— by ADAM DALE — Known for such international hits such as “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Ponyo,” Studio Ghibli has teamed up with director Hiromasa Yonebayashi to bring another intriguing and visually-beautiful animated tale to the big screen with “The Secr[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Review: Elena (aka Елена)
— by BEV QUESTAD — This is the story of a marriage between a cold, penny-pinching Russian capitalist conservative and his working class wife. In “Elena,” a successful retired capitalist married the nurse he met while recovering in a hospital from appendicitis. He apparently married h[...]
Review: Safe House
— by ADAM DALE — Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds are no strangers to the action film genre, so what would happen if you put them together and pitted them against each other? Universal Pictures and director Daniel Espinosa are hoping this equals into big screen movie magic in the new [...]
Review: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
— by ADAM DALE — In Hollywood, the trend has gone from hoping for a sequel to a popular film to expecting it. This is the case with 2008’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth” — which starred Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson. We now have a follow-up[...]
Review: Where Do We Go Now?
— by BEV QUESTAD — A funeral stomp in the midst of the unrest in Lebanon sets the stage for this Middle Eastern musical comedy. The women, chanting, stomping and swaying in unison set the stage for the best solutions to conflict you’re ever going to see on film. Set in a traditional li[...]
Review: Bull Head (aka Rundskop)
— by BEV QUESTAD — The best thing about “Bull Head” is that it focuses on the hormone abuse in the meat industry. Yeah, that is the very best thing. The worst thing is that it picks a big infected scab open on man’s inhumanity to man. It’s about bullying — bullying on[...]
Review: Chronicle
— by ADAM DALE — Nearly every child dreams of having one super power or another when they are younger, whether it is super strength, the ability to fly or some form of extraordinary ability. Most stem from comic books, cartoons or some other inspirational place. What we fail to think abo[...]
Under Review: ‘Albert Nobbs’
— by ADAM DALE — “Albert Nobbs” is a story that takes place in the 19th century where Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) works as a butler in a Morrison’s Hotel. Intensely shy, he does his job and never draws attention to himself. The secret is that Albert isn’t a man at all, but[...]
Under Review: ‘Hipsters’ (aka ‘Stilyagi’)
— by BEV QUESTAD — For a swingin’ time take a trip into Moscow, 1955. Little did we know there was an underground movement in love with the music, food, fashion and finger snappin’ of American pop culture. Emulating idealized American free expression and individualism, this small[...]
Under Review: ‘Red Tails’
— by ADAM DALE — Over the years, there has been a never-ending slew of movies dedicated to wars and battles fought throughout history. While some choose to focus on specific people and others looked at the grander scheme, most have been about adversity and overcoming insurmountable odds.[...]
Under Review: ‘Underworld: Awakening’
— by ADAM DALE — After a six-year absence from the franchise, Kate Beckinsale returns as one of her best characters, Selene the vampire warrior, in “Underworld: Awakening.” With new directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein at the helm — along with[...]
Under Review: ‘Contraband’
— by LYNN TACKITT — Being a fan of action, adventure, drama, plots with a twist and Mark Wahlberg, I was looking forward to the actor’s latest movie. In “Contraband,” Wahlberg plays Chris Farraday, who has left behind his criminal past to raise a family. His brother-in-[...]
Review: Joyful Noise
— by ADAM DALE — In his third musical driven drama, director Todd Graff (“Camp,” “Bandslam”) returns to theaters with “Joyful Noise.” Full of some big names and upbeat gospel tunes “Joyful Noise” is the story of a small town church choir that is looking fo[...]