When it comes to the narrative twist, there’s the element of surprise and the element of effectiveness. The best and most memorable twists entwine the two, so we’re both caught off guard and emotionally engaged enough to care. With their short Point Mugu, director Francis Dreis and co-writers Amelia Jackson-Gray and Erin Ross get halfway…
It’s only because I have brother-love for Arnold Schwarzenegger that I’m giving his latest, Sabotage, any attention. In it he leads a band of highly trained DEA agents — the last resort kind — that deliver justice to those too powerful to be taken down by ordinary means. After a particularly nasty raid against a…
Having survived the 74th Annual Hunger Games on their terms in “The Hunger Games,” Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”) and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”) are national heroes. As we find in the second installment, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, however, this new found fame…
I’m beginning to think that by adding Samuel L. Jackson to their fantasy/science-fictiony superhero-ish flicks, movie producers think an automatic hit will be generated. It is the only way I can explain why Mr. Jackson is in every one of these movie types these days. It also explains why he is front and center in…
Gareth Evans made quite the entrance with “The Raid: Redemption” last year so it is no surprise he was approved to get a sequel out for it as quickly as possible. The Raid 2: Berandal is it and its trailer promises it will be as violent and action-packed as its predecessor. Rama (Iko Uwais), having…
If ever you were looking for a movie where every day, conversational dialogue is turned into a form of deep, philosophical lecturing, then stop your search now, The Counselor is it. What you’ll also find is it’s a fresh, innovative, suspenseful film that, while suffering at times from a slow, disjointed tempo, has an intriguing…
If you are one to believe Sylvester Stallone (“Bullet to the Head”) can carry the role of a super-smart security expert then you are halfway to euphoria with his new film Escape Plan. If you’re not, surprisingly enough, the movie offers enough excitement for you to overlook that by continuing the recent trend of old…
