When JJ Abrams announced that he was going to reboot the Star Trek franchise, few could have imagined just how spectacularly he would have succeeded. Taking the term 'reboot' seriously, he created an alternative timeline in which the established narrative could be bent, modified and in some cases obliterated. Star Trek Into Darkness builds upon this idea and presents a … [Read more...]
Bernie (2011) review by That Art House Guy
Richard Linklater's Bernie was completed in 2011 and had its debut at the LA film festival. It wasn't until April 2012 that it had a limited release run in the USA, and now, another year on, it is finally arriving on screens in the UK. The release schedule is not the only curious thing about Bernie. Based on a true story (and in this case it seems that for once, a film … [Read more...]
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) review by That Art House Guy
The small town of Schenectady near Albany in upstate New York is known as ˜The Place Beyond the Pines' in Mohawk language. This is the setting for Derek Cianfrance's new movie, the follow-up to 2010's Blue Valentine, in which he again teams up with Ryan Gosling for a tale of fathers and sons, violence and consequences. … [Read more...]
Iron Man 3 (2013) review by That Film Guy
When the original Iron Man was released in 2008, it was the first Marvel film to have been produced and created by the comic book leviathan independently from other studios. It must seem unthinkable to fans now that it could have been anything but a success, but at the time it represented a big financial outlay on, if we're honest, one of the lesser comic book characters, with … [Read more...]
Promised Land (2012) review by The Filmologist
If you want a movie about hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, watch the documentary Gasland. If you want a drama about fracking, then you are fortunate Hollywood's oft self-righteous piety will turn any ˜special interest politics' into a film. Gus Van Sant's Promised Land, written by and starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski, is, for the most part, more than … [Read more...]
Olympus Has Fallen (2013) review by That Film Toad
Beware of Spoilers below... Action thrillers of the 90's have largely escaped the room 101 of film-trocities we keep locked in the basement here at That Film Guy. Their vulgar ˜face-meets-fist' ways were excused by audiences who at the time lusted for ripped defiant types with a can-do attitude and an endless supply of bullets and one liners.... fair enough I guess. Happily, … [Read more...]
Evil Dead (2013) review by That Film Guy
Five young people alone in a cabin. One finds an occult looking book and all Hell breaks loose. Literally. Sam Raimi's masterpiece of low-budget horror film-making, The Evil Dead, is one of the most popular and enduring cult films of all time. Raimi and former star Bruce Campbell produce, while Uruguayan Fede Alvarez takes over directing duties on the reboot, Evil Dead. Gone … [Read more...]
Scary Movie 5 (2013) review by That Film Brat
The parody genre has experienced a bit of a downhill slide in recent years. Films like Airplane, Hot Shots, Top Secret, and a host of others are now considered comedy classics. However, in 2000, the Wayans brothers decided they would take a crack at the parody genre and released Scary Movie, a parody of the 90s self-aware slasher movie, specifically Scream and I Know What You … [Read more...]
A Late Quartet (2012) review by That Film Guy
Israeli director Yaron Zilberman turns his eye toward a musically-themed drama in A Late Quartet. As his quartet reaches its 25th anniversary, cellist Peter Mitchell (Christopher Walken) is diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease. Declaring his intention to make their next performance his last, fellow members second violinist Robert (Philip Seymour Hoffman), his wife … [Read more...]
Oblivion (2013) review by That Film Guy
Based on a yet unpublished graphic novel of the same name, Joseph Kosinki's Oblivion is an homage-heavy science fiction film starring Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurylenko. Following his success as director with TRON: Legacy Kosinki draws together a host of science fiction tropes and recognisable themes to create the world of Oblivion. … [Read more...]