Years ago when Captain Jack Sparrow was wondering where all the rum had gone, he probably would have never guessed that it was being stockpiled for another movie by the man filling his shoes. That traitor! Johnny Depp’s appropriately titled new film, The Rum Diary, has lots of rum, and not much else. [Read more...]
Film Review: The Rum Diary
10/27/2011 by Leave a Comment
Now Playing Review – Battle: Los Angeles
03/14/2011 by 2 Comments
With the impending doom of 2012 just around the corner every movie about an apocalypse is probably going to resonate a little more with me than it should. Don’t give me that look; I’m a slightly paranoid pessimist with an active imagination and an inability to resist watching movies involving such destruction… And though it doesn’t bring anything new story wise, Battle: Los Angeles does do enough to make it worth seeing among the countless other titles.
Though alien invasions are hardly anything new, Battle: LA decides to scale down an overwhelming, globe-spanning alien attack by sticking the camera within the action encountered by a small band of marines. Post the introductory bits to familiarize the viewer with the men they will be following, the film has no reason to cut between different groups once the chaos begins. There are no cuts to the president’s devastated face as he learns the news, no secret underground facilities ready to reveal the studies they have been conducting on these aliens for years, etc. [Read more...]
Review: 'Towelhead'
09/26/2008 by Leave a Comment
Alan Ball’s feature directing debut is an edgy and biting look at suburbia and the coming of age story of a young girl in this awkward and interesting environment.
Jasira is a Lebanese/White girl who lives with her mom in Syracuse, and after a shaving incident with her Mom’s boyfriend; she decides to ship her off to Texas to be with her father for awhile. Jasira’s father Rifat (Peter Macdissi) and her stand out a bit in suburban Texas and the hurdles they must overcome because of race are a plenty. To throw another curveball into the mix, Jasira is an extremely sexually interested thirteen years old and the conservative roots of her lineage that come out through her father are bound to create issue. Throw into the mix a sleazy neighbor with racist undertones that might be into Jasira and a watchdog neighbor couple that will do anything to keep Jasira away from him and any sort of trouble and you have a recipe for intrigue, comedy, and plenty of awkward experiences. [Read more...]
Review: The Dark Knight
07/18/2008 by Leave a Comment
Christopher Nolan returns with his follow up to Batman Begins and has crafted one of the finest comic book adaptations in film history.
Batman’s (Christian Bale) presence in Gotham is driving down crime, driving the Mob mad, and inspiring people like Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to make a tangible difference in the city. Enter The Joker (Heath Ledger), a psychotic madman, who gets off on anarchy, social distortion, and pure mayhem. He convinces the Mob to entrust him with the task of taking down the Batman and returning the status quo of criminal activity in Gotham to its once great order.
In the meantime, Bruce Wayne, Batman’s real life persona, is using his Wayne Enterprises to investigate a Chinese accountant who handles the mob’s money in an attempt to help bring down the Mob threat in Gotham with the assistance of Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) and his Charmin of the Board Locus Fox (Morgan Freeman). If his life was complicated enough, Wayne’s dream girl, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is dating Dent as Wayne struggles with his desire to support Dent and his cause while longing the fact that he longs for Rachel, with his alter ego of Batman getting in the way of them being together. [Read more...]
