May 2013
6 posts
My Review: THE PURGE
I like provocative cinema. I like the kind of movies that ask the tough questions, and make people think about things that society is too scared to think about. It’s the visualization of those thoughts and ideas that make the art form a medium for change and progress, and the trailer for The Purge paints the film as one of the more thought provoking works of the horror-thriller genre…....
My Review: STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS
It’s going to be very hard to review this movie without giving away spoilers, but I’m going to try my best to put up warnings where necessary. With that said….
Wow.
Really. That about sums it up. WOW.
I haven’t been floored by a movie like this in a long time, so my thoughts on it are going to seem quite incoherent, as I’m still trying to process them. In any...
My Review: AFTERSHOCK
The disaster genre is often associated with images of large scale destruction of metropolitan cities, ostensibly likable characters running for two hours to avoid not having any more ground beneath their feet, and Roland Emmerich doing stuff like this in at least four movies. It’s a genre that has a specific appeal, in that you get to see entire cities go up in flames without some kind of...
My Review: HE'S WAY MORE FAMOUS THAN YOU
I wasn’t originally planning on writing a review for this one, mostly because there really isn’t much to be said, but I decided to give it a go. If you’re not interested in the specifics and just need a quick opinion: don’t watch it. It’s not worth your time.
To be honest, the only reason I went and saw this movie in the first place was because I was a background...
My Review: THE GREAT GATSBY
“It’s an American classic!”
The words seem to spontaneously bellow from rooftops whenever F. Scott Fitzgerarld’s The Great Gatsby is brought up in conversation, especially when someone mentions that they haven’t read it. It’s considered to be a ‘Great American Novel’, as well as one of those books that filmmakers just can’t seem to get right....
My Review: IRON MAN 3
Five years and four movies ago, Robert Downey Jr made his mainstream comeback in one of the better received superhero movies of the time, a movie that was certainly right place, right time, but doesn’t hold much weight beyond establishing Tony Stark as a character in the first 45 minutes. The second movie, while more bland and aloof, also had its place in the context of introducing...
April 2013
13 posts
My Review: MUD
The spring-summer transition offers a wide variety of explosions, so it’s nice to see a smaller movie come out right before things get crazy. When I say smaller, I mean that mostly in relation to its distant, secluded southern feel. No big city life or big city buzz. A slice of Americana that we won’t see again this year until the first half hour of Man Of Steel. Of course, that in...
Summer Is Upon Us!
Ah, yes. It’s that time of year again. That wonderful season where we flock to the theaters in vast numbers to be part of not one, not two, but an array of different movie events that have that unique summer quality to them. Action, sci-fi, superheros and cars, Summer 2013 has it all, and more.
[Before I get to the top 10, special mentions MUST be made of The East and The Purge, which are...
My Review: PAIN & GAIN
His first non Transformers film since 2005, Pain & Gain is movie that Michael Bay seems to have been trying to make for some time now. It has a mediocre budget of $25 million, relatively speaking, and is based on a true story from the mid 90s about a group of bodybuilders who become involved with the kidnapping and torture of the audience for two hours. Or wait, maybe that was just the movie.
...
My response to "Bruce Wayne Stars in 'Man of...
The Forbes article in question compares the new Man Of Steel trailer to Christopher Nolan’s Batman films based on its tone, and while I can see why such a parallel is being made, it’s not one I agree with, and I tried my best to articulate why in this Facebook post.
Here’s a transcription of it:
“Hi. I’m sorry Forbes, but your knowledge of Superman seems to be...
My Review: DISCONNECT
Boasting a rather catchy trailer that’s part family drama part technology riff, Disconnect has already set itself up to be one of those rare, technologically centered films that doesn’t use its backdrop as some sort of gimmick (Uploading Virus, 99% complete) but instead seems to focus on the pitfalls of the online world we live in. The movie itself? It’s all that and much more.
...
My Review: UPSTREAM COLOR
In 2004, Shane Carruth burst on to the Sundance scene with his cerebral sci-fi film Primer, a near budget-less work of genre cinema that ranks amongst the outings of even the most seasoned filmmakers. Nearly a decade later, he returns with Upstream Color, a film that’s as beautiful as it is hard to explain, and one that proves to be an overwhelming emotional and intellectual experience,...
My Review: 42
There’s always a certain amount of apprehension I have when going to see a movie that’s racially themed. Not because the subject matter is touchy (well, it can be at times) but because in a lot of cases, these movie tend to cater to apologists. They portray things in a very black and white manner, if you’ll excuse the unintentional pun, and more often than not, fall under the...
My Review: TO THE WONDER
It’s hard to believe that Terrence Malick’s last film, The Tree Of Life, was a mere two years ago. If you know anything about the reclusive auteur, you’ll know that he likes to take his time between films, sometimes up to two decades. However, To The Wonder really does seem like a visual, thematic, and in a sense, logical follow up to his previous, more grandiose effort, but...
My Review: TRANCE
Close your eyes. Now imagine you’re at the foot of a mountain, looking up. Soon, you start to scale the gigantic peak, constantly wondering what you’ll see when you get to the top. You stick with the journey, pushing harder and harder as the mountain pushes against you. But finally, you reach the top! And for the briefest of moments, you catch a glimpse of something wonderful! You try...
My Review: ROOM 237
Having gained a significant amount of traction over the last 12 months as ‘the documentary about The Shining’, director Rodney Ascher’s labyrinthian critical analysis of both a labyrinthian film and of critical analysis itself has finally received its long overdue theatrical release. And while it may not change the hearts of those who already know how they feel about The Shining,...
My Review: JURASSIC PARK
There are some films that stand the test of time. There are various reasons for this phenomenon, ranging from technical innovation, to cultural impact, to critical and/or financial success, but they’re all after the fact. What goes in to a movie that makes it come out a masterpiece is difficult to discern, but clearly, Steven Spielberg has some idea.
I usually write reviews for movies...
My Review: EVIL DEAD
In the capitalist Mecca that is Tinseltown, the commercialization of anything and everything is now less of a surprise and more an accepted fact. And a large portion of the commodities the movie industry puts out, be it directly or indirectly, can more than easily fit under the umbrella term 80s Nostalgia. The reason for this is simple, really. Kids who grew up in the ever evolving cinematic and...
March 2013
11 posts
My Review: THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
2010’s Blue Valentine was a monumental revival of the career of one Ryan Gosling, as well as a defining romantic tragedy from director Derek Cianfrance. The duo have united once again for The Place Beyond The Pines, alongside recent Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper, and a host of other recognizable and talented actors, not to mention the impecable cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. But while...
My Review: WRONG
With a limited, one week run that began today, up against the likes of Ryan Gosling and conspiracy theorists visa-vis The Shining, Quentin Dupieux’s Wrong will more than likely slip under the radar in the coming days. However, it’s a bizarre work of surrealist comedy that lives up to (or perhaps even surpasses) Dupieux’s previous effort, a little film you may have heard of...
My Review: BLANCANIEVES
A silent film that draws inspiration from the Grimm Brothers’ famous Snow White fairy tale, Blancanieves is not only a meticulously crafted cinematic jewel, but perhaps the best incarnation of the story since 1937.
One might have thought that The Artist would have created a new wave of silent homages, but for some reason, that didn’t really end up happening. Which, if you ask me,...
My Review: OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN
No. No no. No no no no no. Just…. no.
Please no. Oh god. No. What did I just watch. Why…. Why did that happen. Wh…. WHY…. Oh god. No no no. No.
No….
But seriously, Olympus Has Fallen is a large scale action movie directed by Training Day’s Antoine Fuqua, and starring Aaron Eckhart as the President of the United States and Gerard Butler as Mike Banning, the...
My Review: G.I. JOE: RETALIATION
There’s no denying, we’re very heavily in to the era of pop culture movie making that involves ‘adapting’ any and every property in existence, be it other forms of media, or even board games and children’s toys. We’re so heavily in to it that sometimes we forget exactly what it is that’s happening. That something that once made money on its own merit, is...
She Was Asking For It
Hi. Sorry. I try my best not to deviate from writing movie reviews, but there’s no way I can’t touch upon this. It’s sad that I have to in the first place, but there seem to be a vast amount of people defending rapists and blaming rape victims out there. Sorry, but that’s not okay.
I realize that most people who are going to read this are probably educated and intelligent...
My Review: THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE
To be perfectly honest, while I didn’t have particularly high hopes, I expected The Incredible Burt Wonderstone to at least be a somewhat enjoyable, if not original comedy. Unfortunately though, it’s as run-of-the-mill as they come.
Right off the bat, let me just say that there’s a genuine laugh or two to be had, but they’re so far and few apart that the waiting for the...
My Review: SPRING BREAKERS
What at first glance might appear to be yet another debaucherous entry into the ‘party’ movie genre is actually yet another debaucherous entry into the ‘party’ movie genre. But at the same time, it’s a high concept, hard-hitting, grandly inspired dive into the alcohol soaked, drug fuelled self-indulgence we call Generation-Y.
Harmony Korine isn’t a household...
Could someone with a lot of followers please...
ALWAYS CHECK YOUR SOURCES, TUMBLR
There are far too many bullshit ‘news’ stories floating around and being reblogged hundreds if not THOUSANDS of times. Seriously, it’s become a daily thing.
Please please PLEASE check your sources to make sure what you’re quoting isn’t out of context or a complete fabrication.
My Review: DEAD MAN DOWN
Neils Arden Oplev is by no means a bad director. In fact, he’s got quite a flare for what he does. What’s unfortunate though is that most people will probably only be familiar with two of his movies by the end of his career, the original Swedish version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and his first Hollywood outing, Dead Man Down. And why I say it’s unfortunate is because...
My Review: STOKER
I’m going to make a bold prediction here. Stoker is not going to bode well with today’s audience. It’s likely going to be forgotten by most by the time the summer is over, and it isn’t going to come up again in most circles until director Park Chan-wook moves on to his next outing. However, some years down the line, five, perhaps ten, people are going to look back and call...
February 2013
13 posts
My List of the Best Movies of 2012
25. Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
24. The Sessions
23. Bernie
22. Hitchcock
21. Anna Karenina
20. The Amazing Spider-Man
19. Looper
18. Killing Them Softly
17. Samsara
16. Ruby Sparks
15. Silver Linings Playbook
14. Rust & Bone
13. Lincoln
12. The Master
11. Skyfall
10. The Grey
9. Argo
8. Holy Motors
7. Wreck-It...
My List of the Worst Movies of 2012
10. The Bourne Legacy
9. Total Recall
8. Underworld: Awakening
7. Hyde Park On Hudson
6. Paranormal Activity 4
5. Wrath Of The Titans
4. Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
3. Life Of Pi
2. Battleship
1. Ted
The Best Of 2012: 'Categories'
Yes, I decided to wait until ‘Oscar Day’ to publish my own personal list of what I thought were the best performances, screenplays etc of 2012, a trend that I’ve followed for the last five years but am now slowly realizing is pointless, because it’s already the fourth week of February and I’m not watching the Oscars as it is. But it is what is, I suppose. So, without...
My Review: SNITCH
While the poster might feature The Rock towering over the viewers like a Colossus as a truck explodes in the background, I can assure you that Snitch is anything but your run of the mill action movie. In fact, it’s not an action movie it all, and it’s actually pretty damn good. The film claims to be ‘Inspired By True Events’ even though it’s never clear to what...
My Review: SAFE HAVEN
Before getting into it, I have to admit. My only exposure to Nicholas Sparks prior to this was that one scene in The Notebook that everybody seems to love, and the trailer for Dear John. Yes, yes, I’ll get around to watching The Notebook, but coming back to the movie at hand, not being familiar with Sparks in any way other than knowing he gets a lot of movie deals in which his contract...
Fake Geek Girls, and other Fake Geek Issues
“Stope being a poser!” says enraged nerd guy.
“Stop being mean to people!” says defensive nerd girl.
“Stop using my interests to attract attention!” says upset geek man.
“Stop establishing exclusivity where none exists!” replies nerd woman gamer face.
This of course is a mere summarization of the arguments I’ve seen go back and forth for...
#SOLO
In today’s media dominated age, with media being used to criticize other media (and in the case of this post, media being used to criticize media being used to… you get the idea) it’s come to be accepted that the opinions of the good old internet are largely unavoidable. And unless you live on Hoth, you’ve probably heard more than enough about Disney’s new...
My Review: A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD
When talking about most big movies today, it’s hard to avoid comparisons, especially when the movie in question is the fifth part of a 25 year old franchise like Die Hard. And while I shudder at the very thought that the 1988 original is now lumped in amongst a group of near mindless sequels that are collectively referred to as a ‘franchise’, I’m afraid I have to call it...
My Review: SIDE EFFECTS
A man whose filmography is as diverse as it is impressive, Steven Soderbergh has made the decision to retire from filmmaking, much to the dismay of many a movie lover I’m sure. Personally, I feel an unavoidable sense of disappointment, for a number of reasons. Primary among them being that we may never see a Soderbergh film again. But as of right now, just having seen his latest, my...
My Review: WARM BODIES
Traditionally, the ‘zombie movie’ was always a subgenre used to narrativize the fear and concerns of people at the time into a seemingly unstoppable force made up of human beings themselves. Communism, consumerism, nazism, you name it. The zombie movie has done it all.
Well, almost….
The turn of the century saw a surprising increase in zombie-related fiction, resulting in...
My Review: BULLET TO THE HEAD
Based on the acclaimed comic you’ve never heard of, from the veteren director you probably don’t know, Bullet To The Head is exactly the kind of movie the trailers make it out to be. Sly Stallone delivering macho one liners and killing people. Which of course begs the question, what sets this movie aside from something like The Expendables? The answer is pretty simple. This movie is 90...
January 2013
15 posts
My Review: MOVIE 43
Yeah. I watched it. Alone. At midnight on a Saturday night. Somebody give me a fucking medal for bravery….
I’m not entirely sure where to begin, because to review a movie like Movie 43 would be to acknowledge that it’s a ‘movie’ in the conventional sense of the word. It’s more so an exercise in the extremely absurd. And another reason it’s hard to talk...
My Review: BROKEN CITY
Let’s be honest here, Broken City isn’t a movie that people are climbing over each other to watch. It’s a January release, all the Oscar bait is just about getting its extended theatrical run, and it’s not one that seemed particularly interesting to begin with, even though they pretty much gave it all away in the trailers. This is not to say that Broken City is a bad movie,...
My Review: MAMA
The Horror genre is a perplexing one, always aiming to scare without much substance, and in the process, rarely making the fears real enough to stick. But, the few times I’ve seen it work, it’s usually because a film aims not to push the limits of the genre, but to work within its conventions to create something powerful and personal. Guillermo del Toro has been responsible for this in...
My Review: THE LAST STAND
It’s been ten years since Arnold Schwarzenegger last headlined a movie, and much like his appearances in the Expendables disasters, he has in fact reached a stage where he can’t really appear in action flick without attention being drawn to the fact that that’s pretty much what he’s known for. But unlike The Expendables, Kim Ji-woon’s The Last Stand fully embraces the...
My Review - HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 3D
Years from now, people are going to look back at Snow White And The Huntsman as the beginning of that bizarre period in cinema where classic children’s fairy tales were given a dark twist and big budget, so that they could be marketed to no one in particular. Little Red Riding Hood got the treatment, Jack has gone from beanstalk climber to Giant Slayer, and it wouldn’t surprise me if right now, a...
My Review: GANGSTER SQUAD
Hey! What do you know, it’s 2013. And since I’m probably not going to bother with A Haunted House unless I’m feeling particularly masochistic, the only notable thing out right now is Gangster Squad. You’ve probably heard of it, it stars Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and a few others, and takes place is Los Angeles in the late 1940s. Oh, and the trailer is...
My Review: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
2012 was a surprisingly good year for fantasy, and I mean that less in terms of genre and more in terms of certain films bringing a sense of child-like wonder to the screen. In most cases, through either animation of visual effects, these films managed to do so by creating lavish worlds for us to journey through. And while Beasts Of The Southern Wild is no exception, it’s perhaps the...
