Review: Safe

I have never watched a movie that featured Jason Statham as the lead character, but I have noticed a common theme from the trailers.  They all seem to be long on action and short on story featuring fisticuffs, gunplay, and car chases galore.  To me Statham has always seemed like a cheap man’s Jean Claude Van Damme (Double Impact), which more or less sums up why I have stayed away from his...

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Review: The Possession

Keeping in line with my recent run of horror flicks, I decided to give The Possession starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan a look.  I have never been too keen on Morgan, who got his big break on Grey’s Anatomy.  His resume is littered with underwhelming films like Red Dawn, Watchmen, and The Losers and for some unknown reason, he has always come off as a cheap man’s Gerard Butler. Ouch!  So I had pretty low...

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Review: Here Comes the Boom

Zookeeper, The Dilemma, Grown Ups, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry – when you look at this lineup of movies, you realize (if you haven’t already) that there is absolutely no reason to ever believe that a Kevin James’ movie is going to be good.  Even blind faith has its limits.  Still, I really wanted to like Here Comes the Boom.  The trailers made...

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Review: Flight

My guess here is that Denzel Washington’s Flight will never be a part of any airline’s In Flight Entertainment package.  Not because the movie is terrible (it’s merits we will debate later), but because of the fantastically implausible crash scene that sets the film’s wheels in motion.  As for the substance of the film, it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing - a dark character piece initially disguised (or marketed)...

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February 2013 Movie Guide

FEBRUARY 1, 2013 WARM BODIES Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, John Malkovich Why You Should See It: Because it looks like a fun take on the Zombie genre with a little romantic comedy mixed in for good measure.Why You Should Avoid It: Because you don’t like zombies. And the Magic 8 Ball Says: Most likely a yes. BULLET TO THE HEAD Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Sarah...

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Review: The Apparition

I have been on a horror/suspense/thriller run lately with House at the End of the Street and Paranormal Activity 4 and most recently with The Apparition and I am sorry to say that the experience has been a rapid descent into cinematic futility, and this is coming from someone who likes horror movies.  I go into these films with diminished expectations.  I know the acting is going to be sub par and that most directors...

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Review: Django Unchained

Most people would agree that Quentin Tarantino is a creative individual.  Whether he is a good writer is a topic more up for debate.  To me, Django Unchained illustrates the dichotomy between that creativity and literary arts as the film is loaded with dynamic visuals and cinematic flair, but is often anchored by rudimentary logic and clunky dialogue.  The result is an entertaining movie that...

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Review: Paranormal Activity 4

The Paranormal Activity movies have been a rollercoaster ride for me – a very up and down experience with the first film as the high point, the second film the low point, and the third somewhere in between.  So I approached the fourth film in the franchise with no delusions and with what I thought were a realistic set of expectations.  There was sure to be a flimsy excuse for a house full of cameras, mediocre...

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Review: House at the End of the Street

Jennifer Lawrence is putting together a very nice resume – The Hunger Games, X-Men: First Class, Silver Linings Playbook.  It’s got a little bit of everything - a box office blockbuster, a genre film, and one that is critically acclaimed.  I don’t think it is a huge stretch to say that - barring a Lindsay Lohan-esque meltdown - Lawrence is well on her way to a healthy run as a successful actress.  I...

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Review: The Words

The Words is a movie that had a couple of really good things going for it – namely good looking people and some actors who can really act.  Those two things together usually make for a successful film as it has a little something for everyone; attention to the acting craft for cinema purists and eye candy for those whose movie interests are a bit more narcissistic.  Still, something went awry with this film that...

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