hot Tub Time Machine doesn’t just go balls out and runs with the insanity and silliness of its premise.
C-
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
Disappointed at the way their lives have turned out, four longtime friends reunite at the ski resort where they used to party and find themselves transported back to the year 1986 by a magical Jacuzzi. Adam (John Cusack), Lou (Rob Corddry), Nick (Craig Robinson), and Jacob (Clark Duke) have all seen better days; Adam's and Nick's love lives are in the dumps, Lou is clinging to his hard-partying past, and video-game addict Jacob can't even muster the courage to walk outside. A fun stay at the ski resort where the gang made some of their best memories seems like just the thing to cheer everyone up, but after a night of heavy drinking in the hot tub, the four friends wake up to find they're about to live through the '80s a second time. Determined not to make the same mistakes twice, Adam, Lou, Nick, and Jacob decide to take full advantage of the unique opportunity presented to them, and create the lives they've always wanted. Chevy Chase, Crispin Glover, and Lizzy Caplan co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Steve Pink
Cast: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover
Release Date: Mar 26, 2010
Rated R for strong crude content, nudity, pervasive language, drug use and strong sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Genres: Comedy, Comedy, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Review:
Simplistic to the point of absurdity Hot Tub Time Machine is one of those movies that should be a hell of lot funnier than it actually is. First time director Steve Pink has a clean slate to work with because of the simple and basic premise that is laid out in title. The problem is that Pink doesn’t quite know what to do with it, so he goes for gross out gags and predictable jokes more often than not. It’s not that it isn’t funny from time to time but it isn’t nearly as funny as it could be. The cast does what it can with the jokes, giving laughs from time to time but never consistently. John Cusack is kind of spotty here, occasionally going through the motions but he does end up in outfit very similar to what he wore in Say Anything so you can’t complain too much. Rob Corddry is on full blast throughout, over the top and mostly funny with occasional spats of annoying. Craig Robinson is solid always delivering strong delivery on his lines. Clark Duke isn’t given much to do outside of spouting out generic nerd speak. Chevy Chase walks through the set from time to time and seems as confused as to why he there was we are. Crispin Glover is given the task of carrying a running joke that goes on way too long for it’s own good. Somehow with 4 writers behind the script it’s the best they could for him. It’s a shame that Hot Tub Time Machine doesn’t just go balls out and runs with the insanity and silliness of its premise.
C-
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: THE RUNAWAYS
ON DVD
THE RUNAWAYS
The story of the groundbreaking '70s female rock group the Runaways is recounted in this River Road Entertainment production focusing on the duo of guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett (portrayed by Twilight's Kristen Stewart) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) as they navigate a rocky road of touring and record label woes under the malevolent eye of abusive manager Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) during their teen years. Acclaimed video artist Floria Sigismondi directs from her own script, with Scout Taylor-Compton co-starring as guitarist Lita Ford. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Floria Sigismondi
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton
Release Date: Apr 09, 2010
Rated R for sexual content, language and drug use all involving teens
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Drama, Drama, Music/Performing Arts
Review:
The Runaways, based on Cherie Currie’s memoir, is film that should be a lot more interesting and captivating than it is. Instead of exploring some of the more interesting angles of preteen exploitation and other more diverse themes, director Floria Sigismondi hits the usual notes of most rock band biography. Occasionally the first time director will hit a sweet spot, mostly during the musical numbers, and when she does the film really has a spark of life. Sadly, outside of those moments the film drags and feels more like a made for TV film with more explicit teenage drug use and sex as the only differentiating aspect. As a result strong performances from the film 3 main player in the film are mostly wasted. Dakota Fanning delivers an incredibly strong performance that full of texture and depth, probably more than is on the actual page. Kristen Stewart has the right attitude throughout but her character feels terribly underwritten for some reason, strange considering Joan Jett is one of the producers. Stella Maeve, Ali Shawkat and Scout Taylor-Compton are paid to hold instruments and remain mostly mute with Compton being allowed to scream from time to time. Michael Shannon delivers the most interesting performance as Kim Fowley and he’s easily the most interesting character in this tepid biography.
C-
THE RUNAWAYS
The story of the groundbreaking '70s female rock group the Runaways is recounted in this River Road Entertainment production focusing on the duo of guitarist/vocalist Joan Jett (portrayed by Twilight's Kristen Stewart) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning) as they navigate a rocky road of touring and record label woes under the malevolent eye of abusive manager Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) during their teen years. Acclaimed video artist Floria Sigismondi directs from her own script, with Scout Taylor-Compton co-starring as guitarist Lita Ford. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Floria Sigismondi
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton
Release Date: Apr 09, 2010
Rated R for sexual content, language and drug use all involving teens
Runtime: 1 hr. 45 min.
Genres: Drama, Drama, Music/Performing Arts
Review:
The Runaways, based on Cherie Currie’s memoir, is film that should be a lot more interesting and captivating than it is. Instead of exploring some of the more interesting angles of preteen exploitation and other more diverse themes, director Floria Sigismondi hits the usual notes of most rock band biography. Occasionally the first time director will hit a sweet spot, mostly during the musical numbers, and when she does the film really has a spark of life. Sadly, outside of those moments the film drags and feels more like a made for TV film with more explicit teenage drug use and sex as the only differentiating aspect. As a result strong performances from the film 3 main player in the film are mostly wasted. Dakota Fanning delivers an incredibly strong performance that full of texture and depth, probably more than is on the actual page. Kristen Stewart has the right attitude throughout but her character feels terribly underwritten for some reason, strange considering Joan Jett is one of the producers. Stella Maeve, Ali Shawkat and Scout Taylor-Compton are paid to hold instruments and remain mostly mute with Compton being allowed to scream from time to time. Michael Shannon delivers the most interesting performance as Kim Fowley and he’s easily the most interesting character in this tepid biography.
C-
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