Never Mind Pop Film

When the average moviegoer is asked to name some of the greatest female characters, the first names that spring to mind are Ripley and Sarah Connor. Actresses were asked to do exciting things after the 1940s and 50s and films were littered with great female performances throughout the years that followed. Women like Ripley and Sarah were defined by their own motivations, anger, competitive edge, or beliefs. It was no longer a requirement for an actress to be in a romantic comedy for her to get a majority of the screen time.

Abruptly the clock struck midnight and those women returned to the waifish, arm-decorations that stood as the new standard for women in films. Women weren’t leading as many action films and dramas, instead they were relegated to the romantic comedies that they had tried so hard to escape from fifty years ago. Gone were the women who occupied films for reasons other than marrying a man. Gone were the women who kicked ass and took names. Gone were women who could le…

A much maligned opening, but a distinctly bold one as well. David Fincher's Alien 3 was a tonal shift from Aliens and this brief sequence conveys that immediately. The death of Newt and Hicks has angered many, most famously, Simon Pegg. Yes, Ripley did go through a lot to rescue the Aliens crew, but this film is going in a different direction and there is no cleaner break (and more effective way to set the mood) than to kill Newt and Hicks.

This thriller has received poor critical word for its ending following its festival-run. Perhaps director Rodrigo Cortés (Buried) crafted a new conclusion to the film. Either way, I'm curious enough to see this thing through with a cast this talented.

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 chased by pur…

The hype for Avatar has been incredibly publicized. 3D has been around for the last several decades, but James Cameron wanted to do something bigger, better. Known for big summer blockbusters, Cameron wanted to push the realms of cinema into something unprecedented.

You know the story from the trailers, you know the director has been working on it for the better part of two decades. So the question is this the film that revolutionizes how people see movies?

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a paralyzed former Marine joining the Avatar program after the death of his brother. He is uniquely positioned to join because he shares his brother's DNA, only Jake can control his avatar. With it, he can walk again and once he infiltrates the Na'vi and convinces them to move away from their land, Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang) promises to get Jake's "real legs back". The Na'vi must be moved because their home is based on a very valuable deposit of Unobtanium.

3D films in t…

Juxtaposed against the cynicism of Wall Street, which was released the year before, Working Girl is an American dream, rags-to-riches Wall Street story.
This movie is a real treat to watch; the writing is superb and the star-studded cast fires on all cylinders.
I give the film 5 out of 5 ungainly shoulder pads.