Early on “The Master” received a lot of Oscar buzz. Stars Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman went head-to-head at the 2006 Academy Awards and Hoffman won. This year they were nominated again, in separate categories, and neither won. Outside of these two strong performances, “The Master” is a bit of a mess and clearly […]
The original “Expendables” was a surprise hit at the box office in 2010, thanks to the bringing together of some of the most popular action stars of all-time (though they’d aged a bit since their heyday). Now the bar has been raised even higher with “The Expendables 2”, thanks to a bigger cast and the […]
“Ruby Sparks” is a charming romantic comedy from the directors of the Oscar-winning “Little Miss Sunshine”. Paul Dano (“There Will Be Blood”) stars as Calvin. When he was 19, Calvin wrote a best-selling novel that was so good and successful that people started calling him a genius. And they still do, even though Calvin hates […]
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis play political rivals in “The Campaign”, a comedy from director Jay Roach, who also directed HBO’s “Game Change” and “Recount”, so he definitely knows his stuff when it comes to politics. And it shows. This is a smart and sharp film that takes itself seriously while still being hysterically funny, […]
It’s one of the great wonders and mysteries of the movies: How an actor, writer, director can make a great film one year and then their next picture can be an utter failure. Last year, Woody Allen pulled-off a remarkable comeback with the smart, clever, delightful and funny “Midnight in Paris”, for which he won […]
Four score and seven years ago (actually more like 150 years ago), our 16th President may have been “Honest Abe”, but he also kept a big secret. Abraham Lincoln was a…VAMPIRE HUNTER! Believe it or not, “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is based on a book. The author, Seth Grahame-Smith, also wrote the screenplay. This is […]
“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” begins three weeks before an asteroid is set to hit Earth after our last attempt to stop it from coming has failed. Steve Carell stars as Dodge. Once the news is out that all hope is gone, his wife immediately leaves him. Now all alone and […]
“Prometheus” is the first sci-fi/horror movie I’ve reviewed, at least that’s what it looked like it was going to be from the trailers. Director Ridley Scott’s latest is mostly just science fiction, not offering any of the ‘jump out of your seat’ moments I was expecting. In fact, there’s very little suspense as well. It’s […]
Leonardo DiCaprio has received a great deal of praise for his dignified performance as J. Edgar Hoover in this Clint Eastwood-directed biopic, and rightfully so. Eastwood delivers an interesting film, as the focus bounces back and forth from Hoover’s early days creating the FBI to his later years, as he’s telling his life story to […]
“My Week with Marilyn” contains one of the best acting ensembles of any film this year, led by the amazing Michele Williams as Marilyn Monroe. Williams picked-up a well deserved Golden Globe victory and Academy Award nomination for her performance. As for the movie itself, it’s not bad either. The story, based on actual events, […]