Although hardly the perfect comedy, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone still has plenty of laughs going for it. Steve Carell is more or less Michael Scott, and any other character he’s played in his other comedic efforts, but the supporting cast gives good performances and I for one managed to laugh more than a few times and was all around amused by the film.
Gruesome to the extreme, and weird as all hell, The ABCs of Death will probably satisfy some hardcore horror fans. And although the segments are done from film students, it’s interesting to see how each approach the subject from in-your-face gore to light-hearted comedy (i.e. “Fart”), there’s probably something there for everybody. No, it doesn’t work put together but it’s not a complete waste.
I hated Movie 43. I didn’t find the jokes particularly funny – and mind you, I don’t mind crude/rude humor – nor was it very controversial. Instead this looked more like a college film project with a higher budget and one which was made for insiders rather than a larger audience.
The Rambler is certainly one of the stranger movies to come out in 2013 and one where writer/director Calvin Reeder was influenced by the master of oddities, David Lynch. And while this is a unique movie in the midst of sequels, remakes and reboots, it never quite reached its full potential.
The Call isn’t an unpredictable suspense-thriller but thanks to the performances by Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin, and some slick direction by Brad Anderson, it’s an entertaining and captivating thriller from beginning to end even if the finale felt out of place.
While I didn’t think The Numbers Station was anything special, there’s still enough here to warrant at least a rental. Cusack and Akerman deliver enticing performances, and that includes Cusack being dourer than ever, the story unfolds in a unique manner and at least provides some entertainment until the end.
Cleopatra remains an epic classic today in every fashion both in front of and, oft because of, behind the camera. Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison are magnificent in their respective roles and the spectacle that are the production and costume designs are incredible.
Just from the title and its above title star, one knows what to expect from something like 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded. The original was hardly anything special although John Cena wasn’t terrible and Robert Patrick made for a formidable villain, but here, with a lower budget, things got scaled down from the production design to the script which seemed to be a wannabe Saw story with less-than-intricate plot points anyone can see coming 15 miles away.
In Old Arizona is an interesting time piece of cinema and old Westerns. As the back cover states, this was the first major Western to use the new technology of sound and the first “talkie” to be shot outdoors. Personally, and not a fan of Westerns in general, I found it to be lackluster but Warner Baxter’s performance did stand out.
A Good Day to Die Hard is an all around poor excuse of an action movie. Yes, some movies can rely loud explosions and insane action set pieces but those other films were not culled from the Die Hard name. The Fast and Furious franchise can get away with it because frankly, and no disrespect, they’ve never had the most clever or intense storylines and even characters. The Blu-ray at least is top notch even if the movie was not.
Driven is an overly dramatic, poorly acted melodrama that never really hits its stride. In 2001 when the movie was released, Sylvester Stallone was still in a funk, aside from Cop Land.
Rendition is an OK film shining light on a controversial practice but the drama is overwrought with over-the-top acting especially from Reese Witherspoon who seemed to have taken the role aiming for another Academy Award. But Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin are quite good in their limited roles.
Killing Lincoln is far from a perfect movie but offers some interesting information not many people might know about. The performances by Billy Campbell and Jesse Johnson are both respectable especially Johnson who probably deserves an Emmy nomination for his great portrayal of James Wilkes Booth.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a fine piece of film making with Raimi and company doing a fine job at least tying it with The Wizard of Oz, although a side effect being, similar to the Star Wars prequels, you kind of delude the mystery of the Wizard by revealing it in a prequel. Even so, though, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining film that doesn’t quite hit its mark yet still passed the time nicely.
Running Scared showed me two things: 1) style and substance can co-exist; 2) Wayne Kramer is a hell of a filmmaker even if the script didn’t completely grab me; and 3) Paul Walker shows he does have acting skills.