It’s hard to watch Super 8 and not get nostalgic. It’s also hard at times to stomach just how hard J.J. Abrams tries to mimic his producer’s (Steven Spielberg) previous work without a full appreciation for what made those films special. The line between inspiration and cheap imitation can be a fine one. Super 8 …
Category Archives: Entertainment
Way late review: Edward Scissorhands
Edward Scissorhands. The beginning of a long list of films directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. What is now becoming a bit tiring was not always so. It’s not hard to see why Burton’s knack for the odd and Depp’s desire to break free of the prison he perceived 21 Jump Street was …
Way late review: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
It’s funny how our perception of celebrities often depends on when we’re introduced to them. Michael Jackson is pop genius to some, cultural oddity to others. Elvis was either skinny rock icon or fat Vegas crooner. The same can likely be said for Joan Rivers. To me she would likely be labeled the loud mouthed …
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Way late review: Back to the Future
Nostalgia heavily tints a movie like Back to the Future for someone my age. It’s not just another movie. It’s a phenomenon. Michael J. Fox. Huey Lewis and the News. 1985. As my son likes to say, “good times, good times.” Watching the movie always feels familiar and comforting. This time around I watched it …
Way late review: Terri
Terri is an indie flick about an orphan (Jacob Wysocki) who lives with his uncle (Creed Bratton, yes, that Creed), struggles to fit in at school and finds an unlikely friend in his vice principal (John C. Reilly). With a synopsis like that, it may be hard to believe that Terri never falls into sappy …
Way late review: Soul Surfer
If my six year old daughter was reviewing Soul Surfer I think she’d give it two big thumbs up. She’s watching the movie again for the second night in a row. Some might think that’s quite sweet until they discover this is a movie based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, a teenage surfing …
Way late review: Rabbit Hole
I hope I never have to experience what the couple of Rabbit Hole experience, the loss of a child. Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) struggle with the death of their four year old son. The film is set about eight months after the accident that takes their son’s life. Not a happy time. …
Way late review: The Company Men
Let’s start with the synopsis to give an idea of why I spent nearly two hours of my life watching The Company Men. Written, directed and produced by John Wells (“The West Wing”), this indie drama stars Ben Affleck as a successful businessman who comes face-to-face with America’s downsizing epidemic when he loses his job …
Way late review: The Color of Money
It is hard to review this movie because I watched it on a HD screen while the movie (on DVD) was displayed in a tiny square box. Not only that, but the sound mix was even worse, with dialogue barely audible but the soundtrack was cranked to 11. A Martin Scorsese film has never looked …
Way late review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I work in tech. I know far more about pop culture than I’d ever like to admit. I’m not a gamer but I enjoy video games occasionally. Based on all of this, I should, at the very least, be OK with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I too was surprised to find my disdain for …
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