Archive for the 'Movie Reviews' Category
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’
October 5th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
There is a reason why Taken 2 already stood a challenge of being a good movie. In 2008, the first taken arrived in theaters and became a smash hit for a very simple reason: Liam Neeson turned his genteel persona on its head. He became a determined father who would take down anyone in his way, when it came to getting his kidnapped daughter back. The film was not exactly original, but the confidence and tenacity seen in a respected man like Neeson made for an action film that could be taken a bit more seriously. Cut to 2012, Neeson has since become an action star at this point in his career and while revisiting Taken may seem like an obvious idea, it also does not lead down many more roads that haven’t been traveled already. It doesn’t help that the film’s choppy direction robs the action sequences or more delight, but the confidence of Neeson is not enough to give this film a pass either. Continue reading ‘Look Who’s ‘Taken’ Too’
October 5th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
It seems like The Paperboy should have enough to make it an entertaining, trashy thriller. It has all of the right ingredients, with several actors giving strong performances just for the sake of adding on to a film that does not even really need it. Yet, the plot is shapeless and lacks anything that resembles a sense of urgency. There is plenty of material present to make a story that is much more engaging, but the film instead putters out fairly inconsistently, not quite knowing what to stick with or know what works best. The Paperboy is a swamp noir that gets caught in the muck. Continue reading ‘‘The Paperboy’ Misses The Delivery’
October 4th, 2012 by Brian White
So Taken 2, huh? You think they could have came up with a “better” name like Taken Again, Retook, Taken Aback, Retake or whatever else you’re clever enough to come up with. But regardless, I’m just overjoyed to have Liam Neeson back in the 2008 bada$$ action role that redefined his career after Jedi Master Qui Gon Jin nearly did him in. I remember 2008’s Taken very fondly. I remember vacationing down in Mexico and seeing Taken’s name plastered around every theater down there. I had no idea what it was. It wasn’t until I came back to the States that one of my friends said I just watched the most amazing action movie that had me on the edge of my seat. When I asked him what movie he was referring to I nearly fell off my own rocker (literally speaking). Continue reading ‘It’s ‘Taken 2’ Long To Impress Me (Movie Review)’
October 3rd, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
This may be one of the more ironic results of the old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again,” when it comes to filmmaking. Back in 1984, director Tim Burton was fired from Disney for making a live-action short called Frankenweenie, which was deemed ‘too scary’ for children. Now, for whatever reason, whether it’s the change in regime at Disney since the 80s or because of Tim Burton’s higher standing in Hollywood, he has been able to revisit the story he developed and co-wrote and turn it into a feature-length, stop-animated feature for mass audiences to enjoy. The results are decent enough, as the film is entertaining and light, in a Burton-y sort of way, but confining the original idea to a shorter length may have been the best call in retrospect. Still, the film is certainly enjoyable and one of the better features from Burton in a while. Continue reading ‘‘Frankenweenie’ Is Brought To Life! (Via Stop-Animation)’
October 2nd, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Academy Award-winning film Finding Nemo returns to the big screen in thrilling Disney Digital 3D for the first time ever. Teeming with memorable comedic characters and heartfelt emotion, this stunning underwater adventure follows the momentous journey of an overprotective clown-fish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and his young son Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould)––who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef when Nemo is unexpectedly taken far from his ocean home to a fish tank in a dentist’s office. Buoyed by the companionship of Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish, Marlin embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic effort to rescue his son––who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home. Continue reading ‘Finding Nemo 3D (Movie Review)’
September 29th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I may be a guy, in his 20s, who writes about movies and Blu-rays, and plays video games, and would have seemingly no reason to want to see a film about competitive a capella groups, but I found the trailer to be slight, but enjoyable, and who can say no to a smile from Anna Kendrick? Pitch Perfect is pretty much what I expected; sometimes charming, sometimes incredibly formulaic, with a soundtrack that will be dated by the time the film leaves theaters, but it’s harmless. It has some fun performances and a neat a cappella battle scene that I wanted to see more of, but the standard plot bogs it down. Essentially, if you are a big fan of Bring it On, you will probably have plenty of fun with Pitch Perfect, so take that as you will. Continue reading ‘‘Pitch Perfect’ Is Aca-Okay’
September 29th, 2012 by Brian White
Although I’m a big Joseph Gordon-Levitt fan and who can deny the charisma of Bruce Willis, I gotta say…I wasn’t really looking forward to this one. The trailers looked intriguing, but they never completely sold it and hooked me in. But I thought…hey….why not? If the movie’s terrible, there’s always Emily Blunt to look at for 118 minutes. See…you gotta look for the good in EVERYTHING. At least in these economically deprived days. Times are tough. And without further ado or any more words from our commercial sponsors I am free to begin deconstructing the time travel plot of September 2012’s science fiction action film…Looper. Here goes nothing. Continue reading ‘Don’t Get Caught With Your Pants Down: Looper (Movie Review)’
September 28th, 2012 by David Freedman
Salim, Rachel and Liz get into the Halloween spirit with a review of this new animated comedy starring Adam Sandler. Starring Salim Lemelle, Rachel Appelbaum and Liz Manashil. Directed by Cullen Metcalf-Kelly.
Synopsis: Count Dracula runs a hotel for monsters with no humans allowed. But by accident, a human boy stumbles into their haven. As his daughter falls for the boy, the Count has more than he can handle.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Hotel Transylvania Movie Review – Just Seen It’
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’
