2 Guns

My View:  2 Guns  (2013)  R  Bobby (Denzel Washington) is an undercover DEA agent infiltrating a drug cartel. He encounters Marcus (Mark Wahlberg), whom he thinks is stealing money from the cartel. It turns out Marcus is also an undercover officer who works for the NCIS. When both men realize they have been set up by the CIA to take the fall for stealing the money, they must team up to survive.  This film is a blast to watch when Washington and Wahlberg are on screen together, as their banter is fast and witty playing off each other like they are brothers.  Unfortunately, anytime they are separated on screen, the film bogs down in an incredible complex plot that is full of double and even triple crosses.  I like the action sequences, but this film takes its time setting them up, which makes the film drag in spots.  This is a film that had potential but just didn’t seem to know how to put it all together.    My Rating:  Bargain Matinee    2 Guns Website

 

Indiefest:  Still Mine  (2013)  PG-13  Craig  (James Cromwell) and his wife, Irene (Genevieve Bujold), live on the family farm in a primitive, two-story house.  Realizing that his wife, who has Alzheimer’s, can’t live comfortably in their large house, Craig decides to build, by himself, a smaller home, just as his father did before him.  These are different times, and Craig soon finds out that he must file plans and follow building codes, something that he resists, up to the point where the town council threatens to demolish his newly constructed home and put him in jail.  Cromwell gives one of his better performances, showing us a man who is devoted to his wife but is very set in his ways.  The film is based on a true story and was shot on location in British Columbia.  It’s a film that deals with one man who takes on a government, but it’s really about the love between two people and the memories they share.      My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Still Mine Website

 

Forgotten Film:  Walkabout  (1971)  R  A teenage girl (Jenny Agutter) and her young brother (Luc Roeg) are taken out into the Australian outback by their father (John Meillon).  The father then sets the car on fire and commits suicide, abandoning the two children in the middle of nowhere.  The children head out to find help, and eventually encounter an Aboriginal youth (David Gulpilil) who helps them find food and water.  In their travels, the three, even though they can’t speak each other's languages, become close.  This is one of the most beautiful films that I have ever seen.  It’s cinematography magnificently captures the wonder and grandeur of a land that seems full of magic.  The film, while quite simple in its tale, is a story that is powerful and touching.   My Rating:  Full Price   Walkabout Info

 

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers But Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  Getaway  (2013)  PG-13  Ethan Hawke stars as a getaway driver who must get behind the wheel of a car and follow the instructions of a man who is threatening to kill Hawke’s wife.  In what looks like a “Drive” rip-off, add to the mix of the film, Selena Gomez as a street smart hoodlum.  Think I’d rather change a flat tire than see this film.   Getaway Website

 

In Case You Missed It (A Film Just Released on DVD):  G.I. Joe:  Retaliation  (2013)  I didn’t really like this retooling of the G.I. Joe series.  I thought Bruce Willis was wasted as Gen. Joe Colton, “the original Joe."  I liked the action sequences, but the dialogue was so bad it made me cringe.  My Rating:  Cable  G.I. Joe: Retaliation Website

 

Weird Credits:  From the credits of 2 Guns:  Chicken Assistant

 

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:  The World’s End  (2013)  R  From the team who brought you Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007), this is a film about five men who reunite twenty years later to do a pub crawl.  Little do they know that by the end of the night they will have to fight robots to save the world.  I know the plot of this film doesn’t make much sense, but that's what’s so much fun about this movie.   The World's End Website

Until Next Time!

A Good Day to Die Hard

My View:   A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) R   John McClane (Bruce Willis) travels to Russia to try get his son (Jai Courtney) back on track. What John doesn’t know is his son isn’t a kid bumming his way through Europe - he’s a CIA operative trying to stop the sale of nuclear weapons. Now John must team up with his son to keep the world safe. Yippee Ki yay bad! This is one of those films where the plot is so badly thought out that, at the end if the film, you have no idea how you got there. There are lots of daddy issue jokes/situations and unlike some of the other Die Hard films, this one just isn't fun. The film feels like it’s just one long explosion of a movie, and I have no idea who the villain of the film is, though it could possibly be the screenwriter.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   A Good Day to Die Hard Website

My View:  Safe Haven (2013) PG-13    Katie (Julianne Hough) is running away from a dark secret, one that no one can ever find out about. She suddenly finds herself in a small North Carolina costal town, trying to make a new life. Her world starts looking up when she meets a young widower (Josh Duhamel) and his two children. But Katie’s past may catch up to her and hurt the people she has started to care about. This is the first Julianne Hough movie that I have seen that I didn't mind her performance, but that may be because she doesn't sing in this film. Dumel and Hough are a cute couple, but you never see any sparks between the two as Hough has better chemistry with the two kids. The storyline is very predictable, even the twists are easy to see coming (and hey, it's a Nicolas Sparks film, so you know there will be some). It's not up to the Notebook standards, but it’s no Miley-bad-acting weep-fest either.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Safe Haven Website

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

#9 Best Film

The General (1926) Buster Keaton stars in this classic silent film about Johnnie, the train engineer. When the Civil War breaks out, much the disappointment of his girlfriend, Annabelle (Marion Mack), Johnnie is turned down to join the Southern army. When Union spies capture the locomotive named The General, Annabelle is aboard. Johnnie goes on a mad, wild ride to rescue his train and his beloved Annabelle. This is Buster Keaton’s finest film, one that is full of amazing sight gags, and Keaton is at his best with the incredible stunts he performs throughout the movie. The film also has a heart and with most Keaton films, his performance is full of great warmth and astounding comic timing. The ending has one of the greatest scenes ever, a stunt that has to be seen to be believed.   The General Info

Forgotten Film:  How to Steal A Million (1966) The beautiful Audrey Hepburn plays Nicole, the daughter of an art collector (Hugh Griffith). But, not only is Nicole’s dad an art collector, he is an art forger. Nicole learns that a statue that her father has loaned to a Paris museum is not an original but is a forgery. Now Nicole, with the help of the dashing burglar, Simon Dermott (Peter O’Toole), must break into the museum and steal the statue before the museum can perform validity tests. Hepburn and O’Toole fit perfectly together, making this funny film a delight to watch.   My Rating: Full Price   How to Steal a Million Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD):   Skyfall (2012) PG-13    Daniel Craig stars as 007 in not only one of the best James Bond films but in one of the best films of 2012. The fact that this film did not get a Best Picture nomination is a crime.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Skyfall Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):   G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)     Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis as the original Joe, what could go wrong? How about a film that was shot in 2-D, then delayed for 6 months to turn it into a 3-D film. I have seen a couple of scenes from this film and all it did was give me a headache.    G.I. Joe: Retaliation Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Safe Haven: Helicopter Ground Safety

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You:   The Heat (2013) R    From the writer/director of Bridesmaids, Paul Feig, comes this comedy starring Sandra Bullock as a straight-laced FBI agent who is forced to work on a case with Melissa McCarthy’s character a Boston cop. Let’s hope director Feig lets McCarthy does what she did in Bridesmaids and steal every scene that she is in.    The Heat Info

Until Next Time!

Dark Shadows

My View: Dark Shadows (2012) In 1752, playboy Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp) breaks the heart of a witch (Eva Green) and, to get back at him, she turns him into a vampire and buries him in a grave. In 1972, his grave is uncovered, and being undead, he returns to his mansion to discover it in ruins.  Its current occupants are his descendants, but they aren’t quite living up to the Collins name. This film has no idea what kind of film it is.  Is it a comedy, a dark comedy, a drama, a horror film?   It just doesn’t know, and the audience that I saw it with didn’t know either.  It’s like the director Tim Burton and Johnny Deep just threw ideas against a wall and kept what stuck. I thought the appeal of vampire movies was that they were sexy, but there isn’t anything sexy in this film.  And, Johnny Depp's makeup makes him look dead. The film has a great cast with Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Helena Bonhman Carter, but most of this talent is wasted on characters that seem to be just that - characters. The film is too long (almost 2 full hours) and feels like it could have used a couple of editing sessions to tighten up its pacing.   My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   Dark Shadows Website

Indiefest: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) A group of British retirees travel to India to move to, what they believe, is a world class resort hotel. When they arrive, they realize that it’s not exactly what you would call “World Class,” and it’s nothing like what they expected. Some of the new residents, though, find joy and enlightenment in their new home. The film is fun to watch, India is beautiful to look at, and the cast, which includes Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, and Bill Nighy, looks like they had a blast making this movie. This is the type of film that audiences have been looking for - a smart, intelligent film that has warmth and humor.   My Rating: Full Price   The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Website

Indiefest: Sound of My Voice (2012) A couple (Christopher Denham, Nicole Cicius) who are making a documentary film try to infiltrate a secretive cult led by a charismatic woman (Brit Marling) who claims she is from the future, the year 2054. Will the couple accomplish their task, or will they be sucked into the culture of the cult? This is an interesting character study on how people get involved with cults and start doing things they normally wouldn’t do. Brit Marling is perfect in the role as the leader and helps you understand how someone would be controlled by a cult. While not a perfect film, it is an interesting one.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee   Sound of My Voice Website

The 50 (A Movie from My Best/Worst film of All Time)

#21 Best Film

Pulp Fiction (1994) Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) are hit men who are sent to retrieve a mysterious suitcase held by a mob boss (Ving Rhames). That’s just one of four stories that magically intertwine to make up a crazy ride of a movie. This film has an incredibly cast which also includes Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, and Bruce Willis.  What makes this movie work, though, is the creative dialogue that Writer/Director Quentin Tarantino brings to  the screen with his wry sense of humor.   Pulp Fiction Info

Forgotten Film: Cinema Paradiso (1988) Winner of the 1989 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, this film is about a successful film director who, in flashbacks, remembers his childhood when he developed a friendship with a projectionist at a local film theatre. The projectionist serves as a father figure to the young boy and teaches him about the magic of film. This film is a celebration of the movies and they can touch our lives.  It’s also a moving coming- of-age tale of a young boy who has lost his father in a war and needs a man to help shape his life.   My Rating: Full Price   Cinema Paradiso Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD): The Vow (2012) A newly married couple (Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams) are in a car accident.  When the wife comes out a of coma, she does not remember what has happened over the last few years, including all her time with her husband. I did not like this film mostly due to the fact that Tatum is not up to carrying the movie in his lead role.   My Rating: Cable   The Vow Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea):  G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2012): Yes, the film has Bruce Willis, but it also has Channing Tatum and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson).  Do we really need to Go Joe?   G.I. Joe Retaliation Website

Weird Credits: From the credits of Dark Shadows: Hair Artist for Mr. Depp

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: Brave (2012) Pixar’s summer animated film finally brings us a movie about a female hero, a young girl named Princess Merida, who must rely on her skill as an archer and her bravery to save her kingdom from a curse.   Brave Website

Until Next Time!