“Paranormal Activity” movie review Find out why Eric’s actual theater-going experience ruined the movie for him here. I try really hard to go into movies without prejudice. But with the advertising tactics being employed to push “Paranormal Activity,” I’ve found it very difficult to not be extremely skeptical. Take a look at the posters. They’re […]
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Fame is fleeting and, by itself, unsatisfying. So what are we to conclude about a group of kids chasing a dream, not of being a great singer, dancer, or musician, but only trying to grab the spotlight for themselves? “Fame,” the remake of the 1980 film, gives us a variety of characters from the meek […]
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Will Ferrell may have made a career out of playing caricatured man-child characters who don’t want to grow up, but the kind of sweetly stunted misfits who live in the real world (where you have to pay rent, get a job, and grow old) don’t quite look like Ferrell. In the Humboldt Park area of […]
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I often dread going to see romantic comedies such as “Love Happens.” 1,000 times burned, 1,001 times shy. Romcoms are usually known for only their lack of originality, convoluted nature, and eagerness to play on overused themes. As it happens, “Love Happens” isn’t a bad film. In fact its a fair bit better than I […]
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Here’s what I learned from Jennifer’s Body. 1) Academy Award nominated screenwriters are just as good at writing mediocre horror flicks as everyone else. 2) People should really stop giving Æon Flux director Karyn Kusama work. 3) Asked to do some real acting, and without Michael Bay’s lascivious ogling lens, Megan Fox (who isn’t allowed […]
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If you are one of those moviegoers who needs simple, clear-cut reasons for the motivations behind your main character, then Steven Soderbergh’s rollicking big business satire “The Informant!” is not for you. The director has handled this kind of corporate whistle-blowing story before in “Erin Brockovich,” but this movie is another beast completely. With a […]
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Although “Whiteout” was slightly better than I expected, the film is nothing more than your basic thriller complete with a masked killer, a plucky detective with hidden scars, dangerous situations (most of which could be avoided the slightest hint of common sense), and a late plot twist which is far less surprising than it’s expected […]
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Adapted by creator Shane Acker from the short film of the same name, and produced by Tim Burton (who knows a thing or too about creepy and unconventional animated films), comes “9.” CGI animation in the style of stop-motion, Acker’s film is a breath of fresh air in both style and story. If you enjoyed […]
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Mike Judge returns to the everyday workplace as the setting for his new comedy “Extract,” but it’s hard not to wish for a more spirited take à la his 1999 cult hit “Office Space.” Even the broad comedy in “Extract” seems oddly muted—especially that of Ben Affleck, playing a stoner bartender named Dean who gives […]
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Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Lust, Caution,” “The Ice Storm”) has crafted some moving films over the years. He’s also responsible for a few which have missed the mark (“Hulk,” “Ride With the Devil”). Sadly, his latest is the later. In terms of recreating the scope and magnitude of Woodstock, the film succeeds, but […]
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“Halloween II” was not shown to press, but last night contributor Phil Fava attended a midnight screening just so he could file this report. Here’s Phil: What was I expecting, here? I don’t know. I didn’t necessarily anticipate good taste or stunning craftsmanship, but I definitely didn’t anticipate this. Truth be told, I’m just angry. […]
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Quentin Tarantino is a filmmaker. Love him or hate him, the man has a passion and reverence for cinema as well as a definite style in crafting his own projects. “Inglourious Basterds“, the writer/director’s latest, took more than a decade to come to the screen. The film is many things; one that it is not […]
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Neill Blomkamp‘s feature-length directorial debut does what really good science fiction does—it makes you think about the world you live in. It also does what mainstream crowd-pleasing sci-fi does and entertains with a lot of well-designed action scenes and classic Hollywood tropes. Using a stranded and impoverished alien race as a stand-in for the apartheid […]
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Indie filmmaker and contributor Trey Hock emailed me this morning with this passionate negative counterpoint to my review and Aaron’s review of “District 9,” proving that this is a movie that will generate lots of discussion. Here’s Trey: What could have been a gripping, insightful, political drama unravels to become a chase film, splatter-fest in […]
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Are we (being the humbles souls here at Transbuddha HQ) fans of Neill Blomkamp? After over five years of posting the man’s work, I should certainly say so. I’ll admit that I’ve been ready for “District 9” (a vastly expanded take on his “Alive in Joberg” short) since the moment it was announced, and with […]
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