At first glance the names Craig, Weisz, Watts and Sheridan look great on a poster and together could help make a solid film. But even a roster like that can contribute to something terrible. In short Dream House is constantly plagued by components that seem beyond amateur; shoddy editing, thin story, poor dialog, etc. Then there’s other things that don’t help any. As a film fan my attention to detail tends to get the better of me and certain things just take me out of the story. Scenes that are supposedly shot in the Winter and yet there’s no breath coming out of anyone’s mouth. It’s minor mind you but it’s made all the…
-
-
G-S-T Review…Moneyball
moneyball [muhn-ee bawl] noun 1. A derisive name for a sport (especially baseball) in which skill and fans seem secondary to money, esp. a sport in which teams, hoping to secure winning seasons and the resulting broadcasting and merchandising incomes, negotiate expensive contracts with desirable players. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it right? Well in 2001/02 Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane didn’t believe in that old adage. In charge of the one of the MLB’s most under funded ball clubs he was tired of getting beat; not just by the team on the field but by the big dollars behind the team and that’s the game in which Beane could never compete. So, it’s not…
-
G-S-T Review…Straw Dogs
Let’s get the first bits out of the way; Straw Dogs is a remake and like any remake it’s all about going beyond what was established with the original and how can the basic story be improved/retooled for a newer audience. Usually I do my homework before seeing any remake however I just couldn’t find the time. So while I may have the luxury of going in unbiased I still wish I’d seen Peckinpah’s film just so I could better grade this nose-dive. While I can’t compare apples to apples for you fans of the original, beyond wondering about the necessity of this remake, I bet you’re morbidly curious to know if this is…
-
G-S-T Review…Drive
To those children of the 80’s, Drive might seem like a welcomed trip in the way back machine to the kinds of dramatic films your parents would watch as you peeked through a cracked door. Not a period piece mind you, or even a true 80’s movie, Nicholas Winding Refn’s film just has a timeless look and feel that is both muted and yet bold (like a Michel Mann film). Further, that “look” is made enticing and ethereal thanks to Refn’s stylish visuals and a perfect selection of songs and score from Cliff Martinez. Winner of Best Director award at Cannes, this film has been getting so much attention and frankly it deserves all of it. Hold on tight, Drive is one…
-
G-S-T Review…Attack the Block
Editor’s note: This review was originally published on July 22 but has be re-posted to coincide with its U.S. theatrical release. Kids these days, I tell ya. If they aren’t talking back to adults and breaking all the rules, they’re carrying weapons and saving the planet from aliens. Wait…you wanna run that last part by me again? No, you read it right, Attack the Block is a fun, frightening film that pits 5 wanna-be hoodlums from South London against alien creatures that are literally falling from the sky. From the mind of Joe Cornish (long time Edgar Wright collaborator) comes this entertaining flick full of frenetic aliens, foul-mouthed Brits, friendship, fighting and tons…
-
G-S-T Review…The Help
Kathyryn Stockett’s best selling book serves as inspiration for one of this year’s most emotional and enjoyable films. Moreover it serves as inspiration to people in general as it asks us to step above petty differences and try to see the world through the same set of eyes. The novel has already won tons of praise and based on the success of the advanced screening and more early buzz this film is bound to win twice as many hearts.
-
G-S-T Review…Rise of the Planet of the Apes
With a well established legacy of over 40 years in place, going the “prequel” route as the next entry to the Planet of the Apes franchise is not only ballsy but nearly impossible to keep from becoming, at best, an unflattering installment. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Rupert Wyatt who (with only one other feature length film to his name) certainly had a tough road to hoe considering this film would lead up to 1968’s iconic film. But with such a well crafted story that does service to the series, it’s safe to say he’s beaten the odds. Rise is a fine film, very fine in fact and better still,…
-
G-S-T Review…Crazy, Stupid, Love
The idea behind Dan Fogleman’s Crazy, Stupid, Love seems to recall the lyric from the Joe song that goes, “bottom line, Love don’t make no sense“. In life, somethings you do are crazy, somethings you do are stupid but more so when you do it because you’re in love. Yet his film is less about going after what you really want. It tries (in typical rom-com fashion) to get you to find out who you are before you can start doing those crazy stupid things. Yeah, I guess that’s the best way to start this all off.
-
G-S-T Review…Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011 finds more and more movies following the trend that places some of the plot in the 60s and why not? It adds a level of depth and intrigue to the story right? In the case of X-Men First Class, yes. In Cars 2, not so much. Here, it’s an inspired move but the idea of using the Space Race and Moon landing as a way of covering up the arrival of the Autobots didn’t quite come around as impacting as it led on in those trailers. But it does make for a lead in to one helluva great action piece delivering the “Bayhem” and overly over-the-top style you’d expect…
-
G-S-T Review…Cars 2
Cars 2 improves on a sequel in every way possible. Sure, many cite 2006’s Cars for being the weakest link in the Pixar chain so making a better sequel was hardly going to be a Herculean effort. Still while Lasseter’s nostalgic trip down memory lane may have been too simple for fans of the animation powerhouse, Cars 2 finds itself more in company with The Incredibles, Wall E and even Finding Nemo with its rousing story, action pieces and tons of eye candy. Much less a look back at his own past, Cars 2 becomes a purely cinematic nostalgia trip, one whose influences find themselves making more than passing homages…