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The Guilt Trip (2012)
The Guilt Trip (2012)
The Guilt Trip follows a man (Seth Rogen) who has invented a new product and sets out on a road trip across the country trying to sell it to different companies. Before leaving, he invites his mother (Barbra Streisand) along for the ride.
The movie is directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Dan Fogelman.
The rest of the notable cast includes Robert Curtis Brown, Kathy Najimy, Miriam Margolyes, Rose Abdoo, Colin Hanks, Jeff Kober, and Brett Cullen.
I wish I could tell you that this movie was so funny that I was rolling on the floor laughing hysterically. I wish I could tell you that the chemistry between Rogen and Streisand was wonderful and that this is a wonderful comedy to watch with your mother. I just wish that I could tell you that this movie made me laugh. I cannot tell you any of those things because they wouldn’t be at all close to the truth.
I did not laugh once during the entire viewing of The Guilt Trip. The movie just was not funny. It tried so hard to be a comedy. It’s even listed as a comedy. It’s on the cusp of being funny. I almost laughed a couple of times. I scoffed a number of times, but this so called comedy wasn’t even good for a giggle. How pathetic is that? It’s a comedy that doesn’t make you laugh, at all.
The movie was a complete waste of time. It was painfully boring to watch at times and the film just seemed to drag on.
I waited to watch The Guilt Trip on DVD because I was unsure about it. It looked like it might be good for a few laughs. It looked like it could have similarities to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987), only with a mother and son instead of two strangers. I was completely wrong on both accounts.
If you have ever wondered what an uninteresting road trip with your mother would be like, then just watch The Guilt Trip. It will bore your head off.
I rate this movie a 1 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? RUN away and don’t be guilted into this unpleasant trip!
The Iceman (2012)
The Iceman (2012)
The Iceman is the chilling true story of one of the most famous contract killers named Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon). He was known as “The Iceman.” Kuklinski was believed to have killed at least over 100 people. He had ties to the mob and he had his family convinced that he was a businessman.
The movie is directed by Ariel Vromen.
This is another limited release movie with a huge cast that also includes Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, Robert Davi, David Schwimmer, John Ventimiglia, Danny A. Abeckaser, James Franco, and Stephen Dorff.
Why does a movie like this have such limited release? The only answer that I can think of is that a film about a real-life serial killer is not a topic that would be popular to the general public. We all know that is not true with all of the hardcore violence in movies and television these days. So, the question still remains and I don’t have a real answer for it.
I knew absolutely nothing at all about “The Iceman” before watching The Iceman with the exception that he was a real hit-man at one point in time, and I had seen the trailer for the movie. What I learned about the guy from the movie was creepy and insane. It kind of makes me want to read the book that the movie was based off of written by Anthony Bruno called “The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer.”
Michael Shannon has been a wonderful character actor ever since his first film appearance in Groundhog Day (1993). In more recent years he has successfully made the transition to making movies as an awesome main character. This trend started when he made Take Shelter (2011). In The Iceman Shannon is electrifying. His performance is nothing short of deserving Oscar gold. He was extremely convincing as a stone-cold murdering lunatic with a love for his family.
Chris Evans was unrecognizable at first, but very entertaining.
Winona Ryder made a big comeback in Black Swan (2010). In The Iceman, I think that she successfully clinched her comeback into the spotlight. She brought talent to the movie not seen out of her since the 90s. Dare I say another person from this film deserves an Oscar? She should at least be nominated.
I would say that 2012 is the year that Ray Liotta died as an actor and then was resurrected. He looked and acted like death in the unwatchable Killing Them Softly (2012). He was resurrected in The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) and he became his old bad-tempered self again in The Iceman.
The rest of the cast was there to put all of the pieces of this true serial killer story together.
As expected, the movie was brutally violent and loaded with f-bombs. What I did not expect was the strong presence that each of the main characters had on screen. They each did an outstanding job in becoming the real people that they were playing and telling their terrible story on film. Their performances made the movie powerful and worth watching.
I think that it is worth tracking down a theatre that is actually playing this movie and checking it out for yourself, that is, if you are a fan of true crime films.
I rate this movie a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Mud (2012)
Mud (2012)
There has been some Oscar buzz around the grapevine involving Matthew McConaughey‘s performance in Mud. I think that he did a superb job in his role, but I don’t think that the role itself is Oscar worthy. They might just nominate him to give him a little bit of well-deserved recognition, but he won’t win.
McConaughey has always been a very likable actor. He carries himself well and always brings a lot of energy to his characters. He is usually in excellent shape and the ladies love him. I think that is why he has made so many “chick flicks.” Because of his many romantic movies, I think that a lot of people, including the Academy don’t take him seriously as an actor. I believe that is why he gets overlooked when it comes time to give out awards. It’s a shame because the guy certainly is capable of an Oscar worthy performance, just look at The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), Two for the Money (2005), and Frailty (2001), to name a few.
In Mud, Matthew McConaughey plays a man named Mud. He is an outlaw living like a bum on an island in Arkansas. Two teenage boys (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland) get more than they bargained for when they meet Mud after they find a boat high up in the trees on the same island.
The film was written and directed by Jeff Nichols.
The rest of the noteworthy cast includes Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, Paul Sparks, and Joe Don Baker.
Mud was not exactly what I expected. I guess I didn’t know quite what to expect. The film was unique. The story was original which these days is a little rare. It was a nice change of pace to see a one-of-a-kind movie instead of a sequel or a remake of another movie.
Being basically unknown actors, I thought that Sheridan and Lofland both did an exceptional job of carrying their part of the movie.
Shepard and Shannon were both fun additions to the film.
I’m not a huge fan of Witherspoon, but I felt that she did an okay job in the film. However, I think that her character needed more screen time. That isn’t her fault. The movie could have been improved upon if her part of the story was better told. It just felt like her part was lacking something. I left the theatre thinking that the movie was really good, but something was missing. Her character could have provided that something.
The film did a fine job of developing most of its characters and building suspense. It was intriguing. It kept you wanting to know what was going to happen next and was not very predictable.
Unfortunately the movie is in limited release. It is a little bit surprising to me that the film is not in wide release. It is the first movie that I have seen in a long time that I could not sit in the part of the theatre that I wanted. I had my choice between the second or first rows. That is how packed the theatre was.
Mud is worth checking out if you are sick of the same old sequels or remakes that Hollywood keeps regurgitating for your enjoyment week after week. It’s a nice change of pace to be able to watch a movie that allows the actors to act and counts on their ability and the storyline alone to be entertaining and successful.
I rate this movie a 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
Note: After watching this movie a second time, I had to raise my initial rating from a 7.5 to an 8. The film is better than I originally gave it credit for.
Pain & Gain (2013)
Pain & Gain (2013)
Michael Bay took a true story about bodybuilding thieves and kidnappers, and chewed it up and spit it out bigger and better than before. The producer and director has a tendency to go big or go home. Pain & Gain went huge with a super sized Mark Wahlberg, a bulkier Dwayne Johnson “The Rock”, and an extra beefed up Anthony Mackie.
I should not have enjoyed this movie, but I did. It is supposedly a true story, but you have to believe that with Michael Bay involved, the film could very well be far from the truth. Everything about the movie was way over-the-top.
The movie was raunchy, vulgar, and went totally off the deep end. It’s filled with drugs, cussing, nudity, and brutality. I was caught off guard at how funny the movie was though. I expected an action/adventure and I got an action/comedy. The story is pretty twisted and it needed a lot of comedy to help you get through it, so kudos to the filmmakers for recognizing this fact. The real story was probably not that funny. The real story was probably not that entertaining either.
If you are not a fan of dark comedy, then you might not like this movie. It is mostly filled with dark comedy and stupid comedy. After all, all brawn and no brains is the underlined theme of this film. The movie could also be considered very offensive. If you are easily offended, you might not like the film.
The rest of the notable cast includes Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Bar Paly, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Michael Risponi, Larry Hankin, Tony Plana, and Peter Stormare.
The characters were far out, but very well-acted. The casting was perfect. I don’t think that you could find a funnier bunch of giants anywhere. With that being said, if this movie had a different cast, it probably would have just been awful. I am certain that the actual people that the characters are based on are not nearly as likable as the actors who play them in the movie.
With how big Mark Wahlberg is now, if he could go back in time and fight his character in The Fighter (2010), he would beat the crap out of that guy. He gained 40lbs. to make Pain & Gain and he looks gigantic. Dwayne Johnson “The Rock” somehow became more enormous for his role. It just goes to show the dedication that these guys had to make the movie.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
If you liked Pain & Gain, then you will most likely enjoy:
Trailer for Don Jon (2013)
Don Jon (2013) (Click on the title for my full review.)
Don Jon is written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He also stars in the film. The rest of the main cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headley, Rob Brown, and Brie Larson.
I think that this movie reiterates once again that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is not afraid of taking risks.
It’s a dysfunctional drama that hits on a touchy topic, porn. A man (Gordon-Levitt) seems to have all of his priorities straight, but he also seems to be addicted to pornography. From the preview it appears like the porn addiction has caused him to treat women differently. After he meets what just might be the right woman(Johansson), she helps him to see the error of his ways.
This isn’t a movie that I am going to rush out to the theatre and see, but I’m curious to see what direction Gordon-Levitt takes the film. It will be his first time directing a full-length movie. He is an excellent actor and I’ve liked him since Angels in the Outfield (1994). It will be interesting to see if his writing and directing is as good as his acting.
Could this be an Oscar contender because of the cast and risky topic? The Academy loves movies that bring up controversy and that are edgy.
Could this be the beginning of a long directing career for Joseph Gordon-Levitt, or do you think that he will just stick to acting and maybe this is something that he just wanted to try?
I’m sure that you already have an opinion about this movie after only watching the preview. I think that’s kind of the whole point. I think that there will be more to the movie than shock value though.
Instead of discussing your views on the topic of the movie, I’m just curious to know, will you be seeing the movie or not?
Note: An interesting link that I thought of right away was that Danza and Gordon-Levitt were both in Angels in the Outfield together. That was already almost 20 years ago. Danza’s career has since tanked. Could Gordon-Levitt be helping him make a comeback?
The film is set to release on 9/27/13.
The Hangover Part III (2013)
The Hangover Part III (2013)
The boys are at it again. They’re back for another go-round. Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Justin Bartha all return for more hilarious antics.
Nobody is getting married this time, but with this group, things always have a way of spiraling out of control.
Todd Phillips returns again to write and direct. Ken Jeong, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Sasha Barrese, and Gillian Vigman are all back along with the addition of John Goodman and Melissa McCarthy.
Most sequels to any movie usually can never be as good as the original. There are a few exceptions, and it is always a very welcome surprise when it happens. But, this rarely ever occurs. With that said, I went into this movie hoping that it would be as good as Part II, if not better.
This movie was not quite as formulaic as I expected it to be. Although it was a bit predictable at times, they had a few surprises thrown in and it was not exactly like the first two films.
The type of comedy was different throughout the majority of the movie. This film seemed to tone down the raunchy humor and substitute it for more obvious, subtle, or dark humor. Instead of being so outrageous and over-the-top all of the time like the first two films, this movie concentrated a little bit more on the events in the story taking place.
Cooper, Galifianakis, and Helms were all just as comical as they were in the first two films. The rest of the returning cast is also just as good as they were in the first movies.
Goodman and McCarthy are both great additions to the movie.
If you are a fan of the first two Hangover films, than you will surely enjoy this third movie. I liked this movie just as much as Part II. It did not top the original, but The Hangover Part III is a worthy final chapter of the Wolf Pack saga.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Trailer for Man of Steel (2013)
Man of Steel (2013) (click on the title for my full review)
I know I’m a little late on this one, but yet another Superman movie is coming. This one does have a great cast though. Henry Cavill plays superman and the rest of the cast includes Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Ayelet Zurer, Michael Kelly, and Richard Schiff.
Henry Cavill was an interesting choice for the role of Superman. He is nothing special, but the rest of the cast is awesome. I’m not a huge superhero movie fan, but the cast for this one is what will get me to see the movie.
The film is directed by Zach Snyder.
Who do you think should have played Superman with such a huge supporting cast like this one?
The film is set to release on 6/14/13.
Trailer for Rapture-Palooza (2013)
Rapture-Palooza (2013)
The movie is a comedy about the end of the world brought on by the devil. A couple of friends join together to try to save the world by defeating the antichrist.
The movie looks a little Zombieland (2009) -esque, at least in the comedy sense. But, I’m sure it won’t be anywhere near as funny or as clever as that film.
Rapture-Palooza is directed by Paul Middleditch and stars Anna Kendrick, Craig Robinson, Ken Jeong, Rob Corddry, John Francis Daley, Thomas Lennon, Tyler Labine, Rob Huebel, and Ana Gasteyer.
I’m not gonna rush out to the theatre to see this one, but I’ll probably catch it when it comes to DVD.
The movie is set to release on 6/7/13.
Tomorrow You’re Gone (2012)
Tomorrow You’re Gone (2012)
Tomorrow You’re Gone is star power without the shine. The presence of Stephen Dorff, Michelle Monaghan, and Willem Dafoe all in this film is enough to make you want to see it. Do not be fooled though, that is the only thing that this movie has going for it. The fact that those actors would actually decide to be a part of such an atrocious excuse for a movie actually gives me less respect for them.
The movie follows Charlie Rankin (Dorff) as he gets out of jail. He sets out to do one more job for his friend The Buddha (Dafoe) and along the way he gets mixed up with his conscience and Florence Jane (Monaghan).
The movie is directed by David Jacobson. Hopefully it will be his last attempt at filmmaking. If he were playing baseball, he just struck out.
The cast also includes Robert LaSardo, Tara Buck, and Kerry Rossall.
The film is basically pointless. It is a complete waste of time. It drags on at a snail’s pace and is really boring at times. It is filled with meaningless babbling and wasted talent. The movie tries so hard to be something artistic and deep, but it comes off cheap.
The story is broken and hard to follow. You can’t really feel anything for the characters because they are just sort of there.
This movie is the definition of hitting rock-bottom for anyone who was a part of the filmmaking process. It is hard to come back to making good movies after making something this bad. I think that I have lost any and all hope for the cast. They are all usually better than this, but maybe that is not the case anymore.
Do yourself a favor and keep your dignity by not every watching Tomorrow You’re Gone.
I rate this movie a 1 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? “Run Forrest, run!”
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