Alien 3 (1992)

Alien 3 (1992) – So in 2003 the Alien series came out in a deluxe edition box set somewhat stupidly called the Alien “Quadrilogy.” (Quartet. The fucking word is quartet.) Ridley Scott came out with a new Director’s Cut of Alien. James Cameron supervised the restoration of his Director’s Cut of Aliens. Jean-Pierre Jeunet created … Continue reading

Alien (1979)

Alien (1979) – So Starfleet is a pretty cool idea. I mean a sort of egalitarian organization that goes around exploring and keeping the peace. That’s part of the utopian vision of Star Trek. (Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek, anyway, I don’t know so much about J.J. Abrams’s…) A lot of space-set science fiction tends to … Continue reading

Fight Club (1999)

Fight Club (1999) – There probably nothing much that can be written about Fight Club that hasn’t already been written. For me, it was how I discovered David Fincher. (Okay I had actually seen Alien 3 already, but that’s not exactly the best barometer of what he can do… though I do actually enjoy it … Continue reading

Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus (2012) – Ridley Scott has not made a science fiction movie in 30 years, since his unparalleled masterpiece Blade Runner. Almost as good (and definitely more popular) is Scott’s second-best film Alien. Alien kicked off a franchise given us the great sequel Aliens, the sequel which I like (though few others seem to) Alien … Continue reading

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) – So in the month since I’ve seen the latter, I’ve still not quite made up my mind whose film version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I prefer: Niels Arden Oplev or David Fincher. The Swedish Dragon Tattoo is the only film of Oplev’s I’ve ever … Continue reading

The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network (2010) — SECOND REVIEW [Blu Ray] A lot has been made since this film’s initial release about what really happened and what was invented.  Although I may sound like a broken record since I bring this up every single time such a “controversy” arises, who the hell cares?  A good movie is … Continue reading

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2009)

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2009) — Of the three film adaptations of Stieg Larson’s trilogy, I find this one to be the most uneven.  What works in this one more than anything is still the casting.  Noomi Rapace embodies her character so perfectly that it’s hard to imagine anyone else even trying … Continue reading

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) — Special effects can be a tricky thing.  Far too often they’re used not to further a story but to take the place of a story.  But David Fincher knows better.  His previous films like Fight Club and Panic Room are all loaded with effects but they never … Continue reading