There were many promising films released this past year that unfortunately fell flat on their faces. This could be blamed on the marketing, sequalitis, the production, or poor direction. But anyway you look at, this list of 10 films left an empty place in my heart. What were once thought of as the most anticipated movies of 2013 sadly dissolved into something toxic. Read on to see the list of my biggest movie disappointments of 2013. Continue reading
One could easily define a relationship as the inclusion of another person into their life, good or bad, whether as a friend, relative, co-worker, or romantic companion. And that definition can easily be expanded to include pets, places, and even inanimate objects; queue Office Space printer sequence. Spike Jonze’s Her explores this unique gift humans are able to forge between other people, places, and things in one of the best, most beautifully told stories of the year. Continue reading
Last time we saw the god of thunder in his own standalone picture was back in 2011. And despite the Thor universe being less grounded in reality than any superhero movie we’ve seen before, Marvel Studios stood their ground, took a chance on the character, and raked in a respectable $449.3 million worldwide at the box office. And Marvel hopes to see the character continue to grow in Thor: The Dark World. Far removed from our other favorite Avengers, The Dark World brings the best of science fiction and fantasy together to give Marvel fans one grand adventure. Continue reading
Piñatas are fun. They’re stuffed to the brim with treats, and when they’ve been smacked around a few times out comes the goodies. They are fragile enough so that they may be broken down, but some are more intricately made to look more appealing than others. Such is with films. Stuff a movie to the brim and it may burst if not treated with proper direction and care. Watercolor Postcards is jam packed, full of stereotypical small town woes that never truly finds its feet, beating itself up in the process and yet offers nothing of value. Continue reading
Relationships require work from both sides, if one doesn’t put in the time or effort the whole thing can come crashing down. And to depict one on the big screen, work needs to be put in or else it will feel unrealistic and make for a disastrous experience for your audience. Written and directed by Shaun Kostas, his first feature length film, The Republic of Two struggles to create something honest out of a situation many can relate to. Continue reading
They say imitation is the best form of flattery. And in the case, This Thing with Sarah borrows many tricks from films such as (500) Days of Summer, Friends with Benefits, and No Strings Attached. As similar as the premise of each of these movies may be, This Thing with Sarah does an adequate job at approaching the subject matter with fresh eyes. Continue reading
There have been plenty of movies that have played on our fears of being alone, catapulting audiences into a situation one should never experience. Cast Away, Open Water, Buried, and 127 Hours all come to mind, but in Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity, escape tends to be a little more difficult. Unconditionally thrilling, never dull, and not to mention insanely beautiful, Gravity will make you a complete wreck by the time its through. Continue reading
With a taboo such as porn, you’d expect a film that puts emphasis on the addictive nature of the subject to be completely raunchy and used only as a gag. Instead, Don Jon embraces the suggestive content as a plot device to tell a very interesting view on how we consume media. For how obscure of a plot device it is, Jon’s addiction to porn is used to the story’s advantage, highly effectively, bringing Joseph Gordon-Levitt into the writer-director spotlight. Continue reading
Based on a 32-page children’s book, writer-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller made a fun-filled adaptation when they cooked up Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. With what they were given, Cloudy turned out to have a lot of heart and reasonably dramatic stakes. With both Lord and Miller stepping down from the director chairs, it was up to Kris Pearn and Cody Cameron to helm Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2. Lacking the energy and emotional resonance of the original, Cloudy 2, unfortunately, has all of the ingredients to be successful yet is delivered to audiences undercooked. Continue reading
Turn The Right Corner 