Snow White and the Huntsman

My View:  Snow White and the Huntsman  (2012):  In this retelling of the fairy tale, the Evil Queen (played by Charlize Theron) plots to kill Snow White (Kristen Stewart), the only person in the land who is fairer than the Queen. The Queen sends a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to kill Snow, but when he can’t bring himself to do the deed, he decides to train her to take on the Queen and her evil minions.  My biggest problem is that while Kristen Stewart is a pretty girl, she isn't the great beauty that they make Snow White out to be in the film, nor does she possess the charisma that her character needs to inspire an army to overcome the odds.  Plus, she just doesn't impose an impressive picture of a fighter, which you are supposed to believe that she has become (with very little training) by the end of the film.  I did like Charlize Theron as the Evil Queen, as she milks her scenes for everything they've got.  Hemsworth makes a fine huntsman and does well in the battle scenes but the film lacks an overall air of excitement that a film of this scope needs.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Snow White and the Huntsman Website

My View:  Chernobyl Diaries  (2012):  Six tourists hire a guide to take them to the abandoned city of Pripyat, the former home to the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Soon after arriving, they realize that this isn’t any normal tour and discover they may not be alone...something was possibly left behind after the disaster.  People love being scared, and that's why Hollywood keeps making Horror films.  If you want to be scared, go see anything else, but don't see this film.  Horribly acted, badly written and worse yet, boring, this film isn't scary at all.  It tries to build a sense of foreboding with dark shadows and things that go bump in the night, but this film is highly predictable, and you'll want a refund from that shady travel guide from whom you bought your trip.  My Rating:  You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Chernobyl Diaries

Indiefest:  High School  (2012): After a night partying with a childhood friend, Henry (Matt Bush) realizes that, by agreeing to smoke the joint that Travis (Sean Marquette) gave him, he just kissed his valedictorian/college career good-bye. That is until Travis hatches a scheme to get the whole high school high on high grade pot before the mandatory drug test on finals day.  This is a stoner film with a capital S, with our heroes trying to outwit the principal (played by an almost unrecognizable Michael Chiklis) who makes it his mission to rid the school of drugs while trying to dodge the drug dealer (played by Adrien Brody).  This film is a one joke movie, and it just doesn't have the wit or wisdom to carry it off for longer than the first fifteen minutes.  While it's fun to watch an Oscar-winning actor (Brody) go absolutely nuts with his role, this film gets old very quickly, and it has an ending that most of the audience (even the stoners) could have written while watching the opening credits.  My Rating:  Cable   High School Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time) 

#20 Best Film 

Lawrence of Arabia  (1962)  This epic film won 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director for David Lean, and the film probably should have won more, with, at least, Best Actor for Peter O'Toole for his outstanding work as the title character of the film.  The film is based on the historical figure T.E. Lawrence who, as a young British intelligence officer working in Egypt, rises to power leading an Arab revolt against the Turks during WWI and defeats the Ottoman Empire.  O'Toole is mesmerizing as the charismatic Lawrence who brings together unorganized Arab tribes to mount a successful guerrilla campaign.  Lawrence, though, is a flawed man, and his bravado eventually is his undoing.  This is a sweeping film with brilliant cinematography that shows what a vast open space the desert can truly be. It's truly a film that can be watched again and again.    Lawrence of Arabia Info

Forgotten Film:  King of Hearts  (1966)  Near the end of WWI, the German army is in retreat and has left a small French village booby trapped, set to blow up the whole town.  A Scottish solider (Alan Bates) is sent to the town to disarm the bomb.  When he arrives, he finds the town has been abandoned, with the exception of inmates from an insane asylum.  To escape a few remaining Germans, the soldier hides in the asylum and releases the inmates when he leaves to dismantle the bomb.  The inmates promptly take over the town and make the solider the King of Hearts, the leader of their ragtag bunch.   This is smart, funny film that is one of those films that will have you smiling from start to finish.  Bates is a blast to watch as he has to continually react to his new friends, and Genevieve Bujold is just beautiful as his love interest, a girl who is quite happy living in her strange little world inside the asylum.  My Rating:  Full Price   King of Hearts Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD):  Man on a Ledge  (2012)  I found the leads of Sam Worthington and Elizabeth Banks lacking in this caper of a film about a man who is trying to clear his name while pulling off a heist.  I did enjoy the performances of Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriquez, who play a bickering couple and the mostly unlikely of cat burglars you will ever meet.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Man on a Ledge Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Film I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks like a Bad Idea):  Step Up Revolution (2012)  Do we really need any more of these Step Up films?  How about Step Off the Cliff?   Step Up Revolution Website

Weird Credits:  From the film Chernobyl Diaries:  The Producers wish to thank the Antiterrorist Unit, Serbia

Coming to Soon to a Theatre Near You:  Safety Not Guaranteed  (2012)  Three magazine writers head out to interview a guy who places a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.  You had me at time travel and classified ad.   Safety Not Guaranteed Website

Until Next Time!

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Family Faire:  The Pirates!  Band of Misfits  (2012)  In this animated film, Pirate Captain sets sail with the intent of winning Pirate of the Year.  The competition though, is tough this year and it’s going to take something special - like storming the streets of London and taking on the ultimate pirate hater, the Queen of England, to win. This film is from the same animation company, Aardman Animations, that brought us the Wallace and Gromit films and last year's Arthur Christmas. While I like the stop motion animation and the witty dialogue, the kids around me at the screening seemed really bored and uninterested. The film is very complicated and I think it will be hard for kids to understand what exactly is the purpose of the voyages of the Pirates. There are some clever characters in the film that kids will enjoy, like the monkey that uses cue cards to communicate, but I just feel this film doesn't have enough for kids to engage with to make it a good family film.   My Rating:  Cable   The Pirates: Band of Misfits Website

Indiefest: Damsels in Distress  (2012)  Lily (Analeigh Tipton) is the new girl on campus at Seven Oaks College. She joins a trio of girls, led by Violet (Greta Gerwig), who are determined to show Lily how to find the right man, even if Lily doesn’t always take Violet’s advice. Quirky and a little strange are the best words to describe this film, as it is full of outrageous dialog and very odd characters. Greta Gerwig is perfect in the role of the headstrong and determined Violet, who delivers lines with such a serious deadpan expression, that you have to believe she is fully behind what she says. Overall the film relies too much on repeat bits and has a tendency to go overboard with its best comedic ideas. This is one of those films you want to love but it just doesn't quite make the experience enjoyable enough for you to do so. My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   Damsels in Distress Website

Indiefest: The Hunter  (2011)  Martin (Willem Dafoe) is a mercenary who has been sent by a European Pharmaceutical company, to Tasmania to track and kill the last remaining Tasmania tiger. The tiger is rumored to have a venom that paralyzes it's victims and the company wants the venom to use in its vaccines. When Martin arrives, he finds things are much more complicated than just hunting down an animal. He must deal with a family who's environmental efforts may have led to the death of their father and a community that devided between big business and the good of the Tasmanian forests. As always, Willem Dafoe gives an intense and multilayered performance and the storyline keeps you guessing on what he will do next.   My Rating:  Bargain Matinee   The Hunter Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time)
#22 Best Film
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington  (1939)  This eleven time Oscar nominated picture was directed by Frank Capra, who during the period that this film was made, was at the top of his game.  Jimmy Stewart plays Jefferson Smith, a naive young man who. due to back door politics and his family connections, is appointed to fill a vacancy in the US Senate. He is soon taken under the wing of a political savvy reporter (Jean Arthur), who tries to help him deal with the complexities of the political world. Smith learns that he is being used by a fellow senator (Claude Rains) to push through a bill in Congress that will damage the environment. The film is about how the little man, with enough conviction, can win when he has the people behind him and he believes in himself and his convictions.   Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Info

Forgotten Film: Blood Simple  (1984)  The filmmaking debut of Joel and Ethan Coen, Blood Simple is a celebration of the Film Noir style film where nothing is as it seems to be. A bar owner (Dan Hedaya) hires a private investigator (M. Emmet Walsh) to find out if his wife (Frances McDormand) is having an affair with one of his bartenders (John Getz). The film is shot mostly at night, with darkness covering most of the scenes, as the bartender learns that the affair he is having is just tip of the iceberg of what is going on in this world of deceit and intrigue. Frances McDormand is riveting in the role of a woman that is the key to a story that you understand until the end of the film.   My Rating:  Full Price   Blood Simple Info

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD): Contraband  (2012)  I did not enjoy this very predictable film of a former smuggler (Mark Wahlberg) who is pulled back into the game when his brother-in-law gets in over his head. I especially didn't enjoy the performance of Giovanni Ribisi, who plays the main bad guy in the film, as I never could figure out what accent he was using, and he is way over the top with his performance.   My Rating:  Cable   Contraband Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I've Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Rock of Ages  (2012)  I realize this film is based on the big Broadway hit musical but it looks to be just an excuse for a bunch of stars, like Tom Cruise or Alec Baldwin, to sing karaoke.   Rock of Ages Info

Weird Credits:  From the credits of Damsels in Distress: Tap Dancing Foley Artist

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Chernobyl Diaries  (2012)  This film is getting a lot of buzz among horror fans as it deals with a group of tourists who hire an "extreme" tour guide to take them to a town near the Chernobyl Nuclear disaster site. While exploring the town, they soon discover that they may not be alone.     Chernbobyl Diaries Website

Until Next Time!