Showing category "0.06% Beer or Wine" (Show all posts)

REVIEW: Ignoring the Butterfly Effect & Chasing the Great White Buffalo, Let's Get It Started in the 80s With A Hot Tub Time Machine & Chernobly

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, March 22, 2015, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Hot Tub Time Machine





Directed By: Steve Pink

Starring: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover, Lizzy Caplan, Lyndsy Fonseca, and Chevy Chase

I love movies from the 80s.  Despite the poor fashion and cheesy pop culture that partially characterizes the decade, there's something about the movies of the era that's always resonated with me.  Perhaps that's why I love Hot Tub Time Machine.  Steve Pink's wild and playful time travel comedy may not be perfect, but it's an u...

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REVIEW: When Life Finds a Way on Lost World Isla Sorna, InGen Takes Jurassic Park to San Diego Forgetting the Parental Instincts of a T-Rex

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 18, 2015, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
The Lost World: Jurassic Park





Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Vince Vaughn, Arliss Howard, Richard Schiff, and Richard Attenborough

Life will find a way.  That's always been one of my favorite movie quotes because it resonates with so much of what we know about evolution and how species rise and fall in our ecosystem.  Jurassic Park will forever be a classic that puts the Darwinian notion of survival of the fittest to the ultimate test o...

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REVIEW: Soul Mates Chris & Annie Determine What Dreams May Come on D-Day by What They Paint on the Canvas of the Afterlife

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, August 30, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
What Dreams May Come





Directed By: Vincent Ward

Starring: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Annabella Sciorra, and Max von Sydow

"Sometimes, when you win, you lose."
-Annie Nielsen (Annabella Sciorra)

As I've listened to different media personalities and fans around the world express their love for Robin Williams this month, they've all mentioned a handful of films they treasure in particular.  They've mentioned films like Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin, and Awakeni...

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REVIEW: In Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Doomsday Nears for This Green & Insignificant Planet Thanks to the Telepaths' Alpha Omega Bomb

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, June 22, 2014, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Beneath the Planet of the Apes





Directed By: Ted Post

Starring: James Franciscus, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, Linda Harrison, and Charlton Heston


As I watched Planet of the Apes once again, it reminded me just how bold Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its upcoming sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes really are.  In Planet of the Apes and its sequels, the apocalypse has come and gone.  In these newer prequels, we're focusing squarely on the turbulent times that lead to mankind's downfall, which...

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REVIEW: Because Frank Moses Requested Some Pension Checks, His Fellow Seniors Get to Show They're Retired But Extremely Dangerous

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, July 14, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Red





Directed By: Robert Schwentke

Starring: Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox, and Karl Urban

The actors of today have definitely earned their place in the hearts of moviegoers, but we still love our stars of old.  In the world of action movies for instance, just look to the success of The Expendables and the seemingly unending careers of the legends of the 80s and 90s.  Somehow, the likes of Schwarzenegger and Stallone are still going, gra...

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REVIEW: In X-Men: The Last Stand, the Best Defense is Not a Good Offense

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, July 6, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
X-Men: The Last Stand





Directed By: Brett Ratner

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, and Patrick Stewart

"Don't let it control you."
-Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart)

Between 2005 and 2007, we didn't have the greatest comic book movies hitting theaters across the globe.  Admittedly, we did have Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins in '05.  However, we...

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REVIEW: Why the World Doesn't Need Superman Returns

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, June 1, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Superman Returns





Directed By: Bryan Singer

Starring: Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, James Marsden, Frank Langella, Eva Marie Saint, Parker Posey, Kal Penn, Sam Huntington, and Kevin Spacey

Before we entered this era of filmmaking where studios reboot a franchise at the drop of a hat, studios opted to keep franchises alive forever and ever.  There are countless examples of this.  Look at the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street series, kept alive through the 1980s, the 1990s, and most of th...

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REVIEW: The Hangover Part II – Holler! City Of Squalor!

Posted by SoberFilmChick on Thursday, May 23, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 

The Hangover Part II
SoberFilmChick



Directed by: Todd Phillips

Starring:  Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha, and Paul Giamatti

With the release of The Hangover Part III imminent, STMR continues its retro review series of the Hangover trilogy with The Hangover Part II. Like most sequels, The Hangover Part II suffers in comparison to its predecessor. The first movie was so ridiculously hilarious and original, that it was impossible for the sequel to outdo or ev...


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REVIEW: In Fast & Furious, One Bad Judgement Call is the Difference Between Cop Brian O'Conner and Criminal Dom Toretto

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, May 23, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Fast & Furious





Directed By: Justin Lin

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster

"I don't know about your other drivers, but when I see flashing lights in my mirror, I don't stop."
-Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)

Fast & Furious is the third sequel to The Fast and the Furious, yet it is the first true sequel to the original film with all the principal cast members reprising their roles, including Vin Diesel in his leading role as Dominic Toretto.  It's a damn shame t...

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REVIEW: Brian & Roman Are Definitely Hungry in 2 Fast 2 Furious, But Their Pockets Ain't Empty

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, May 4, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
2 Fast 2 Furious





Directed By: John Singleton


Starring: Paul Walker, Tyrese, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Thom Barry, and James Remar

While The Fast and the Furious was just a good racing movie, it made more than its fair share of cheddar.  That's why it's no surprise that studio execs had its sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious in cinemas in just two short years.  They were hungry for some more easy money.  That being said, the curious thing about this second installment in the franchi...

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REVIEW: Toretto and O'Conner May Be a Match Made in Hell, But They Sure are Fast and Furious Street Racers

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, April 21, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
The Fast and the Furious





Directed By: Rob Cohen


Starring: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Matt Schulze, Thom Barry, and Johnny Strong

“Ask any racer, any real racer. It doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile; winning's winning.”

-Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)

That's a quote I've taken to heart over the last twelve years.  Of course, I still always enjoy spanking an opponent, whether competing athletically, intellectually, or electronically.  In the end, ho...

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REVIEW: Top Gun — No Points for Second Place at This Fighter Weapons School

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 24, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Top Gun





Directed By: Tony Scott

Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Michael Ironside, Meg Ryan, Rick Rossovich, Whip Hubley, and James Tolkan

Last year, we lost a fine director by the name of Tony Scott.  With films like Enemy of the State, Crimson Tide, and Man on Fire to his name, it's time we revisit some of his films.  With Top Gun being recently re-released to theaters in IMAX 3D, there's no time like the present to cover it.  This quintessential...

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REVIEW: With No Mercy and Definitely No Shame, Scary Movie Tackles 90's Horror Flicks

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 24, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Scary Movie





Directed By: Keenen Ivory Wayans

Starring: Anna Faris, Regina Hall, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Shannon Elizabeth, Jon Abrahams, Kurt Fuller, Carmen Electra, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, and Dave Sheridan

Spoof movies have never been world-class entertainment, but they've descended to new lows in recent years.  I look at a movie like Paranormal Activity spoof A Haunted House and wonder just what the hell happened.  When did they get so bad?  There was a time when the low-brow humor o...

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REVIEW: SPECTRE Lets the Siamese Fighting Fish Duke It Out in the Cold War Themed From Russia With Love

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, February 19, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
From Russia With Love






Directed By: Terence Young


Starring: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, and Pedro Armendáriz


With last year marking the 50th anniversary for the Bond series as a whole, there's a lot of love for the world's favorite British spy.  If the win for billion dollar blockbuster Skyfall at the BAFTAs proves anything, it proves that 007 is still a hot commodity.  With this in mind, we're going to keep this Bond retro series going on STMR.  This month's film is...

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REVIEW: In Die Hard 2, John McClane is the Wrong Guy in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time All Over Again

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, January 26, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 

Die Hard 2





Directed By: Renny Harlin

Starring: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Sadler, Art Evans, Dennis Franz, Reginald VelJohnson, and John Amos

What are the chances that the same thing would happen to the same guy twice?  That's the question we end up asking ourselves in Renny Harlin's Die Hard 2, the follow-up to the 1988 smash hit starring a young Bruce Willis.  While this sounds awesome on paper, I wish the same guy would have directed the film.  As you may know, Die Hard directo...


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GUEST REVIEW: Commando

Posted by Zack Mandell on Thursday, January 3, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 

Commando





Directed By: Mark L. Lester

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, James Olson, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke, and David Patrick Kelly

The end of the Cold War was still six years away; dictators were common villains, and the moviegoers of the freedom-loving United States were absolutely enamored with action movies.  It was 1985 and Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the top of his game.

With The Last Stand set to open this January, and Schwarzenegger playing...


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REVIEW: The Hewitt Family Unleashes Their Special Boy Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, January 2, 2013, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 

The Texas Chainsaw  Massacre





Directed By: Marcus Nispel

Starring: Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour, and R. Lee Ermey

In the history of slasher movies, there are only a handful of iconic murderers — Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, and Leatherface.  Each has left their own indelible scar on the genre and a bloody trail of victims on the big screen.  I have love for each of them, but Leatherfsce stands out as one of the most talented slash...


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REVIEW: Quantum of Solace is No Casino Royale

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, November 7, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 

Quantum of Solace





Directed By: Marc Forster

Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Gemma Arterton, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, and Giancarlo Giannini

Casino Royale set a new high standard for the modern James Bond.  Because of this, the expectations for Quantum of Solace, the 22nd 007 flick, were through the roof.  Moviegoers expected lightning to strike twice in the same place.  Unfortunately, this was not meant to be.  With Martin Campbell no longer at the helm, Marc Fors...


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REVIEW: Watchmen Successfully Brings the Frames of a Comic Book to Life

Posted by Zach Davis on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 

Watchmen
Zach Davis




Directed By: Zack Snyder

Starring: Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Carla Gugino, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Patrick Wilson

I have to start by addressing the end of Watchmen as it takes a huge left turn from the end of the graphic novel.  To many, this was considered heresy, but I think it did the film justice more so than sticking with the original material would have.  Without spoiling the movie, the ending chosen by director Zack Snyder and ...


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REVIEW: Who Is Salt? One Kickass Chick in a Mediocre Flick

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, September 16, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 

Salt





Directed By: Philip Noyce

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, and August Diehl

Angelina Jolie has really built a versatile career as an actress and filmmaker.  While she can hold her own in dramatic roles in films like A Mighty Heart and Changeling, she can also kick some asses in films like Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Wanted.  To top things off, she established herself as a burgeoning director with In the Land of Blood and Honey earlier this year. ...


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REVIEW: Get Lost Bub. That's All Vera Farmiga Has to Say to the Devil in Higher Ground

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, July 3, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Higher Ground





Directed By: Vera Farmiga

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Donna Murphy, John Hawkes, Nina Arianda, Dagmara Dominczyk, Bill Irwin, Joshua Leonard, Ebon-Moss Bachrach, and Taissa Varmiga

It's got to be really hard to direct and act in the same film, especially if the individual is the star of a film.  As an actor, I can imagine that a person would be used to direction from someone else other than himself.  As a director, there's probably no time whatsoever to get behind the camera.  The dual...
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REVIEW: Spider-Man 3 Is Just Too Much. It's Just Too Much

Posted by James Brown on Friday, June 22, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Spider-Man 3





Directed By: Sam Raimi
 
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, and J.K. Simmons
 
The bar was set high for Sam Raimi after the towering successes of Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, two of the greatest comic book movies of all time.  How do you come up with a story and a film great enough to at least match its predecessors?  Admittedly, it's a daunting task for any director.  In trying to outdo himsel...
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REVIEW: Smarter Aliens and a Ripley Clone Can't Hide the Money-Hungry Desperation Fueling Alien Resurrection

Posted by James Brown on Friday, June 1, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Alien Resurrection





Directed By: Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon, Gary Dourdan, Michael Wincott, Brad Dourif, Leland Orser, Dan Hedaya, J. E. Freeman, Kim Flowers, and Raymond Cruz

Sometimes it's abundantly clear when Hollywood is trying to make a quick buck.  There are some movies that are just so unnecessary that you're just left wondering why.  After Alien 3, who would've thought that another Alien film centering on the character of Ell...
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REVIEW: Warner Bros. Killed the Bat We Loved in Batman Forever

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, April 29, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Batman Forever





Directed By: Joel Schumacher

Starring: Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey, Nicole Kidman, and Chris O'Donnell

Batman may be the most successful superhero of all time at the box office.  For a time though in the 90s, he was the worst managed hero.  After the magnificent films Batman and Batman Returns directed by the imaginative Tim Burton, Warner Bros. decided that they wanted this superhero franchise to be more “family-oriented”.  Apparently, a few little weak kids went ...
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REVIEW: Riggs is a Daddy-To-Be & Murtaugh is a Granddaddy-To-Be. Lethal Weapon 4 Proves That It's Time for the Original Buddy Cops to Retire

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, April 22, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Lethal Weapon 4





Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo, Chris Rock, and Jet Li

By the time Lethal Weapon 4 came rolling into theaters in 1998, the focus of the films had changed a bit.  The 90s had been good to Mel Gibson.  Because of the success of films like Braveheart, Gibson was unquestionably the main attraction of any film in which he starred at that time.  That's why Lethal Weapon 4 was the Mel Gibson Show featuring guest stars Danny Glover, ...
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REVIEW: Mr. Green Steps Up His Game in The Incredible Hulk

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
The Incredible Hulk





Directed By: Louis Leterrier

Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt

Back in 2003, Hulk was an absolute disaster.  The film did anything but justice to the big green menace, and there was a backlash from fans.  That's why the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk seems nothing like its predecessor.  Universal has brought in a new director, a new Hulk, and an entirely new cast.  They wanted to distance themselves from the painful memories from Hulk.  I can happi...
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REVIEW: Riggs May Be Chaos & Murtaugh May Be Mayhem, But Lethal Weapon 3 Has Lost A Little Bit of Its Edge

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Lethal Weapon 3





Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Rene Russo, Stuart Wilson, and Joe Pesci

By the time 1992 came rolling around, Lethal Weapon was well-established as the premier buddy cop franchise.  After the successes of Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2, Richard Donner, Mel Gibson, and Danny Glover had nothing to prove.  Nonetheless, Lethal Weapon 3 happened.  To make things interesting in this third time around, we have a new cast member in Rene Russo.

Riggs (Gi...
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REVIEW: Danny McBride Straps a Bomb to 30 Minutes or Less But Somehow Doesn't Blow the Damn Movie Up with His Crude, Humorless Nonsense

Posted by James Brown on Friday, April 6, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
30 Minutes or Less





Directed By: Ruben Fleischer

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Swardson

I've never been a big fan of Danny McBride.  There's a thin line between funny vulgarity and pointless crudity.  McBride crosses that line time and time again in his effort to be overtly raunchy.  He just drops four-letter words and any kind of reference to sex without any real purpose.  That kind of nonsense is not comedy.  Unfortunately, we have to deal with this crap in the...
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REVIEW: "You're Killin' Me". Bruce Willis is the Modern Day Clint Eastwood, and 16 Blocks Shows Us Just Why

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 31, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
16 Blocks





Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Bruce Willis, Mos Def, David Morse, Cylk Cozart, and Casey Sander

Bruce Willis and Clint Eastwood have a lot in common.  They are both iconic action movie stars that defined their generations.  They've both starred in classic films that will live on for ages.  They both have this unique charm that allows them to turn grumpy old assholes into lovable characters on the big screen.  They both can get away with ridiculously cheesy lines like "You're ki...
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REVIEW: Hanna Is a Damn Good Hunter

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 17, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Hanna





Directed By: Joe Wright

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, and Cate Blanchett


I admire hunters.  I'm not talking about those guys that just pull out a gun and shoot their prey.  I'm talking about hunters who have to track and kill their prey by much more challenging means.  By going out in the wilderness and braving the elements, they do what most of us don't.  By pursuing their prey and taking life without question, they do what most of us w...
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REVIEW: Fast Five Breathes Life into The Fast and The Furious Franchise

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, March 17, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Fast Five





Directed By: Justin Lin

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Matt Schulze, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Elsa Pataky, and Joaquim de Almeida

Unless you're dealing with Harry Potter, James Bond, or a very entertaining serial killer, the fifth installment in a film series is typically a long shot for any franchise.  Hell, most series don't make it past three or four installments.  For rea...
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REVIEW: The Rite Offers a Strong Message of Faith, But It Doesn't Quite Make Me Believe

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, March 1, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
The Rite





Directed By: Mikael Håfström

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue, Alice Braga, and Rutger Hauer


I’m just going to say it.  Exorcism flicks are not my thing.  There’s something that’s fundamentally terrifying about demonic possessions.  It’s not some undead boy who drowned at a camp or some elementary school gardener out for revenge after getting burnt alive in a boiler room.  We all know they’re not real.  Demons, on the other hand, are quite real.  As a Christian, ...
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REVIEW: Waiting to Exhale – Shoop, Shoop, Shoop

Posted by Mary Dieng on Monday, February 20, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Waiting to Exhale
Mary Dieng




Directed By: Forest Whitaker

Starring: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon

In honor of Whitney Houston, STMR is doing a Retro Review series on her trio of films, Waiting to Exhale, The Bodyguard and The Preacher’s Wife.  When I was first asked to do the reviews for the series, I cringed.  Not because I didn’t think it was a good idea, but because I wasn’t enthralled with her entire body of work.  Who wants to be critical under these ...
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REVIEW: Pirates Has Lost a Little Luster, But It Can Still Light Up the Big Screen with Some Swashbuckling Action

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 12, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides





Directed By: Rob Marshall

Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, and Kevin McNally

Hollywood has a nasty habit of killing its best franchises.  Releasing sequel after sequel, they keep piling on the movies long after they've run out of worthwhile stories to tell.  In 2011 alone, there were 27 sequels.  Studios' never ending chase of the almighty dollar has programmed viewers to see most sequels these days as crap.  There are...
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REVIEW: Bad Teacher Isn't Quite Bad Enough

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 12, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Bad Teacher





Directed By: Jake Kasdan

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Lucy Punch, and Jason Segel

In the wake of the immensely successful Bridesmaids, it's nice to see another comedy with a leading lady.  Although Cameron Diaz has been out of the comedy game for quite a while, her most notable foray into the genre led to the modern classic There's Something About Mary.  In her latest film Bad Teacher, things are a little different.  The guys aren't chasing her. This time around, she's ...
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REVIEW: Bacon and Fassbender Save an Otherwise Mediocre Film in X-Men: First Class

Posted by Zach Davis on Tuesday, February 7, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
X-Men: First Class
Zach Davis




Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

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

X-Men: First Class is Matthew Vaughn’s fourth time out as a director.  After having made Layercake, Stardust, and Kick-Ass, First Class marks the first time he has worked with a budget of more than $100 million.  The problem with First Class is a common one amongst comic book movies.  Vaughn tries to force too much trivia into the film.

As...
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REVIEW: The Adjustment Bureau Could Use a Few Adjustments

Posted by James Brown on Friday, February 3, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
The Adjustment Bureau





Directed By: George Nolfi

Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Terence Stamp, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly, and Anthony Ruivivar


I'm a huge fan of Matt Damon.  He's one of the great actors of his generation and has given me some of my favorite films including Good Will Hunting, The Departed, and The Bourne Ultimatum.  He's destined for great things and will definitely have his name etched in cinematic history some day.  He just needs to find that career-defini...
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REVIEW: The Kids Are All Right is Just Alright

Posted by James Brown on Friday, February 3, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
The Kids Are All Right





Directed By: Lisa Cholodenko

Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, and Yaya DaCosta

Family dramas are a dime a dozen.  You don't have to look too long and hard to find a flick that's got some family values.  You come into these flicks knowing what to expect, and you generally get it.  A little creativity can go a long way in a family flick.  That's why I was very curious about Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right.  Wit...
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REVIEW: Speed Hits the Brakes A Few Times, But It’s Still a Fun Ride

Posted by Daneeka Abellard on Thursday, January 26, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Speed
Daneeka Abellard




Directed By: Jan de Bont

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Daniels, Joe Morton, Alan Ruck, and Glenn Plummer

Speed is definitely a classic action film with an interesting premise. After Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reaves) thwarts expert bomber Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), Payne decides to get some revenge. He sets up a little game in which a city bus in Los Angeles will explode if Jack loses. Now, there are many ways to lose this game concocted by...
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REVIEW: A Glass of Wine Will Do Well When Trying to Keep Pace with Arthur

Posted by Zach Davis on Sunday, January 15, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Arthur
Zach Davis




Directed by: Jason Winer

Starring: Russell Brand, Helen Mirren, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Garner, Geraldine James, Luis Guzman, and Nick Nolte

A remake of the 1981 hit of the same name, Arthur delivers a modern take on high society and New York.  While the 1981 version garnered four Academy Award nominations and two wins, the 2011 remake doesn’t seem to capture the same magic, albeit it does very well on its own.

Arthur (Russell Brand), the playboy son of a rich industrialist (Ger...
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REVIEW: The Real Dilemma Is To Pick Out a Good Beer or Wine For The Dilemma

Posted by Zach Davis on Sunday, January 15, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
The Dilemma
Zach Davis




Directed by: Ron Howard

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Channing Tatum, and Queen Latifah

The Dilemma is a departure from Ron Howard’s recent work.  He’s helmed films that have garnered award buzz such as A Beautiful Mind and Frost/Nixon.  He’s also helmed commercially successful films in recent years such as The Da Vinci Code.  While this film offered less of a challenge to Howard, he still delivered an all-around entertaining mo...
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REVIEW: When Adam Sandler’s Crew Gets Romantic, It's Better to Grab a Couple Beers and ‘Just Go With It’

Posted by Zach Davis on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, In : 0.06% Beer or Wine 
Just Go With It
Zach Davis




Directed By: Dennis Dugan

Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Dan Patrick, Brooklyn Decker, Dave Matthews, Nick Swardson, and Nicole Kidman


With any good romantic comedy, character is key; and while Just Go With It offers up little in terms of depth, it keeps to Sandler’s comedic strengths of goofy sight gags and situational absurdity.

Danny (Adam Sandler) overhears the true feelings of his bride to be and walks away from the wedding.  Naturally, he heads straigh...
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