Archive for the 'Movie Reviews' Category
October 25th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
For all the sequels and blockbuster we have gotten this year, an ambitious, high-budgeted, semi-independent film has certainly tried to push itself to the top as well. Cloud Atlas is one of the more unique films I have seen this year, as it not only swaps between six different storylines, but six different time periods, which range from the 1840s to way into the future. Add to that a handful of actors, all playing a variety of different roles and you can see why it is a very intriguing project, developed and directed by three talented filmmakers. Some flaws aside, I found Cloud Atlas to be incredibly well structured, given the complex nature of the story being told, and a wonderful work of art, after discounting the awkwardness of putting familiar actors in odd makeup. It will surely be divisive, but I was really into what co-directors Andy & Lana Wachowski and Tom Tykwer challenged themselves to make. Continue reading ‘‘Cloud Atlas’ Presents A Sextet Like No Other’
October 23rd, 2012 by David Freedman
Liz, Sean and Leah discuss the new Bob Zemeckis addiction drama starring Denzel Washington. Starring Liz Manashil, Sean Wright and Leah Aldridge. Directed by Sean Wright.
Synopsis: After his plane loses control, Whip saves his flight from crashing. Hailed as a hero, he is forced to confront his addictions. Going from hero to villain, Whip seeks to clear his name.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Flight Movie Review – Just Seen It’
October 22nd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Opening night of Screamfest 2012, I was able to see the new horror film, The Collection. Horror fans may not have too much trouble remembering The Collector, which came out back in 2009, but others may struggle when realizing that The Collection is actually a sequel to that film. Now The Collection is not really a film that solely depends on knowledge from the previous entry and similarly it is a different sort of beast from the first film. The Collector was very much a cat and mouse thriller, set inside a house, which happened to incorporate a lot of deadly traps, labeling the film as a part of the ‘torture porn’ horror sub-genre. The Collection may have a similar setup, but this time the majority of the action is placed inside the hideout of the collector, which turns the film into more of a funhouse of horror traps and grizzly images, flipping the series on its head. It may or may not be worth your time, but it’s a mean, lean, horror flick that is a fun enough ride. Continue reading ‘Screamfest 2012: The Collection (Movie Review)’
October 21st, 2012 by David Freedman
Sean, Salim and Liz review the epic drama from the Wachowski siblings about the transient nature of humans. Starring Liz Manashi, Sean Wright and Rachel Appelbaum. Directed by Sean Wright.
Synopsis: In this six story anthology, all the character’s lives are connected. Spanning centuries, they confront the challenges of being human. Freedom, corruption and creativity are all linked across the history of humankind.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit Continue reading ‘Cloud Atlas Movie Review – Just Seen It’
October 21st, 2012 by David Freedman
Liz, Sean and Rachel review this award winning Israeli documentary from Arnon Goldfinger about what happens when his grandparent’s secrets are revealed. Starring Liz Manashi, Sean Wright and Rachel Appelbaum. Directed by Sean Wright.
Synopsis: In this documentary from Arnon Goldfinger, he and his family clean out their grandmother’s apartment after she passes. But they discover letters from his grandparents that reveal a shocking past. Arnon tries to unravel the mystery of his family’s history.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘The Flat Movie Review – Just Seen It’
October 21st, 2012 by David Freedman
Aaron, Brenna and David review this visually stunning remake of the Tolstoy novel of passion and adultery. Starring Aaron Fink, Brenna Smith and David Freedman. Directed by Cullen Metcalf-Kelly.
Synopsis: Based on the Tolstoy novel, Anna Karenina is the story of a woman uninspired by her marriage and her life. But when a dashing officer seduces her, Anna finds she cannot resist his passion. Happy to be in love again, Anna is torn between her family, her lover and a disapproving society.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Anna Karenina Movie Review – Just Seen It’
October 21st, 2012 by David Freedman
Sean, Leah and Liz review this historical drama based on true events prior to World War Two.Starring Sean Wright, Leah Aldridge and Liz Manashil. Directed by Cullen Metcalf-Kelly.
Facing imminent war with Germany, the King and Queen of England pay a visit to FDR. The weekend grows more complex as the President considers American involvement in the war. FDR finds personal matters as challenging as world affairs.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit Continue reading ‘Hyde Park on Hudson Movie Review – Just Seen It’
October 20th, 2012 by David Freedman
Sean, Rachel and Liz review this thriller based on a true story from director Ben Affleck. Starring Sean Wright, Rachel Appelbaum and Liz Manashil. Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: Six Americans escape when militants take over the US embassy in Teheran. Taking refuge with the Canadian ambassador, if discovered, they will be executed. So CIA specialist Tony Mendez plans to rescue them by posing as a movie producer.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Argo Movie Review – Just Seen It’
October 19th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I can understand the ambivalence involved with caring about the fourth entry in a horror series, let alone one that has been churning out entries on a yearly basis. Paranormal Activity has been chugging along and providing yearly follow-ups that have been surprisingly effective for me. While the basic concept has not altered, I have admired the way these filmmakers have been able to find new tricks and creative ways to scare its audience. True, the structure of the films is simple and follows a formula that is only made distinct by the setting and characters involved, but I have enjoyed these films both for the tension they are able to create and the mythology that has come from it. This latest entry, unfortunately, does not so much raise the bar as it just sits in place. It forwards the story along, but in terms of creativity, does not quite pull off something that feels as ambitious. Still, for fans of the series and those who want a simple horror movie, Paranormal Activity 4 does provide that sort of fun experience audiences are expecting. Continue reading ‘‘Para4mal Activity’: The Voyage Home’
October 19th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
The Sessions is the kind of film that could easily be brushed aside, given the premise. You could boil it down to its basic parts: a crippled man meets someone new and overcomes some sort of adversity, and just think of it as plain Oscar bait. There is also the chance that someone could find the idea with a punchline set up pretty easily: A cripple, a catholic priest, and a sex surrogate walk into a bar, and so on. Fortunately, The Sessions does have more to offer, as it is a very likable film, with wonderful performances coming from all of the actors involved. It is still a movie ‘inspired by a true story’ and does follow the sort of plot structure that would be expected, but it gets by do to its strength in other areas. Continue reading ‘Take The Time And Enjoy ‘The Sessions’’
October 14th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Fox has already summed a lot of this up with their previous press release: Scale the cliffs of insanity, battle rodents of unusual size, face torture in the pit of despair, and join Princess Buttercup and Westley on their spell-binding journey to find true love with The Princess Bride 25th Anniversary Blu-ray. A classic fairy tale complete with heroes, villains, trickery, mockery and death-defying miracles, The Princess Bride captured audiences young and old with its brilliant, memorable dialogue, enchanting story line and bewitching characters. From celebrated director Rob Reiner and Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman comes “an enchanting fantasy” (Time) filled with adventure, romance and plenty of “good-hearted fun” (Roger Ebert). Featuring a spectacular cast that includes Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, and Billy Crystal, this wonderful fairy tale about a Princess named Buttercup and her beloved is “a real dream of a movie” (People). This new Blu-ray features plenty of extras, including an all new retrospective, anyone that hasn’t owned The Princess Bride already would do well to get it now. Continue reading ‘The Princess Bride: 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray Review)’
October 12th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Argo is a dynamite thriller that takes a story based on true events and makes it work as a high stakes suspense feature. Regardless of whatever facts may have been embellished or altered for the sake of the film, Argo works very well because it has a grounded sense of reality and a terrific cast, chock-full of character actors, all providing understated performances that do not attempt to overthrow the strength of the overall story. It also benefits from having a 70s-style handle on the type of thriller it is, positioning it well amongst other well-plotted old school films. Argo is about one thing, and it achieves that by working as a rock solid caper/rescue mission film, with some great direction from star Ben Affleck. Continue reading ‘Affleck’s ‘Argo’ Nails Nail-Biting Suspense’
October 12th, 2012 by Brian White
In all honesty, I never really was a big Ben Affleck fan. Sure there will always be my guilty pleasure of Daredevil with the late, great Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin and YES I loved him in his early masterpiece with Damon, Goodwill Hunting, but once he became known as “Bennifer,” I kind of lost interest…that was until The Town. Then I took notice. He had my full attention. Hey…this man really does still have talent. He took what would normally be your everyday bank robbing, mobster film and filled it with raw and visceral emotion, tension and conflict that kept me on the edge of my seat the throughout the feature’s extended runtime. And when I saw the trailer for his latest body of work, Argo, I thought out loud…this sh1t is bananas…B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Thankfully…I was right. Continue reading ‘‘Argo’ See This One (Movie Review)’
October 11th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
There is no way around this, so I am just going to get it out of the way now. One, I loved Seven Psychopaths and I believe it to be one of the best films of the year. Two, I can easily see how not everyone will love this movie the same way I do. The film is a hard R-rated, dark comedy that serves as both a humorous film about hitmen and a genre deconstruction that plays with the nature of self-awareness in film’s we expect certain outcomes from. It features great and funny dialogue, some over-the-top violence, while also providing some wonderful performances, and a story structure that is constantly evolving. The fact that the film knows what it is and calls attention to it will probably throw some people off of the track it has laid for itself, but I was completely on board with this crew of nutcases. Continue reading ‘A Snow White Shih Tzu And The ‘Seven Psychopaths’’
October 11th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
Sinister is exactly the kind of horror movie I like to see during the month of October. It may not be a future classic, but it is a film that delivers on providing an entertainingly scary experience in the theater and presumably at home. As opposed to being a remake or another entry in an old horror series, Sinister is a new horror film, with a concept that delivers. The atmosphere is consistently creepy, there is some slick direction to make it stand out, and Ethan Hawke gives a strong lead performance. While I don’t think the story quite delivers on what it sets up, the film, as a whole, is still frightening enough and fitting to be seen around the time of Halloween or whenever you need a good scare. Continue reading ‘Watch Where You Move, Or Things Will Get ‘Sinister’’
October 11th, 2012 by Brian White
Wow! What can I possibly say that fellow staffer Aaron Neuwirth is not going to mention in his extensive review of Seven Psychopaths? Well, for starters, this film is brilliant. Pull away the many layers and what you obviously have is a masterfully crafted screenplay by the film’s co-producer and director, Martin McDonagh. I guess it also doesn’t hurt that this dark, comedic film also stars the likes of Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken, Tom Waits, Olga Kurylenko and Abbie Cornish. And wow, I thought Sam Rockwell was crazy good in Iron Man 2, but his onscreen chemistry with Farrell and Walken takes the prize here. Seven Psychopaths won’t shatter any box office records this year, but it’s the closest appreciation I’ll have of a Tarantino Pulp Fiction like experience in the theater until of course Django Unchained comes out. Continue reading ‘And on the Seventh Day God Created ‘Seven Psychopaths’ (Movie Review)’
October 9th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I would say I had an enjoyable High School experience. I was no jock, but didn’t find myself huddled in a corner of the library either. I had my friends, got good grades, and ran track. Everyone experiences high school differently though and regardless of how good or bad, everyone surely experienced significant events that would go into shaping who they are. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a film that I think many people can find something about that they can relate to, as it has numerous situations that come with the territory when thinking about high school. It may focus on a specific set of characters that can each be seen as specific archetypes, but the film has enough charm and well-handled drama to make it resonate regardless. Continue reading ‘‘The Perks Of Being A Wallflower’ Can Be Quite Nice’
October 5th, 2012 by David Freedman
Liz, Sean and Aaron review the ‘re-animation’ of the Tim Burton short turned into a feature length stop-motion feature. Starring Liz Manashil, Sean Wright and Aaron Fink. Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: Victor and Sparky are the best of friends. When Sparky is hit by a car, Victor cannot cope with his grief. Victor uses his scientific wizardry to bring Sparky back from the dead.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit Continue reading ‘Frankenweenie Movie Review – Just Seen It’
For all the sequels and blockbuster we have gotten this year, an ambitious, high-budgeted, semi-independent film has certainly tried to push itself to the top as well. Cloud Atlas is one of the more unique films I have seen this year, as it not only swaps between six different storylines, but six different time periods, which range from the 1840s to way into the future. Add to that a handful of actors, all playing a variety of different roles and you can see why it is a very intriguing project, developed and directed by three talented filmmakers. Some flaws aside, I found Cloud Atlas to be incredibly well structured, given the complex nature of the story being told, and a wonderful work of art, after discounting the awkwardness of putting familiar actors in odd makeup. It will surely be divisive, but I was really into what co-directors Andy & Lana Wachowski and Tom Tykwer challenged themselves to make. Continue reading ‘‘Cloud Atlas’ Presents A Sextet Like No Other’
