Total Recall (2012)

Total Recall (2012) – I like to imagine that the following scenario happened: a screenwriter had this idea, “okay, so a guy wants to get a fantasy vacation implanted and he describes his fantasy to the implanters and they discover that he already did those things!” Then someone tells him, “yeah, they already made that … Continue reading

Fright Night (1985 & 2011)

This article was originall published on 12ftdwende.com on 19 August 2011 I think remakes get a bad rap. It’s true that the sheer volume of remakes out there indicate a lack of originality in the film industry (or, more aptly, a lack of will to finance originality), but they’re not all bad. Three movies were … Continue reading

If I had my own damn Award Show…

Well, the Oscars are coming up in a couple days. I’ll get my picks and predictions and whatnot posted Sunday morning and then try to do some sort of real-time reaction thing like I tried doing with the Emmys a while back… In the meantime I figured I’d chime in with what I actually thought … Continue reading

The New World (2005)

The New World (2005) — So first thing’s first: this review applies to the director’s cut of the film. How is that different from the theatrical cut? Don’t know. Don’t really care either. Terrence Malick is one of those directors whose films I prefer to see in their intended state (the rumors of a long-lost … Continue reading

Crazy Heart (2009)

Crazy Heart (2009) — What elevates this movie above just being a The Wrestler rip-off with country music instead of wrestling? 1) GOOD country music.  In the Toby Keith/Tim McGraw/Keith Urban days that’s not all that easy to come by, but the main character Bad Blake is more in the Kris Kristofferson vein.  2) Jeff … Continue reading

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009)

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009) — This movie had me right up until the end when things came apart a little at the end narratively speaking. The main thing to get excitied about is a return to form for Terry Gilliam, whose last great film was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from 1998 … Continue reading