A few years back (or many years in the future, rather) something horrible happened and I had to go back in time to fix it, and my past self was being really antagonistic about it because she wanted to live her own life. What a selfish brat. Ok, not really, but that would make a great story… [Read more...]
Film Review: Looper
09/27/2012 by Leave a Comment
HST… Film Review: The Five-Year Engagement
04/26/2012 by Leave a Comment
Lauren: Having the tagline “from the producer of Bridesmaids” splashed all over the TV spots and poster is quite the stamp on a project. Well, maybe not the producer part, but definitely the word Bridesmaids. But don’t let the name-drop fool you; The Five-Year Engagement is quite a different beast from that non-stop laugh fest of comedic poo jokes and pre-wedding hijinks. Sure, there are pre-wedding problems here as well, but don’t go in ready to compare the two as this is more about the couple confronting life as their ride to the alter constantly finds more bumps to bottom out on. [Read more...]
For Your Renting Pleasure
09/19/2011 by Leave a Comment
And I am back with “For Your Renting Pleasure,” a supposed-to-be-weekly post that made it maybe 2 weeks tops before fizzling out. My bad. For those of you who don’t remember this is basically a compilation post of movies I watched that week of the non-new-release variety, whether they be rentals, watched through the Netflix instant queue, or what have you. This week we’ve got Last Night (2010), Wind Chill (2007), and The Good Guy (2009). [Read more...]
Now Playing Review – The Adjustment Bureau
03/08/2011 by Leave a Comment
With the success of a film like Inception last year that perfectly blends action and a thinking man’s story, it isn’t hard to fathom that many more films will attempt to beat this same path. At least a girl can dream. Though it is by no means as high concept, The Adjustment Bureau is yet another step in this direction that will further inspire more films like this to come. Or at least inspire people to bring back the fedora. It could go either way…
Keeping that in mind, The Adjustment Bureau is definitely a film in which the less you know going in the better. So here’s to keeping it vague: The story follows David Norris, a young politician running for senator. Along the way he meets Elise Sellas and the sparks fly instantly. However, even an instant and deep connection such as this can be tested by forces much greater. Vague enough? Good. [Read more...]
Suggestion Box (Sept. 27 – Oct. 3)
10/04/2010 by Leave a Comment
This week’s Suggestion Box has the trailer for Heartless, True Grit, Wild Target, and a second trailer for Paranormal Activity 2 and for Skyline. Also, we’ve got a trailer for the upcoming DLC for Read Dead Redemption (Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare). Clearly we are getting closer to Halloween with this selection.
Movies:
Heartless Trailer - Well this is pretty far from singing Beatles songs… Jim Sturgess makes a deal with the devil, or someone else with equally ominous deals to be made for a “better” life, in this film about the underworld creeping into ours. Nothing necessarily new, but I do love Sturgess as an actor and am intrigued to see how he does in this one.
A Delayed Response – Nine; The Young Victoria; Avatar: The Last Airbender (TV Series); Party Down
06/30/2010 by Leave a Comment
Hey guys! Lauren here with the news that I am going to be changing things up a bit on my end. The majority of the time I try to write a review for any movie that I am watching for the first time, but as I have been going on that has been getting a little taxing. I love movies, so the reviews keep piling up, and then there are so many that I can’t watch any new things for fear that I will forget what I had to say about one of the previous.
So here is the plan: From now on I will continue writing about the stuff that is most relevant. “What does that mean?” the voice in my head asks. “Well I will tell you voice” I respond. From now on I am going to write the usual length reviews for the films that are still in theatres, the films that have recently come out on DVD/bluray (within the last month). “But Lauren! I still want to know what you think about every other movie you watch for the first time!” Well, fear not voice, I will still be writing a little blurb for those, and they will be compiled into one post at the end of the week. Like this post here (“It’s the middle of the week!” “Shut up, voice!”). Oh! And I will still be continuing my posts for comics, books (yes, someday I will start doing those), video games, etc. I figured since I spend so much more time getting through one of the latter as opposed to sitting through a 2 hour film, they might just deserve a little more of a break down. But we will see when the time comes.
Here goes nothing! [Read more...]
Now Playing Review – The Wolfman
02/15/2010 by Leave a Comment
During the 1930s and 40s Universal studios was known for their monster films with such characters as Dracula and Frankenstein, and feeling the urge to pull from their repertoire, Universal chose to remake the 1941 film The Wolf Man. Unfortunately the excitement of these films during their time has worn off with the newer version, and instead we are left with a film that seems more restricted than inspired by the original, with a little added gore, special effects and relevant actors to snaz things up a bit.
The story for The Wolfman takes a different spin on this creature than the predecessor. This time around Lawrence returns home after receiving a letter from his brother’s fiancé Gwen, informing him that his brother has gone missing. When he finally arrives at the family estate his brother’s body has already been discovered in an extremely gruesome condition, comparable to many murders that have recently been occurring. While looking for who or what is responsible for these deaths, Lawrence is bitten by a fast, burly, and very violent creature (let’s face it, you know what it is). Insert full moon here (I am doing you a favor by skipping ahead because there is way too much empty film to fill in the time between major events). Now Lawrence must deal with what he has become and the suspicions being lobbed on him by the townspeople and law enforcement. [Read more...]
Review: The Wolfman
02/12/2010 by Leave a Comment
The Wolfman took a long and rough road to the screen and the results are a rather poor to mixed affair that lacks direction, plot, and quality acting from a talented group of filmmakers.
The film follows the return home of one, Lawrence Talbot, who is summoned back to his family’s estate after learning of the disappearance of his brother from his fiancée Gwen. Upon Lawrence’s arrival, his estranged father, Sir John, informs Lawrence that they have just found his brother’s body in a ditch, badly mutilated, making him the most recent victim in a series of vicious murders in and around the town. The rumors begin to murmur among the folk and their reasons point to recently arrived gypsies’ dancing bear to long forgotten monsters of lore now returning to terrorize the town. Lawrence sends off Gwen and promises to find out what did this to her fiancé and his brother and his investigation leads him to the rumored gypsy camp that has caused all of these problems. [Read more...]
Review: The Young Victoria
01/29/2010 by Leave a Comment
The Young Victoria continues the trend of successful royalty based period films that feel fresh and cotemporary and historically intact all the same and it is all grounded by a great turn by Emily Blunt as the title character.
The film opens as a political battle of posturing and manipulation surrounds the British thrown as the only heir is in fact and heiress and not of age. Victoria’s mother is being controlled by Sir John who hopes to be the puppet master to Victoria’s crown if and when King William passes on. Victoria though is resilient and will not relinquish her rights as Queen to a Regent (Sir John) and the deadline to her eighteenth birthday becomes on the minds of everyone that hopes to avoid John’s play including Lord Melbourne who lends his aid to the future and her policy making and maybe hopes to be a possible suitor. In league with Sir John is King Leopold of Belgium who hopes to gain influence and alliance with Britain and he sends his sons, and Victoria’s maternal cousins, to swoon her into possibly becoming a suitor for her. Albert and Victoria begin to form a fruitful friendship and political tensions reach a fever pitch as William grows weak and Victoria has yet to become of age. [Read more...]
Review: Sunshine Cleaning
04/10/2009 by Leave a Comment
This indie comedy has a few really bright moments and is never dulls, but fails to take full advantage of its interesting premise, but still manages to be an intriguing character study.
Rose is a single mother living paycheck to paycheck working for maid service company as she works toward getting her real estate license. Norah is her kind of a loser sister who lives at home, goes out and parties, and gets fired from her job and doesn’t really care. When Rose gets a bit of a wake up call from a high school friend she runs into while cleaning her house, she decides she needs to do something more with her life. Enter Rose’s adulteress lover, Mac, which she meets at the local motel when she should be preparing for her real estate license. Mac is a cop and an ex-high school sweetheart of Rose, but he went off and married someone else from there class. Anyways, Mac tells Rose that she should put her cleaning skills to better use by cleaning up crime scenes and recently deceased homes, where she can apparently make a killing (no pun intended). Rose, at the request of her father, drafts Norah to help out with the cleaning service and the two begin to steal business from the local regulars. [Read more...]
Review: Charlie Wilson's War
12/27/2007 by Leave a Comment
Mike Nichols new film is a great piece of history through film with a story that few people probably have heard of or know much about in the first place.
Tom Hanks stars as the title character; a congressman from a small district in Texas that you would think didn’t have much power, but has a direct impact on the outcome of the cold war. [Read more...]
