Movie Reviews
Hey there. Looking for a fun filled family flick to catch with the family? Then look no further than Sony and Columbia Pictures latest animated film, Hotel Transylvania. I caught this film this weekend and I was pleasantly surprised by the plot and presentation of the film. Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg team up and lend their voices to this great story of parental love and a monster bash. So lets take a look at … Read more
The good and the bad about The Dark Knight Rises in this review by Joel Sawyer.
Have you forgiven Pixar yet for Cars 2? Perhaps a girl with red, untamed locks will help you change your mind. Brave is Pixar’s latest CG adventure to hit the big screen, and if you were disappointed by the studio’s 2011 poor vehicular outing, then consider this a peace offering. There is a caveat, however: You need to be patient at the beginning of the film; it’s not immediately apparent that you’re in for a … Read more
Things I learned watching Prometheus: A very good way to recover from invasive surgery and shock (with a stapled incision) is by running around. Running around a LOT! Relatively young Archaeologists are like the Swiss Army knife of exploration teams. They seem to have a working knowledge about…almost any other science put in front of them. The first explanation that pops into your head about something mysterious usually is right on. I admit, so … Read more
What I learned from Avengers: Why our National deficit is so high and where all the money is going (SHIELD Helicarrier, SHIELD secret weapons, SHIELD secret bases…there is little related to SHIELD in this movie that wouldn’t cost at least a few billion. G. I. Joe wishes they had this kind of operating budget). Bruce Banner’s unique problem can be quantified as a ‘condition’. Shawarma…gotta try it. Synopsis: (no real spoilers, you get all … Read more
What I learned from The Hunger Games: In film-making, it is perfectly logical to cut from one of the most touching, heartfelt scenes in a movie to one of the ugliest people in the cast for no specific reason. Wasps cannot feel the branch their hive is on vibrating and shaking from the branch being sawed through…or if they do, they don’t take it as a threat. At least, Tracker-jacker wasps can’t. Whatever role he takes, … Read more
Review of Dr. Seusses The Lorax in 3D which was an enjoyable family film if a little preachy about saving the trees.
Review of Hugo 3D which is a masterpiece film that captures the wonder of film making in the early 1900’s
Review of DVD Release of Thor (2011) and leading up to the Avengers 2012 movie.
Recently saw the CGI animation film titled The Smurfs and there are three things I learned about this movie: Homeless men in bright hats may be wizards in disguise (in New York only) Advertising agents are expected to come up with entirely new campaigns in two days. Gay cowboy film references are perfectly appropriate for a children’s movie. My first question: Where’s Puppy??? Synopsis: After another run-in with nemesis Gargamel the wizard, six Smurfs … Read more
[easyazon-link asin=”B0051ZG57Q”]The Gingerdead Man 3 “Saturday Night Cleaver”[/easyazon-link] is a comedy/horror film jointly written by William Butler and Muffy Bolding; and jointly directed by William Butler and Silvia St. Croix and stars Jacqui Holland (The UNsocialites), Robin Sydney (The Lost), Peter Stickles (Shortbus), and Kyle Morris (2012: Ice Age) in a film about a murderous gingerbread man who wreaks havoc at a roller-disco contest after traveling back in time to 1976. “Another One Bites the … Read more
[easyazon_image asin=”B004LWZW4C” alt=”X-Men: First Class (+Digital Copy) (Blu-ray)” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51OQD0PF%2BcL.jpg” align=”right” width=”375″ height=”500″] X-Men: First Class is an action/adventure film written by Ashley Miller, Jack Stentz, Jane Goldman, and Matthew Vaugh. The film stars James McAvoy (Wanted, The Last King of Scotland), Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds, 300), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, The Hunger Games (2012)), Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later, Get him to the Greek), and Kevin Bacon (Mystic River, Apollo 13) in a film about how … Read more
[easyazon_image asin=”B0051T484E” alt=”BKO: Bangkok Knockout” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cVP58hn8L.jpg” align=”right” width=”300″ height=”369″] BKO: Bangkok Knockout is a kick-ass, multi-combat action film directed and choreographed by Panna Pittikrai. His film credits include Ong-Bak and Chocolate. This film is about “Team Fight Club,” who quickly find out that an opportunity to get to go make movies Hollywood changes into a fight for their lives. BKO: Bangkok Knockout isn’t one of those films that are engaging for it’s incredible story. There simply … Read more
[easyazon_image asin=”B0051T47NQ” alt=”Trollhunter” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SCh6OZtwL.jpg” align=”right” width=”300″ height=”369″]Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren) is an adventure/comedy/fantasy directed by André Øverdal, and written by André Øverdal and Harvard S. Johansen. The film stars Otto Jespersen, Robert Stoltenberg, and Knut Nærum in a film where a group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear attacks, but learns that there are more dangerous “things” going on. “On October 13, 2008, Filmkameratene AS received an anonymous package with two hard discs containing 283 minutes … Read more
[easyazon_image asin=”B00511N76C” alt=”Better Off Dead (Blu-ray)” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51x99bbBwiL.jpg” align=”right” width=”300″ height=”412″] Better Off Dead (1985) is a teen comedy written and directed by Savage Steve Holland. It stars John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, and Kim Darby in a film about a teenager who has to deal with his girlfriend dumping him, family crises, homicidal paper boys, and a rival skier. Classic ’80s cinema has made the all important technological leap to Blu-ray disc. Better Off Dead is … Read more
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is a fitting swan song for a film and book series that has enchanted us for over a decade. Some of the spells cast during the spectacle fizzle at points but are followed up brilliantly by truly magic moments. There is no denying that the universe of Harry Potter is pictured with an extreme attention to detail – too much detail at times! In fact as much … Read more
[easyazon_image asin=”B0051MKNV8″ alt=”Limitless” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517xQEGpcRL.jpg” align=”right” width=”300″ height=”412″]Limitless (2011) is a film based on a novel by [easyazon-link asin=”0312428871″]Alan Glynn[/easyazon-link], the screenplay adapted by Leslie Dixon, and the film directed by Neil Burger. It stars Bradley Cooper ([easyazon-link asin=”B002Q4VBPQ”]The Hangover[/easyazon-link]), Robert De Niro ([easyazon-link asin=”B000P0J09M”]GoodFellas[/easyazon-link]), and Abbie Cornish ([easyazon-link asin=”B004EPYZU8″]Sucker Punch[/easyazon-link]) in a film about a starving writer who discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with superhuman abilities. How many of us want to know … Read more
[easyazon_image asin=”B004XFZ4JK” alt=”Season of the Witch” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519RqygpELL.jpg” align=”right” width=”300″ height=”369″]Season of the Witch (2011) is an action/adventure/fantasy film directed by Dominic Sena, written by Bragi F. Schut and stars Academy Award Winner Nicholas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), Ron Perlman (Hell Boy I & II film series), and Claire Foy (Going Postal, and The Promise TV Series) in a film about 14th-century knights transport a suspected witch to a monastery, where monks deduce her powers could be the … Read more
[easyazon_image asin=”B004XFZ3UU” alt=”Warrior’s Way” src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KFzbIciVL.jpg” align=”right” width=”300″ height=”369″]The Warrior’s Way (2010) is an action action/fantasy/western written and directed by Sngmoo Lee and stars Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns), Danny Huston (Clash of the Titans), and Dong-gun Jang (The Promise, Tae Tuk Gi) in a film about a warrior-assassin–forced to hide in a small town in the American Badlands after refusing a mission. “OK, you settle … Read more
A a brilliant indie film about a naive guy who has no idea what he is in for when he is sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.