This may be one of the most difficult reviews I’ve ever written. Not because the material is difficult or intentionally inscrutable (Antichrist) or highly subjective (Repo! The Genetic Opera) but because there are key aspects to The Cabin in the Woods that make me want to recommend it that I simply cannot tell you. I… Continue reading Movie Review: The Cabin in the Woods
Tag: film
Remembering Tony Scott
We’re not entirely sure why director Tony Scott took his own life. There was a rumor involving inoperable brain cancer, but his family has said he did not have that condition, nor any other major medical problems they knew of. Still, a great light has gone out in the world of cinematic storytelling. While some… Continue reading Remembering Tony Scott
Shadow of the Bat
The Dark Knight trilogy is over. Nolan’s Batverse is closed, and its story concluded. In the end, what was it all about? What, in the end, was the ultimate point of stripping out the more superfluous and ridiculous elements of Batman, from blatantly supernatural enemies like Clayface to the presence of easy-to-access Bat Anti-Whatever’s-Trying-To-Eat-Bruce-Wayne’s-Face Spray?… Continue reading Shadow of the Bat
Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises
My feelings on Christopher Nolan are well documented. I’ve gone in depth as to why the writer & director has earned my trust. Even his arguably weakest film to date, The Prestige, is interesting to me and overall a good film, even if it’s not quite up to the level of Inception or The Dark… Continue reading Movie Review: The Dark Knight Rises
Punishing Dirty Laundry
I’m going to go out a limb and post my initial reaction to a short film from San Diego’s Comic Con, which I will link you to right here. Holy. Shit. I haven’t said a lot about Marvel’s character of Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher, since way back in 2010 when I wrote about our… Continue reading Punishing Dirty Laundry
Spectacles with Smarts
There was a time when I could buy the argument of a fictional work being fun for its own sake. Specatcle that aims to be nothing but spectacle has its place, usually in the skies above parking lots as fireworks explode in the darkness. But in the arenas of storytelling, be it printed or in… Continue reading Spectacles with Smarts
Movie Review: Brave
To me, the team at Pixar is right next to the directors Peter Jackson and Christopher Nolan. They’ve never made a bad movie. Even their ‘weakest’ titles are good movies with great composition and interesting ideas on some level. For Pixar, I’d say their weakest title is probably Cars, keeping in mind I’ve never seen… Continue reading Movie Review: Brave
Movie Review: Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
I was introduced to Mission: Impossible at a young age. I found the TV series to be fascinating, in the way it used the same aesthetic and atmosphere of James Bond but felt far closer to home. It had cool gadgets, good chases, and decent characters. The movies have never quite measured up to the… Continue reading Movie Review: Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth
I’m really not sure where to begin with this. If I were still doing IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! I may just lead with a few moments of silence. Powerful films have a way of taking the breath, the very words right out of me. Make no mistake: Pan’s Labyrinth is one of those films. The… Continue reading Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth
Movie Review: The Avengers
It all comes down to this. Four years and five movies ago, if you’d told me that Marvel Studios would craft a connected universe between film franchises building to a coherent capstone piece, I would have laughed at the notion. But here we are. The Avengers has arrived, and with it a lot of questions… Continue reading Movie Review: The Avengers
