Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category

Kick-Ass kicks it into high gear … almost

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Oh, how I wish this film had been called Hit Girl so I could have given it an A+. Unfortunately, the plot of Kick-Ass barely holds together the fantastic scenes of choreographed vigilante action. Scattershot plot aside, Kick-Ass has plenty to offer in almost every cinematic department.

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Timelessly forgettable

Friday, April 16th, 2010

Hot Tub Time Machine is a hilariously absurd romp through time that delivers the goods on exactly what its title would lead the viewer to presume, and little else. With a ridiculous premise that pokes fun at both the teen movie and mid-life crisis buddy comedy genres, the film successfully evokes a handful of laughs.

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Shutter Island a creepy masterpiece

Friday, March 5th, 2010

For the first time since The Departed, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up to dominate the silver screen. Shutter Island demonstrates Scorsese’s prowess in an unfamiliar genre – that of the psychological thriller. This film is guaranteed to distort your dreams for nights after you experience it.

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Book of Eli – Movie Review

Friday, February 5th, 2010

The Book of Eli is the story of a man on a mission from God. Eli, played by Denzel Washington, is a former K-Mart worker turned post-apocalyptic badass. After nuclear war scorched the surface of the Earth, Eli is charged with the task of protecting the last Bible in existence.

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St. Louis Film Festival

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Do you ever grow tired of watching monotonous mainstream movies in gigantic megaplexes week after week? Have you felt the occasional impulse to watch a lesser-known independent film, even if only to impress friends with your knowledge of cinema? If so, then you should head downtown this weekend to attend the 18th annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF).

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Is this movie a Thriller?

Friday, November 13th, 2009

Michael Jackson’s This Is It is a groundbreaking view into the makings of what would’ve been the King of Pop’s ambitious reintroduction into the limelight. Constructed from simple video footage documenting the vast preparation of what could have been Michael’s grand worldwide comeback, the documentary’s director/producer Kenny Ortega shows us an otherwise-unseen side of the King of Pop.

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What the Wild Things aren’t

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Where the Wild Things Are is a heartfelt look into the vivid imagination and emotional inner workings of a child. Director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) does a brilliant job bringing life and emotion to this adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book. His soulful film bursts at the seams with heart, beauty and feeling. Yet, perplexingly, it’s never clear who Jonze is aiming to please with his big budget adaptation. It would seem odd to turn a children’s picture book into a film not aimed at children, but it seems that’s exactly what Jonze has done. Though the filmmakers and cast did an incredible job, the film is far too emotionally heavy to appeal to kids, yet simultaneously feels too shallow to appeal to adults.

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Zombies

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Zombieland is a hysterical new take on the old zombie-horror genre from rookie director Ruben Fleischer.

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Hollywood and Broadway

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Since when has professional theater become a fashionable alternative to screen work for movie stars? Nowadays, more Hollywood actors are proving that they’re not afraid to postpone lucrative film careers to test their craft onstage. According to USA Today’s fall theater preview, 2009 marks “the highest celebrity quotient in a fall [Broadway] season….”

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Film Review – Surrogates

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

As advertised by the invention’s manufacturer, VSI, surrogates allow users to “do whatever you want, be whoever you want” without any risk or danger — until now.

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