Machete (2010)
Machete is a lot of things, it is a kickback to the original Grindhouse project helmed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, it is fan service to all of the guys who wanted more cheesy gore and flesh and it is a cynical, brown middle finger to anti-immigration laws and the people behind them. When we saw the trailer to Machete during the introduction of Planet Terror, many of us laughed... [Read more]
Brooklyn’s Finest
Brooklyn’s Finest is a hardcore drama detailing the lives of three unconnected policemen of differing positions that eventually end up in the same place. The lives of these men lead them to a place of desperation, depression and anger where death is a welcome escape to the lives they live. Director Antoine Fuqua, the man behind the scenes in Training Day brings us back to this familiar... [Read more]
From Paris with Love
A beautiful movie in terms of cinematography, the shots shown in between the explosions and gunfire are absolutely gorgeous but sadly the rest of this movie falls short of setting the bar on anything. If there was a cookie cutter method to creating action movie, From Paris With Love is the result of it. All it seems to take is a shallow story, a super-human badass , a semi-normal sidekick... [Read more]
Christmas and Fargo? Yauhh, You Betcha!
“We’ve been waiting here an hour. He’s peed three times already.” – Carl Shuwalter So this Christmas break I took a trip to see the mother with girlfriend and daughter in tow. I had purchased a new Blu-Ray player for mom so that she can continue to realize her obsession with Denzel Washington in high-res goodness while keeping up with the latest technology trend. When... [Read more]
Ninja Assassin
Do you like Ninjas? Do you like kickass choreography, ninja magic and shredded karateka performing the stunts in concert? Then you just might like Ninja Assassin, the latest kickback to the 80s after skinny jeans, embarrassing spandex clothing and forgettable music… okay I kid, I kid. Ninja Assassin reminded me of the old Sho Kosugi movies like Pray for Death, Nine Deaths of a Ninja and... [Read more]
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Like it’s name, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford will be misunderstood as being too long, too historical or too boring. If you ever read a review that uses the word boring to completely discredit a movie without any explanations why, you should probably stop reading. What I saw in this movie, was a masterpiece of excellent acting, stunning visuals and incredible... [Read more]
Ichi The Killer (2001)
If you are offended or freaked out by human mutilation, gore and gallons of blood in movies then do yourself a favor and stay far away from Ichi The Killer. Bordering on insanity and sado masochistic pleasures, Takashi Mike’s masterpiece made me feel extremely guilty for every minute I sat watching it. I felt my soul turning black as I witnessed men cutting their own tongues off, women... [Read more]
Public Enemies (2009)
With Billie Holiday singing her heart out and the subtle details of cracked nail polish and $3 dresses, Public Enemies brings you into the era of the Great Depression without boring you with backstories and explanations. It is an honest bio-pic with little factual variations outside of John Dillinger’s romantic ambitions. It is an entertaining backseat ride into the life of a country... [Read more]
The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)
A real thriller, it has been a long time that I could say a movie had me on the edge of my seat. The Taking of Pelham 123 did just that and much more. It re-affirmed my belief in the acting abilities of Denzel Washington and John Travolta. I was truly impressed with the humanity that they brought to their characters and the chemistry between the two. And how about that kick-ass makeup on... [Read more]
Angels & Demons
Where The Da Vinci Code introduced us to Dr. Robert Langdon and his knack for solving puzzles, Angels & Demons ups the ante by providing a huge puzzle with an eight hour limit. With a cast of award winning actors, Ron Howard does a good job of directing a story that was easy to follow and even easier to accept. The Da Vinci code threw so many angles at you in such a short time that... [Read more]
Punisher: Warzone
I’ll preface this by saying that Ray Stevenson is a very good choice for The Punisher. From the grimace to the action, he portrayed the vigilante killer with a swagger that was missing from the original movie. Having seen him in HBO’s ROME, I was not expecting anything less of the big man and throughout this stinker I felt he was the only saving grace for the film. In stark contrast... [Read more]
RocknRolla
So are you a RocknRolla? Guy Ritchie is a household name to us film hacks who like to have our niche directors locked away – to influence potential viewers who haven’t heard of them. His movies are solid but he hasn’t exactly popped his “celebrity cherry” yet has he? I mean don’t get me wrong, I am sure all the people who are up on Madonna’s latest... [Read more]
