Review: Act of Valor

Act of Valor is the movie that was marketed as employing active members of the U.S. military in lead roles.  I don’t know about you, but I found this a bit confusing when the movie made its theatrical run.  I wasn’t sure if it was a  pseudo documentary based on real-life ops, a gross example of gimmicky stunt casting, or a glorified infomercial for the U.S. Navy.  It turns out that the film was...

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Review: Argo

It’s been an interesting career for Ben Affleck – from Academy Award winning writer (Good Will Hunting) to popcorn action flick movie star (Armageddon) to tabloid whipping boy (his relationship with Jennifer Lopez and their movie Gigli).  Never much of an actor, when the doors to Hollywood shut down to Affleck, he reinvented himself as a director and a pretty good one at that (Gone Baby Gone, The Town).  So...

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November 2012 Movie Guide

NOVEMBER 2, 2012  FLIGHT Starring: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle Why You Should See It: Because at the very least, Denzel Washington always delivers an entertaining movie. Why You Should Avoid It: Because November is the time of the month when studios role out their Oscar contenders so this one may be long on rhetoric and short on action. And the Magic 8 Ball Says:  A complete toss up. THE MAN WITH...

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Review: The Raven

Back when John Cusack was doing pressers for The Raven, he lamented openly about how Hollywood doesn’t make real romantic comedies anymore.  While not all may agree with this sentiment, most would concur that gone are the days of Serendipity, America’s Sweethearts, and Say Anything in favor of a more risqué brand of relationship humor.  Having watched Cusack’s performance in The Raven, I now understand...

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Ten Movies to Watch for Halloween

Horror movies are hard to rank for a number of reasons.  The first is that most of them are not particularly good.  The second is that contrary to popular belief, the plots are diverse and everyone reacts to them in different ways.  Some people like raw suspense; others like cheap scares; while still others like gore or torture porn.  Of all the different movie genres, horror may be the most subjective within...

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Review: Sinister

I walked into Sinister expecting a run of the mill horror movie that is thin on wit and plot and long on eerie ghostly images, rapid cuts, and cheap scares.  What I found was a film that is the polar opposite.  When you get past the run-of-the-mill premise of a gothic demon-type Boogieman as an antagonist, the plot of the film unfolds like an investigation narrative as Ethan Hawke’s protagonist tries to piece together the circumstances...

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Review: Taken 2

When I look back at the first Taken, what made it great was that Liam Neeson’s grim no nonsense vibe really fit the character and he had enough physicality left in the tanks to back it up.  The result was a resurgence in his career that saw him recast as the kind of total bad ass one might imagine Jason Bourne would become during his AARP years.  In fact, Neeson’s perceived age enhanced both the role and the film as it legitimized...

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Review: Big Miracle

When people sit down to watch an action movie, they tend to have a certain set of expectations – fighting, chase scenes, pretty women, and gunplay.   Likewise, those who go the romantic comedy route probably expect to see weeping and/or laughter inducing elements involving Katherine Heigl, Dermott Mulroney, or a combination of the two.  And when it comes to movies like Big Miracle, the viewer can expect one thing and one...

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