Browsing Archive: January, 2014

REVIEW: Best Man Down – Lumpy’s Secret Life Is Uncovered In This Comedy Drama

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Sunday, January 26, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Best Man Down
SoberFilmChick

Directed by: Ted Koland

Starring: Justin Long, Jess Weixler, Tyler Labine, Addison Timlin, Shelley Long, and Frances O’Connor

Happy belated New Year movie lovers! I am delighted to return to the movie review scene after a brief holiday hiatus. My first review of 2014 is Justin Long’s indie flick Best Man Down. Although billed as a dark comedy, this uneven film is at times touching, but never humorous.

Scott (Long) and Kristin (Jess Weixler) are having the time o...
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REVIEW: With Gargoyles Ascending & Demons Descending, I, Frankenstein Is All About Adam Finding His Soul & His Higher Purpose

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 25, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

I, Frankenstein

Directed By: Stuart Beattie

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto, Socratis Otto, Jai Courtney, and Kevin Grevioux

Harvey, Harvey, Harvey Dent. What has happened to Aaron Eckhart’s career since The Dark Knight? His most notable credits since his turn as Gotham's White Knight include The Rum Diary, Olympus Has Fallen, and Battle Los Angeles. That's not saying much at all. The same can be said for Miranda Otto, whom most may remember as Eowyn in...
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REVIEW: That Awkward Moment "The So" Is Exactly What These Boys Need to Fill Their Rosters, Plus Some Ice Cream & A 40 Oz. Malt Liquor

Posted by James Brown on Friday, January 24, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

That Awkward Moment

Directed By: Tom Gormican

Starring: Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Imogen Poots, Mackenzie Davis, and Jessica Lucas

Many, including myself, have said in recent years that the romantic comedy is dead. I have to retract my statement. I'm more likely today to argue that it's an endangered species. The sappy, formulaic rom com is indeed dead. However, fresh takes on the genre do pop into movie theaters every now and then. For 2013, that fresh take was Enough Sai...
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REVIEW: In the Shadows of the Frozen Deep, Charles Dickens Dryly Oscillates Between His Public Love & Secret Invisible Woman Nelly "Lawless" Ternan

Posted by James Brown on Monday, January 20, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

The Invisible Woman

Directed By: Ralph Fiennes

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Felicity Jones, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Tom Hollander

"A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other."
-Charles Dickens

Ralph Fiennes is one of the few big screen talents who can seamlessly navigate between the worlds of big budget blockbusters and indie cinema. He's a very versatile talent and has proven it time and time again. After all, h...
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REVIEW: Born From Death, the Antichrist Comes Through a Pregnant Sam During Her Last Hour in Devil's Due

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 19, 2014, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor

Devil's Due

Directed By: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Starring: Allison Miller, Zach Gilford, Sam Anderson, and Robert Belushi

"Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour."
1 John 2:18

It's the third weekend of the year, and we've already gotten our second found footage horror movie (the first being Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones). It's needless to say that I'm gett...
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REVIEW: Jack Ryan Is a Napoleonic Shadow Recruit Who Meets Us Halfway in Waterloo

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 18, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Kenneth Branagh, and Keira Knightley

After his noble turn as Jonathan Kent in Man of Steel last year, Kevin Costner is trying to make a comeback this year. As of right now, he's got five movies slated for release in 2014. I think he's trying to fill the void of the all-American male movie star. The proof is in the pudding. Next month, Costner will portray a Secret Service agent in action thriller 3 Da...
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REVIEW: In a Ride Along Full of 126s, Black Hammer Kevin Hart Shows & Proves That He's Unfortunately Unlocked the Platinum Level

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 18, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Ride Along

Directed By: Tim Story

Starring: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Bryan Callen, Tika Sumpter, and Laurence Fishburne

Kevin Hart seems to be everywhere. He was in This Is the End and Grudge Match last year. He's done several stand-up comedy tours all over the country over the last several years. He's got two big romantic comedies this year with About Last Night and his follow-up to Think Like a Man. Strangely enough, he's even been on ESPN lately. All of this po...
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REVIEW: With a Blood-Stained Dress, Love Letter Emails & Suicide by Detergent, The Past Is Steeped in One Rich Mystery

Posted by James Brown on Monday, January 13, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers

The Past (Le Passé)

Directed By: Asghar Farhadi

Starring: Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, and Ali Mosaffa

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has gotten it wrong on many, many occasions. With this year's Oscar nominations to be announced later this week, let's talk about a film the Academy won't even consider nominating. When the Academy announced its short list of foreign language film contenders — an all-inclusive list of potential nominees — several films were noticeably abse...
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REVIEW: Whether Prince Alcides or Hercules Son of Zeus, This Legend Sucks

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 12, 2014, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor

The Legend of Hercules

Directed By: Renny Harlin

Starring: Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee, and Liam Garrigan

2014 is the comeback year for the sword-and-sandal picture. Just look at the lineup at the box office in the coming months. Russell Crowe will be building an ark to prep for some major floodwaters in Darren Aronofsky's Noah in a couple of months. Christian Bale will be asking Pharaoh to let his people go as Moses in Ridley Scott's Exodus in the fall. We've even g...
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REVIEW: Despite Mouth Cancer, "Lay Down Sally" and Truth-Telling Are Drug Addict Violet Weston's Specialties in August: Osage County

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 11, 2014, In : 0.00% Water

August: Osage County

Directed By: John Wells

Starring: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Julianne Nicholson, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Sam Shepard, and Misty Upham

Earlier this week, Emma Thompson was named Best Actress at the National Board of Review awards dinner in New York. The Saving Mr. Banks star was honored by fellow actress Meryl Streep. Unlike blander ceremonies such as the Golden Globes and the O...
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REVIEW: Unlike the Movie, Marcus Luttrell, Frogman & Lone Survivor of Operation Red Wings, Is Saved by the Code of Honor Pashtunwali

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 11, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Lone Survivor

Directed By: Peter Berg

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, and Eric Bana

"There’s a storm inside of us. I’ve heard many team guys speak of this. A burning. A river. A drive. An unrelenting desire to push yourself harder and further than anyone could think possible."
-SO1 Mark Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg)

I try to stay away from other critics' reviews before I see a movie. Every now and then, however, my eyes wander, and I find myself delving into ...
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REVIEW: The Grudgement Day Match Between Razor Sharp & Billy "The Kid" McDonnen Has a Few Too Many Butterscotch Jellybeans 30 Years Too Late

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, In : 0.09% Cocktails

Grudge Match

Directed By: Peter Segal

Starring: Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Alan Arkin, Kevin Hart, Jon Bernthal, LL Cool J, and Kim Basinger

The AARP is getting into the holiday movie season! They're giving us a pairing of the Raging Bull and Rocky as the 70 year-old Robert De Niro and the 67 year-old Sylvester Stallone square off on the big screen. Ten to fifteen years ago, this might have been a halfway good idea. As it stands, Grudge Match is set to be Grumpy Old Men on crack. It...
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REVIEW: Despite the Possessed Simon Game, Marked One Jesse Loses It With Anna & One Creepy Coven of Witches in This Paranormal Activity Spinoff

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 5, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

Directed By: Christopher B. Landon

Starring: Andrew Jacobs, Jorge Diaz, Richard Cabral, Carlos Pratts, and Gabrielle Walsh

Happy New Year STMR readers! Whether you've travelled, visited family and friends, or just watched some good movies, I hope you've had a holiday season full of much-needed rest and relaxation. As we kick off 2014, we begin things with a horror franchise that was noticeably absent in a banner year for the genre. While movies like The Pu...
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