Posted by James Brown on Monday, September 5, 2011 In : 0.09% Cocktails
The Debt
Directed By: John Madden
Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, and Tom Wilkinson
A good spy thriller always has twists and turns in the plot. It keeps you guessing for a while. A great spy thriller always has a badass lead. Steven Spielberg'sMunich is a strong example of a great spy thriller. All the drama, thrills, and plot twists were there, but those boys were kicking some ass in the process. With Helen Mirren starring in John Madden's The Debt, I was hopin... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 In : 0.09% Cocktails
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Directed By: Troy Nixey
Starring: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, and Bailee Madison
2011 has not been a particularly great year for horror flicks. There's just been one waste of fake blood after another. Bringing Guillermo del Toro into the horror fold for a run at producingDon't Be Afraid of the Darkwas a beacon of hope. His well-documented creativity and unique visuals would have been a welcomed addition to the genre. It was supposed to be the light at the end of t... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Colombiana
Directed By: Olivier Megaton
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Cliff Curtis, Michael Vartan, Lennie James, Amandla Stenberg, and Jordi Mollá
I generally have low expectations for movies that are released during the month of August. Hollywood throws a lot of crap at moviegoers at this time. It's not quite the summer season with big budget blockbusters every week, nor is it the fall season with high-quality films contending for awards.Colombiana, starring Zoe Saldana, is a pleasant surprise d... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 In : 0.03% Wine Coolers
Midnight in Paris
Directed By: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Adrien Brody, Carla Bruni, and Michael Sheen
Once in a while, a film comes along that makes you lose all sense of reality. You lose track of time and how long you've been in the theater. You forget what else is going on in your life. You become fully immersed in an engaging fictional tale that takes you to another world. That's the magic of a truly great film. Woody Allen'sMidnig... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Conan the Barbarian
Directed By: Marcus Nispel
Starring: Jason Momoa, Ron Perlman, Rose McGowan, Stephen Lang, and Rachel Nichols
August is a weird month of the film year. The blockbuster season is not quite over, while the fall season hasn't quite begun. The transition has always been turbulent at best. Hollywood doesn't know how to go from releasing big budget summer blockbusters to their lower budget counterparts. In the last few weeks, we've had Rise of the Planet of the Apes,Final Dest... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 In : 0.00% Water
The Tree of Life
Directed By: Terrence Malick
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain
Never before have I seen a film that captures life. That's a huge concept with a range of implications. It's a nearly impossible endeavor for any filmmaker. However, Terrence Malick has proven me wrong. Malick'sThe Tree of Lifedoes the impossible in a grand way. From grappling with the meaning and scope of life to questioning the purpose of faith, Malick covers a broad array of topics.The ... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 In : 0.12% Hard Liquor
Final Destination 5
Directed By: Steven Quale
Starring: Nicholas D'Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta, and Miles Fisher
Great horror films are the stuff from which nightmares are born. They can make the most fearless individuals a bit apprehensive. The terrors in these movies are immortalized on film and in our memories. Bad horror flicks are exactly the opposite. They're the examples that give the horror genre a bad rap. Final Destination 5is sadly just another bad horror pic that lacks s... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 In : 0.03% Wine Coolers
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Directed By: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, and Tom Felton
I can't lie. I never was a big fan of thePlanet of the Apesseries. We didn't have the technology to make it enjoyable in the past. The apes always looked fake, and I was pretty critical of that. Even in the 2001 flick Planet of the Apes, the monkeys were just humans in ape costumes. In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the reboot to the well-kno... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Directed By: Glen Ficarra and John Requa
Starring: Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Emma Stone
Crazy, Stupid, Love.That's an interesting title for a film that really stands out. It's unique. It's captivating. It's sentimental. Much like it's catchy title, the film is all of these things.Crazy, Stupid, Love.is far from the typical romantic comedy, and that's refreshing to see on the big screen. In this summer season during which moviegoers have been... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Sunday, August 7, 2011 In : 0.09% Cocktails
The Change-Up
Directed By: David Dobkin
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jason Bateman, Leslie Mann, and Olivia Wilde
Ryan Reynolds and Olivia Wilde cannot put out a good film this year. Green Lanternand Cowboys & Aliens— films starring Reynolds and Wilde respectively — have been critically panned and have had anything but stellar performances at the box office. For The Change-Up, they bring Jason Bateman and Leslie Mann into their slump. The Change-Up is a heartwarming, wholesome comedy trying ... Continue reading...
