Upon the most recent viewing of The Incredibles, I’ve come to the conclusion that the film directed and written by Brad Bird is not about superheroes or equality. It’s about rampant use of frivolous lawsuits. In America, there are over one millions lawyers per capita, more than any other nation. On average, 15 million civil lawsuits are […]
Last weekend was ruled by The Avengers, and it’s probably a good bet that most production companies assumed this would be the case. I’m sure that Dark Shadows will draw a decent crowd, but it would be safe to bet on Marvel’s superhero cavalcade to continue conquering the box office. Dark Shadows: The love affair between Johnny […]
The amus bouche of summer superhero spectaculars enters theaters this weekend. While it’s not The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers will certainly draw droves of fans. All in all, the story should be decent. I’m just hoping for minimal advertisements within the film for the return of Tony Stark, the blonde-headed viking, and the inevitable fourth incarnation […]
Directed and adapted by Gary Ross, The Hunger Games deviates from its literary counterpart penned by Suzanne Collins. The difference is not so much in the events of the story. Those stay, for the most part, the same. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) sacrifices herself to save her sister, Prue, whose name is unluckily called as the girl […]
This week brings us Cusack as Poe and a number of literary references. It also portends the dangers of long term engagements in the presence of sickly relatives. On the lighter side, there are claymated pirates looking to pillory foes and wreak gentle havoc on the high seas. Payback: Just in case you weren’t aware how much […]
Question 1: One trope that recurs rather often in movies — and sometimes justifies the perpetuation of a franchise — is the car chase. Overall, what is the mass appeal of the car chase? Tim Adkins: I’ll borrow a line from the late great Fresh Prince of Bel Air: “Drive fast. Speed turns me on.” It’s just […]
On April 15, 1912, The Titanic sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. In those fateful hours, and amidst the fifteen-hundred casualties, the ship sparked a century’s worth of intrigue and became one of the most versatile metaphors in history. In and of itself, the ship was a small island, containing twenty-two hundred people, all separated […]
If Titanic is re-released in 3D under the guise of marking its 100-year anniversary, why should movies like Refer Madness, Dazed and Confused, or Cheech and Chong be re-released each April 20th? Perhaps a movie could be alternated every year. Just something to think about Hollywood. Either way, this week, you can watch Steve Harvey self-promote, a tale of a […]
The Cabin in the Woods opens in a sterile environment, white walls ascend to high ceilings, and two scientist-looking types discuss child-proofing homes as they climb into a golf cart. Some of the tertiary conversation is vague: a young woman dressed in a white coat mentions that other countries have failed and only the Japan and the […]
Based on the series of comic albums by Belgian artist Georges Remi (Herge), the 2011 movie The Adventures of Tintin has clever moments and stunning visual effects, but, at times, it falls victim to its release as a 3D film. The gyroscopic cinematography is stellar, particularly when Tintin, our intrepid adventurer / reporter, chases after a pickpocket […]