Serpico (1973)

Once again, I must hang my head in shame. All these years as a budding film enthusiast, this Al Pacino ‘classic’ just kept slipping me by. But alas…no longer. The gripping story of honest cop Serpico has now been witnessed. There is a reason that this flick is considered (by many) to be a classic […]

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

I knew virtually nothing about this strange, supernatural flick aside from it being based on a book by Ray Bradbury (who also penned the screenplay) and I believe THAT particular brand of ignorance, once again, worked in my (and the movies) favor. The first surprise I got was discovering that this spook show was the […]

Wrath of the Titans (2012)

When it comes to the original (remake) Clash of the TItans, I was largely indifferent to it. It had some cool visuals and ideas, but overall it felt a little bit undercooked and clumsy. But whatever…it’s fantasy. So when the inevitable sequel landed on the scene, I expected more of the same. Which is what […]

Man on a Ledge (2012)

I was skeptical about this little heist flick when I hit PLAY but damn it….it worked for me! Sure, it was far-fetched but at least it was cleverly far-fetched. The movie follows Sam Worthingtons disgraced-but-innocent fugitive ex-cop character as he uses the spectacle of his impending high-dive off the side of a hotel, in downtown […]

Outpost 2: Black Sun (2012)

When I first checked out the original Outpost (2008), I had VERY low expectations. That’s what happens when you discover that you drunkenly bought it, in the wee hours of the morn…from the local 7-11. Classy, I know. I fully expected a cheap, Direct-to-DVD (and deserving it) genre helping. Instead, what I got was a […]

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

I’d only paid marginal attention to this (sorta) haunted house flick when it popped onto the scene, due to the involvement of the (usually) great Guillermo Del Toro and Guy Pearce, who I always manage to find fascinating as an actor. As a story, this flick boils down to Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes (taking […]

Prometheus (2012)

So…after literally years of waiting and hoping that Sir Ridley Scott would return to the cinematic universe/genre that he helped define in 1979…I have now taken in that, which is Prometheus. Before I get into the meat of this review, I’ll say that Prometheus is a very GOOD sci-fi/horror…but unfortunately, NOT great. I’m a hardcore […]

Safe House (2012)

Somewhere along the way, The ‘Spy’ genre was nicely redefined and refitted into a grittier, more ‘believable’ phase. Safe House very capably does its part to continue that excellent trend. The film follows Ryan Reynolds as a low-level government operative tasked with the dull maintenance of a CIA ‘safe house’ in urban Capetown, South Africa. […]

Act of Valor (2012)

“Roger that, Blackbeard 6 Actual…we are Oscar Mike on the film review at this time! Over!” Eventually a piece of media would emerge that would blur the line between games and cinema…and I think that Act of Valor MAY be it. This military action flick is pure, undeniable ‘Rah Rah America’ but at least MOST […]

John Carter (2012)

Despite all the hoopla about this flick being a financial disaster on near ‘Howard the Duck’ scale proportions, it’s really not fair to allow that unfortunate element to brand this large-scale fantasy sci-fi as a BAD MOVIE. It’s not. It’s actually quite inventive and mostly fun. In fact, I’d wager that the lore of the […]