Although “Whiteout” was slightly better than I expected, the film is nothing more than your basic thriller complete with a masked killer, a plucky detective with hidden scars, dangerous situations (most of which could be avoided the slightest hint of common sense), and a late plot twist which is far less surprising than it’s expected […]
Adapted by creator Shane Acker from the short film of the same name, and produced by Tim Burton (who knows a thing or too about creepy and unconventional animated films), comes “9.” CGI animation in the style of stop-motion, Acker’s film is a breath of fresh air in both style and story. If you enjoyed […]
Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Lust, Caution,” “The Ice Storm”) has crafted some moving films over the years. He’s also responsible for a few which have missed the mark (“Hulk,” “Ride With the Devil”). Sadly, his latest is the later. In terms of recreating the scope and magnitude of Woodstock, the film succeeds, but […]
Quentin Tarantino is a filmmaker. Love him or hate him, the man has a passion and reverence for cinema as well as a definite style in crafting his own projects. “Inglourious Basterds“, the writer/director’s latest, took more than a decade to come to the screen. The film is many things; one that it is not […]
Bandslam is a clichéd, hackneyed, overdone, montage-filled paint-by-numbers tale of teenage angst, love, lessons about life, and triumph. And yet it’s still better than G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. As unoriginal, and at times truly awful, this film is, it’s also got a little spark which provides moments better than they have any right […]
Let’s get this straight right from the get-go: I had no real expectations with this film except wanting to leave without getting too bored or having the film make my eyes bleed. One out of two isn’t bad. Even with the bar set so low G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra finds a way to […]
“Dying is easy, comedy is hard.” George Bernard’s famous quote is turned upside down by Judd Apatow in his return to the director’s chair. After the success of “Knocked Up,” Apatow took some time off to produce a gaggle of films for friends and proteges. Some worked (“Saving Sarah Marshall,” “Super Bad”), and others were […]
Romantic comedies can scare critics away quicker than a mob racing out of a burning building. It’s hard to warm up to a genre that’s let you down so often and so consistently. So settling down to watch The Proposal, all I really was hoping for was to make it out of the theater with […]
When you stop and think about it, it’s amazing any movie ever actually gets made. Many films flounder through the maze of casting issues, constant rewrites, shooting problems, and budgetary constraints. A finished film, even an awful one, is something of a miracle. If you don’t believe me, check out Lost in La Mancha, which […]
As a director Tony Scott is a bit hit (Domino, Spy Game) and miss (Deja Vu, Enemy of the State) for my tastes. His latest, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, is not the first movie to be adapted from the novel by Morton Freedgood, but does showcase Scott’s trademark style. I had planned […]
Aside from the beautiful scenery, and a few nice moments from Richard Dreyfuss (who’s really slumming it here), there’s very little to separate My Life in Ruins from any number of braindead romatic comedies. Here’s one of those films where a character notices the love of her life under her nose, finds meaning in her […]
You might get a few chuckles out of Dance Flick, but mostly you’ll find yourself groaning at the level of stupidity on display.
Contributor Alan Rapp is a regular movie reviewer over at Transbuddha.com. What are you doing reading a review for this movie? Come to think of it, what was I doing going to a screening of it? You know exactly what this movie is, and you knew before you ever started reading this review whether it’s […]
First time directors Derick and Steven Martini show us that suburban life isn’t all its cracked up to be.
One of the issues you often run into with films made by first time directors is a film that never quite comes together. Lymelife, written and directed by Derick and Steven Martini, does quite a bit right but also falls into a few traps that more seasoned directors could have avoided. It’s not a bad […]