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Movie Review: Unbroken
A few months ago the pared, gritty World War II tank picture Fury, led with muted intensity by Brad Pitt, caused little stir though it was a modest, hard-won victory in an old genre. It was also a far more involving trawl through war hell than the miscast, timid Unbroken. We have served countless tours through combat documents, all that history on film, it comes as a surprise then that director An...[Read More]
Movie Review: The Gambler
The Gambler is a film about an English literature professor with a dark side, a gambling addiction that has gotten him into debt with Los Angeles gangsters to the tune of $240,000. The film was directed by Rupert Wyatt (best known for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)). The film’s screenplay was written by William Monahan (The Departed (2006)), based on the James Toback screenplay for th...[Read More]
Box Office Weekend: Final Hobbit Looms Large Above the Competition
After a long road, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies brings the latest Peter Jackson trilogy to an end. Weathering both praise and criticism (especially in comparison to his previous Lord of the Rings films), it may be somewhat understandable that, while it took first place at the box office with an estimated $56.2 million, it falls below the revenue of any of his previous Middle Earth-based f...[Read More]
Boyhood Dominates the 2014 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards
The most distinguished film critic group in Michigan, the Detroit Film Critics Society, released their Best of 2014 nominees and winners in ten categories. The society was founded in Spring 2007 and consists of a group of eighteen Michigan film critics who write or broadcast in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Ka...[Read More]
Box Office Weekend: Exodus King for Now, But May Abdicate Soon
Director Ridley Scott may be pleased about his Exodus: Gods and Kings is in first place at the box office with an estimated $24.5 million; however, it is an extremely weak start to the $140 million epic (even with overseas box office), and with a critical slamming it cannot compete with the likes of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. Even at only an estimated $13.2 million in its fourth week, ...[Read More]
Movie Review: Exodus: Gods and Kings
Exodus: Gods and Kings is unequivocally a technically savvy remake of the classic film The Ten Commandments (1956). The Ten Commandments was, for its day, pretty amazing in and of itself. Exodus: Gods and Kings is certainly not completely Biblically accurate, but what it lacks in authenticity it makes up for with an entertaining account of the Book of Exodus. Those that may have a problem with it ...[Read More]
Movie Review: Top Five
Prior to Chris Rock’s new film Top Five, my favorite of his scattered (sometimes sadly corny and embarrassing) big screen efforts has been the writer-director’s illuminating documentary Good Hair where he played himself: genial, witty, and inquisitive. Most of his movies underestimate Rock’s range of influences: his stage persona the dominant perception in everyone’s mind. But unless you’re Rodney...[Read More]
The 2014 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards Nominations
The most distinguished film critic group in Michigan, the Detroit Film Critics Society, released their Best of 2014 nominees in ten categories. The society was founded in Spring 2007 and consists of a group of eighteen Michigan film critics who write or broadcast in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lan...[Read More]
Box Office Weekend: Mockingjay Only Good Part of a Bad Weekend
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is certainly having fun laughing at the competition; as it picked up a comparatively paltry estimated $21.6 million in its third week of release (and consequently, third week as box office champ), it is very likely to become, by next weekend, the second highest grossing domestic release of the year. Ironically, it presides over the second worst-earning weekend...[Read More]
Trailer Trashin’: The Galactic Saga Continues in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Yes, dear readers, I must again apologize for making you go so long between installments of this column. But I’m finally back, because last week brought us a trailer far too big to ignore. Without further ado, join me as I examine the first look at what’s sure to be one of next year’s biggest films, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Premise: Set approximately thirty years...[Read More]
Box Office Weekend: Mockingjay Remains Top Flyer
Leave it to two birds to soar high at the box office over a handful of turkeys this Thanksgiving weekend. In only its second week, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is already the seventh highest grossing domestic film of the year, and while its estimated $56.9 million is well below its $121.9 million opening weekend (which is almost as much as it cost to make, it has been revealed), it is sti...[Read More]
Astonishing New Jurassic World Trailer Debuts
A new trailer for Jurassic World, the long-awaited fourth film in the Jurassic Park series, has been released (see above) and it looks like we may actually be treated to a film worthy of the original. We can only hope that it will be able to scrub the memories of The Lost World and Jurassic Park III out of our collective minds. The film stars Chris Pratt and that is all you really need to know be...[Read More]