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Movie Picture of the Day 7/23/13
Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber in the incredible movie that is based on a true story, Defiance (2008).
Red 2 (2013)
Red 2 (2013)
After how awesome Red (2010) was, I thought for sure that Red 2 could never live up to its predecessor.
Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) is a retired CIA agent who cannot seem to stay retired from mayhem. In this sequel to Red (2010), Moses bands together with a group of friends who also happen to be misfit murderers, in order to try to track down a missing nuke.
The film was directed by Dean Parisot and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Byung-hun Lee, Neal McDonough, David Thewlis, Tim Pigott Smith, and Brian Cox.
In Red (2010) Malkovich completely stole the show. He was quirky and hilarious. He was the reason why the movie was so funny and probably the biggest contributor to its success. I assumed that I was in for a disappointment when I walked into Red 2. How could they possibly top the original? I think that I was not alone with this question because Red 2 did not do as well in theatres as it should have over the weekend.
Rarely does a sequel ever top the original and rarely is a sequel ever as good as the original. Well folks, I am here to tell you that Red 2 is almost as good as the original, if not as good. The acting was excellent, the action was thrilling, and the movie was hysterical.
I’m not sure how they pulled it off, but John Malkovich was just as funny in Red 2 as he was in Red. He might have even been funnier.
Zeta-Jones, Hopkins, and McDonough were all nice additions to the already spectacular cast.
The chemistry between Willis and Parker was priceless. There is a lot more humor between the duo now that their characters are an established couple.
The film was fast-paced and everything flowed nicely. It was all quick and to the point with never a dull moment. It might just be the action/comedy of the year.
If you thought that Red was great, do yourself a favor and go out and see Red 2. As sequels go, this one does not disappoint.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
If you liked Red 2, then you will probably enjoy:
Movie Picture of the Day 7/21/13
The always lovable legendary John Candy as Uncle Buck in the film Uncle Buck (1989).
The Conjuring (2013)
The Conjuring (2013)
For those of you that you know me, you know that I am a horror movie skeptic. I get fed up with the endless slasher films and b-rated crap out there, so I usually only watch a horror movie if I think that it has potential. With that said, I showed up to watch The Conjuring on opening night in theatres.
The film is supposedly based on a true story. It follows Ed and Lorraine Warren who are known as demonologists, or paranormal investigators. The couple is called upon for help from a family who are experiencing horrific unexplained events in their new house. The movie tells the story of the case that turned out to be the most disturbing during their entire career as investigators.
The movie was directed by James Wan and the noteworthy cast includes Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, Shanley Caswell, Hayley McFarland, Joey King, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, Shannon Kook, and John Brotherton.
The Conjuring was spooky. The film does a wonderful job of gradually building the tension until the creepy climax of the story where horror is all over the screen. You’ll be able to feel the tingling down your spine from the chilling images scattered throughout the movie.
I think that I expected the film to be scarier. However, it did have a good amount of horror throughout. It was very tastefully made. It definitely didn’t feel like it tried too hard. It turned out to be just the right amount of freaky. Any more might have made it less believable.
For a horror movie, the acting was pretty decent, especially from Farmiga and Taylor. This was a major contributing factor to the quality of the film because more often than not, scary movies have poor actors.
The movie was slow at times, but that didn’t really take away from it. It just took its’ time building the tension.
The special effects were spooktastic and very haunting. It’s amazing what they can do these days.
Overall, if you are looking for a good creepshow, then look no further than The Conjuring. It could quite possibly be the best horror movie of the year.
I rate this movie an 8.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Movie Picture of the Day 7/20/13
Russell Crowe fought with strength and honor in probably the greatest epic film ever made, Gladiator (2000).
Happy Birthday to Ray Allen
Happy Birthday to Ray Allen! The greatest 3-point shooter to ever live turns 38 years old today.
Allen acted opposite Denzel Washington in the movie He Got Game (1998). Apparently he was also in Harvard Man (2001), which I have not seen.
Ray is an okay actor, but an amazing basketball player. Most recently he can be credited for winning the 2013 NBA Finals for the Miami Heat. The San Antonio Spurs had the Heat backed into a corner. Lebron James couldn’t finish, so it took a real superstar (Ray Allen) to knock down a 3-pointer at the buzzer in game 6, that ultimately won the Championship. It was a dagger through the heart of the Spurs and Allen did the stabbing. If it weren’t for Ray, the Heat would have lost.
Ray Allen has probably the purest shot that I have ever seen. I will never forget the 2008 NBA Finals when he helped the Boston Celtics claim victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was tough to see him leave the Celtics and go over to the darkside. In my mind he will always be a Celtic. He definitely Got Game!
Movie Picture of the Day 7/19/13
Will Ferrell rocking the jazz flute like nobody else ever could in the comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004).
I’m looking forward to Anchorman: The Legend Continues (2013) later this year. I’m amazed that it took them 9 years before they made a sequel.
Movie Picture of the Day 7/18/13
John Malkovich stealing the show in the movie Red (2010). Do you think that he will do it again in Red 2 (2013)? (Click on the title to find out what I thought)
Stoker (2013)
Stoker (2013)
Stoker is a well-made, bizarre dysfunctional drama that is difficult to like, yet hard to stop watching. The acting was very solid. The dialogue was very delicately written. The editing was fantastic. However, the story was bitterly perverse. It was fine writing, but twisted subject matter. The filmmakers took a pretty messed up story and through the art of storytelling, they dressed it up and made it almost hypnotic.
Some parts of the movie were predictable, while others completely took me by surprise. For the most part, the film keeps you guessing throughout.
After the death of her father, India (Mia Wasikowska) and her mother (Nicole Kidman) are visited by his brother (Matthew Goode) whom she never knew existed. He decides to move in with them. Why she had not met him before is a mystery in itself. Why he waited to visit until after her father died is puzzling. His presence is disturbing and India becomes obsessed with learning more about him and what he wants.
The film is directed by Chan-wook Park and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Dermot Mulroney, Jacki Weaver, Alden Ehrenreich, Lucas Till, and Phyllis Somerville.
In Stoker, Wasikowska proves that she has the ability to carry the majority of a film by herself. She is an excellent actress and I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets an Academy Award nomination in the near future.
Kidman continues to choose darker roles and this one turns out to be one of her better performances in recent years. Given her recent movies, that might not be saying that much.
This is the first film that I have seen Goode in and I thought that he was superb.
When the credits rolled, it was hard to tell right away if I liked or disliked the film. In that sense, it sort of toyed with my emotions. It does a great job of being disturbing.
If you are looking for a positive and uplifting movie, Stoker is not for you. If you like twisted dysfunctional stories, then you will probably enjoy this film.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
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