60 Second Movie Review: Attack the Block (2011)

April 28, 2012 by 6 Comments

I finally saw the first film on my randomly ordered list of Top 5 Movies I Wish I Saw in 2011. That is, I finally saw Attack the Block. It was fun. It was engaging. But Attack the Block wasn’t nearly as fun or engaging as what I’d built up inside the imaginarium of my cranium.

How did I imagine it? To quote that earlier post…

Brit-kids defending their world against an alien invasion, as produced by the same people who brought us Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I’m hoping for similar fun, with perhaps an even bigger emphasis on the action this time.

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60 Second Movie Review: The Hunger Games (2012)

April 21, 2012 by 8 Comments

After finally finishing The Hunger Games book — remember books? — I allowed myself to visit the Cinemark Century Theatres in Redwood City in order to see the film. At 3 o’clock on a Thursday afternoon, no less. Because I’m a rebel.

Coming straight at you, here are my rapid reactions.

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60 Second Movie Review: Vertigo (1958)

April 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

I’m going to be teaching Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) in a few weeks so I decided to watch it again, but to do so first without my scholar’s cap on. Vertigo is a movie that comes along with a wealth of  scholarly literature, but this is just me writing as a movie fan, typos and all. Also, it seems a bit silly to shout “Spoiler Alert!” when discussing a movie made over fifty years ago, but I suppose if you haven’t seen Vertigo yet, you should:

a) explain why. I mean, really, what are you waiting for?

b) turn back now. Come back two hours and eight minutes later, once you’ve had the chance to see the film.

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60 Second Movie Review: For Your Consideration (2006)

March 24, 2012 by 2 Comments

Hearing Fred Willard interviewed on WTF with Marc Maron made me realize that I’d never seen the last of the Christopher Guest semi-improvised extravaganzas, For Your Consideration.

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Friday Movie Review: Tarzan and His Mate (1934)

March 16, 2012 by 2 Comments

Racism! Mia Farrow’s mom! An underwater nude scene! It’s been almost eighty years since its initial release in 1934, and Tarzan and His Mate still retains some of his cinematic shock value.

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60 Second Movie Review: The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)

March 9, 2012 by 5 Comments

If you were wondering whether Studio Ghibli’s exquisite animation might loose some of its quirk and nuance due to their association with Disney, then the answer provided by The Secret World of Arrietty is definitely maybe.

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60 Second Movie Review – Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

March 2, 2012 by 6 Comments

That’s right. Last week’s movie review was of William Shakespeare’s Henry V. This week’s movie review is of John Cusack’s Hot Tub Time Machine.

Hot Tub Time Machine is, like Snakes on a Plane, a movie that looks like it may have been sold on the title alone, but there are two additional reasons to see it.

Hot Tub Time Machine

Image via Wikipedia

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60 Second Movie Review – Henry V (1944)

February 24, 2012 by 4 Comments

Laurence Olivier’s rendition of the William Shakespeare history was produced near the end of World War II in order to boost English morale, to remind them of their historic ties with France, and to give a hip-hip-hooray to war.

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Friday Movie Review: Pina 3D

February 17, 2012 by 7 Comments

Pina Bausch was a German dancer and choreographer of enough renown that Wim Wenders set out to make a 3D movie about her dance troupe. Bausch died suddenly in 2009, two days before Wenders was due to start filming. The documentary Pina turned into a tribute, and it’s stunning. You don’t have to be a dance aficionado to enjoy the film (I’m certainly not), but it does help to love images — striking images that move beyond words.

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Friday Movie Review: Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011)

February 10, 2012 by 6 Comments

The documentary Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop (2011) opens with a brief statement and a two-word question:

Conan O’Brien replaced Jay Leno as host of “The Tonight Show” in June of 2009. He was gone in seven months.

What happened?

English: Conan O'Brien at SXSW for the premier...

Image via Wikipedia

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60 Second Movie Review: Alfie (1966)

February 3, 2012 by Leave a comment

Boy, was I wrong. All these years, I had thought that the original 1966 Alfie starring Michael Caine was a film full of fun and games, some sort precursor to Swinging London.

Cover of "Alfie"

Cover of Alfie

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60 Second Movie Review: The Artist (2011)

January 27, 2012 by 2 Comments

Another one off the list of Top 5 Movies I Wish I Saw in 2011. The Artist came out last year, a French film that made a stir at the Cannes Film Festival, made a lot of top ten lists, and recently won a few awards at the Golden Globes.

It’s skillful, emotional, and original, so I wouldn’t mind seeing it win a few Oscars as well. Academy are you listening?

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