Posted by James Brown on Thursday, March 8, 2012 In : 0.12% Hard Liquor
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
Directed By: John Whitesell
Starring: Martin Lawrence and Brandon T. Jackson
Some movies are so bad that they're fun to watch. I know going into them that they'll absolutely suck, so I have a few drinks beforehand and have a good time watching them. Any time Martin Lawrence decides to put on a fat suit and channel his inner Big Momma, I know I'm in for a bad movie. Only the original film was anywhere near decent. For Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, I liqu... Continue reading...
Watching a mental breakdown is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You get a front row seat for all the carnage and chaos that builds to a devastating climax. That's why I love movies about crazy people. You get a taste of what leads to their breakdowns and a better understanding of what makes them tick. Jeff Nichols' Take Shelter is one such film.
Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 3, 2012 In : 0.09% Cocktails
Something Borrowed
Directed By: Luke Greenfield
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, John Krasinki, Colin Egglesfield, Steve Howey, and Ashley Williams
With all the big films that came out last year, a lot of smaller movies got swept under the rug. For every Thor, Harry Potter, or Mission: Impossible, there were twice as many films we ignored at the box office. These forgotten flicks tend to be either romantic comedies or family films. One of the forgotten ones from May is Something Borro... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Thursday, March 1, 2012 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
The Rite
Directed By: Mikael Håfström
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, and Rutger Hauer
I’m just going to say it. Exorcism flicks are not my thing. There’s something that’s fundamentally terrifying about demonic possessions. It’s not some undead boy who drowned at a camp or some elementary school gardener out for revenge after getting burnt alive in a boiler room. We all know they’re not real. Demons, on the other hand, are quite real. As a Christian, ... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Thursday, March 1, 2012 In : 0.12% Hard Liquor
Sucker Punch
Directed By: Zack Snyder
Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm, and Scott Glenn
Hot girls and cool action sequences are not always a cool one-two punch combo for decent popcorn fare. For every Transformers, there are 99 other films that absolutely sucked. Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch falls into the category of the crappy 99%. Snyder substitutes sexy women and elaborate visuals for a coherent story and... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Saturday, February 25, 2012 In : 0.09% Cocktails
The Mechanic
Directed By: Simon West
Starring: Jason Statham and Ben Foster
Action movies are a dime a dozen, and I'm hardly impressed by most of them these days. Some decent ass-kicking just doesn't get the job done for me anymore. We've all seen a million movies about lonely cops, corrupt spies, or betrayed assassins. We need something fresh and innovative to add a new page to the action movie playbook. We need to make ass-kicking awesome again. Unfortunately, Jason Statham's The Mechanic... Continue reading...
Posted by Mary Dieng on Monday, February 20, 2012 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Waiting to Exhale Mary Dieng
Directed By: Forest Whitaker
Starring: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon
In honor of Whitney Houston, STMR is doing a Retro Review series on her trio of films, Waiting to Exhale, The Bodyguard and The Preacher’s Wife. When I was first asked to do the reviews for the series, I cringed. Not because I didn’t think it was a good idea, but because I wasn’t enthralled with her entire body of work. Who wants to be critical under these ... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Monday, February 20, 2012 In : 0.12% Hard Liquor
Red Riding Hood
Directed By: Catherine Hardwicke
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Virginia Madsen, Lukas Haas, and Julie Christie
Now that Hollywood has made just about every comic book movie imaginable, studios are in need of a new gravy train. They need a new genre to kill. Studio execs have decided in mass to tackle fairy tales, and they've done nothing to hide it. We've got two "Snow White" movies in the works this year alone. There's talk... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 12, 2012 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Directed By: Rob Marshall
Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, and Kevin McNally
Hollywood has a nasty habit of killing its best franchises. Releasing sequel after sequel, they keep piling on the movies long after they've run out of worthwhile stories to tell. In 2011 alone, there were 27 sequels. Studios' never ending chase of the almighty dollar has programmed viewers to see most sequels these days as crap. There are... Continue reading...
Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 12, 2012 In : 0.09% Cocktails
Green Lantern
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, and Tim Robbins
Bringing the mythology of comic books to the big screen in live action films is one of the toughest jobs a director can tackle. Not every hero is easy to bring to theaters like Batman or Spider-Man. Some of the most popular comic book heroes are just not meant for live action films. Green Lantern is one of those heroes. Martin Campbell falls flat on ... Continue reading...
