Author Archive
Film Review – 10 Cloverfield Lane
Love him or hate him, J.J. Abrams knows how to get your attention. His “mystery box” approach to both 10 Cloverfield Lane and it’s spiritual predecessor, involving surprise trailer drops and elaborate ARGs (look it up), can be either invigorating or infuriating depending on your…
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Film Review – Deadpool
How does one come to trust the opinion of Ryan Reynolds‘ labor of foul-mouthed love, Deadpool, from a reviewer (strong, I know) who not only knows nothing of the character’s origins but is genuinely befuddled by the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole? Especially one…
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Film Review – Mississippi Grind
Depictions of gambling addiction in film have captivated audiences for decades. The formula is as simple as it is brilliant: bad decisions, often resulting in the loss of friends and family + pitying bookies and no-nonsense loan sharks + reckless abandon = cinematic gold. While…
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Film Review – The Visit
Hey, here’s a twist for you: M. Night Shyamalan is interesting again! Okay, not especially, but he’s sure trying. Between this and his foray into television, Wayward Pines, it seems Shyamalan fell asleep at his laptop in a ZzzQuil haze with The X-Files on in…
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Film Review – Digging For Fire
Naturalism is a deterrent for some moviegoers. Mispronunciations, reeling improvisation and spontaneous laughter are mostly reserved for gag reels. Writer/director/sometimes actor Joe Swanberg (You’re Next, Happy Christmas), shining knight of the mumblecore movement, revels in these types of moments. One of the liveliest movie-related arguments…
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Film Review – Cop Car
Children-in-peril films can be played for laughs (paging Kevin McCallister), but are most often reserved for thrillers. What’s more harrowing, after all, than the thought of your young son or daughter disappearing or falling into the hands of a crazed lunatic? Cop Car, Jon Watts‘…
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Film Review – The End of the Tour
Immediate and full disclosure: I have not read Infinite Jest. My brother, who is much smarter than I am, is reading it currently and described it as “very challenging,” allowing me to disregard the notion completely while running into the comforting arms of Stephen King.…
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Film Review – Vacation
The Vacation series is a strange beast. The original National Lampoon’s Vacation is a bonafide comedic classic and I look forward to re-visiting Christmas Vacation each year like only a former Jehovah’s Witness could. European Vacation has its moments and Vegas Vacation, well..it’s gotta be…
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