The camaraderie of Stand By Me plus the brilliant suspense of Jurassic Park make Super 8 as heart-felt as it is thrilling. It’s a beautifully nostalgic homage to the Spielbergian greats for that monster-movie-loving kid in all of us.
Hilariously twisted black-comedy / psychological thriller in the vein of “Sleuth.”
Unforgettable performance from David Hyde Pierce.
See it.
Super is a regular-joe-turned-vigilante tale like Kick-Ass, but far more violent (apparently that’s possible…) and far less successful. The gratuitous violence and sexuality is often tasteless and mixes oddly with the random employment of cartoon text and graphics. There is also a very strange, off-putting religious aspect that just didn’t mesh well.
To Super’s credit, it has what Kick Ass was missing—Rainn Wilson’s sloppy, spandex-laden body wielding a blood-covered wrench…and that in-and-of-itself might make it worth a lazy weekend viewing.
Rent it. Or skip it. I’m not your dad.
(Currently showing in limited release and on IFC on-demand)
Confessions of a Superhero is a beautifully poignant, heartbreaking and ultimately inspirational documentary about the lives of a diverse few aspiring actors working, or as they often see it, begging, on Hollywood Boulevard as they wait for their lucky break.
See it.
(its actually a couple years old but now available on demand)
Kristen Wiig (who also co-wrote the screen play) shines in this “romantic-comedy”— Katherine Heigl be damned, a new era is upon us.
The movie seems to be a misguided notion that this is a Hangover for girls, but frankly I think I may have enjoyed Bridesmaids even more.
The only thing I would change is the title, purely for the sake of adding it to my favorite movies list.
SEE IT!
Lesson’s learned from Limitless: Eating contact lenses induces exciting saturation and fish-eye filters, makes Rain Man look like pansy.
Doesn’t quite live up to the premise’s seemingly limitless potential, it’s an exciting ride and just smart enough to keep you popping down that corn. Perfect summer movie… released just a little too soon.
Aw go ahead, see it.
An inventive, tongue-in-cheek deconstruction of the conventions film and Hollywood that’s quite different than anything I’ve seen. Perhaps a bit too out there or self-indulgent for everyone, but worth checking out (clocks in at less than 1.5 hrs).
Rent it! *
*Available On-Demand before theatrical release
With a killer cast, a lot of laughs, a handful of cringes, loads of geek cred, and a whole lot of heart…PAUL is out of this world! (OOPS)
Oh…and beware, Christianity, the phasers are set to “high.”
See it!
Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is a gripping, visceral experience—man v. nature at its finest. James Franco gives a one-man-show (now Oscar-nominated) that simply can’t be missed. And it’s a true story.
See it.*
*Not for the faint of heart.
The Machinist director, Brad Anderson, presents a post-apocalyptic type tale of four survivors struggling against an encroaching darkness that is causing everyone around them to vanish.
The bleak color palette and creative lighting that Anderson perfected in The Machinist are fitting for the spooky tale, but the suspense is cheap and the thrills few. While the premise has potential, the film suffers from a rather weak script, one-dimensional characters, and an excess of cheap CGI.
Skip it.*
*Vanishing on 7th Street is set for a Spring 2011 release
