Author Archives: Brock Winspear
Elijah Wood Morphed into Steve Buscemi
When I first saw this picture I had to do a double-take. Doesn’t it just look like Elijah Wood has really let himself go? Or, did Steve Buscemi just start looking creepier?
I’m not sure where the picture came from, but it’s Steve Buscemi with Elijah Wood’s face.
Which actor is doing an impression of the other?
Now I would just like to see Elijah Wood with Steve Buscemi’s face. I think it would only be fair.
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
I have not really ever been a big fan of the Star Trek franchise. I have seen some of the earlier movies and an assortment of episodes from a few of the television shows. For one reason or another, I just could not get into Star Trek. Star Trek Into Darkness appeared like it was going to be different than the previous movies. This new movie looked intriguing and it made me decide to give Star Trek another chance.
Star Trek Into Darkness follows the crew of the Enterprise lead by Captain Kirk (Chris Pine). He is tasked with tracking down a man responsible for attacking their organization.
I saw the film in 3D and the special effects were wonderful. It’s the best 3D movie that I have ever seen. Technology has sure come a long way. This was one film that I think is completely worth the extra cost to see in 3D.
Many parts of previous Star Trek movies have seemed a little too corny at times. They all have had a lot of cool ideas mixed with some cheesy dialogue. There has also been some great technology and some things that have seemed so far out that they come off as tacky.
In Star Trek Into Darkness, they seem to have gotten all of the tweaks out. I felt that the filmmakers did an excellent job of updating the entire concept of Star Trek. They successfully made it more appealing to a wider audience. I am living proof of that because they got me to go out and see it, when I wasn’t going to let that happen before.
The movie is directed by J.J. Abrams and has a very solid cast that includes Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Peter Weller, Alice Eve, Anton Yelchin, and John Cho.
The film was exciting. The computer graphics, special effects, etc., etc. were all amazing and made everything a bit more believable, considering the subject matter. The dialogue was well-written and didn’t get cheesy this time around. There was a bit of humor thrown in throughout the whole film to help make it more entertaining. The characters were well-rounded and the story kept my attention.
Overall, in my opinion, Star Trek Into Darkness is the best Star Trek movie that I have seen and likely better than the few that I haven’t seen. Do yourself a favor and see it in 3D to make your movie watching experience even better. Star Trek Into Darkness got me into Star Trek. I might just have to go back and watch Star Trek (2009) and we’ll see where that takes me.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Netflix is constantly changing its movie selection. Here is a list of 13 of the best comedy movies that are currently available to watch on Netflix Watch Instantly. If you love to laugh at all types of humor, then you should check out the movies on this list. They are all hilarious, and I highly recommend all of them. Here is the list:
13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Tommy Boy (1996)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987)
Meet the Parents (2000)
Liar Liar (1997)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
Stealing Harvard (2002)
8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (1997)
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996)
Team America: World Police (2004)
Anger Management (2003)
Clerks. (1994)
Next time you are up for a good laugh and trying to find a funny movie to watch on Netflix Watch Instantly, I recommend you choose one of these movies as part of your movie night. You’ll laugh your head off.
If you enjoyed this list, click on the following links below for more netflix related material:
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013
13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Are you thinking about seeing a movie that is currently in theatres?
Click here for Now In Theatres Movie Reviews August 30th – September 5th. You will find previews, poster artwork, and my full review of all of the movies that I have seen that are currently in theatres. You’ll be able to see which movies are out right now and it might just help you decide which movies are worth seeing.
Are you a fan of Redbox?
Click on the links below for Redbox related material:
Current Redbox Movie Reviews September 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews August 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews July 2013
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 4
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 3
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies from
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
Happy movie watching!
The Dark Corner (1946)
The Dark Corner (1946)
The Dark Corner is a black and white film about a private detective (Mark Stevens) who becomes entangled in a web of deceit and murder. His secretary (Lucille Ball) goes outside of the boundaries of her job description to fight to try to help him survive.
This movie was much better than I anticipated. Even though the film is 67 years old, it can still pack a punch. It was all beautifully filmed. The story had some creative twists and turns and was told at a reasonable pace. I was thrilled at how exciting this movie was. It’s classic storytelling at its best. It was a little slower at times, but just enough to build up the suspense and keep your attention.
The characters were thoroughly developed which made them super fun to watch. But what made the characters even better were the actors playing them.
It’s my favorite Lucille Ball performance that I have seen so far. Obviously she isn’t making any more movies, but there are still plenty of her films that I have yet to see. She brought a level of class to her character that most women are not capable of. It was one of the stronger performances that I have seen from an actress in a classic film in a long time.
Mark Stevens and William Bendix both played their parts well, but Clifton Webb went above and beyond. He carried himself with a great deal of charm and energy. His words were not only heard, but felt. The powerful force that he brought to the film made it that much more enjoyable.
The movie was directed by Henry Hathaway and also starred Kurt Kreuger, Cathy Downs, Reed Hadley, Constance Collier, and Ellen Corby.
If you are looking for a classic film noir picture to watch, look no further than The Dark Corner. If you like older movies, this one should not disappoint.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Happy Birthday to Pierce Brosnan
Happy Birthday to Pierce Brosnan! The actor formerly known as James Bond will be celebrating a major milestone today, he turns 60 years old.
Of course Brosnan is most known for his suave portrayal of the iconic Bond character. He did walk in those shoes 4 times: Goldeneye (1995) (my favorite Pierce Brosnan Bond), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002).
He is almost exactly 7 months older than my father and I remember my dad taking me to see all four of his James Bond movies in the theatre over the years. At the time I always thought it was pretty cool to think that James Bond was the same age as my dad.
I remember hating Pierce Brosnan’s character in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) because he played his part so well. After seeing him as Bond, I thought Pierce was pretty awesome. After re-watching Mrs. Doubtfire, I liked him even more.
Brosnan was a superstar for a while in the 90’s and early 2000’s, but then his career began to fade.
The Matador (2005) was a sort of comeback movie for him. In it he plays an aging hit man who is beginning to lose his edge. It’s a dark comedy that also featured Greg Kinnear. The role seemed so out of character for Pierce, but his performance was priceless. The movie could have been better, but his part was great.
He has continued making many movies, but the only one worth mentioning in more recent years is The Greatest (2009).
Somewhere along the way he lost his status and has not been able to be a part of big films. Of course, I guess that is what comes with age. I’m still a fan though. Cheers to you Mr. Bond!
13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Netflix is constantly changing its movie selection. Here is a list of 13 of the best mind-bending movies that are currently available to watch on Netflix Watch Instantly. If you enjoy watching movies that make you think and keep you guessing throughout, then you have to check out the movies on this list. They are excellent in one way or another, and I highly recommend all of them. Here is the list:
13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
If the title is highlighted, click on it for a preview, poster, and my full review.
Memento (2000)
The Game (1997)
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Limitless (2011)
Equilibrium (2002)
The Gift (2000)
Big Fish (2003)
Unknown (2006)
The I Inside (2004)
Identity (2003)
Following (1998)
Next time you are sitting around trying to find a movie to watch on Netflix Watch Instantly, I recommend you choose one of these movies as part of your movie night.
If you enjoyed this list, click on the following links below for more Netflix related material:
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013
20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Are you thinking about seeing a movie that is currently in theatres?
Click here for Now In Theatres Movie Reviews August 30th – September 5th. You will find previews, poster artwork, and my full review of all of the movies that I have seen that are currently in theatres. You’ll be able to see which movies are out right now and it might just help you decide which movies are worth seeing.
Are you a fan of Redbox?
Click on the links below for Redbox related material:
Current Redbox Movie Reviews September 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews August 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews July
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 4
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 3
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies from
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
Happy movie watching!
Happy Birthday to Chazz Palminteri
Happy Birthday to Chazz Palminteri! He turns 61 years old today.
Chazz was born Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri. It’s a good thing he goes by Chazz because I don’t think anybody could become famous with a name like Calogero.
Palminteri is known for his gangster/crime dramas. He usually plays the tough-guy gangster in charge.
My favorite Palminteri movie is the Robert De Niro directed A Bronx Tale (1993). De Niro also had a big part in the film.
The two also acted opposite each other in the gangster movie satire comedy Analyze This (1999).
Chazz was on the right side of the law in The Usual Suspects (1995).
He didn’t seem to know which side he was on in Running Scared (2006).
His performances are usually pretty explosive, so it should be amusing so see him in videogame form. Tomorrow you will be able to play the new Uprising add-on for Sony Playstation 3’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II. This add-on has already been available for Xbox 360 gamers for about a month. As part of the map pack there is a new Zombies experience called ‘Mob of the Dead.’ Chazz contributes his voice to the character Salvatore ‘Sal’ DeLuca. He joins the likes of Ray Liotta, Michael Madsen, and Joe Pantoliano who are all most known for their roles in gangster movies. Famous gangster movie icons killing zombies, let me just grab my controller.
Happy Birthday to Tim Roth
Happy Birthday to Tim Roth! The highly talented actor turns 52 today.
What a strange coincidence that Mr. Orange from Reservoir Dogs (1992) was born a day after his co-star Mr. White (Harvey Keitel). Well, 22 years and one day to be exact. Another coincidence is that both actors are probably most popular for the same 2 movies, Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994). They both played their own part in helping to make Quentin Tarantino famous and in return he helped to boost their careers.
Even though Roth never really reached superstar status, he has still had a pretty successful career. Besides the 2 films that I mentioned, my other favorite Tim Roth films are
The Legend of 1900 (1998),
Deceiver (1997), and
Gridlock’d (1997).
What is your favorite Tim Roth movie?
Note: Random movie connection: Chris Penn played Nice Guy Eddie in Reservoir Dogs and he was also in Deceiver with Tim Roth. It’s interesting to me how often actors work together in multiple different movies or work with the same directors on different films.
Happy Birthday to Harvey Keitel
Happy Birthday to Harvey Keitel! The actor who is probably most famously known for playing Mr. White in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs (1992) turns 74 today. Mr. White has got to be my favorite Keitel character, although he has had a number of other very solid roles. My other favorite Harvey Keitel Characters are:
Winston ‘The Wolf’ Wolfe in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994)
Ray Donlan in Cop Land (1997)
Dad in Little Nicky (2000)
Roy Egan in City of Industry (1997)
Jack Crawford in Red Dragon (2002)
Hal in Thelma & Louise (1991)
I could not stand Keitel as The Lieutenant in Bad Lieutenant (1992). At the time that I watched that movie, it was so bad that I turned it off and didn’t finish it. I never went back and gave it another chance. It was so awful that I don’t think I will ever feel the need to revisit it.
Which of Harvey Keitel’s characters do you like the best and which do you like the worst?
Happy Birthday to Katharine Hepburn
Happy Birthday to Katharine Hepburn! She would have turned 106 years old today. She passed away when she was 96.
My favorite Hepburn movies were those that she made with Cary Grant. They made 4 films together (Bringing up Baby (1938), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Holiday (1938), and Sylvia Scarlett (1935).)
brockingmovies 