When our lovelies Liz and Melissa included James Ward Byrkit‘s Coherence in their Top 10 Films of the Summer, I did a double take. What is this movie which you rate so high? It had not crossed my radar for some reason (I will blame them even though Melissa wrote briefly about it) and I rushed to the interwebs to help me figure out what it was and who made it. When I found out it was written and directed by the same man who received story credit for the Oscar-winning animated film Rango, I was surprised. So when I read that Coherence was, in fact, a science fiction thriller, I went from surprised to being impressed. The thing about good writers is that they can work in multiple genres and are able to create films that can appeal to the different audiences attracted to said genre. Rango was a four-quad film with mass appeal and Johnny Depp as the star. Coherence is the polar opposite and is better off for it. Read More →
Category Archives: in theaters
Jeremy’s Review: ‘No No: A Dockumentary’ Is an Incredible Portrait of a Baseball Original
We now live in a time where outspoken athletes are a dime a dozen, standing up for causes or against prejudices that exist inside of the sports where they ply their trade and outside in the world where their influence can change opinions. Michael Sam, formerly of the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, is smack in the middle of knocking down ridiculously built walls of homophobia as I write this review. In the late 60s and early 70s, it was rare to have an athlete, especially one of African-American descent, speak out about race in sports and in the world at large. Muhammad Ali is one notable example, but another that many may not have heard of is Dock Ellis, a major league baseball player, who, from 1968 as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Pirates, until his retirement from baseball in 1979 from those same Pirates, stood up and spoke his mind about ANYTHING. Read More →
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Jeremy’s Review: Jason Stone’s ‘The Calling’ Is a Capable Thriller
As you watch Jason Stone‘s thriller The Calling, it may be hard not to recall David Fincher‘s Se7en. Both are steeped in biblical lore and both feature a serial killer, although that could up for some debate in the former. But that’s where the analogy wears off. The Calling is based in the cold expanse of the Great White North – Canada – not the hustle and bustle of the big city (presumably New York) in Se7en. Its lead detective, Hazel Micallef (Susan Sarandon doing her best Marge Gunderson), is the exact opposite of the wise sage that was Somerset (Morgan Freeman) – she is broken and conflicted, a drunk and a pillhead who is seemingly indifferent to doing her job. Her partner Ray Green (Gil Bellows) isn’t anywhere near as apathetic as Hazel and operates by the rules, which is a point of contention between the two throughout the film. An odd couple, if you will. Read More →
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Liz’s Review: ‘As Above, So Below’
Last year I toured the Catacombs of Paris. If you are at all claustrophobic, this may not be the tour for you. They are very deep beneath the streets of Paris and not for the faint of heart. If you don’t know, they are the resting place for over 6 million bodies; skeletal remains. Check out a few pics from my trip. Read More →
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Liz’s Review: ‘Are You Here’ … I’m Not Really Sure
Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, and Amy Poehler in a new film written/directed by Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner; I had high hopes. Too high. Are You Here is a story about two friends, Steve and Ben, who travel back to their hometown after the death of Ben’s father only to find that he has inherited the entirety of his father’s massive fortune, leaving his sister, Terri, high and dry. Read More →
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Liz’s Review: to be ‘FRANK’ … I am obsessed.
It’s rare these days you see a film that is so different from everything else. Frank is the story of an eclectic indie band and it’s lead singer of the same name. A young aspiring songwriter Jon, played adorably by Domhnall Gleeson, stumbles upon the band “Soronprfbs” and inadvertently becomes their keyboardist. The band travels to Ireland to record their album. While abroad, Gleeson delves into the mystery that is Frank. You see, Frank is never seen without his massive, cartoonesque, papier-mâché head on. Gleeson secretly shares short rehearsal clips on the internet to create a buzz around the band, leading to a requested appearance at South By Southwest. But is that really best for Frank? Read More →
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Jeremy’s Review & Interview: ‘About Alex’, The Big Chill for the 20-teens & Footprint Features CEO Adam Saunders Gives Us Some Production Skinny
Sometimes movies are anchored in the minds of those who watch them, so much so that they become a permanent part of the landscape of when they were watched or released. I first saw The Big Chill when it hit home video back in 1984, but I had already soaked in an integral part of the film as my parents played the soundtrack (on vinyl of course) at home on a regular rotation (and usually at parties they threw). I was immersed in the film and although its subject matter was rather advanced (suicide) for someone of 9-years old, I truly think it is a film that had a profound effect on me without me really realizing it. So when I had the chance to review Jesse Zwick‘s About Alex, a film that covers many of the same themes as Lawrence Kasdan‘s 80s classic, I jumped at the chance. I am excited that I was able to interview Adam Saunders, CEO of Footprint Features and producer of the film, which helped fill in some blanks about the film, its production and the process by which it was made. Read More →
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Jeremy’s Review: ‘4 Minute Mile’ Comes Up A Bit Short At The Finish Line
When it comes to sports movies, they are hard to tackle because you have to be careful of all of the cliches that can arise. You have hundreds of movies and at least a hundred years of the sports themselves to provide all the material you need to deep six a film about one. When I think of hockey, I can’t help but to think of Slap Shot. When I think of basketball (as an Indiana native, I guess we do this a lot), I can’t help but to think of Hoosiers. These films exist without cliche, exemplify the best a movie can be about the sport depicted in it and toe the very thin line between pulling all of the drama and comedy out of the sport possible without becoming overwrought and melodramatic. This is where most sports movies come off the rails. Does Charles-Olivier Michaud pull it off? Well, I guess you’ll have to read on, won’t you? Read More →
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Liz’s Review: James Franco’s ‘Child of God’
One of the first films I had the pleasure of viewing at last year’s New York Film Festival was James Franco‘s Child of God. I was certainly in for a ride. Below is my original review.
Child Of God is a new film with James Franco in the director’s chair. Based upon the 1973 Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, we are introduced to Lester Ballard. Clearly a social outcast both physically and emotionally, he lives in the woods, barely surviving off squirrel meat. One day he comes upon a car with two deceased teenagers and proceeds to rape the young girl. Deciding not to slip away quietly, he takes her body to an abandoned shed where he lives for a while. Clearly with no sense of relationships, he treats the body as if it is still alive; buying it clothes and food, perhaps to somehow justify the nightly necrophilia. Due to an accident, the shed and the girl are burned to ash. This is merely a small deterrent to Lester’s behavior as eventually he moves into the local West Virginia caves and continues to wreak havoc on the small town. Read More →
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Liz’s Review: Joe Swanberg’s Not So ‘Happy Christmas’
Drinking Buddies was on my Top 10 list of Films for 2013. It was refreshing to see Olivia Wilde cast against her “usual type”, and thank God for that. She is incredibly talented. Jake Johnson is always funny. The two together, completely believable best friends with an edge. What was awkward in Drinking Buddies is still awkward in Joe Swanberg’s latest improv driven film, Happy Christmas. That something is Anna Kendrick. Read More →
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Jeremy’s Review: ‘Video Games: The Movie’ Is an Endearing Documentary on the History and Evolution of Video Games and Their Culture
Perhaps I’m dating myself here, but I can easily recall when Pong, the original video game sensation, became a hit, and the Atari 2600 shortly thereafter. And on and on and on. For modern-day excitement, explore 카지노사이트 for a thrilling experience that continues the legacy of gaming fun. You can also check out slot online for exciting rewards and prizes! If you’re interested in casino games, then you might want to visit online casino sites like 크레이지 파친코 to enjoy an exciting casino experience from the comfort of your own home. I am a member of the first video game generation and plenty of my life (up to the end college at least) has been consumed by playing, a pastime I have since passed along to my two sons, ages 7 and 9 much to the chagrin of my wife who never played them and fails to see their point. But one can’t deny how pervasive that video games have become in our culture and that’s where a film like writer-director Jeremy Snead‘s fantastic documentary Video Games: The Movie helps show how and why this all came about. Read More →
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In Theaters This Week
New this week:
- A Five Star Life – looks like a cute french flick
- A Summer’s Tale – newly restored 1996 french film
- I, Origins – Sci-fi with Brit Marling (Another Earth) and Michael Pitt
- Mood Indigo – Michel Gondry, that’s all you need to know
- The Purge: Anarchy – sequel to the successful thriller
- Sex Tape – eh, it probably has its moments
- Wish I Was Here – Zach Braff’s latest venture
Expanding this week:
- Boyhood – just go see it. Liz’s review & press coverage
Check out trailers and descriptions after the jump.
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