With last week’s high praise from Zac (read his review here), it’s time to give a second opinion on the film that is already getting Oscar buzz, Lincoln. [Read more...]
HST’s Best of 2011: Movies
It was a great year for films, here are some highlights from the writers of HST. [Sorry to blow you away with my expressive introduction, it's just my talent shining through] [Read more...]
Film Review: War Horse
War Horse is a beautiful and emotional look at war and the affect it has on just about everyone and everything around it. [Read more...]
Film Review: The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a wonderful action-adventure that allows director Steven Spielberg to unleash every action beat/camera move he has never been able to do with the freedom of motion capture. [Read more...]
Now Playing Review – Super 8
Those still plagued by their childhood fears of ET rejoice! Though J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 pays deep respect to Steven Spielberg’s beloved (by others) classic, we are now old enough to appreciate these films without cowering behind our blankets. And thank goodness because Super 8 is not one to be missed.
In a time where movie trailers are not shy about revealing key plot points, that for Super 8 refuses to ruin anything for the audience. However, if you still want to have a faint idea of the setup then I will say this: a small group of kids making a movie of their own are thrown into a creature feature greater than what they could have ever imagined after witnessing a train accident on the edge of town. As it derails in quite the distracting fashion, something far worse than stowaway hobos stealthily emerges from its train car to seek shelter in the nearby town. [Read more...]
Review: Super 8
Super 8 is a fun and fine looking homage to Spielberg, as is intended. But I can’t help but feel it could have been more given a bit better characterization and fully engaging some of its really interesting ideas surrounding the secret of the film.
There is no need to get into plot here because JJ Abrams doesn’t want us to. I for one appreciate that sentiment as I hate that I can’t comfortably watch TV spots or trailers anymore without seeing a bit/to way to much spoilery footage in them. The gist of the story is a group of kids, who are making a movie on their Super 8 camera, experience a train crash in which something covertly escapes and begins causing disturbances around town. That is all I am giving you.
And that is all you need to know. The mystery, surprise, and suspense the story throws at you is what makes the film fun and JJ Abrams is more than up for taking us for the ride. Like I said in the opening, the film has a lot of great ideas and I love a lot of them. The execution of some of these ideas fall short while others soar and I will hit on those that worked for me first. The train crash mentioned above is incredible and exhilarating and will go down as one of the set pieces of the summer. [Read more...]
Review: Paul
Paul is a love letter to Spielberg and Lucas of the 70’s and 80’s with more references than you can shake a stick at in what is basically a giant geek road comedy that will work for film nerds and regular folk alike.
Greg Mottola takes Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s script (they also star) and almost perfectly captures the tone and film they are going for. So much so that I don’t know how much better it could have been done if Frost and Pegg’s bud Edgar Wright had done it; that is high praise for Mottola. The film follows a pair of Brit’s, Graeme and Clive, who come to comic-con before setting off on a great American UFO road trip in their RV. When they witness a crash on the road, the pair goes to check it out only to discover an alien, Paul, who is on the run from authorities. Graeme, Clive passed out, reluctantly agrees to hit the road with Paul and the trio head off to try and get Paul back to his people.
The Decade's Best – Munich (2005)
Steven Spielberg’s – Munich (2005)
Steven Spielberg continued his successful run of historical period pieces with this spy/thriller of sorts following the Israeli reaction to 1972 Munich Olympic hostage massacre that not only captures the tension of assassination, but perfectly conveys the right vs. wrong of the Israel/Palestine conflict.
The film opens amid a flashback that we will re-visit throughout the film of the Palestinian terrorists group Black September infiltrating the Olympic housing and taking the Israeli athletes hostage. After following the press/public perspective of the event unfolding, leading up to the haunting line “There all gone,” on NBC’s broadcast. We next jump to a top secret meeting of Mossad in which lead by the Prime Minister of Isreal they compile a list of targets as part of retaliation and retribution of the terrorist attack. To lead this mission they recruit Avner, the son of a war hero and a former body guard of the Prime Minister. With the aid of four other specialized individuals, bombs, documents, clean up, and cars, he will eliminate the desired targets as all ties are cut from his connection to the government. Operating on cash out of a safety deposit box and names on a list Avner is at his own means to locate their targets and eliminate them. [Read more...]
The Decade's Best – Minority Report (2002)
Steven Spielberg’s – Minority Report (2002)
Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s story is a rare blend of sci-fi, social commentary, major effects, action, noir mystery, and fun that is a blast to try and figure out and experience.
Set in the not to distant future murder has been essentially eradicated in the Washington D.C. area do to a new agency called Precrime. Using three psychics who are capable of seeing heinous crimes in the future, Precrime is able to take their memories and investigate the crime before it happens and bring the offender to justice before they ever actually get to commit the crime. As Precrime is about to be voted on to be taken nationally, Precrime Chief John Anderton and his organization are under put under audit by Danny Witwer who represents the Department of Justice. Anderton, who lost his only son to kidnapping, unfortunately finds himself to psychotropic narcotics sold illegally on the streets and sits alone at home alone watching videos of his son and ex-wife as paranoia that Witwer is after his job and Precrime festers on his brain. The paranoia hits its apex when the next murder that comes across Precrime’s table is that of one Leo Crow and the murder is Anderton himself. Having to avoid arrest, Anderton is forced on the run from Precrime and goes on a search for answers as to why and how he was set up. The mystery slowly unfolds as Anderton takes drastic step after step to get the answers to his crime. [Read more...]
Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones returns to the screen in a mostly successful film and another solid addition to the franchise. Spielberg, Ford, and Lucas all collaborated and agreed on a film that they all wanted to make and the end product successfully evolves our hero with a little bit more ware and tear and a few more years added on but maintains that same awe and wonder of the character who ultimately is out to discover, adventure, and do good.
We open with Indy under capture by a group of Russians infiltrating Area 51 in the Nevada desert in 1957. Led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) she is looking for the remnants of a crash in Roswell a few years prior that will help the Russians unlock the ultimate weapon through a possible mind control plot. [Read more...]





















