— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — The spoof genre is widely considered dead. It’s “death” marked by the emergence of films such as “Disaster Movie,” “Meet the Spartans” and “Scary Movie,” but Scott Sanders (who was originally an American novelist and essayist) digs up the[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Under Review: ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
— by JASON EAKEN — “Where the Wild Things Are” is like a sneak attack on the idea of a Hollywood blockbuster. From behind enemy lines. It is unconventional, unique, messy and decidedly itself. Its director’s two previous films were strange, independent comedies and he hasn’t made[...]
Under Review: ‘Law Abiding Citizen’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — Justice is a touchy subject and thus is prone to discussion, but unlike this summers “District 9,” which was a successful social commentary on the topic of discrimination, F. Gary Gray’s new film “Law Abiding Citizen” fails to deliver the same blend of [...]
Under Review: ‘Lord, Save Us From Your Followers’
— by JASON EAKEN — Dan Merchant’s new documentary, “Lord, Save Us From Your Followers,” is a timely film, both in its use of popular documentary film techniques and its approach to Christians. In a time when the loudest voice usually wins the day, here is a film that is surprisingl[...]
Under Review: ‘An Education’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — The new limited-release film “An Education” is a fresh coming-of-age film that is boosted by a powerhouse performance. That performance comes not from an Academy Award-winning actress, but from Carey Mulligan, a relative newcomer who stars as Jenny[...]
Under Review: ‘The Haunted Airman’
— by TOM ELCE — Shot before “Twilight” made Robert Pattinson an official pin-up for teenage girls, “The Haunted Airman” finds the man playing the titular airman, confined to a wheelchair and an eerie Wales hospital due to injuries incurred while serving the RAF[...]
Under Review: ‘Paranormal Activity’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — The unknown both scares us and fascinates us, and what is more unknown to human-beings then the existence of the afterlife? Well, the indie horror film “Paranormal Activity” uses our natural fears of the unknown against us and the result is a[...]
Under Review: ‘The Boys Are Back’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford once said: “I don’t care how poor a man is; if he has family, he’s rich.” That quote summarizes the idea around Clive Owen’s new film, “The Boys Are Back.” Directed by Scott Hicks — who also[...]
Under Review: ‘Couples Retreat’
— by ALEXA MILAN — With a cast including funny men Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Jason Bateman, I expected “Couples Retreat” to offer plenty of laughs. But as far as romantic comedies go, this one fell a little flat. The film focuses on four couples[...]
Under Review: ‘Superman / Batman: Public Enemies’
— by THOM HOFF — What do you get when you put a great story, well-defined characters, good voice acting, great composing and animation together? “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.” I have read the initial storyline from the Superman Batman comic series many times and thought i[...]
Under Review: ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’
— by ROB COX — Although he covers new ground in “Capitalism: A Love Story,” director Michael Moore falls short of the resonance of his best work. There are notable signs here that Moore may be running out of fresh ideas. Anyone familiar with his previous films will detect a f[...]
Under Review: ‘Zombieland’
— by FRANK MORITZ — Zombies, what are they? They are the living dead that want to eat the brains of humans. But what are they in the sense to movie history? They are probably the most famous sub-genre of horror (other than vampires), and a big cult genre. Zombies can be fun or[...]
Under Review: ‘Bright Star’
— by RACHEL COYNE — I’m a sucker for period dramas. I’ll find something charming in the stuffiest and most boring movies if you dress them up in an empire-waist gown and beplumed bonnet. That being said, while there are some truly lovely elements to “Bright Star,” there w[...]
Under Review: ‘A Serious Man’
— by MARIUSZ ZUBROWSKI — Have you ever had a bad day? Forgotten your house keys or had your wallet stolen? Well, Larry Gopnik can relate, but on a much bigger scale. His whole life is crumbling apart. Replace the house keys with marital problems and the stolen wallet with a lawyer[...]