MOVIE REVIEW: THE CAPTAINS

ON DVD / NETFLIX STREAMING

THE CAPTAINS



The Captains is a feature length documentary film written and directed by William Shatner. The film follows Shatner as he interviews the other actors whom have portrayed Starship captains within the illustrious science-fiction franchise.

Directed by William Shatner.

Starring: William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, Chris Pine

Runtime: 97 min

Genres: Documentary

The Captains is the kind of documentary that’s required viewing for Trek fans like me. Your enjoyment of it may depend on how much you enjoyed William Shatner. Shatner directs and produces this insightful and occasionally emotional peek at the actors that have occupied the captain’s chair in Star Trek’s various iterations. While the documentary is supposed to be about the actors, Shatner never allows the spotlight to shine to far from him. Shatner as an interviewer is always interesting to see as he can be funny and terribly self aware while being incredibly self-centered. Personally, I found him enjoyable as he listens to various anecdotes from Patrick Stewart, Avery Brook, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula and Chris Pine. Shatner covers a wide range of topics mostly from the actors point of view, so those expecting deep musings into Trek story lines will be disappointed. Those who have interest in what it like as an actor to deal with a franchise will find lots to enjoy. Thing get very personal when the subject of divorce and family comes up, giving the film an unexpected emotional kick. The Captains is a Shatner production through and through, albeit a very personal one, but excellent viewing for any fan who’s interested in the people behind the characters.

B

[Trailer] The Cabin in the Woods

The long gestating Joss Whedon produced horror project recently got a release date and the trailer has come out.

I’ll admit I only knew a little about the actual film but after watching the trailer I’m a lot more interested than before as it hints to some fun genre bending intrigue.

By the time it hits the screen it’ll be 3 years since it wrapped filming, maybe it’ll be worth the wait.

MOVIE REVIEW: 30 MINUTES OR LESS

ON VIDEO

30 MINUTES OR LESS



Small-town pizza delivery driver Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) stumbles into an elaborate crime scheme when he's abducted by a pair of ambitious criminals (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) who coerce him into robbing a bank on a strict timeline. Desperate, Nick implores his former best friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) to help him out of the predicament. But with each attempt to thwart the would-be criminal geniuses, Nick and Chet find their dire situation spinning faster out of control. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Dilshad Vadsaria, Michael Pena

Release Date: Aug 12, 2011

Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, nudit and some violence

Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Review:

30 Minutes or Less is breezy easily digestible comedy that speeds by provides a handful of laughs and doesn’t over stay its welcome. To say the plot is simplistic is an understatement, it’s about as barebones as you can get. Director Ruben Fleischer uses that to his advantage and crafts a lean film that focuses on his assembled talent and lets them shine. Jessie Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari make up an over caffeinated and manic pair. Both work well together and share a similar comedic energy. Danny McBride and Nick Swardson work just as well as a pair. Both pairs of actors fit so perfectly that it’s easy to overlook some of the more obvious flaws of the plot. Michael Pena is always fun in small roles and he’s his usual scene stealing self here as well. 30 Minutes or Less is the kind of movie that has a singular mind, it aims to bring some crude laughs your way then head out as quickly as it came and all in under 90 minutes.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: TUCKER AND DALE VS. EVIL

ON DEMAND

TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL


Director Eli Craig and co-screenwriter Morgan Jurgenson poke fun at horror clichés with this genre-bending comedy about a pair of harmless backwoods hayseeds who are mistaken for vicious serial killers. Dale (Tyler Labine) and Tucker (Alan Tudyk) are checking out their newly acquired "summer home" (read: dilapidated cabin) when they save the life of a gorgeous college student (Katrina Bowden) who's camping in the woods with some friends. When a series of misunderstandings leads to Dale and Tucker being labeled psycho killers by the vacationing students, the situation takes a sudden and ghastly turn for the worst. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Eli Craig

Cast: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss, Philip Granger

Release Date: Sep 30, 2011

Rated R for bloody horror violence, language and brief nudity

Runtime: 1 hr. 26 min.

Genres: Art House, Comedy, Horror

Review:

Eli Craig’s debut film is a hidden horror comedic gem. While he doesn’t quite achieve the satirical greatness of something like Shaun of the Dead, he does get pretty damn close. Playing off all killer hillbilly clichés, Craig delivers a steadily funny film that’s sure to please genre fans without being inaccessible to the general public. It’s funny, goofy, gory and generally likable across the board. A lot of the credit has to go to his 2 leads. Tyler Labine, whose like a lovable grizzly bear, and Alan Tudyk are on task right from the start. Their screen presence is perfect for the roles and both have comedic chops. They play off each other easily and naturally. 30 Rock’s Katrina Bowden is equally likable even if she’s asked to do a lot less. The remaining cast plays roles that are purposely one note but they fill the required clichés needed for these type of films. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is steady until the final act where it has to deal with wrapping up the plot and it’s not nearly as enjoyable as everything that preceded it. Still, it’s hardly enough to take anything away from the experience as a whole. The film has been out in limited release for a few years now and on most cable and satellite on demand systems, its worth looking for and deserves a bigger audience.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: J. EDGAR

IN THEATERS

J. Edgar



Acclaimed actor Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Academy Award-winning director Clint Eastwood's richly detailed biopic exploring the life and career of controversial FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. For nearly 50 years, Hoover (DiCaprio) fought crime as one of the most powerful law enforcers in America. During Hoover's extended stint as Director of the FBI, however, his penchant for bending the law in the name of seeking justice and using the secrets of high profile leaders to gain personal leverage won him just as many supporters as detractors. Little did many other than his loyal colleague Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer) and faithful secretary Helen Gandy (Naomi Watts) know, however, that Hoover himself was a man with many secrets to hide. Josh Lucas, Judi Dench, and Stephen Root co-star in film written by Oscar-winning Milk scribe Dustin Lance Black. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Judi Dench

Release Date: Nov 09, 2011

Rated R for brief strong language

Runtime: 2 hr. 17 min.

Genres: Drama

Review:

Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar is a solid biopic even if it occasionally turns into a chore to watch as it slowly recounts the highlights of Hoover’s life. Eastwood work on screen is precise and deliberate but surprisingly detached as well. Usually Eastwood has a strong emotional connection with his subject matter but it’s strangely missing here. What he delivers is a slightly unfocused hodgepodge of snippets from Hoover’s life, bouncing around from the past to the present, not always with a clear purpose. The script comes off as more informational than thought out; the main characters are fleshed out but only to a certain degree. The audience is kept at arms length for the most part; a few scenes allow us into Hoover’s psyche a bit more but not enough. In the titular role Leonardo DiCaprio is impressive, working a strong accent throughout, breaking out of his traditional mold. His performance showcases the massive contradictions of the man and he tries to give us as many layers as possible. A well groomed Armie Hammer is the film’s heart and soul. It’s a shame the script doesn’t allow him to do more because I’m sure he could have really expanded on this role if he’d been allowed to. His and DiCaprio’s interactions lay the ground work for so much of the inner turmoil that Hoover experience, one can’t help but feel that it could have been explored more thoughtfully. Naomi Watts is left on the sidelines for the most part, more of a spectator than an actual player in the grand scheme of things. The real crime is that her character, especially in the final years of Hoover’s life, seemed fertile for exploration. Since this is one of those films that travels across nearly half a century, heavy make up and prosthetics play a prominent role. DiCaprio and Watts seem to have the best luck with the make with poor Armie left with some the looks like a bad burn victim with liver spots. As a whole J. Edgar engages but lacks the emotional punch you’d expect.

B-

Bluray quality; Video is excellent really showcasing the muted visual tone of the film; Sound is basic with very little flair to make it stand out.

I was hand-selected to be a member of Blu-ray Elite, a beta program from Warner Home Video which has graciously sent me this free Blu-ray disc.

[Trailer] MIRROR, MIRROR

About as far removed from the tone of last week’s Snow White and the Huntsman, Tarsem Singh's Mirror Mirror has an almost comedic tone with Julia Roberts chewing up scenery like a crazy. Lily Collins does seem like a more suitable Snow White in my opinion.

Singh’s visuals, as usual, are incredibly impressive but it’s a totally different genre on the same material, should be very interesting to compare and contrast when both projects come out…..