When a studio refuses to screen a film for critics, usually it’s a bad sign; It also makes that movie like forbidden fruit you just want to see even more. Child 44 certainly has its problems, the biggest Jonathan Price’s screenplay adaptation of Tom Rob Smith’s novel. A good screenwriter should be able to read […]
By all accounts, True Story should have been a gripping, taught trifecta of brilliant performances. After all in the previous two dramatic films (The Wolf of Wall Street, Moneyball) comedian Jonah Hill landed him Oscar nominations. True Story is director Rupert Goold’s first feature and the first film for Felicity Jones post Theory of Everything
Pocket thrillers are what I call these low budget, high impact star vehicles; Often thrillers that isolate two characters that do a lot of damage. Joining other pocket thrillers like Locke, Phone Booth, Buried or even Gravity, Beyond the Reach uses wide open spaces in New Mexico for terrifying effect. 70 year old Michael Douglas
I am just going to be upfront and honest, “Backcountry” is one of the most terrifying films I have ever seen. Maybe it’s because I am from the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, maybe it’s because actor turned writer/director Adam McDonald studied bears and their habits for years before filming. Either way “Backcountry” is
Director Paul Feig (The Heat, Bridesmaids) said he would never be allowed to directed a James Bond film (thank goodness!), so this was as closest he would ever get. Action comedies have never been able to blend both genres successfully (and I am talking about art, not getting some tub of popcorn to laugh at
This is the type of frightening, borderline horror film, exercising a great amount of restraint I like to see. Director Craig William Macneill and writer Clay McLeod Chapman have adapted their short film Henley into a full blown feature starring the same frightening character. While the story leaves many unanswered questions (why is mom in
If the title isn’t enough to grab your attention, the fact the film is based on the book by food critic and Food Channel sensation Anthony Bourdain, should seal the deal. “Food noir thriller”, is how a producer introducing the film described it at SXSW. Indeed Bone in the Throat is just that, filled with
There is apparently no limit to Liam Neeson’s interest in violence and action flicks. Like a broken record, the 62-year-old once again cocks the gun and saves the day. As the films opens, Neeson’s character lays on the ground talking about regrets flashing through his mind. The biggest regret is watching a talented actor discard
Danish director Kristian Levring is without a doubt a fan of the western genre. I don’t have any evidence of that, but I can see it in the way he orchestrates his latest film The Salvation. It’s a rare example of a genre film that doesn’t necessarily offer anything we haven’t seen before, but it’s
His second bust in a row, South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp exploded onto the scene in 2009 with District 9. Nominated for best picture that year, Blomkamp became the guy to watch. His second feature Elysium took him away from the small budget workings and put him in summer movie territory, where he delivered a