— by JASON EAKEN — “Nature is Satan’s Church” — tagline from the film. It is a firmly held belief of mine that I would rather see a well-made movie I disagree with than a poorly made film that plays it safe. In some cosmic or telepathic way, Lars von Trier has[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Under Review: ‘Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire’
— by ALEXA MILAN — Every year when awards season rolls around, a little-movie-that-could seems to emerge. Last year it was “Slumdog Millionaire,” which barely anyone had heard of before it rose out of the Toronto International Film Festival to become the year’s best picture winner.[...]
Under Review: ‘Me and Orson Welles’
— by JASON EAKEN — Zac Efron and Orson Welles: if ever there was a more unlikely combination, for the life of me I cannot conjure it. Yet here they are in Richard Linklater’s “Me and Orson Welles,” a film whose sentimentally simplistic title indicates its own merits and demerits[...]
Under Review: ‘Ninja Assassin’
— by SEAN GERSKI — I suspect that there is a very good chance you will walk out of “Ninja Assassin” having watched the very movie you expected to see. If you are hoping to see a blood-and-guts, all-out ninja brawl that looks cool — well, this is that movie. However, if [...]
Under Review: ‘Broken Embraces’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — We’ve all heard about drama going on during the filming of the latest Hollywood hit. Anything from slurs being thrown about to fists flying, but no cast experienced the drama that the fictional film’s “Girls and Suitcases” cannot match. Be[...]
Under Review: ‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — Making a film like “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” requires a fearless determination, and luckily, director Werner Herzog has just that. His unorthodox portrayal of brilliance is presented in the lead character, Terrence McDonagh[...]
Under Review: ‘New Moon’
— by ALEXA MILAN — I have never seen a pop culture phenomenon as polarizing as “Twilight,” and based on the reviews for the second installment in the series, “New Moon” is no exception. Personally, I enjoy the “Twilight” books. Yes, they’re[...]
Under Review: ‘Planet 51’
— by JOEL CRARY — Compared to “Wall-E,” the Pixar animated film about a robot who journeys into outer space and finds out more about humanity’s place in the grand scheme of things, “Planet 51” is pretty inert. It’s a film about first contact[...]
Under Review: ‘Official Rejection’
— by SEAN GERSKI — I have a feeling that most of the people who come to this site have at one time in their life dreamed of actually making their own movie. You hear Kevin Smith’s incredibly unlikely tale and tell yourself, “I could do that.” You could max out the[...]
Under Review: ‘Fix’
— by RACHEL COYNE — I still find it amazing what some filmmakers can accomplish with a few dollars and a camera, while others have millions and a full crew and can barely scrape together a cohesive story. In “Fix,” director/co-star/cameraman/co-writer Tao Ruspoli truly pours his[...]
Under Review: ‘The Messenger’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — What do the films “2012,” “Zombieland” and “The Messenger” have in common? Yes, they all star Woody Harrelson, but they are also all apocalyptic films in one way or another. No, “The Messenger” does not portray[...]
Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — Wes Anderson has made a name for himself by directing films such as “The Darjeeling Unlimited” and “Bottle Rocket.” His brand of humor for the older demographic is his “whistle with the clicking noise,” but he plans to expand[...]
Under Review: ‘Pirate Radio’
— by ALEXA MILAN — The U.S. release of “Pirate Radio” has been delayed for months, and when it was finally released Nov. 13, it was dumped quietly at the beginning of awards season. So given its release date issues, I was worried the second film from director Richard[...]
Under Review: 2012
— by JOEL CRARY — Movies like “2012” make me miss Charlton Heston. That’s what this movie needs: a square-jawed, histrionic, tough son of a bitch with crazy mannerisms to lead everyone to safety. Instead, we get John Cusack playing a kind of wimpy divorcee and[...]