It's just okay, which shouldn't take a decade.
ALSO: Why is Fox hiding THE FANTASTIC FOUR and DOCTOR WHO as watched without knowing much about it.
Monday, 25 August 2014
August Expiration Watch: Cleaning House
It looks like a number of three- and six-month contracts are up this month, with Robert Altman and two recently deceased stars suffering the worst of it. Say farewell to Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance in Capote (2005), which returned in March, as well as two very different sides of Robin Williams, in Popeye (1980) and The Fisher King (1991). The former was directed by Altman, who is about to see his impressive catalog of streaming titles reduced by nine�amounting to wholesale cinecide. That means that, along with Popeye, this will be your last chance to check out That Cold Day in the Park (1969) and Fool for Love (1985), both of which debuted in June, plus the five titles that arrived with such a splash back in March.
Among expiring classics there's Howard Hawks' El Dorado (1966), a June arrival that's already being put out to pasture (for shame, Netflix), plus a pair from that master of sarcastic wit, Billy Wilder, whose streaming oeuvre will now be minus The Seven Year Itch (1955), starring Marilyn Monroe (sporting her iconic white dress), and The Apartment (1960), with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine setting the standard for adult romantic comedies.
Read more �
Matthau as Varrick
1970s action flicks are also taking a hit, with the pending expiration of two recent Pam Grier entries, Black Mama, White Mama (1972) and Bucktown (1975), as well as the Clint Eastwood mountain-climbing thriller, The Eiger Sanction (1975). But the real '70s gem may be Charley Varrick (1973), starring Walter Matthau and directed by Don Siegel, the tough-as-nails director who also gave us Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Gun Runners, and Dirty Harry, among others. Matthau is at his unflappable, efficient best as a bank robber who finds himself in possession of mob money and being tracked by a cold-as-ice killer, played by a scary Joe Don Baker. Gritty and merciless, this one was an early influence on Quentin Tarantino (who apparently cribbed a line of dialogue for Pulp Fiction). Keep an eye out for Sheree North, as a wised-up photographer, and Felicia Farr, a.k.a. Mrs. Jack Lemmon, as a mobster's mistress. As far as I'm concerned, Farr didn't make nearly enough movies after Billy Wilder's great Kiss Me, Stupid (no longer streaming, but reviewed here). The only thing I had trouble buying: Matthau as heartthrob. Or maybe I'm missing something?Read more �
Saturday, 23 August 2014
The Weekly Movie Watch Volume 5
This week I watched Dom Hemingway, The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.
Dom Hemingway (2013)
Watch Dom Hemingway
Written by: Richard Shepard
Directed by: Richard Shepard
Starring: Jude Law, Richard E. Grant
Rated: R
Plot:
Safe cracker Dom Hemingway is out of jail and ready to collect.
Review:
It's quite a good movie, better than expected. This could be Jude Law's best performance, precisely because he doesn't seem like Jude Law. There isn't much story, this is an actor embodying the character, a quirky, confidant, outrageous character. All the performances are top notch, Law is rivaled only by his side kick played by Richard E. Grant. I'd watch the sequel just for more Dom Hemingway. To be fair, the movie did decline a bit from start to finish, as the plot of Hemingway became muddled in typical tropes.
It depends.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Watch The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Written by: Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner and James Vanderbilt (screen story), Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel comic book)
Directed by: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Spider-Man has a number of villains to defeat
Review:
Missing the first The Amazing Spider-Man, I was concerned I'd be lost, but it simply was not the case. The movie suffers from being too over the top, fights, dialog, and the sheer number of villains. This could be excused, except for the writing. The dialog is stilted. It lacks a natural progression, delivered by paper thin characters.
These issues contribute to the lack of focus. Scenes shoehorned in to create drama that don't relate to the store are a prime example. Electro is a cool looking villain but possesses no depth. I was impressed with how one arc ended, atypical for movies like this, but it's too little, too late.
I also have to mention the number of low camera angles and quips from Spider-Man. Both annoying and over done. No matter how much you like Spider-Man, you shouldn't watch this.
Skip it.
I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.
 |
| Dom Hemingway - An affable rogue. |
Watch Dom Hemingway
Written by: Richard Shepard
Directed by: Richard Shepard
Starring: Jude Law, Richard E. Grant
Rated: R
Plot:
Safe cracker Dom Hemingway is out of jail and ready to collect.
Review:
It's quite a good movie, better than expected. This could be Jude Law's best performance, precisely because he doesn't seem like Jude Law. There isn't much story, this is an actor embodying the character, a quirky, confidant, outrageous character. All the performances are top notch, Law is rivaled only by his side kick played by Richard E. Grant. I'd watch the sequel just for more Dom Hemingway. To be fair, the movie did decline a bit from start to finish, as the plot of Hemingway became muddled in typical tropes.
It depends.
 |
| Dom Hemingway, the man and the movie, looks good. |
 |
| The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Now with more villains. |
Watch The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Written by: Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner and James Vanderbilt (screen story), Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel comic book)
Directed by: Marc Webb
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Spider-Man has a number of villains to defeat
Review:
Missing the first The Amazing Spider-Man, I was concerned I'd be lost, but it simply was not the case. The movie suffers from being too over the top, fights, dialog, and the sheer number of villains. This could be excused, except for the writing. The dialog is stilted. It lacks a natural progression, delivered by paper thin characters.
These issues contribute to the lack of focus. Scenes shoehorned in to create drama that don't relate to the store are a prime example. Electro is a cool looking villain but possesses no depth. I was impressed with how one arc ended, atypical for movies like this, but it's too little, too late.
I also have to mention the number of low camera angles and quips from Spider-Man. Both annoying and over done. No matter how much you like Spider-Man, you shouldn't watch this.
Skip it.
Thursday, 21 August 2014
Trying to Connect: TOUCHY FEELY
I certainly didn't expect it to be so funny (it's listed as a drama), although its humor is of the quirky, slow-burn variety that doesn't always call attention to itself. Much of my own amusement came from Josh Pais' painfully repressed dentist, Paul, who is so clearly uncomfortable in his own skin that even when he finds a measure of contentment it's with a wary distrust of the universe. His social awkwardness makes you squirm even as you laugh in recognition at every subtle twitch and pained smile. He may be a middle-aged dad who interacts with patients on a daily basis, but the man has never learned to be at ease with others.
Read more �
2014 Cinema Biennale Check #8 - From Asia to Venice
The last Cinema Biennale Check installment is about directors born in the East and Far East.
Xiaoshuai Wang
Born on May 1966 in Shanghai, China. A gifted painter that attended Beijing's Central Art Academy Middle School and upon graduation relinquish his painting career to enroll in the Beijing Film Academy in the Department of Directing. After graduation and 2 years as an assistant at Fujian Film Studios he returns penniless to Beijing only to make his first film in 1993, The Days, with the incredible budget of US$10,000.00.
He belongs to what is known as the Sixth Generation of Chinese filmmakers or the "Urban Generation" of directors. Perhaps he's better-known for his amazing 2001 Berlinale Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear winner Beijing Bicycle, his also amazing 2005 Cannes Jury Prize winner Shanghai Dreams and his 2010 Cannes in competition for the Palme d'Or Chongqing Blues; but his filmography extends beyond these three films with films like In Love We Trust, Drifters and many more. Occasionally has worked as an actor and most remarkable in Jia Zhangke's The World and Lou Ye's Weekend Lover.
His films usually open in major festivals and his latest, Red Amnesia, is no exception as is in competition at Venezia71.
Basic info about 闯入者 Chuangru Zhe (Red Amnesia)
Director: Xiaoshuai Wang
Scriptwriter: Wang Xiaoshuai, Fang Lei, Li Fei
Original Language: Mandarin
Lenght: 115 min
Production country: China
Production companies: Dongchun Films Production Co, Inlook Media Group, Herun Meida, Edko (Beijing) films, Chongqing Film Group
Synopsis
Deng is a stubborn retired widow who spends her days caring about her two grown up sons and her elderly mother, despite her family efforts to stop her. But her daily routine starts derailing when she keeps receiving anonymous calls. What’s happening to her? Who could have anything against her? Even her husband’s ghost doesn’t seem to know...
Director’s Statement
After my father’s death, my 70-year-old mother, who lives alone, still wants to take care of me and her grandchildren. Her life made me reflect on Chinese people’s way of life. Her generation has lost their self-consciousness. They don’t know who they are and how life can be. Born around 1949, after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, they have been educated and then have gone through all the different political movements our country went through. From then till now, they have been completely brainwashed and became insensible. That’s the reason of the emptiness of their existence. The old lady of Chuangru zhe is intruding in other people’s lives, while our generation and our future generations might continue this intrusion in other people’s life. We are all carrying a stamp, in a Chinese way. We can’t escape from this. Chuangru zhe is about us today, forgetting those damages we suffered along the way. If situation remains unchanged, we will continue to be intruded, or intruding the lives of others, because we’ve been intruded deeply in the thought and consciousness.
Rakhshan Bani E'temād
Born on April 1954 in Tehran, Iran. Graduated from The Faculty of Dramatic Arts and joined Iranian TV in 1973 working as continuity girl and assistant director. Not really familiar with her work but she has collected accolades in festivals like Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Moscow and also in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
Not proud of being so unaware of this director work as she is known as one of Iran's premier female filmmakers that started doing TV documentaries and successfully moved in feature films. Perhaps with her latest work, Tales, which is in competition in Venezia71 I will start to learn about her filmmaking style. She is the other female director in competition for a Golden Lion at 2014 La Mostra.
Basic info about قصه ها Ghesseha (Tales)
Director: Rakhshan Bani E'temād
Scriptwriter: Rakhshan Bani-E'temad and Farid Mostafavi
Original Language: Persian
Lenght: 88 min
Production country: Iran
Production companies: Kanoon Iran Novin
Synopsis
Ghesseha features mostly female characters from Rakhshan Banietemad’s previous films, people who represent different layers of the society. The film also depicts a courageous and honest image of today’s Iranian society and its recent issues, covering subjects like students’ and workers’ movements as well as many others. The characters, which include filmmakers, workers, intellectuals, state employees, social workers, etc., have one thing in common. They are all passionate and in love. Ghesseha, in fact, is a love story of mothers and sons, husbands and wives, and men and women whose love and passion give them the hope to overcome their difficulties, whether these difficulties are the universal struggles of the society’s lower ranks, or any other social or emotional issue. So they find the power to continue their fights for a better life, ending in enjoying one that is brightened by love.
Director’s Statement
After three decades of filmmaking the characters of my documentary and feature films are still alive to me and I live with them. Ghesseha is returning to the characters of my previous films under today’s circumstances. Even though Ghesseha is a complete independent version, for me and the people who have seen my previous movies it is a review of the people’s fate and social conditions over the past three decades.
Watch clip with scenes at movie official site here.
Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Born on January 1960 in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. He's an actor and director that has a considerable large cult following both in Japan and abroad. No, I'm not one of the fans and have not seen any of the films he has directed or where he has performed; but I'm aware that he has accolades in many fantasy film festivals as well as in La Biennale where he won some collateral awards and was in competition for the 2009 Golden Lion with Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.
His latest film, Nobi, is another adaptation of the Shohei Ooka novel with the same name and a remake of Kon Ichikawa's 1959 Nobi, that I have seen. Imagine Tsukamoto version has to be different to Ichikawa's vision and perhaps not for the better, sigh; but I suspect that visuals will be outstanding, worth-watching.
Basic info about 野火 Nobi (Fires on the Plain)
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Scriptwriter:
Original Language: Japanese and Filipino
Lenght: 87 min
Production country: Japan
Production companies:
Synopsis
It is towards the end of World War II. After invading an island in the Philippines, Japanese servicemen meet fierce counter-offensive from the locals and the allied forces. It’s just a matter of time before the few survivors are wiped out. Suffering from tuberculosis private Tamura is abandoned by both his platoon and the mobile hospital. A group of soldiers with untreatable sicknesses and injuries are outside the hospital, just waiting to die. Private Tamura joins them but that night, artillery fire destroys the hospital. Tamura escapes injury and roams into the jungle. He throws himself into the overwhelming force of nature expecting that his end is near. Unable to go on anymore he takes out his grenade ready to kill himself when he notices some yams growing in the wild. The only problem is that the yams are inedible unless they’re cooked. Tamura goes to a village in search of matches. But there’s nothing there as the villagers have fled. Tamura takes a nap in a church when a young couple turns up. The woman screams in horror when she sees Tamura so he pulls the trigger of his rifle to silence her. She’s the first person he’s ever murdered. Tamura roams the jungle which is now hell on earth, with piles of bodies everywhere. Extreme fatigue numbs his mind and hunger changes him. When he starts to view his companions as food, he crosses a threshold into a realm where there are no friends, enemies or God.
Director’s Statement
I’ve been making movies about humans trapped in the city. With this film I want to show modern city dwellers that the city is not the world. That it’s just a rudderless boat floating in the sea of nature. By showing people engaged in the foolishness of war, I wanted to ask why we opt to go to war. If fighting is our primal instinct, I wanted to investigate if intelligence had a role to play in it. I don’t believe in propaganda movies. So what you take away from my film is up to you. I can sense the seventy-year-old horror and screams of those who decayed in the jungle. I pick it up on a radar that’s directly connected to my spine and I injected those sensations into every frame. If you smelled any of that, I succeeded.
Xiaoshuai Wang
Born on May 1966 in Shanghai, China. A gifted painter that attended Beijing's Central Art Academy Middle School and upon graduation relinquish his painting career to enroll in the Beijing Film Academy in the Department of Directing. After graduation and 2 years as an assistant at Fujian Film Studios he returns penniless to Beijing only to make his first film in 1993, The Days, with the incredible budget of US$10,000.00.He belongs to what is known as the Sixth Generation of Chinese filmmakers or the "Urban Generation" of directors. Perhaps he's better-known for his amazing 2001 Berlinale Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear winner Beijing Bicycle, his also amazing 2005 Cannes Jury Prize winner Shanghai Dreams and his 2010 Cannes in competition for the Palme d'Or Chongqing Blues; but his filmography extends beyond these three films with films like In Love We Trust, Drifters and many more. Occasionally has worked as an actor and most remarkable in Jia Zhangke's The World and Lou Ye's Weekend Lover.
His films usually open in major festivals and his latest, Red Amnesia, is no exception as is in competition at Venezia71.
Basic info about 闯入者 Chuangru Zhe (Red Amnesia)
Director: Xiaoshuai Wang
Scriptwriter: Wang Xiaoshuai, Fang Lei, Li Fei
Original Language: Mandarin
Lenght: 115 min
Production country: China
Production companies: Dongchun Films Production Co, Inlook Media Group, Herun Meida, Edko (Beijing) films, Chongqing Film Group
Synopsis
Deng is a stubborn retired widow who spends her days caring about her two grown up sons and her elderly mother, despite her family efforts to stop her. But her daily routine starts derailing when she keeps receiving anonymous calls. What’s happening to her? Who could have anything against her? Even her husband’s ghost doesn’t seem to know...
Director’s Statement
After my father’s death, my 70-year-old mother, who lives alone, still wants to take care of me and her grandchildren. Her life made me reflect on Chinese people’s way of life. Her generation has lost their self-consciousness. They don’t know who they are and how life can be. Born around 1949, after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, they have been educated and then have gone through all the different political movements our country went through. From then till now, they have been completely brainwashed and became insensible. That’s the reason of the emptiness of their existence. The old lady of Chuangru zhe is intruding in other people’s lives, while our generation and our future generations might continue this intrusion in other people’s life. We are all carrying a stamp, in a Chinese way. We can’t escape from this. Chuangru zhe is about us today, forgetting those damages we suffered along the way. If situation remains unchanged, we will continue to be intruded, or intruding the lives of others, because we’ve been intruded deeply in the thought and consciousness.
Rakhshan Bani E'temād
Born on April 1954 in Tehran, Iran. Graduated from The Faculty of Dramatic Arts and joined Iranian TV in 1973 working as continuity girl and assistant director. Not really familiar with her work but she has collected accolades in festivals like Locarno, Karlovy Vary, Moscow and also in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.Not proud of being so unaware of this director work as she is known as one of Iran's premier female filmmakers that started doing TV documentaries and successfully moved in feature films. Perhaps with her latest work, Tales, which is in competition in Venezia71 I will start to learn about her filmmaking style. She is the other female director in competition for a Golden Lion at 2014 La Mostra.
Basic info about قصه ها Ghesseha (Tales)
Director: Rakhshan Bani E'temād
Scriptwriter: Rakhshan Bani-E'temad and Farid Mostafavi
Original Language: Persian
Lenght: 88 min
Production country: Iran
Production companies: Kanoon Iran Novin
Synopsis
Ghesseha features mostly female characters from Rakhshan Banietemad’s previous films, people who represent different layers of the society. The film also depicts a courageous and honest image of today’s Iranian society and its recent issues, covering subjects like students’ and workers’ movements as well as many others. The characters, which include filmmakers, workers, intellectuals, state employees, social workers, etc., have one thing in common. They are all passionate and in love. Ghesseha, in fact, is a love story of mothers and sons, husbands and wives, and men and women whose love and passion give them the hope to overcome their difficulties, whether these difficulties are the universal struggles of the society’s lower ranks, or any other social or emotional issue. So they find the power to continue their fights for a better life, ending in enjoying one that is brightened by love.Director’s Statement
After three decades of filmmaking the characters of my documentary and feature films are still alive to me and I live with them. Ghesseha is returning to the characters of my previous films under today’s circumstances. Even though Ghesseha is a complete independent version, for me and the people who have seen my previous movies it is a review of the people’s fate and social conditions over the past three decades.
Watch clip with scenes at movie official site here.
Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Born on January 1960 in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. He's an actor and director that has a considerable large cult following both in Japan and abroad. No, I'm not one of the fans and have not seen any of the films he has directed or where he has performed; but I'm aware that he has accolades in many fantasy film festivals as well as in La Biennale where he won some collateral awards and was in competition for the 2009 Golden Lion with Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.His latest film, Nobi, is another adaptation of the Shohei Ooka novel with the same name and a remake of Kon Ichikawa's 1959 Nobi, that I have seen. Imagine Tsukamoto version has to be different to Ichikawa's vision and perhaps not for the better, sigh; but I suspect that visuals will be outstanding, worth-watching.
Basic info about 野火 Nobi (Fires on the Plain)
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Scriptwriter:
Original Language: Japanese and Filipino
Lenght: 87 min
Production country: Japan
Production companies:
Synopsis
It is towards the end of World War II. After invading an island in the Philippines, Japanese servicemen meet fierce counter-offensive from the locals and the allied forces. It’s just a matter of time before the few survivors are wiped out. Suffering from tuberculosis private Tamura is abandoned by both his platoon and the mobile hospital. A group of soldiers with untreatable sicknesses and injuries are outside the hospital, just waiting to die. Private Tamura joins them but that night, artillery fire destroys the hospital. Tamura escapes injury and roams into the jungle. He throws himself into the overwhelming force of nature expecting that his end is near. Unable to go on anymore he takes out his grenade ready to kill himself when he notices some yams growing in the wild. The only problem is that the yams are inedible unless they’re cooked. Tamura goes to a village in search of matches. But there’s nothing there as the villagers have fled. Tamura takes a nap in a church when a young couple turns up. The woman screams in horror when she sees Tamura so he pulls the trigger of his rifle to silence her. She’s the first person he’s ever murdered. Tamura roams the jungle which is now hell on earth, with piles of bodies everywhere. Extreme fatigue numbs his mind and hunger changes him. When he starts to view his companions as food, he crosses a threshold into a realm where there are no friends, enemies or God.Director’s Statement
I’ve been making movies about humans trapped in the city. With this film I want to show modern city dwellers that the city is not the world. That it’s just a rudderless boat floating in the sea of nature. By showing people engaged in the foolishness of war, I wanted to ask why we opt to go to war. If fighting is our primal instinct, I wanted to investigate if intelligence had a role to play in it. I don’t believe in propaganda movies. So what you take away from my film is up to you. I can sense the seventy-year-old horror and screams of those who decayed in the jungle. I pick it up on a radar that’s directly connected to my spine and I injected those sensations into every frame. If you smelled any of that, I succeeded.
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Catching Up
WWWWwwwooooooowwwww I did not mean to not update this for a week.
Basically, I had a busy weekend that involved traveling to Los Angeles, which meant last week was a "do all the work PLUS stuff you'd usually be doing on the weekend" crunch-time, and "re-post to personal blog stuff you've already disseminated through social-media" was the first thing to get set aside. SO! Then, here's where we've been:
I wrote about BLACK JESUS in light of the ongoing disaster in Ferguson, Missouri.
GAME OVERTHINKER. New One.
EXPENDABLES 3 was actually kinda okay... but nobody cared.
Yes, we're all going to miss ROBIN WILLIAMS.
DOCTOR STRANGE will NOT be an origin movie.
BOB'S BURGERS wins a well-deserved Best Animated Program Emmy.
David Hasselhoff was NICK FURY once.
You almost got a FEMALE LINK in Hyrule Warriors.
Marvel is still talking up an INHUMANS movie.
The original TMNT MOVIE really was that good, and NEXT MUTATION no longer looks that bad.
TOKYO TRIBE coming to U.S. Cool.
Basically, I had a busy weekend that involved traveling to Los Angeles, which meant last week was a "do all the work PLUS stuff you'd usually be doing on the weekend" crunch-time, and "re-post to personal blog stuff you've already disseminated through social-media" was the first thing to get set aside. SO! Then, here's where we've been:
I wrote about BLACK JESUS in light of the ongoing disaster in Ferguson, Missouri.
GAME OVERTHINKER. New One.
EXPENDABLES 3 was actually kinda okay... but nobody cared.
Yes, we're all going to miss ROBIN WILLIAMS.
DOCTOR STRANGE will NOT be an origin movie.
BOB'S BURGERS wins a well-deserved Best Animated Program Emmy.
David Hasselhoff was NICK FURY once.
You almost got a FEMALE LINK in Hyrule Warriors.
Marvel is still talking up an INHUMANS movie.
The original TMNT MOVIE really was that good, and NEXT MUTATION no longer looks that bad.
TOKYO TRIBE coming to U.S. Cool.
Saturday, 16 August 2014
The Weekly Movie Watch Volume 4
This week I watched Fargo, Arlington Road, The Ringer, The Return of the Dragon, Transcendence, Breath In, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, ESPN 30 for 30: Bad Boys, Philadelphia.
I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.
Fargo (1996)
Watch Fargo
Written by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Directed by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (uncredited)
Starring: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi
Rated: R
Plot:
A crime falls apart due to persistent police work and inept criminals.
Review:
While I've watched it before, it's one of those movies I wanted to see again as it had been so long. The movie has a great start that sets the tone. One of the best parts may be the setting, acting as an independent character. From the snow to the accents, it's very charming and unique. The dialog is well written, it's a great story, and the actors are superb.
Watch it.
Arlington Road (1999)
Watch Arlington Road
Written by: Ehren Kruger
Directed by: Mark Pellington
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack
Rated: R
Plot:
A man suspects his neighbor is a terrorist.
Review:
This has one of the craziest starts to a movie I've ever seen. It's a great thriller, that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's presented in a way that really makes you connect. I don't know how plausible it is, but it really makes you look at domestic terrorism. We find one man quickly to give us peace, but is it really just one man behind the plot? The ending is a bit telegraphed but the implications are staggering.
Watch it.
The Ringer (2005)
Watch The Ringer
Written by: Ricky Blitt
Directed by: Barry W. Blaustein
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Katherine Heigl, Brian Cox
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Johnny Knoxville rigs the Special Olympics by posing as a contestant.
Review:
This movie could have been utterly terrible. It's not bad, but it isn't a standout either. It's a bit hokey relying on shock value. A unique premise, only goes so far. At it's core, it's still making fun of the mentally handicapped. It's not outright offensive, but the humor is too pointed.
Skip it.
The Return of the Dragon (1972)
Watch The Return of the Dragon
Written by: Bruce Lee (screenplay)
Directed by: Bruce Lee
Starring: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris
Rated: R
Plot:
Bruce Lee defends a restaurant from gangsters.
Review:
My first Bruce Lee film, I'm ashamed to admit. It has an incredibly slow start, I keep hoping he will start fighting. There isn't much story, and it's a hilarious dub, but it does include some great Bruce Lee fight sequences. It's not bad if you only watch the fight scenes. Everything else is quite cheesy.
Skip it.
Transcendence (2014)
Watch Transcendence
Written by: Jack Paglen
Directed by: Wally Pfister
Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
In his quest for artificial intelligence, a doctor uploads his consciousness to a computer.
Plot:
It's a great looking movie, with amazing lighting. The first scene is the future and then we flashback, a pet peeve of mine, but it isn't that offensive. There are many cute shots that obscure the story. How made long angle, light bleed shots can we have? Every other shot is a fade out or in to focus. It had potential to really explore some neat issures, but glosses over too much. It's a movie that suffers from too big of a budget. The story gets too expansive and it suffers because of it. A lot of wasted potential without the payoff.
Skip it.
Breathe In (2013)
Breath In
Written by: Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones
Directed by: Drake Doremus
Starring: Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Mackenzie Davis, Amy Ryan
Rated: R
Plot:
A foreign exchange student disrupts the dynamics of her host family.
Review
Guy Pearce picks great roles, be it leading or supporting. I hoped it would continue, and this movie proves it does. The film has an amazing ambiance, setting an interesting dynamic of strangers in the same house. There is a fair amount of foreshadowing and undertones, but the metered story is paced perfectly. It's a movie people will call slow and uneventful, but it has such a nuance to it, distinctly real. The penultimate sequence where each story comes together is well done, creating a better ending Watch it.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Written by: Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay, )Jack Finney (Collier's magazine serial), Richard Collins (uncredited)
Directed by: Don Siegel
Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates
Rated: --
Plot:
The population of a small town is being replaced by emotionless aliens.
Review:
Often imitated, never duplicated. It's much more subtle than current movies, but that is to be expected. It's a great thriller, a film where you have to put yourself into the minds of the characters. What helps is it's relatively and comparatively grounded. The first and last scene were added at the request of the studio, though there really was no need for them.
Watch it.
ESPN 30 for 30: Bad Boys (2014)
Watch 30 for 30: Bad Boys
Written by: Aaron Cohen, Zak Levitt
Directed by: Zak Leviit
Starring: Kid Rock, Mike Abdenour, Mark Aguirre
Rated: --
Plot:
A look at the Detroit Pistons of the late '80s and early '90s.
Review:
The ESPN documentaries are typically pretty good, even if you aren't a sports fan.
It's an interesting look at Dennis Rodman and his evolution, which is a sidebar to the main point. You don't hear much about a team that went from worst to first, lost among the golden age of basketball, the Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls. It lacks the focus and sensationalism to rank it among the better ESPN documentaries. Their rise and fall is still an intriguing story.
It depends.
Philadelphia (1993)
Watch Philadelphia
Written by: Ron Nyswaner
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) is fired from his job for having AIDS, and hires an attorney (Denzel Washington)for a wrongful dismissal suit.
Review:
A heavy story, no doubt. Hanks plays the part well, going the distance to look the part. It's a compelling story. I can only begin to imagining the impact it had when first released. As an aside, how could Denzel ever lose a case? His charisma is off the charts. I appreciate the movie depicts Denzel as someone who despite his personal beliefs, still upholds morals and laws. It's a rite of passage movie, culturally relevant and a sign of the times. The ending is highly effective.
Watch it.
I watch movies every week and then write down my thoughts. Read my previous reviews!
My rating is simple, Watch It, It Depends, Skip it.
| Fargo - There is no minimum standard to be a criminal, ya darn tootin'. |
Fargo (1996)
Watch Fargo
Written by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Directed by: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (uncredited)
Starring: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi
Rated: R
Plot:
A crime falls apart due to persistent police work and inept criminals.
Review:
While I've watched it before, it's one of those movies I wanted to see again as it had been so long. The movie has a great start that sets the tone. One of the best parts may be the setting, acting as an independent character. From the snow to the accents, it's very charming and unique. The dialog is well written, it's a great story, and the actors are superb.
Watch it.
 |
| Arlington Road - Jeff Bridges uncovers a terrorist plot. |
Watch Arlington Road
Written by: Ehren Kruger
Directed by: Mark Pellington
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack
Rated: R
Plot:
A man suspects his neighbor is a terrorist.
Review:
This has one of the craziest starts to a movie I've ever seen. It's a great thriller, that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's presented in a way that really makes you connect. I don't know how plausible it is, but it really makes you look at domestic terrorism. We find one man quickly to give us peace, but is it really just one man behind the plot? The ending is a bit telegraphed but the implications are staggering.
Watch it.
 |
| The Ringer - Johnny Knoxville scams the Special Olympics. |
Watch The Ringer
Written by: Ricky Blitt
Directed by: Barry W. Blaustein
Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Katherine Heigl, Brian Cox
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Johnny Knoxville rigs the Special Olympics by posing as a contestant.
Review:
This movie could have been utterly terrible. It's not bad, but it isn't a standout either. It's a bit hokey relying on shock value. A unique premise, only goes so far. At it's core, it's still making fun of the mentally handicapped. It's not outright offensive, but the humor is too pointed.
Skip it.
 |
| Return of the Dragon - Come for Bruce Lee, stay for the fights. |
Watch The Return of the Dragon
Written by: Bruce Lee (screenplay)
Directed by: Bruce Lee
Starring: Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris
Rated: R
Plot:
Bruce Lee defends a restaurant from gangsters.
Review:
My first Bruce Lee film, I'm ashamed to admit. It has an incredibly slow start, I keep hoping he will start fighting. There isn't much story, and it's a hilarious dub, but it does include some great Bruce Lee fight sequences. It's not bad if you only watch the fight scenes. Everything else is quite cheesy.
Skip it.
 |
| Return of the Dragon - Really, just watch the fights. |
 |
| Transcendence - Ashes to A.I. |
Watch Transcendence
Written by: Jack Paglen
Directed by: Wally Pfister
Starring: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Morgan Freeman
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
In his quest for artificial intelligence, a doctor uploads his consciousness to a computer.
Plot:
It's a great looking movie, with amazing lighting. The first scene is the future and then we flashback, a pet peeve of mine, but it isn't that offensive. There are many cute shots that obscure the story. How made long angle, light bleed shots can we have? Every other shot is a fade out or in to focus. It had potential to really explore some neat issures, but glosses over too much. It's a movie that suffers from too big of a budget. The story gets too expansive and it suffers because of it. A lot of wasted potential without the payoff.
Skip it.
 |
| Breathe In - Misdirected passions ruin all. |
Breath In
Written by: Drake Doremus, Ben York Jones
Directed by: Drake Doremus
Starring: Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Mackenzie Davis, Amy Ryan
Rated: R
Plot:
A foreign exchange student disrupts the dynamics of her host family.
Review
Guy Pearce picks great roles, be it leading or supporting. I hoped it would continue, and this movie proves it does. The film has an amazing ambiance, setting an interesting dynamic of strangers in the same house. There is a fair amount of foreshadowing and undertones, but the metered story is paced perfectly. It's a movie people will call slow and uneventful, but it has such a nuance to it, distinctly real. The penultimate sequence where each story comes together is well done, creating a better ending Watch it.
 |
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers - They aren't who you think. |
Watch Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Written by: Daniel Mainwaring (screenplay, )Jack Finney (Collier's magazine serial), Richard Collins (uncredited)
Directed by: Don Siegel
Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates
Rated: --
Plot:
The population of a small town is being replaced by emotionless aliens.
Review:
Often imitated, never duplicated. It's much more subtle than current movies, but that is to be expected. It's a great thriller, a film where you have to put yourself into the minds of the characters. What helps is it's relatively and comparatively grounded. The first and last scene were added at the request of the studio, though there really was no need for them.
Watch it.
 |
| Bad Boys - The forgotten Detroit Pistons team of the early '90s. |
Watch 30 for 30: Bad Boys
Written by: Aaron Cohen, Zak Levitt
Directed by: Zak Leviit
Starring: Kid Rock, Mike Abdenour, Mark Aguirre
Rated: --
Plot:
A look at the Detroit Pistons of the late '80s and early '90s.
Review:
The ESPN documentaries are typically pretty good, even if you aren't a sports fan.
It's an interesting look at Dennis Rodman and his evolution, which is a sidebar to the main point. You don't hear much about a team that went from worst to first, lost among the golden age of basketball, the Celtics, Lakers, and Bulls. It lacks the focus and sensationalism to rank it among the better ESPN documentaries. Their rise and fall is still an intriguing story.
It depends.
 |
| Philadelphia - Tom Hanks fights for justice. |
Watch Philadelphia
Written by: Ron Nyswaner
Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
Lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) is fired from his job for having AIDS, and hires an attorney (Denzel Washington)for a wrongful dismissal suit.
Review:
A heavy story, no doubt. Hanks plays the part well, going the distance to look the part. It's a compelling story. I can only begin to imagining the impact it had when first released. As an aside, how could Denzel ever lose a case? His charisma is off the charts. I appreciate the movie depicts Denzel as someone who despite his personal beliefs, still upholds morals and laws. It's a rite of passage movie, culturally relevant and a sign of the times. The ending is highly effective.
Watch it.
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