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Showing posts from March, 2011

The Vault: High Noon (1952)

Marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) just hung up the badge and the gun belt and got happily married to a beautiful bride (Grace Kelly) when their honeymoon plans get jolted with horrible news. Frank Miller, a madman criminal that Kane himself put behind bars, has been pardoned. To make it even worse, Miller threatened to murder Kane for what he did and it seems that Miller is planning to follow through on that threat. All of Miller's old gang is waiting at the station for him to arrive on the noon train. The friends of Kane urge him to leave while he still has a chance, and Will and his wife get out of town before Will turns the wagon around.  You can run away from the problem, however long you can stay in front of it, but you can't run away from your conscience. The town however, as well as his newly-wed wife don't agree with Will. The town is too cowardly to act and ignored the marshal's appeals for help. His wife was going to board the same train

Pulp Fiction by Tim Doyle

Artist Tim Doyle has created several prints to exhibit in his Quentin vs. Coens show for the Bold Hype Gallery in New York. This and his other works for Reservoir Dogs , Inglourious Basterds , Kill Bill , Jackie Brown and more here .

"Have a Good Day."

Frank comes downstairs after a very heated argument and - much to his surprise - April has breakfast waiting for him. She has forgiven him. Or so he thinks. Sam Mendes' tale of domestic drama entails many betrayals. The most important being trust. April (Kate Winslet) believes Frank to have betrayed her trust. In fact she knows it. His promises of leaving their quaint and cozy existence on Revolutionary Road have all turned out to be lies.  What she is really about to do will rock his existence. Winslet's performance during this scene alone should have warranted her Best Actress Oscar. The way her eyes embody the solemness of the scene is beyond words. We know something is wrong, but we have no idea how bad.

Your Thoughts on 'Sucker Punch'

Zack Snyder's girl power/Alice in Wonderland shoot-out hit theatres today. Love it, hate it, or somewhere in between? Leave your take in the comments below.

Review: Jane Eyre

In terms of literary prestige there are few names as valued as Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre . There have been at least eight adaptations of the book starring various stars of screen and stage, but with any classic tale, there is fresh air waiting to be taken in by a new audience. Director Cary Fukunaga ( Sin Nombre ) accepts this challenge and doesn't disappoint us with his vision. From the get-go Jane (Mia Wasikowska) battles against her surroundings. The whipping winds and pouring rain of the moor as she attempts to brave her way to St. John Rivers (Jamie Bell) residence. Fukunaga starts off Jane Eyre with Jane as an adult sharing her traumatic upbringing in flashback. It's a nice subversion and one that introduces a stylish aesthetic quickly. Jane suffered a great deal of abuse in her childhood, it starts at the Reed household at the hands of her aunt and Mr. Brocklehurst and continues in her mind for years afterward. Yet in her new position as governess, Jane ha

Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)

Actress Elizabeth Taylor has passed away today of congestive heart failure at the age of 79. The star of such films as Cleopatra , Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ,   Taylor was a mega star of her time and had a great run of films in the 1950's. Turner Classic Movies has scheduled a memorial marathon for April 10th.

This Post Was Converted Into 3D

Well 3D certainly hasn't turned out the way I thought it would. Following last year's impressive effects in How to Train Your Dragon , Tangled , Tron Legacy ,   2011 has been, well let's be honest, complete and utter crap. Drive Crazy 's promotional marketing refused to let any one go through watching television without having filmed in 3D carved into their eyeballs. Sanctum had all of the questionable dialogue of Avatar without any of the splendor. The Green Hornet seemed like it had a reasonable excuse for post-converting; Michel Gondry's visual flair hasn't failed before, but it did this time. And as for  Justin Bieber: Never Say Never . I won't dignify this film's existence with a remark. Sucker Punch will leave some kind of mark in the next week, but even if that, Harry Potter 7.2, and Captain America all do well. This season looks like it won't be saved. Film purists will likely be overwhelmed with joy over the growing discontent with h

10 Words or Less: Zodiac (2007)

Obsession takes many forms and many faces.

Levitt is John Blake in 'Dark Knight Rises'

UPDATE: Levitt will actually be playing, “John Blake, a Gotham City beat cop assigned to special duty under the command of Commissioner Gordon”. Variety has reported that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is confirmed to play Alberto Falcone in The Dark Knight Rises . For those of you who are familiar with The Long Halloween graphic novel Alberto Falcone is the son of Carmine (Tom Wilkinson) and also the infamous Holiday Killer. Whether the Holiday Killer plotline will make it into the film, or Alberto poses more of a minor threat to Batman has yet to be seen. But pieces are coming together and it seems like we have a better idea where The Dark Knight Rises is going.

The Vault: The Red Balloon (1956)

The Red Balloon ( Le Ballon rouge ) begins with young Pascal walking to school alone in gritty inner-city Paris. he finds a large red balloon attached to the top of a lamp post and rescues it. The balloon is then his companion. Everywhere the balloon goes, it causes Pascal trouble. It shortly becomes apparent that the balloon is sentient, and appreciates Pascal; it waits for him outside his apartment and reluctantly obeys his command. The balloon is a metaphor for the whimsy of childhood. Regardless of any problems it may cause, the viewer always knows that Pascal is better off for having its company. The Red Balloon won the oscar for best short film in 1959, and is a delight to see.

Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

Attorney Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is not your typical lawyer, he operates his business out of the back of a black Lincoln. Mick's driver rumbles across Los Angeles, while he dabbles here and there representing biker gangs, drug users, and various court room occupants. Mick's reputation precedes him in the court room, prosecutors and judges know him to be the heavy hitter working for big bucks, clients know him to be their saving grace. What most don't know about Mick is his biggest fear is an innocent client. He came across one once and that didn't go well, apathy has proven to be Mick's best friend since. In a lot of ways McConaughey and his Lincoln Lawyer character Mick Haller are quite similar. Both are very talented, but have skated by for the last several years doing lesser work. With Mick's latest client, the stakes are higher now. An opportunity for major money has presented itself in the form of a Newport yuppie charged with attempted murder

Review: Limitless

Post-modern consumers are all about the quick-fix: lose weight instantly, bulk up immediately, six hours of energy drinks available in the time it takes to drink a shot. Life is moving at a much faster pace now and we need supplements that will aid that. There is no time left for those who can't keep up. Which brings us to the central character of Limitless , Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper). His girlfriend, Lindy, is moving up in the world and Eddie's life is stuck in stasis as of the moment. She loves him, but he has to make drastic changes though they are slow to come. The novel that has languished unfinished on his laptop sees no signs of being completed. Eddie is watching his future run out. A chance encounter with his former brother-in-law leaves Eddie an opportunity to change everything. A tiny pill called NZT has provided him with everything he needs. Initially, Eddie is hesitant, his brother-in-law was always a screw-up how could that have changed? There is only one w

10 Words or Less: Snatch (2000)

Don't stake anything on a man named "One Punch Mickey".

First Time Freebie

If this is your first time renting a movie using Redbox online you could get a free DVD/Blu-ray rental !

The Vault: Wesley Willis: The Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll ★ ★ ★

say RAH! You say RAOW! Anyone with a passing familiarity with Wesley Willis' music has heard stories about the man who made the music. Tales of the 400 pound behemoth who has a permanent welt of his head from headbutting the people he likes are contrasted against his mental illness and the tough life he lived. Willis' music would be described as outsider art. Music was his passion, and he wasn't in any way classically trained. Many of his songs are little more than a few repetitive lyrics set to a digital keyboard playing in demo mode. The simplicity of the music and the humourous lyrics make for very accessible music, which led to its popularity. However, it's easy to feel that you're being exploitative when enjoying one of these songs. After watching the film, I no longer feel like this is correct. Wesley Willis: The Daddy of Rock 'n' Roll tells Wesley's story. He lived a hard life that was punctuated by some of the worst that humanity can

Review: Rango

Rango (Johnny Depp) fell off the wagon, that's not to say he is an alcoholic, I mean he literally fell out of a station wagon and has become the newest resident of I-15. He bumbles into the saloon in Dirt, a small town located precisely in the middle of nowhere. Rango is out of his element in the desert, he's a pet used to living in a cage, he will have to find some shelter quickly if he wants to survive. Fortunately, Rango comes a small town called Dirt. Not a lot happens in Dirt, the big happening when Rango arrives is a discussion about the upcoming delivery of water. The discussion turns to the new stranger in town and he brushes some black hats the wrong way. After being thrown out of the bar, through sheer luck and happenstance Rango encounters the hawk preying on the town. After making short work of the predator, Rango is named Sheriff. Rango is a natural actor so taking the part of lawman comes easy to him. He likes the attention, the people like his st

'Super' Trailer

This looks absolutely insane. Kick-Ass was supposed to be the send-up of comic book movies everyone was looking for (turned out to be formatively standard), but Super might actually be it. Or it could fall flat on its face for being deranged. Only time will tell.

Review: Paul

Nostalgia tripping is risking becoming it's own subgenre of film. It's a golden age for nerds: comedic geniuses like Simon Pegg riff on 80s pop-culture for hours and make watching it enjoyable. This is old hat for Pegg, who starred with Paul co-writer and co-star Nick Frost in Spaced so many years ago. Spaced pulled from the same bag of "Wars and Trek" references, and like in Paul , it didn't let the in-jokes ruin the comedic chemistry, plot and character development. Contrast this with Fanboys , another exercise in sci-fi reverence that was steeped too deep in arcana and lacked comedic wit. Fanboys featured a cameo by Seth Rogen, who gives the charming the voice to the titular alien. Paul is the story of two aging nerds taking a road trip through some of the more alien lore rich states after a visit to comic-con. While stopped to see The Black Mailbox , a car crashes nearby that contains a lovable extra terrestrial who needs help to escape. He is being cha

10 Words or Less: The Usual Suspects (1995)

Who is Keyser Soze?

Due Date Dash Winners

Due Date Dash is officially over and congrats to those of you who have won! My blog companion was Critic Approved. Winners Swright88 - Grand Prize Winner  Dbooghier0303 - Free Rental Amderemer - Free Rental I will be contacting you in order to ship your prizes. For those of you who didn't win click here to download the film, or visit the official site .

"Is This Gonna Be Our Time?"

Desperation. Anger. Revenge. All loaded conveniently into Teardrop's hands. The glare says it all really. The message he is sending with his eyes is absolute and is not up for interpretation. He knows his brother is dead. He knows who got him that way. And he's willing to die to right that.