Posted in: The Reel World by J C on April 20th, 2012
More than any other genre — except maybe "M. Night Shyamalan movies" — romantic comedies really take a beating. We've all heard the complaints: "They're safe." "They're predictable." "The apartments are unrealistically amazing." "They all star Jennifer Aniston or Katherine Heigl." Of course, these complaints also double as the reasons why lots of people love them. (Ok, maybe not so much the part about Aniston and Heigl.) Either way, I think we can all agree that rom-coms as a whole could benefit from some sort of fresh twist or wrinkle. Think Like a Man, despite the efforts of a likable cast, is not here to provide that freshness.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on March 30th, 2012
"You've got to control your fear."
It appears that Greek mythology has become the fodder for a ton of movies of late. From young adult films to the hardcore action movies, audiences are getting their fill of the familiar gods and beasts from mythology lore. Some are calling it a trend or hot phase, like vampires and robots. Whatever it is, it isn't a phase, and it isn't merely passing through.
Posted in: The Reel World by J C on March 25th, 2012
As someone who devoured The Hunger Games during a single marathon sitting a week before the movie's release, I was particularly curious and excited to see Suzanne Collins' best seller get the big-screen treatment. Judging by all the Team Peeta devotees and side-braid-sporting, would-be Katnisses — who had certainly been waiting for the movie a lot longer than I had — at my opening night screening, I was far from the only one. (The record-breaking box office was another clue.) Still, in a theater packed with rabid superfans, and with a beloved property making its much-anticipated jump onto the silver screen, the question of whether or not the movie is actually any good can often seem somewhat beside the point.
Posted in: The Reel World by M. W. Phillips on March 9th, 2012
“When I saw you, I believed it was a sign... that something new can come into this world.”
John Carter first appeared in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom magazine serial nearly a century ago in 1912. The science fiction pioneering Carter stories captured the imagination of masses and inspired countless authors and directors. For example, George Lucas himself has stated there would be no Star Wars without John Carter of Mars. It took nearly a century to get it to screen and in time countless others have mined the series for inspiration. The result is a massive “been there done that” experience.
Posted in: The Reel World by M. W. Phillips on March 2nd, 2012
“This party is gonna change everything for us.”
Somewhere a chimp hugs his VHS copy of 1987’s Project X and cries in outrage that this wasn’t a remake ala Rise of the Planet of the Apes (this movie’s age demographic won’t even get that reference). Even feral monkeys would be outraged by the wild behavior exhibited in 2012’s Project X, and that is kind of the point.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on March 2nd, 2012
Dr. Seuss and his cast of strange and wonderful characters have been around since before I was born. The first book I ever read by myself was Green Eggs And Ham, and I can remember the experience quite vividly still. Each Christmas I run the 1960's Boris Karloff version of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. It's been a tradition at the Sassani household for decades. It started with television broadcast that led to videotaped copy which found its way to a laserdisc, followed by a DVD and now a beautiful Blu-ray from the folks at Warner. If these things don't qualify me as a bonafide fan of the good Doctor, I'm not sure what else will.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on February 24th, 2012
"In valor there is hope"
It would be easy to dismiss Act Of Valor as either a recruiting tool piece of propaganda or yet another in an endless line of war films attempting to capture some form of authenticity. It would be easy, if you haven't seen the film. I can promise you that no matter what your views on war or the military in general, the one thing you simply won't be able to do is dismiss Act Of Valor.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on February 10th, 2012
"Remember rule number one: You are responsible for your house guest. I'm your house guest."
I know a few ladies out there, and maybe even a few guys, who wouldn't mind it at all if Denzel Washington were their houseguest. But for Ryan Reynolds and the rest of the cast of Safe House, Denzel is going to be more than a handful of trouble. It's the latest in the prolific career for Denzel Washington, who continues to find new ways to reinvent himself on the screen.
Posted in: The Reel World by M. W. Phillips on February 3rd, 2012
“Have you seen her? The Woman in Black? She once lost a boy, and now she’s come back. Our parents all worry, they make such a fuss: For if she can’t find him, she’ll take one of us.”
Now this looks like a Hammer film. A subdued cool color palette, stunning Gothic set pieces, a wonderful location ripe with grieving and decaying symbolism, and genuinely scary ghosts make The Woman in Black an impressive throwback to old fashioned horror. Having been a fan of the original 1983 novella by Susan Hill and the 1989 TV teleplay for Britain’s ITV network, I looked forward to Hammer’s adaptation. I was not disappointed.
Posted in: The Reel World by Gino Sassani on January 23rd, 2012
At first glance Haywire appears a bit out of character for the likes of director Steven Soderbergh. It's not that he hasn't delivered action films in the past. It's that he's never quite tied himself to such a tried and sometimes true formula before. When you first look at the press for Haywire you're going to pretty much dismiss it as a standard action hero film that follows in the mold of a Steven Seagal/Chuck Norris mold with a touch of Bourne Identity thrown in to meet the more recent trends
