Tag Archives: movies
FILM REVIEW: ‘Paranormal Activity’ Goes Bump in the Night
Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures
by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson
Halloween usually leads moviegoers to ask each other the same question every year: “What’s the last really scary movie you saw?” This is the time of year we go looking for that elusive good time shock at the movies, and you can be sure Hollywood is ready to charge us for the opportunity to find it. And, as any showman will tell you there is nothing like a good gimmick. This year’s gimmick is being employed for the movie ‘Paranormal Activity.’ If you haven’t heard of this movie yet, I can guarantee you will.
‘In The Loop’ Review: The Funny Business of Words and War
Photo Credit: IFC Films
by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson
There is a rare, special moment in movies that I have discussed with some friends. That’s when you are watching a movie that has hit a peak of words, visuals, execution, and acting; when it all comes together into that perfect mix that reminds you why you love movies. When it occurs, I get what I have described as a Permagrin where I involuntarily grin like a fool. It’s really satisfying when it happens even once in a movie (see ‘Dangerous Liaisons,’ ‘Silence of the Lambs,’ or ‘Seven’ to see what I mean) and almost unbelievable when it happens twice. It happened about four times during ‘In the Loop,’ and I may have UNDERcounted.
Best Movies of 2009: The Halfway Report
Photo Credit: Disney Pixar
by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson
Well we are just about halfway through the year of movies for 2009. Anybody excited? Yeah, me neither. Its certainly been easy to find the past few years of movies lacking, but so far this year, its been particularly bleak. Although the best argument for a justification is that many of these movies may be “Strike Babies” in that they were rushed in the script phase (more than usual) to get in before the Writers’ Strike of 2007/2008. Movies in general seem half to three-quarters baked as it is, and with the rushed strategy many are barely one-quarter baked right now. But, as always there are some bright spots!
Then The Women Were Degraded, And The People Learned To Enjoy It
From the movie ‘Wolf Creek.’
We’ve learned from history that people are by nature impressionable. Despite all of our caution and a sense of mental toughness, human beings are undeniably influenced by what we consume. In modern times, that menu is huge. We can take in almost anything imaginable. As we scroll through this world of point and click escapism which leads to often repugnant images and stories sold as entertainment, it’s worth asking- what are we becoming as a result?
Quiet Applause For A Mediocre Year: Movies of 2008
Photo Credit: Warner Brothers
by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson
If there is one thing I know about being a movie lover its that at the end of the year anyone that knows you live for movies will ask, “So what was the best movie you saw this year?” And, as usual, I will have to equivocate by trying to categorize the best KIND of movie I saw this year. What was the best comedy? The best drama? Or simply what was the best time I had in a theater? Yeah, I over-complicate it. I am all Golden Globes that way.
‘Revolutionary Road,’ and the Corrosive Effect of Conformity
Photo credit: Paramount Vantage
by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson
Last weekend, I saw a screening of the film “Revolutionary Road,” the latest collaboration between the “Titanic” acting triumvirate of Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates. (I guess James Cameron was busy). The film is about the unraveling of a young married couple in 1950s Connecticut. The film is as spectacularly emotional as “Titanic” was a special effects spectacular. What DiCaprio and Winslet must have gone through just to portray these two sad people locked in emotional combat must have been exhausting. Given how authentic the stress seems to be, it couldn’t have been an easy job for either assuming there were multiple takes as there usually are in any major motion picture these days. (By the way, they were directed by Winslet’s real-life husband, Sam Mendes, who, thanks to “American Beauty” knows a bit about portraying the destruction of a suburban American marriage.)
Movies that Moved Me
Every once in awhile we’ll do companion articles here at The Broken Telegraph, and Brian’s great read earlier this week inspired me to use the topic of “movies that inspire” as our first attempt. So here are a few films that I’ve personally found to be really thought-provoking. Rev up your Netflix queue if you’re in the mood for some recommendations. Keep reading →
Finding Life in a Darkened Theater
Photo credit: Lalitree’s photostream
by Guest Contributor Brian Robinson
There’s a great old joke that Woody Allen repeats at the beginning of “Annie Hall”: two elderly women are having lunch together when one turns to the other and says “The food here is just awful”, and the other woman replies , “Yeah, and such small portions!” Well for Allen’s Alvy Singer ( “Hey, its Alvy Sing-a!” as one of the “Cheechs” would bellow) that joke describes his outlook on life. For me, its movies. The majority of movies are mediocre to awful, and I just can’t get enough of them.
The Flaw of Diva Feminism and Fighting Over the Gender Crown
To become an independent woman, a female needs to practice just one or more of the following: throwing her opinions around, sporting an addiction to gadgetry, implementing a power walk or lots of reckless behavior. As lies go, this one has spread like wildfire.
The final ingredient in that tale (reckless behavior) is good for some temporary excitement as well as a lot of perpetual longing, and all the drama and attention that comes with being stuck in a cycle with both. Is this what feminism has become for the younger generations?
2008 Mid-Year Review: The Best in Movies, Music and TV (So Far)
Here’s a quick look back at the first half of 2008 and the best in movies, music and television:
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