Sunday, March 17, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Review: Oz the Great and Powerful
Disney's prequel to the 1939 classic starring Judy Garland dares to match the visually striking technicolor, but fails to capture the magic of it with a pale story.
Click here to read the full review at statehornet.com
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Review: Jack the Giant Slayer
To read the full at statehornet.com click here.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Review: Dark Skies
When a seemingly normal suburban family is plagued by strange phenomena in their home their search to uncover the truth leads them to believe their lives may be in danger.
To read my full review at statehornet.com click here.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Review: Safe Haven
Thursday, February 14, 2013
"Sleepwalk with me" offers insight into Comedian's Psyche
"Mike Birbiglia, better known for his Comedy Central stand up, wrote and directed an autobiographical film about becoming a comedian, while coping with a sleep disorder."
Hey, guys, so I recently began contributing to Yuppee Magazine, which is a great way to get your content on the web and gain experience, as well as readership.
I can't post the entire review on my blog, because of Google copyright issues and I believe some sniper is watching me from the neighboring roof, ready to shoot if I break their terms of agreement and blah, blah, blah, but if you wan't to continue reading, click here.
You can also read some of my reviews that I contribute to my college newspaper at: statehornet.com My first one for "Safe Haven" should be up soon.
Sincerely,
CL
Friday, January 25, 2013
DVD Review: "Safety" a Guaranteed Good Time
First things first. I don't review every movie I see--that'd be crazy, you guys--but I do make an effort to review the movies I feel are important to talk about. But when you rent a movie to watch with your friends over the weekend and end up watching it again the next day and then can't stop thinking about it for the proceeding couple of days, yeah, I think it's worth sharing.
Safety Not Guaranteed is that rare indie/comedy that I believe manages to please most people. It has an off-beat charm and equally charming off-beat characters that make us laugh and want to be in their circle of company. It surprises by having a genuine feel to it and a heart that I can't say I find in a lot of films these days. And did I mention the time-traveling thing? But at the center of the film, there's nothing science fiction about it.
When a Seattle journalist (Jake Johnson) takes on a story about a man who puts up an ad seeking a time travel partner, he entails the help of two interns, "I'll take the Indian and the lesbian," he says, played by Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Rec) and Karan Soni. They drive out to an ocean side motel, expecting to find a schizophrenic-type mad man and instead find Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a seemingly normal guy, working at Bargain Outlet who believes he can time travel. Darius (Plaza) takes up Kenneth's offer and a few quirky verbal exchanges and strategic canned soup placement and Kenneth senses Darius worthy of partnership. However the deadline for the story quickly approaches and Darius is no closer to discovering what the man she's been spending so much time with is hiding.
The film works because it's well casted. Plaza and Duplass work amazing well together. He adds charm and yet harbors an austere, yet thoughtful side that gives his character so much dimension, you'd think he was playing a real person. And Plaza's trademark deadpan is only part of the fun in watching her. The rest relies on seeing her be unguarded for the first time. There's a scene, early on, where she's having dinner with her father (Jeff Garlin) and as funny as she is, you know there's a no-nonsense side we're going to see from her. My favorite character, however, was Johnson's Jeff, a womanizing magazine writer who drinks on the job and has more interest in reestablishing a connection with his high school sweet heart than getting the story. Jeff is crude, unprofessional, and unreliable, but his storyline is so crucial and his character is so likable you can't help but feel empathetic when he's upset. My most memorable scene from the film is when Jeff takes his shy intern to meet girls and they spend an evening at a fair. It sounds fun and comical, but Jeff's drunken stupor and childish behavior, all to the tune of Wye Oak's Civilian, make this scene more sobering and powerful than I expected it to.
But most sobering of all, was the realization that Guaranteed had little to nothing to do with time travel, although I'm sure the film will have people talking (think not so much Looper but more of Brit Marling's Another Earth and Sound of My Voice). The real time travel are the journeys these characters take forward with each other. Or in some cases, the time they spend still living in the past.
The film marks writer Derek Connolly's first feature film--and what a debut! I look forward to his future projects. Connolly re-teamed with director Colin Trevorrow; the two previously worked on the TV movie Gary: Under Crisis and Safety marks Trevorrow's first feature film, as well. Duplass also teamed up with frequent collaborator and brother Jay to executive produce the film. My only complaint was the decision to shoot this digitally, which made for some unpleasant exposure issues, but when you're working with a budget of less an $1 million, forgiveness comes easy.
Sometimes you spend an entire year looking forward to films from favorite directors like David O'Russell, Quentin Tarantino, Ben Affleck (hey, I didn't say favorite actor), Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton and Paul Thomas Anderson, you don't expect anything from a movie like this, which makes it all the more surprising and unforgettable when you do experience it (no weapons necessary, promise). I can't guarantee you'll love it, but I can guarantee I'll love it just as much the next time I watch it.
I also just wanted to thank Eric over at PMI (don't know him, just a big fan) for loving movies just as much as I do and for convincing me I couldn't wait any longer to see this film. Thanks Eric (even though you'll never read this.) And I want to thank anyone reading this for indulging me in what I love to do, even if you hate what I have to say. Thanks sooooooo much anyway.
Rating: A-
Safety Not Guaranteed is that rare indie/comedy that I believe manages to please most people. It has an off-beat charm and equally charming off-beat characters that make us laugh and want to be in their circle of company. It surprises by having a genuine feel to it and a heart that I can't say I find in a lot of films these days. And did I mention the time-traveling thing? But at the center of the film, there's nothing science fiction about it.
When a Seattle journalist (Jake Johnson) takes on a story about a man who puts up an ad seeking a time travel partner, he entails the help of two interns, "I'll take the Indian and the lesbian," he says, played by Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Rec) and Karan Soni. They drive out to an ocean side motel, expecting to find a schizophrenic-type mad man and instead find Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a seemingly normal guy, working at Bargain Outlet who believes he can time travel. Darius (Plaza) takes up Kenneth's offer and a few quirky verbal exchanges and strategic canned soup placement and Kenneth senses Darius worthy of partnership. However the deadline for the story quickly approaches and Darius is no closer to discovering what the man she's been spending so much time with is hiding.
The film works because it's well casted. Plaza and Duplass work amazing well together. He adds charm and yet harbors an austere, yet thoughtful side that gives his character so much dimension, you'd think he was playing a real person. And Plaza's trademark deadpan is only part of the fun in watching her. The rest relies on seeing her be unguarded for the first time. There's a scene, early on, where she's having dinner with her father (Jeff Garlin) and as funny as she is, you know there's a no-nonsense side we're going to see from her. My favorite character, however, was Johnson's Jeff, a womanizing magazine writer who drinks on the job and has more interest in reestablishing a connection with his high school sweet heart than getting the story. Jeff is crude, unprofessional, and unreliable, but his storyline is so crucial and his character is so likable you can't help but feel empathetic when he's upset. My most memorable scene from the film is when Jeff takes his shy intern to meet girls and they spend an evening at a fair. It sounds fun and comical, but Jeff's drunken stupor and childish behavior, all to the tune of Wye Oak's Civilian, make this scene more sobering and powerful than I expected it to.
The film marks writer Derek Connolly's first feature film--and what a debut! I look forward to his future projects. Connolly re-teamed with director Colin Trevorrow; the two previously worked on the TV movie Gary: Under Crisis and Safety marks Trevorrow's first feature film, as well. Duplass also teamed up with frequent collaborator and brother Jay to executive produce the film. My only complaint was the decision to shoot this digitally, which made for some unpleasant exposure issues, but when you're working with a budget of less an $1 million, forgiveness comes easy.
Sometimes you spend an entire year looking forward to films from favorite directors like David O'Russell, Quentin Tarantino, Ben Affleck (hey, I didn't say favorite actor), Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton and Paul Thomas Anderson, you don't expect anything from a movie like this, which makes it all the more surprising and unforgettable when you do experience it (no weapons necessary, promise). I can't guarantee you'll love it, but I can guarantee I'll love it just as much the next time I watch it.
I also just wanted to thank Eric over at PMI (don't know him, just a big fan) for loving movies just as much as I do and for convincing me I couldn't wait any longer to see this film. Thanks Eric (even though you'll never read this.) And I want to thank anyone reading this for indulging me in what I love to do, even if you hate what I have to say. Thanks sooooooo much anyway.
Rating: A-
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