2013 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
OSCARS
Best Adapted Screenplay
|
12 Years a Slave
Dir: Steve McQueen Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Lupita Nyong'o, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die A breathtaking, beautiful, gut-wrenching experience. This is a true story about Solomon Northup, a Northern free black man who is caught and taken south and enslaved. Everything works with this film and it doesn't fall into the "all white people are evil" idea that much of these black experience films do. It is well balanced, except for the arrival of Brad Pitt's christlike figure...that was a bit much. Otherwise it is fantastic. A- Bluray |
About Time
Dir: Richard Curtis Stars: Domhnall Gleason, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy What a magically wonderful movie About Time is. On its surface, and its advertisements, it is about a man whose male relatives have the ability to travel back in time by simply going into a dark place, clenching fists, and picturing the place and time. I thought this was going to be about a man trying to perfect his meet cute and romance with a girl. It has SOME of that...but this film is about so much more. Domhnall Gleason and his life is the sole focus of this film. His wife, his kids, his father, his sister...they all benefit and fall victim to his abilities. It is an adventure of the highest order that will keep the smiles stretching, the heart fluttering, and the tears flowing. A- |
A.C.O.D
Dir: Stuart Zicherman Stars: Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O'Hara, Amy Poehler, Jane Lynch The title stands for Adult Children of Divorce...and the film is filled with a lot of talented, funny people. Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O'Hara, Jane Lynch, Clark Duke, Amy Poehler...its pretty impressive. The problem with this movie, which certainly doesn't destroy it but it is a problem, is that it is not nearly as funny as one would expect. However, it has a good, interesting story to tell...and that saves it from complete mediocrity. But one can't help but feel this film is like a racehorse that can't get out of it's gate. This movie could have had it all...the laughs and the heartfelt messages and the drama...but it fell short of the laughs so it falls short of being a great film. B- |
Admission
Dir: Paul Weitz Stars: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd This movie just didn't work. The hijinks that a Princeton University admissions officer goes through with desperate parents and prospective students is ripe for comedy and I was on board with that stuff. Then Paul Rudd shows up with an odd but brilliant young man who may be a good candidate. Fine. Then the film takes a wild left-turn and it lost me. It injected weird, unnecessary melodrama and it pretty much ruined it. C+ |
After the Dark
Dir: John Huddles Stars: James D'Arcy I really liked this movie...but it falls apart at the end in a pretty drastic way. It is set up as a philosophical thought experiment for a group of international students by their teacher (D'Arcy). There are 20 students. The teacher assigns them all professions (and later personal details) and labels himself as the "wild card". Then sets up a scenario where it is the nuclear holocaust and the bunker they have can only hold 10 people. Who deserves a slot and who doesn't? The film cleverly shows them thinking through the exercise in the classroom and simultaneously living through the scenario in a real-life re-enactment. Then the 3rd iteration happens, throws out all of the greatness the film had been building, and shoehorns a crazy ending that was so unnecessary. What a shame...because I was totally on board for a good chunk of the film. B- |
OSCARS
Best Picture
Best Director Best Actor Best Actress Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress Best Original Screenplay Best Editing Best Production Design Best Costume Design |
American Hustle
Dir: David O. Russell Stars: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I may have missed the boat on this one. I flat out disliked this film, which wasn't interesting, wasn't exciting, and never seemed to be going ANYWHERE. It is full of con men, FBI agents, and Mafia-connected people, and I felt like the movie was just spinning around the room without being much of anything. It is almost intangible as to why I disliked it...I just don't get it. 10 Oscar nominations? Are you kidding me? It is as if critics are afraid to review David O. Russell poorly after his recent triumphs The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook. C- |
Americans in Bed
Dir: Phillipa Robinson The simplicity, honesty, and purity of this documentary is pretty remarkable. The premise is just this...a bunch of couples (every variation you can think of) lay in bed and talk about their relationship. Yep! That's it! No narration, no through-line, no statistics...just honest conversation. It may sound boring but it is anything but. Some couples show you the pure love that circulates through their life. Others show the shakiness and unpredictability of their romance. I cried, laughed, and never wanted it to end. B+ |
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Dir: Adam McKay Stars: Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Christina Applegate, Meagan Goode This shouldn't have worked. A sequel, probably 8-years too late, to a universally loved Will Ferrell comedy, was bound to disappoint and fail. It doesn't. The story brings Ron Burgundy into the 80s and the 24hr news cycle...and there is a plethora of laughs to be had. I especially like how his car chase footage pre-empted Christina Applegate's interview with Yasser Arafat. The call backs to the previous film, especially the brawl, really was fan service...but what else should it be? This is a nonsense comedy out to please. B |
Bad Milo
Dir: Jacob Vaughan Stars: Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, Patrick Warburton, Peter Stormare This movie isn't funny enough to be dark comedy and not gory enough to be funny horror. I know they were trying to go for a bit of Gremlins vibe...but it never gets much beyond a guy with really bad intestinal issues. Seriously...it is essentially a demon that lives in Ken Marino's colon that breaks loose to kill people. I like Marino and Stormare, but this just isn't good. D |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Actress
|
Blue Jasmine
Dir: Woody Allen Stars: Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Peter Sarsgaard, Louis C.K., Alden Ehrenreich Woody Allen movies really are a roller coaster ride. One minute you see Wonder Wheel where the actors just don't quite work but you appreciate it for its artistic beauty. Then you see Blue Jasmine, and he gives us one of his greatest characters in years...maybe decades. Not only does Blanchett knock her role (upper crust socialite who has fallen from grace and having a nervous breakdown living down here with us normal people) out of the park...but she is surrounded by a phenomenal cast who all bring their own excellence to the table. This one was refreshing, exciting, and typical Woody ....the best kind of Woody. B+ |
Carrie
Dir: Kimberly Pierce Stars: Chloe Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore If you are going to basically remake Brian DePalma's Carrie from 1976, you better offer something new or improve on it to make it worth while. Well...Kimberly Pierce is NOT Brian DePalma...and it is that simple. Moretz and Moore are perfectly fine...but there is no reason to watch this movie instead of the 1976 version. C+ |
The Conjuring
Dir: James Wan Stars: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor Now this is an effective horror film. The Insidious/ Conjuring/Annabelle wave has passed me by and I am trying to see what all the hubbub is. Well...it is SOLID. It's great to see this kind of horror movie where it doesn't rely on blood & gore and that usual, ridiculous trope where the wife begs her husband to believe her. These are desperate people in a frightening situation that they don't understand...and there could be a sense of gullibility and suspected charlatanism thrown into the mix...but James Wan resisted and made a movie that made chills go down my spine on SEVERAL occasions. I will say that I still kind of hate Lili Taylor. I don't find her a convincing actress in the least and she kept pulling me out of the film, but the rest of the cast and the marvelous direction kept me riveted othersie. B+ |
OSCARS
Best Animated Film
|
The Croods
Dir: Kirk De Micco & Chris Sanders Voices: Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman Just when I was thinking that it has been a while since Dreamworks Animation lived up to its previous brilliance. Well...they do with this film. The voice cast is superb, and every character is important and given the chance to shine. The story whereby an overprotective caveman father must bring his family across the dangerous wilderness after their cave is destroyed is perfect for comedy, adventure, and even romance. This movie just seemed to fire on all cylinders. B+ |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Actor
Best Supporting Actor |
Dallas Buyers Club
Dir: Jean-Marc Vallee Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die One might think this movie is just a stunt, where McConaughey just lost a lot of weight to earn an Oscar and Leto effectively dresses like a woman to earn his Oscar. It is so much more than that. The story about Ron Woodroof procuring and dispensing AIDS medication to fellow sufferers is important and fascinating. And the performances are worth every accolade they received. A- |
OSCARS
Best Animated Film
Best Original Song |
Despicable Me 2
Dir: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud Voices: Steve Carrell, Kristin Wiig, Russell Brand, Benjamin Bratt, Ken Jeong The first movie didn't jazz me...and the sequel is pretty obvious and run-of-the-mill. So Gru is now a good guy, and a new supervillain is on the horizon, so he is asked to get back in the game and play the hero. Whatever. I can't say it is bad, because there are some clever things and the minions are still damn funny...but It is almost interchangeable with the first film. B- |
Don Jon
Dir: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore JGL shows a lot of promise behind the camera with this film. It is about a great guy in nearly all aspects of his social and professional life who develops unrealistic expectations when it comes to sex, because it is addicted to porn. It's a solid premise and the use of Scarlett Johansson an initial sexual object of desire to respected possible relationship material worked. When Julianne Moore arrives, I really didn't like the direction it took at all. Still...its a bit different and well made...so that is refreshing. B- |
Drinking Buddies
Dir: Joe Swanberg Stars: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston I am going to have to watch some more of Joe Swanberg's films. His style is that there is no script. He just populates his films with talented people and gives them and outline of a scene and allows them to improvise. The result is a wonderful, engaging film about friends, more-than-friends, and relationships. Some of it is of course tropey...but it's freestyle approach to the material made it all feel so real. These are real people with real emotions. Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson, two co-workers and best friends, are fantastic together. This is one of those films that you wish was a series. Watching these people, an hour a week, navigate their lives with such fervor, would be quite entertaining. B+ |
Elysium
Dir: Neill Blomkamp Stars: Matt Damon, Sharlto Copley, Jodie Foster My hopes and expectations were through the roof for another Neill Blomkamp sci-fi actioner...because his District 9 was so wonderful. Well...Elysium isn't that bad, but it feels like almost a rehash and it isn't any better. Again, we are given futuristic class struggle injected into a near-future dystopia. District 9 involved visiting aliens. This movie involves the poor on Earth being left behind to wallow while the rich back in their riches on an elite space station. It's all heavy-handed and obvious, but there is a lot of money up on that screen. B- |
Escape From Tomorrow
Dir: Randy Moore When this movie was about to come out, it was obviously a gimmick. Some nobody filmed a bunch of stuff within the Disney Parks, made it black & white to be artsy, and churned out a very weird, David Lynchian exercise that doesn't make much sense. I found myself intrigued and praised the lofty ambition...but this really isn't much of anything. Disney didn't even sue them or complain, since they knew how nothing it was, and thus it fizzled into obscurity. C |
Escape Plan
Dir: Mikael Hafstrom Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Amy Ryan, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sam Neill Sure...putting Sly and Arnold in the same movie is already a gimmick. Then the premise of having Stallone's character be a security consultant who breaks out of prisons professionally...only to find himself thrown into the most advanced prison imaginable against his will...yeah...that's corny. But damn it if I didn't have fun with this. Sure...Sly and Arnold are too old to be doing this kind of thing...but that's kind of the point...this is all for fun. Caviezel is a swell villain and the supporting cast is absurdly well put-together. Its silly as hell but I was entertained and it kept throwing me for a few loops here and there. I guess I couldn't ask for a whole lot more. B |
Europa Report
Dir: Sebastian Cordero Stars: Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist Found-footage thrillers are a dime-a-dozen...but some of them actually work fairly well. This one is solid. It is about a bunch of astronauts on a mission to Europa, a moon of Jupiter, in search of life. The shuttle cameras and the spacesuit camera catch a bunch of odd things happening. It never goes for jump scares or gore, and it flirts with becoming boring, but the atmosphere is effectively tense and scary and it all works out to be a decent thriller. B |
Fast & Furious 6
Dir: Justin Lin Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Gal Gadot, Ludacris These movies get better and better. They are still a disaster when it comes to acting and writing, but by now, the franchise just doesn't care. The action is simply spectacular, albeit out-of-its-mind bonkers. I read on IMDB that the glorious finale where cars are chasing down a cargo plane, if done in real life, would have required a runway 18 miles long. That's how crazy this fun-ass movie is. B |
Frankenstein's Army
Dir: Richard Raaphorst This horror movie started off a bit stale. It's simply bunch of Russian soldiers patrolling the German countryside in the late parts of WWII...with a documentarian in tow. Small creepy things happen first, then more extreme things happen...and it is all pretty routine. Then it kicks into high gear when the soldiers enter a subterranean warehouse of sorts filled with B-movie nightmares. It is here that I fell in love. This thing is so ridiculous and creative that I was having a BLAST as these Doctor Whovian monstrosities lumber around and attack the soldiers. LOVED it. Not sure that "Frankenstein" was needed...but it provided a hell of a title. B |
OSCARS
Best Animated Film
Best Original Song Best Original Song
|
Frozen
Dir: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee Voices: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad I realize that I am not the target demographic for this film, but I was just now wowed by it. And I can be wowed by female-centric Disney fodder...I LOVED Tangled. I just feel like this entire thing was predictable and Olaf was irritating when he should have been funny and charming. I will not deny that "Let it Go" is an amazing song and given an amazing sequence...but I'm dumbfounded that this film basically took over the world when it comes to little girls. B- |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Director
Best Cinematography Best Visual Effects Best Sound Editing |
Gravity
Dir: Alfonso Cuaron Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Simply one of the most extraordinary technical marvels in the history of cinema. That isn't hyperbole. To witness what Alfonso Cuaron has achieved with this film is to witness a near impossibility. 100%...you as a viewer...feel like you are in space, and it is so believable and perfect that you feel sick to your stomach and your eyes begin to hurt because you are afraid to blink so as to not miss a second. Clooney's presence is a bit too corny and Bullock's performance is not MUCH else beyond heavy breathing and screaming, "No No No No No." If Cuaron somehow injected a bit of believable humanism into the story...he may have made one of the greatest films of all time. B+ |
Grudge Match
Dir: Peter Segal Stars: Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, Jon Bernthal What complete and utter garbage. This movie feels like a dare or a blackmail job. What the hell are these people trying to do. It is as if all these people got together, or had a gun to their head, and decided, "Let's make a movie that will prove we are way to old and that we aren't that Hollywood royalty we used to be." "Boxing? Great!" Everything about this movie is stupid and there isn't an ounce of creativity to be had. D- |
The Hangover Part III
Dir: Todd Phillips Stars: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis Not only is this premise tired and it has run its course. What's more...there isn't even the Hangover gimmick in this film. It's about kidnapping and ransoms and a whole bunch of nonsense that makes it feel like a movie out of a completely different franchise. Sure...some of the depravity will cause a smile to creep across my face now and then...but I am so over this stuff. Todd Phillips really needs to move on and Galifianakis needs to branch out from this personna. C |
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
Dir: Tommy Wirkola Stars: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare This is not a good movie...but it should be a LOT worse than it is. The premise is really stupid, but Renner and Arterton as the grown up Hans Christian Anderson characters bring a lot of charisma and gravitas to the movie and it has moments where it is a lot of fun. Of course there is a bunch of paranormal mythology that is really dumb and pointless...but the production design and direction is well done...so it barely keeps its head above water. C+ |
A Haunted House
Dir: Michael Tiddes Stars: Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, David Koechner, Nick Swardson Paranormal Activity is ripe for spoofing, and if you are a Marlon Wayans fan, as I am, then this will fit the bill. Sure...a lot of the jokes are really obvious...but Wayans and Atkins are so much fun in this film, you even laugh at their familiarity. You will have to be well versed in Paranomal Activity to really get all the jokes...but you will laugh, I promise. B- |
The Heat
Dir: Paul Feig Stars: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy There is a general rule with Melissa McCarthy movies...and yes, Bullock is in this film but it is definitely a McCarthy comedy...If McCarthy plays a capable woman...it is funny. If she plays obnoxious or an imbecile, it is garbage. Here...McCarthy is a bad ass, capable cop...so she is funny. Bullock is boring. Actually, the entire movie is a BIT boring, but McCarthy's performance makes it worth your while. B- |
OSCARS
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Her
Dir: Spike Jonze Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson I really didn't buy this movie. It is the near-future and a lonely introvert uploads a state-of-the-art operating system, with the sultry voice of Scarlett Johansson, and effectively falls in love with her/it, because he is so socially awkward that it is the only relationship he can handle. Meh. I didn't connect with him, and I couldn't connect with her, since she is a disembodied voice. Spike Jonze has done such infinitely better work with Adaptation and Being John Malkovich. This one really pales in comparison. C+ |
OSCARS
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing Best Visual Effects KEVIN'S PICK
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Best Sound Mixing |
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Dir: Peter Jackson Stars: Ian McKellan, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly Yeah, I know a lot of people don't like the Hobbit movies, and I agree that they don't live up to the original LOTR trilogy, but I still have a soft spot for this kind of stuff. The production design is still the best Hollywood has to offer, the music is still beautiful, and the universe building still makes Middle Earth one of the greatest places to visit at the Cinema. Sure...these movies are overproduced, but when Smaug rears his terrifying presence...I had an ear to ear grin and I didn't want it to end. A- Bluray |
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Dir: Francis Lawrence Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson Whenever these Hunger Games films are outside of the games themselves...it is a slog. We know Jennifer Lawrence can be great...but she seems bored and tired in a lot of these scenes. When the Quarter Quell begins and the fantastic arena kicks into high gear...it is a lot of fun. These movies are never great...but this is probably the high point. B Bluray |
Identity Thief
Dir: Seth Gordon Stars: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy I keep saying it, but when Melissa McCarthy is a bumbling bafoon...she is excruciatingly terrible. This movie is almost insultingly bad. It insists that what is happening on screen is funny...but it is just embarrassing. Putting aside that every joke and pratfall falls flat on its face, but the characters don't act like real people at all. He is an obnoxious felon that Bateman has effectively kidnapped in order to be able to retain his identity...and he leaves her home alone with his kids at one point. Fuck You movie. D- |
In a World...
Dir: Lake Bell Stars: Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Ken Marino The film references Don LaFontaine, the man behind the most famous movie trailer voice. Lake Bell is basically his daughter, and wants to break into the voice-over world...which is a boys club. I guess the film is just fine but it never really injects any importance or passion into the proceedings. When a movie fails that...when its characters are on the cusp of success or failure...you find yourself straining to care. C |
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Dir: Don Scardino Stars: Steve Carrell, Steve Buscemi, Jim Carrey, Olivia Wilde This is a totally harmless comedy, with a few good, clever bits, and a complete scene-stealing turn by Jim Carrey. Carrell and Buscemi are essentially Sigfried & Roy; washed-up magicians of the old guard. Their irrelevance and desperation are pretty funny but Carrell isn't quite up to carrying this film. But then there is Carrey, effectively playing Chris Angel...and every single second he is on screen is magnetic and hysterical. Also...that final trick is a delight in its absurdity. B |
OSCARS
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Mixing |
Inside Llewyn Davis
Dir: The Coen Brothers Stars: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Adam Driver, John Goodman 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die The Coen Brothers really have an uncanny ability to inject some sort of hypnotic pleasure into their movies, even when nothing really happens in them. This was a story about a 1960s folk singer who has no income, no love for his craft, got his friend's wife pregnant, and has no direction in his life. We follow him along as he tries to tackle a few of his problems here and there, and the direction, the cinematography, and the wonderful portrayal by Oscar Isaac really forces the viewer to crave more and more. It is like I was powerless and I could not dislike anything about it. I just can't put my finger on it but I could not get enough of this quest. I never wanted it to end...and it was all so simple. B+ |
The Internship
Dir: Shawn Levy Stars: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rose Byrne, Josh Gad So these two were successful in Wedding Crashers...and in Hollywood that means we have to pair them up again in a comedy to rake in more dough, regardless of what that comedy is about. Well...it doesn't work. They decided to make them interns at Google, and they walk around making fun of all the nerds and brainiacs...and it is just sad. They aren't funny, they aren't likable, and nothing in this movie is really worth your time. D+ |
OSCARS
Best Visual Effects
|
Iron Man 3
Dir: Shane Black Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Gwenyth Paltrow, Guy Pearce Ever since The Avengers, the Earth-based Marvel movies had an issue, and even though this movie addresses that issue, it is still an issue. When there are Asgardians using magic boxes to open portals to space so an intergalactic army can invade Manhattan...your anxiety issues and qualms with rival scientists seem so irrelevant. Be that as it may, this is about Tony Stark as Tony Stark, working through his phobias and anxieties that came on from the events in New York. It isn't until the finale that we get our Iron Man satiation....but it is still an MCU movie...and there is nothing done these days with more quality filmmaking. B Bluray |
It's a Disaster
Dir: Todd Berger Stars: David Cross, Julia Stiles, America Ferrera I like myself a bit of dinner party movies. When you crowd in a cast of characters in a small space, it forces the filmmakers to rely on acting and writing to provide a good movie. When it works...I really enjoy it. This is a solid film where 4 couples, all in various levels of dysfunction, are having a brunch...when a bunch of bombs or something goes off and the world is ending outside their door. Everyone reacts to this differently. Fear, indifference, paranoia, acceptance...and it is always funny, touching, or absurd. This could be a great stageplay too since it involves such limited storytelling. Also...external shots of the house kept getting funnier and funnier as the film progressed. You will definitely crack a good smile with this one. B |
Jack the Giant Slayer
Dir: Bryan Singer Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci, Ewan McGregor, Eddie Marsan, Ian McShane Just like John Carter in 2012, this movie doesn't deserve the vitriol it received and it again perfectly incapsulates how difficult it is to make a non-franchise or non-sequel movie a success. This is directed by a powerhouse director, has a great cast, and includes breathtaking special effects. I was entertained throughout the film and when it became the iconic disaster it did...I was thoroughly confused. B |
John Dies at the End
Dir: Don Coscarelli Stars: Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown I really don't know what to think of this film. I feel like it had WAY too many ideas about time travel, alternate universes, consciousness, and drug use so it never comes back to a coherent whole. The actors are fun and there are some pretty funny moments...but throughout the entire film...I kept wondering what it was about...and that didn't change once the credits rolled. C+ |
Kick Ass 2
Dir: Jeff Wadlow Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintze-Plasse, Jim Carrey It misses Matthew Vaughn, Hit Girl is a bit too old now to be cool, The Red Mist is now just a boring villain instead of a tempestuous son of a real villain, and Jim Carrey's Colonel Stars and Stripes is NO Nicholas Cage's Big Daddy. These are all pretty rough negatives but the story of every-day people trying to stand up for what is right, even if they are in way over their heads...is still a lot of fun. B- |
The Last Days on Mars
Dir: Ruairi Robinson Stars: Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Romola Garai I will always attempt these sci-fi thrillers that no one has ever heard about, especially when they somehow have a really good actor in it. But alas...a lot of times they really aren't worth it. In the titular situation, a bunch of scientists have discovered bacterial fossils on rocks on Mars. SWEET. Now lets throw protocol and safety to the wind. And then the shit hits the fan. This otherwise spooky, tense film devolves into what is essentially a zombie movie...with all the tropes and cliches one would expect. I tried. C |
The Last Stand
Dir: Kim Jee-Woon Stars: Arnold Schwartzenegger, Johnny Knoxville, Forest Whitaker, Jaimie Alexander, Rodrigo Santoro I love me some Kim Jee-Woon. He is a master Korean filmmaker that seems to work unbridled in his native land and language. Here, with The Last Stand, he was brought to Hollywood to show everyone what he can do. Well...he did it. The man can direct the HELL out of an action movie, and he has his patented bursts of ultra, R-Rated violence peppered throughout. The problem is that they saddled him with Arnie and Knoxville...who are so terrible that they effectively ruin the entire film. Compare the scenes with Forest Whittaker and Alexander/Santoro scenes with anything with Arnie and Knoxville in it. It is almost like this entire film is a practical joke. C+ |
OSCARS
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Best Visual Effects |
The Lone Ranger
Dir: Gore Verbinski Voices: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson Again, just like Jack the Giant Slayer above...this movie is infamous for being a colossal disaster...and I just. don't. get. it. Gore Verbinski is directing it with as much verve as the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and Armie Hammer certainly shows he has the chops to carry the film. Are people just sick of Johnny Depp's schticky performances? It has to be part of it, because this movie is a lot of fun and the climactic battle is GREAT stuff. Don't listen to the reputation this movie has. This is a good action movie. B |
The Lords of Salem
Dir: Rob Zombie Stars: Sheri Moon-Zombie Rob Zombie and his wife should not do subtle. He tried to do something a bit spookier and reserved with this film, where "The Lords" send a record to a rocker-chick DJ who then has flashbacks to past traumas, but his directorial hand is not delicate enough and his wife isn't talented enough an actress. Zombie excels with exploitative gore and bloodlust. That is his niche and this shows he can't pull it off when he exits said niche. It just spits out something that never feels like it gets going and is a bore...certainly compared to his other stuff. C+ |
Machete Kills
Dir: Robert Rodriguez Stars: Danny Trejo, Michelle Rodriguez, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson The fake Machete trailer during Grindhouse was great. The movie was silly but fun, and this sequel is atrocious. There is a severe difference between making a movie in a STYLE of bad Z-grade movies and then intentionally setting out to make a Z-grade movie. Machete was the former. Machete Kills is the latter and it is infinitely more irritating and stupid. Robert Rodriguez is a talented filmmaker and I praise him for trying different things than other filmmakers do...but this one was an enormous dud. D |
Mama
Dir: Andy Muschietti Stars: Jessica Chastain, Nickolaj Coster-Waldau Here is another one of those ghost stories that is definitely inspired by those Japanese horror movies like Ringu and The Grudge, and it is awful. A bunch of missing kids are found, and they are talking about some "Mama" character that no one knows. It turns out it is some horrific monster of an apparition, just like every other horror film like this. It is a real problem when Scary Movie V, a terrible movie in its own right, has exactly the amount of style and scares surrounding the Mama spoof as the original movie does. Jessica Chastain is so much better than this nonsense. D |
Man of Steel
Dir: Zack Snyder Stars: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane This movie is fine, but I am not a big Superman fan at all so I had extremely critical eyes on when I watched this. What I liked was the stuff on Krypton, the stuff in Smallville on the farm with Costner and Lane, and Michael Shannon was a pretty terrifying villain as General Zod. But...when Superman is in full display...I couldn't be more bored. I have so little interest in an alien that can do absolutely anything and is invicible. When the battle scenes commence and building after building are destroyed and tumbling...I got oversaturated and bored. Still...there is a decent balance of stuff I liked with stuff I could do without...so I give it a pass. B |
Monsters University
Dir: Dan Scanlon Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi I have said it before, that even the lesser Pixar films are better than a lot of others, but Monsters University is confusing as to why it was made. Monsters, Inc. is not one of the first Pixar films I think of when I think sequel...let alone prequel. Gone is the clever universe that they created where the factory floor is used to scare children into providing their city with power. What we get is essentially a G-rated Animal House staring monsters. The designs and animation are incredible of course, but you can't help but feel how unnecessary and forgotten this movie will ultimately become. B |
Movie 43
Dir: Everyone Stars: Everyone Else This is a comedy anthology film with a bunch of different skits in it. It surrounds a has-been filmmaker taking a film executive hostage and telling him about his idea. A FEW of the skits are funny, especially the Stephen Merchant/Halle Berry date one. Some of the skits are full-blown awful, like the blind date with Hugh Jackman having testicles on his chin. The funny BARELY outweighs the failures...so it barely passes my test. C+ |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actress Best Original Screenplay Best Original Score |
Mr. Nobody
Dir: Jaco Van Dormael Stars: Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Rhys Ifans, Juno Temple More of an experience and a meditation than a movie...and one of the most unique films I have ever watched. There are many, many layers to the story, with an aged man spouting a story about his youth, and those stories materializing as parrallel, alternate, are never quite clear. As a meditation, it really made me appreciate and contemplate the philosophy of choice and life. The tagline to the movie goes...if you never make a choice, anything is possible. That is true...and this movie shows how a choice such as staying with one's father or mother during a divorce can cause many different things to happen over one's life. I loved every solitary second of this film's long 141 minute runtime. Leto, Polley, Kruger....all excellent...but the writer/director is a marvel. This movie moved me, hurt me, and put me in almost an existentialist crisis of powerful proportions. There really is nothing else like it. A Bluray |
Now You See Me
Dir: Louis Letterier Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, Isla Fisher, Woody Warrelson, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman This is a flashy heist movie, but it tries to have it two ways and it doesn't quite measure up. The idea to have a group of 4 magicians out there doing Robin Hood-esque heists by using their advanced trickery is fine...but some of the things these magicians can do go way too far beyond sleight-of-hand and misdirection. It goes right to prestidigitation and fortune telling...and that makes it all a bit hokey. C+ |
Oblivion
Dir: Joseph Kosinski Stars: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman It really is a shame that I couldn't quite get into this sci-fi thriller, because the production design and visual effects are as top notch as they can be for this type of material. Tom Cruise is out and about in a post-apocalyptic world, providing tech support for a bunch of drones and machines. The human race seems to have left Earth and Cruise is one of the last people left behind to help make the planet inhabitable again. Until things aren't what they seem. You know how it is. It just never gets that clever or exciting. C+ |
Oldboy
Dir: Spike Lee Stars: Josh Brolin, Sharlto Copley, Elizabeth Olsen Back in 2003, Chan-Wook Park created one of the most incredible, psychological torture films I have ever seen. For some reason, Spike Lee thought he had the talent and know-how to remake this film for the American audience. In almost every respect it fails for the simple reason that it is so tame next to the original. The Hollywood machine does NOT have the stomach for the depravity Korean cinema does...and it is so obvious watching this film. There is literally no reason to see this film when a masterpiece is out there to be had. If that masterpiece did not exist, then sure...I guess this is ok. C- |
Olympus Has Fallen
Dir: Antoine Fuqua Stars: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Basset There is a single reason why this movie worked for me, and it is because it was a refreshing surprise. Antoine Fuqua made it rated R. You know why that is refreshing? Because in the infinitesimally small chance terrorists take over the White House the President is taken hostage, and there is a pissed-off, Secret Service agent making his way to his Commander-in-Chief...some VERY R-rated stuff is going to go on. That is why this movie is entertaining, because it has a SLIVER of believability...much more so than the Channing Tatum/Jamie Foxx version White House Down. B |
Open Grave
Dir: Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego Stars: Sharlto Copley, Thomas Kretschmann I love myself a good ol' Amnesia horror-thriller. The ones where everyone wakes up not knowing who they are, where they are, or what happened to them. This one is done a bit better than most but it doesn't quite know how to stick the landing. There are some good scares and Sharlto Copely does a fine job as our main focal-point amnesiac. I thought the explanation would be a bit more complicated and exciting and not just adhering to tropes of modern entertainment...but it was still a fun ride. B- |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design |
Oz, The Great and Powerful
Dir: Sam Raimi Stars: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz What a visual spectacle this film is. It is so beautiful and so mesmerizing that it is one of those movies you would not mind if it went on for hours and hours and sequel after sequel. Unfortunately, it didn't. The story about how the Wizard of Oz made it to the fantasy world and affected the hierarchy of the Witches of Oz is a rich mythos, and we are given a decent representation of that story. You will be guessing the whole time, whilst nearly drooling over the films beauty. I always mention Oscar travesties in these blurbs...no Visual Effects, Production Design, or Costume Design nods for this film is a damn TRAVESTY. B |
Pacific Rim
Dir: Guillermo del Toro Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi Guillermo del Toro always gets praised for his creativity, and rightfully so. The man has an imagination like no other. Unfortunately...sometimes that imagination and visual style is bogged down by stories that are just boring. Here we get a robot vs. monster movie, which I should be obsessed with on paper, that literally devolves into smashy-smashy and nothing else. Even when they try to inject SOME story into it, personified by the scientists, it is stupid, overly goofy, and unrealistic to the point of wondering why they even bothered. This is a videogame movie that is barely better, and sometimes no better, than the ridiculous Michael Bay Transformers stuff. C |
Pain & Gain
Dir: Michael Bay Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Mackie I am as surprised as you are. This is an action comedy made by Michael Bay...it has to be crap right? Well...it's not GREAT...but this could be a hell of a lot worse...and it really shows us that if Michael Bay would just step away from Transformers, he could probably make a few decent movies. A few muscle-heads want the American Dream, so they concoct a kidnapping/extortion scheme and things go from bad to worse. It is a Comedy of Errors scenario where everything that can go wrong, will. The thing is...this movie is funny where it needs to be and it is funny where it wants to be. I can't really asked for a lot more than that. B |
Planes
Dir: Klay Hall Voices: Dane Cook, Brad Garret, Stacy Keach I'll put it simply. I watched this with my young Nephew. It is essentially Cars but with Planes. Get it? More simply...there is a reason Pixar didn't bother with this childish nonsense of a cropdusting plane who wants to enter a global, ariel race. It is because it wasn't worth their time or effort. C+ |
The Purge
Dir: James DeMonaco Stars: Ethan Hawke, Lena Heady This movie INFURIATES me...because I love the premise so much and it fails to live by its own rules and treats us like idiots. For one night a year, all crime is legal, as a sociological way for people to get out their violent urges and avoid crime the other 364 days in the year. Fine. That can be intriguing and frightening. Then this movie tries to make us believe that the people in this universe would open the door to strangers during the 12-hour Purge window. And that the man who has been scamming his neighbors with shoddy security systems would use the same system in his OWN house. What these filmmakers do it completely ignore their premise and spoil the entire thing. I hate it. D- |
RED 2
Dir: Dean Parisot Stars: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Mary Louise-Parker, Karl Urban So a bunch of retired CIA agents are dangerous. We got that with the first film. Well...they are still dangerous, and the government still wants them all taken out for what they know and what they can do. This is a rehash of the first film in the worst way. Sure, they added a few cast members and the stakes are upped to a nuclear device...but it's basically the same movie. I bet you will not be able to differentiate the first from the second movie a week after you see them.. C+ |
R.I.P.D.
Dir: Robert Schwentke Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Mary Louise-Parker, Kevin Bacon It was about time another Men in Black movie came out...because that is exactly what this is. It involves a hidden law-enforement agency that is out to police the world in a way the common man doesn't know about. In MIB, it was aliens. In this movie, they are ghosts. I am one of the rare people who actually has a good time with this film, and it is probably because Ryan Reynolds can do action comedy in his sleep. It also has a handful of clever bits, especially how Bridges' avatar in the real world is a gorgeous blonde and Reynolds' is James Hong. That provides a lot of good stuff. Everything else is a bit by the book, but a lot of money was thrown at this thing and it kind of pulls it off. B- |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Documentary
|
Room 237
Dir: Rodney Ascher This documentary blew me away. It is obvious to me, and a lot of cinephiles, that Stanley Kubrick was an enigmatic master director who injects all sorts of messages and allegories into his films. The Shining was always one of his seemingly mainstream films, but this movie presents it as one of the most elaborate, puzzling, conspiracy theory films ever produced. I think 80% of this movie is bullshit...but it is presented in such thoughful, fascinating ways that it made my brain explode within my head. This touches everything from faking the moon landing to the genocide of Native Americans, and I have to admit that it is all compelling and believable. I honestly think this is all fabricated, with a FEW exceptions, but man oh man is it a fun ride. A |
OSCARS
Best Original Score
|
Saving Mr. Banks
Dir: John Lee Hancock Stars: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti Having Tom Hanks portray Walt Disney on screen is kind of a no brainer for providing cinematic pleasure. This story of P.L. Travers reminiscing about her life as Walt wants to buy the rights to make Mary Poppins, is sweet, saccharine, and pleasant in all the best ways. For the Disneyphile, it will be wall-to-wall smiles as the characters walk through the park and we meet the Sherman brothers. Just like with his The Blind Side, John Lee Hancock doesn't challenge his audience too much with his subject matter, but he makes easily palpable films. B |
Scary Movie V
Dir: Malcolm D. Lee Stars: Ashley Tisdale, Simon Rex We all know what this is. Is there any jokes left and any films left worth skewering? Kinda. Most of the focus in this film is Mama and Black Swan, and they certainly are ripe for spoofing. You will really miss Anna Faris, but Tisdale is fine. To talk about the merits of this movie is stupid. It's idiotic comedy that hits a couple more times than it misses...so it won't insult you too much. C+ |
Sharknado
Dir: Anthony Ferrante Stars: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid I can't really blame the SyFy network for this idea. There are a lot of garbage disaster/creature-feature movies out there. So to set out to purposefully make one of these bad movies isn't the worst idea ever. But...there is a tone to this movie that is trying to be bad that just doesn't quite work. Some of it is funny, for sure, mostly from ridiculous deaths and how terrible the special effects are, but this is a movie of its time and will be forgotten. The cameos and pop culture references are cringe-worthy...but I will say...Ziering does this right. Reid does not. C |
Somm
Dir: Jason Wise My favorite documentaries tell stories about subjects I am unfamiliar with, with infectious enthusiasm. Somm is one of these documentaries. It follows 4 wine aficiandos studying to become a Master Sommalier...one of the moist exclusive, most difficult tests in the world. Watching these 4 study, have their lives consumed, and attempt to become the best of the best in their field, is so interesting. Watching the final scenes, waiting to find out who was successful, was suspenseful and hearbreaking. If you are into wine...you will love this film. B+ |
Spring Breakers
Dir: Harmony Korine Stars: James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez I hated this piece of trash. Four college girls hold up a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation. While partying, drinking, and taking drugs, they are arrested, only to be bailed out by a drug and arms dealer. Fine. But this movie is nothing but exploitation. Look...a bunch of virginal young girls, scantily clad, being crazy. I fail to see the difference between this movie and a Girls Gone Wild video. Honestly. D- |
OSCARS
Best Visual Effects
|
Star Trek: Into Darkness
Dir: JJ Abrams Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho The first JJ Abrams Star Trek movie was a glorious piece of Science Fiction, so this movie could only disappoint. When it became obvious that the sequel was just Wrath of Kahn, my enthusiasn waned. Still...this is a perfectly servicable film, with great action, great characters, and JJ Abrams lens flares. It is everything you think it is, including the Kahn stuff, so that wonderful feeling of surprise that I had from the first film is gone. B |
This is the End
Dir: Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen Stars: Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride There really is no reason this movie should work at all. This is a movie where every modern comedy actor or actress is on screen, playing themselves, and then most of them die in the apocalypse, and these 6 famous actors are trying to survive in James Franco's house. Each one of them poke fun of themselves, portraying themselves as a caricature of what Hollywood has labelled them as (James Franco as a pretentious idiot, Danny McBride as an Asshole, Jonah Hill as a phony elitist). It all works...and the laughs keep coming. When the shit REALLY hits the fan...it is even exciting and a little frightening. When the climax comes and the music starts...you realize that the movie you just watched was a riotous good time. B+ Bluray |
Thor: The Dark World
Dir: Alan Taylor Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston The closest thing the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to a failure. This is mostly because the villain is boring and pointless, the aether is confusing and unclear, and the absence of any other Avengers in such a Universe threatening situation doesn't make sense. Still...The cast is outstanding, the production is top notch, and the music is still the best the MCU has to offer. It is certainly fun to revisit these characters, and it is nice that the stakes are bigger than the destruction of a small town in the Southwest...but there isn't much to really remember. B Bluray |
Trophy Kids
Dir: Chris Bell This is one of those great documentaries that touches on a subject that we all know, can all relate to, but uses such extreme examples that you almost feel bad for enjoying yourself so much. I grew up playing sports, and my father was always supportive and usefully critical...but he was NEVER as obnoxiously perfectionist as the parents in this film. To watch these horrible parents put such absurd, undue pressure on their kids to excel at sports is borderline horrifying. There is certainly something to be said for encouraging your children to excel...this is a level that is all together different. Chris Bell made a great sports documentary with Bigger, Stronger, Faster*. Now he is 2 for 2. B+ |
Turbo
Dir: David Soren Voices: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Maya Rudolph In lesser hands at a lesser studio, this story about a snail who is in a freak accident that allows him to race in the Indy 500 would have been dumb and corny. But Dreamworks Animation got behind it and Ryan Reynolds does a superb voiceover job...so even though it doesn't have the depth of Pixar or the best Dreamworks Animation films...but it is definitely fine. B- |
Upstream Color
Dir: Shane Carruth Shane Carruth is a talented, weird filmmaker. At least when he made his mesmerizing Primer, the viewer had SOME sort of grasp on the concept of time-travel and the paradoxes it can create...even if it was nearly impossible to explain exactly what happened in the movie. This film defies explanation. It was again mesmerizing, and he has advanced as a visual filmmaker, but it is so inaccessible that is causes confusion where it should be wonder. The psychotropic orchid-worm that allows utter control over the affected was cool enough, but then the film progresses to non-linear storytelling, poetic imagery, unexplained surgery, pig-farming, and ....lots of other stuff. I admit I was interested, but the vagueness was just so intense that I was ultimately unfulfilled. C |
V/H/S/2
Dir: Various Stars: Various Absolutely superb sequel to the horror anthology where every story is clever and terrifying. The through line is pointless yet again. Phase 1 Clinical Trials: Man gets a bionic eye implant and doesn't like what it causes him to see. Pretty terrifying glitches and Hardcore Harry feel. A Ride in the Park: So much fun. A man wearing a go-pro gets bitten by a zombie and becomes one. Great POV zombie tale. Safe Haven: A near-masterpiece. A film crew arrives on a death-cult compound. This will get your heart pounding as much as the best horror films. Slumber Party Alien Abduction: Exactly that. Very disorienting and simple...but no less scary. GREAT! B+ |
Warm Bodies
Dir: Jonathan Levine Stras: Nicholas Hoult, Theresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Rob Corddry The only way to describe this movie is Romeo & Juliet during a zombie apocalypse...or even better, a ZomRomCom That sounds hokey and stupid, but I have to admit it works. To work it had to get both the zombie stuff right and the romance stuff right. And it definitely does. It uses the clever device where the narrator is a zombie, and his brain is slipping away into the flesh-eating, mindless monster we know zombies are. The girl that seems to be keeping his deterioration at bay is the daughter of the man leading the zombie resistance. I like it. Zombie movies are all over the place...this one is unique and well done. B |
We're the Millers
Dir: Rawsom Marshall Thurber Stras: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter There are comedies every year that just decide they are funny because of the cast and the storyline, and the lack of effort to MAKE it funny is a bit obvious. The premise here is that a drug dealer hires a fake family to help him smuggle drugs in an RV. Literally that's it. A lot of the hijinks are broad and silly, but the movie does have enough laughs to get by...but still...it really didn't seem like they were trying very hard. When Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn show up...that is when the story and the laughs shine. B- Bluray |
White House Down
Dir: Roland Emmerich Stras: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal Scroll up and read my blurb about Olympus Has Fallen. These two movies are the same thing, and this one so obviously abandons its conceit in favor of better box office numbers. This is overblown and tame at the same time, and it makes the entire thing ridiculous. Olympus Has Fallen was gritty and honest to its vision. Watch that one...not this stupid thing. C |
OSCARS
Best Picture
Best Director Best Actor Best Supporting Actor Best Adapted Screenplay KEVIN'S PICK
Best Editing
|
The Wolf of Wall Street
Dir: Martin Scorsese Stras: Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill, Kyle Chandler 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #149 This is simply Scorsese-fare dialed up to 11. The extreme wealth, excess, and depravity on display here is more of the same of what we expect from Scorsese epics, but it is so over the top that it is magnetic. Anything Martin Scorsese does is almost assuredly going to be one of the best films of the year, and this is no different. The story of Jordan Belfort, how he got to the top of the world, and how it all came crashing down simultaneously endorses the excess while exhibiting its hubris. DiCaprio is his usual great self, Jonah Hill shows he is not just a goofy comic actor anymore, and Margot Robbie is an intense, beautiful revelation. B+ |
The Wolverine
Dir: James Mangold Stras: Hugh Jackman Most people consider X-Men Origins: Wolverine to be the worst X-Men film of the bunch. Well...It is certainly the silliest with the corniest mutants throughout...but this is definitely more boring. This film takes Logan to Japan, to do Japan things, and learn Japan culture...because he did that at some point in the comics. It comes across as pointless and irrelevant in the grander scheme of the X-Men universe. Literally....ignore that this movie exists and nothing changes about the franchise. That is a problem. C+ |
The World's End
Dir: Edgar Wright Stras: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike Wright, Pegg, and Frost skewered zombie flicks by making one of the best zombie flicks in years with Shaun of the Dead. Then they skewered buddy-cop action movies by making one of the best buddy-cop action movies in years with Hot Fuzz. Can lighting strike a third time as they try to skewer sci-fi thrillers? Not quite...but it is still a lot of fun. Pegg surprisingly stretches his acting chops here as a loser who peaked in High School who gets all his buddies together to go back to their home town and do the Golden Mile, which is drinking a pint at each of 12 pubs around town. But the town is a little off. Its funny and the action is great...but it doesn't seem to have that brilliant inspiration the other films had. B Bluray |
World War Z
Dir: Marc Forster Stras: Brad Pitt I will tell you where 100% of my B- rating for this film comes from. It doesn't come from the story...because the way Brad Pitt traipses around the world and so ridiculously efficient he is at getting answers as to what is happening with this zombie apocalypse is beyond far-fetched and stupid. 100% is how terrifying the zombies are. To watch thousands upon thousands of these mindless sprinting freaks scale walls and engulf buildings is the stuff of nightmares. I endured all the absurdity of Brad Pitt just to get to the zombies...and for that it is worth it. B- |
You're Next
Dir: Adam Wingard Stras: Brad Pitt This movie is trying to be The Strangers, and it is not. Masked killers are out to slaughter a bunch of people for no reason. SCARY. The difference here is that one of the victims seems to have a knack for fighting these intruders off. One has to think why this must be. It is so incredibly telegraphed that all the tension is sucked out of the film and this is just a mindless slasher hour. C- |