recent product reviews
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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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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