— by BEV QUESTAD — One young man, now a dad, says that on his last night at home he was in a nightmare. He would gulp for air between his father’s blows to his stomach. He was so mad by the time the beating was over he snarled at his dad, “When you go […][...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Under Review: ‘Bad Teacher’
— by ADAM POYNTER — Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) thinks her life is set — until she finds out her rich fiancée is breaking off the engagement and dumping her. Elizabeth has to go back to work as a high school teacher, but she’s not very committed to her kids and she never[...]
Under Review: ‘Green Lantern: Emerald Knights’
— by ANDY BEHBAKHT — Back when I saw the trailer for “Emerald Knights” and the synopsis, I was actually looking forward to a movie that would basically explain some of the other Lanterns’ stories and more about the Green Lantern Corps. Before I give you my thoughts of the movie[...]
Under Review: ‘Cars 2’
— by ADAM POYNTER — It is time to return to the world created in 2006’s “Cars,” where there are no humans but there are unique and distinctive automobiles. Co-directors John Lasseter and Brad Lewis take us back to the town of Radiator Springs and beyond, exploring the world and tra[...]
Under Review: ‘Friends with Benefits’
— by JESSIKA OWENS — The latest phenomena I’m seeing in cinema is that chick flicks can now be raunchy and funny and everything that they weren’t allowed to be in the past. Let’s face it, females are just as prone to talking about sex as their male counterparts, and wha[...]
Under Review: ‘Green Lantern’
— by ADAM POYNTER — In a summer filled with more superhero films than average, it takes a lot of factors to stand out above the rest, including a great cast, a decent storyline, originality, amazing special effects and, most importantly, a connection to the characters and being able to r[...]
Under Review: ‘Jawbreaker’
— by ADAM POYNTER — Many films came out in the mid- to late-’90s that revolved around teens and some sort of extreme teen behavior. In 1999, one of those films was “Jawbreaker” by writer-director Darren Stein. Although it was released to mostly negative reviews, it is one of th[...]
Under Review: ‘Queen of the Sun’
— by BEV QUESTAD — What happens when the one you love, the one you trust to always be there and the one who gives you sustenance disappears without a trace? “Queen of the Sun” is a delicate, sensitive, tender love story of nurturing and interdependence portending a great trag[...]
Under Review: ‘Super 8’
— by ADAM POYNTER — Not only is “Super 8” — a collaboration of director J.J. Abrams (“Star Trek”) and producer Steven Spielberg (”Saving Private Ryan”) — reminiscent of great movies of the past, it also strives to be a film that will inspire movies of the [...]
Under Review: ‘Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath, Oregon’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Since 1958, all the graduating seniors at Philomath High School who were going on to college were given college scholarships. Rex Clemens, a local timber baron, established this foundation to support the high school and its students. But then it became political[...]
Under Review: X-Men: First Class
— by ADAM POYNTER — “X-Men: First Class” is a unique film that straddles the border between three genres; reboot, origins story and a re-imagining of the characters and the world in which they live. Going back to 1962, at the height of the Cold War, a young man named Charles Xavier ([...]
Under Review: ‘One Lucky Elephant’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “One Lucky Elephant” starts with Flora and her owner of 16 years, David Balding, walking down a sidewalk in St. Louis. Flora, an elephant, holds onto David’s hand with her trunk. Balding remarks, “I got Flora because I wanted an elephant for my circus.[...]
Review: Kung Fu Panda 2
— by ADAM POYNTER — Our favorite panda is back and ready to kick some skadoosh in “Kung Fu Panda 2.” Po (Jack Black) has been living the high life ever since he was chosen to be the Dragon Warrior. While continuing his training with Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), Po has been[...]