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Hurt Locker/Perfect Getaway Double Pack Reviews
The Hurt Locker Review Hollywood loves classical three act structure. The Hurt Locker could give a damn, is my guess, and that’s great. For around 90 minutes The Hurt Locker hurtles along, keeping the tension super-high and the narrative episodic. Usually an episodic narrative in a feature format might drag, but not for the first…
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Judd Apatow’s Best and Worst Movie
Funny People Review A fairly drastic departure for Judd Apatow, Funny People is overlong, rambling, unfocused and also sometimes moving, thought-provoking and maybe even just a smidge deep. Adam Sandler is actually quietly a very strong dramatic actor, a fact known to viewers of Punch-Drunk Love and Reign Over Me. Compared to those two movies…
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A Bit Boring, Bottom Line
Public Enemies Review Listen, Michael Mann made Heat and he can pretty much coast for the rest of his career and I would still think he’s a genius. But really in many of Mann’s films there’s a sort of clinical closeness that’s distancing, he’s not the type of filmmaker that you’d expect to see a…
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Transformers Needs To Chill Out
Transformers Box Office Commentary Transformers 2 has grossed $387 million worldwide to this point, according to boxofficemojo.com In 5 days. That’s crazy talk. The film got mostly negative reviews and recently this article came out http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090621/film_nm/us_transformers saying Bay had complained about the marketing of the film, though as the article notes it seems he later…
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Reheated Denzel
The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 Review Denzel Washington plays an MTA worker chatting with John Travolta’s subway hijacker in The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 otherwise known as the JV team version of Inside Man. How it’s Similar to Inside Man 1. Denzel vs. Hostage Taking Criminal Mastermind Except instead of a coolly cold and eloquent…
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PT Anderson’s Career: Commentary/Analysis
PT Anderson Commentary For anyone not familiar with this incredible filmmaker, this can serve as a starting guide. In my opinion he’s that rare distinctive filmmaker who not only has gotten better with each film, but has demonstrated a tremendous range in terms of tone and genre. Let’s jump right in. *For anyone not familiar…
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What Should I See Tonight, Dan? (6/12/09)
You’ve got a couple options. 1. The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 Which has gotten middling reviews, and is probably going to be predictable and mediocre. That being said, Denzel Washington seems incapable of delivering an actually BAD movie, so there’s that to consider. 2. Imagine That You could help salvage Eddie Murphy’s career by attending…
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Probably Going To Be The Funniest Movie of 2009
The Hangover Review This movie is laugh-out loud funny literally from the beginning through the closing credits. It’s about three friends who awake from a bachelor party without the groom, and can’t remember what happened to him because they blacked out during the party. There are some narrative issues, particularly a blatant deus ex machina…
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Why Terminator Kinda Half Flopped
Terminator Salvation Analysis In lieu of doing the typical review, I’ve decided to approach Terminator Salvation from a more analytical angle, in terms of its relative success as a summer tentpole film (also doing this because I only just saw it, so a typical review would be pretty late at this point). Boxofficemojo currently has…
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The Episode That Walt Lost Me
Breaking Bad Commentary IV This commentary focuses on Breaking Bad season 2 Episode “Phoenix”. If you haven’t already seen the episode, I’d suggest you don’t read this, as I will completely spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it. SPOILER WARNING Okay, now that that’s taken care of let’s chat. MORALITY and LIKEABILITY Walt…