Showing Tag: " thriller" (Show all posts)

REVIEW: On the Roadway to An Apocalyptic Future Courtesy of SkyNet, Terminator 2 Says Hasta La Vista to Judgement Day

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, March 22, 2015, In : 0.00% Water 
Terminator 2: Judgement Day





Directed By: James Cameron


Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong

I'm sure that many of you who are reading this post are fans of James Cameron's 2009 blockbuster Avatar.  The film did gross more than $2.7 billion at the box office and has no money-making equal in the modern era of film.  It has no sequel either, yet.  Fans have waited six years but must wait at least another two to return to Pandora.  This is not the least...

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REVIEW: On Your Feet Soldier! The Future Is Not Set With Cyberdyne Model 101, AKA The Terminator, Hunting Down Sarah Connor With a Phone Book

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, March 22, 2015, In : 0.00% Water 
The Terminator





Directed By: James Cameron

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton, and Paul Winfield


"Thank you, Sarah, for your courage through the dark years.  I can't help you with what you must soon face, except to say that the future is not set.  You must be stronger than you imagine you can be.  You must survive, or I will never exist."
-Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn)

Very few films, especially franchise installments, leave an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape.  If...

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REVIEW: With A Spinosaurus, A Pterodactyl, & Kirby Enterprises, Jurassic Park III Crashes & Burns Returning to Isla Sorna

Posted by James Brown on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor 
Jurassic Park III





Directed By: Joe Johnston


Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, and Michael Jeter

The hardest reality for a Hollywood studio executive to face is that some of the best movies don't require sequels.  Some of the finest in blockbuster cinema include those films that remain untarnished by needless follow-ups.  These films stand on their own.  Though there are few films that meet this standard anymore, they do exist.  The quintessential...

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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: With Aliens, Rubik's Cubes, and Operation Walking Distance, Super 8 is One Cool Throwback Sci-Fi Flick

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, May 3, 2014, In : 0.00% Water 
Super 8





Directed By: J. J. Abrams


Starring: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee, and Ron Eldard


The Internet is abuzz with talk about the casting for J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: Episode VII.  Expectedly, some Trekkies are still discontent with the fact that Abrams turned to the dark side by ditching the Star Trek franchise and are once again ranting on the web to make their voices heard.  In between Abrams's jobs of living long and prospering and letting the force ...

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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: In The Insider, 60 Minutes Producer Lowell Bergman Challenges Confidentiality Agreements & Tortious Interference for Big Tobacco Whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 23, 2014, In : 0.00% Water 
The Insider





Directed By: Michael Mann


Starring: Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Phillip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, Gina Gershon, and Michael Gambon


"You pay me to go get guys like Wigand, to draw him out.  To get him to trust us, to get him to go on television.  I do.  I deliver him.  He sits.  He talks.  He violates his own fucking confidentiality agreement.  And he's only the key witness in the biggest public health reform issue, maybe the biggest, mos...

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REVIEW: With 30 Seconds of the Clash Between Cop Vincent Hanna & Robber Neil McCauley, You Know the Flip Side of the Coin Has Just as Much Heat

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 16, 2014, In : 0.00% Water 
Heat





Directed By: Michael Mann

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Jon Voight, Val Kilmer, and Natalie Portman

"A guy told me one time, 'Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.'  Now, if you're on me and you gotta move when I move, how do you expect to keep a... a marriage?"
-Neil McCauley (Robert De N...

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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: No Better Than a Beast, Evergreen Oldboy Oh Dae-su Becomes a Monster in Search of the Little Prince in the High Tower

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, November 24, 2013, In : 0.00% Water 
Oldboy





Directed By: Park Chan-wook


Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, and Kang Hye-jung

"Laugh and the world laughs with you.  Weep and you weep alone."
-Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik)

I've seen some sick movies in my time, but none may be sicker than Park Chan-wook's Oldboy.  It's one bloody, disgusting movie.  Despite this, the 2003 South Korean thriller is a rare testament to the fact that filmmakers can generate shock and awe with class and style.  In a very surreal scene during which our star pull...

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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: 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: It Was a Dog Day Afternoon...Attica! Attica! Attica!

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, August 11, 2013, In : 0.00% Water 
Dog Day Afternoon





Directed By: Sidney Lumet

Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, James Broderick, and Chris Sarandon

"Kiss me.  When I'm being f*cked, I like to get kissed a lot."
-Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino)

The 1970s are often regarded as the Second Golden Age of Hollywood.  With all the social upheaval of the 60s and 70s over the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, and a host of other issues of the day, there were plenty of things on people’s minds when they entered their local multip...

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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: Jurassic Park Gets My Endorsement Because Life Finds a Way

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, February 10, 2013, In : 0.00% Water 

Jurassic Park





Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, BD Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards

"Dinosaurs and man, two species separated by 65 million years of evolution have just been suddenly thrown back into the mix together. How can we possibly have the slightest idea what to expect?"
-Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill)

I can't believe that it's been two decades since Juras...


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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: 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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REVIEW: In Die Hard, Roy Rogers and Some Not-So-Common Thieves Tear Nakatomi Plaza to Shreds

Posted by James Brown on Thursday, January 10, 2013, In : 0.00% Water 

Die Hard





Directed By: John McTiernan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Alexander Godunov, Bonnie Bedalia, Reginald VelJohnson, and Paul Gleason

"Yippee kai yay, motherfucker!".  It's hard to believe that it's been a quarter century since a young Bruce Willis uttered these words to Alan Rickman and forever changed the face of action movies.  These aren't just the words of some older generation of cowboy, gun-loving Americans.  These are the words that symbolize an entire generation of act...


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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: 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: 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: Casino Royale Gambles on a Brand New Badass 007 in Daniel Craig

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, November 7, 2012, In : 0.00% Water 

Casino Royale





Directed By: Martin Campbell

Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, and Jeffrey Wright

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the on-screen debut of beloved British spy James Bond.  If you didn't know that by now, I'd be genuinely surprised.  Current Bond Daniel Craig opened up the 2012 Olympics with Queen Elizabeth several months ago.  There's been a blitz of advertising themed around 007 this year.  Ultimately, all this exposure and fanfare will culmi...


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REVIEW: What is the Matrix? One Damn Good Movie That Shows Us How Deep the Rabbit Hole Goes

Posted by James Brown on Monday, October 15, 2012, In : 0.00% Water 

The Matrix





Directed By: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano

How many movies have you seen where a director uses slow motion to emphasize big moments in action sequences?  How many times have you seen fools nearly break their necks trying to lean back as much as possible while dancing or horsing around?  How many times has someone asked you to take the red or the blue pill?  You can thank The Matrix ...


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GUEST REVIEW: Caché

Posted by Zack Mandell on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, In : 0.00% Water 

Caché





Directed By: Michael Haneke

Starring: Juliette Binoche, Daniel Auteuil, and Maurice Bénichou

Zack Mandell is a movie enthusiast and owner of www.movieroomreviews.com and writer of movie reviews.  He writes extensively about the movie industry for sites such as Gossip Center, Yahoo, NowPublic and Helium.

We live in an era hooked on voyeurism.  The major American television networks, which once thrived on scripted shows, have slowly transformed into purveyors of “reality” shows, s...


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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: 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: 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: Everything Burns in the Joker's Gotham, But We Have a Silent Guardian and Watchful Protector in The Dark Knight

Posted by James Brown on Sunday, May 13, 2012, In : 0.00% Water 
The Dark Knight





Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Morgan Freeman

"You'll hunt me.  You'll condemn me, set the dogs on me.   Because that's what needs to happen.  Because sometimes... the truth isn't good enough.   Sometimes people deserve more.  Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded."
-Batman (Christian Bale)


Once in a long while there comes a movie that changes the way you look a...
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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: 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: Riggs and Murtaugh Bring the House Down in Lethal Weapon 2...Literally

Posted by James Brown on Saturday, April 14, 2012, In : 0.00% Water 
Lethal Weapon 2





Directed By: Richard Donner

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Joss Ackland, Derrick O'Connor, and Patsy Kensit

The first Lethal Weapon film set such a high standard for the modern action thriller that Lethal Weapon 2 had quite an unenviable task.  Following up a future classic is always a tall order.  As history tells us though, Richard Donner, Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, and others rose to the occasion and delivered another great action thriller that has stood the tes...
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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: "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: 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: The Wolf May Be Big But It Ain't Bad in Red Riding Hood

Posted by James Brown on Monday, February 20, 2012, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor 
Red Riding Hood





Directed By: Catherine Hardwicke

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons, Virginia Madsen, Lukas Haas, and Julie Christie

Now that Hollywood has made just about every comic book movie imaginable, studios are in need of a new gravy train.  They need a new genre to kill.  Studio execs have decided in mass to tackle fairy tales, and they've done nothing to hide it.  We've got two "Snow White" movies in the works this year alone.  There's talk...
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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: Inception is Every Movie Lover's Dream Come True

Posted by James Brown on Wednesday, February 1, 2012, In : 0.00% Water 
Inception





Directed By: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cilian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine

Every once in a while, a blockbuster comes along that changes everything.  Just think of movies like Star Wars, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Jurassic Park, The Matrix, and Avatar.  These films were all game changers that pushed big budget filmmaking to the next level.  In its own way, each film...
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REVIEW: Unknown is Unimpressive

Posted by Zach Davis on Sunday, January 29, 2012, In : 0.12% Hard Liquor 
Unknown
Zach Davis




Directed by: Jaume Collet-Serra

Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, and Frank Langella

Movies are a safe haven for the unbelievable and the impossible, and this should never change.  Some movies can take these two things too far, and Unknown is a guilty party in that respect.  Jaume Collet-Serra’s Unknown works around an interesting premise but delivers a predictable plot that gets quite ridiculous at times.  This Liam Neeson action ve...
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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: 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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