Category Archives: Movies & TV

[Movie Review] Black Swan (2010)

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Black Swan is one of the most unique films I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s a well crafted, menacingly dark, vividly imaginative movie that coasts on a strong central performance from Natalie Portman and some voyeuristic direction from Darren Aronofsky.

The movie follows Nina (Portman), a young prodigy ballet dancer getting the biggest break of her career as the lead in a newly-imagined version of “Swan Lake”. It’s a pretty simple film, but one that handles the simplicity with such boldness that the film evolves into one of the most finely crafted films of the year.

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[Movie Review] The Fighter (2010)

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Hollywood produces, on average, about one boxing movie a year. Boxing. This year’s installment, The Fighter, might just be the best one ever. And yes, I know it’s lame to proclaim that after seeing a movie once, but The Fighter packs a hell of a punch all around, and also boasts 2010’s best performance: an enigmatic turn from Christian Bale as boxing prodigy/crack addict Dicky Eklund, while also elevating itself as being traditional, and unique, at the same time.

The Fighter centers on the improbable rise of “Irish” Micky Ward through the boxing ranks, despite having a ridiculously dysfunctional family in his corner. Ward is from Lowell, Massachusetts, and director David O. Russell does a great job right from the start of highlighting the pressure on the shoulders of Ward (Mark Wahlberg) to do something with his boxing career, and also the pressure on Dicky to return to his former glory in the ring while battling a severe crack addiction.

Lowell is portrayed as a locked door of a town, with Micky potentially holding the key to escape. As the movie develops, Micky becomes involved in a relationship with a dive bartender named Charlene (Amy Adams) who urges Micky to focus on his career without his family.

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[Movie Review] True Grit (2010)

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True Grittakes a unique approach to the modern western, trading in the traditional solemn, dry, overly serious tone for a darkly comedic, impeccably acted one that really allows it to differentiate itself among its peers in the genre as a film that bucks trends rather than embrace the status quo.

True Grit is a fine film, boasting tremendous performances, a compelling narrative, and plenty of gunfire to satisfy almost every movie goer. It’s not a flawless movie, but in a weak year, it’s likely to be adorned with plenty of accolades, many of which will be directed toward the stellar cast.

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[Movie Review] How Do You Know (2010)

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How Do You Know is hardly a bad movie. It’s well produced and boasts a charming cast, has some interesting things to say about relationships, and is lighthearted and easy to digest.

The film, the most recent effort from writer/director James L. Brooks, just never really takes advantage of all the positives it has going for it, instead becoming another tragic example of a writer who tries too hard to say something, and winds up saying nothing at all. Like the title suggests, it’s a general statement without the necessary punctuation.

How Do You Know tells the story of Lisa, George, and Matty; three attractive D.C. area people in various stages of their lives. Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is a former Team USA Softball player who has aged out of her spot on the team. George (Paul Rudd) is a successful corporate type in the midst of a federal indictment, and Matty (Owen Wilson) is a playboy pitcher for the Washington Nationals.

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[Movie Review] Tron: Legacy (2010)

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I would have a hard time naming more than ten movies off the top of my head in rapid succession that are as visually stunning as Tron: Legacy is for the bulk of two hours.

Unfortunately, I could also lump Tron: Legacy into the large group of films that succeed almost solely based on their jaw-dropping special effects while providing little to care about in terms of characters, or plot.

But even with it’s slight deficiencies, Tron: Legacy can still be considered a success. The movie is a visual feast with an amazing soundtrack, mediocre acting, and a swiss-cheese level plot. So what if it’s only entertaining, and not an awards contender.

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The Top Five TV Shows of the Past Decade and One Year

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Last year at decade’s end, I compiled a few best of and worst of lists to commemorate the first 10 years of the new millennium. However, when doing this, for some reason I neglected to compile any sort of list for my favorite entertainment medium; television.

And seeing as how I am without question the most reputable voice of opinion on the internet, it doesn’t seem fair to the masses who suckle at my every word not to put something together regarding my opinion on TV. So with that, here are the shows that wielded through the cluttered reality TV mess of the past several years and showed there will always be a place for quality, scripted television.

Honorable Mentions:

The Office (US Version, NBC), Modern Family (ABC) Extras (HBO/BBC), Arrested Development before it became unbearably smug and entirely self-referential (ie, Season One)

5. Flight of the Conchords (HBO)

Sure, this import from New Zealand only ran for two seasons. And sure, only one of them was truly good. But if there was any one season that yielded a spot on this list on its own individual merits, it’s the first season of Flight of the Conchords.

From the quirky songs, hilariously bizarre dialogue and situations and a nearly perfect cast, FOTC was one of the great comedy creations when it hit the airwaves in 2007, and even though it petered out surprisingly quickly, it still left a lasting impression on me and dozens of others.

4. Mad Men (AMC)

Perhaps the most critically acclaimed series of the past few years, it took me a few seasons to truly embrace this series about sexy people and their sexy adventures in the sexy world of 1960’s Madison Avenue Advertising. While I’ve enjoyed it from the get-go, for some reason it just didn’t make an overwhelming impact right away.

However, over the past few years, series creator Matthew Weiner (allegedly pronounced “why-ner.” Yeah, fucking right!) and the rest of the cast and crew have pulled me in with some of the most intricately plotted dramatic television today. And while it did create one of the most shockingly bizarre scenes in recent memory, Mad Men is arguably the least flashy great show of its time, and must be credited for being compelling without feeling as if it needs to constantly dazzle its audience.

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[Movie Review] I’m Still Here (2010)

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For those unfamiliar, I’m Still Here is the much discussed, yet virtually unseen documentary chronicling Joaquin Phoenix’s departure from acting into the world of hip-hop, which was proceeded by a string of bizarre public appearances, leading some to believe the movie was a hoax.

It turned out they were correct, as shortly after the film’s release, its director, Casey Affleck, revealed the film to be a fake. Despite knowing this, I still went into the movie with an open mind and tried to judge it on its own merits, ignoring that it wasn’t real.

Unfortunately, I found this to be impossible.

Knowing nothing was real made it seem like nothing was at stake. Whether its several failed attempts to get P. Diddy to produce his album, or him freaking out and crying about his infamous Letterman interview from 2009, how are we supposed to care about how devastated he is?

That’s not to say this couldn’t have been a good film, but the primary storyline which needed to be compelling for this to work simply wasn’t.

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[Movie Review] Zombie Town (2006)

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I’m not very good at running a website.

Why? I’ve had Zombie Town in my Netflix instant queue since well before Halloween, along with a handful of other zombie movies — all of which I planned on reviewing before the October 31st. Obviously, that didn’t happen. However, I did manage to view and review Gangs of the Dead before my self-imposed deadline, meaning I’m not completely awful at running a website.

Zombie Town is not a very good zombie movie. It attempts to accomplish feats such as scaring you, making you laugh, and forming a bond between the viewer and the film’s characters; all of which are necessary for a successful zombie movie, none of which the movie accomplishes. Zombie Town did manage to impress me with buckets of gore, some cheesy one-liners, and a Romeronian portrayal of the living dead, meaning it isn’t completely awful.

I also expect at least three people to read this, meaning I’m awful at getting my hopes up, just like I am at running a website.

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[Movie Review] Catfish (2010)

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The success of Catfish hinges greatly on your frame of mind when you sit down to watch it. If you think you’re going to get a bone-chilling docuhorror (ala Paranormal Activity or The Blair With Project as the trailer and subsequent marketing campaign would lead you to believe), you are going to be immensely disappointed. Catfish is never scary, frightening, or spooky.

What Catfish is, though, is perhaps greater than what it initially appears to be. It’s an engaging documentary (though I suppose some might dispute the complete veracity of the subject matter) that takes the social networking experience and sheds some light on how people willingly, and very easily, allow complete strangers into their lives. Continue reading →

[Movie Review] Due Date (2010)

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It happens all the time.

An actor transforms himself from an unknown whatever into a juggernaut, with every possible movie yearning for his skills. The new hot name on the comedy block is Zach Galifianakis.

The bearded wonder has been appearing in film after film since the immense success of the amazingly raucous The Hangover, and in 2010’s Due Date, Galifianakis is reunited with director Todd Phillips in what would appear to be another R-rated romp with the male species. Continue reading →