Jeff's Reviews | Thoughts on every movie I've ever seen.

recent product reviews

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Reviewed on Aug 4, 2012

With most of the character-driven drama unfolding on a single set, it feels very theatrical. Natural, improvised dialogue gives it a refreshing authenticity. The beginning is a bit odd. The bank employees seem unusually calm for a hold-up, and some of the lines and situations border on comedy, undercutting the…

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The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Reviewed on Jul 29, 2012

Same blaring horns and character-heavy plot of the other Batman movies. The setup was a bit slow, but the second half was pretty solid. Hathaway was OK, but I still preferred Pfeiffer. Hardy was good as Bane, but his mask made it hard for him to be expressive and, with…

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Life of Brian (1979)

Reviewed on Jul 22, 2012

The absurdity of Monty Python isn’t really for me, but there are a few funny moments, especially in scenes where cast members struggle to contain their laughter. Palin’s my favorite. He has amazing control of his voice.

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Shutter Island (2010)

Reviewed on Jul 21, 2012

A classic thriller. Scorsese definitely channeled Hitchcock for this one. Story is nice and twisty. Great sets, careful special effects, and smooth, sweeping camera motions really set the mood. Some editing/continuity errors. I know a lot of it was intentional, but some of it was just sloppy. DiCaprio’s good at…

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Drive (2011)

Reviewed on Jul 19, 2012

Intriguing. Artsy direction, with beautiful photography and poignant moments of silence and reflection. The mixed score of echoey percussion (reminiscent of Heat) and the 80’s-inspired soundtrack, along with the old school font and colors for the title and credits, give the film a very interesting feel. Early on, the lack…

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The Dream Team (2012)

Reviewed on Jul 13, 2012

Some good stories, some good footage. But instead of individual interviews of players saying how awesome it was, group interviews may have rekindled some of that old camaraderie. Would have been nice to see. Graphics showing the actual scores of games they played as they progressed to the gold medal…

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Thunderball (1965)

Reviewed on Jul 9, 2012

A magic combination of action, one-liners, and sexuality separated Bond movies from the rest. But here, we’ve got a the goofy story, bad dubbing, and dated effects.

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Ted (2012)

Reviewed on Jul 4, 2012

Polished and touching, but I was expecting more real comedy from Seth. There’s lots of easy “I can’t believe he said that” humor, but not much real wit. Somehow, I think that this was a learning experience for Seth. His future live-action movies will be much better.

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