Showing category "0.03% Wine Coolers" (Show all posts)

REVIEW: Good Morning, Vietnam!!! Radio Broadcaster Adrian Cronauer Is Bringing A Little Levity to Saigon, As Well As Some James Brown

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, September 13, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Good Morning, Vietnam





Directed By: Barry Levinson

Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tung Thanh Tran, Chintara Sukapatana, Bruno Kirby, Robert Wuhl, and J. T. Walsh

With President Obama waging war against ISIS, ISIL, or whatever the hell these nutcases call themselves, one hard reality that a handful of men and women in the service are facing today is that they're headed back over to the Middle East.  That's a tough hand to be dealt, and I have to commend those brave few who will take on...

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REVIEW: Drinking No Coffee, Fumbling Dumplings, & Fleeing the Red Knight, Janitor of God Parry Helps The Fisher King Jack Lucas Find the Holy Grail

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, September 11, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Fisher King





Directed By: Terry Gilliam

Starring: Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, and Michael Jeter

Like many, I'm revisiting the filmography of Robin Williams as we close out the summer.  With this in mind, I'm sure those of you who follow me have picked up on a pattern.  I'm tackling Williams' more dramatic turns on the big screen.  While I love him as a comedian, it's his comedic charms that make him such a standout in a dramatic setting.  He was able to chann...

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REVIEW: Catching Balls, Taking L-DOPA, and Moving with Ticks, Leonard's Awakenings Show the Will of the Human Spirit to Dr. Sayer

Posted by James Brown on Friday, August 29, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Awakenings





Directed By: Penny Marshall

Starring: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, John Heard, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller, and Max von Sydow


"His gaze is from the passing of bars so exhausted, that it doesn't hold a thing anymore.  For him, it's as if there were thousands of bars and behind the thousands of bars no world.  The sure stride of lithe, powerful steps, that around the smallest of circles turns, is like a dance of pure energy about a center, in which a great will stands numbed.  ...

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REVIEW: Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire — Dude Looks Like a Lady

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, August 10, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Mrs. Doubtfire





Directed By: Chris Columbus

Starring: Robin Williams, Sally Field, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, Mara Wilson, Pierce Brosnan, and Harvey Fierstein


"They should have a little disclaimer that says ‘Do Not Operate Heavy Machinery While Watching This Show’.  Incredible.  This guy used to put me to sleep when I was a kid.  Amazing.  He has the warmth of a snow pea.  He makes Mister Rogers look like Mick Jagger."
-Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams)

At this point in cinema, I'd argue that...

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REVIEW: With Time Travel, A Presidential Commission, & A Pregnant Zira, Escape from the Planet of the Apes Scoffs at Conventional Narrative Wisdom

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, July 13, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Escape from the Planet of the Apes





Directed By: Don Taylor


Starring: Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Bradford Dillman, Natalie Trundy, Eric Braeden, Sal Mineo, and Ricardo Montalbán

Beneath the Planet of the Apes has a pretty definitive conclusion.  After all, just about everybody dies.  The film's explosive ending could not kill Hollywood's addiction to sequels, however.  Studio execs somehow resurrect the series and march onward.  This is some pretty unbelievable stuff for the early 70s.  This se...

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REVIEW: Frank Serpico, A Man of Integrity, Has Surfaced to Air the NYPD's Dirty Laundry

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, May 3, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Serpico





Directed By: Sidney Lumet

Starring: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire, Barbara Eda-Young, Cornelia Sharpe, and Tony Roberts


"The reality is that we do not wash our own laundry - it just gets dirtier."
-Frank Serpico (Al Pacino)

Since Al Pacino turned 74 recently, I’ve been reflecting on all the cinematic memories this storied veteran of the screen and stage has given us.  Whether telling Fredo to never take sides against the family, telling the crooks of Miami to say hel...

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REVIEW: Old Detroit Cleaned Up by OCP Product RoboCop, I'd Buy That for a Dollar Over Delta City

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 25, 2014, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
RoboCop





Directed By: Paul Verhoeven

Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, and Miguel Ferrer

Machines are synonymous with science fiction movies.  Where would John Connor be without The Terminator?  What would the Star Wars saga be like without our beloved droids C-3PO and R2-D2?  Who would send chills down our spines in Alien if not the slippery android Ash?  I could go on and on.  This is just a small slice of the role machines play in sci-fi.  Despite t...

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REVIEW: With Her Cheery Disposition & Rosy Cheeks, Mary Poppins Brings an Element of Fun to 17 Cherry Tree Lane & Is Practically Perfect in Every Way

Posted by James Brown on Friday, November 29, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Mary Poppins





Directed By: Robert Stevenson

Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, and Matthew Garber

It's hard to believe Mary Poppins will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year.  The festivities get kicked off early this winter with the upcoming awards contender Saving Mr. Banks, a film starring Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks that chronicles the making of this classic musical.  This adaptation of P.L. Travers' children's books is a film that i...

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REVIEW: From the Ghoul Gang Slaughters to the Dead Rabbits Dustup, the Gangs of New York Let the Blood Stay on the Blade

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, November 17, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Gangs of New York





Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, Cameron Diaz, Liam Neeson, Jim Broadbent, Henry Thomas, Brendan Gleeson, Gary Lewis, John C. Reilly, and Stephen Graham


"When you kill a king, you don't stab him in the dark.  You kill him where the entire court can watch him die."
-Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio)

Legendary director Martin Scorsese's career can be categorized in two phases — De Niro and DiCaprio.  Throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, ...

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REVIEW: In The Birds, Practical Jokesters & Lovebirds Mitch Brenner and Melanie Daniels Are on the Front Lines of the Bird War in Bodega Bay

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, November 17, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Birds





Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette, and Veronica Cartwright


"I have never known birds of different species to flock together.  The very concept is unimaginable.  Why, if that happened, we wouldn't stand a chance!  How could we possibly hope to fight them?"
-Mrs. Bundy (Ethel Griffies), an Ornithologist

If you're the Master of Suspense, what do you do after decades of landmark filmmaking that culminated with the greatest horr...

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REVIEW: Creepy Carrie Meets the Raven Called Sin in the Bloodiest Way Possible at Her Senior Prom & Everyone Laughs at Her

Posted by James Brown on Monday, October 14, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Carrie





Directed By: Brian De Palma

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, and John Travolta


"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
-Margaret White (Piper Laurie)

High school can be the toughest time of a person's young life.  At this stage in the game, you're not a kid anymore, but you're not an adult either.  This means that you must navigate the complex social landscape of all your friends and classmates discovering themselves and what the w...

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REVIEW: Goldfinger's Operation Grand Slam at Fort Knox is a Rousing Success Thanks to 007, Pussy Galore, and the Flying Circus

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, September 22, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Goldfinger





Directed By: Guy Hamilton

Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman, Harold Sakata, and Bernard Lee

Of all the James Bond movies, there's one that stands out as the most iconic, as an all-time classic.  There's only one Goldfinger.  The unforgettable lyrics are sung so effortlessly by Shirley Bassey.  The cool gadgets and toys featured in the film consistently impress.  The delightful characters leave an indelible mark on the 007 franchise.  While I'm partial to Casino Royal...

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REVIEW: Christopher Nolan's Insomnia is a Wild Card

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, August 4, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Insomnia





Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, Martin Donovan, Nicky Katt, and Paul Dooley

"A good cop can't sleep because he's missing a piece of the puzzle. And a bad cop can't sleep because his conscience won't let him.”
-Detective Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank)

Though one of the most prolific actors of all time who can do just about anything on the big screen, Al Pacino specializes in playing two types of characters — cops and crooks.  ...

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REVIEW: Mutant and Proud Even During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Frankenstein's Monster Magneto Battles His Creator Sebastian Shaw in X-Men: First Class

Posted by James Brown on Friday, July 26, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
X-Men: First Class





Directed By: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Oliver Platt, and Kevin Bacon

"I believe that true focus lies somewhere between rage and serenity."
-Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy)

Aside from Hugh Jackman's solo outing in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, there's always been a pervasive theme in the X-Men movies comparing the fight for mutant rights to the Civil Rights Movement.  In my review of the original X...

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REVIEW: X-Men is the Civil Rights Movie of the Modern Comic Book Movie Genre

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, June 29, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
X-Men





Directed By: Bryan Singer

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Bruce Davison, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Ray Park, and Anna Paquin

"Mutation: it is the key to our evolution.  It has enabled us to evolve from a single-celled organism into the dominant species on the planet.  This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years.  But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward."

-Professor Charles Xavier (...

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REVIEW: Superman II Is All About the Man of Steel Kneeling Before Zod and Finding Some Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, March 7, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Superman II





Directed By: Richard Lester

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Susannah York, Clifton James, E.G. Marshall, Mark McClure, and Terence Stamp

Superman is rarely given a physical challenge.  Because the yellow sun of our galaxy makes him the closest thing to immortal, there are very few who can really go toe-to-toe with him.  Because of this, it's a special treat whenever the Man of Steel ...

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REVIEW: In Live Free or Die Hard, the Fire Sale Pushes Bruce Willis to Once Again Be That Guy

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 3, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Live Free or Die Hard





Directed By: Len Wiseman

Starring: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Jonathan Sadowski, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kevin Smith, and Cliff Curtis

"It's a three-step systematic attack on the entire national infrastructure.  Okay, step one: take out all the transportation.  Step two: the financial base and telecoms.  Step three: You get rid of all the utilities.  Gas, water, electric, nuclear.  Pretty much anything that's run by computers which... which ...


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REVIEW: In Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Simon Says Two Pigeons Hold Fort Knox Down

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 27, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Die Hard: With a Vengeance





Directed By: John McTiernan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson, Larry Bryggman, Graham Greene, and Colleen Camp

The first two Die Hard movies were all about Bruce Willis going up against all odds to defeat formidable criminals reigning terror down on his wife and other innocent victims.  While the first Die Hard perfected this formula, I can't say the same for the second one.  When Die Hard: With a Vengeance was in the works, the life and times...


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REVIEW: With the Man of Steel and the Greatest Criminal Mind of Our Time, Superman Heralds the Birth of Comic Book Moves in a Grand Way

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, January 10, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Superman: The Movie





Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Mark McClure, Valerie Perrine, and Ned Beatty

"You will travel far, my little Kal-El.  But we will never leave you... even in the face of our death.  The richness of our lives shall be yours.  All that I have, all that I've learned, everything I feel... all this, and more, I... I bequeath you, my son.  You will carry me inside yo...


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REVIEW: In Sixteen Candles, There's Nothing Sweet About Sam's Sixteenth Birthday

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, January 3, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Sixteen Candles





Directed By: John Hughes

Starring: Molly Ringwald, Paul Dooley, Justin Henry, and Anthony Michael Hall

There's nothing quite like an 80’s teen flick, especially one directed by the late great John Hughes.  His coming-of-age comedies are timeless depictions of what it means to be a teenager — the personal stresses, the social anxieties, and the constant feeling of being misunderstood.  They also capture the good stuff — the crazy nights at some friend's house, those fun ...


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REVIEW: In Star Trek, Red Matter Makes the Death Star Look a Little Old School

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, January 2, 2013, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Star Trek





Directed By: J. J. Abrams

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana, and Bruce Greenwood

I've never been a Trekkie, but it’s impossible to avoid Star Trek.  With all the shows and the movies over the years, Star Trek has been done to death.  I've seen enough of Captan Kirk and Spock for a lifetime, or at least I thought so.  When J. J. Abrams announced that he would be tackling a new installment in...


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REVIEW: Kill Bill: Volume 2 – Superman Dressed As Clark Kent

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Monday, December 24, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Kill Bill: Volume 2
SoberFilmChick




Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring:  Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Gordon Liu

"[T]here are consequences for breaking the heart of a murderous bastard."
–Bill (David Carradine)

We continue our retro review series of the films of Quentin Tarantino with a look back at the 2004 film, Kill Bill: Volume 2.  In Volume 1, we saw the pregnant Bride a.k.a Black Mamba (Uma Thurman) gunned down by her former...


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REVIEW: With a License to Kill, 007 Gets Down to Business with Dr. No on Crab Key Island

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, December 19, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Dr. No





Directed By: Terence Young

Starring: Sean Connery, Joseph Wiseman, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, and John Kitzmiller

It's hard to believe that James Bond has been around for half a century.  In that time, we've seen a number of British badasses rock tuxedos and sip martinis that are shaken, not stirred.  We've seen the classic cars.  We've seen the gorgeous Bond girls.  We've seen the iconic villains.  In honor of the 50th anniversary of Bond, it's time to go back to basics and revisit t...


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REVIEW: With Knocked Up, Judd Apatow Blames the Hormones for All Pregnancy-Related Issues

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, December 16, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Knocked Up





Directed By: Judd Apatow

Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Charlyne Yi, Jason Segel, and Martin Starr

It's hard to believe that it's been five and a half years since Knocked Up hit theaters.  It's the quintessential pregnancy movie and one damn funny comedy.  It's also one of the few good movies starring Katherine Heigl.  It's even harder to believe that Judd Appatow has decided to release a spinoff sequel, the upcoming comedy...


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REVIEW: Reservoir Dogs – Twenty Years Later And It's Still Like A Virgin

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Tuesday, December 4, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Reservoir Dogs
SoberFilmChick




Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring:  Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Chris Penn, Quentin Tarantino

As part of STMR’s Retro Review Series on the films of Quentin Tarantino, this week we turn our attention to Reservoir Dogs.  Released in 1992, the cult film is coming up on its 20th anniversary.  After watching the film recently, I must say it still stands the test of time after twenty years.

Reservoir Dogs is the story of a diamond he...


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REVIEW: The Wachowskis Make All the Right Choices. Therefore, The Matrix Reloaded Awesome. Cause and Effect…

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, October 20, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

The Matrix Reloaded





Directed By: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Harold Perrineau, Randall Duk Kim, and Jada Pinkett Smith

After the massive success of The Matrix, the Wachowskis certainly had the unenviable task of writing the next chapter of this storied sci-fi franchise.  It took them four years, but they came out with The Matrix Reloaded in 2003 (followed by The Matrix Revolutions later that same year).  Like ...


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REVIEW: Good Luck Negotiating with Bryan Mills in Taken. That's One Badass Dude

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, September 16, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 

Taken





Directed By: Pierre Morel

Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Leland Orser, Jon Gries, David Warshofsky, Katie Cassidy, Holly Valance, and Famke Janssen

"I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I...


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REVIEW: The Usual Suspects is an Unusually Great Crime Thriller

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, August 28, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Usual Suspects





Directed By: Bryan Singer

Starring: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Pollak, Pete Postlethwaite, and Kevin Spacey

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is convincing the world that he didn't exist.  And like that, poof.  He's gone."
-Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey)


There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and criminal masterminds flirt with it all the time.  The stories, schemes, and crimes they concoct are things that could only b...
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REVIEW: The Skin I Live In Is Absolutely Disgusting, But That's the Point of It All

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, August 8, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Skin I Live In (La Piel Que Habito)





Directed By: Pedro Almodóvar

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Marisa Paredes, Jan Cornet, and Roberto Álamo

Every once in a while, there's a movie that just disgusts me.  It absolutely disgusts me and leaves a lump in my stomach.  This doesn't happen too often.  When I do see a movie like this, I know it will unfortunately be etched in my memory for quite some time.  This is what happened when I recently sat down to watch Pedro Almodóvar's The S...
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REVIEW: A Pie May Not Solve All of Life's Problems, But It Does Offer Sweet, Delicious Payback for Minny in The Help

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, August 8, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Help





Directed By: Tate Taylor
 
Starring: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, and Jessica Chastain
 
At STMR, I try and cover the latest and greatest to hit theaters.  Every once in a while, however, a film slips through the cracks.  Normally, it's just because of other higher priority films.  Typically, it's some awful horror film or thriller that gets the boot.  It's the film for which the trailer can't hide how much it will suck.  In the case of Th...
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REVIEW: Machete Don't Text, But He Does Open Up a Serious Can of Whoopass

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Machete





Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

Starring: Danny Trejo, Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, and Don Johnson

B movies can be good for the soul.  Every once in a while, it's good to see a flick with cheesy dialogue, ultra violence, and gratuitous sex.  While that sounds like most of the crap Hollywood puts out today, I'm talking about a special kind of film — not a movie that sucks because of these qualities but one that thrives on them.  I'm talk...
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REVIEW: If You Open Your Mind, Total Recall Can Rock Your World

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, July 25, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Total Recall





Directed By: Paul Verhoeven

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, and Ronny Cox

"You!  You're the same. No matter where you go, there you are.  It's always the same old you.  Let me suggest that you take a vacation from yourself.  I-I know it sounds wild.  It is the latest thing in travel.  We call it the Ego Trip."
-Bob McClane (Ray Baker)

Sometimes, your enjoyment of a movie depends completely on your ability to suspend your disbelief of th...
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REVIEW: Operation Blackbriar May Be a Failure for the CIA, But It's a Success for The Bourne Ultimatum

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, July 25, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Bourne Ultimatum





Directed By: Paul Greengrass

Starring: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Édgar Ramirez, Albert Finney, and Joan Allen

2006 and 2007 were really great years for action movies in general.  We had Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible III, Live Free or Die Hard, and The Bourne Ultimatum all released in a little more than a year.  With all these films being released within a little more than a year of one another, it's needless to say that P...
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REVIEW: Jason Bourne Has to Beat the CIA at Its Own Game One More Time in The Bourne Supremacy. He Doesn't Have a Choice.

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Bourne Supremacy





Directed By: Paul Greengrass

Starring: Matt Damon, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, and Karl Urban

The Bourne Identity cemented Matt Damon's status as a viable action star.  Damon was no longer just a dramatic actor who could play genius janitors or fallen angels.  He was a badass spy who could handle himself.  By the time The Bourne Supremacy came rolling into theaters, we were ready for the next chapter in the Jason Bourne saga.  Happily, I can say that Matt Damon deli...
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REVIEW: The Malfunctioning $30 Million Weapon is Kicking Some Serious Ass in The Bourne Identity

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Bourne Identity





Directed By: Doug Liman

Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

"You're worried about a budget meeting?  If we don't take care of this, we don't make it to the men's room.  We will burn for this.  We will both burn for this."
-Alexander Conklin (Chris Cooper)


In the world of spy movies, there are three guys who have burnt more baddies than anyone else — James Bond, Ethan Hunt, and Jason Bourne.  Th...
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REVIEW: For Your Voices, Coriolanus Has Done Many Things, Namely Kicking Ass and Taking Names

Posted by James Brown on Friday, July 6, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Coriolanus





Directed By: Ralph Fiennes

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, Brian Cox, Jessica Chastain, and Paul Jesson

It's hard to jazz up Shakespeare these days.  After a good 400 years, there aren't too many new ways you can bring his works to life unless you're donning a cape and hammer like Marvel's Thor.  Aside from my cheap references to The Avengers, Shakespeare's works have been done to death both on stage and on screen.  It's rare that someone breaks new ground wi...
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REVIEW: Nora Ephron Flirts with the Fantasy of True Love in Sleepless in Seattle

Posted by James Brown on Friday, June 29, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Sleepless in Seattle





Directed By: Nora Ephron

Starring: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Ross Malinger, Rosie O'Donnell, Rob Reiner, and David Hyde Pierce

The legendary Nora Ephron passed away earlier this week.  She was truly an innovator who helped mold the romantic comedy genre into what it is today.  I can think of no better way to honor her legacy than to revisit her filmography and knock back a few drinks in the process.  Given that 2013 will mark the 20th anniversary of Sleepless in Sea...
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REVIEW: The Colonial Marines Get Their Asses Handed to Them by Some Badass Extraterrestrials in James Cameron’s Aliens

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, May 26, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Aliens





Directed By: James Cameron

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Paul Reiser

The 1979 classic Alien was such a landmark film in the sci-fi genre that many imitators and copycats followed.  It took seven years for an official sequel to be released.  By then, 20th Century Fox had hired a new director, future king of the world James Cameron, to direct the movie.  After the success of the 1984 The Terminator, Cameron decided to take a diffe...
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REVIEW: Mr. Wayne Embraces His Fears, and the Legend of Batman Begins

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, May 12, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Batman Begins





Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Tom Wilkinson, and Ken Watanabe

"If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely – a legend, Mister Wayne."
-Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson)


With summer 2012 heralding the reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, I feel like déjà vu. All I hear is that five...
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REVIEW: Tony Stark May Be on the Highway to Hell, But Iron Man 2 Is Clearly on the Highway to The Avengers

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, April 19, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Iron Man 2





Directed By: Jon Favreau

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, and Samuel L. Jackson

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has really become something to behold.  It's something really special in the world of blockbuster filmmaking.  Marvel is doing solo films for a number of superheroes and then bringing them together as a team in the 2012 flick The Avengers.  The hero who led the pack and introduced this universe to moviegoers was Iro...
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REVIEW: As Iron Man, Billionaire Playboy Tony Stark Becomes a Superhero We All Can Love

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Iron Man





Directed By: Jon Favreau

Starring: Robert Downey, Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow

Every once in awhile, a film comes along that changes the game.  It's so refreshing and innovative that you can't be anything but impressed by it.  More often than not, you don't see it coming.   It's the film you would least expect to be revolutionary that changes everything.  Just take a look at Iron Man for example.  You would never expect some B-list Marvel superhero to step up ...
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REVIEW: Riggs and Murtaugh are the Original Buddy Cops in Lethal Weapon

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, April 8, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Lethal Weapon





Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan, and Tom Atkins

Mel Gibson has really screwed up his career.  For a long time, he was the premier action star of his generation.  Having starred in countless classic action flicks, it's unfortunate to see how far he's fallen because of his incendiary comments in drunken, abusive tirades.  Gibson is now reduced to releasing films on Video-On-Demand as opposed to in theaters. 

What the hell happ...
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REVIEW: The Lincoln Lawyer Electrifies the Courtroom with Some Old School Magic

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 31, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Lincoln Lawyer





Directed By: Brad Furman

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Peña, Bob Gunton, Bryan Cranston, and William H. Macy

Hollywood used to be ballsy.  There was a time when big studios would tackle epic romances, moving dramas, and utterly intense thrillers.  They used to make movies that made you think.  In the chase of the almighty dollar, most of Hollywood's mainstream films have increasingly become big budget spectac...
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REVIEW: Take Shelter Brings the Thunder

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Take Shelter





Directed By: Jeff Nichols

Starring: Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain


Watching a mental breakdown is like watching a train wreck in slow motion.  You get a front row seat for all the carnage and chaos that builds to a devastating climax.  That's why I love movies about crazy people.  You get a taste of what leads to their breakdowns and a better understanding of what makes them tick.  Jeff Nichols' Take Shelter is one such film.

Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) is a man afflicted...
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REVIEW: Bridesmaids is a Rare Gem That Belongs in the Pantheon of Awesome Comedies

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, February 11, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Bridesmaids





Directed By: Paul Feig

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Ellie Kemper, Chris O'Dowd, and Jill Clayburgh


When a great comedy is released, there's absolutely no denying it.  Just look at some awesome comedies from the last decade like Old School, Wedding Crashers, and The 40 Year Old Virgin.  These are some of the flicks that make you laugh until it hurts.  These are the movies you will stop and watch on TBS anytime you see them. ...
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REVIEW: 127 Hours Is the James Franco Show Plus a Nasty Little Boulder As the Guest Star

Posted by James Brown on Friday, February 10, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
127 Hours





Directed By: Danny Boyle

Starring: James Franco

Mountain climbing and canyoneering are dangerous hobbies, but the thrill seekers of the world don't seem to mind.  They love to explore the wild, untamed parts of the world.  Going into such isolation though comes with risks, and the life of Aron Ralston can show you a great deal about those.  In his memoirs Between a Rock and a Hard Place, he documents his most horrific experience out in the wild and what he had to do to survive.  Luckil...
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REVIEW: The Way Back Delivers With Stunning Cinematography

Posted by Zach Davis on Saturday, February 4, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
The Way Back
Zach Davis




Directed by: Peter Weir

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Sebastian Urzendowsky, Dragos Bucur, Mark Strong, Gustaf Skarsgård, and Alexandru Potocean


Russell Boyd’s cinematography captures the isolation of true wilderness over a vast array of landscapes.  The Way Back beautifully displays scenes of false peace through snow capped forests carpeting rolling hills, expansions of barren desert where the air seems to suck the life out of the gro...
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REVIEW: Kick-Ass Lives Up To Its Name

Posted by Daneeka Abellard on Thursday, January 26, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Kick-Ass
Daneeka Abellard




Directed By: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Mark Strong, and Nicolas Cage

"It didn't take a trauma or cosmic rays or a power ring to make a superhero. It's just a perfect combination of optimism and naïveté."-Dave Lizewski

Kick-Ass helps answer the question ‘what if a completely average guy really tried the superhero thing’. High school student and comic book junkie, Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) is that guy. I...
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REVIEW: Blue Valentine Is the Story Hollywood Doesn't Tell About Falling Out of Love

Posted by James Brown on Friday, January 20, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Blue Valentine





Directed By: Derek Cianfrance

Starring: Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams

Indie romance flicks are often so much better than the formulaic, crappy love flicks Hollywood manufactures.  In an indie romance, you'll get a story with real people with real problems.  In a mainstream romance flick on the other hand, you'll get an overly predictable flick starring Katherine Heigl or Sarah Jessica Parker that always has a sappy ending.  If I had to compare them to drinks, a good indie rom...
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REVIEW: Red State Reminds us of the Dangers of the Internet

Posted by Zach Davis on Thursday, January 5, 2012, In : 0.03% Wine Coolers 
Red State
Zach Davis




Directed by Kevin Smith

Starring: Michael Parks, John Goodman, Michael Angarano, Kerry Bishe, Nicholas Braun, and Kyle Gallner

Red State marks Kevin Smith’s first stab at a horror story, and it delivers a chilling blow.   A complete departure from his Jersey based comedies, Red State delivers characters in no way akin to Jay and Silent Bob.  Instead, Red State opens up a world with extreme Christian fundamentalists and their views on cleansing the world of sinners.
 
High sch...
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