Category: Crime
By Dan Franzen on Jan 30, 2012 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Thriller | 1 Comment
As a heterosexual male, I am probably among the minority of those who have read Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books. I’m totally cool with that. I find the books funny enough without being degrading, intelligently written, and full of excellent, memorable characters. So I was more than a little leery when I heard that the [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Jan 28, 2012 in Crime, Thriller | 0 Comments
Recently, as per my friend’s request, I skimmed through a snuff film he’d found online. “You know, the fact that I don’t bat an eye at this, but have to hold back tears during ASPCA infomercials is sick in and of itself.” “Congratulations, you’ve been desensitized to human violence,” he shot back. It’s true, like [...]
By Cal Knox on Jan 16, 2012 in Comedy, Crime, Thriller | 0 Comments
The Guard can probably be described as “Lethal Weapon” meets Quentin Tarantino by way of “In Bruges.” However, it does not feel like a derivative motion picture or a slapdash mash-up. Instead, this is a hilarious, well-written and satisfyingly tongue-in-cheek dark comedy which possesses its own unique identity. Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh [...]
By Greg Eichelberger on Jan 11, 2012 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama | 7 Comments
I have a friend who once wrote a novel about an entire minor league stadium (players and fans alike) which is suddenly transported through a wormhole to third century Palestine. There, the modern-day folks meet Barabbas (who was freed in Jesus’s stead) roaming about the desert. The players and fans change Barabbas’ name to Barry [...]
By Charlie Juhl on Dec 28, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller | 0 Comments
Even though there are now two films in Guy Ritchie’s vision of the Sherlock Holmes universe (the first aptly titled Sherlock Holmes), I am still getting accustomed to the athletic, street fighting Holmes as opposed to the merely cerebral genius who used to chase suspects by horse and buggy rather than bash their brains out [...]
By sasori on Dec 19, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Trailer | 6 Comments
Well, the wishes of hundreds of thousands of fanboys has been answered. The first official trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Dark Knight Rises has finally hit the web after its premiering over the weekend with Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Being touted as the conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s visionary trilogy, the film pits [...]
By Howard Schumann on Nov 23, 2011 in Crime, Drama, Foreign | 0 Comments
Based on an actual racial incident in Gothenburg, Sweden in which a group of black teenagers carried out a series of thefts of other children’s personal belongings for a period of two years, Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s Play is about using psychological game playing rather than name-calling, threats, or overt violence to bully your target. [...]
By Amy Bigmore on Nov 17, 2011 in Crime, Drama | 2 Comments
Based on a true story, Snowtown lets viewers inside the Vlassakis family home as they unknowingly welcome in what turns out to be one of Australia’s most notorious serial killers, John Bunting (Daniel Henshall). The Vlassakis family consists of Elizabeth (Louise Harris) the mother and her four sons: Troy (Anthony Groves), Jamie (Lucas Pittaway), Alex [...]
By sasori on Nov 10, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Trailer | 0 Comments
Would you be terribly surprised to hear that Jason Statham was starring in yet another actioner showcasing his hand to hand prowess? He is and you shouldn’t. In Safe, for which the first theatrical trailer was released by Lionsgate today, he is pitted against crooked NY police and the Chinese and Russian mafias. Instead of [...]
By Charlie Juhl on Nov 4, 2011 in Comedy, Crime | 1 Comment
Tower Heist enjoys a coincidence of sorts in its choice of opening weekend. The Occupy Wall Street protest is alive and well not too far from where this film is set and hundreds of other Occupy protests are simultaneously happening around the world. Tapping into a particular segment of that angst, Tower Heist is about [...]
By General Disdain on Nov 4, 2011 in Crime, Drama | 2 Comments
Dito Montiel, chose Channing Tatum as the star for his drama about corrupt police and childhood secrets, The Son of No One, correctly. He needed a guy that was wooden and could believably convey sullenness with no effort whatsoever. There is not, however, much else that is right about this feature, unless noting that in [...]
By Amy Bigmore on Nov 2, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Biography, Crime | 1 Comment
In the late 1990’s, Sam Childers, a criminal and a member of a notorious Pennsylvania motorcycle gang, decided to change his ways and turned to God for guidance. From that point onwards he devoted his life to helping Sudanese orphans who were suffering at the hands of the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army). The LRA (led [...]
By Musanna Ahmed on Oct 27, 2011 in Crime, Thriller | 0 Comments
4.3.2.1.. The title of this multi-threaded thriller gives the impression that a timer is counting down the seconds — maybe it is bomb methodically ticking down to Armageddon, maybe it is a rocket set to take flight to the moon. Or maybe, as in this case, it spells out the specifics of the film. There [...]
By Cal Knox on Oct 17, 2011 in Biography, Crime, Thriller | 0 Comments
Based on the nonfiction book “To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia” by Rick Porrello, Kill the Irishman is a compelling walk through Cleveland’s criminal underbelly during the 1970s and an informative look at a man who brought down the hammer on the mafia’s golden age. To seasoned consumers of gangster movies, [...]
By Charlie Juhl on Oct 14, 2011 in Crime, Foreign, Mystery, Thriller | 0 Comments
Rare for a mysterious thriller set in the high stakes business realm, Love Crime is dominated by women with the men relegated to paltry supporting roles. Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas) is on the fast track to the elite tier of her international business firm as chief of their Paris office. She is confident, sexy, knows [...]
By Colin Harris on Oct 9, 2011 in Comedy, Crime | 1 Comment
Ah, the bungled bank robbery movie. A movie that could have done with a cameo appearance from Eileen Brennan, Flypaper at least adds a slight kink in its comedy presentation, which results in it being slightly fresher than it perhaps could have been. A bank is being robbed, the heist goes wrong, and the perpetrators [...]
By sasori on Sep 24, 2011 in Comedy, Crime, Thriller, Trailer | 3 Comments
A guilty pleasure of mine is watching Jersey Shore. Another is watching Katherine Heigl. She puts her curves and flightiness (the reasons she is one of my pleasures) center stage again in Lionsgate’s new actiony rom-com One for the Money. Based on a long running mystery series written by Janet Evanovich, Heigl tackles the role [...]
By Cal Knox on Sep 24, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
Somewhat competent yet unremarkable, Assassination Games is another low-budget action-thriller of the well-worn hitman subgenre variety. The big draw of this otherwise undistinguished action fare is that it stars aging action icon Jean-Claude Van Damme and rising star Scott Adkins, both of whom are incredible fighters both on and off the screen. However, while Assassination [...]
By Mark Zhuravsky on Sep 16, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7 Comments
The Driver (Ryan Gosling) has no need for a name. He embodies his job description — a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. Life outside of the 1973 Chevy Malibu, his vehicle of choice, is anonymous. That is, until Irene (Carey Mulligan), who lives down the hall, walks into the Driver’s life. [...]
By Amy Bigmore on Aug 30, 2011 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 2 Comments
The Debt is directed by John Madden and is a remake of Assaf Bernstein’s 2007 film of the same name. It begins with retired Mossad agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson), in the year of 1997, receiving the bad news that their former colleague and friend, David (Ciaran Hinds), has committed suicide. We’re [...]
By sasori on Jul 28, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Trailer | 1 Comment
Sometimes the little guy gets the last laugh. Most times they don’t. With Tower Heist we can at least laugh as the little guy tries to get even with the powerful. After a Bernie Madoff type of scam sucks the pensions of hundreds of working stiffs dry, they aim to get even. Their plan? Since [...]
By Cal Knox on Jul 27, 2011 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
Written and directed by David Michôd (making his feature-length debut), Animal Kingdom persuasively demonstrates that plenty of life still remains in the contemporary Australian film industry. Fundamentally the Australian Goodfellas in the suburbs of Melbourne, it ostensibly looks as if Animal Kingdom was specifically produced to capitalize on the recent success of the acclaimed TV [...]
By sasori on Jul 18, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Trailer | 7 Comments
The teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s telling of the Batman story, is here. Finally. Even though this sneak peak doesn’t give away much, it still does just enough to get the adrenaline pumping. Watch below and crave for more. The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale, Joseph [...]
By JohnnyHollywood on Jun 23, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 0 Comments
What a little gem of a film. Many would put it in the often-mentioned “best films you’ve never seen” category, and I would not be one to argue. Shane Black sits in the director’s chair for the first (and to date, only) time and co-wrote the screenplay to this part murder-mystery, part comedy movie that [...]
By sasori on Jun 20, 2011 in Comedy, Crime, Trailer | 0 Comments
One bank. Two gangs of bank robbers. Same time and day. That makes for one helluva scenario, especially when crafted in the hands of the boys who wrote The Hangover. As the trailer for Flypaper shows, it gets awfully complicated and comical — one gang is made up of professional thieves, the other is a [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Jun 18, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Science Fiction, Thriller | 2 Comments
A friend of mine once argued about the redundancy behind DC Comics; its name, he claimed, originally stood for Detective Comics, thus by adding an extra ‘comics’ at the end, one is left with the awkwardly titled Detective Comics Comics. Though, despite the discrepancy behind the publisher’s name, it has remained a powerhouse in the [...]
By sasori on May 13, 2011 in Crime, Drama, Thriller, Trailer | 0 Comments
There is a reason most Americans stay well clear of the deep South: They don’t like outsiders. In the trailer for Straw Dogs, L.A. screenwriter David Sumner and his wife Amy find out the hard way that good ‘ole boys ain’t always so good. It is a damn good way, however, to discover what you’re [...]
By Cal Knox on May 3, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Fantasy | 0 Comments
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is not only a compelling contender for the worst film of 2009, but it’s also a contender for the worst film of all time! This second attempt at a screen adaptation of the revered Capcom video game series is unbelievably awful in every aspect. Generic action sequences, atrocious acting, [...]
By pinkston on Apr 28, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 1 Comment
Although it inevitably will be lumped in with the films of the modern Grindhouse movement (Planet Terror, Death Proof, Machete), Hobo with a Shotgun really doesn’t have the aesthetic style of the films that it is mimicking. Outside of its high concept, the film owes more to Tarantino and Rodriguez’s Grindhouse double feature (or many [...]
By Musanna Ahmed on Apr 23, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama | 3 Comments
Making a sequel to a film is never normally a good thing — they excite all the fans of the previous film and then ultimately disappoint them with a production that is not better (and in some cases, far worse) than the original. This same argument can generally be applied to reboots (or to purists, [...]
By Dan Schneider on Apr 20, 2011 in Crime, Documentary | 0 Comments
Marc Levin’s 2007 documentary film, Mr. Untouchable, which gives background on notorious 1970s Harlem drug kingpin LeRoy ‘Nicky’ Barnes is a flat out great documentary. It is insightful, points out things that are wrong with many people’s ideas on reality, and does very well in backgrounding Barnes’ life and times, as well as using the [...]
By Cal Knox on Apr 17, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Thriller | 2 Comments
While the title of From Paris with Love may imply that it’s a romantic comedy featuring the Eiffel Tower, the title is in fact a James Bond homage, and the production is a hardcore, no-holds-barred action flick which arrives courtesy of Luc Besson’s production factory. For those unaware, Besson is the French filmmaker who produces [...]
By Cal Knox on Apr 10, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama | 0 Comments
Suffice it to say, expectations play a sizeable role in any viewer’s enjoyment of a film. In the case of 2009′s Ninja, it would be impossible to watch the flick with high expectations — the cover of the DVD/Blu-ray is admittedly nifty enough to gain some attention, but it is nonetheless a low-budget direct-to-DVD ninja [...]
By Cal Knox on Apr 3, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama | 0 Comments
One must admit, it takes serious guts to entitle a film The Losers, since lame jokes are just begging to be cracked. Already, the critics who panned this appalling motion picture have utilized the obvious, “The losers are in fact the audience” in addition to the also obvious, “What were you expecting? It’s called The [...]
By Cal Knox on Mar 25, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 0 Comments
It is absolutely beyond this reviewer’s mental parameters as to why Wild Target endured such a ruthless critical reception during its fleeting theatrical run in 2010. Perhaps it depends on mood and expectations, but Wild Target is a wonderfully droll, effortlessly charming and spry action-comedy from the British school of black humor. Rarely less than [...]
By Chris Sawin on Mar 17, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
In a futuristic world, an organization called The Union has created highly developed and highly priced mechanical organs. These organs can be purchased by anyone for any reason — if, however, they’re unable to pay the incredibly steep full price (usually somewhere in the hundreds of thousands of dollars), they’ve got two choices: Make monthly [...]
By Marco Duran on Mar 5, 2011 in Crime, Drama, Horror | 0 Comments
I am developing a huge love of Korean cinema. Of course, when I say Korea, I mean South Korea (I doubt anything of value is coming out of North Korea). With me, it all started with the devastating film, Oldboy, which at the time, I counted as a one off and never really looked further [...]
By Amy Bigmore on Feb 20, 2011 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 2 Comments
Writer/director Rowan Joffe’s new 2010 version of Brighton Rock has a lot of to live up to as people remember it’s 1947 predecessor fondly. In his remake, Joffe has decided to update the stories original 1930′s setting to the 1960′s world of battles between Mods and Rockers. Both versions are based on Graham Greene’s novel [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Jan 15, 2011 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Thriller | 3 Comments
The Green Hornet is a character unbeknownst to most people. Starting as an obscure radio series by George W. Trendle, “The Green Hornet” became a fan-favorite for those enjoying “pulp-heroes” at the time. So it comes as no surprise that some poor sap (most likely an intern) working in Hollywood was forced to dig up [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Nov 26, 2010 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama | 4 Comments
Usually when a guy, who goes on a rant in the ticket line, enters to see the same movie as you, it’s hard not to frown. Though in the case of George Tillman Jr.’s Faster, which was penned by Tony and Joe Gayton, I couldn’t help but smile profusely. That’s because his “profound” commentary during [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Nov 21, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller | 2 Comments
Based on the obscure French film, Pour elle, of which I have never heard of, Paul Haggis’ The Next Three Days (which he both directed and wrote the screenplay for), stars the bankable Russell Crowe alongside the equally popular Elizabeth Banks as John and Lara Brennan, a married couple whose relationship takes a drastic turn [...]
By Dan Schneider on Sep 19, 2010 in Crime, Drama | 1 Comment
Werner Herzog is so unique as a director of films that he is as close to being uncategorizable as any filmmaker in the medium’s history. His 2009 film, Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call: New Orleans, is no exception. The film is a sort of satiric riff on the 1992 B film, Bad Lieutenant, made by [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Sep 17, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 4 Comments
There’s one scene in Tim Burton’s Big Fish in which Ewan McGregor and Steve Buscemi’s characters rob a bank only to find out that the vault has been wiped clean and that the bank is on the brink of bankruptcy. Now, while that film was mediocre at best, that one scene, which is satirical of [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Sep 6, 2010 in Action/Adventure, Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
So I assume that you’ve all seen Mesrine: Killer Instinct and are now anxious to see the conclusion to the series. Luckily, you are not to be disappointed as Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 delivers the same captivating storytelling, magnetic performances, and ace dialog that its predecessor sported. It does, however, lose a bit of focus [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Sep 5, 2010 in Action/Adventure, Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
Meet Jacques Mesrine: The most notorious French gangster/bank robber in history, who somehow seemed to escape the fame anywhere other than his native homeland. Being a charismatic bloke, he is best described as France’s own John Dillinger, yet, Mesrine, who practiced kidnapping on the side as well, was responsible for the deaths of approximately forty [...]
By General Disdain on Sep 3, 2010 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Thriller | 5 Comments
The character of Machete has been swirling around in the warped mind of Robert Rodriguez for at least nine years (he made his cinematic debut in Spy Kids, of all things!). Seemingly just an interesting bit character, things changed after monstrous buzz was received from the fake movie trailer that was patched into Grindhouse. People [...]
By Marco Duran on Jul 22, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
It’s always great to see an exciting director’s first film. To say, “Wow! Once that guy polishes up some of his story telling skills, he’s going to make some impressive works.” Harry Brown is Daniel Barber’s first feature length film and it knocks the wind out of you. From the opening scenes, shot on what [...]
By Frank Ritz on Jul 4, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller | 3 Comments
When the 2009 Academy Awards happened, there were a lot of shockers. Hurt Locker beating out Avatar, Precious winning best adapted screenplay over Up in the Air. But the biggest shocker for me was the fact that The White Ribbon didn’t win Best Foreign Language Film. I thought the movie was flawless — a masterpiece. [...]
By Colin Harris on Jul 2, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Foreign | 3 Comments
Nominated for an Oscar, winner of a BAFTA, A Prophet tells the story of young Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rehim), jailed for six years, and the amount of growing up he has to do in that time. With an Arabic name, but French allegiance, Malik is alone once inside. He cannot read or write and [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Jun 22, 2010 in Comedy, Crime, Drama | 0 Comments
I think I’d make a decent superhero. I’ve got the good looks, the charm, the brains, and most importantly, the courage, that is needed to save my fellow man from whatever perils they are facing. Oh, who am I kidding? I’ve got none of those (except the good looks and perhaps an inkling of intelligence) [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on Jun 21, 2010 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 32 Comments
I’m one of the few people who consider Uwe Boll an important film-maker. It may be sad but it’s true. But let me explain my reasoning. Though Mr. Boll, who finances his own cinematic exploits, has not directed a single note-worthy film (except for being notoriously bad), he shows dedication and balls. It takes a [...]
By Dan Schneider on Jun 3, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Mystery | 2 Comments
Style over substance. That is the plaint of many a critic when they come across a film or book or any work of art they simply do not like, but which has undeniable merit, at least technically, if not in a few other measures, as well. But, the fact is that my opening words have [...]
By Mariusz Zubrowski on May 30, 2010 in Comedy, Crime | 1 Comment
MicMacs is definitely an interesting motion picture. At times it seamlessly channels the silent, yet comically powerful presence of cinema greats such as Charlie Chaplin, but at other times, it’s severely bogged down by the almost nonexistent character development and the increasingly thin storyline. However, visually, MicMacs is a triumph — adding to director Jean-Pierrer [...]
By Colin Harris on May 19, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
Boots Mason is a tough guy all right, make no mistake about it. There’s always room in the over-crowded London mob scene for a guy like him, and so it is that we find him doing a spot of debt-collecting at the start of this derivative gangster movie, The Heavy. He’s not long out of [...]
By Dan Schneider on Apr 4, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller | 0 Comments
Most published critics are idiots. Yet again this verity was reinforced to me whilst popping in and watching one of the latest films by Woody Allen to hit DVD. Cassandra’s Dream was almost wholly ignored in this country, lasting only a couple of weeks in the theaters. Yet, it is one of the two best [...]
By General Disdain on Feb 28, 2010 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 3 Comments
If you could see me as I’m writing this review for Cop Out you’d see that I’m laughing my ass off. Not because the latest incompatible cop buddy movie which pairs Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan together is funny — oh no my friend — I’m laughing because this film is so far from funny [...]
By Dan Schneider on Feb 5, 2010 in Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller | 1 Comment
Pitch to Hollywood studio stooge: “You see, I’ve got this idea to do a film about a real life event, except the film will only feature about ten minutes of the real life event, as a sort of ‘in’ to get the suckers to come and drop ten bucks. Meanwhile, what we’ll do is make [...]
By General Disdain on Jan 28, 2010 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Mystery, Thriller | 14 Comments
Via my forced high school readings of a novel or two and landing on a movie during a bored late night channel surf, I’m not surprised I remember very little of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation Sherlock Holmes. Literally, the only things that come to mind are: He was a condescending bastard who smoked a [...]
By MovieGoddess on Nov 24, 2009 in Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller | 1 Comment
Blood. Sex. Demons. Director / writer Christopher Di Nunzio mixes these ingredients together and cooks up a curious blend of gangster film and supernatural horror in his first feature-length film, Livestock. If you are a horror fan with a healthy appetite for blood and gore, you just might enjoy Di Nunzio’s effort. It’s chicks’ night [...]
By Deborah Louise Robinson on Jul 31, 2009 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Thriller | 2 Comments
In contrast to Joseph Sargent’s 1974 original, Tony Scott’s The Taking of Pelham 123 is loud, fast, and action packed from start to finish. Right from the opening credits which roll to Jay-Z’s ’99 Problems’, we know we are in for a hell of a ride. From the outset Scott treats us to his usual [...]
By Deborah Louise Robinson on Jul 21, 2009 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
Michael Mann’s recent box office success Public Enemies looked so full of promise. This true story of bank robberies and jail breaks, starring Johnny Depp as the notorious John Dillinger, and Christian Bale as his cocksure antagonist, FBI agent Melvin Purvis, should have it all. At two and a half hours, this should be an [...]
By General Disdain on May 16, 2009 in Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller | 2 Comments
What do you get when you mix science fiction’s amazing anti-matter with the Catholic Church? No, it isn’t Scientology (although that is a good guess). You get Angels & Demons, the long awaited follow-up to The Da Vinci Code. This time around the pews, instead of hunting down Opus Dei and poking holes through the [...]
By General Disdain on Apr 30, 2009 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 1 Comment
When Russell Crowe appears in a movie looking like a holdover from the early 70′s — long hair, gruffy beard and a pot belly — good things are usually afoot (his last few roles: Body of Lies and American Gangster have shown us that). Hollywood has obviously taken notice too, as he combines all three [...]
By General Disdain on Apr 24, 2009 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama | 1 Comment
Who knew mall security personnel were so much of an in thing in 2009? First Kevin James brought us Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Now Seth Rogen dons the blue uniform and tin badge for Observe and Report. Whereas James’ portrayal of a wannabe cop was very innocent and PG in nature, Rogen’s characterization is perverse [...]
By MovieGoddess on Feb 21, 2009 in Comedy, Crime, Drama | 11 Comments
Watching a Tyler Perry movie is like wandering around in a fog of cinematic confusion. Invariably the question arises, “Just what kind of movie am I watching?” A melodrama? A comedy? A morality tale? A message movie? A Sunday morning sermon? All five in one? Radical shifts in genre, tone and mood incline me to [...]
By General Disdain on Dec 17, 2008 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 6 Comments
Having mildly enjoyed The Punisher restart four years ago (try and forget the original Dolph Lundgren debacle), I was interested to see how Hollywood was going to grow the character of Frank Castle further in Punisher: War Zone. Inexplicably, the franchise has regressed into a form that defies conventional words. Okay, maybe there is a [...]
By MovieGoddess on Nov 30, 2008 in Comedy, Crime, Drama | 4 Comments
What do you do for a popular, once bankable action hero whose star has plummeted and whose current films bypass theatrical release and go straight to video? Why, you resurrect him of course. And thankfully that’s just what director Mabrouk El Mechri has done in his new film, JCVD. Fans of “The “Muscles from Brussels” [...]
By General Disdain on Nov 17, 2008 in Comedy, Crime | 4 Comments
What movie stars Brad Pitt as a clueless fitness instructor, George Clooney as a shallow adulterous womanizer, John Malkovich as an angry, alcoholic would-be writer and Frances McDormand as a woman with low self esteem looking for love in all the wrong places? If you guessed Burn After Reading, you’d have earned yourself a cookie. [...]
By General Disdain on Oct 20, 2008 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 8 Comments
To say I was stunned, shocked and dumbfounded after my viewing of Max Payne would be a bit harsh. I was, however, certainly disappointed in what I saw. No, not because another popular video game had become a casualty of a poor Hollywood interpretation, but because, for all intents and purposes, it didn’t remotely look [...]
By General Disdain on Oct 11, 2008 in Action/Adventure, Crime | 3 Comments
There are few writers and/or directors who can successfully intertwine remarkable, seemingly unrelated characters and side stories in a coherent fashion. In the states, Quentin Tarantino, of Pulp Fiction fame, takes the honors. Across the pond, the award goes to Guy Richie, whose body of work contains such memorable films like Snatch. and Lock, Stock [...]
By General Disdain on Sep 29, 2008 in Crime, Thriller | 7 Comments
As much as I like myself a steady diet of violence in my movies, I’m mostly unimpressed with the whole “torture-porn” phenomenon. It’s not the glorification that I take issue with; it’s more about the difficulty in putting together a half-way decent movie around the concept. Only Saw with its ingenious contraptions tied to life [...]
By General Disdain on Sep 17, 2008 in Crime, Drama, Mystery | 8 Comments
It’s not everyday that two of the more respected and admired actors in Hollywood share equal billing in a film. To be honest, I can’t even recall the last time it occurred. So when I caught wind that Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were starring together in the new crime thriller Righteous Kill, I [...]
By General Disdain on Sep 5, 2008 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Thriller | 6 Comments
To this day I am still baffled by the concept that Nicolas Cage crossed over to become an action movie star. More often than not, he’s starred in some real clunkers and based off of the fact Bangkok Dangerous is a remake of a Thai film of the same name and not screened for critics [...]
By LaRae on Aug 6, 2008 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 4 Comments
Pineapple Express is a comedy that could best be defined as having the combined styles of stoners Cheech and Chong and badass action guys Jackie Chan and Steven Seagal. This action filled buddy flick is hampered by a slow start and cheap jokes but is graced with a brilliant luster that can sometimes sparkle very [...]
By TheAbsoluteJay on Jul 16, 2008 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 24 Comments
Most movies surrounded by as much hype as The Dark Knight usually don’t live up to it. This is one rare and shining example of something that I would call close to cinematic perfection. This summer’s blockbuster is a direct sequel to 2005′s Batman Begins, picking up right where it left off, with a new [...]
By LaRae on Jun 20, 2008 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 6 Comments
Get Smart is a simplistic spy guy tale of good vs. evil and smart vs. dumb that tries to capture the allure of the 60′s television show Get Smart. Sadly, this cinematic upgrade should have followed its titular advice when it came to the writing, the acting and the action. After overcoming personal obstacles, Maxwell [...]
By General Disdain on Apr 29, 2008 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 4 Comments
Whoever said Keanu Reeves was a one trick pony (think Matrix trilogy) or very possibly one of the very worst actors of our time, please stand up. After I watched the wannabe cop-thriller Street Kings (I was hoping for a Training Day type of flick), I want to shake your hands. Clearly, Mr. Reeves is [...]
By LaRae on Mar 28, 2008 in Crime, Drama | 6 Comments
High-heeled shoes and cigarettes are the stars of the diamond heist snoozer Flawless. Cigarette’s performance is smokin’ but it couldn’t save the movie from its ridiculously illogical and uneven script or from the likes of the other performances. Flawless? — there couldn’t be a worse name for this movie. London Diamond Company owns the diamond [...]
By General Disdain on Mar 16, 2008 in Comedy, Crime, Drama | 8 Comments
Wow. That one word is all that is truly needed to complete a movie review of In Bruges, the movie from novice writer and director Martin McDonagh (his short film Six Shooter discounted). The reason for the high praise is simple, he’s taken his cues from Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction) and Guy [...]
By General Disdain on Jan 31, 2008 in Crime, Thriller | 8 Comments
With the ongoing success of the Saw and the Hostel franchises, it was only a matter of time before the “torture-porn” phenomenon tried to weasel its way into a mainstream movie. Hollywood, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to take what was a horror-boys fantasy and legitimize it by throwing an established actress like Diane [...]
By General Disdain on Jan 7, 2008 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 8 Comments
I’m going to cut right to the point — any movie that starts with Marisa Tomei taking it doggy-style is more than okay in my book. I have no clue what switch director Sidney Lumet flicked to get her to sacrifice in such a way for her craft (probably the same one Marc Forster flicked [...]
By General Disdain on Dec 2, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller | 8 Comments
There aren’t many movies that I’ve seen that have made me want to turn away or jump through the screen to change the outcome. I knew after reading the synopsis of Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, this was going to be one of those films – after all, nothing spells heartbreak and brutality like [...]
By General Disdain on Nov 26, 2007 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Thriller | 7 Comments
Here we go again. Even though the old video game to movie adaption has played itself out some time ago, it has reared it’s ugly head above the surface once more to take a stab at our wallets and pocketbooks. No I’m not talking about a fourth Resident Evil (although I’m certain one is in [...]
By General Disdain on Nov 24, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 16 Comments
It’s that Oscar time of year again when compelling movies get released late so they can remain in the heads of the Academy voters easier. The latest up to bat is No Country For Old Men. It’s the highly anticipated film by none other than Joel and Ethan Coen (better known as the Coen brothers). [...]
By General Disdain on Nov 2, 2007 in Crime, Horror, Thriller | 7 Comments
Ever get the sneaky suspicion that someone does something with less than admirable intentions? That’s what I felt when I sat down to watch and review Saw IV. After all, since the original Saw was released in 2004, Lionsgate has bankrolled sequels every year, each film still remarkably making a healthy profit while getting progressively [...]
By General Disdain on Oct 29, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 12 Comments
I think it is a safe statement to say that most people, like myself, appreciate a movie that depicts a person or persons rising to the top of the food chain by perseverance, hard work and some smarts, even if their profession is less than honorable. Ridley Scott (best known for Black Hawk Down and [...]
By General Disdain on Oct 21, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 3 Comments
No year could be considered complete without the obligatory cop-family/friend drama, cast with seasoned actors. We Own the Night, takes the spot this year and is Sony Pictures late push for an Oscar bid. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Bobby Green, the manager of a Russian mob owned hot spot, El Caribe. He also happens [...]
By General Disdain on Oct 5, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 3 Comments
I’ve gotten so used to watching great mob movies depicting ruthless Italians (Goodfellas and The Godfather), that I’ve forgotten other cultures have their own organized crime syndicates too. The Chinese and Japanese have some mean people doing some very bad things. So do the Columbians. But the cake has to go to the Russians. These [...]
By Nashtradomus on Sep 20, 2007 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 7 Comments
When it comes to Jodie Foster, I’m not one to run to catch the opening show, and Terrence Howard isn’t exactly a Will Smith, but The Brave One turned out just fine. This is an interesting spin on the old street vigilante concept. By the very nature of the material, this qualifies as pulp-fiction melodrama, [...]
By General Disdain on Aug 13, 2007 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 9 Comments
This is definitely the year of trilogies. Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End started the summer season off. Now Rush Hour 3 hits the silver screen and I must say, I’m a bit surprised by this release — after all it’s been six years since Rush Hour 2 [...]
By General Disdain on Jun 13, 2007 in Comedy, Crime | 3 Comments
Lo and behold! Another third installment has hit the theaters! I barely recollect that there was an Ocean’s Eleven or that a sequel Ocean’s Twelve was made. So you can imagine my surprise when I’m suddenly smacked in the face by Ocean’s Thirteen. So here’s to hoping I can enjoy this movie without having had [...]
By General Disdain on Jun 9, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 4 Comments
It’s been a long time, 16 years to be precise, since the high water mark was set so high by The Silence of the Lambs for serial killer thrillers. And in those 16 years, there has yet to be a movie that even comes close to surpassing it. So it is fair to say I [...]
By General Disdain on May 9, 2007 in Comedy, Crime | 2 Comments
I’ve finally gotten around to watching the Reno 911!: Miami screener that’s been sitting on a bookshelf for the past couple of months. I’d been meaning to watch it for the longest time, yet time after time that little thing called responsibility kept creeping in. Screw the lawn. To hell with the job. I can [...]
By General Disdain on May 4, 2007 in Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime | 2 Comments
Hot Fuzz is the highly anticipated movie from the team of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg that created Shaun of the Dead. Whereas Shaun twisted and made light of the zombie genre, Hot Fuzz pokes fun at the cop buddy movie made so famous by movies like Lethal Weapon and Rush Hour. All I can [...]
By General Disdain on Apr 30, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
It was bound to happen. Halle Berry and Bruce Willis were at some point in time going to cross paths in a movie again. The last time it happened was in the lackluster The Last Boy Scout way back in 1991 when both were rising stars. Now in their prime (some may even say the [...]
By General Disdain on Mar 16, 2007 in Action/Adventure, Crime | 4 Comments
To be perfectly honest, there was no rhyme or reason as to why I decided to watch this movie. It has little to no fanfare, no actors I particularly like and it’s British. The last British movie I enjoyed was the classic from 2004, Shaun of the Dead. Before that, I can’t recall. I do [...]
By General Disdain on Mar 11, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
I remember almost like it was yesterday when the news flashed that a traitor to the United States, Robert Hanssen, was caught selling classified secrets to the USSR/Russia. I recall thinking, “why did it take so long to catch this scumbag” and “why would someone sell their country out?”. And what do you know, six [...]
By Nashtradomus on Mar 6, 2007 in Crime, Thriller | 0 Comments
I was fortunate enough to get couple of tickets to go watch this movie on a saturday night. I saw the trailer of this movie a few months ago and was very excited to see this one because of the director and the cast. Well it seemed that all that build up was for nothing, I was [...]
By General Disdain on Feb 26, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen my favorite guy with a rubber face, Jim Carrey. He’s been keeping a low profile all the while tapping the ass of that hottie Jenny McCarthy. Lucky fucker. So as I was saying before I began salivating over McCarthy’s pristine ass like Pavlov’s dog, it is a good thing [...]
By General Disdain on Jan 31, 2007 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 1 Comment
We’ve all seen the trailers for Smokin’ Aces for the past week or so, depicted a wild movie in which the world’s best contract killers are all gunning for $1,000,000 for killing a mob informant Buddy ‘Aces’ Israel (Jeremy Piven). Who wouldn’t we intrigued by a movie that seems to promise a mile-a-minute rollercoaster ride [...]
By General Disdain on Jan 28, 2007 in Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller | 1 Comment
I’m going to begin this review by saying I’m no fan of remakes. To often they reek of shit and mean people are out of fresh ideas. However, due to a boring Saturday night, I decided against my better judgement and sat to watch The Hitcher. I hate myself for it. Let me first, get [...]
By General Disdain on Jan 27, 2007 in Crime, Drama | 2 Comments
Ahhh . . . a true life crime drama starring Justin Timberlake! It’s gotta be good, right? Surpisingly, the answer is yes! Alpha Dog is the true story of some wannabe, suburban gangsters who party their asses off, don’t have a care in the world and get themselves caught up in a kidnapping gone wrong [...]
By General Disdain on Aug 20, 2006 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 0 Comments
Here we go again. Hollywood has once again decided to take a cheesy, campy 80′s TV show and upgrade it to the big screen. This time it isn’t The Dukes of Hazzard, The Beverly Hillbillies or Bewitched; it’s Miami Vice. And instead of Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as Crockett and Tubbs, the detectives [...]
By General Disdain on Sep 24, 2005 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama | 1 Comment
Just what the doctor ordered. A good ‘ole street-banging action flick by none other than John Singleton(whatever happened to him after Boyz n the Hood?). Four Brothers chronicles the actions of 4 adopted boys who seek to exact revenge on the people who killed their adoptive mother. . .a slight twist to the urban action-drama [...]
By General Disdain on Apr 9, 2005 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 9 Comments
Wow. Another comic book…err, I mean graphic novel to movie adaptation. Which one am I talking about now? Sin City of course. An obscure graphic novel by the man who single-handedly made Batman cool again – Frank Miller. Although, most of the latest comics to movies have sucked ass (see Electra, Daredevil, etal), I was [...]
By General Disdain on Mar 16, 2005 in Action/Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller | 3 Comments
Let’s begin by saying I like Bruce Willis. Always have. Any man that bagged Demi Moore, is alright in my book. So I looked forward to checking out his latest movie Hostage. How can Hollywood screw up a movie that seems so similar to one of the greats: Die Hard? Movie starts off great. Motherfucker [...]