Since Batman: The Animated Series debuted way back when, I’ve been a big fan of DC Comics’ animation wing. They hit the bulls-eye almost every time. However, the first 5 or so minutes of Superman vs. The Elite had me nervous, but slowly, the flick laid all of those fears to waste.
Posted in comic book reviews, movie reviews
Tagged DC comics, Superman, Superman vs. The Elite, the elite dc comics
So… what do we have here? It’s talking fruit, that’s what! Oranges: Revenge of the Eggplant is a comedy/action-adventure by Red Letter Media that… well… it’s something, put it that way. Continue reading
After our first two episodes, I suddenly had a desire to mix it up and bring you a fully scripted skit that tells the story of what happens when two people disagree on a movie and things get out of hand. Why? Why not, I guess. I imagine everyone is going to see Iron Man 3 anyway, and I get the feeling that it’s not going to be the sort of film that merits a lot of discussion, so whatever – I decided we should just punch each other instead of talking. Continue reading
Posted in movie reviews, video
Tagged fake blood, fight scene, Iron Man, Iron Man 3, iron man 3 review, Mixers and Movie Reviews, movie reviews, movies
A scientist, a hunter, a punk rocker and a guy who turns into a gorilla when he gets mad are living in suburbia when alien’s show up to steal the scientist’s greatest invention and use it to destroy the earth – yeah, that’s Gorilla Interrupted for ya.
I always imagine these multi million dollar movie decisions playing out in boardroom meeting scenarios:
EXECUTIVE #1
Hey, we’re going to start this new action-fantasy franchise!
EXECUTIVE #2
Great, what’s it called?
EXECUTIVE #1
Jumper!
EXECUTIVE #3
As in a sweater?
EXECUTIVE #1
No, as in a person who can teleport – or jump - from one place to the next!
EXECUTIVE #2
That sounds really exciting!
EXECUTIVE #3
Really exciting!
EXECUTIVE #1
So who should we get to headline this new franchise?
EXECUTIVE #2
Hayden Christensen.
EXECUTIVE #3
Definitely Hayden Christensen!
EXECUTIVE #2
Obviously! The last time he headlined a franchise, it worked out so well!
So yeah, that’s what we’re dealing with here: Hayden Christensen starring in a movie that’s clearly supposed to be the first in a series of Jumper pics, but despite a strong showing at the box office, it’s been five years and still no Jumper 2: Double Dutch or whatever the sequel was going to be called. It’s just as well – the flick is nothing special.
Posted in movie reviews
Tagged Diane Lane, Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, jumper, Kristen Stewart, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. Jackson
Last night, Dr. Girlfriend and I hit the local theater to see an HD presentation of Star Trek The Next Generation: The Best of Both Worlds, which was a two parter end of season 3 cliff hanger and the first episode of season 4. It’s 20 years old and it’s new on Blu Ray, so I assume that if you like Star Trek, you’ve seen it, but to summarize, it’s kinda the Star Trek equivalent to Who Shot J.R.? Continue reading
42 does it’s best to tell the story of Jackie Robinson, and while all of it’s performances are wonderful, it comes up short in the story and character development department, which is nuts because… ya know, Jackie Robinson!
The movie gives us a glance at about three years in Robinson’s life: his last season with the Kansas City Monarchs, his year in the Brooklyn Dodger’s minor league system and his first season with the Dodgers proper. Continue reading
Green Screen Scene is a new movie review show that will premier in June (ish). I hate to tease anything that far off, but it’s about as definite as anything I have planned for the future and the set is ready and the first script is finished as well as a second episode planned, so I thought I’d let the cat out of the bag… Because seriously, who keeps cats in bags? Not me… So join me for Green Screen Scene this June!
Posted in movie reviews, video
Tagged coming soon, Green Screen Scene, movie reviews, tv show
I’ve got to be straight with you – I don’t care for Fran Drescher. It’s the voice, really… also, everything about her show, The Nanny, drives me nuts. I have a friend who hates her so much he created an entire parody pamphlet that centered around Drescher being they way she is because of her association with pirates… anyway, what I am saying is, I don’t care for Drescher, my friends don’t care for Drescher, and yet The Beautician and the Beast is… tolerable. Let’s go with tolerable.
This flick costars Timothy Dalton (Bond – James Bond!) during his weird “I’m playing non-British Europeans” phase and Lisa Jakub from Mrs. Doubtfire. The film is well cast, but either the script is not especially well written or the director didn’t know how to convey the passing of time, because this movie is awkward as hell. See, as human beings, we get to know each other over time and pick up the subtleties of who we are as people. That happens in this movie, but it happens seemingly between breakfast and lunch rather than over weeks or months. The movie has an uneven flow, but you can still enjoy it as it’s not the most complicated story in the world. And, if you like hammy romance, The Beautician and the Beast is right up your alley – it’s beyond predictable, but I’m giving it an extra half a point for not killing the chicken.
The Beautician and the Beast isn’t going to win any awards, but you can watch it without wanting to poke your eyes out or stuff your ears with cotton balls or something. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.
Chronicle might be the most predictable movie you’ll ever see, but it’s also kinda ballsy.
The trailer for Chronicle led me to believe that this was going to be the Jackass of comic book movies, but in the very first scene, it’s clear that this is not going to be the case. Honestly, how many super hero movies start with child abuse? (In fact, the movie borders on melodrama… like most good comic books do.) Still, even if the entire plot of the movie is telegraphed (outside of them finding… whatever… that does… whatever… to them… still no idea what happened in that scene), the movie really sticks to its guns via the rigid found footage format. It’s a bit convoluted – particularly when that second girl with the camera shows up – but I did like seeing the security camera footage, that sort of thing. The movie also has no score… or virtually no score. There’s certainly music in the party scenes (with which this movie is awash), but that might be it. It’s very stark, but it’s got a quality to it that’s admirable. It takes it self seriously, so the audience takes the movie seriously, even if they can see what’s coming a mile away.
Anyway, what Chronicle lacks in surprises is rectified with the movie’s huge balls. I give it a 7.5 out of 10 and I’d say that all comic book movie fans should check it out.
Posted in movie reviews
Tagged chronicle, movie reviews, movies, quick movie review
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those coming of age stories that feels right but has unfamiliar details. Maybe high schools really do have that Senior on Freshman beatings that come up in all the high school movies and I missed it in real life, but Perks still resonates with even the most stoic of viewers… unless you popular.
I really enjoyed the performances – that and the movies’ underlying tone are what make it so immersive. I’m only familiar with Emma Watson (who dropped at least two British colloquialisms but otherwise wielded a flawless American accent) and she’s brilliant here, but Logan Lerman carries the film with ease. Ezra Miller also makes wonderful contributions.
On the other hand, there’s a lot in this movie that just goes beyond my experience and/or understanding. Drugs just weren’t lying around like that in my high school – even in my senior year. And the aforementioned Senior on Freshman beatings were non-existent, as were the giant houses endless supply of money that just seemed to fall from the sky, but then, I guess the money and the big houses go hand in hand. I’m not exactly sure what Patrick meant when he said his life was an after school special, but maybe that’s because the only after school special I ever sat through from beginning to end was Stood Up. Dr. Girlfriend and I put our heads together and we just couldn’t decide what year this movie took place in. Maybe the early 90s? The hair was much too short for the 80s… The lack of cell phones and the presence of cassette tapes seemed to indicate it couldn’t be any later than the mid to late 90s, but the fashion didn’t seem to hold up on those dates very much. I guess the letters were written to a non-existent ‘friend’ because it was A) a way to show Charlie’s alienation B) the author thought having him writing the letters to his dead friend was too much C) a plot device. Anyway, the climax was interesting, but I’m not sure all of the pieces were there to support it.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower isn’t perfect, but it captures the right emotion and the performances carry the movie through. Check it out – I give Perks an 8.5 out of 10 – and thanks for reminding me of the worst time in my life, assholes! =)
They Live is a 1988 sci-fi flick with action elements starring Roddy Piper and Keith David and directed by John Carpenter. Unlike Carpenter’s Escape movies, this flick seems to take place in its contemporary time period and doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
They Live is a big concept, but could have been better developed, particularly from a character standpoint. Still, there’s a lot to enjoy, even if the pacing is a little slow and the characters aren’t especially interesting. The sun glasses point of view that shows the audience the black and white image that the characters are seeing is a great touch and is probably the most memorable thing about this flick – and it’s ballsy ending. I can’t say They Live is great, but it’s certainly fun and hits all those 80s movies buttons (for example, in the 80s, if your movie was going to get an R rating for language and violence, producers felt that they might as well go the full nine and stick a pair of boobs in there, which this movie squeezes into the very last scene), so it has a certain nostalgic value. I give They Live an 8 out of 10 – a solid B score for a solid B movie that’s worth checking out.
Posted in movie reviews
Tagged John Carpenter, Keith David, movie reviews, movies, quick movie review, Roddy Piper, sci fi, they live
Monsters Inc stars Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and features Cliff Clavin (John Ratzenberger, whatever) as the Abominable Snowman. And, much to my surprise, I enjoyed this movie.
I had my expectations dialed down for Monsters Inc because frankly, Pixar movies just don’t do it for me. Given that their most celebrated flicks are the Toy Story franchise and Finding Nemo, I was prepared for boredom. (To explain: I just didn’t care about any of the characters in Toy Story, and since the movie is all about their fate, this made the movie totally boring for me – as for Nemo, well – the movie is called Finding Nemo, so I was fairly certain how that flick would end. And, again, I just couldn’t get invested in the characters.) So we sat down and watched Monsters Inc and I was shocked! The story was clever! The characters were kinda interesting! Their problems were worth solving! The plot was compelling! The resolution was satisfying! I still can’t believe it! Pixar can make a good movie without Brad Bird!
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth checking out. It might be a little intense for the very little children, but this movie is generally fun for the entire family. I’ll give Monsters Inc a 8.5 out of 10, despite the fact that Pixar ripped off the premise from Nickelodeon’s Ah! Real Monsters!
Posted in movie reviews
Tagged monsters inc, movie reviews, movies, pixar, quick movie review
Barry Levinson’s 2001 film, Bandits, is not the easiest of movies to review without digging through the whole thing. It’s the kinda film that warrants a serious investigation because I’m sure it’s a bomb*, but it’s going to take me a while to figure out what kind of bomb it is.
*It should be noted that Dr. Girlfriend thinks this is a quality film, so take my opinion with a grain of salt as we’re usually not this far apart on movies.
Continue reading
Oh the 80s… If you’re too young (or living a fulfilling life) to remember, the 80s were a magical time when Rubik’s Cubes frustrated our minds, New Coke challenged our taste buds, and Dolly Parton’s gigantic rack coupled with her slender body and singing voice held a nation captive via film. The flicks that spring to mind starring Parton’s breasts and sound track include Nine to Five, The Best Little Whore House in All of Texas (that’s a real movie starring Parton and Burt Reynolds and not a porno – I swear) and then there’s Straight Talk, which couples the incredible chemistry of leading man James Woods (?) and Parton, who look… uhm… OK together, I guess.
Straight Talk is a by the numbers fish out of water comedy that takes zero chances and hits every beat you expect, but, it’s a tight ninety minutes. There might be one extraneous scene (where Parton calls back home to Arkansas for no real reason) and a poorly edited montage of Parton becoming a successful radio host, but that’s about it. Other than that, this movie runs like a Swiss clock, and the cinematography is way too good for this movie.
I wouldn’t say that is Straight Talk anything special, but it has a great nostalgic feel for the 80s and some interesting cameos/co-stars, so it’s worth checking out. I’ll give Straight Talk… hmm… let’s go 7.75 out of 10. Maybe it deserves an 8, but it is bland and predictable… it’s well-directed and photographed, but at the end of the day, I’m looking for a little bit more. Still, it’s worth watching if you’re presented with the opportunity, but I don’t recommend going out of your way to see it.
(So… she’s sitting on on a pumpkin in the poster because… it’s only a matter of time before they figure out she’s a fraud? I guess? And this rather reminds me of Cinderella, because… dress wasn’t real… although she had made a real dress… something something… pumpkin.)
Posted in movie reviews
Tagged dolly parton, james woods, movie reviews, movies, quick movie review, straight talk
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