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Branded - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (1)

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012

Branded

Director: Aleksandr Dulerayn, Jamie Bradshaw
Writers: Jamie Bradshaw, Aleksandr Dulerayn
Stars: Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Jeffrey Tambor, Max von Sydow
Thriller

Movie Review

I went into Branded expecting a thriller about the sociological impact of advertising, possibly about corporations using subliminal means to control the population–at least, that was the impression I got from the trailer I saw at the beginning of August (with Total Recall). I was eager to see it. Instead, I got . . . I’m still not quite sure what to call it. Some kind of lampoon of advertising: Joan of Arcadia meets Harvey??
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Categories : Reviews: Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie and Book Reviews

Tags : Branded, Dystopian Future, movie review

The Cold Light Of Day - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (2)

Friday, September 14th, 2012

The Cold Light of Day

Director: Mabrouk El Mechri
Writers: Scott Wiper, John Petro
Stars: Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis, Sigourney Weaver, Verónica Echegui, Caroline Goodall, Rafi Gavron, Emma Hamilton
Action-Adventure

Movie Review

The Cold Light of Day centers around Will Shaw (Henry Cavill), a suit-wearing business consultant visiting his family in Madrid. He’s in great shape, though, able to easily swim at least half-a-mile, dash hither, thither, and yon, and walk away after falling off the top of a building. With a bullet wound. He does it all with a straight face, too–this bodes well for Cavill playing the lead in next summer’s Man of Steel.

Will and his brother Josh (Rafi Gavron) were raised all over the world, moving every few years, as their father Martin (Bruce Willis) is some sort of diplomatic aide working for the U.S. government. We’re also told that Will and his dad don’t get along, although the conflict comes mostly in the form of yelling by Martin and sulking by Will. Seems the family vacation came at a bad time for Will.
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Categories : Reviews: Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie and Book Reviews

Tags : Bruce Willis, movie review, The Cold Light Of Day

Lawless - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (0)

Saturday, September 8th, 2012

Lawless

Director: John Hillcoat
Writers: Nick Cave, Matt Bondurant (novel)
Stars: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Guy Oldman, Dane DeHaan

Movie Review

Lawless is the story of Jack Bondurant (Shia LaBeouf), the youngest of the three Bondurant brothers, a coming-of-age tale set during Prohibition. Jack and his brothers are bootleggers, making and selling Moonshine, taking advantage of the illegality of alcohol to make their livelihood.

Enter Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce), a special deputy bound and determined to make life difficult for the Bondurant brothers. Other complications include Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman), a big-time gangster operating in a neighboring county with his own agenda, Maggie (Jessica Chastain), a gorgeous woman from Chicago who turns up looking for a job, and Bertha (Mia Wasikowska), a local preacher’s daughter who catches Jake’s eye.
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Categories : Reviews: Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie and Book Reviews

Tags : Lawless, movie review, Shia LaBeouf

The Possession - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (0)

Monday, September 3rd, 2012

The Possession

Director: Ole Bornedal
Writers: Juliet Snowden, Stiles White
Stars: Natasha Calis, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Madison Davenport, Grant Show, Matisyahu
Horror

Movie Review

The Possession, Horror Movie

The Possession is a fairly pedestrian horror tale, with a Jewish-themed monster/demon. The story centers around Em (Natasha Calis), who lives with Mom (Kyra Sedgwick) and older sister Hannah (Madison Davenport). Divorced dad Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is still trying to be part of his children’s lives, a la Mrs. Doubtfire, but he just can’t get do anything right in his ex-wife’s eyes. Dad buys Em an old wooden box at a yard sale, after which she begins to act very strangely indeed.

This one is based on a true story, and while the buildup was decently done, the payoff was lacking.
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Categories : Reviews: Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie and Book Reviews

Tags : Horror Movie, movie review, The Possession

The Apparition - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (1)

Sunday, September 2nd, 2012

The Apparition

Director: Todd Lincoln
Writers: Todd Lincoln
Stars: Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, Tom Felton
Horror

Movie Review

Apparition, Horror Movie

Review the long form: The Apparition centers on a young couple, Kelly (Ashley Greene from the Twilight Saga) and Ben (Sebastian Stan of Captain America). Kelly works at a veterinary hospital, and hopes to be a vet some day. Ben installs home theater systems despite his (presumed) college degree. They live together in a house that Kelly’s off-screen parents bought as an investment. Weirdness ensues.

The house is out in the middle of nowhere, in a development where there is only one other occupied house just a guy with a cute kid and a dog. Whatever Ben and Kelly are saving with the cut-rate rent goes into gas to get to the place, driving past miles and miles of desert on the way. They are trying to take good care of the place and be responsible caretakers, which makes them reluctant to leave the house when things first start to happen.
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Categories : Reviews: Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie and Book Reviews

Tags : Horror Movie, movie review, The Apparition

Hit And Run - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (0)

Thursday, August 30th, 2012

Hit and Run

Director: David Palmer, Dax Shepard
Writers: Dax Shepard
Stars: Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rosenbaum, Kristin Chenowith, Beau Bridges
Romantic Comedy

Movie Review

Hit and Run is a goofy (stupid) romantic comedy overlaid on a long chase scene. The characters are for the most part one-dimensional, and the plot doesn’t stand up under much scrutiny.

The two main characters are Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard), a former bank robber now living in obscurity in witness protection, and his girlfriend Annie (Kristen Bell), a college professor. Cute though Annie is, they don’t actually give her a lot of background, other than an ex-boyfriend and her field of expertise at the college.
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Categories : Reviews: Movies

Tags : Dax Shepard, Hit And Run, movie review, Romantic Comedy

ParaNorman - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (4)

Saturday, August 25th, 2012

ParaNorman

Director: Chris Butler, Sam Fell
Writers: Chris Butler
Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee (voice), Anna Kendrick (voice), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (voice)
Stop-Motion Animated Adventure Horror Film

Movie Review

paranorman, animated horror movie

ParaNorman is the story of Norman, a kid who is, for lack of a better word, different. It’s also a horror movie complete with ghosts, witches, a centuries-old curse, and zombies -PG-rated but definitely aimed at kids. If the audience I saw it with is any indication, people of all ages will love it. I sure did. As I watched the movie, I was worried that the children it’s aimed at would be frightened at some of the scarier parts-until I heard them laughing out loud.

This film is an absolutely stunning example of stop-action animation. Whatever bar is out there for animated films-with ParaNorman, Laika Entertainment just upped the heck out of it. The attention to detail in the characters, the setting, and the props is amazing. Moving (though oddly proportioned) cars with windows, bicycles with moving parts, cell phone (complete with flashlight app), TVs, and a working vending machine. The houses, trees, and even the graveyard are meticulous. All of these work together to make a compellingly detailed world that you can’t take your eyes off of.
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Categories : Reviews: Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie and Book Reviews

Tags : movie review, ParaNorman, Stop-Action Animation

Ek Tha Tiger - Movie Review

By Elektra Hammond · Comments (2)

Sunday, August 19th, 2012

Ek Tha Tiger

Director: Kabir Khan
Writers: Kabir Khan, Neelesh Misra
Stars: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey
Thriller / Action-Adventure

Movie Review

Last night I went to Bollywood for the first time. That is, I caught a English-subtitled Hindi-language romantic action/adventure spy/thriller that was made in India. In a packed house, with young children, seniors, and everyone in-between, all of them enthusiastic about the show.
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Categories : Reviews: Movies, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie and Book Reviews

Tags : Bollywood, Ek Tha Tiger, movie review