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Sunday, September 21, 2014
Cindy Prascik's Review of A Walk Among the Tombstones
Dearest Blog, yesterday it was off to the pictures for my first double-header in awhile. Before a final screening of summer's most fun flick, Guardians of the Galaxy, I had a look at Liam Neeson's latest, A Walk Among the Tombstones.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
An ex-cop working as an unlicensed P.I. hunts a woman's killers.
A Walk Among the Tombstones looks a lot like an old TV cop show. It's set against the harshest, ugliest parts of New York, in that gloomy bit of the year when the leaves have dropped but the snow hasn't yet fallen. Though the lack of color sets an appropriately morose tone, the movie is not without its lighter moments, most of which hit the right mark, lifting the mood without derailing it.
Liam Neeson does what Liam Neeson does best, ensuring you leave the theatre thinking you never, EVER want to face a crisis without him. The solid supporting cast features Downton Abbey heartthrob Dan Stevens in a VERY different role from Matthew Crawley, Sebastian Roche (who will ever be Law & Order's C-Square to me!), and the precocious Brian "Astro" Bradley. The story has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, without being so long or overly complicated that it bogs down.
A Walk Among the Tombstones clocks in at 113 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence, disturbing images, language, and brief nudity." It may not be especially memorable, but it's an entertaining, well-crafted thriller that easily holds your attention.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, A Walk Among the Tombstones gets seven.
Until next time.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW: TUSK
An irreverent American podcaster interviews a Canadian adventurer whose wild tale of survival at sea masks sinister intentions in this twisted horror comedy from writer/director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Red State). Wallace (Justin Long) and Teddy (Haley Joel Osment) are the wisecracking co-hosts of "The Not-See Party", a popular podcast focused on bizarre viral videos and humorous interviews with the internet-famous. When Wallace ventures to Canada for an interview that falls through at the last minute, he stops at a local bar for a drink and finds a flyer posted by an old adventurer (Michael Parks) who seeks to share his stories with anyone who will listen. Meanwhile, as Teddy and Wallace's girlfriend venture north to investigate his sudden disappearance, the old man subjects his terrified guest to a bizarre medical procedure that will transform more than just his perception of one of the sea's most majestic creatures. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Director: Kevin Smith
Cast: Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Parks, Genesis
Rodriguez
Release Date: Sep
19, 2014
Rated R for Sexual Content, Language, Gore and Some
Disturbing Violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 41 min.
Genres: Horror
Review:
Kevin Smith is a hit or miss director for me. Even his earlier films like Clerks, Mall Rats
or Chasing Amy never really connected with me, I found them amusing but never
found out what made Smith a name director.
Dogma is probably my favorite film from Smith with his recent foray into
horror, Red State,
being his worse film. So I was a bit
ambivalent when I heard about his 2nd horror film, Tusk, but I was
rather intrigued by the insane concept.
The film is rather odd but surprisingly straightforward as well. Some have compared it to the Human Centipede
which I think is more than a bit off because it’s kind of its own creature, pun
intended. The best thing about Tusk is
that it’s actually funny. Smith skewers
plenty of classic horror tropes, showcasing how ridiculous some of the
situations are by taking it to the most extreme degree. The cast is rather impressive, including a
surprise appearance by a well known actor.
Justin Long is appropriately douchey so when karma comes his way, you
don’t feel an ounce of sympathy. Michael
Parks is clearly having a great time in a very nutty role. Genesis Rodriguez and Haley Joel Osment are
noteworthy in their ability to play it straight while Smith shoots varying
levels of insanity at them. Tusk is
definitely Kevin Smith’s weirdest film but it’s also one of his better efforts
as well.
B+
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Cindy Prascik's Review of No Good Deed
Dearest Blog, yesterday afternoon it was off to the pictures for the thriller No Good Deed.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
Home alone on a dark and stormy night, a woman and her two young children are terrorized by an intruder.
Readers, I gotta be straight with ya: I find leads Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson to be two of the most beautiful people in the world. I can't decide if I liked this movie more than it deserved, because I got to look at them for 90 minutes, or if I liked it less than it deserved, because I was distracted by their excessive good looks. At any rate...
No Good Deed is a decent thriller that does a nice job of maintaining suspense throughout. If the tricks are cheap, they're also effective; I jumped in my seat a fair few times. It's got kind of a twist on a twist, so, if you see the first bit coming (I did), it may still take you by surprise. Hensen is perfect, terrified (especially for her children), but no simpering damsel in distress.
Elba plays the psycho baddie with relish, and every frame seems specifically designed to make him look larger (he's 6'3" to Henson's 5'5") and more menacing. Paul Haslinger's comically melodramatic score sets the right tone, even if it's a bit much at times.
No Good Deed clocks in at a quick 84 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of violence, menace, terror, and for language."
A perfect fit between Summer Blockbuster Season and Awards Season, No Good Deed is worth your ten bucks, but you'll likely have forgotten it ever existed by next year at this time.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, No Good Deed gets five and a half.
Until next time...
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
6 Degrees of Separation Blogathon
Since there’s a cinematic dead spot in my movie calendar right
I accepted a challenge from Tanner Jones (The Average Critic) to participate
in the 6 Degrees of Separation Blogathon.
Like Tanner, this is my first ever blogathon but that’s probably
due to my general laziness….
To complete the challenge, I must figure out a way to connect Kaya Scodelario to Oscar Issac.
In essence, it’s a cinematic version of 6 degrees of Kevin
Bacon.
While I’ve seen these actors, I can’t say I’m terribly familiar
with either, so it took me a bit to find the connection
So without further adieu let’s begin….
Kaya Scodelario was in Clash of the Titans with….
Kaya Scodelario was in Clash of the Titans with….
Luke Evans who was in The Raven with….
John Cusack who was in the
Paperboy with…
Scott Glenn who was in Sucker
Punch with…
Oscar Isaac!!!
Please hold your applause.....just kidding feel free to shower me with your love....
I now challenge Maynard over at Maynard's Horror Movie Diary to
connect Oscar Isaac with Shannyn Sossamon….
Saturday, September 6, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW: AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
Miles of twisting catacombs lie beneath the streets of Paris, the eternal home to countless souls. When a team of explorers ventures into the uncharted maze of bones, they uncover the dark secret that lies within this city of the dead. A journey into madness and terror, As Above, So Below reaches deep into the human psyche to reveal the personal demons that come back to haunt us all.
Director: John E. Dowdle
Cast: Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge.
Release Date: Aug
29, 2014
Rated R
Runtime: 1 hr. 0 min.
Genres: Documentary, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
Being a fan of the horror genre can be hard from time to
time. Sure you do get the occasional
surprise but there’s a lot of garbage out there as well. It’s a common problem with films that can be
made on the cheap. Add to it the “found
footage” subgenre and you’ll have to deal with a lot of subpar films. As Above, So Below is a rather frustrating
film because it does have an interesting premise and it could of turned into a
rather impressive Dante’s Inferno type film.
Sadly, it only touches on its potential, it randomly hits some solid
notes especially in its frenetic finale but never maintains its. Add to it that you don’t care about any of
the character especially when they make the stupidest decisions possible at
evey turn. As Above, So Below is one of
those horror films that loses any semblance of horror so quickly that it
becomes a laughfest as you watch idiotic characters do idiotic things,
thankfully it’s over quickly.
D
Sunday, August 31, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW: FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR
Robert Rodriguez teams with Frank Miller to direct this follow-up to Sin City from a script by Miller and William Monahan based on preexisting stories along with new ones written for the big screen. Josh Brolin stars in the adaptation of the comic miniseries (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), which tells the backstory of Clive Owen's Dwight character as he is wrapped up in the thralls of femme fatale, Ava Eva Green. Also new to the series is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who plays Johnny, a mysterious gambler set on taking down his sworn enemy in a high-stakes game of life and death. Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Alba, and Jaime King return for the Dimension Films release, with Jamie Chung and Dennis Haysbert stepping into roles left by Devon Aoki and the late Michael Clarke Duncan. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Josh Brolin, Mickey Rourke, Joseph Gordon-Levitt,
Eva Green, Jessica Alba.
Release Date: Aug 22, 2014
Runtime: 102 min
Genres: Crime Thriller, Post-Noir (Modern Noir), Crime
Review:
The follow up to Sin
City from Frank Miller and Robert
Rodriguez goes well with its predecessor even if it’s lost a bit of its bite
this go around. The style, violence and
attitude carry over keeping the film visually interesting but kind of a mixed
bag in terms of a story. The good part
of the film involves anything that contains Mickey Rourke who slips back into
Marv’s skin with incredible ease and the always impressive Eva Green. Green has a second Frank Miller sequel she’s
single handedly props up. Eva is always
the most interesting person on screen as chews up scenery as the man eating
black widow. It’s an over the top
performance but hints of subtly showcasing Green’s talent and a fair amount of
self awareness. She knows exactly what
kind of film this is and what the directors are aiming for, as a result she knocks
it out of the park. On the opposite end
of the spectrum is Jessica Alba who misses the mark badly. Even worse, she seems totally unaware about
how badly she’s doing. Rourke is great
but his role is greatly reduced here since he’s more of a supporting player for
Josh Brolin who’s surprisingly unmemorable and bland. Dennis Haysbert fills in capably for the late
Michael Clarke Duncan while Jamie Chung is fairly distracting filling in for
Devon Aoki for some reason, it might be obnoxious amount of make up they piled
on her. The biggest disappointment is
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and it has nothing to do with his performance which is
fine. The problem is that his entire
segment and character is utterly pointless.
It makes the entire film feel longer than it actually is, making it a
bit of a slog even for fans of the series.
C+
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