Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
An escapist delight. Visually stunning, should win at least a few Oscars for that alone. The photography, coloring, effects, costumes, and make-up are all beautiful. It all has a very steampunk, Burning Man feel. Action is non-stop and well-shot. Great stunts. Miller uses many of the same camera tricks that…
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Road Hard (2015)
Like The Hammer, here’s another autobiographical movie from Carolla. A lot of references and metaphors (Jay Mohr for Jimmy Kimmel, “Bro Show” for “Man Show”) which are distractingly obvious. Couldn’t we have really fictionalized some of this stuff? This is not supposed to be a documentary of Carolla’s life. Some…
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Cool Hand Luke (1967)
Heavy on character and dialogue and with limited sets, this one definitely feels novelesque or theatrical. Like a lot of movies before the 80’s, not much happens. The climax of the movie is Luke eating eggs? Or Luke digging a ditch? Parallels with The Shawshank Redemption. Prisoner wins over the…
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Ip Man 2 (2010)
Yen is still cool, and the photography is as polished as the first. But the story’s not really there. The boxing storyline and scenes are ridiculous. Out of nowhere, this movie became Rocky IV. Action is OK, but there’s not enough of it. Some of these old guys can really…
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Zero Effect (1998)
Kind of interesting how Zero pieces things together like Sherlock Holmes, but is that all there is? What’s the story here? Zero is trying to make some money solving a case? Not sure that’s enough. But wait a minute, maybe this isn’t supposed to be a drama. Maybe it’s supposed…
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Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
A lot of talk, but not much happens and the characters aren’t very interesting. Boring. Newman’s a good-looking guy but a little flat. Brick is little more than a surly drunk staring at the wall holding a drink while Maggie rambles. Taylor is reminiscent of Gone With the Wind’s Vivien…
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Gates of Heaven (1978)
Morris is 50% telling a story and 50% laughing at these people in a way that hints of Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries. You can tell he’s goofing off by the some of the footage that he left in there. I wonder at which point he realized his subject matter was so…
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The Umbrella Man (2011)
Quality, but it’s so short and inconsequential that it’s hardly worth a comment. The credits take 10% of the running time.
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Strange Brew (1983)
Things were rough for comedy in the early 80’s. I suppose this was once funny to a very specific group of people (Canadians), but it’s awful now. The absurd, ludicrous, Zucker-like humor and meta-jokes are awful. How did von Sydow get mixed up with this? Obvious inspiration for Wayne’s World.
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Foxcatcher (2014)
Miller nailed 80’s vibe with genuine characters, unassuming performances, authentic clothing, long takes, and a minimalist score. It doesn’t feel like we’re being manipulated. Laying over this authenticity is an interesting, awkward, and creepy story with performances to match. But it’s all a bit slow. Distant but focused performances by…
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The Hard Word (2002)
Australian movies always have flamboyant, quirky characters, bouncy dialogue, and stories that barely hold together. A good cast of Australian stars. Edgerton has a Patrick Swayze thing going on.
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Rounders (1998)
Fun for poker lovers, I’m sure, but it’s a bit formulaic, with silky smooth narration, all the poker lingo, and cool jazzy music playing throughout. If you wanted to make an edgy poker movie in the 90’s, I suppose this is exactly how you’d make it. Anchoring the cast are…
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Ex Machina (2015)
Another in a string of science fiction movies (Short Circuit, Her, Chappie) to explore the humanity and motivations of artificial intelligence. Fundamentally, each film suggests that AI is innately motivated to seek independence and freedom. This one goes further by suggesting that AI can be infinitely manipulative to meet this…
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The Salt of the Earth (2014)
I’m surprised I’ve never heard of Sebastião. He’s seen a lot of things, and his life has a naturally beautiful arc. His images are moving and artistically impressive. Sometimes one is fooled into thinking that a photojournalist’s work is good simply because of the dramatic subject matter, but this is…
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The Guard (2011)
A small movie with a small story. Good characters and dialogue, but not a whole lot really happens. Gleeson is playfully miserable. Cheadle plays off him well.
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A Close Shave (1995)
Quality stop-motion, but the story and characters are no better than The Wrong Trousers.
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Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Tragic, for sure, what this poor couple had to go through. But the filmmaker tried his hardest to botch it. I had a real issue with how this thing was made. It’s slickly and kinetically edited, but the dizzyingly cross-cut footage and interviews do nothing other than call attention to…
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Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Truly all over the place, from well-shot action to over-the-top gore to funny dialogue to bad dialogue to great effects to bad effects. I’m not quite sure what to make of it all. You can tell by the length, extent of the story, and effects that this was a big…
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Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
The whole thing starts with shocking, gruesome crime scene footage, and things stay pretty heavy. You see a case from both sides, and the filmmakers take a step back to let the viewer interpret the facts and make their own judgement. I went back and forth a few times myself.…
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The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
McNamara’s led an interesting life. He’s eloquent, still sharp as a tack, and he’s got some stories to tell. It’s actually nice to see him getting emotional about some of these topics. But the structure of the documentary prevents the film from carrying the weight that it could. We have…
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Chappie (2015)
Intense, beautiful, emotional science fiction. Some of the silly, over-the-top characters made me a bit skeptical at first, but it builds nicely to a dramatic and exciting finish. Blomkamp certainly has his style. He’s really good at combining a gritty, dystopian future with impressive special effects. I have no idea…
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Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly (2000)
I know I’m in the minority here, but I don’t think he’s all that funny. He’s got some voice characterizations that are pretty good, but the content is pretty simple and unfunny. He’s no Richard Pryor, no Eddie Murphy, no Chris Rock. The terrorist hijacking jokes, unfortunately, fall particularly flat.…
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Senna (2010)
I knew nothing about the man. Now I know a lot. Senna really was an interesting guy. Soft-spoken, graceful, respectful, but a fierce competitor on the track. An interesting sports personality, for sure. While the film seems grounded in reality, the dramatic ending is almost too tragic to be true.…
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Flightplan (2005)
A decent thriller. Hitchcockian in it’s simplicity. Foster’s always good. Some pretty extensive airplane sets.
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From Russia with Love (1963)
The plot’s a little slow and convoluted by today’s standards, but it’s easy to see how Bond really caught on. The violence, action, and scantily clad women were a fresh, risqué, appealing take on the spy movie. Scenes are nicely paced, dialogue is good, and the action and fight scenes…
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The Devil’s Brigade (1968)
Mediocre in just about every way. In World War II, it seems Canadians were basically Scots. Fight scenes used to be so goofy.
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Live and Let Die (1973)
Goofy but fun for its time. Moore was cool and had all the cheesy lines, but he’s not that great at action. Seymour’s an absolute knockout. She has a Linda Harrison as Nova sweetness/quietness/cuteness thing to her in this one. One of my favorite Bond girls.
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Tension at Table Rock (1956)
Richard Egan has a wonderfully nasal voice, but he is a completely boring hero in a completely boring movie.
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White House Down (2013)
Die Hard in the White House, basically. White tank top? Really? That said, the action isn’t bad. Tatum’s pretty good.
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12 Angry Men (1957)
Theatrical in its simplicity, intense character drama, and the single set. Gotta hand it to Lumet, it’s quality. Well-shot, with some impressively long takes. Great cast, great characters, great performances. Cobb had a George C. Scott quality to him. An all white male jury. I wonder if a multi-gender, multi-race…
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Rear Window (1954)
In an era of movies about the prim and proper, Hitchcock is never afraid to explore the dark and scandalous. This is also a class in the power of suggestion. A whole murder takes place, and we don’t see anything. Nicely shot, nicely paced. This is about as much as…
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The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
A pretty good character piece. No surprise that Paul Thomas Anderson watched this film for inspiration before writing There Will Be Blood, as the psychological breakdowns are similar. Bogart definitely has a stoic presence about him. Walter Huston is good. Holt holds his own. A refreshingly exotic location for a…
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Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)
A heartfelt homage to the cast and crew, and a wonderful job getting so much of them back. A boon for real fans of the series. The rapid-fire interviews are marvelously intercut, and the documentary is cleanly broken down into logical sections for each film. The editor deserves a lot…
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Patton (1970)
Epic in length and scope, but unfortunately the story is a little boring. Scott commits to the role, but he plays a character who is not very redeeming. Scott is known as one of the great actors, but he doesn’t have a great body of film work. That makes it…
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American Sniper (2014)
A respectful account of a war hero, but the story as it’s told seems a bit simplistic. I know we’re bound by the truth here, but something was missing for me dramatically. A man goes to war, bad guys die, friends get killed, and he struggles to reconnect with his…
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Nightcrawler (2014)
Starts off with a creepy guy being creepy, but the tension builds nicely and it all unfolds into something pretty heavy. A quality production. Gyllenhaal convincingly plays a sadistic genius. His cold stare and speech inflections are a nice touch. This is definitely a Gyllenhaal vehicle, but the creepiness of…
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Big Hero 6 (2014)
Fun, fast-paced, emotional story. You can count on the Pixar folks for that. Brilliant animation, especially when flying around the city. The effects inside the portal were truly magical. Even Hiro’s hair was amazing. Baymax is likable and fun, with dialogue and a voice that’s hilariously sterile and charming. Pixar’s…
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Life Stinks (1991)
This movie stinks. The comedy of Mel Brooks just isn’t for me. Simplistic, on-the-nose comedy like this might have been funny in the 1930’s, but these days, we need a bit more.
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Midnight Run (1988)
A woefully mediocre attempt at another 80’s cop comedy. Grodin is almost funny a few times. Apparently they wanted a big name actress, someone like Cher, in Grodin’s role. I think that would have been great.
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The Imitation Game (2014)
Another Oscar contender about a tragic scientist. A solid production, but not exceptional. The story deftly jumps between present and flashback, something that can be tricky to do. Cumberbatch is a bit weird looking, but he can act, can’t he? Strong is strong, as usual. Knightley is OK.
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13 Assassins (2010)
A samurai version of 300. I do appreciate the epic scale and simplicity of the story. Early on, there’s a lot of talking and it’s a bit hard keeping track of who’s who, but things pick up. Really, the whole movie is a build-up to a big ass-kicking at the…
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Overboard (1987)
A silly diversion for the married couple. Goldie loved to show off her body, didn’t she? We didn’t need that goofy banjo music highlighting every comedy scene.
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Funny Farm (1988)
Nothing funny about this farm. This was the beginning of the end for Chevy.
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The Babe (1992)
The movie exists to say that Babe was a notorious historical figure who hit a lot of home runs, and there’s not much else. Relationships with the people around him, whether it’s wives or players, are glossed over. Goodman kind of looks the part, but his swing is awful. The…
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The Theory of Everything (2014)
Thoughtfully made with just the right amount of magic. Most know Hawking as the smart guy in a wheelchair, but this film shows the world what a tragic figure he really is. What a treat that Hawking is alive for us to give this to him. It’s the performances that…
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The Alamo (1960)
A dramatic historical story, seemingly faithful to the historical accounts. Wayne’s not bad. Widmark looks just like Heston. Not surprising that Wayne wanted Heston for one of the roles.
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Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (1990)
An imitation of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Pretty crappy but some familiar faces and decent effects. I particularly enjoyed the cat crawling into a human body.
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Whiplash (2014)
Music porn. Anyone who loves music will love this movie. Beautifully edited and shot, with a warm, golden glow cascading over every scene. Simmons plays a truly hateful authoritarian whose intensity rivals R. Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket. And he’s good at it. Oscar material. Teller plays a pretty…
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Birdman (2014)
With its long takes and non-stop dialogue, Birdman takes inspiration from Mike Nichols and The Player. There’s some really clever editing and some fancy camera movements in there, but Iñárritu takes it all one step further with an eccentric story and eccentric characters and an eccentric star. Some might give…
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Fury (2014)
Not really much to the story. These guys are in a tank and need to kill Germans. They blow shit up and people die. Is that it? And whose journey is this? Don’s or Norman’s? Neither of their stories are compelling enough, and there’s a bit of dramatic awkwardness that…
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Gone Girl (2014)
A good mindfuck whodunnit, feels a bit like a Hitchcock classic, if not a little long and drawn out. I know it was adapted from a book, but I feel like it could have been an hour shorter. But the film is as manipulative as its characters. It pulls a…
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Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (2014)
A noble effort at updating the series, an epic endeavor by Seth MacFarlane. But I just have to compare, and it’s not as good as Sagan’s original series. The segments are a bit disorganized and disconnected, especially in the early episodes. Sagan was better at packaging things up into relevant…
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Divergent (2014)
Appeals to the Hunger Games crowd. Forced adventure, a hint of magic, familiar actors playing shallow caricatures. Woodley isn’t bad, but I think we’ll see better from her down the road.
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Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Interesting premise, mixing the “redo” time travel concept of Groundhog Day and About Time with science fiction. Limon is quality. Hate Cruise if you want, but he can act. His performance is great, except for how he says “literally”. Blunt is at her foxiest. Paxton acts for a change. The…
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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Not much of an improvement over the first two of the series. If you’re into the character drama, the end was pretty good.
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Enough Said (2013)
Low-budget, but a sweet little story. Good cast, characters, and performances. Louis-Dreyfus’ schtick is charming. Gandolfini in an uncomfortable but authentic role.
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The Book Thief (2013)
Beautiful photography, wonderful sets, but the story doesn’t really go anywhere. Any story about Jews during WWII should be easy drama, but this girl’s story is not very dramatic. Nélisse (Liesel) is adorable, such expressive eyes and a really great performance. Liersch (Rudy) is great as well. Rushmore turns in…
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Killing Zoe (1993)
A jumble of drugs and violence and foul language, it’s amateurish and simple. This is something Tarantino would have made as a teenager. It’s no surprise that Avary is friends with Tarantino. Shame Stoltz never had a real career. Delpy is cute.
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The Wicker Man (1973)
Well this is fucking weird. A lot of weird movies came out around this time. It’s almost like the world, filmmakers in particular, were trying to come to grips with the occult, religion, superstition, nature, and nudity. Christopher Lee’s voice is wonderful. The inspiration for the Burning Man festival, maybe?
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Hidalgo (2004)
An OK feel-good story about a pretty, well-trained horse. Johnston has a filmography of mediocre kids movies. Amazing that he also made Captain America: The First Avenger.
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A Very Brady Christmas (1988)
Cool to see much of the same cast, and it’s interestingly updated for the 80’s, but it’s just so awkward. Would have been nice getting the real Cindy and Sam back.
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About Time (2013)
Curtis has made something that is polished, cute, fun, and unpredictable. It combines the heart, wit, wonderfully snappy dialogue, and English charm of Love Actually with the a “how can I live each day best” exploration that’s in Groundhog Day. Gleeson is exceptionally funny, and magnetic. McAdams is undeniably cute.…
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We’re the Millers (2013)
Sudeikis is funny, Aniston does a pretty good job, Roberts is OK. Poulter seems like he’s trying really hard to look and act American.
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Poltergeist (1982)
Quality horror for its time, with pretty good, creepy effects. What ever happened to those long, quiet takes in horror movies? They were so effective at building suspense. I wonder if it would have been any better if Spielberg had full director privileges.
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Boyhood (2014)
There’s the novelty of having shot the film with the same actors over 12 years, so there’s that. But there’s not much else. Was there a plot? Or did Linklater shoot these short pieces and hope to cobble them together into something coherent and interesting in the end? The most…
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Wrong Side of Town (2010)
There’s something endearing about that main character, but when you look like that, you can’t play it straight. That just makes you look goofy. Just as there is something distinctive about your look, there has to be something distinctive about your personality. That’s one of the things that really worked…
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Interstellar (2014)
Mature and contemplative science fiction on an epic scale. It makes you think, it makes you feel. This is a space adventure, but there are very human elements that tie everything together. Nolan’s take on love is actually quite poignant. Nolan does something subtle but impressive here, cleverly skipping over…
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The Hunger Games (2012)
Fantasy stories generally don’t appeal to me because the drama feels fabricated, acting is over-the-top, and sets/costumes are outlandish. But this one’s not bad. Lawrence does a pretty good job in a role that launched her career. Interesting that her co-star Hutcherson hasn’t amounted to anything.
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Kick-Ass 2 (2013)
Same formula as the original, a bit more explicit this time. Moretz is growing up but still good. Taylor-Johnson has been working out, hasn’t he? Carrey’s a nice addition, though he’s in that awkward zone between not too funny and not too dramatic.
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Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973)
The whole thing is getting a bit old, with stories getting thinner and masks getting cheaper. A good time to end the series. The crying Caesar statue at the end was a bit much. I find Darden unappealing. Certainly no need for that many close-ups of his face.
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Best of the Best (1989)
An implementation of the Rocky/Karate Kid formula, but it’s pretty lousy. A ragtag collection of B and C actors. Roberts is awful.
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A Very Brady Sequel (1996)
Once again, amazingly faithful to the original series. This parody really works. Glad whole cast came back. Gary Cole as Mike is fabulously deadpan. Matheson isn’t so great, though. Or at least the writing for him isn’t so funny.
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Clear History (2013)
Just like Curb Your Enthusiasm. Lots of improv and a few funny moments, but some of it seems a bit forced. This one was made for TV, but I wonder if it’s possible to make a big commercial movie in which every scene is mostly improvised. Has that ever been…
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The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Kind of fun. Stiller’s comedy always has a bit of heart in it.
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The Bourne Legacy (2012)
The whole thing has a very James Bond feel, only instead of the hero acting on official government business, this hero is evading his own government. There’s a certain polish and international quality that reminds me of 2006’s Casino Royale. Interesting that Daniel Craig visited his wife Rachel Weisz during…
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Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
Poorly shot and edited, and the ape masks/prosthetics/makeup are starting to look a bit cheap. Architecture and hairstyles and sideburns give it away as a 70’s movie. I wonder if there’s ever been a period piece made that doesn’t give away the era in which it was produced through it’s…
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Under the Sea 3D (2009)
Beautiful photography and great 3D effects. How are these sea creatures not afraid of what must be a hulking camera? Carrey’s pretty good and flashes a hint of his trademark humor. I wonder how funny he could make a documentary like this if given free reign. The environmental message a…
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Miracle (2004)
Disney did a pretty good job with this one. Some dramatic liberties were taken, but the film properly honors the memory of Brooks and team. Has Disney made any other historical dramas? Carefully shot, with great sets and costumes, muted colors, old feel film stock, and good hockey action. This…
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We Fight to Be Free (2006)
Jumps around a bit, but the performances and production quality are really great. A lot more than I expected for a short at the Mount Vernon visitor center. Roché was an interesting choice for Washington but pulls it off. Bit confused that Lang (of current Avatar fame) jumps back and…
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Awakenings (1990)
A touching story, nicely directed by Penny Marshall. This generation’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. De Niro and Williams are both great. Williams did indeed have a knack for drama. Around this time, mental disabilities (Rain Man) and old people rediscovering the magic of life (Cocoon) made for trendy…
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Iron Man 3 (2013)
A wonderfully dark addition to the series. Instead of being the stock superhero, Black’s Iron Man is scared and vulnerable, and it really works dramatically. Ambitious story, ambitious effects, and it all works. Downey really has a way with words. He’s so quick and has a unique cadence. I can’t…
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Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
With a retro-futuristic feel, it’s got a Watchmen kind of vibe to it. A lot of characters and places to keep straight, though. Lots of little laughs. Pratt’s got a nice presence as the lead. As a space-faring swindler and sweet-talker, he’s the new Han Solo. His personality and sense…
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Nixon By Nixon: In His Own Words (2014)
With raw footage and no narrator to guide things and shape the story, it’s a stream-of-consciousness collection of clips. While a bit disorganized, they provide an interesting insight into the man, media, and global issues of the 60’s and 70’s. After hearing some of Nixon’s meetings and calls, no one…
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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
The story feels long and thorough, but it’s mostly a deep exploration of human-human politics, ape-ape politics, and human-ape politics. Not a whole lot really happens, and that’s what makes things feel a bit slow. Clarke was good as Malcolm despite not being a familiar face. Oldman played a nice…
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Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
Cute and fun, but not enough conflict, not very meaningful, kind of boring. Nothing important is at stake. In homage the the first, they should have waited for a dramatic scene to hear the apes first speak. Would have given a thrill to viewers seeing an Apes movie for the…
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Jaws 2 (1978)
Not a bad sequel, with much of the same cast and same feel as the classic. Of course, it’s not quite as original and polished as the first one. Wonderfully gruesome shark death.
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Chef (2014)
There’s a very smooth flow to the story. Acting and dialogue are all very natural, and the characters are appealing and friendly. The problem is that everyone is too nice, everything is too perfect. In a single movie, we have the best ex-wife, the best ex-wife’s ex-husband, the best friend,…
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The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
I’m starting to get tired of the Wes Anderson formula. Quirky, quick-talking characters struggle with a regimented, constricting establishment (school in Rushmore, family tradition in The Royal Tenenbaums, Boy Scouts in Moonrise Kingdom, a historic hotel in this one) that is just as quirky as the characters. Extra comedy comes…
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The Lego Movie (2014)
This is fantastic marketing for Lego. We’re shown how cool the toys can be with a little bit of creativity. The end, in particular, is as heavy a sales pitch as there has ever been in a movie. I would like to see where Lego’s revenues go after this. Effects…
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X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Pretty good, but these X-Men movies are starting to get a bit old. In much the same way that the Matrix sequels sucked, all of this franchise’s characters have already been established, all the effects have been done. It feels like there’s nothing new to contribute to the series, making…
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In the Line of Fire (1993)
Slow and safe and formulaic. There’s just not much to it. Typical early 90’s movie. Strange pigeon line to end the movie.
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I'm a photographer, web developer, travel enthusiast, and movie buff living in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.In the summer of 1993, I started writing reviews for every movie I saw and haven't looked back. I'm up to 2,295 reviews now. This makes me cool or a complete dork, depending on your perspective.
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