REVIEW: Win Win is So-So

Posted by Zach Davis on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 In : 0.09% Cocktails 
Win Win
Zach Davis




Directed by: Thomas McCarthy


Starring: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Alex Shaffer, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, Burt Young, and Melanie Lynskey

I’m a fan of Thomas McCarthy’s two previous works, The Visitor and The Station Agent, but Win Win just doesn't work for me.  McCarthy is much more a writer than a director.  He relies heavily on original down-to-earth characters in most of his films, and this is exactly what Win Win sorely lacks.  The characters are all disingenuous....

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REVIEW: The Survivors of the Stevenson County Massacre Offer Up an Oversexed and Underdeveloped Sequel in Scary Movie 2

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 30, 2013 In : 0.12% Hard Liquor 
Scary Movie 2





Directed By: Keenen Ivory Wayans

Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Chris Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, David Cross, James Woods, Tim Curry, Tori Spelling, and Chris Elliott

The original Scary Movie started something that is sadly still not finished.  The original filmmakers certainly lied when they said that there would be no sequels.  The fact that Scary Movie 5 is upon us speaks volumes about how wrong that statement unfortunately was.  We've been p...

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REVIEW: Nanomites and All, Duke and Ripcord Don't Rise to the Occasion in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, March 17, 2013 In : 0.12% Hard Liquor 
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra





Directed By: Stephen Sommers


Starring: Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Christopher Eccleston, Marlon Wayans, Rachel Nichols, Dennis Quaid, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ray Park, Lee Byung-hun, and Jonathan Pryce


In recent years, toy maker Hasbro has been intent upon getting all its major product lines on the big screen.  Transformers certainly made sense and has paid big dividends for them (despite declining quality throughout the series).  Battleshi...

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REVIEW: Superman II Is All About the Man of Steel Kneeling Before Zod and Finding Some Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, March 7, 2013 In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Superman II





Directed By: Richard Lester

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Susannah York, Clifton James, E.G. Marshall, Mark McClure, and Terence Stamp

Superman is rarely given a physical challenge.  Because the yellow sun of our galaxy makes him the closest thing to immortal, there are very few who can really go toe-to-toe with him.  Because of this, it's a special treat whenever the Man of Steel ...

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REVIEW: Top Gun — No Points for Second Place at This Fighter Weapons School

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 24, 2013 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Top Gun





Directed By: Tony Scott

Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside, Meg Ryan, Rick Rossovich, Whip Hubley, and James Tolkan

Last year, we lost a fine director by the name of Tony Scott.  With films like Enemy of the State, Crimson Tide, and Man on Fire to his name, it's time we revisit some of his films.  With Top Gun being recently re-released to theaters in IMAX 3D, there's no time like the present to cover it.  This quintessential...

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REVIEW: With No Mercy and Definitely No Shame, Scary Movie Tackles 90's Horror Flicks

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 24, 2013 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Scary Movie





Directed By: Keenen Ivory Wayans

Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Shannon Elizabeth, Jon Abrahams, Kurt Fuller, Carmen Electra, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, and Dave Sheridan

Spoof movies have never been world-class entertainment, but they've descended to new lows in recent years.  I look at a movie like Paranormal Activity spoof A Haunted House and wonder just what the hell happened.  When did they get so bad?  There was a time when the low-brow humor o...

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REVIEW: SPECTRE Lets the Siamese Fighting Fish Duke It Out in the Cold War Themed From Russia With Love

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
From Russia With Love






Directed By: Terence Young


Starring: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, and Pedro Armendáriz


With last year marking the 50th anniversary for the Bond series as a whole, there's a lot of love for the world's favorite British spy.  If the win for billion dollar blockbuster Skyfall at the BAFTAs proves anything, it proves that 007 is still a hot commodity.  With this in mind, we're going to keep this Bond retro series going on STMR.  This month's film is...

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REVIEW: Jurassic Park Gets My Endorsement Because Life Finds a Way

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 10, 2013 In : 0.00% Water 

Jurassic Park





Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, BD Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards

"Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?"
-Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill)

I can't believe that it's been two decades since Juras...


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REVIEW: In Live Free or Die Hard, the Fire Sale Pushes Bruce Willis to Once Again Be That Guy

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 3, 2013 In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Live Free or Die Hard





Directed By: Len Wiseman

Starring: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Jonathan Sadowski, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kevin Smith, and Cliff Curtis

"It's a three-step systematic attack on the entire national infrastructure.  Okay, step one: take out all the transportation.  Step two: the financial base and telecoms.  Step three: You get rid of all the utilities.  Gas, water, electric, nuclear.  Pretty much anything that's run by computers which... which ...


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REVIEW: In Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Simon Says Two Pigeons Hold Fort Knox Down

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 27, 2013 In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Die Hard: With a Vengeance





Directed By: John McTiernan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson, Larry Bryggman, Graham Greene, and Colleen Camp

The first two Die Hard movies were all about Bruce Willis going up against all odds to defeat formidable criminals reigning terror down on his wife and other innocent victims.  While the first Die Hard perfected this formula, I can't say the same for the second one.  When Die Hard: With a Vengeance was in the works, the life and times...


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