Movie Blog

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Comments: The cinematography and camera work really grabbed me on this one. T ravolta's and Lithgow's performances, the unique use of sound, and the wonderfully captured sound equipment were highlights as well. It gave me a whole new respect for De Palma and the process of making movies

Additional Note: If possible watch the Criterion version and be sure to check out the interview with Garrett Brown. Amazing stuff. The De Palma interview is super good as well.

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The War Of The Worlds (1953)

Rating: 5.0

Comments: Fantastic special effects for its time, however, it had trouble living up to the all great images conjured up by the 1938 radio broadcast with which I was more familiar (probably not a very fair comparison).

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Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Rating: 8.0

Comments: A cool mix of comedy, drama, science fiction and good fun. Juno meets Primer maybe. Solid acting by the leads and tight production made this feel much more high budget than it was.

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Monday, December 17, 2012

Page Eight (2011)

Rating: 8.0

Comments: A great made-for-TV spy thriller with good depth and superb acting. While the plot shares similarities with many other spy movies, the dialog, acting and the overall mood help set it apart. A must see for anyone who enjoyed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The American or others with more intrigue than action.

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Wikipedia
(EDU)

Friday, December 14, 2012

Circumstance (2011)

Rating: 7.5

Comments: Stylistic and first rate production along with very believable performances by the two leads and a fairly good storyline make for a very solid movie across the board. I am not sure how accurate it is, but seeing the western influence in Iran was an interesting contrast.

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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Griff The Invisible (2010)

Rating: 5.5

Comments: It had some promising moments and offered an interesting twist on the homemade superhero genre, but overall it never really got going and ended up being just OK.

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Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Weekend (2011)

Rating: 6.0

Comments: A solidly directed, well-acted, and very explicit portrayal of the highs and lows of romance. The regular depictions of drug use sometimes detracted a bit from the characters overall appeal, who were otherwise quite endearing and genuine.

Additional Info:

Wikipedia
(EDU)

Saturday, December 8, 2012

The Woman In Green (1945)

Rating: 6.5

Comments: Quite entertaining, like most of the movies from this series. While it may not be the best of the ones with Professor Moriarty as the antagonist, it has all the elements you'd expect and is certainly worth the time.

Additional Info:

Wikipedia
(T)

The House Of Fear (1945)

Rating: 7.0

Comments: A very solid offering from the Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce era of Sherlock Holmes movies. A good blend of mystery, humor, and intrigue, alongside a not overly predictable ending. Lots of fun.

Additional Info:

Wikipedia
(T)

White Dog (1982)

Rating: 5.5

Comments: It deserves credit for its underlying message on racism, but the predictable and lackluster storyline and mediocre acting held it back.

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Sunday, December 2, 2012

Road To Nowhere (2010)

Rating: 8.5

Comments: A fantastic puzzle of a movie that both challenges and entertains with its deeply layered story, fine acting, and superb directing by Monte Hellman. Just be ready for some questions that you may not be able to answer.

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