Archive for the 'Movie Reviews' Category
August 19th, 2012 by Sean Ferguson
Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he’s got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police – controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world – Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate. Continue reading ‘Total Recall (Movie Review)’
August 18th, 2012 by David Freedman
Is it as fun and entertaining as the first Expendables? Sean, Salim and Rachel weigh in on the action-star laden thriller! Starring Sean Wright, Salilm Lemelle, Rachel Appelbaum. Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: Mr. Church reunites the Expendables for what should be an easy paycheck. But the team is betrayed and one of their own is killed. Seeking revenge, they must fight their way out of hostile territory.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit Continue reading ‘The Expendables Two Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 18th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
The Expendables are back and older than ever, plus Liam Hemsworth! This action-packed sequel is silly and stupidly entertaining, but at least it delivers on what seemed to be promised in the first film. I was let down by the first film, due to its intent on striving for a fairly serious tone and boring me with its bland story in between its few action set pieces. This time around, Stallone and his crew have a much more go-for-broke attitude about things and they have plenty of fun while delving into one explosive action sequence after another. That said, the movie is all sorts of ugly (CG, locations, the quality in general), even as it pulses with all the energy ridiculous kills and cheesy one-liners have to offer. Make no mistake; this movie is exactly what it looks like, so take that as you will. Continue reading ‘‘The Expendables 2’: The Legend Of Van Damme’s Gold’
August 18th, 2012 by Brian White
ParaNorman was first introduced to me by a former co-worker whose family’s business (Peak Solutions LLC) just so happened to be directly involved in the production of this 3D stop-motion animated adventure film. How you say? Well they supplied/sold the many 3D rendering color printers the studio/production team used to create thousands of models that painstakingly captured every movement and conveyed every emotion in the character’s faces. Plus on top of that, the nightmarish subject matter and trailer for this one looked hella cool too. But we’ve all been there before. Cool trailers and crafty concepts don’t always necessarily mean its going to be good. So while we are gathered here today, let’s take a closer look at this one under my proverbial microscope. Continue reading ‘‘ParaNorman’ Raises the Dead And Puts Them To Sleep (Movie Review)’
August 17th, 2012 by David Freedman
Salim, Greg and Sean review this new comedy based on the popular British sitcom. Starring Salim Lemelle, Greg Karber, Sean Wright. Directed by Liz Manashil.
Synopsis: Based on the British sitcom, four teenage misfits flee their crazy lives in London for a vacation in Greece. There, they meet four British girls also on vacation and looking for fun. The boys try their best to win over the girls.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘The Inbetweeners Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 17th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
First and foremost, I should say that I really dug ParaNorman. The film has quietly stood as one of my most anticipated films of the year, as it fell into the realm of having so many different things that called out to wanting me to like it, and it completely delivered. A stop-motion animated zombie film that can appeal to all audiences, from the studio behind Coraline, is a film that easily has my interest and the fact that ParaNorman was able to match the kind of high expectations that I don’t like to have for films is quite rewarding. The film is great to look at, unique in its presentation, fun and exciting, as well as very funny, and not afraid to present some deeper themes and meaning behind a tale that could have simply been a kid’s zombie movie. Simply put, ParaNorman has all of its parts assembled incredibly well. Continue reading ‘‘ParaNorman’ Sees Dead People And The Film Delivers A Lively, Good Time’
August 16th, 2012 by David Freedman
Teresa, Aaron and Greg vote on whether this movie is worthy of a SEE IT! Watch our review and cast your ballot! Starring Teresa Lo (@TeresaLo_Tweets), Aaron Fink, Greg Karber. Directed by Sean Wright.
Synopsis: Incumbent Congressman Cam Brady makes a misstep that threatens his reelection. So two corrupt CEOs, wishing to control their district, select the bumbling Martin to run against Cam. But the politics turn dirty for both men.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘The Campaign Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 16th, 2012 by David Freedman
An unusual premise makes for an interesting and spirited review with Teresa, Rachel and Sean. Starring Teresa Lo (@TeresaLo_Tweets), Rachel Appelbaum and Sean Wright. Directed by Liz Manashil (@LizManashil).
Synopsis: Jim and Cindy are unable to have a baby of their own. So they bury a box in their backyard, containing all of their wishes for a dream child. But when Timothy emerges from the garden, they discover that they got more than they asked for.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit Continue reading ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 16th, 2012 by David Freedman
No movie this year has perplexed Sean, Liz and Salim the way this movie has done. Watch how they each interpret David Cronenberg’s newest morality play. Starring Salim Lemelle, Liz Manashil (@LizManashil) and Sean Wright. Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: Eric, a billionaire trader, hops in a limousine to go get a haircut. But a visit from the president causes a traffic nightmare, trapping Eric. Eric, believing his life is in danger, tries to escape the turmoil.
WATCH US ON PBS SOCAL Saturdays at 6PM or pbssocal.org/justseenit
Continue reading ‘Cosmopolis Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 16th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I guess I could have liked this film a little bit more were certain things handled differently. Falling somewhere in between Stranger Than Fiction and Weird Science, Ruby Sparks is a comedy-drama with a dash of the fantastical that involves a writer literally creating a dream girl out of his own typewritten words. The concept is fine, but various issues I had with the early portions of this film and its switch to more dramatic territory left me a little unsatisfied with it. It is a shame, because the film finds decent balance with being too quirky and acceptably charming, especially given the majority of its cast. Still, I was not quite taken with Calvin and his dream girl from Dayton, Ohio. Continue reading ‘‘Ruby Sparks’ A Little Too Much’
August 13th, 2012 by David Freedman
Greg, Liz and Salim have a ghoulishly good time reviewing this new stop-motion animated horror movie for kids of all ages. Starring Greg Karber(@GregKarber), Liz Manashil (@LizManashil) and Salim Lemelle. Directed by Sean Wright.
Synopsis: Norman is able to speak with the dead. But when his town comes under siege by Zombies, the once quiet Norman snaps into action. Along with some unlikely allies, Norman does battle against a ghoulish army.
Continue reading ‘Paranorman Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 13th, 2012 by David Freedman
Sean, Greg and Leah take a look at the remake of this 1990 thriller originally starring Arnold. But that movie took place on Mars and this one doesn’t! Check out what they have to say. Starring Greg Karber(@GregKarber), Leah Aldridge (@leeleereads), and Sean Wright. Directed by Amy Taylor.
Synopsis: Douglas is a factory worker in a post nuclear holocaust world. But when he goes to get memory implanted as part of a virtual vacation, something goes very wrong. Branded as a spy, Douglas runs for his life.
Continue reading ‘Total Recall Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 13th, 2012 by David Freedman
Leah, Sean and David discuss the romantic dramedy starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell. Find out if the script is worthy of the performances. Starring Leah Aldridge (@leeleereads), Sean Wright and David Freedman (@ShowRunnerDave). Directed by , Liz Manashil (@LizManashil). Synopsis: After 31 years together, Kay finds herself in a loveless marriage. So she forces Arnold to go see a famous therapist in hopes of saving their relationship. Together, they re-discover why they first fell in love.
Continue reading ‘Hope Springs Movie Review – Just Seen It’
August 13th, 2012 by David Freedman
Liz, Sean and David discuss the new and controversial documentary, Ballplayer: Pelotero with the co-director, Jon Paley. Jon discusses how this documentary evolved and why the commissioner for Major League Baseball took issue with it. Starring Jon Paley, Liz Manashil (@LizManashil), Sean Wright and David Freedman (@ShowRunnerDave.
Synopsis: This documentary follows two young baseball recruits from the Dominican Republic looking for their big break and a shot at the major leagues in the United States.
Continue reading ‘Interview with Jon Paley – Co-Director of Ballplayer Pelotero – Just Seen It’
August 11th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I remember hearing how The Bourne Identity was not an easy movie to make, with various production issues that caused the film to go over budget and be pushed back several months, before finally hitting theaters. Before that film became a success, it was also stated that a sequel seemed unlikely, due to the difficulty in making the first film, let alone not thinking it would be possible to match it. Three films later, ‘Bourne’ is a huge action franchise and now it is time to revisit that universe, but with a new lead actor. Unfortunately, despite the presence of Jeremy Renner and a solid supporting cast, The Bourne Legacy does not fully capitalize on the potential of this series. It instead finds trouble with balancing its story and action, while trying to keep it all interesting and lead into even more eventual films. The first Bourne had charm and worked as a standalone film, only to find success in its sequels. Legacy wants too much too early and suffers because of it. Continue reading ‘The ‘Bourne’ Renner’
August 9th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
For all the big budget, summer action/sci-fi/fantasy flicks that have recently come out, it is nice to also get the big budget, carefree comedy around this time of year as well. The Campaign is a silly comedy that revolves around Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as rivals in an election, where both men are in the running for Congressman. It is a fairly simple setup and the comedy is exclusively about having fun. I wish there was a little more in the way of political satire, especially since having the R-rating seemed to imply a bit more free reign; however, I got enough entertainment out of seeing these two stars acting as political rivals slinging mud at each other, with more and more ridiculous outcomes. Continue reading ‘‘The Campaign’ Is Sturdy Candidate’
August 8th, 2012 by Aaron Neuwirth
I am always really thrilled to want to recommend a documentary, when I find that it is truly fascinating and entertaining. There are some documentaries that I would only recommend to certain people, based on what I know about them, whether it be appreciation for these type of films or the subject matter that it is based around. The Imposter falls into the realm of other favorite documentaries of mine, such as Man on Wire and The King of Kong, as I think it is a film that can be enjoyed by an assortment of different people, because the story is so wild and takes so many turns throughout that one can help but be engaged. Given the event that it is based on and the style applied to this documentary, this is just as good as seeing this story adapted into a mainstream studio film. Continue reading ‘‘The Imposter’ Had Me Convinced’
August 4th, 2012 by Gerard Iribe
I normally don’t review theatrical features unless it’s warranted. Well, let’s just say that it’s warranted now. If you know me then you also know that I’m a horror fiend and that I hold the REC films close to my wretched heart. I consider REC and REC 2 two of the greatest horror films of all time. In fact, it’s because of the first REC film that I went region free in terms of Blu-rays and all. I have the Spanish import of that disc. I also have the Japanese import of the second film. When the filmmakers decided to expand on the REC mythology I was excited and nervous. The third entry into the successful franchise is entitled REC 3: Genesis, and as you can see, is the prequel. There will be a part four entitled REC 4: Apocalypse next year, which will end the series. For now, I will review part 3. Please keep in mind that the following review may or may not read like a rant, and will be spoiler filled, so if you haven’t seen the film (which is available on VOD through various outlets) then please skip my review, which is more of a cathartic piece than anything else. Continue reading ‘REC 3: Genesis (Movie Review)’
