Alan: Seven Psychopath’s brings up the question, “Who here is really sane?” Yeah, sure we might think that we’re completely normal human beings…but deep down, I think it’s safe to say that we are all just a little bit unhinged. We all have some thoughts that might seem crazy to some people, and to an extent that’s what Seven Psychopaths does best, let’s all of the crazy out. [Read more...]
Dissecting Sucker Punch
03/27/2011 by 1 Comment
As you have probably seen in our reviews of Sucker Punch, Lauren and I both quite like this film, but feel like it needs to be dissected further to get to its full worth. So that is why we are here partaking in a big spoiler filled discussion of Zack Snyder’s new film that will hopefully help you further appreciate the film as it has for us. It could also very well tear it down at the same time in this case, so without further ado let’s get into it.
!!!!!SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ARTICLE!!!!!
Now Playing Review – Sucker Punch
03/25/2011 by Leave a Comment
Sit tight kiddies, Lauren has got some rambling to do. Last year I got to sit through a bunch of amazing panels (and some lackluster ones too) at Comic-Con for upcoming movies during my camping session in Hall H, and one of the highlights was finally getting to see a trailer for Sucker Punch. In a nutshell, my mind exploded from overstimulation. During that gap of time between then and now my excitement continued to grow, eventually peaking at the “THIS BETTER BE AWESOME OR I’M GONNA DIE!” point. A little extreme, I’ll admit, but I was far from capable of controlling my excitement at this point, leaving little margin for error come time to watch it. Long story short: I set myself up for disappointment. Short story longer: once the movie was over I found myself frustrated at what was not achieved and I could not stop picking out the negatives that were pushing me deeper and deeper into my pit of despair. Well, that was last night. Tonight I am a little more level headed and I can honestly say that I have come to terms with a lot of my issues and have found my way back to liking the movie. Not loving it, but hey, I’ll still pat myself on the back for the progress I’ve made. [Read more...]
Review: Sucker Punch
03/25/2011 by Leave a Comment
Sucker Punch will have you wondering “why should I care” as you watch Zack Snyder’s beautiful film unfold, only to confound and confuse even further as it simultaneously saves the film from being narratively pointless in the end.
That above sentence doesn’t seem to be high praise, but the more I think and talk about this film the more I find myself liking it. The film follows a young girl, Baby Doll, as she is wrongfully committed to a female institution for the mentally insane. The film’s set up is fantastic and we are quickly thrust into Baby Doll’s fantasy world as she finds herself on the wrong end of a lobotomy. Now, I know that last bit sounds spoilery but we get to that point fifteen minutes in so don’t worry. In Baby Doll’s fantasy all the girls at the institution are still prisoners of their surroundings but instead are living in a gentlemen’s club/brothel of some sort. The girls in the fantasy world plot an attempt to get out of this prison and must retrieve four objects to do so. So where do all of those crazy action set pieces you keep seeing in the commercials come into play? Those would be Baby Doll’s fantasies, inside the existing fantasy, that she has when she and the girls (Sweet Pea, Blondie, Rocket, and Amber) are attempting to get the items they need for escape. That’s right, a dream within a dream.
Review: Limitless
03/18/2011 by Leave a Comment
Limitless is a visual interesting and fun movie to watch, but it feels quite thin on plot and message for such an interesting and cerebral subject matter.
Neil Burger’s film follows Eddie Morra who is a struggling writer, recently dumped by his girlfriend, and has no signs of forward growth anywhere in the near or distant future. When he bumps into his ex-wife’s brother they grab a drink and his ex-in-law gives him a pharmaceutical drug to try that isn’t quite on the market. Eddie takes the drug and his mind and motivation opens up to reveal his true potential. Wanting more, Eddie finds that having the drug gets him into a lot of sticky situations. His intellectual high and life will both come under risk in an attempt to posses it.
Review: Bright Star
11/20/2009 by Leave a Comment
The new Jane Campion film is a period love story where the two lovers are destined to never be together and while it can be a bit slow and overly dramatic at times the three main actors are in top form and are worth the price of admission.
Following the love affair of Fanny Brawne and poet John Keats the two’s tragic tale is different and almost unbelievable in today’s day and age. Fanny comes from a well to do family with Keats coming from a lesser background and carrying on as a poor and unsuccessful poet. The two don’t hit it off from the get go with Fanny not even being a big fan of literature or his work either. The two become acquainted when Keats moves in with the Brawne’s neighbor Mr. Brown as they work together and Brown helps Keats keep a roof over his head. The two houses share a wall and are connected by a door in the foyer, so the two sides spend a lot of time together. With Fanny being the Brawne’s of age daughter, they are looking for her to find a proper suitor, Keats’ lack of wealth is not what they are looking for and she finds herself being constantly advised against falling for him as they grow closer. [Read more...]
Review: Stop-Loss
04/21/2008 by Leave a Comment
Kimberly Peirce’s latest starts off with an exceptional bang, but quickly makes a turn for the worse and devolves into a meandering road film that fails to captivate us nor really care about the fate of these characters.
The film starts in Iraq where we get a quick credits sequence that effectively captures the life of these soldiers over there through pictures, hand held camera work, and production footage that is done effectively well then throws us quickly into the mess of action that can take place in the alleys and streets of Iraq. [Read more...]
Review: Elizabeth: The Golden Age
02/18/2008 by Leave a Comment
The follow up to the Oscar nominated film, Elizabeth, allows Cate Blanchett to get back into the role that made her famous and the result is a mixed bag.
Spain is threatening the rule of England and their way of life as the King Phillip of Spain uses the command of God and spread of Catholicism as an excuse to try and seize power in the Western world. Having bit at odds for sometime we come in on the action just as the tipping point tips and the wheels are put into motion to dethrone Elizabeth from her seat. [Read more...]
