Well I never saw this coming…and being that its a straight-to-DVD sequel prequel, I know why. I saw this on Wednesday and pondered whether or not to post it, then said “what the hell“, it’s Friday. Just a little empty entertainment to get us to the weekend. But really, how many of us were asking for anything more from Aces? I know I was content when the movie ended (and the end was pretty sweet I’ll admit). Smokin’ Aces was moderately entertaining and a fun movie, however it did fall way short of the Snatch doppelganger it was trying to be. Now as film fans, we really should expect more…
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G-S-T Quick 5 – Hollywood’s finest working (foreign) actors
I’ve often said that some of the best American actors aren’t even from America. Without much more reasoning, other than I immensely like these actors and the varied parts the play, I present G-S-T’s latest Quick 5 list. Let me clarify, right off the bat, that this list is not some pretentious or whimsical list touting praise for the likes of near acting gods such as Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Ben Kingsley, Gary Oldman, Bill Nighy etc. What I am attempting to do here is celebrate great actors (which I love) who may one day reach the heights and milestones those legendary actors have already garnered. So in no particular…
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TV Life, Real Life and the Huge Gap Inbetween…
You know, TV and movies are many things to many people. They can be entertainment (sometimes mindless), they can be moving and emotional life lessons, they can be day-care for our children or they can teach us about worlds we will never get to experience. The list can go on and on but there’s something I’ve been thinking about recently, and it is about how movies and TV try to give us examples of how we should live life, carry ourselves and treat others. Well, not today of course with movies like Hostel, TV shows like those mind numbing Kardashians and pretty much every piece of crap show on MTV…
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Sweet (Fake) Trailer…’The Wrestler’
Hello World, Marc Here: Not a whole lot going on this week. It’s pretty rainy (again) and with nothing absolutely screaming to be posted, I did find this clever little video on /Film that I thought deserved a mention. This takes The Wrestler and attempts to interpret it as trailer for a 70’s era “Grindhouse” flick. Decent attempt if I do say so myself and the vaugery created from select scenes of the film really help play up the (fake) trailer’s intent. That said, have a look. Pretty appropriate as the feeling of the trailer mirrors the dreary weather precipitating outside my office window… They certainly got the narrator’s voice…
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Sweet Trailer…’Black Lightning’
Well, “Sweet” may be misleading – interesting is more like it. Below is the trailer for the upcoming Timur Bekmambetov film Black Lightning. Now I don’t want to get hyped up yet since my past experience with Timur’s other film Night Watch didn’t turn out near as I expected. Although I have to say that Wanted was pretty sweet and this trailer looks closer to the latter than the former. That said, this trailer has definitely accomplished what it was designed to, which is to get me to say, “Hmm, I want to see more of that“. So for your visual enjoyment (sorry, the trailer is not dubbed or subtitled) here…
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Off the Shelf…'Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels'
Without Guy Ritchie, I don’t think American audiences would be aware of British gangster films and their seedy criminal underground that is almost a new-aged noir. One of the most fun, excitingly humorous and well written cult-classics in the last 10 years, Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels is an absolute favorite of mine and has been for a long time. If you love guns, humor, dry wit and great characters then look no further than this gem from Guy Ritchie.
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Off the Netflix Queue…'L.A. Confidential'
I would say I am a sucker for anything considered a period piece and set in the American 30s, 40’s and 50’s. There’s just something cool and almost mythical about the way people dressed, spoke and lived. Technology was nothing compared to what we have today but certain things like a radio and TV in every living room were the “hi-tech” and coveted items of that day and age. L.A. Confidential was a film I had been meaning to see but never got around to seeing it before now. I’m a big Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce fan so this seemed like a one, two punch of talented Aussie acting…
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Off the Shelf…'The Boondock Saints'
Closing in on the “tentative release date” for The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day I thought this was the perfect time to do a write up for a film I like very, very much. To many people out there I suspect The Boondock Saints is a love it/hate it type of film. Any conversation I’ve had with friends in the past has either been, “Dude, that movie rocks” or “it was stupid“…and trust me I asked guys and girls alike and got a little of both from each party. Whether you like it or not, you have to admit that there is a pretty large cult following behind it. …
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G-S-T Review…Couples Retreat
I went into Couples Retreat wanting to enjoy the allure, the fun and the humor advertised in the trailer. What I got was a disappointment which mirrored the on-screen let down that the characters of this film experienced when arriving at Eden Resort. I usually have a pretty good track record when it comes to judging the outcome of a movie based solely on the trailer. If the trailer seems too good to be true, then the film is probably going to be a let down. I thought for sure with the likes of Bateman, Bell, Vaughn & Favreau (also writing) and an appearance from Jean Reno, this movie would…
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Off the Shelf…'The House of Flying Daggers'
I’m not really into “love stories” or sweeping romantic epics involving two people hiding their love for each other. I guess, becasue I’m a guy, I’m more likely to watch an action flick or some brainy feature with a twist ending (and either one with a scotch in my hand)…what can I say? Guilty as charged. I first saw this years ago in the theaters and assumed, based on how it was advertised, it would be an awesome martial-arts flick with gorgeous set designs. Well I got one out of two but was none-the-less impressed with the outcome. Hidden behind a cool sounding title like “The House of Flying Daggers”…