Discussing Film, Music, TV, Books, Video Games and More
I vote for these, even if I didn’t get to see quite as much as I would like, but I felt pretty confident I wouldn’t change much come February when I write up my year end list. For now this will have to hold you over till then as to where I fall, and I will say I don’t agree with most of these picks; though many are close. [Read more...]
Alexander Payne returns from a seven year hiatus with the marvelous film, The Descendants, that is easily one of the best films of the year. [Read more...]
George Clooney’s latest directorial effort, The Ides of March, is sharp, timely, and impeccably executed by his actors and team behind the camera. [Read more...]
It’s very hard for me to get into anything involving politics: the news, debates, conversations, etc. Yes, I am one of those people. Just try to get me involved; I will give myself 5 minutes tops before the blank stare completely takes over my face as the droning noise of speech is washed away by thoughts of something more appealing to me, like food. Every once in a while I might throw out some thoughts on my moral standings, but it will be up to the other individual to connect it to the party in charge, the policies running the country, etc. I try, but I just wasn’t built for politics. [Read more...]
This week I apparently decided to go with slightly older creature features (also reading Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, which both stays in the same vain and explains why I have only gotten two movies in). Both films wear their age in similar ways; however, From Dusk Till Dawn rises above this in other ways by creating a fun B-Film, while The Thing fails to do the same. [Read more...]
The second feature effort from Anton Corbijn is almost as good as his first and is a quiet, deliberate, and sexy thriller lead by the great George Clooney.
Clooney stars as Jack/Edward, a hit man that is loosing his drive for the profession though is still as sharp as ever. After a too close for comfort encounter with some enemies he decides to get out but his boss sucks him in for one last job. Clooney doesn’t have to pull the trigger but is instead responsible for building the ammo and gun for a young female assassin’s next hit. While secluded in the countryside of Italy Clooney still can’t feel safe from the Sweds and is constantly looking over his back as he puts together the pieces needed for the assignment. Beyond the security threat, he also is coming to terms with his past and tries not to make the same mistakes moving forward.
David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen will be teaming up for a fourth time it seems, after their upcoming Sigmund Freud biopic shooting this year, and it will be for a sequel I am dying for, Eastern Promises 2. If you haven’t seen the first film stop reading, go out and see it, and come back and read this.
The film sets up perfectly, as you just saw when you watched the film, for a sequel and I can not wait to see how this story unfolds. The original is a crime classic and Viggo and Cronenberg are on fire when they have worked together. I hope the Freud film, The Talking Cure, lives up to Eastern Promises and A History of Violence and that no hitches show up and derail this film.
Deadline is reporting that Steve Knight’s script is finished and that Viggo and Mortensen are locked in, obviously, as well. This has rocketed to the top of my most anticipated films list. Check out the full story here.
Up in the Air is a painfully honest film that not only looks into the lives of our three main leads but will cause a number of viewers to reflect back on their own in these troubling times.
Jason Reitman adapts the novel by Walter Kim into a funny and sad tale that takes us all across the country and into the life, or lack there of, of Ryan Bingham; played wonderfully by George Clooney. Bingham’s home is the airport, or should we say, airports. Living his life almost literally in the skies as he flies from company to company around the country as he is hired to come in and make employees redundant. This job has made him numb to the world and unable to make any real connections to just about anyone. Bingham even gives seminars about how to detach yourself from the things that hold you back and possess you instead of possessing them. We see him doing his job, which he does well, and the company he works for sells their business as helping these employees look toward their future and helping them cope with this traumatic moment in their life. [Read more...]
Wes Anderson returns to the screen with a film that fits into his little world only this time with a bunch of talking animals from the wonderful fable by Roald Dahl.
Mr. Fox was always a daring individual, and stole live stock for a living before he met Mrs. Fox and was planning on having a child with her. He decided to settle down and became a writer for 12 fox years, but the itch of adventure and change in a mid-life crisis of sorts over took him and he put himself in a situation where he can become a thief again on the sly. Though this doesn’t go well and before he knows it his friends and family are at risk of the evil Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, his human neighbors whose product he has begun to steal.
This film continues the fantastic trend of animated and family entertainment this year that is suitable for all ages and able to be enjoyed, maybe more than the kids, by the parents. Anderson’s dialogue and character traits are all here, but I feel like this is his most accessible film to date to the general public. There are cute characters and action for the kids and witty humor and grown up issues for the adults, if it wasn’t for Up this would be the most broadly appealing film of the year. Anderson also does a nice job at creating actual tension and thrills through the adventure of the film and isn’t afraid to do some silly bits for humor’s sake as well.
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Grant Heslov’s feature debut is an inspired, weird, odd, and fun tale that has some wonderful origins that far surpass an aimless plot that occupies the other half of the film.
The plot surrounds a journalist, Bob Wilton, who is looking to maybe win his ex back by going to Iraq during the early stages of the second Iraq War to prove himself man enough to be her husband. Stranded in Kuwait without clearance to Iraq he runs into a supposed business man, Lyn Cassaday, whose name rings a bell from an old story Wilton did with a supposed para-soldier from an old army experiment back in the late seventies and eighties. The two head off to Iraq after Cassady volunteers his true nature to Wilton, quite easily, and they begin their adventure on a secret mission into the heart of Iraq. The film from here jumps between flashbacks of the origins and exploits of the paranormal soldier First Earth Battalion for the U.S. Army and Lyn and Bob’s trials and tribulation’s in Iraq. [Read more...]
The Coen Bros. latest is an exercise in pitch black humor and absurdity that, after a bit of adjustment, is a solid comedy with some great work by the actors involved.
Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) is a recently demoted CIA agent who decides quit and writes his memoirs instead. His wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton), is cheating on him with Harry (George Clooney), who is a Treasury agent that trolls the internet dating world for quick sex between, “getting a run in.” In Katie’s preparation to file for divorce, she makes a copy of Osborne’s files on his computer that in one way or another ends up in the hands of Hardbodies employees Linda (Frances McDormand) and Chad (Brad Pitt). Linda is looking for love, and hopes to increase her chances with some desired plastic surgery, while Chad is a dimwitted trainer who sees a potential for some money from this, “secret CIA shit,” that the two have stumbled upon. A large tangled web of intrigue (?) begins and a whole lot of people get themselves into a mess of trouble over the loss of this CD of Osborne’s. [Read more...]
George Clooney’s latest directorial effort is a pretty entertaining affair, if you know what to expect going in. And what should you expect you might ask? The movie is a throwback homage to the screwball comedies of yesteryear and does an excellent job of capturing the spirit and fun of those films.
Set in the 20′s where college football was king to pro football’s washed up game and presentation, George Clooney play’s a lifer of the league, Dodge Connelly, who attempts to revitalize the all but failed league by signing college super star and war hero Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) to play for the Duluth Bulldogs. [Read more...]
This is the kind of movie we need more of, intelligent thrillers, that keeps you guessing, constantly engages you in the picture, and doesn’t take the audiences knowledge for granted.
Tony Gilroy, writer of the Bourne movies, makes his directorial debut here and does a fantastic job and he made his job a lot easier by getting an amazing cast. George Clooney leads the way and is absolutely fantastic as the title character. [Read more...]
This poker mockumentary from Zak Penn is funny and excellent addition to this sub-genre of films that there needs to be more of. Woody Harrelson is the … (more...)
Lauren: If there’s one thing that overwhelmed my thought process while watching Man of Steel, it was this: “Batman couldn’t do … (more)
Before Midnight is another masterpiece in the Before Trilogy, only this time we really get to see these characters get into something real. … (more)
This Is the End is one of the few comedies to come out this summer and it does not disappoint. … (more)
When I am not feeling all that well I like to call my bathroom time “The Purge.” This film gave me no desire to change that. … (more)
The Internship is a safe and stereotypical comedy that's best moments are when it actually breaks away from that formula; not that it really matters. … (more)
Sarah Polley's Stories We Tell is a riveting documentary both through its story and by dissecting how we tell them. … (more)
Noah Baumbach's latest, Frances Ha, keeps him in the running for one of the best working directors while getting another stellar performance out of … (more)
It's been a while since we heard from the bros of Boulder came out with an album. But in the time since their latest effort came out, music has since … (more)
Hopefully by now, you would have some sort of opinion on post rock Icelandic band Sigur Ros. But with their latest release, the band is throwing fans … (more)
Love them or hate them, Vampire Weekend’s latest album Modern Vampires of the City is a must listen of 2013. … (more)
Allison Weiss latest effort Say What You Mean brings a punky charm to a rather plastic singer/songwriter scene. … (more)
Iron and Wine continues his road down the glossy, highly produced road with Ghost on Ghost. This time around, however, he knocks this album out of … (more)
As season 3 of Teen Wolf continues, it becomes clear that the werewolves are not the only dangerous creatures in town. … (more)
Did anyone else feel like they missed an episode between this week and the premiere? No matter, tonight we still have a great episode of Teen Wolf, … (more)
I don't know how they do it, but Game of Thrones keeps getting better as the seasons move forward. Even though it wasn't quite as exciting as last … (more)
MTV’s Teen Wolf comes back with a rather interesting start, definitely hitting the intrigue button for what the season has in store. Yet through … (more)
The story of The Kitchen House begins at its end – with a young woman and terrified child happening upon a lifeless body swinging from a high tree … (more)
Apparently, modern day witch hunts do exist. In case you haven’t heard the story of the West Memphis Three, now is your chance to read all about … (more)
Ross Matthews is right about one thing – any self-confidence he feels about his writing skills is without a doubt delusional. He’d have to be … (more)
Yes, this might possibly be (i.e., definitely is) yet another World War II book review that you by now have probably come to expect from me; but … (more)
Ken Levine deserves some kind of medal. First, he introduced us to the world of Rapture, where we would kindly roam the halls of a forgotten city … (more)
Plagued by delays and shortcomings, 2012 was an up-and-down year for video games. We saw triumphant returns to form, fantastic new IP's, and some … (more)
For future reference: when skydiving, be sure that your projected landing zone doesn’t happen to be an island full of evil pirates that are more … (more)