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The Machinist (2004)
The Machinist (2004)
Before he played Batman, Christian Bale turned into a character named Trent Reznik in The Machinist. Reznik is an insomniac who has not slept in a year. His body begins withering away. His mind begins to deteriorate. He is so exhausted that he becomes delusional and paranoid. Eventually his symptoms cause an incident at work that sets off a chain reaction that sends his life spiraling out of control as he loses grip on reality. He becomes a man tormented by his own mind.
The film is written by Scott Kosar and directed by Brad Anderson.
The rest of the notable cast includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Michael Ironside, John Sharian, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Reg E. Cathey, Craig Stevenson, and Anna Massey.
The Machinist is brilliant. The plot has so many twists and turns that will keep you entranced and guessing until the conclusion sneaks up on you.
9 years after watching this movie for the very first time, it’s still just as potent as ever. That is a symptom of excellence. It never gets old.
Christian Bale appears like he went through hell preparing for his role as Reznik. He went from being in close to perfect shape to looking like death. He was so bony that he literally appeared like he could drop dead of starvation at any moment.
Shortly after seen this movie for the first time, I remember reading that Bale lived off of nonfat lattes, green apples, and cigarettes. That was his diet. It was basically all that he ate for weeks. I think it’s incredible how his body went from one extreme to another. To top it all off, shortly after The Machinist, he got into even better shape than he was prior to filming The Machinist, in order to become Batman. Talk about a man dedicated to his work. His devotion to his character helped to turn this movie into a masterpiece.
The Machinist is pretty warped. The film will mess with your mind in its own unique sort of way. Prepare to be puzzled. This is filmmaking at its best.
I rate this movie a 10 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? BUY!
If you liked The Machinist, then you will probably enjoy the following films:
Trailer for The Family (2013)
The Family (2013)
Robert De Niro returns to his mafia roots in this film where he plays a former mob boss who enters witness protection to protect himself and his family from getting whacked. Now they all must try to adapt to leading normal, average lives and this proves to be difficult.
Michelle Pfeiffer plays De Niro’s wife and Tommy Lee Jones is the man who put the family in witness protection. The rest of the notable cast includes Dominic Chianese, Vincent Pastore, Dianna Agron, Joseph Perrino, and John D’leo.
The film is directed by Luc Besson and produced by Martin Scorsese.
The movie looks like an entertaining dysfunctional drama that could also be good for a few laughs. It has a great cast and some of the best filmmakers in the business are a part of it. That’s good enough for me to want to see.
The film is set to release on 9/13/13.
If Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall Traded Characters in The Shining (1980)
If Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall traded characters in The Shining (1980), things would have turned out a little differently don’t you think?
The Lone Ranger (2013)
The Lone Ranger (2013)
I went into The Lone Ranger without the greatest of expectations. The film’s trailers made it appear like it was going to be outrageously exaggerated and therefore hard to enjoy. But, at the same time, I knew that the film was created by the team that made the first 3 Pirates of the Caribbean movies, so it had to be good for something. Also, it’s a Johnny Depp movie. When was the last time that Depp disappointed?
The film is about a very old Native American named Tonto (Johnny Depp) who tells the story of his encounter with a man named John Reid (Armie Hammer) and how that man eventually became The Lone Ranger.
The movie is directed by Gore Verbinski and the rest of the notable cast includes William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, Helena Bonham Carter, James Badge Dale, Barry Pepper, and Ruth Wilson.
The film was not as exaggerated as I anticipated. The parts in the movie that were unrealistic were done tastefully and intentionally. Instead of those scenes being hard to enjoy, they usually were pretty comical. That was a welcomed surprise.
Depp was delightful, as per usual. His character had more hysterical one-liners than all of Bruce Willis’ action movies combined. Depp stole the show, as he normally does. The film almost should have been called Tonto instead of The Lone Ranger. Tonto is just another piece to the puzzle of insanely awesome characters that Depp has portrayed.
Hammer was okay, but at times his character felt more like the sidekick. He did what he could for his role, but he was no match to Depp’s Tonto.
Wilson was nothing special at all. She was a poor choice for a female lead. She seemed like a cheap version of Michelle Monaghan without the talent.
The rest of the cast had cameo-like appearances with the exception of Fichtner and Wilkinson, who were both excellent.
Overall, The Lone Ranger was a little long and drawn-out at times, but also fun to watch. Depp made the film worthwhile. If you enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), then you will likely get a kick out of The Lone Ranger.
I rate this movie a 7.5 on scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
Identity Thief (2013)
Identity Thief (2013)
I cannot begin to comprehend how frustrating it would be if somebody stole my identity, my money, ruined my credit, and straight up destroyed my good name. I cannot fathom how angry and upset I would be. Besides wanting to physically hurt that person, I would probably want to do anything and everything in my power to get my identity back and my life back to normal.
Identity Thief is about an upstanding citizen and hardworking father named Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) who gets his identity stolen by a woman (Melissa McCarthy). She systematically destroys his life while running around town having fun on his dime. In order to try to fix the harm that she has caused, Sandy decides to travel across the country to track her down and bring her to justice; a task that proves much more difficult than he anticipated.
The movie was directed by Seth Gordon and written by Craig Mazin and Jerry Eeten.
The rest of the noteworthy cast includes Jon Favreau, Amanda Peet, Robert Patrick, John Cho, Jonathan Banks, Genesis Rodriguez, and T.I.
I thought that this film was going to be funnier. Don’t get me wrong, it had its moments of hilarity, but it just wasn’t as funny as it looked. However, it is still above average and funnier than a lot of comedies out there these days.
A number of events in the movie were a little too convenient and predictable. Given that it is in fact a movie, some of that is to be expected. However, when convenient things happen too often in movies, it tends to take away from the suspension of disbelief. When things are less believable, they are also less enjoyable. Identity Thief seemed to try a little bit too hard at times and as a result, the film was not as humorous as it otherwise could have been.
Bateman and McCarthy played their characters perfectly. He was a decent, easy going, stand up guy. She pulled off being not nearly as innocent as she looked. The two contrasted very well and the end result was a good amount of uncontrollable laughter.
Peet seemed to simply show up for the money. Her role was not major, but it seemed like she just read her lines without much effort at all.
At times the humor fell short, but I fault the writers for this. A couple of raunchy scenes were way over-the-top and seemed unnecessary. It felt like they were part of the movie simply for the shock value. Instead of those scenes being shocking or funny, they just came off as being cheap and stupid.
Overall Identity Thief is worth seeing and good for a number of laughs.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
If you enjoyed Identity Thief, then you will probably like Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) and Due Date (2010) even better.
6 Souls (2009)
6 Souls (2009)
When I first watched the preview for 6 Souls (2009), I wondered why the film had not been released yet in the U.S. It was completed in 2009 and released in the UK in 2010. Finally, 3 years later, as far as I know it went straight to DVD in the U.S. I was curious as to why they would wait so long to release a movie that didn’t look half bad. It looked creepy. It got my attention. I was intrigued. Why was it withheld from release for so long?
My hypothesis at the time and I quote, “There has got to be something wrong with this movie otherwise you would think that it would have been released 3 years ago.”
6 Souls is about a psychiatrist (Julianne Moore) who assists her father (Jeffrey DeMunn) who is also a psychiatrist, with one of his patients (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). The patient has a sort of multiple personality disorder. She figures out that each of this man’s personalities is a murder victim. After further investigation, things get more complicated and more dangerous.
The movie is written by Michael Cooney and directed by Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein.
The rest of the notable cast includes Frances Conroy, Nathan Corddry, Brooklynn Proulx, and Brian Anthony Wilson.
Well my friends, I am here to tell you why the film was withheld from release for so long. It was half bad. And it was the second half to be exact. The first half of the film was actually pretty decent. I was hopeful that I might actually enjoy this horror movie because for me that is a very rare thing. But alas, the story took a turn for the worse midway through and I was left suffering through the second half of the film. I stuck with it though so that I could pass the word along. 6 Souls is not worth wasting your time watching.
Julianne Moore played her character convincingly and helped make the first half of the film enjoyable.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers also was entertaining, at least for a little while.
After the story fell apart and
went tumbling down, there was no amount of acting that could save it. The movie achieved setting itself up to be eerie, but never quite made it there.
I rate this movie a 3 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Run.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Happy Gilmore (1996)
A lot of people say that it was Billy Madison (1995) that put Adam Sandler on the map. Well, that may be so, but it was Happy Gilmore that was responsible for cementing him as an A-list star.
Happy Gilmore is about a wannabe hockey player (Sandler) who can’t hack it on the ice rink. When his grandmother faces financial troubles, he turns to golf to make some money and hopefully save her house.
The film is written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. It is directed by Dennis Dugan. Dugan also has a minor supporting role in the film. The rest of the notable cast includes Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, Carl Weathers, Allen Covert, Joe Flaherty, Kevin Nealon, Bob Barker and Ben Stiller.
Sandler brought a level of craziness to his character that not many actors could come close to pulling off. His character is angry, sarcastic, violent, funny, and charming. He has a potty-mouth and a temper, but you root for him anyway. He says what is on his mind and acts impulsively. He is excellent as Happy Gilmore.
McDonald has been in tons of movies and TV shows, but I like his performance in this film the best. When you hate a bad guy in a movie so much, you know that he did an awesome job.
Bob Barker’s cameo appearance in this movie is priceless.
Ben Stiller is almost unrecognizable in his very small, but humorous part in the film.
I think it’s funny how much the Subway Restaurant got its products and logo all over this film. They must have spent a fortune.
“Tuesday’s Gone” performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd will forever remind me of Happy Gilmore every time I hear the song playing. Adam Sandler made sure of that. I’m sure that he had a lot of influence over the soundtrack of the film. I have noticed that most of his movies have similar genres of music.
I saw Happy Gilmore for the first time shortly after it came out on VHS. I have since watched it maybe 30 times. I admit that I have a lot of the movie memorized. The dialogue in the film is great. I find myself quoting the movie randomly in my everyday life. Does that make me crazy? Probably, but I don’t care.
Happy Gilmore is without a doubt, my favorite Adam Sandler movie. It is also one of my favorite sports movies. The film is a comedy classic. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has not seen it, and to the people that have, well you know what I’m talking about.
I rate this movie a 10 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? BUY!
Teaser Trailer for The Counselor (2013)
The Counselor (2013) (Click on the title for my full review.)
A lawyer gets himself into a lot of trouble after he starts drug trafficking.
This film has an outstanding director: Ridley Scott and an amazing cast: Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Dean Norris, John Leguizamo, Goran Visnjic, Bruno Ganz, and Natalie Dormer.
The Counselor has my attention.
The film is set to release on 10/25/13.
The Heat (2013)
The Heat (2013)
The Heat is about a hard-working, by-the-book, know-it-all FBI special agent (Sandra Bullock) who is reluctantly partnered with a foul-mouthed, bad-tempered, Boston police officer (Melissa McCarthy) with a knack for breaking the rules. The completely mismatched pair work together to try to stop drug-runners in the Boston area.
The movie was written by Katie Dippold and directed by Paul Feig.
The rest of the notable cast includes Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport, Thomas F. Wilson, Michael McDonald, Jane Curtin, and Taran Killam.
This movie showed shades of Miss Congeniality (2000) where Bullock played a very similar type of FBI agent. The main difference is that The Heat is way raunchier, obscene humor, mainly due to McCarthy’s character.
The pairing of Bullock and McCarthy is what really made this film work. Their personalities were so different from each other that they absolutely clashed. This resulted in roaring laughter. But, what really made the film was when McCarthy’s winning personality began to rub off on Bullock. Bullock has forever been known to take on the classier, more wholesome roles. Her comedies usually go as far as PG-13 rated humor. Seeing her in an R-rated comedy just made her part even more hysterical.
I will admit that I have only seen Melissa McCarthy in a few movies. She was pretty funny in the parts that I have seen her play. She reminds me of a female more vulgar version of Chris Farley. She is a bigger person like Farley and she always brings a ton of energy to her characters like he did. For a bigger guy, it was always surprising to me how Chris Farley was always all over the place bouncing around with tons of vigor. McCarthy is the same way. Throw comedy into the mix and it’s inevitable that you are bound to laugh uncontrollably. Her character in The Heat was no exception.
This is the best Melissa McCarthy movie that I have seen and perhaps Sandra Bullock’s funniest movie yet. I had expected basically another Miss Congeniality, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much funnier this movie was than that one.
In this world of endless number of sequels and remakes, it is no surprise to me that a sequel to this film is already in the works. Hollywood knows a goldmine when it sees one. They are cashing in while the getting is good. This is one of those instances where I don’t mind. Bring on a sequel. This movie was good for tons of laughs. The next one is bound to be almost as good.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Current Redbox Movie Reviews July 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews July 2013
Click here for Current Redbox Movie Reviews September 2013
Redbox changes its movie selection periodically. Out with the old and in with the new. I do not claim to have seen all of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox. However, I have seen 90 of them. Of those 90 films, I have written a review for 35 of them. My reviews will let you know what I think are the best movies currently available at the Redbox and what are the worst movies currently available at the Redbox.
Note: I will continue to update this list throughout the month of July.
Click on each title below for a trailer, my rating, and my review of that movie.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
If you like what you see then click on this link: www.brockingmovies.com to check out the rest of my site. Movies are what I do.
For more Redbox related material click on the following links below
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 4
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 3
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
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 Netflix? Click on the following links below for 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 Mind-bending 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 Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Happy movie watching!
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