Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews

Author: coolpapae

  • Pompeii is just a flaming heap

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    coolpapae
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    Pompeii – 2014 Director Paul W.S. Anderson Starring Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris, Kiefer Sutherland Screenplay Janet Scott Batchler, Lee Batchler, Michael Robert Johnson Many fault Paul W.S. Anderson for bringing the inspired collaboration of Alien vs. Predator to an almost screeching halt.  It’s true that the 2004 film performed well below expectations, it really wasn’t nearly as…

  • Forgotten Gems: Phenomenon Dance with life

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    Phenomenon – 1996 Director John Turteltaub Starring John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall, Brent Spiner Screenplay Gerald Di Pego When one ponders the fate of the film Phenomenon, it really shows how much time has passed since its début in 1996.  At the time it was a sizeable hit, never reaching #1 but certainly lingering in the top 10.…

  • Enough Said Curbed Enthusiasm

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    Enough Said – 2013 Writer and Director Nicole Holofcener Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone James Gandolfini had the rare gift of expression through silence.  Or quiet at least.  His voice large as it felt, was low enough that it drew you in, and before you knew it, you were hooked by his wizened smile.  His…

  • Out of the Furnace The fire’s gone

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    Out of the Furnace – 2013 Director Scott Cooper Starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard Screenplay Brad Ingelsby and Cooper “He might be safer over in Iraq” It’s hard to recall the last movie that featured common folk in Steel Mill country of Pennsylvania that started out with anything close to a sunny day.…

  • The Rules of The Counselor

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    The Counselor – 2013 Director Ridley Scott Starring Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Dean Norris, John Leguizamo Written by Cormac McCarthy Rule 13: A spec script, or non-commissioned screenplay, is not solicited by anybody.  It must be sold. Rule 25: A good opening scene, with remarkable visuals and as a bonus incredible sound, gives the viewer hope that they…

  • The Rules of August: Osage County

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    August: Osage County – 2013 Director John Wells Starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Shepard, Misty Upham Written by Tracy Letts Rule #12: Meryl Streep will be nominated for an Oscar for 1 film per year at least Rule #154: Old folks quoting people with tears running down their cheek  usually aren’t happy and won’t…

  • The Wolf of Wall Street is a worn out path

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      The Wolf of Wall Street – 2013 Director Martin Scorsese Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, Jean Dujardin Screenplay Terence Winter based on the book by Jordan Belfort All throughout The Wolf of Wall Street, I wondered who it was exactly Scorsese was appealing to.  It made a boatload of money and people…

  • Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks

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                    Mary Poppins – 1964 Director James Stevenson Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns Screenplay Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi based on the book by P.L. Travers Saving Mr. Banks – 2013 Director John Lee Hancock Starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell, B. J. Novak, Ruth Wilson Screenplay Kelly…

  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier – The enemy is not us

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    Captain America: The Winter Soldier – 2014 Director Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson Screenplay by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely Watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a special kind of thrill.  In the small town of Seaside Oregon, Grouchnapper and I walked into a box theater which had less…

  • The Family: Not everything’s alright

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    The Family – 2013 Director Luc Besson Starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, Tommy Lee Jones, John D’Leo Writers Besson and Michael Caleo Fading are the days in which Robert DeNiro commanded the screen.  The script of The Family goes so far as to describe his use of the “F”-word at the expense of actually seeing him use it.…