John Shaft is the urban answer to the motto "Don't Tread on Me." It's a remarkable statement that no doubt has lead many critics who live in big cities to blanch at the apparent crudity espoused by the filmmakers. Now in their 5th film and going on 5 decades. All it really does is show the difference between those who prefer a nanny state and those who'd rather think of it as a distant uncle they see once in a while.
"It's tough to stay interested in watching most blowhards take credit for their work by slandering those who they disagree with, but the desire to see good work rewarded will not get old. The best thing the Oscars have going for them is they're not as bad as the other televised award shows. The gap is narrowing."
"Much of what the film consists of is somewhat armchair knowledge of the events for the Cheney / Bush first term. It helps to put things into perspective, especially more than sixteen years later. This man viewed himself as a patriot, sure. He was also a very calculated opportunist who saw dollar signs at the expense of lives. If nothing else, America needs to remember it for what really happened."
The Big Short - 2015 Director Adam McKay Screenplay Charles Randolph and McKay Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Marisa Tomei, Tracy Letts, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Byron Mann, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Finn Wittrock, Melissa Leo There are a whole bunch of facts being spit out in The Big Short. Director and writer … Continue reading The Big Short (****) counts on us not liking bad news
Terminator Anthology - 1984-2015 The Terminator - 1984 Chronology - May 12, 1984 Director James Cameron Screenplay Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher, Jr. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield, Lance Henriksen, Earl Boen, Rick Rossovich, Joe Dante Review The impact of this film is giant in cinematic history. It's not that it is an incredible … Continue reading Terminator Chronology / Anthology Reviewed By Cool Papa E
Exodus - Gods and Kings (2014) Directed by Ridley Scott Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, María Valverde, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Andrew Tarbet, Isaac Andrews Screenplay Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine, Steven Zaillian The prospect of a big budget film based on The Holy Bible is immediately deserving of skepticism these days. For some, like Aronofsky, use it to "explore … Continue reading Exodus Gods and Kings (****): Moses, Ramses II, God and his Angels
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. … Continue reading Out of the Furnace The fire’s gone
American Hustle - 2013 Director David O. Russell Starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence Screenplay Eric Warren Singer and Russell There is a feeling of barely restrained whimsy in the events of American Hustle. Instead of being the kind of film that aspires to be truthful while embellishing the facts, Russell and co-writer Singer make the … Continue reading American Hustle: Like flowers, but with garbage
The Dark Knight Rises - 2012 Directed by Christopher Nolan Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marian Cotillard Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan Christopher Nolan made a wise choice with the ending of The Dark Knight when he decided to imbrue two of the integral characters with … Continue reading The Dark Knight Rises: A full return on investment
One of the best examples of a reboot in cinematic history, Christopher Nolan's Batman Trilogy comes to an end July 20, 2012. As sad as it will be that it has ended, it has been a historic masterpiece and one wonderful ride. The best thing it did was to cleanse the visionary palate of a … Continue reading Cool Papa E Reviews Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight / Batman Series
