Film Review: Black Swan (2011)

by on Sep.17, 2011, under A, Andres Heinz, Barbara Hershey, Darren Aronofsky, John McLaughlin, Mark Heyman, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Reviews by Paul Talon, Vincent Cassel

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Black Swan

2011

Starring: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, and Barbara Hershey

Written by: Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

A phenomenal film. To take a backdrop that I care almost nothing about (although I do highly respect it) and keep me interested the whole way through is a testament to the character, the story, the acting, and the direction. A true home run in every sense of the word.

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Film Reivew: Take Me Home Tonight (2011)

by on Sep.05, 2011, under Anna Faris, C, Dan Fogler, Gordon Kaywin, Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Michael Dowse, Reviews by Paul Talon, Teresa Palmer, Topher Grace, Topher Grace

Film Reivew: Take Me Home Tonight (2011) 936full take me home tonight screenshot 300x169


Take Me Home Tonight

2011

Starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, and Teresa Palmer

Written by: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Topher Grace, and Gordon Kaywin

Directed by: Michael Dowse

A mixed bag that may be too subtle for its own good. Topher Grace and Dan Fogler are the stars of this 80′s period piece. It serves as a great period as well as homage to the great 80s films. In fact the film tries very hard to be a John Hughes film but while the pieces seem to be in the place, unfortunately the whole falls far short of the intended goal.

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Film Review: Sucker Punch (2011)

by on Sep.03, 2011, under Abbie Cornish, C, Carla Gugino, Emily Browning, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac, Reviews by Paul Talon, Scott Glenn, Steve Shibuya, Vanessa Hudgens, Zack Snyder, Zack Snyder

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Sucker Punch

2011

Starring: Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino, Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm, and Scott Glenn

Written by: Zack Snyder and Steve Shibuya

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Sucker Punch is a film that overall tries too hard to be hip and bizarre and as a result is more confusing than deep and more forgettable than memorable.

I went into the film expecting touches of Scott Pilgrim and maybe Kick Ass and boy was I wrong. It was more Girl Interrupted meets Moulin Rouge by way of Alice In Wonderland.

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Film Review: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

by on Aug.26, 2011, under B, Christopher Markus, Derek Luke, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Hugo Weaving, Jack Kirby, Joe Johnston, Joe Simon, Neal McDonough, Sebastian Stan, Stanley Tucci, Stephen McFeely, Tommy Lee Jones

Film Review: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) 936full captain america the first avenger screenshot 300x221

Captain America: The First Avenger

2011

Starring: Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, and Stanley Tucci

Written by: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely based on the characters by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Directed by: Joe Johnston

The Marvel Comics slate continues with the pulpy Captain America. Let me get one major negative out of the way. It’s tough to get over the feeling that the film is a giant set up for the Avengers – much more so than Iron Man 2 and Thor was and that hurts it. The story is so simplistic that it seems as if they just wanted to get the film over with and the character introduced for the Avengers film.

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Film Review: Quarantine (2008)

by on Aug.25, 2011, under B, Columbus Short, Dania Ramirez, Drew Dowdle, Greg Germann, Jay Hernandez, Jennifer Carpenter, Jhonathan Schaech, John Erick Dowdle, John Erick Dowdle, Rade Serbedzija, Steve Harris

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Quarantine

2008

Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Greg Germann, Steve Harris, Dania Ramirez, Rade Serbedzija, and Johnathon Schaech

Written by: John Erick and Drew Dowdle

Directed by: John Erick Dowdle

When does a fad become a subgenre? The whole found footage phenomenon made popular over ten years ago with the Blair Witch has been attempted quite a few times since then and it on one hand is limiting, but it’s gotten to the point where I am past ragging on films for doing it. To me, it is simply it’s own subgenre of film.

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Film Review: How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

by on Aug.19, 2011, under C, Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson, Jeff Bridges, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Peter Straughan, Robert B. Weide, Simon Pegg, Toby Young

Film Review: How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) howtolosefriendsshot 300x200


How To Lose Friends & Alienate People

2008

Starring: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson, and Jeff Bridges

Written by: Peter Straughan and Toby Young

Directed by Robert B. Weide

This film is…amusing. It wants to take a big satirical shock bite out of the audience but it is far too timid for that. In fact it goes from trying to bite to barely whimpering as it simmers out to a romantic comedy rather than satire.

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Film Review: Source Code (2011)

by on Aug.19, 2011, under A, Ben Ripley, Duncan Jones, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Wright, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga

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Source Code

2011

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright

Written by: Ben Ripley

Directed by: Duncan Jones

What a thrill ride. Compared by some as the poor man’s Inception, I believe that Source Code was in many ways as good as Nolan’s well loved story. And while there are a few vague items that can distract, if you allow yourself to go with the film, it can take you to some pretty provocative areas.

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Film Review: Paul (2011)

by on Aug.14, 2011, under B, Greg Mottola, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Nick Frost, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Simon Pegg, Simon Pegg

Film Review: Paul (2011) paul screenshot 300x161


Paul

2011

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Bateman

Written by: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost

Directed by: Greg Mottola

A sidebar from Pegg and Frost films with Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz – SV Sidebar – How have I NOT reviewed them yet?) we are shown this comedy about an alien named Paul who gets involved in a action/adventure chase cross country with two nerds from the UK who traveled to Comic Con in San Diego and are now going cross country to explore well known alien sighting sites.

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Film Review: Stand By Me (1986)

by on Aug.14, 2011, under A, Bruce A. Evans, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Raynold Gideon, Richard Dreyfuss, River Phoenix, Rob Reiner, Stephen King, Whil Wheaton

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Stand By Me

1986

Starring: Whil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, and Richard Dreyfuss

Written by: Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon based on the story “The Body” by Stephen King

Directed by: Rob Reiner

I followed one quintessential 80s movie (St. Elmo’s Fire) with another and it is quite clear which one aged better. Stand By Me still stands out as a timeless coming of age tale about four young boys and their journey into a world slightly bigger than the one they are used to.

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Film Review: St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)

by on Aug.14, 2011, under Ally Sheedy, Andrew McCarthy, B, Carl Kurlander, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Joel Schumacher, Joel Schumaker, Judd Nelson, Mare Winningham, Rob Lowe

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St. Elmo’s Fire

1985

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Mare Winningham

Written by: Joel Schumaker and Carl Kurlander

Directed by: Joel Schumaker

Being a child of the 80s, I really don’t know how I ever escaped seeing this film until 2011. I mean I saw practically every 80s film multiple times and loved them. I loved the soundtracks and even loved this soundtrack…or at least the main theme. Who doesn’t love Man In Motion? Yet somehow this film remained a mystical film in which the Brat Pack really began.

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