I would never have thought that a movie that combines elements of Mr. Holland’s Opus and Rocky could be so entertaining, even though I really like those two films. Here Comes the Boom is a funny and heartwarming mix of downtrodden school […]
Continue reading »Month: October 2012
End of Watch (2012) ☆ ☆ 1/2
As yet another in the parade of gritty modern cop thrillers — almost all of them set in the City of Angels — End of Watch distinguishes itself only in the palpable partnership established between fellow cops Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) […]
Continue reading »Argo (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Among my favorite aspects of cinema occurs when someone unearths a particularly fascinating bit of history and then recreates that history in a well-made movie. When this happens history comes alive as drama that transcends personal experience to reveal ourselves […]
Continue reading »Hotel Transylvania (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆
Most kids love the old, classic monsters, and I am no exception. Those old classics, somewhat re-imagined, are all present in Hotel Transylvania — Dracula, the Mummy, the Werewolf, Frankenstein’s Monster (simply but incorrectly named just plain Frankenstein), the Invisible Man — along […]
Continue reading »Looper (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆
Although the premise of Looper is beset by a strange logic all its own which raises all sorts of questions without ever really addressing them, it is remarkably consistent, which is a huge plus. The story must be consistent, or otherwise […]
Continue reading »Dredd 3D (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆
Recalling with disappointment the Sylvester Stallone 1995 adventure dud Judge Dredd and recognizing in the preview for this movie a distinct similarity to an earlier action film this year called The Raid: Redemption which really impressed me, I was not expecting much […]
Continue reading »Won’t Back Down (2012) ☆ ☆ ☆
Inspirational or political propaganda? That is the dilemma of Won’t Back Down, a fiercely passionate diatribe about the poor state of public education in America. On one hand, there is no denying that the film’s heart is in the right […]
Continue reading »Arbitrage (2012) ☆ ☆
Some titles are better than others, of course, and Arbitrage is one of those that is more confusing than commanding. It is a financial term which I had never heard before and it is difficult to pronounce as well. Unless one […]
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