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 […]
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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 […]
Continue reading »Trouble with the Curve (2012) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Twenty years after Unforgiven, it’s still a bit of a shock to see Clint Eastwood as a frail old man. Now 82, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the iconic Man with No Name can no longer embody the lethal […]
Continue reading »The Cold Light of Day (2012) ☆ 1/2
The cast lured me to this poorly-titled espionage thriller, but even with solid contributions from Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver, I am quite disappointed with the result. Based on the way that the American spies disrupt the city of Madrid, […]
Continue reading »Branded (2012) ☆
I’m all for new, unique and different movies to watch, but not everything new, unique or different is good. And Branded is not good. It’s a Russian-American co-production which posits that advertising and marketing is a global evil used to foist […]
Continue reading »Cannery Row (1982) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Combining two John Steinbeck novels (Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday) into one movie worked surprisingly well for David S. Ward, who wrote the screenplay and directed Cannery Row (1982). 1982 was another great year for movies, and Cannery Row is one […]
Continue reading »Time After Time (1979) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
One film I’ve always felt has never received its due respect is the wonderful time travel adventure Time After Time (1979), which posits that Jack the Ripper and H. G. Wells stage a fateful confrontation in modern day San Francisco. […]
Continue reading »Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The premise of the action-drama Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) may remind astute viewers of Howard Hawks’ Western “jailhouse siege” films Rio Bravo and El Dorado, for they provided writer-director John Carpenter with the inspiration for this modern, urban version. […]
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