So it's that time of year again, and neither the big studios nor the independents are offering us any cinematic scares to speak of, unless you're prepared for the quality mire of direct-to-video digging. For many the big screen will remain dark this Halloween. But if you're not partying or trick or treating (or if …
Review: Ender’s Game
Director: Gavin Hood Stars: Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Harrison Ford Ender's Game presents me with something of a problem. This is a film for children. The stars are predominantly children. It's about children. The plot is pretty childish. I am a 30-year-old man. I don't have children. I don't really relate to them. How then …
Review: Captain Phillips
Director: Paul Greengrass Stars: Barkhad Abdi, Tom Hanks, Chris Mulkey Captain Phillips tackles the same subject matter as Tobias Lindholm's feature A Hijacking did earlier this year, namely what occurs at sea when Somali pirates commandeer a vessel and its crew for ransom. The differences between the two films are revealing about the different sensibilities of cinema on …
Review: Escape Plan
Director: Mikael Håfström Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vinnie Jones In a Hollywood system so obsessively geared toward youth, it may seem like a contradiction that the so-called 'geriactioners' - action movies starring the genre's 80's and 90's stalwarts - continue to pop up and do business. The stars of these movies are unquestionably past …
Why I Love… #57: No Country For Old Men
Year: 2007 Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Stars: Josh Brolin (Llewellyn Moss), Tommy Lee Jones (Sheriff Ed Tom Bell), Javier Bardem (Anton Chigurh), Kelly Macdonald (Carla Jean Moss), Woody Harrelson (Carson Wells), Garret Dillahunt (Wendell) Genre: Crime Thriller / Literary Adaptation It's only been six years since the release of No Country For Old Men, …
Why I Love… #56: The Virgin Suicides
Year: 1999 Director: Sofia Coppola Stars: Kirsten Dunst (Lux Lisbon), Kathleen Turner (Mrs Lisbon), James Woods (Ronald Lisbon), Josh Hartnett (Trip Fontaine), Scott Glenn (Father Moody), Hanna Hall (Cecilia Lisbon) Genre: Comedy / Drama / Literary Adaptation Memories. Nostalgia. Growing pains. The Virgin Suicides holds a special place for me for a number of reasons, but …