The Hunger Games (Review)

The long-awaited film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' novel The Hunger Games is finally here. I'll be honest, I only just recently started reading the book series, and it will definitely be a pleasant surprise to people tired of the typical YA genre Twilight and Harry Potter carbon copies that have flooded bookstores for years. Like Twilight and Harry Potter, Lionsgate is hoping for it to be the next big film franchise based off of a book series, and as of now, it's exceeding expectations at the box office.

Chronicle (Review)

Andrew isn't a social guy, he doesn't have many friends besides his cousin, who only hangs out with him once and a while. His father is an alcoholic who beats him, and his mother is dying of cancer. He takes refuge by creating a buffer in between he and other people when he begins to film everything, and a few nights after he attends a party where his life will be changed forever. He (Dane DeHaan), his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and popular guy Steve (Michael B. Jordan) stumble upon a strange opening in the ground in the woods. When they climb into it they discover what appears to be a glowing, meteorite-like object. Days after coming in contact with it, they all begin to develop telekinetic powers.

The Woman in Black (Review)

You might be surprised if I told you that The Woman in Black is a theatrically released horror movie that doesn't feature a group of high school or college kids, isn't a found footage film, and isn't a remake of a Japanese horror movie. Instead, it's a somewhat refreshing haunted house movie with a main character who the writers actually bothered to develop. How about that?

The Grey (Review)

If you're the type of person that keeps up with reviews of current films, you've probably already heard that The Grey is not necessarily the movie that was advertised in the trailer. What most people will probably expect going in is that it will be an action movie like Taken, but crazier, with Liam Neeson fighting off wolves and the wilderness. Throw those expectations out the window, and get ready for something that's much, much better than that.

The Descendants (Review)

The Descendants is a funny, well acted, and fantastically directed film by the great Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt). This is the type of movie that a majority of critics will eat up around Oscar time- and the praise that it‘s getting is well deserved. Much like Payne’s other films, The Descendants is a realistic character driven drama, and at times, doesn’t even seem scripted. George Clooney stars as Matt King, a rich landowner living in Hawaii who is disconnected from his family, and he and his two daughters are brought together again when a boating accident leaves his wife in a coma. The doctors are unsure whether she’ll make it through or not, so they inform King to make sure that her family and friends are aware of the situation so that they can say goodbye to her if worse comes to worse. Things get worse for King learns from his older daughter Alexandra that his wife had been cheating on him.

Batman: Year One (Review)

Batman: Year One is the latest and greatest DC Animated Batman film, released after the highly praised Under the Red Hood. It’s also based off of arguably the best, and most well known Batman graphic novel of all time of the same name.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (Review)

While I have not seen the original 1970’s TV movie, I will say that I like the idea of remaking a lesser known movie to bring the original into a new light, rather than remaking something that is already beloved and well known. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark focuses on a young girl, Sally, played by Bailee Madison, who is sent to live with her father (Guy Pearce) in an old house after her parents divorce. She soon learns that her father is already dating a younger woman (Katie Holmes) named Kim, and dislikes her from the start. When Sally begins to hear strange noises coming from the basement, she curiously unhinges the small door to the furnace and unleashes hellish creatures that have been trapped under the home for centuries.

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Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Review)

Planet of the Apes is a touchy subject with some people, after the Tim Burton movie emerged out of a black hole somewhere and ruined it all, there was little hope that any continuation after would be less than terrible. This film exceeded my expectations in every way, it manages to be an intelligent summer movie in a world where movies like Battleship and Jack and Jill are acceptable dreck.

Super (Review)

It's hilarious, it's offensive, it's gory, it's touching, and it's one of the best films I've seen this year that didn't even get wide a theatrical release. After seeing the movie, it wasn't too difficult for me to understand why it wasn't given one, and that's because of how horrifically dark it is. I appreciate dark humor, but man, does this movie go there and further. Back when Observe and Report was still in theaters, I remember the disgusted gasps of the audience at a lot of the dark humor in that film, and I knew that most people walked away from that movie hating it because of that; I can't imagine what kind of response this would have had.

Some more quick reviews - 8/5/11

It's been a while since I've done this, but I think I'd like to do it more often. What I mean of course, is compiling a list of some of the films and television shows that I've been watching lately and sharing my thoughts in regards to them. Here you go.