Bad Santa was very controversial when it was released in 2003. Many parents were shocked and appalled at the level of profanity and sexual references, taking their kids to see a film that they thought would be a fun Christmas flick. Apparently the R rating and the big warning sign on the poster stating the film was explicitly for adults wasn't enough. This didn't seem to affect … [Read more...]
Review: Romantics Anonymous (France, 2011)
Romantics Anonymous, as you can probably guess from its title, is a gentle romantic comedy, directed and co-written by Jean-Pierre Ameris. Its French title is Les Émotifs Anonynmes, after a group that the protagonist, Angélique Delange, attends every week. It translates to something like ˜Emotionals Anonymous' “ a support group, akin to Alcoholics Anonymous, for people who … [Read more...]
Review: Hugo (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B0064YON8G][/pullquote] Rarely in this age of cinema where box offices are dominated by hulking great franchise films like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and Transformers: Dark of the Moon do you expect to find a high-budget independently-spirited, world … [Read more...]
Review: New Year’s Eve (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B0058N2SIG][/pullquote] Portmanteau films are anthologies of short stories tied together with one central theme. In the 1940s and 50s these anthology films would be a useful way for a studio to show off all the stars they had at there disposal. The actual quality of … [Read more...]
Review: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00A6HL7S6][/pullquote] In recent years Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga has become a global phenomonen to rival Harry Potter. Originally best-selling novels, it wasn't long before the rights were snapped up and a film mega-franchise was born. Casting Robert Pattinson … [Read more...]
Review: A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B005YYCMA8][/pullquote] Harold and Kumar Get the Munchies, released in 2004 proved an unexpected box office success. The idea of two Asian leads in an American mainstream stoner movie was an unusual choice, but one that has lead to two sequels and a healthy following … [Read more...]
Review: Puss in Boots (2011)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B005A5YYZ2][/pullquote] Shrek was a monster commercial and critical success that spawned three sequels and now, with a spin-off of one of the most popular characters introduced in Shrek 2: Puss in Boots. Clearly Dreamworks are no fools and with the popularity of each … [Read more...]
Review: Jeepers Creepers (2001)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B008MU8ZOI][/pullquote] On a routine trip home from college, bickering brother and sister Darry (Justin Long) and Trish (Gina Phillips) make the regrettable mistake of taking the scenic route through the country. Darry catches sight of a mysterious figure, disposing … [Read more...]
Review: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B003AQC1CQ][/pullquote] December 2003 came to be a time of celebration and sadness for a lot of the film-going world. Peter Jackson's astonishing vision for J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy was set to finish with Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. … [Read more...]
Review: Jingle All the Way (1996)
[pullquote cite="" type="left, right"][amazon text=Amazon&template=carousel&chan=that film guy&asin=B00DDRP386][/pullquote] Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the highest grossing actors of the 1980s, with films like The Terminator and Predator rocketing him to superstardom. By the mid-1990s however he had exchanged action-adventure for family-friendly comedy films … [Read more...]