Category: 4.5 Stars
-
Hitchcock is the director, but Mirren is the star
Hitchcock – 2012 Director Sasha Gervasi Starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Toni Collette, Danny Houston, Jessica Biel, James D’Arcy Screenplay John J. McLaughlin based on the book Alfred Hitchock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello Psycho is one of the most celebrated films of all time. It came after one of the greatest financial successes of the career of…
-
CPE & Em: Oz the Great and Powerful (****) fits like a glove
Oz the Great and Powerful – 2012 Directed by Sam Raimi Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King Screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire based on the books by L. Frank Baum It was a movie that I had no idea needed to be made. There are 14 books written…
-
Zero Dark Thirty or Forty, Whatever it Takes.
Zero Dark Thirty – 2012 Director Katheryn Bigelow Starring Jessica Chastain, Jennifer Ehle, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Mark Strong, Harold Perrineau, Chris Pratt, Édgar Ramírez, Mark Duplass, James Gandolfini Screenplay Mark Boal I spent much of the Bush administration reading books about the wars in the middle east after 9/11. Most of it was read in disgust…
-
CoolPapaE Reviews The Die Hard Series
Cool Papa E Reviews The Die Hard Series I’ve been waiting for this, like I always do. The evolution of Bruce Willis is most easily categorized with the Die Hard films. When he first hit the big screen as John McClane, he was more of a punk than anything. Skinny, mouthy and not much more…
-
Forgotten Gem: High Fidelity is like singing in your sleep
High Fidelity – 2000 Directed by Stephen Frears Starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Lisa Bonet, Jack Black, Todd Luiso, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Catherine Zeta-Jones Screenplay D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, Scott Rosenberg and Cusack taken from the novel by Nick Hornby Mix tapes. They’ve been lost in time, replaced playlists on iTunes. It’s not the same. There was a time…
-
Pitch Perfect: Hits almost every note
Pitch Perfect – 2012 Director Jason Moore Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Ben Platt, Adam Devine, Freddie Stroma, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, John Benjamin Hickey Screenplay Kay Cannon based on the book by Mickey Rapkin One thing that film makers and media…
-
Lawless shows everyone at the top of their game
Lawless – 2012 Director John Hillcoat Starring Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Mia Wasikowska, Jason Clarke, Lew Temple, Dane DeHan Screenplay Nick Cave based on The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant Lawless is one very rare movie indeed. I can’t recall seeing a film where there are so many high-caliber actors who are doing…
-
CPE, Em and El: Wreck-It Ralph appeals to girls and boys
Wreck-It Ralph – 2012 Director Rich Moore Starring (voices) John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Alan Tudyk, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Mindy Kaling, Ed O’Neill, Dennis Haysbert Screenplay Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee The genius of Wreck-It Ralph is not in the ground that it treads. The multi-licensed cameos has been done before by Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and the…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 