recent product reviews
Bridge of Spies (2015)
A story about an important and overlooked period in American history. Beautifully shot, with great effects and period costumes. A touch of light comedy perfectly sweetens the tension of the story. Performances ring true for the period, with everyone looking and feeling authentic. Spielberg, when he’s on, creates a depth…
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Spotlight (2015)
Not a documentary, but it’s made with a certain straightforwardness and detail that leads me to believe that the facts were heavily researched and few fictional liberties were really taken. That said, as an instrument of social change, I don’t think the film will really change things a whole lot…
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The Hateful Eight (2015)
As expected, it’s violent, dialogue-driven, and filled with two-faced characters. But for a film this long, I’m just not sure the story is interesting enough. Not a whole lot happens. A stagecoach picks up a black guy, they go to a cabin, and characters spar with dialogue for a while…
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As Good as It Gets (1997)
Not sure what Melvin’s OCD has to do with anything. He’s clearly an asshole, and that’s what drives the conflict in the story. His OCD is really just a distraction. Nicholson’s pretty good. I’ve always thought Hunt is cute in an unconventional sort of way. Kinnear is fantastic, one of…
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The Punisher: Dirty Laundry (2012)
Why would they make a short for this? I don’t get it. There’s not much to it.
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Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)
A great exposé of one of the biggest shams in recent years. Amazing the Church even allowed it to get made. If they were smart, they would have prevented its production from happening in the first place. Now, it’s too late. It’s scary how seductive this is to some people,…
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Entourage (2015)
A continuation of the TV series with what must be a record number of celebrity cameos. Osment’s still got it, and I hope he dives back into acting, though I fear he might be relegated to playing fringy characters and villains.
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Miss Representation (2011)
Sometimes social commentary can be effective vehicles for change, but Miss Representation takes the wrong angle on feminism, perhaps even a destructive one, by a) focusing on a selective and unfair sampling of women being objectified in the media, b) pointing fingers at that studio heads, company presidents, and men…
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The Cove (2009)
A beautiful, tragic piece of investigative reporting. They did a great job documenting and editing together the mission, though the long, dramatic fades to black a bit much. An amazing turn for one of the driving forces behind Flipper. With the majestic music and romantic footage, the message here is…
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Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
Some of the effects campy, but a noble effort for 1956. Looks like they had a few different monster costumes, each of them having slight cosmetic differences. I understand that the suit makes the actor somewhat immobile, but the monster’s movements seem downright spastic and clumsy. Why did Burr take…
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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 2,387 reviews now. This makes me cool or a complete dork, depending on your perspective.
Some of these reviews contain spoilers, so if that bothers you, don't read!
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