Boiler Room unabashedly takes its cues from Wall Street and Glengarry Glenn Ross with a clip from the former being shown and quoted by the characters, so kudos for at least not denying it and claiming to be original through and through. The performances are mostly solid but the screenplay and in particular, the ending needed work because it had potential to be memorable.
Nebraska is a slow developing yet poignant drama-comedy about aging, familial relationships and looking at the past. It’s not quite as good as Payne’s previous works like Sideways, but well worth watching especially for the performances from Bruce Dern who is absolutely incredible and Will Forte, working well off of Dern.
Samson and Delilah is one of Cecil Deville’s lavish spectacles with wonderful vistas and color cinematography that is absolutely beautiful and probably one of the reasons the movie has endured as much as it has. The two leads are fine in their roles though hardly memorable but admittedly it’s not a story I was enamored with to go along with a screenplay that isn’t the best in terms of dialogue.
Homefront isn’t a great film yet still more than watchable fare especially for Statham who is on top of his game even if his character is more or less the same as we’ve seen before. The action is half-decent but the fights are tough and well done helping one ignore a messy plot and two-dimensional characters played by actors who probably deserved better.
The Agony and the Ecstasy is a massive production and features two fine performances by Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison; it’s also an interesting, widespread, story that keeps one’s attention through the 2-hour running time.
Enemies Closer often times can be one of those so bad it’s good flicks but only when Van Damme and his striking hairdo is on camera and appearing to have been in a new restaurant. Other than that, the film is mostly forgettable that no doubt will find a home on USA Network.
“Legit”: The Complete First Season is outrageous from the opening scene until the end. Jim Jefferies is hilarious in all his offensive glory and along with a great supporting cast led by Dan Bakkedahl and DJ Qualls, this is a funny show that might not be for everybody but if you can handle off-color humor, it’s well worth checking out.
“Beware the Batman”: Season One, Part One is an interesting entry into the series with some fun CGI animation, good voice performances and some innovative inventions in the Dark Knight’s arsenal to the point I hope can be integrated into the new franchise. Still, it’s not perfect and of course doesn’t come close to “The Animated Series”, but if you can look past the big changes, it’s an entertaining ride.
Ice Soldiers is a cheap and quick release from Sony, a movie that somehow got financing. The story is terrible, the acting bad except maybe for Ironside who is woefully underutilized, and it’s just an all around boring-ass movie whereupon I found more entertaining looking up at my ceiling than paying any attention to the plot.
The 300 Spartans is a extravagantly made war-drama with impressive costume and set designs to go along with the hundreds of extras.
MGM once again goes the well with this now Rocky: Heavyweight Collection which only has a remaster of the first film while the other 4 (Balboa already looks great) are left with old transfers which are nice but nothing notable. Except for a throwaway game, all of the features on the 7th disc have been ported over and placed on the Rocky disc so you’re not going to be missing anything.
Killing Kennedy isn’t the best history drama as even at only 90-minutes does tend to drag but thanks to two strong performances from Rob Lowe (who deserved an Emmy nomination) and Will Rothaar, with special acknowledgement to Michelle Trachtenberg, this is a movie that is worth one viewing especially if you’re interested in getting the perspective of Oswald and his motivations.
Battle of the Damned is yet another poorly made direct-to-video action vehicle for Dolph Lundgren. The story has a been-there vibe, the acting from the supporting players is questionable and the effects are poor, though expected for the kind of budget this movie must’ve had.
Gravity is certainly one of the better movies, though not the best, to come out of 2013 and between the technological achievements by Alfonso Cuarón and the VFX crew, a taut story and Sandra Bullock’s performance, it’s one heck of a journey that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s not a movie for everybody and admittedly Cuarón utilization of symbolism is at times a bit laughable, I still recommend this movie.
The Front is a welcoming drama seeing Woody Allen playing it mostly straight and sans his quirky persona he’s relied on over the years, albeit most of the time with success.