Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 22, 2012 In : 0.09% Cocktails
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Directed By: Stephen Daldry
Starring: Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright, and Zoe Caldwell
For all of us, September 11th, 2001 is a day that will be etched in our memories until the day we die. We'll never forget the devastation that took place in New York and DC on that day. Having just recently marked the tenth anniversary of one of the most tragic days in American history, it's fitting that Holly... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 21, 2012 In : 0.12% Hard Liquor
Red Tails
Directed By: Anthony Hemingway
Starring: Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, Daniela Rush, Bryan Cranston, Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Ryan Early, Method Man, Elijah Kelley, and Ne-Yo
Black History Month will be upon us in a couple of weeks, but Hollywood has decided to get the jump on everyone else this weekend by putting out a film on the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in the US armed forces. In the face of racism, prejudice, and discrimination, they were trailbl... Continue reading...
Posted by Mary Dieng, Esq. on Saturday, January 21, 2012 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Haywire Mary Dieng
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum, Michael Angarano, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Douglas
Maybe my expectations were just a little too high. Maybe, I’m a dreamer. I was excited to seeHaywire. And why not? A film directed by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, theOceans series,Contagion) with a cast that includes new “it” actor Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas and Ewan McGregor is de... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Friday, January 20, 2012 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Underworld: Awakening
Directed By: Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein
Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Sandrine Holt, Theo James, Michael Ealy, and India Eisley
What ever happened to the good old fashioned movies with vampires and werewolves beating the holy hell out of each other? Those were the good old days. Then,Twilight arrived and forever tainted the vampire and werewolf genre. That series threw romance into the picture and created insanely popular crap. Before Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattins... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 15, 2012 In : 0.03% Wine Coolers
In the Land of Blood and Honey
Directed By: Angelina Jolie
Starring: Goran Kostić, Zana Marjanović, and Rade Šerbedžija
I don't ever go into a war movie expecting to come out a happy camper. With a wartime romance though, I wasn't quite sure how I'd come out feeling. After seeing Angelina Jolie's directorial debutIn the Land of Blood and Honeythough, I can tell you that they're just as depressing. With all the rape, torture, and murder I've witnessed during this film, I need a drink wit... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 15, 2012 In : 0.00% Water
Carnage
Directed By: Roman Polanski
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly
Great comedies are hard to come by. When I do get them though, there's nothing better because I know I'm leaving the theater in a good mood. The last great comedy we had on our hands was Woody Allen's charmingMidnight in Paris, which took a satirical look at some of the great intellectuals of the Roaring Twenties. Now, we haveCarnage, another satire in which Roman Polanski takes a g... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 14, 2012 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
The Iron Lady
Directed By: Phyllida Lloyd
Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Anthony Head, and Richard E. Grant
Does great acting make a film great? This awards season has answered this very important question. Though it was never posed, it is worthwhile. Well, the answer has consistently been an adamant "no". Just look at Clint Eastwood'sJ. Edgar. On paper, the film was destined for the Oscars. What we got however was a subpar historical drama on one of America's most controversial m... Continue reading...
Posted by Mary Dieng, Esq. on Saturday, January 14, 2012 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Joyful Noise Mary Dieng
Directed By: Todd Graff
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, and Jeremy Jordan
Color me surprised. I enjoyedJoyful Noise. There, I said it. Now before you throw tomatoes at me and revoke my STMR critic pass for life, hear me out. I walked into the movie theater with a catchy title to pan the movie already dancing in my head. While I love Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton and KeKe Palmer for their memorable roles in some of my favorite films (Chicago,Steel M... Continue reading...
Posted by Zach Davis on Friday, January 13, 2012 In : 0.09% Cocktails
The Devil Inside Zach Davis
Directed by: William Brent Bell
Starring: Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth, Ionut Grama, and Susan Crowley
It seems every year there is a new film out about possession and exorcism, with very few offering new perspectives or insights.The Devil Insideis another one of these movies although it offers a bit of originality given that it’s presented in the format of a documentary. This documentary style helps make the movie seem more real and authentic... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Friday, January 13, 2012 In : 0.09% Cocktails
Contraband
Directed By: Baltasar Kormákur
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, and Giovanni Ribisi
As a moviegoer, January is always the hardest time of the year. Having just finished the awards season, we now have to put up with the crap that Hollywood wouldn't put out at any other point in the year because it simply isn't good enough. We're starting out this January with a little star power inContraband.With Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale, you can't go wrong, in theor... Continue reading...
