Captain Phillips (2013)

I can’t help but to think that Tom Hanks has easily proven himself now as one of the most diverse and interesting actors around. This ‘based on a true story’ drama is just another ‘notch in the belt’; further evidence of his skill and conviction to bringing his characters to effective life. He’s terrific here, […]

This is The End (2013)

Damn…even as I write this…I’m still chuckling. This celebrity-stoner fever dream is hilarious, pretty much from beginning to end. At least…I think so. Co-written and co-directed by Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express), this is one of the slickest ‘comedy sketch-blown-to-movie size’ flicks I’ve ever seen. One of the key assets of this gory comedy is the […]

Gravity (2013)

Right out of the gate, it must be said that ‘Gravity’ is a stunningly beautiful film. Director Alphonso Cuaron (Children of Men) proves once again that he is essentially Michael Bay’s intellectual nemesis, seeing as how they occupy opposite ends of the ‘film-making talent’ spectrum (HACK———-VISIONARY). Cuaron has gained a notable reputation as a very […]

Cypher (2002)

Now this is a strange little sci-fi flick. ‘Cypher’ is a cyberpunk-flavored story that borrows much of it’s style and substance from films like Brazil (1985) Total Recall (1990), The Game (1997), and Fight Club (1999), with noticeable elements paying tribute to (or ripping off, depending how you look at it) the work of directors […]

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec (2010)

I thought that I’d heard of pretty much every film that French director/producer Luc Besson had directed…and had seen the VAST majority of them. Notable stand-outs in his filmography include The Big Blue (1988), La Femme Nikita (1991), Leon The Professional (1994) and The Fifth Element (1997). Last I had heard, Besson was elbow-deep in […]

The Lords of Salem (2012)

So, from the ‘get-go’ I’ll say that, being a Rob Zombie film…’The Lords of Salem’ is NOT for everybody. However, those of us who have been following the man’s work, both musically and cinematically, it is something of a treat. Rob Zombie is one of those directors that I have a ‘love/hate’ relationship with, and […]

Pain and Gain (2013)

Now THAT’S…more like it. As any even remotely consistent reader of my film reviews will note, I have an undeniable ‘Love/Hate’ relationship with Michael Bay, and his flicks. On one hand, I love his slick visuals, his Tony Scott-inspired editing, his hot (but admittedly shallow and sexist) manner of ‘shooting’ women, and of course, his […]

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

Being that I just recently went to see the OTHER hijacked White House movie, ‘White House Down’, it’s only natural that I would follow it up with this flick. Whenever Hollywood dumps dual genre flicks with competing themes (See: Volcano vs Dantes Peak, Armageddon vs Deep Impact etc), I always get a kick out of […]

Elysium (2013)

Neill Blomkamp did a remarkable thing when he ‘hit it outta the park’ with his first feature film, which was 2009s excellent ‘District 9’. One of the reasons that ‘D9’ resonated with audiences, especially those under the GEEK banner, was that Blomkamp seamlessly and intelligently melded relevant social commentary with a tangible, dystopian look at […]

The Conjuring (2013)

These last few years have seen a decent turn-out when it comes to the ‘Hauntings’ genre of Horror films and this one, while certainly not the most original, is definitely a solid entry that stands on it’s own disembodied feet. The first ingredient to success in this genre (or ANY genre, for that matter) is […]