The Reel Rhino

Chronicle and The Big Year

2012-02-04T01:22:00.001-06:00

CHRONICLE: 3 of 5 Horns

I went to see Chronicle with the highest of hopes. Having such high expectations is a bit dangerous for me, and I feel in this instance, like so many times before, I was let down.

I didn't hate this movie...I liked it, but didn't love it.

What I did like a great deal is the means by which this found footage film managed to get coverage to avoid being a single camera vantage without breaking from the theme of the cinematographic method. Camera one is brought to pass as one of the main guys (Dane DeHaan's Andrew) decides, with an abusive alcoholic father and a mother dying before his eyes, that he is going to document everything in his day to day life.

In a nutshell, three friends (Andrew, Alex Russell's Matt, and Michael B. Jordan's Steve) venture away from a barn rave to discover a hole in the earth, leading down to some kind of supernatural crystal thingee (yeah, that's my word, not theirs). With Andrew's camera in tow, they catch the thing on film, but not before "some kind of interference" sets the world shaking and the screen cuts to black.

When the picture picks up, the guys are in one of their yards, taking turns realizing the beginnings of their newly acquired gift. Things start out small, but pretty quickly they realize that with each passing moment, they are getting stronger.

One of my issues is that for 83 minutes, this film felt long. Those passing moments come quickly once they get their powers, but it took a bit longer than I would have liked to get to those good bits.

Generally speaking, their powers are your standard superman stuff, plus telekinesis. I reference Superman as a point of procedure, because this film really feels like a procedural on the woes of superhero puberty. In fact I told some of the AMC staffers that if at the end of this movie, we would have learned that this was a loose prequel to some existing character or characters, it would have blown me away. I don't think this is really a spoiler, but it is not that at all.

Once the film picks up steam and moves past the awkward trial and error stages of what these guys are actually capable of, it really culminates nicely. As I mentioned, the found footage element was accentuated by the use of any and all cameras in the area of the action. Shots cut to cell phone video, flip cams, and surveillance footage as well to give a great perspective to the action without breaking the method of presentation.

There is some nice coming of age material as Andrew is very much the recluse of this group and he finds ways to use his powers in interesting ways to gain some attention.

Things ultimately spiral out of control, but I will leave that for your viewing experience.

I feel like this is a short review, but at 83 minutes, if I type much more, this write-up will possibly exceed the length of the screenplay. Speaking of, this flick has story by and screenplay credits for Max Landis. If that name sounds familiar, its because he is son to John Landis, horror genius. In fact Max's main filmography is small-time horror, TV, with the Good Time Gang already lined-up as his next major feature. I guess we can forgive both he and his father for the atrocity that was Blues Brothers 2000...or not. But he shows creativity, and while I didn't love this film, I thought it was a unique spin on the found powers genre. It was something between Sky High, a not terrible Kurt Russell/Michael Angarano flick from a few year ago crossed with the early goings of Spiderman in Raimi's original.

The other half of the story by credit went to director Josh Trank. Trank is an up and comer and I look forward to more from him in the future. Previously, he directed the FX series The Kill Point (which I liked) and served as the editor on Patton Oswalt's Big Fan. This is a respectible first major feature and given the skill to which he conducted The Kill Point, I look forward to a real live action flick from him, rather than the found footage fare.

A 3 of 5 horn score from The Reel Rhino. Catfish hollers at me all the time...you;ve never seen a movie you don't like, he complains. Chronicle is sitting pretty on Rotten Tomatoes at 85% from the critics and 82% from the users. I didn't hate this movie, but I certainly am not with the masses on this.

THE BIG YEAR: 4 of 5 Horns

I am re-posting my review on this from late in 2011, since this was just released to On-Demand. I loved this flick in the theater and I think too few people are going to give it a chance. It is a sweet, fun movie, loaded with stars....my review:

Don't listen to the critics...well, if you consider me a critic, listen to me, but ignore the naysayers!

The Big Year succeeds as a sweet, funny film, that is much better than it's Tomatometer score would let on (39%).

How about this cast...

A subdued Steve Martin, a sweet Jack Black, a standard Owen Wilson, Rashida Jones, Dianne Wiest, Brian Dennehy, Rosamund Pike, Anjelica Huston, Joel McHale, Kevin Pollack, JoBeth Williams, and Anthony Anderson.

Wow! The cast alone should have your interest peaked...I went in not having seen the trailer, only having heard through the scuttle that the film was about bird watching, or birding.

It is in fact based on an actual contest, called appropriately, The Big Year, in which birders try and see how many different species of bird they can see or hear within a calender year.

Barry Bostick (Wilson) is the reigning birding hero, holding the world record and being the pimp daddy of the birding community. He is as vain as they come and he is fearful of his record being broken. Among those set to challenge him, is Stu Priessler (Martin), a recently retired high-powered CEO, who has dreamed for years of setting off on his own big year. Brad Harris (Black) is a dreamer. A computer debugger by day, he is mostly broke, and like Stu, is in it for the love.

These three actors have given great performances in the past, and while I think they are good but not great hear, they play off one and other perfectly, and it synergistically combines to something much better than most people are giving this film credit for.

Being a stranger to the birding world, I was happy to learn so many aspects of this sport, albeit it a dramatized, comedic version of this world.

In addition to being a comedy and a drama, there are elements of thrills thrown into the mix, seen in the mystery as to whether a person is actually engaged in a Big Year, a fact that is typically kept secret, for fear that other birders will set to derail them in their quest.

This is a fun story and for what I recall, a family friendly one. Minus a few S-bombs and a scantily towel wrapped Rosamund Pike in one scene, this is a pretty clean film. It is rated PG, which is rare for any mainstream film these days. The comedy is effective and it is clean.

Give The Big Year a chance. It has heart and this cast superbly comes together to make something of a Christopher Guest effort, without the tongue-in-cheekedness than comes with his mockumentary filmmaking. David Frankel is a competent director and his previous efforts include Marley and Me and The Devil Wears Prada. In my opinion, he has created a very accessible film, written for the screen by Howard Franklin based on the book by Mark Obmascik.

4 of 5 Horns for this very sweet and enjoyable film.

Until later folks, have fun this weekend...see something good!

A Couple of Flicks - The Grey, Haywire, Contraband, The Divide, Shame

2012-01-31T23:20:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I've been slacking. Sorry...

Kimbaliano has been hobnobbing with the glitterati in Sundance and I am sure she is working up quite a wrap up post. For now, I thought I would touch base on my last few flicks...and yes, I love the dot, dot, dot...I'm working on that as well...(dammit!)

I was on the road for a bit and I'll get to those at the tail end of this post. Stay tuned, because included in my week of viewing pleasure was the Washington, D.C. premiere for the new Michael Biehn flick, The Divide.

The Grey

Liam Neeson continues to impress for a man approaching 60 in mere months. Not that 60 isn't the new 50, but he's rocking it as a bad mamma-jamma and he's relentless in the role of the ass kicker (Geico Gekko: Did I just say Bad Mamma Jamma?). Is The Grey the pinnacle in his trilogy that began with Taken, continued with Unknown, and is rounded up nicely here.

The Grey follows a group of oil drillers in Alaska, whose plane back to civilization goes down. Neeson, hired on the drill site to keep the workers safe from wolves in the area, is faced with the very same problem for the small band of survivors.

This film is rocking solid at 77%/75% critics and user ratings and I am still hearing more bad than good on this flick.

I loved it and I thought the wolves were completely palatable. Forget what you've heard and give this flick a chance. The Joe Carnahan and Liam Neeson team worked well for The A-Team (deal with it) and it worked well here as well!

Stay until after the credits for a short, but meaningful scene.

4.5 of 5 Horns

Haywire

This is yet another Steven Soderbergh film that is exactly like a Steven Soderbergh film.

I like Soderbergh, so I liked this film.

Gina Carano stars as Mallory, which is a great name for a badass heroine who can fight like a tigress! She is great in the fight scenes.

The rest of the cast, almost everyone of them known by BIG name, are completely competent. The direction as well, competent.

So why didn't I go gaga for this film? It was very much a thinker...most of the fights were featured in the trailer, which I hate. The trademark heavy score was ever present with the sound on the dialogue subdued and no batman like sound effects in the fight scenes.

I think that was the problem that most have had with this flick. It sits at 44% for the user score on RT and the critics are praising it highly at 81%. That is not exceptionally surprising for Soderbergh, as he is generally loved by critics and perhaps misunderstood by the masses.

At the end of the day, this is a short, fun movie that helped me realize perhaps I could have caught it home and been just as happy. 3.5 of 5 Horns.

Contraband

If you didn't hear it, Mark Wahlberg recently made the statement that had be been on one of the 9/11 flights, he'd have fought the highjackers and saved everyone.

Jackass.

He should concentrate on elevating his acting game, moreso.

This film, much like Haywire was a fully palatable film, good enough to pass some time, but really nothing that blew me away.

Wahlberg plays a reformed smuggler who is pulled back in the game for that oh so tired "One Last Job!" when his wife's brother is in on a job gone wrong.

Mayhem ensues and lots of blood is shed.

What I commend this film for, was its boldness as a solid R-rated flick. The F-bombs were well placed and I like movies that are reminiscent of the 80's action fare. I think Wahlberg is decent enough and Giovanni Ribisi is just plain dirty (a good thing) as his foil. Ben Foster is also decent and we need to get this guy in more movies! Kate Beckinsale is just plain (but looking good while being so mundane) as Wahlberg's damsel in distress, a role in a world with Underworld's Selene, she just doesn't play it well anymore.

At the end of the day, yet another passing grade: 3.5 of 5 Horns.

Shame

This is some flick.

It is a very small story about a man (Michael Fassbender) with a sex addiction whose life is upended when his sister (Carey Mulligan) pops into his life and moves in with him following a failed relationship.

I don't even want to begin to describe this film, except to say it is a) captivating and b) very graphic (and quite bizarre).

Be prepared (or be excited)...you will see more of Fassbender's penis than we saw of the giant blue penis in Watchman.

My description above sums up the plot and the story unfolds as we learn the extent of Brandon's (Fassbender) problem and how it is exacerbated by Sissy's arrival. Yes, she is his sister, but her name is also Sissy.

If you can take the heavy sexual content with some serious penis shots (probably the only time I will ever write those words!), the see this movie! While Fassbender was nominated for the Golden Globe, he narrowly missed the Oscar nod, I am sure.

I saw this at the E Street Theater in Washington, D.C., a great venue if you are ever in that neck of the woods.

4 of 5 Horns for this full-frontal, NC-17 outing.

The Divide

This was my second flick at the E Street Theater, a midnight outing featuring the new movie from the director of Hitman. Yep, that's how it was billed. What's his name? Who the hell knows!! (Xavier Gens if you're following along.)

I will tell you that the more notable face in the flick was Michael Biehn...you know, Kyle Reece, Seal Team Commander (The Rock), Coffey (The Abyss), Hicks (Aliens), and so on and so on. When his name showed up on the screen, the crowd went wild.

The film co-stars Milo Ventimiglia, Lauren German, Courtney B. Vance, and Rosanna Arquette. Michael Eklund also stars and while you might not recognize the name, anytime you thought you were watching Ethan Hawke, but couldn't find it on his IMDB page, it was probably this guy.

The rough in on the story is this...

We are introduced briefly to some of the cast and shortly after the end of opening credits, bombs start dropping. More specifically, nukes.

Yikes.

Everyone starts going bonkers and a group of tenants in the apartment complex we are introduced to, start heading down to the basement. A group of them make it to the huge steel door that lo and behold is being slammed in their face by the Super, Biehn's Mickey.

Conditions are quite deplorable and panic sets in as the meager supplies Mickey has begin to run short. Add in the fact that these people have no idea what is going on outside of the walls of their bunker. Luckily, it is in fact a bunker...equip with a shower, a hole into an underground septic run, and enough space that when the story called for it, whoever was pissed could go off and sulk.

Now it gets crazy.

This film is deep-end, bat shit crazy and this film is polarizing to the tune of about 90/10. I figure something in the neighborhood of 90% of the people who see this movie, will hate it.

There is a bizarre sci-fi futuristic element of this that I won't spoil, but I will say that these elements intrigued me at first, and ultimately left me wondering what the hell I was actually watching. A super cool aspect of this film could have led to something great, instead I just left scratching my head.

Minor spoilers to the depravity of this film follows:

Dismemberments..

Heavy sound effect laden defecation.

And a woman is raped repeatedly. To Death.

Yikes.

At the end of the day, I really liked this film. More so, I really enjoyed the sum total of my viewing experience. It was greatly accentuated by the full house who were hootin' and hollerin' at all the right moments. I do think that most were disturbed, but in the way that is great for this kind of depravity. This film is destined for cult movie status at best, and I predict it will get a VOD release and that its theater run may be limited to shows like the one I caught.

Throw in the emergency rations cans of "beans," well jelly beans, that the studio had sent for the screening, and this was about a perfect midnight movie in our nation's capitol.

4 of 5 Horns for this demented, depraved, and genre-ificly enjoyable flick. Yes, I was in the 10%, but heed my warning...you may hate this film.

The other option for the midnight movie option was The African Queen. The theater was pretty jammed for both flicks and it gave me hope that folks outside of my home locale of KC are into movies...if only we could generate some excitement like this, KC would be a better place for film.

For now, that is all...until later, take care!

Reel Rhino

KIMBALIANO is Back...Sundance is in Effect...The Dark Knight Rises Prologue

2012-01-24T11:27:00.000-06:00

I am just returning from a great week in DC, I must say I am most envious of my favorite Indie Girl, Kimbaliano, who is currently rubbing elbows with film glitterati in Park City. There has been a great deal of buzz about this year's Sundance Film Festival and I am excited to get a report here and there from our girl on the streets. Stay tuned to the back half of this post for her first update…

In the course of my DC run, I had a chance to make it to three movies, two new in Shame and The Divide, and one repeat in M:I 4, at the Smithsonian Institute National History Museum IMAX theater.

I will post soon on Shame and The Divide, but I want to focus now on my third viewing of Mission: Impossible 4…

Yes, folks, this viewing was in a real IMAX theater (eat your heart out Aziz Ansari) and it had been so long since I've been to a full screen IMAX…I had forgotten how absolutely grand they are. Yes, it is very evident the slight graininess that screams (gloriously) film, but that massive screen is more than enough to give the desired viewing experience.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention my fellow filmgoers, Mike and Robert...fellow travelers who were as excited as I for what played before the feature...

I have commented at length on my enjoyment on my enjoyment of the M:I 4, but this was my first run at...oh, I am excited just writing about it...The Dark Knight Rises prologue. By God is it glorious!!

It is the most appropriate introduction to the new nemesis of the Bat that we could ever hope for. And folks, Bane is going to be spectacular. If you haven't seen the prologue, make it a priority now. You will not regret it…it is worth the trip, wherever you have to go to see it. I was truly flabbergasted at how intense and exciting it was. Gritty and compelling, Christopher Nolan continues to amaze me with his talent and creativity.

I will be there at the midnight screening for this, I promise.

Reel Rhino yields the floor to KIMBALIANO, who is back in the house for her favorite time of the year!

SUNDANCE!

Yep, my friend gets to live the good life for a week…a life which I envy and plan to emulate sometime in the future. She works as a volunteer by day, taking in flicks by night. And thank the good Lord she has great attention to detail, and once again, is willing to share her experiences!

Thank you KIMBALIANO…truly, thank you!

(reposted from an e-mail she sent me Sunday evening)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sundance is going great! I got here Friday night, and my volunteer shifts don't start until Wednesday, so I'm packing the movies in now. 4 yesterday, 3 today - my movie going muscles are already sore :)

My favorite so far has been MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, a small, intimate story from the perspective of the wife of a man serving 5-10 years in prison. Really well acted, and beautifully shot.

I've seen a couple docs - one called THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES - focusing on the family who runs the Wingate Timeshare Empire (most recently having built the PH Towers on the strip in Las Vegas). What started as a story of excess, and the building of their new house (inspired by the actual Versailles which, once built, would be the largest house in America), became a story of the markets crashing and the collapse of their fortune. It was really promising and totally fascinating, but I'm not sure the film makers knew how to focus the heavy story that unfolded in front of them. Overall it was a bit of a mess and lacked a point of view, but there's no denying it provided an interesting view into a life very few people lead.

Big Boys Gone Bananas, another doc, about an amazing David and Goliath story of a small Swedish film maker who directed a film (Bananas!*) about Dole's use of pesticides in Nicaraguan banana orchards, and Dole's all out assault on the film and it's film makers. It is a really interesting story, if only 10-15 minutes too long.

The most memorable movie so far was Tim and Eric's billion dollar movie. Now, apparently these guys have a bit of a cult following on the Internet, and there were a TON of cameos - Will Forte, Zack Galifianakis, Jeff Goldblum, etc. We actually left before the movie was over. I'm all for random, quirky, edgy humor, but I just didn't find this movie funny at all. It was just odd...and gross…and not great. We actually held out longer than about 20 other folks who left before us. Perhaps if you like their Internet show, this is for you, but it was not for me.

Snow has kept us stuck in Salt Lake (and sadly the film makers stuck in Park City) so the star sightings and Q and A’s have been minimal. It’s supposed to clear up, and we're hoping to get to Park City tomorrow. I'll keep you updated :).

THANKS KIMBALIANO!!

Until later…take care!

Reel Rhino

2012 Oscar Nominees

2012-01-24T11:15:00.003-06:00

Put your movie watching pants on and get out your pads and pens for some notes...this list will serve as your study sheet for the Reel Rhino OSCAR CHALLENGE -- COMING SOON!

This is such an exciting time of year for movie lovers and for the Reel Rhino, this will be the third annual Oscar Challenge, I may add!

And the nominees, for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 84th Academy Awards are:

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Extremely Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actor
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan, Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Animated Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico and Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best Foreign Language Film
Bullhead (Belgium)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Film Editing
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Kevin Tent
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen

Makeup
Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)
The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Monyeball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon

(The Oscars will be televised on ABC on Sunday, Feb. 26.)

The Absolute Best of Film in 2011 (So Says Me)

2012-01-16T13:46:00.004-06:00

So here it is folks...I know you all have been waiting with baited breath. Feel free to exhale for the wait is over.

This list, as with much in life, comes with a disclaimer. My top 15 list is based on the movies that I saw this year. I am an 80/20 dude, you should know that from the get go. 80% of the films I see are mainstream releases, the other 20% are comprised of indies and documentaries. Also, I rank my top flicks based on what I see in a calender year. For example, I have not yet seen WE BOUGHT A ZOO. Not to say that this would for sure make my list, but because I haven't seen it, I didn't even consider it.

Okay, okay...enough rules. Get to business already!

Fine...you want it, you got it!!

REEL RHINO TOP 15 of 2011

15. Attack the Block - 4.5 of 5 Horns

Joe Cornish has created a unique film, which may have been the most fun you didn't have in the theater this year. Yep, you probably missed this one, but you need to give it a chance. Cornish is from the Edgar Wright camp and this is a British inner-city spin on the alien invasion tale. This film exists solidly on its own merit and the rag tag group of dudes are part Goonies, part Ghostbusters with a whole load of British swagger and cheeky humor. The special effects were creative and a bit campy, which gave great ambiance to this film. Bravo Mr. Cornish, Bravo.

14. Hanna - 4.5 of 5 Horns

Joe Wright created a wholly enjoyable and unique twist on the CIA/spy thriller. Gritty from the word go and the fantastic score by The Chemical Brothers added ambiance to this film that did nothing but make it even more great. Saoirse Ronan is spectacular as the titular Hanna and Erik Banna and Cate Blanchett are in their prime. Banna's Erik is a bad-ass and he seems to have passed all of his tricks on successfully to the younger Hanna. This film is very much a chase film from start to finish, and Wright manages the action like an old pro, when this is in fact his first dip into the action pool. Hanna is not a perfect movie, but it is cool as can be. It was released through an American studio but it Wright's touches give it a very palatable European sensibility. The tone shifts from dark to light to dark and so on, keeping you on your toes not knowing who is lurking around the next corner.

13. Rango - 4.5 of 5 Horns
This kid's flick ain't really for kids, folks. It is a fantastic film that is rich in characters. It is not to be missed and while there are enough interesting visuals to keep the kids semi-happy, the adults will really see the humor and the depth that this film has to offer. Johnny Depp himself has become somewhat a cliche of wild character films, but he does Rango true justice and yes, even though we rarely get to see Depp in any kind of subdued role, his wild eyed range adds to Rango in the best possible ways. In most animated films, it is hard to look past the voices to see the characters. In this film, these characters live and breathe on their own. I challenge you to pinpoint any of the talent behind the voices, outside of Depp and a very obvious Timothy Olyphant-astic. This film is a pure animated spaghetti western disguised as Nickelodeon fodder. You will have a great time watching this movie!

12. Everything Must Go - 4.5 of 5 Horns

The story of a man on the edge of disaster...well actually, his life is a disaster. He is fired from his job, his wife has left him, and he's an alcoholic. Oh yeah...his wife's swan song...she moves everything he owns onto their lawn before she leaves the house and changes the locks. What really made this film shine for me was Will Ferrell. His performance was a tour de force in my book and he give a performance that proves he is more than sports spoofs and occasionally funny goofball comedies. His sidekick, a young boy named Kenny is played by Christopher Jordan Wallace who is non-other than the son of the Notorious B.I.G. The young Wallace has a deadpan delivery but he is exceptional in this role, only his second ever, having previously played the child version of his pops in the 2008 biopic, Notorious. This film was somewhat depressing with an exceptional sense of catharsis head towards the finish. The film actually inspired me to get my own business together and clear out years of hoarding stuff...a few garage sales later, and I feel I now have a lot of wheat, and a lot less chaff.

11. Red State - 5 of 5 Horns

Asked and answered counselor...see also:

Red State (POST 1)
Red State (POST 2)
Red State (POST 3)

10. Super 8 - 5 of 5 Horns
J.J. Abrams has existed as one of my favorite folks in the entertainment industry for some time now. He solidified that opinion with the wonderful reboot of the Star Trek series. I’d like to say J.J. is a wunderkind director, but he’s been in the biz for over 20 years. In the 1980’s Abrams helped Steven Spielberg repair home movies he had made as a kid. That’s a pretty good break for a young wannabe filmmaker and this was just the first of Abrams/Spielberg interactions that would ultimately lead to this project. While Abrams calls Spielberg the Grandfather of Super 8; Spielberg maintains that Abrams could have travelled this road on his own. Super 8 is something of a Goonies meets E.T. alien adventure film, that is surrounded by all the mystery that both directors love. For further reading, please see also, Abrams TED talk on the mystery of the box. Well Super 8 is loaded with mystery. For starters, the mystery of who the hell are these kid actors? If they were to remake the Goonies, I would vote these folks in. Elle Fanning is charming and a chip off the old family block. I was also happy to see Noah Emmerich and Ron Eldard back in the blockbuster feature game. Super 8 is pure adventure from start to finish. See this movie.

9. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - 4.5 of 5 Horns
Impressive is just about the perfect word used to describe this film...this extremely impressive first live action effort from PIXAR wunderkind Brad Bird. He made his bones in the action genre with The Incredibles, but the question was, could he do it without the support of the great animators and collaborative effort that makes every Pixar film shine so bright. The answer is yes. And to our old friend Tommy Boy (Cruise, that is), I give you a hearty round of applause, for reascending to the ranks of proper action star. I think that it was as important to have the Bad Robot (JJ Abrams) team on-board as producer of this flick, as evidenced by JJ's recent successes (see also: Super 8). The IMF team assembled here play off each other well, in a comedic sense, as well as running missions like well oiled heists, making the impossible possible. Jeremy Renner is the here and now, folks...he's the real deal. Ethan Hunt is very similar to John McLane as a seemingly indestructible hero...it sometimes gets ridiculous, but somehow it works. Ethan Hunt is truly the Energizer Bunny of movie heroes. These action sequences really pop and watching this film gave me one of my favorite film going experiences of 2011. And, oh yeah, what a joy to see some good old fashion US/Russia hostility captured sublimely on the big screen. I'm all for world peace but the hints of Cold War conflict in this film gave me a sense of nostalgia ala Red Dawn and Hunt for Red October style of tension.

8. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - 4.5 of 5 Horns

When this project was announced, I shuddered. Literally. I was sick that we felt obligated to further demonstrate our ethnocentric way of being in the world of film, by taking a perfectly good foreign film and remaking it in the "American Way." My fear were mostly assuaged when I heard the picture would be handled by David Fincher, who along with Christopher Nolan, is one of my favorite working directors of the day. Fincher lives in a dark world on film, and who better to translate the dark world of Stieg Larsson to the big screens her in the states. He succeeded on every level and he managed to translate the cute American girl -type in Rooney Mara into a very impressive Lizbeth Salander. Yes, Mara is something of a scream-queen, having appeared in a variety of horror/thriller flicks in the past, but she is this cute little thing, who becomes something else entirely. Out of the gate, I feared the worst...David Fincher delivered the best product we could have hoped to get. $83 million domestically and so far only $29 million in the foreign box office, which is quite lower than expected and likely hasn't yet overcome the budget and P&A for this film. I hope it gets greenlit for the two follow-ups as Fincher has a very solid grasp on this world.

7. Moneyball - 5 of 5 Horns
This is not a baseball movie, nor really even a sports movie at all. Written in part by Aaron Sorkin, one my favorite writers, this film is a character driven, dialogue driven film. Everything about the film is cleaver and not in a pretentious way. Brad Pitt is true acting talent and he hits way more than he misses. Jonah Hill is excellent in this film and I think his performance is something just short of perfection, potentially even an Oscar nomination waiting in the wings for him, as well as Pitt. The world of profession baseball is interesting enough on its own, but when you throw in the drama that this film offers, you get a movie that is fun to watch from start to finish. I was exceptionally impressed with the young Kerris Dorsey, who played Billy Beane's daughter, Casey. She is cute and has a unique voice that really compelled you further to feel for Billy in the various dilemma's that he faces through this film. Young Kerris sings a song to Billy in the course of the movie and when Billy listens to it, pensively looking out his window, it really his a great emotional chord.

6. My Week With Marilyn - 4.5 of 5 Horns

This is film is excellent...the acting, direction, writing, the overall look..everything. Michelle Williams was haunting in her portrayal as the Blond Bombshell In her first moment on screen, I saw Michelle Williams in a Marilyn Monroe costume By the end, all I saw was Marilyn Monroe. The beautiful thing about this film is that it is a true story, written by Colin Clark, an ambitious young man with dreams of a career in film. His family was privileged and he had been promised a job on the set of Sir Laurence Olivier's (Kenneth Branaugh) next picture. When he showed up for a job, it was his persistence that finally paid off. He comes to meet and know Ms. Monroe and something of a complicated relationship ensues. How I liked this film reminded me much of the way that I liked An Education from 2009. This is a great story and the film as a whole was executed perfectly.

5. The Help - 5 of 5 Horns
I absolutely loved this film. It hit my top five of the year the moment I exited the theater. This is really one of the few times that I unequivocally put a film into the mandatory viewing category. The power of film is the ability to learn from the mistakes of our past. Such an opportunity exists here, providing biting insight to the hardships faced by African Americans in the racially divided south during a truly hateful time in World history. Mistakes...such an understatement for the topic at hand. This movie demonstrates, albeit it watered down a bit for the masses, the brutality and hate of the era. But really, the brutality demonstrated here is not so much about muscle, as it was the complete demoralization of a group of people. As we celebrate the recent passing of the law allowing same sex marriages in the State of New York, it brings to mind that while we have made great strides for the equality of all people in America, we still have some tough roads to travel. I hope The Help rocks the Awards season, not because it matters, but because it will help give even more publicity to a film that everyone should see.

4. Win Win - 5 of 5 Horns
Win Win is an indie drama built around the spine of a sports film, loaded with comedic wit. I have never been a huge fan of Greco-Roman wrestling...never wrestled, rarely watched it in the rare instance it made it to the TV. Of course there was Vision Quest in the 1980's, but otherwise, when it came to wrestling, I was always more of a WWF guy. As far as the wrestling goes in this film, you will want more. The film is 100% a success as a comedic drama...but only built around the spine of a sports film, it doesn't give you that "hoisted on the shoulders and carried through town" ending so many sports films deliver. The hunger that you have for a stronger ending to the wrestling story will be satiated by the resolution of the drama. Thomas McCarthy is an amazing filmmaker (see also: The Visitor, The Station Agent)...you may know him as better as Dr. Bob from Meet the Parents. Yep, that guy. This movie was amazing and Paul Giamatti shines (per normal). A great supporting cast included Amy Ryan and Bobby Cannavale. This is the first movie for Alex Shaffer, who is Kyle, really a co-starring role to Giamatti's Mike. The filmmakers wanted a fresh face for this film and boy did they get it. Shaffer has a dry, deadpan delivery that absolutely just works. Also, he's a former championship high school wrestler. He probably still would be, except for a broken L-5 vertebrae. When asked in an interview if he will be able to keep wrestling, he said no, but probably will anyway. His minimalistic approach works with double success as when he does get excited about things in the movie, it has that much more impact.

3. The Adjustment Bureau - 5 of 5 Horns
The Adjustment Bureau was made with the highest of production values and the city of New York is a palpable character in this film. Matt Damon is stellar (as always) and Emily Blunt is clearly established as one of Hollywood's finest young actresses. Don't agree with me? Watch this movie. Yes, it is high concept and it is full of rich characters with roots in the oldest of human literature. It is based on the short story "Adjustment Team" by a legend in Science Fiction, Phillip K. Dick. I have heard complaints that this is more a romance than a sci-fi, but I disagree. There is such thing as a romantic sci-fi. The sci-fi is overt. The romance is overt. The message has been decried by some as corny, but I loved it. Hence it sitting comfortably here...in the top 3.

2. Hugo - 5 of 5 Horns

This is a movie lovers film. Not just because Scorsese was helming, but because when it gets moving, it actually becomes centered around a true classic period in cinema and the earliest of days in film as a form of entertainment. This all is built around this young boy, Hugo Cabret...a watchmaker's son, orphaned and sent to live with his Uncle, a drunk who seems to have found a purpose keeping the clocks at the train station running on time. But in the opening moments of the film, you learn that the Uncle has absconded and it is in fact Hugo, the orphan, running things at the station. Young Hugo has refined the art of the steal, lifting occasionally, toys from the station toymaker, Ben Kingsley, playing Papa Georges, grandfather in name to a young lady, Isabelle (Chloe Moretz), who befriends Hugo and wants to share an adventure with him. The adventure that unfolds is epic and the direction the story takes is wonderful. I doubted Martin Scorsese could deliver from the trailers I saw for this. I assumed it was some dream vanity project and it would amount to nothing short of an epic failure. I was dead wrong. This is rated PG and unfortunately it opened in week 2 of Twilight and against The Muppets and Arthur Christmas over Thanksgiving weekend. It barely held its own in the box office and has made only $53 million domestically and $16 million in the foreign market. This is a true shame. Please give this movie a chance...see it as soon as possibly and if it happens to be playing right now in 3-D in a theater near you, go. Go now. You are a genius, Mr. Scorsese.

1. Warrior - 5 of 5 Horns

I gave this film a proper write-up after I saw it. You can read that here:

Reel Rhino Review: WARRIOR - It's That Effing Good

This may not be the best movie of the year, but it certainly was my favorite. This was the best time I've had in the theater since The Dark Knight, and probably in my all-time favorite 5 trips to the theater. This was due in part to the impassioned crowd that I watched it with. Their excitement was my excitement, and we shared an experience, to that I have no doubt.

This film made only $13.6 million domestically...boo. Doing the quick math, this means using an average ticket price of $10, only about 1.36 million people saw this movie. Compare that to you "average" $100 million dollar box office blockbuster...not an uncommon feat to reach these days...$100 mil = approximately 10 million butts in seats. Far too few people saw this movie! To the film's defense, the largest volume of screens it played on at any time was 1883 screens, but all factors aside, with $30 million in the production budget, it's easy to think that this movie (so far) has lost money.

This film will make up some ground over time, and while it saddens me that it performed so poorly, I have a sense of joy that I was able to see it on the big screen.

Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton give heartfelt performances as estranged brothers, and Nick Nolte is as good as ever as their recovered alcoholic father. This is a drama first and foremost..if these guys didn't bring their A-game acting chops, this film would have failed....well I mean more than it actually did!

Let me leave you with this:

IMDB: 8.3/10 with 47,120 votes
Rotten Tomatoes: 82% fresh with 165 critic reviews
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% fresh with 29,421 user votes
Metacritic: 71 of 100 rated score based on 31 critic reviews

I loved this movie...and so did most people who actually saw it! Please give it a chance and go in with an open mind. This movie touched me in the same way that Rocky did the first time I saw it...and let me be clear, I am talking about the Oscar winning film, Rocky...not the watered down sequels that were fun to watch but a little light on palpable drama. Warrior is that good, I promise!!

It was a fun year and I'm glad to have shared it with you!! I'll see you through 2012 for more adventures at the movies! In the next week or so, I plan on doing a "what to watch in 2012" post...baited breath, folks, I know you'll be waiting!

Until later,
Reel Rhino

Beauty and the Beast 3-D...Nicely Done

2012-01-14T15:30:00.000-06:00

I didn't see Beauty and the Beast when it was released in 1991. Hell I was 15 years old and this "mushy" cartoon romance was the last place I would have wanted to be.

Smash cut to 21 years later...The Reel Rhino is in the house and there is no movie I won't watch. I lost a bet last year and endured and ultimately loved the film many view as an atrocity...Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

I'll defend that film until I'm blue in the face, just as I'll defend my 15-year old self. At 15, I had no business wanting to go to this movie. In my current era, lifted of my filmic prejudices, I will see anything. As I remember it, I'm certain my 12 year-old sister loved it...in fact, I am quite certain that in my box of childhood toys, you would find several of the Beauty and the Beast McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

I have enjoyed many films on the notion "I have to see it." I have an obligation to broaden my horizons as wide as possible, for the sake of this thing I like to consider psuedo-reporting. An obligation to uncover the truth about great movies. and some not-so-great as well.

I do find that more often than not, I enjoy whatever it is that I go to see. I am no film snob and accusations have been made that I like too many movies. What is the harm in that, I say? At least I get the most bang for my movie buck!

Beauty and the Beast 3-D

Disney hand drawn animation is a beautiful thing to behold. This film is no different.

Based on the French fairytale, circa 1740, known classically La Belle et la Bete, this story is a classic one of a figurative princess, not seeking but destined to find her Prince Charming. There is a classic broad jawed villain, Gaston, that if I didn't know better was drawn in the likeness of Bruce Campbell...truly a spitting image! There is a bumbling sidekick to the villain, a sorceress, a number of moments of heroism, and some classic Disney musical numbers.

This is classic Disney animation at its finest and a film very worth revisiting, or in my case, giving a chance if you have missed it all these years.

My friend Belinda shared with me this this is one of her favorite movies. She said one of the reasons was that Belle wasn't your typical damsel in distress and that after Ariel, The Little Mermaid, Belle heralded the new era of the growing strength of the female protagonist. I couldn't agree more.

Belle is introduced to us on her way through her small village, headed to the bookseller to return a book that she had borrowed, and to get a new one. She dances through town reading her new book, and singing the day away.

The rest of town can't understand why she isn't head over heels for Gaston, the strapping hero of the town, a nefarious chap with seemingly one thing on his mind...Belle.

Belle wants nothing to do with his plans of domesticating her and in the opening quarter of the film, denies his proposal of marriage and embarrasses him in front of the whole village to boot.

Her father, an eccentric inventor, seen as crazy by the other villagers, sets off to enter one of his inventions into a competition. He gets lost along the way and finds himself seeking refuge at the castle of the Beast.

The castle is enchanted and most of the furnishings are alive and talking and singing, trying to make the most of their meek existence, living as otherwise inanimate objects subject to the rule of the Beast, a rather agitated fellow who had a spell cast on him, making him into the beast he is, when he denied shelter to a traveler as a boy, because she was so hideous. He is destined to suffer the same fate, until he can learn what love is, and also convince another to love him regardless of his looks.

Belle's father is taken prisoner by Beast and Belle, in searching for her missing father, finds the Beast's castle, and offers herself in exchange for his freedom. The Beast accepts these terms.

From here, it's a standard I hate you, no I love you kind of story, but presented magically the way that Disney does best. Through the movie, the path to confrontation is laid clear as Gaston, a hero to the town by their superficial standards, will not be denied his prize, simply the objectified concept that he has attached to Belle.

I was wholly impressed by the voice talents of Paige O'Hara as Belle and Robby Benson as Beast. This was the end of the era of using true voice talent as the 1990's saw a shift toward star power and recognition in presenting the voices of the animated features of today. The voices of Angela Lansbury and Jerry Orbach are there as well, but as fitting support of the powerful voices of the leads. David Odgen Stiers has the voice of an angel and is pitch-perfect as the narrator.

As a funny aside, I received a little criticism on Facebook for not knowing who Robby Benson is...he looks a bit like Fabio and while he has a great run of bit roles and directing gigs across a huge span of time in Hollywood, he really hasn't done anything in this era that makes him a face (or name) that I think most would instantly recognize!

At the end of the day, of course you should see this film. It is a classic, it is critically lauded, and it is a really good time.

If you go to see it, please tell me if I'm crazy, but there were some extremely bosomy side characters wearing fairly low cut garb...a little risque, I thought, for Disney fare. Maybe it was to give all the Dads who were roped into seeing it something to gawk at....ewwww.

4 of 5 Horns for this 3-D reissue of Beauty and the Beast. A great digital remastering and very enjoyable depth in the 3-D component of the film. I thought the crude character sketches featured in the credits running at the end were quite well done.

Oh yeah, the new Disney classic Tangled gets the classic Disney short film treatment to beef up the bang for your buck. It's a cute story of the wedding day of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, in which things don't go exactly as they are planned. With Beauty and the Beast coming in at a paltry 88 minutes, the short helps beef up the running time but made it tougher for the smaller tykes who had lost some interest by the end of the main feature.

Until later...(the top 15 is coming soon, I promise!)

Reel Rhino

Reel Rhino Reviews: We Bought a Zoo and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

2012-01-12T22:50:00.000-06:00

In the interim between the honorable mention picks and my top 15, let me take a break for a couple of reviews.

This weekend has a couple of interesting movies on the horizon, but really nothing that grabs my full attention. Contraband, the Mark Wahlberg flick, is sitting at 59% on RT and some of the Top Critics have some decent things to say about it. I figured it was a throwaway January release, but maybe not.

The Iron Lady, starring Ms. Meryl Steep is getting great critical reviews for her performance, but sits at a paltry 56% fresh. Yes, I am sure she will build onto her ridiculous tally already of 16 Academy nominations. But for my taste, love, I think I will pass. Margret Thatcher was quite a gal, but I think I'll run a twofer on this and The Queen some night on home video.

Aching for a little nostalgia? Revisit 1991's Beauty and the Beast...brought to you in remastered 3-D. I like the concept of the production of Beauty and the Beast, because it was one of the last movies that starred relative unknown (to the public) voice actors in the two lead roles. From there it was all Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Albert Brooks, Owen Wilson, and Ray Romano. Who the heck are Paige O'Hara and Robby Benson...head to the theater and take a listen...it's impressive what voice actors can do and they are really being pushed to the side by star power.

So with yet another semi-lame weekend ahead, I thought I would post a couple of brief reviews for flicks I haven't yet touched on...

WE BOUGHT A ZOO

From Rotten Tomatoes (from the official movie site): "This holiday season, acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) directs an amazing and true story about a single dad who decides his family needs a fresh start, so he and his two children move to the most unlikely of places: a zoo. With the help of an eclectic staff, and with many misadventures along the way, the family works to return the dilapidated zoo to its former wonder and glory."

Well personally, I haven't seen it...and I was tempted to avoid it all together until I read above about the "misadventures!" You know I am a sucker for mis-adventures!! Picking up my slack, I give you the return of "The Artist" with her take on We Bought a Zoo:

Matt Damon is quite charming in this film. For those of you familiar with his work in Good Will Hunting and the Bourne Trilogy you will see here how he has evolved as an actor. Damon has always been razor sharp, but there's a sublime awkwardness to his Benjamin Mee that is so disarming and real, not dissimilar to the "everyman" widowed father he portrayed earlier this year in Soderbergh's Contagion. As a journalist, Benjamin Mee made his living from knowing the right words to say. He found himself in unfamiliar territory with words, when as a widower, he struggled to find the right words to reach his son, Dylan (Colin Ford).

Buying a house with a zoo in its backyard begins as an adventure into a new life that becomes a journey toward self-discovery and healing. While Scarlett Johansson is an adequate love interest for Damon and Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Rosie Mee, Ben's daughter) is about as adorable as they come, it's Thomas Hayden Church (Duncan Mee) and Colin Ford that really steal the show with their comedic and dramatic portrayals of Benjamin's brother and son.

This story is one of the "feel good movies" of last year aided by a fantastic soundtrack featuring many songs from jonsi of Siger Ros. Cameron Crowe is a true genius to make the soundtrack become another character in his movies. Take "Say Anything" (Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes) and "Almost Famous" (Elton John's Tiny Dancer) to name a few? Gabriel's single from Say Anything re-entered the US Top 40 three years after its release, due solely to that iconic scene with John Cusack, boombox raised high above his head. If we're lucky, we just might see a live performance of "Gathering Stories" (jonsi) on Oscar night if the buzz for best song is true...it's already picked up the Satellite Award from the International Press Academy and the Awards season is very young. I guess we'll know Jan. 24 when the nominations come out.

As for the film, The Artist gives it 4 Paint Brushes and not having seen it myself, I feel confident that I can recommend it for some good family fun that also hits some very tender beats while remaining a wholly uplifting film.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

From IMDB: "In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons."

This film has received high praise (85% on RT, 7.6 on IMDB, 85 on Metacritic).

There's my review...a bunch of other people liked, so you should too.

No, I haven't grown that shallow in my old age, but I will keep my remarks brief. My take: I liked it. I was blown away the way I expected and at times I thought that for a complex spy thriller, it may have been just a pinch too complex.

But what a cast and what a performance by Gary Oldman! It's no lie...he will be a front runner for the Oscar and his supporting cast is stellar as well. He shares some screen time for the first of at least two times this year, with The Dark Knight Rises featuring each later this year. TTSS is an enjoyable movie...but I think I will like DKR a tad bit more, or at least that's what I'm expecting.

Also featured are William Hurt, Toby Jones, Ciarian Hinds, Colin Firth, and Marc Strong. Strong used to be what I considered the poor man's Andy Garcia...the tables have turned. Strong is a chameleon that can take any role and devour it.

Truly, this movie is carried by the performances and the filmmaking. With a lesser cast and lesser filmmakers, this wouldn't have been nearly the film it was....no duh, Rhino! I'm just saying, I think that this film has a lot going for it when when the story was resolved, I stood in awe of the film but not the story.

If you haven’t also seen one of director Tomas Alfredson’s earlier pictures, Let the Right One In, the Swedish vampire flick, do it. Please steer clear of Let Me In, the Americanized re-make, and stick with Sweden.

See Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy… I recommend it wholeheartedly and give it a 4 of 5 Horn rating. I have very narrow reservations, but it’s 9 to 1 in favor of the good.

I don't know what the film of the weekend will be...I just found out Gone with the Wind is playing this weekend at a local theater. I’d like to see it on the big screen, but I don't have 4 hours to carve out of my Saturday...eh, maybe some other time. I think I may have to go see Beauty and the Beast, as I missed it on the big screen the first time around. I will get behind pretty much anything Disney does…although I am curious as to how John Carter will be. With Lassiter at the helm, some of my troubled thoughts are assuaged, but still…

Until later, take care...

Reel Rhino

The Best of 2011: So Says Me - Part 1

2012-01-10T11:48:00.001-06:00

There is so much that I love about the movies. While I regret putting together the "worst of" list, it seems to be a necessary evil of this critique racket. I'm very happy to wash the stink of the bad off of me and get into the great...the things I loved this past year, and of that there were plenty.

Kevin Murphy's book: A Year at the Movies: One Man's Filmgoing Odyssey is one of my favorites. If you haven't read it, let alone heard of it, I recommend picking it up for a fun read. In 2001, he went to one movie a day, at the theater or in some kind of public exhibition, every day that year; then he chronicled his adventures with the book as the result. Ten years later, it's kind of fun to read his writings on all the movies from that year being talked about in the present-tense. Murphy, for those who don't know, is one of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 team, best known perhaps as Tom Servo. He is also an excellent writer, which besides making me insanely jealous for being paid to go to the movies for a full year, also made reading the book "a delight." Yep, I said delight....that's what people say when talking about books. What is really great about his book is that he didn't just write about the movies he saw...he wrote about the experience.

In 2012, I plan to honor the path that Murphy blazed before me...

Kind of. I think that as a man with a day job (that isn't being paid to go to the movie), a husband, and as a father; to try and get to a movie a day at the theater would be a near impossibility. To do so would likely wind me up on unemployment and discussing options with a divorce attorney.

But in this glorious day of technology, I have Netflix Watch Instantly available at my utter disposal......on my Android phone, on my iPad, and of course at home streaming through my BluRay player at home. I even have an older iPod touch that allows me to drift off to movies in the waning moments of my day. Last night, it was Keanu and Sandy in Speed...you see to fall asleep to a movie, it can only be something that falls into the guilty pleasure category...otherwise it may be too interesting and preclude the body's desire for slumber.

Let me say here and now...I plan on making a run at 365 in 2012. At least one movie a day, at home or abroad. I will be reporting my results ongoing here on the site, but also in real time on MISO, one of my new favorite social media sites...one built for movie/tv addicts like myself..

So far in 2012, I have seen 19 movies in 10 days, counting the theater and my home views. Yes, I agree that it sounds a bit crazy, but that's how I roll.

2011: The Year in Review

So, crazy man, what were your stats for 2011? Well I'll tell you....

167 movies at home, 130 at the theater. The theater flicks accounted for 13,993 minutes of filmgoing, which is just short of 10 days. The home tally was 17516 minutes or 12.15 days. Did someone say insane...I don't disagree.

2011 brought a long time goal of mine to fruition. My 1000th flick at the theater...a long time coming, but I am a locomotive running down the track. While I hit that goal on June 18th, 2011, since that day, I have been to an additional 81 films since that day. I do believe that it will be a fair bit short a distance to 2000 than it was to a grand (35 years).

So with all that cinema, what did I love about 2011? I'm glad you asked...let's start with my honorable mentions....

HONORABLE MENTIONS IN 2011

I'm going to get this out of the way...my first honorable mention....

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never - Deal with it. It was an interesting movie about a very talented young man. The movie is 70% documentary, 30% concert film, and yes, we can all take or leave much of the teeny-pop fodder tunes. I don't necessarily like the music (okay, it is kind of catchy)...but he is an intriguing artist and this film showcases well his roots and the phenomenon that is Bieber Fever. And no, I didn't catch it. But damn I respect the kid.

Buck - A great movie about a great man. I have little to no interest in horses, cowboying, or being a horseman. This movie compels all to be interested. Buck Brannaman was the horse expert used on Robert Redford's The Horse Whisperer. He became an integral part of the film because he is truly a horse whisperer and this film features both his talents and more intriguingly, the nature of his character.

Immortals - I fell in love with the filmmaking of Tarsem Singh with his film debut, The Fall, which is a one of a kind movie experience. I was excited to see what he would do tackling the world of the Gods. He succeeded in creating a visual spectacle with a very palatable story. Well done, sir, well done. I am looking forward to Mirror, Mirror, his whimsical take on the Sleeping Beauty mythology, due out this Spring.

Winnie the Pooh - Hands down, the best all-ages animated flick of the year. The length was perfect (63 mins) for even the youngest of kids. The animation was perfect and the movie touched both young and old, striking that nostalgic nerve for the parents and making a slew of new fans alike, out of all the youngsters.

The Way - An immensely personal film to the Sheen/Estevez family, fortunately nobody told Charlie, which is why this film managed to keep such an utter sense of beauty and reverence. The story of El Camino de Santiago, a traditionally Christian pilgrimage, but over time has become a broadly spiritual one that draws people of all different faiths and backgrounds. The story is not heavy handed religious, but instead a pained journey taken by a father who is trying to connect with a son that was taken from him when he perished on his first leg of the Camino, killed in a freak accident. The film is moving and made with a very skilled hand, which, no disrespect intended, is surprising as it was helmed by Emilio Estevez. Martin Sheen shines in this and I will not be surprised if he makes the shortlist for best actor awards, this awards season.

The Way Back - Amazing cast, amzaing movie. This film tells the tale of a group of prisoners from a Russian gulag and their subsequent four-thousand mile WALK to freedom, including a trek through the Gobi Desert and as well as a short jaunt across the Himalayas. Jim Sturgess, Ed Haris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, and Mark Strong are the meat and potatoes of the cast, and everyone shines. Harris's physical transformation is particularly amazing and this being a 2010 release, was actually nominated for several awards, losing best make (an atrocity in my opinion) to Alice in Wonderland. This movie is compelling and is worth your time for a great drama that is both exciting and extremely well made (directed by the great Peter Weir).

The Adventures of Tintin - Well made (Spielberg and Peter Jackson, of course its well-made!), beautifully animated with stunning 3-D, and in my opinion, a very well told story. I underlined that, because I seem to be in the minority in that opinion. This is an intensely fun movie and I loved it. Deal with that America. It may not have been on this list if not for the lineage of the makers, that great John Williams score, and the fact that I felt at times that I was watching the adventures of a new Indiana Jones like character who has a great sense for adventure. Its better than you've read. Give it a try.

Arthur Christmas - An insanely British film, with the witty humor to match. When I saw this film, the kids in the theater loved it and the parents were rolling in the aisles at the jokes that were a bit edgy. This film should become an epic entry into the holiday film genre. It crashed and burned by other kid-friendly holiday movie standards, making only $46 million domestically. This movie was touching, hilarious, witty, and very well-animated. I think this movie will become more endeared with time...please take my word, it is a fun watch and you won't be disappointed. The techno-savvy perspective of the magic of Santa was both creative and visually stunning and for my money, the first fifteen minutes of this movie made it worth my hard earned dollars alone.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - Part 1 cracked my top 10 of 2010. I enjoyed this film immensely, but I thought it was just a little less than the first entry in the pair. This pinnacle film had so much to do, I thought it was near perfect, but it didn't draw me in the same as the first, which had the benefit of ending in a cliff-hanger, automatically generating a little more excitement if only in anticipation drool. Bravo to the HP crew...this was a great series from start to finish, and although this film didn't crack my top films of the year, I included here out of reverence for an unbelievable run of films. This series is a great achievement in film...I mean come on, old Harry and company took down James Bond for the highest grossing series of all time. Brilliant. Simply Brilliant.

Coming soon...the Reel Rhino top 15 films of 2011. Yep...15 films. I love movies that much that I can't contain myself to 10...come on...I'm the big guy...I do everything larger than life!

2011 Bottom 10 or What Not to Watch...Ever

2012-01-05T22:43:00.001-06:00

A tribute to The Razzies...The Golden Rhincerberry Awards

I hate this list with a passion. Not the movies on the list, but making the list. I truly believe that for every movie that is made, there are hundreds of people that care about it so deeply, that its failure is not only upsetting, but also heartbreaking (to them, that is). Some of these films aren't financial failures, though, but fall more into the category of sellouts, which is almost as bad, some might say its worse. For some of the sellouts and sequels that make the 'worst of' list, its not the disappointment those that made the movie I pity, but the fact that they have sold their soul for a paycheck in lieu of their place in Hollywood as artists.

2011 brought America its worst year at the box-office in 16 years. That's not to say that I haven't done my part, making it to 130 flicks in the theater this year. Given the awful box office season, it goes without saying that some of those movies would be bad...but others would out and out suck.

But this is purely my opinion...disagree? Let me know. But know this...I do the bottom 10 before my top lists, because I hate name-calling and blame throwing, and I want to get it out of the way. For the sake of sharing my tastes, likes, and dislikes with you the Reel Rhino reading public, I may not like posting the BOTTOM 10, but I feel like its my duty...

To business:

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10. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - 2 of 5 Horns

This film was written and produced by Guillermo del Toro, but not directed. His name was atop of every ad for this and one would have hoped that under his tuteledge, that director Troy Nixey could have delivered gold. Not so much. Inspired from a TV movie del Toro saw as a boy, his patented creature effects were here, but their ineffectiveness made them more comedic than frightening. There were a handful of decent visuals, but all in all, this is a flop in my book. Pan's Labyrinth was 100 times more effective as a visual thriller/horror feature. The title is apt...you won't be afraid of the dark.

9. Red Riding Hood - 2 of 5 Horns

What was most upsetting, was the promise that the concept of this film showed. It looked dark and foreboding in the trailers, but in its delivery, not so much. I would have thought someone would have realized the acting by the B-players came off as excessively wooden and some of the cliche film making techniques would relegate this film to a campiness that is way too short of the fun that usually accompanies camp. In the end, this Catherine Hardwicke added too much of what she gave us in the first Twilight, and the result was garbage, In 2012, Hansel and Gretel should give us something along the lines of the darker spin on a fairy tale that this movie could have been.

8. 30 Minutes or Less - 2 of 5 Horns

This seemed like a funny premise, it had a good cast, and it had a pretty great trailer. Ultimately this movie is a waste of potential, both of cast and premise. Given the talent, including the sophomore effort from Zombieland helmer Ruben Fleischer, I think we all expected more. There are certainly some funny lines throughout, but you of course saw them all in the trailer, and there were zero "piss-yourself-funny" scenes, which given the stellar set of ingredients, I expected nothing less. There were also some serious issues of tone...there are some psychotically violent moments that were supposed to be funny, but come off as awkward, out of place, and, at times, downright uncomfortable. There are a lot of things wrong with this movie but perhaps the worst thing is that at 83 minutes running time, it felt like it dragged…a lot. Maybe that was the problem...they left all the funny on the cutting room floor! Better luck next time gang, and I mean that sincerely, since the talent pool in this film runs pretty deep, \they will all be back strong.

7. Final Destination 5 3-D - 1.5 of 5 Horns

FADE IN: One of the cast has a vision of a disaster, this time, it's a bridge collapse. He quickly realizes that his vision is about to come true.

CUT TO: He warns everyone, a few people survive the ridiculously vicious disaster.

MONTAGE: They start dying, one by one.

ENTER FRAME RIGHT: Tony Todd is seen here or there, perhaps at some times, offering insight to the plight of the survivors.

ACT II: The dwindling survivors hatch a scheme to further cheat death.

ACT III: A twist ending gives death the upper hand.

ROLL CREDITS

You just saw this movie...other than the gymnast's death, which was both gruesome and ridiculous, this film was a stinker in 2-D or 3-D. David Koechner could not help salvage this, and maybe Tony Todd can quit this series any get on with bringing us Candyman 4...or 5...or whichever they are on in that similarly terrible set of sequels. How about a Candyman/Final D mash-up? It couldn't be any worse than this...

6. Shark Night 3-D - 1 of 5 Horns

This could of been something decent, even though it was a blatant Piranha 3-D knock off. If...and this is a big if....if this movie would have admitted what it was, a blatant copycat and cash grab at genre fun, its self-awareness could have been used to its advantage. Who cares what it's copying, when you get "camp" done right, it just works. There was nothing right about this movie, starting with the fact it was a near bloodless, no-F-bomb, boob-less, PG-13. There is a shark night rap after the credits that was mildly amusing, but so many people were sprinting for the door, few got the chance to see it. This thing was a steamer.

5. Dream House - 1 of 5 Horns

A movie directed by Jim Sheridan, starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts, has a great sounding line-up, but absolutely fails in its mechanics and delivery. This movie failed on every level for me and it really got me thinking about the nature of films in general. I see a Shutter Island like premise on the face of this, and while the combo is way short of Marty and Leo, I am sure that Dream House started with fairly lofty aspirations. Even Director Jim Sheridan wanted his name removed from the final cut of this film. I can forgive a filmmaker for making trash, when they can admit they have dropped a bomb. But when will these studio heads learn that the art is best left to be crafted by the artists. That's an argument that will rage for eons to come. I would love to see Mystery Science Theater 3000 take a crack at this so bad it is effing awful movie.

4. Scream 4 - 1.5 of 5 Horns

The faces are new, the story is not. Other than adding Twitter, Facebook, streaming video, and non-stop texting by all of the younglings, this is the same old story, rehashed. I was bored by this movie...really bored. One of my chief complaints is that while there were red herrings a plenty, there was barely a single time that someone dropped into PERCEIVED PERIL (i.e. cue the creepy music), that they weren’t engaged and/or killed by Ghostface. How can you build suspense if you don’t juke right at least once, but actually drive left for the hoop? The original title of my Scream 4 review...Yawn 4.

3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - 2.5 of 5 Horns

Yes, I am aware that a 2.5 Horn rating should perhaps not have made this list, but remember above where I talked about making movies with no soul....this is an example. Actually, this is THE EXAMPLE. This was pure cash grab...no sense of peril, no sense of excitement. The only thing that makes it watchable is the HUGE BUDGET, which equals great effects, makeup, costumes, and production values.

2. A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas - 2 of 5 Horns

A sub-par entry into the H&K series, there are a few decent gags, but otherwise, this film falls completely flat. This flick is saved from my top spot solely by the presence of Neil Patrick Harris, as everything this guy touches, seems to turn to gold. This film is clearly a must miss....nuff said. If they think about going for a fourth, they better get their game back, for the first was pretty damn funny, and the second was funny....this one was just plain bad.

1. Your Highness - 1.5 of 5 Horns

For my review of Your Highness, I quoted his highness, Sir Roger Ebert's, in his review: Your Highness” is a juvenile excrescence that feels like the work of 11-year old boys in love with dungeons, dragons, warrior women, pot, boobs, and four-letter words. One of the heroes even wears the penis of a Minotaur on a string around his neck. I hate it when that happens.

This movie blew goats, almost literally! I think that the talent involved with this film is high, but were they, unfortunately, when they made it. If this gang shifted gears away from telling jokes that only 10% of their audience (read: those high themselves when watching), they might get something going. Maybe Pineapple Express was lightning in a bottle for David Gordon Green. His follow up to this stinker, The Sitter was A LITTLE better, but not much. Jonah Hill breathed a little soul into his character, soul that Danny McBride failed to find here. The Sitter was better, but only a little. I guess in comparison to this atrocity, Green couldn't have done much worse. Please avoid this film at all costs.

So there you have it folks. I'm going to go shower, to wash the stink from my body. I'll be back soon with some of the year's highlights (IMO, of course)....until later, take care...
Reel Rhino

Happy New Year (For Movies)

2012-01-01T20:14:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year's, Reel Rhino fans!

I am pleased to see we have all made it to 2012, which according to the Mayans (and to Roland Emmerich) this may be it for us, so thank God we will at least be getting 2012 releases of The Avengers and of course the final flick in the Twi-Hard series...we can all die happy, men and women alike!

I spent the last few days of the old year, nursing my big left toe, to which I had some holes drilled in the joint to try and stimulate some scar tissue to sub in for cartilage that I have long since compressed due to a combination of super human size and super flat feet. I also had a bone spur shaved off that was beginning to resemble a 6th toe.

To help cushion the blow of the time off my feet, I ended up running a huge marathon of 70's disaster flicks (ala Netflix Watch Instantly), the grandfather films to the likes of the Emmerich and Michael Bay offerings of the 90's and 2000's. If nothing else, they brought back a lot of great memories of Sunday afternoon movies with my Dad, watching them on TV (when the Steelers weren't playing, that is).

The full line-up I caught (so far) includes the following:

Airport

Airport 1975

Airport '77

Earthquake

The Towering Inferno

Disaster of the Coastliner

This was quite a run and it is shocking to see how compelling these films are even after so long and having been made with creativity as the primary special effect! Earthquake literally leveled LA and they did so in a convincing manner with the use of some beautiful matte paintings as back drops.

A side note on George Kennedy...that guy was the pimp of pimps in these flicks. He was a legit star in the 70's and he added great flavor to these movies, swinging into the straight man comedy role well in the Police Squad/Naked Gun flicks in the 80's.

Believe it or not, I have also had the chance to see some theater flicks as well. I'm like the mailman, baby, nothing will keep me from delivering the goods!

I saw War Horse two days ago, but given that I gave you my friend's review previously, I won't get into it too much, other than to say that I liked it, but didn't love it. I thought the build up was too long and scattered, but even so, the pay off was decent enough. There was a superb 30 minute stretch towards the end that send me headed for my Kleenex more than once, delivering several moments in what could be argued were heavy-handed dramatic moments. Spielberg makes beautiful movies...there is no argument there. Sadly, I saw it at a terribly projected film theater (Dickinson Northglen) and the projection of the film killed some the enjoyment of Spielberg's epic scenes. I liked it enough to give it a 3.5 Horn rating and I will look forward to seeing it in HD when it is released, to see if that helps at all with my enjoyment. Sir Steven lives in an epic world, but I think a 30 minute shorter flick would have enhanced War Horse by giving it a cleaner run through without some of the fluff.

The Adventures of Tintin - Since we are talking Spielberg, I might as well get into this as well. I loved Tintin. It was a movie not without its flaws, but on the whole, I was amazed at the visual spectacle and was taken in quickly by the great story. The major flaw for me was that within moments of the movie's opening, the main thick of the story is afoot. Whereas I thought War Horse was a bit heavy on the character building in the beginning, I thought Tintin was a little light. I am unfamiliar with the mythology of Tintin and other than learning quickly that he is a reporter and seeing on his walls the framed headline pages of some of his previous adventures, I knew nothing about him or this series. I would have liked a little more background introduction to this world before things got moving, but I quickly forgave that as the story was riveting and the visuals were some of the best ever. I am looking forward to more of this series from Spielberg and Peter Jackson. That is a partnership made in heaven! This film came off, of sorts, as an animated Indiana Jones, complete with John Williams score...I love Indy and I loved how great these scenes were constructed, both in terms of general visual appeal, but also in terms of the sense of adventure. The movie was fun, funny, and exciting and I had a great time at the theater. A 4.5 Horn score for Tintin...it was fun and regardless of some of the harsh writing critics, I think it is a film to behold.

The Darkest Hour - I was looking forward to this flick, perhaps most of all of the holiday releases. It seemed as though the studio was hoping for a hit, as well, scheduling a Christmas day release throwing this movie like chum into the shark infested water. The Darkest Hour has been poorly reviewed and poorly performed against a huge battery of more appropriate films for the season. BUT...it was a fun science-fiction release and I believe it is being unfairly raked over the coals. This movie has a few impressive young stars, including one of my favorites, Emile Hirsch. See also: Into the Wild, Speed Race. He has charisma and he has talent; as do Rachael Taylor, Max Minghella, and Olivia Thirby. Director Chris Gorak has an amazing resume as an art director and I believe that produce Timur Bekmambetov is a creative force just waiting for a HUGE breakout hit. All of these factors together should have yielded a more commercial friendly film, but it just wasn't the time. I do believe that this flick will have a huge positive reception overseas and that with time, it will be successful. Successful enough to spawn a sequel, I do not know. But the film is fun to watch and very high-sci-tech in concept. In my opinion, this is how decent of a film the atrocity of Skyline should have been, and perhaps the post-apocalyptic fare is just not the thing at the moment. I am also even more forgiving because there were a handful of moments that gave me a Ghostbusters-vibe, minus the lighthearted tone...and a Ghostbusters-vibe ain't never a bad thing :-) Give this film a try and I do not believe you will leave disappointed. It is the perfect length (just under 90 minutes) to be entertaining and not overstay its welcome. A 4 of 5 Horn salute to this not-so-holiday, holiday release.

I have not had the chance to see We Bought A Zoo and it may not be in the cards for some time, as I have committed this film to my next "date night." With scheduling conflicts afoot (no pun intended), it could be a few weeks before we get to Cameron Crowe's family friendly offering.

I will share that I am now addicted to MISO which can be found at http://gomiso.com a very cool social networking site for watching TV and movies...check it out if you like and feel free to follow me there as well.

With no new releases this week, and only some indies scheduled for this coming Friday, I do hope that my next few posts will pertain to The Reel Rhino YEAR IN REVIEW. I will give you my movie going stats for 2011 and chip my bit to the pile of year-end specials covering my top 15 films of 2011 and my bottom 10 stinker list as well.

Until later, take care...

Reel Rhino

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Take 2)

2011-12-24T17:21:00.001-06:00

I loved the Millenium Trilogy, as it was delivered in its original Swedish version. Sweden being the country to which author Stieg Larsson called home until his death in 2004. Talk about missing out on the party, in 2008, Lasson was the second best selling author in the World, currently having sold over 53 million copies Worldwide, since this series was first published.

Larrson is an amazing storyteller and when I saw a picture of him, I was shocked as to how much he looked like another storyteller, who also recently passed (in 2009), in John Hughes, the master of teen angst and easily understandable stories of real people, real problems, real emotions. I only bring it up to fuel speculation that they were in fact the same person???? You decide:

At the very least, they had the same hairdresser, photographer, and optometrist, that much cannot be denied.

The books, I am told, are fantastic and there is no way that any film could fully represent Larsson's vision, given the length and breadth of detail, to which he wrote. The Swedish trilogy of films, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo; Played With Fire; and Kicked the Hornet's Nest, all captivated movie goers, those who were willing to endure the subtitles, as these were Swedish spoken language films, populated with (mostly) Swedish actors.

Americans are ethnocentric....terribly. Yep, I yanked that word straight out of my eighth grade civics course...it means that we believe that we are the most important culture in the world and whatever doesn't fit our paradigm of entertaining, must be conformed to properly entertain us, the way that we like to be entertained.

To that, I say hell no!

I loved the SWEDISH version of all three of these films and they could have entirely stood as the filmic entries in this series.

I think Noomi Rapace was a force and she carried these films, shouldering a burden that was happily split with Michael Nyqvist, the original Mikael Blomkvist. These two and the rest of the cast, crew, writers, and directors, crafted together 428 minutes of pure thriller/drama/mystery bliss.

So there you have it, I loved the original...BUT...

I have a director "crush" on David Fincher. I can't help but be forgiving for this unnecessary Americanized remake, because it was helmed by Fincher. The original trilogy never NEEDED to be remade; but we are better as film goers for having the David Fincher version in our lives.

THE GIRLWITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011)

FROM IMDB: "Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for forty years by Lisbeth Salander, a young computer hacker."

Noomi Rapace was spectacular and it isn't fair to compare Rooney Mara's Lizbeth Salander to Rapace. But for the amazing presence that Rapace provided, Mara's Salander held her own in comparison. For being a New York born gal, playing a troubled Swedish computer hacker, she does a damn fine job.

Fincher directs DARK like a champ and this film is no different. Danial Craig as Blomkvist is a fitting tribute to the original, as are Christopher Plummer as Henrik, the patriarch of the Vanger family and Stellan Skargard, his affiable brother, Martin.

Robin Wright rounds out the cast of familiar faces, playing Erika Berger,co-editor of Millenium magazine and part-time lover of our hero, Blomkvist. She is an American, through-and-through, but she pulls off her accent without notice.

From there, this film is populated by actors who will be mostly unknown to American audiences. You see, this is also the point of my surprise...

I hadn't followed the Americanization of this film very closely, but given the remake so closely followed the original Swedish film, I assumed that there would be significant changes, perhaps even a change in venue to an upscale neighborhood somewhere stateside. No such changes were enacted and in truth, this version is nearly a shot for shot remake of the original. I haven't looked, but I wouldn't be surprised that many of the original actors are in this version as well. I need to look and see how many of the same sets were used. Visually speaking, there was little to distinguish the original from this current version.

Fincher is so talented, though, this film is 100% as enjoyable as the original. Definitely see this movie. Don't watch the original unless you want to have the American version COMPLETELY spoiled for you. Put it on your 2012 to-do, to check out the original, for it is worth seeing how well non-Hollywood pictures can be made, minus the BIG budgets and major hoopla.

These books are a trilogy and one must figure, that in the next few years, Fincher will move forward with making this his own namesake film trilogy. But if you can't wait, you are in luck. As a consumer of popular media, I recommend whole-hearted either the books or the original films,to see how this story plays out.

I have seen all of the originals and knowing how it wrapped up didn't change my enjoyment in the least. The biggest diverging plot points came in the end, but it really wasn't a significant change, at least worth noting.

See this movie. It is dark, graphic, and just very well made, as dark and graphic are two facets of film that Fincher does ridiculously well.

4.5 of 5 HORNS for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I hope to get out and see We Bought a Zoo, The Adventures of Tintin, and most of all, I can't wait to see The Darkest Hour. I very much hope this is a well made bit of science fiction fun . If nothing else, it looks fairly original and quite unique.

Until later, take care...and just in case we don't speak again for a few days...Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, etc...and God Bless Us Every One...thanks Tiny Tim...no, no...Thank You Chuck Norris.

Reel Rhino

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...For Movies

2011-12-21T00:41:00.002-06:00

I am the victim of my own good fortune. While I encountered a rather dry first few weeks of December, the last few days have been rich in movie going. Three movies in three days. I am short on time prepping for the holidays, so I am going to limit my words on Young Adult and Sherlock Holmes: Book of Shadows, and go a little heavier on Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

The Reel Rhino is always looking for red hot leads...I have the good fortune of being friends with a fellow who had the good fortune of nabbing some free preview tickets to WAR HORSE, the latest epic from his majesty, Steven Spielberg. I am 100% a fan of Spielberg and in my book, even when he's off, he's on.

Now my friend, in all his goodness, has yielded to his better half to be the latest guest contributor to the Reel Rhino family. Ladies and gents, I give you....The Artist (forgive me Mrs. K, but that's the best I could do...correct me if you have a better choice of pen name.)

War Horse

FROM IMDB: "Young Albert enlists to service in WWI after his beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on."

I would like to see the statistics on how many books such as War Horse have enjoyed the privilege of being popular fiction, a broadway play, and now a major motion picture. Now there's no guarantee that the Spielberg's adaptation of Morpurgo's book will be a hit with the public, but this movie is already generating some Oscar buzz. I'll say this right off, this movie is not in the same category as Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, but it is worth a look. Earlier this month, I won FREE passes to see War Horse before the general public from www.paperbackswap.com If you don't know about this website, I have to give a shout out to them for fully embracing the power of the internet while simultaneously providing a way for people to enjoy books "in the flesh", so to speak. It's better than a library and cheaper than a book store, but I digress...

War Horse is a beautifully shot picture with that epic feel that has become classic Spielberg. I might even rank it with E.T., because it's the non-human that steals the show. I don't think it has the freshness and originality of E.T. but it's heart and soul are in the right place. In fact, I dare you to leave the movie theatre with a dry eye. My favorite scene from this movie was when Joey (the horse) gets into situation that for just one moment, inspires action action in the soldiers that transcends sides of battle and demonstrates the humanity that regardless of reason, exists in all men and women that fight for God and country. The scenes that feature Joey on the field of battle are both astoundingly heart wrenching and surprisingly and appropriately gut busting funny.

Thank you, Mr. Spielberg, for capturing all the emotions of these moment and giving texture and dimension to a fictional story that for a moment feels real and that's real good stuff.

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol: The IMAX Experience

How long has it been since you've seen that many colons in a single title? Impressive, I know.

But impressive is just about the perfect word used to describe this film, this extremely impressive first live action effort from PIXAR wunderkind Brad Bird. He made his bones in the action genre with The Incredibles, but the question was, could he do it without the support of the great animators and collaborative effort that makes every Pixar film shine so bright.

The answer is yes.

FROM IMDB: "The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name."

I'm over being over Tom Cruise. Yes, he has a history of being a bit bizarre. No, I don't understand Scientology. But hey, people forgive celebrities who behave far more badly, and I for one, am done. Tom, I give you a hearty round of applause, for reascending to the ranks of proper action star.

I think that it was as important to have the Bad Robot (JJ Abrams) team on-board as producer of this flick, as evidenced by JJ's recent successes, this film falling safely in line with his level of quality.

The rest of Hunt's team, played by Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, and the man of the hour, Jeremy Renner. They play off each other well, in a comedic sense, as well as running missions like well oiled heists, making the impossible possible.

That is a part of the allure of the film...much like John McLane is seemingly the indestructible hero, Ethan Hunt closely follows suit. There are some sequences in this movie that would have killed most people, but Hunt is the Energizer Bunny of movie heroes of late.

The action sequences really pop and to be honest, since Warrior in September, this was the most fun I've had in the theater. And what a joy to see some good old fashion US/Russia hostility captured sublimely on the big screen.

I am all for world peace, but in the movies, if it bleeds, it leads. Nicely done folks.

4.5 of 5 Horns

Young Adult

FROM IMDB: "Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now married with kids."

Jason Reitman is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. I will admit, I am favorable to him in part because I owe his father a great deal for creating my favorite movie of all time... Ghostbusters, that is.

The younger Reitman has mastered in short order the ability to convey massive amounts of emotion in sharing the misery of regular people. Most notably, I am thinking of Juno, Up In The Air, and now in Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, and Elizabeth Reaser.

I went into this flick a little weary. I loved Juno, and so did the Academy, as it won the best original screenplay Oscar for then first time screenwriter, Diablo Cody. Ms. Cody came back firing, but sadly she missed the mark badly with Jennifer's Body. Maybe it was her push for the silly teen lingo that worked so well in Juno, or maybe it was the trainwreck that is Megan Fox; whatever the problem, Jennifer's Body was God awful.

The trendy speech was left in the dust, and Cody strikes again here, with a real winner. But this is a starkly dark film. Where Juno was dark in its way, it was still bearable even at its roughest moments. Young Adult raises the bar of depravity to new levels, and while it is evident in the trailer, this film really isn't even a dark comedy, but a tragedy.

Theron's Mavis Gary, pining over the high school and college sweetheart of days past, he, Patrick Wilson, here as Buddy Slade, now married with a new baby in his life.

This film is entirely a dissection of the deconstruction of a mentally ill person. Sad, tragic, a train rumbling consistently from start to finish, until it finally leaves the tracks.

Patton Oswalt is a tour de force in this film, and if he is not nominated for an Oscar, I will be surprised. His character's story is unreal and how he develops as the plot unfolds is masterful. His comedic delivery is in stark contrast with his tragic past, but he makes it work, 100%.

I give Young Adult a very sold 4 of 5 Horns. Check it out, if you dare.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

FROM IMDB: "Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty."

A word briefly on this latest Sherlock Holmes adventure. I am nearing the end of my evening and I will keep this short and sweet...

First, a big shout out to my buddy Matt. We had a man-date to give closure to a deal struck months ago, that involved a Ghostbusters movie poster, and a movie night, my treat. Matt, you da man!!

Second, I really enjoyed this movie. I didn't walk out of the theater blown away, but I enjoyed (most) every minute of this film. I say most every minute because my only complaint with this effort, is the same as it was with the first...it was just a hair too long. These stories are so complex, that the 2 hour + running time gives you so much to follow and try and track, never knowing what elements of a set or the story are going to come back around later. That said, I still really liked it!

I thoroughly enjoy Jared Harris, the face to Holmes Dr. Moriarty. He is a formidable villain, and certainly does not let us down.

Props to Mr. AK-47 for pointing out to me, I forgot to assign the traditional horn rating...for Sherlock & Co., I give it a 4 of 5 Horn salute.

The highlight by far, though was a marriage proposal, via special presentation, after the show. This guy put together a series of movie clips that told their story...on an average Monday night, which also happens to be their Movie Date Night, he made arrangements with the man, Ponce, AMC Barrywoods GM extraordinaire, to make this night a little extra special. She said yes. Congratulations to the happy couple.

The holidays are upon us, and I can't say when I'll post again. I will try to hit a few flicks and post when I can. You can rest assured, I will be coming strong on or around the new year with my best and worst lists, of 2011.

Until later, take care.

Reel Rhino

Finally...A Decent Weekend Ahead! Oh Yeah...I Saw The Sitter

2011-12-14T23:29:00.000-06:00

I think that the Holiday release season sits only second to the Summer Blockbuster Season. It has something to do with extreme weather, I think Granted, here in KC, we hit the low 60's this Wednesday with a Spring like wind, but the snow and the cold are certainly on the way.

First, old business.

THE SITTER: 3 of 5 Horns

Yes, you are correct...wrong movie, but this film was kinda a horror show, so I figured I wouldn't pass up such a pun-y opportunity.

Through the first half of this flick, I was thinking 1.5 to 2ish, at best, but somehow this flick pulled it together and rounded home towards a decent finish.

David Gordon Green's last effort was an absolute atrocity...Your Highness...a stoner comedy that left even the stoners running for the popcorn stand.

I stand by his directorial portfolio as a man with great promise, but efforts like this are tipping the teeter the other way.

The Sitter has a number of decent laughs...most of them directly tied to the antics of the youngsters said Babysitter is looking after. The rest of the decent laughs come directly from Jonah Hill, who has a masterful comedic delivery, regardless of the material.

If you haven't seen the sitter yet, wait for the DVD or catch it On-Demand. There's a bunch of popcorn-eating goodness headed for the big screen this weekend...

Yep, that's all I have for you on The Sitter.

This weekend shows some promise for the Big Picture Houses...

I will not mention that Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is being released this weekend...whoops, I guess I mentioned it. But that aside, there is plenty of decent fare hitting the screen to keep that trainwreck from taking home the weekend title.

This weekend is the warm up week...some big flicks hitting, some in limited release, some flooding the market.

Take for example, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows. Admittedly, I was not blown away by the first in this series. Everyone involved with the film, made it wholly entertaining, but I thought the plot was a little lacking. I am worried that Guy Ritchie's early indie appeal is ever-tainted by Madonna's stink of commercialism. Here's hoping he can overcome. God knows I would watch Robert Downey Jr. read a phone book...he is damn charismatic!

This weekend also brings us a studio first...a release of a tent-pole release, in limited form, coming out on IMAX screens only. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is coming to an IMAX near you, but that is it. If you want to catch MI:4 on what some call a reasonably sized screen, you will have to wait a week. In my opinion, it's a brilliant release plan. This will most definitely siphon a few extra bucks out of those eager Tom Cruise fans who want to catch a glimpse of their hero ASAP. Yes, that Tom Cruise fan base is dwindling, but throw in a dash of Jeremy Renner, and game-on man....game-on. Have you heard of his flick coming out this March? Hansel and Gretel? In concept, it looks re-donk-u-lous. MI:4 is sitting at a strong 91% fresh and at an early but promising 8.1 on IMDB. Even Ebert lent a hand, offering 3 and 1/2 stars to this late series entry. I think it is going to be a very dangerous holiday movie season, dangerous indeed.

You know what else might hook up MI:4 for the big win....3 words: Dark. Knight. Rises. Yep, the DKR prologue, those six glorious minutes of film, will be playing before Tommy Cruise and Co. take the screen. Another means for packing the house, as IMAX screens have felt the impact of such ridiculously high prices.

And finally, Young Adult. The re teaming of the oh-so-successful team of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody. Maybe this is what Cody needed to jump back into the realm of respectable. Perhaps, Ms. Cody, we can forgive you for the mess that was Jennifer's Body. That catastrophe could have been half horror, half Megan Fox sex tape, and I would have the same level of interest. That was crapola. That said, Young Adult has received some rave reviews and RT has it at 80% fresh. Although Young Adult is not being cut as a new release. It played in 8 theaters last week, so this counts as an expansion, and a meager one at best, playing in 1000 theaters as of Friday.

These past few weeks have been exceptionally weak at the cinema, and it has shown on the overall box office numbers. I think this weekend will see people flooding theaters, but as to who will take the weekend, your guess is as good as mine.

Will the IMAX upcharge be enough to push Tom Cruise back into the top spot.

Will the commercial Holmes be the ticket with the return of Noomi Rapace, the girl with Downey Jr. and Jude Law? I doubt that 1000 screens for Young Adult will be enough as it is also an R-rated flick, but it sure will help muddy the waters.

And lest I forget Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, members of the Chipmonk trio that continue to plague my existence.

The answers to all this and more...in just 5 days.

A good weekend to all, and to all a good night.

Reel Rhino

Arthur Christmas and the Weak 2 Weeks in Cinema

2011-12-08T22:45:00.000-06:00

Look at me...new font...nice.

I have been promising this Arthur Christmas review to people for the better part of this week. I am currently under the weather, coming out of a week of teaching photography, and headed into the weekend needing a pick me up, that just isn't there.

What in the holy hell has been going on at the movies?!?

Last week, no new releases, this week, just The Sitter and the star-studded but likely garbage-rific New Year's Eve. So at this very moment, The Sitter is at 17% on Rotten Tomatoes and New Year's Eve is at a (just like I expected) 5%...garb-oni!

What a miserable 2 weeks at the theater...gimme gimme Ticker Tailor Soldier Spy...opening this week as well, but only on a miserable 4 screens. Thanks a lot, New York and LA!

I understand the appeal of the masses for the Twilight flicks, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. But for the love of Pete...we have set up Twilight to rock a FOURTH #1 week at the movies. That is unless the milquetoast New Year's Ever manages to take the weekend.

For my money, as I have said before, the best options out there in wide release are still The Muppets (97% on RT) or Hugo (94% on RT), but also perhaps today's offering (sitting at 94% on RT)...

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS: 4.5 of 5 Horns

I saw Arthur Christmas last Saturday. This capped a great run at the movies, which including those above along with My Week With Marilyn, was pretty fantastic. That said, you can understand why I am so sick of these lame weeks of nothing new worth watching.

I went into Arthur Christmas having seen only one teaser trailer

The truth of the matter is that I probably wouldn't have gone and seen this flick, if I hadn't exhausted all other options...except Jack and Jill, which I flat out refused to go see. I have stuck by Adam Sandler through thick and thin, but with the atrocity that is Jack and Jill, I am hanging him out to dry.

Arthur Christmas is a wholly British film. Eva Longoria, Laura Linney, and Joan Cusack are the only touch of Americana, with the real charge being lead by some of my favorites: Jim Broadbent (Santa), James McAvoy (Arthur), Hugh Laurie (Steve - Arthur's Brother and the heir apparent to the job of Santa), and Bill Nighy (Grand Santa) as the core four leads.

From IMDB: On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son looks to use his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission.

An urgent mission...what could it be? True love? Save the world? Nope...a kid's been missed! Young Arthur Christmas is sent into a tailspin while the rest of the Santa family is seemingly unaware or not concerned.

Yikes...

What really grabbed me with this flick was the absolutely stellar presentation of Santa's delivery. Such a high tech effort, as is briefly evidenced in the first trailer, presented above. It was an awesome display of tech and the animation was spot on wonderful. Yes, I saw this in 3-D, which was certainly passable, but this was a wonderful film, no matter how many D's you see.

This film delivered great laughs, for the adults as well as the kids. But unlike the obviousness of the Shrek in-jokes for adults, this film's jokes were absolutely hilarious. Guffaws were heard throughout the land, soda spewing from many a parent's nose.

Give this one a chance. The kids will love it...the adults will love it. It was a damn fine entry into the films of Christmas. Nothing like cursing when talking about the great gifts the holiday season brings us.

As a side note, I am a big fan of Pawn Stars, Auction Hunters, Hardcore Pawn, American Pickers, and perhaps most of all, Storage Wars. I am happy a double dose of Storage Wars, with the addition of Storage Wars: Texas, but I am a little on the fence about these new characters. They seems to have selected carbon copies of the type of people we are already dealing with on the original. I will watch though, because I am an addict like that.

As a second side note, when my in-laws were in town, I was flipping through the DVR and my father-in-law caught a glimpse of Hardcore Pawn in my saved episodes list, and quickly looked away from the TV, saying: Oh, um, oh, we probably don't want to watch that....

Good times.

Until later, take care...

Reel Rhino

A Great Couple of Flicks: Hugo, My Week With Marilyn, The Muppets, The Descendants

2011-12-03T00:09:00.000-06:00

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REVIEWED THIS POST (It was a good week!):
The Muppets: 4 Horns
The Descendants: 4 Horns

Hugo: 5 Horns

My Week With Marilyn: 4.5 Horns

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My posts have been few and far between, but hey, a big man's gotta eat some turkey!

I have a big weekend lined up and unfortunately, but most of it is happening outside of a theater.

Fortunately, there are essentially no new mainstream releases this week, and the only movie that really has my interest peaked is Steve McQueen's Shame, starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. However, it is not hitting the screens in KC anytime soon. A fact I find surprising, given a recent Cliff Clavin like piece of info I picked up...KC has more cinema screens than any other US city.

No wonder I find it so easy to feed my addiction...

THE MUPPETS: 4 of 5 Horns

Not a perfect movie, but a damn fine piece of entertainment. It perfectly struck the nostalgia chord while being sufficiently modern to stand up on its own merit. Jason Segal is a muppet-fanatic, and it shows. He co-wrote the flick with Nicholas Stoller, a talented comedic writer and director in his own right.

I am especially fond of Jim Henson, being a fellow Maryland Terrapin. If you ever chance by the Maryland campus, stop by Kent Hall, where Kermit was first created...the stuff of legends. On the steps of Kent Hall, engraved in the stone stairway, is "Kermit." Simply, elegant, fitting.

Amy Adams is perhaps the best young actress of our generation...she is adorable, she can act any genre, and she was a perfect fit for this movie, having great chemistry with Co-Star Jason Segal.

Chris Cooper, Kansas City native, is glorious as the mean-spirited villain.

The main attraction, the Muppets themselves, were great as well...no this isn't a carbon copy of the shows we remember, but it certainly carries on the great tradition of great family fun. I read there was some dissension by the original cast, as to the worthiness of this entry into the Muppets cannon.

I disagree and I hope was ever bad feelings there were, it wasn't sour grapes...I can't think of any other reason, because this film was loads of fun.

The Descendants: 4 of 5 Horns

They say this one will be up for a load of awards...George Clooney as the patriarch of a family in turmoil. On one hand, Clooney's Matt King is the chair of a land trust, overseeing the care of the largest remaining privately owned piece of Hawaii. On the other hand, Clooney is struggling to connect with his daughters, while their mother is on life support, after suffering a head injury in a boating accident.

The movie is the product of Alexander Wright, a very talented writer/director, who's previous films include Sideways and Election, two very dark comedies.

Dark comedy sits in the heart of Wright's wheel-house, and he comes through strong here. You see with the complexities of a wife on life-support and the handling of the sale of a billion dollar piece of property, the last thing you would want to learn is that your wife has been unfaithful...ugh.

Clooney does shine in his performance of the conflicted husband, but I think that Shailene Woodley, as Alexandra King, Matt's daughter, does a phenomenal job as a young and cute girl on the fringes between frustration and disrespect.

Also adding flavor to this flick is a cameo by Robert Forester, one of my favorites, who for my money, stole the show in Quentin Tarantino's 1997, Jackie Brown. An odd choice for a serious role was Matthew Lillard, but surprising, he knocks it out of the park...

Check this out, but don't expect an uplifting experience...it is very entertaining and memorable film, but is maybe one of the few decent movies playing right now in wide-release.

Hugo: 5 of 5 Horns

This was a great film. It was a movie lovers film. Not just because Scorsese was helming, but because when it gets moving, it actually becomes centered around a true classic period in cinema and the earliest of days in film as a form of entertainment.

This all is built around this young boy, Hugo Cabret...a watchmaker's son, orphaned and sent to live with his Uncle, a drunk who seems to have found a purpose keeping the clocks at the train station running on time. But in the opening moments of the film, you learn that the Uncle has absconded and it is in fact Hugo, the orphan, running things at the station.

He steals a roll and a milk each morning and challenges the threshold of the Station Inspector, a role masterfully portrayed Sasha Baron Cohen, a man who for his silliness, can shine when given a role like this.

Young Hugo has refined the art of the steal, lifting occassional toys from the station toymaker, Ben Kingsley, playing Papa Georges, grandfather in name to a young lady, Isabelle (Chloe Moretz), who befriends Hugo and wants to share an adventure with him.

From IMDB: Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

This automaton becomes the focus of Hugo's attention, and he steals toys from the toymaker to try and find parts to make it work, thinking it holds a secret message from his father, who was snatched from his life in an accident at the museum where he worked. This is why he steals from the toymaker...to get parts to try and get the automaton to work.

The adventure that unfolds is epic and the direction the story takes is wonderful. I doubted Martin Scorsese could deliver from the trailers I saw for this. I assumed it was some dream vanity project and it would amount to nothing short of an epic failure. I was dead wrong.

This is rated PG and unfortunately, opening in week 2 of Twilight and against The Muppets and Arthur Christmas over Thanksgiving weekend, it barely held its own, coming in fifth to the three mentioned as well as Happy Feet Two

Yes, those other films have an immediate appeal, but Hugo struck me as something like a Forrest Gump or a more refined Goonies...films that have stayed with you for years. The PG is a stamp of family friendliness and it holds true here. Check this out as soon as you get the chance.

My Week With Marilyn: 4.5 of 5 Horns

This is film is excellent.the acting, direction, writing the overall look..everything.

Michelle Williams was haunting in her portrayal as the Blond Bombshell In her first moment on screen, I saw Michelle Williams in a Marilyn Monroe costume By the end, all I saw was Marilyn Monroe.

The beautiful thing about this film is that it is a true story, written by Colin Clark, an ambitious young man with dreams of a career in film. His family was privileged and he had been promised a job on the set of Sir Laurence Olivier's (Kenneth Branaugh) next picture. When he showed up for a job, it was his persistence that finally paid off.

Third assistant director (uncredited) on The Prince and the Showgirl was the job he was given...basically a gopher. Young Colin, played masterfully by a nearly 30 year old Eddie Redmayne...a dark in the eyes, brooding but funny, a newbie to the entertainment business who picks up savvy in a flash, mostly thanks to the ease with with Olivier takes him into his inner circle.

But whose side is he on?

Enter Marilyn Monroe. Beautiful. Period.

By some stroke of luck, Monroe becomes affectioned to Colin, pulling him into her realm, vexing him with her sweet eyes and charm. This is all exceptionally complex as Monroe is freshly married to playwright Arthur Miller, but by some accounts, running off the marriage reservation more than once in her past.

This is a sweet movie, and for some of the more insidious behaviors and undertones, it plays as more of a playful drama than anything darker. We all know how it ends for Monroe, so it is hard not to feel extreme sympathy when you see her train running off the tracks.

And lest I forget to mention a great turn by Dame Judi Dench, playing Dame Sybil Thorndike. Other great roles and performances here by Toby Jones, the seemingly ever-present Dominic Cooper (that guys been everywhere this year!), and in her first post-Potter performance, Ms. Hermione Granger herself, Emma Watson, as the costume girl Lucy, who for her limited screen time, has quite an impact.

Go see this movie, if you can find it. It opened on a mere 244 screens to a paltry 1.75 million. I guess that's one may to make an Oscar run, as scarcity seems to always make folks want even more. I am willing to bet that this will see a King's Speech type wider release come late December or January. We shall see, but for whatever the plan, this is a film that will have the Academy's attention!

For a wholly enjoyable adult-oriented go see this film. For a wholly enjoyable family-oriented film, for see Hugo.

It's nice to have options.

For now, here's waiting to go see Arthur Christmas...that's all that's left. Usually, a busy weekend devoid of movies is a Debbie-Downer, but for a no new release weekend, I guess I'll survive. Here's hoping On-Demand is carrying something decent....

Until later, take care!

Reel Rhino

A Plethora of Movies, Including Twilight....oooooohhhh....Twilight

2011-11-21T23:48:00.000-06:00

Jeffe, did you say I had a plethora of movies? Ah, yes El Whoppa, I did say you have a plethora of movies.

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REVIEWED THIS POST:

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas - 2 of 5 Horns

Anonymous - 4 of 5 Horns

J Edgar - 3 of 5 Horns

Immortals 4.5 of 5 Horns

Our Idiot Brother - 4 of 5 Horns

Martha Marcy May Marlene - 4 of 5 Horns

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 - 3 of 5 Horns

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Sorry for the delay folks! I have been mighty busy...a garage sale, raking leaves, fighting crime...it takes a toll on a big fella!

As for the present moment (yeah, okay...this post is a few days old!), Mrs. Reel Rhino is out with some other ladies taking in the AMC Stubs Special Event, also known as, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I. Ohhhhhhhh....Team Jacob....Team Edward! Everybody get sooooooo excited. Stay tuned for the Twilight review at the bottom of the page.

I am not a Twi-hater, but I do have fundamental problems with these movies. I think the wooden acting has killed these films in a manner similar to the Hayden Christensen-Star Wars debacle. This series would have been so better served by teens who could actual emote. These kids, for their deep Shakespearean love, really fail to act like anything resembling real teens. I hope these last two films are at least decent, as for all my complaining, I will have to still see it.

A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas: 2 of 5 Horns

FROM IMDB: "Six years after their Guantanamo Bay adventure, stoner buds Harold Lee and Kumar Patel cause a holiday fracas by inadvertently burning down Harold's father-in-law's prize Christmas tree."

A sub-par entry into the H&K series, there are a few decent gags, but otherwise, this film falls completely flat. I mean that IMDB synopsis pretty much says it all. This flick is saved by the presence of Neil Patrick Harris only, as everything this guy touches, seems to turn to gold.

I only wonder what "the community" will think about NPH forsaking his gayness, even if for the sake of a comedic bit. His bravery to live out loud was praised, but the whole thing is proclaimed a gag in this flick, as a ploy to get chicks. I get the joke, and perhaps his supporters will as well. I am a firm believer that in the name of comedy, all can be forgiven, but for such a sensitive issue these days, maybe it was too much too soon.

Other than a very enjoyable role by NPH, this film is clearly a must miss.

Anonymous: 4 of 5 Horns

FROM IMDB: "A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her."

This is the "real" story of William Shakespeare, as told by the master of disaster, Roland Emmerich. "They" say that this is the first film by Emmerich that actually is a truly decent film. While I believe that this is a truly decent film, I do think that Emmerich's The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, and The Patriot were all wholly enjoyable, albeit somewhat guilty pleasures.

Supposedly, the works of William Shakespeare were actually written by "Anonymous," and in a moment of haste, when the call for the talents of the writer of a stage play was being chanted, Shakespeare stepped up and took the credit.

This film was at times hard to follow, as events unfold in 3 different times and in a variety of venues. And it is very much a period piece, with everyone dressed in drab garb.

But for whatever this film got wrong, it got right the presentation of a really enjoyable film spinning a tale that for some scholars, may be an actual portrayal of the history of The Bard. It is one part drama, one part comedy, one part action....Check it out if you get a chance, it is a really decent 2 hours in the theater.

J Edgar: 3 of 5 Horns

FROM IMDB: "As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life."

I will lead with this: this film WILL take the Oscar for Best Makeup. For the three leads, Leo, Armie Hammer, and Naomi Watts, they aged them perfectly. The old detraction from their appearance was the jarring nature of hearing Leo speak through an old man's body.

This is a film with great potential, but far less delivery. It is a thinker, not a doer, and it plays out as a procedural of J Edgars life, with too little action but for a couple of dynamic arrest scenes.

The speculation to J Edgar's personal proclivities is the interesting aspect of this movie. There were some high points on the history of the FBI's major cases, most notably, the Lindbergh Kidnapping. I found the presentation of the kidnapping and investigation very plain. Now I speak from a position of insider authority on the Lindbergh case as I have studied it and presented on it professionally. I think to an extent, this dulled this bit of the tale, and it covered a solid chunk of the flick.

What I did like, as a CSI myself, was the depiction of the creation of the FBI Crime Lab, not the first one in the country, but the first with the scope and impact that the FBI lab had on crime fighting, most notably at the time, the collection and categorizing of the fingerprints of known offenders.

All in all, I was entertained by this movie, but just not moved the way I have been in the past from the offerings of Clint Eastwood.

I will say there was a fair amount of hate in my theater, for every time the bits concerning the speculated homosexual behavior of the legendary lawman hit the screen, some of my fellow moviegoers felt the need to offer guffaws, and one guy actually yelled out "that's bullshit!"

No my friend, you are the bullshit.

Immortals: 4.5 of 5 Horns

FROM IMDB: "Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity."

I love the films of Tarsem Singh...for pre-viewing research, check out The Fall, from 2006 or The Cell from 2000...yep, The Cell...that flick with J Lo. Both films are so vivid, the decent stories in each are forgiven for the stunning visuals.

Mirror, Mirror, the other Snow White click, is due in early 2012 and it will be Tarsem's fourth film and I have high hopes. I also like the look of Snow White and The Huntsman. If you haven't yet, check out the trailer.

Immortals is a really well made film, that like Tarsem's previous efforts, look beautiful. This is an example of 3-D truly enhancing the product by giving great depth of field.

This is a fantasy, and there are bit with the Greek Gods intertwined with the story of the mortals, and the one who would save them.

Henry Cavill is Theseus. Henry Cavill is the next Superman, in the Chris Nolan produced reboots. Cavill shows himself here to be fully capable in the hero role. His boyish looks have a sense of innocence that should translate well into the Clark Kent side of Supe.

Mickey Rourke plays King Hyperion in yet another role in which he seems to have born to play.

There is a fight sequence towards the end of the film that is Matrix-esque and for 2011, just as exciting.

Immortals is billed as being from the Producers of 300, and it is worth the billing. Stephen Dorff is

Martha Marcy May Marlene: 4 of 5 Horns

FROM IMDB: "Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult."

This film may be best known for starring an Olsen sister...no, not one of the twins, even younger...Elizabeth Olsen, 22 years old, and a fragile being in this film, freshly escaped from a collective farm/cult. She flees into the arms of a long lost sister, two years removed from each other's lives while she was living under the roof of "the family."

The "father," Patrick, is played masterfully by John Hawkes. Hawkes is coming off a banner 2010 having been nominated for best supporting actor for his role of Teardrop in Winter's Bone. Not to typecast this force of the silver screen, but he was built for roles like this, a very similar character, hard and worn, to last year's Teardrop.

After two years in the family, Martha has had enough, and one morning, she hits the trail at the crack of dawn. She calls her sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson), and after being gone for two years, she is more than happy to reconnect with Martha.

Martha is not forthcoming with what she has been through, but it becomes obvious to Lucy, that something is wrong. It is also obvious to Ted (Hugh Dancy), Lucy's husband, who had never met Martha, and who is very astute to Martha's oddities.

The film is told in two parts, toggling back and forth from the beginning of Martha's run with the family and the beginning of her time again with her long lost sister.

The tension in this film builds as the running time continues...but it never rises to its billing as a thriller, which is really my only complaint. The tension comes from Martha's experiences in the family and the discomfort that grows as Martha's social awkwardness grows less and less tolerated.

I enjoyed this film and I think that Olsen, Hawkes, and Paulson will all be contenders come Oscar season, as well as screenwriter and director Sean Durkin, who has already been nominated for Best Breakthrough Director in the Gotham Awards.

Check it out, if for no other reason, to see something different from the mostly trashy flicks playing in theaters now.

Speaking of trash...

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1: 3 of 5 Horns

Now the Mrs. Reel Rhino disagrees with my feelings of mundanity towards this penultimate entry into the Stephanie Meyer series, but it isn't the first time I have disputed with my lady, and it won't be the last.

There were a few decent moments in this flick, but my chief complaint remains this is such a far fetched presentation of teens, let alone teens in love. I guess living as long as Edward has, you could do little else but be a piney little whiner.

If you remember a few posts ago, I gave the Team Jacob flick, Abduction, a passing 4 of 5 horns review. That review stands, and I also think that T Laut is one of the few people in this flick that can actually act. Lautner, Billy Burke, and Ashley Greene, and Anna Kendrick are really the ones in this that I find palatable. Billy Burke because he;s a cool dude, Kendrick because she is legitimately talented albeit misused as a comic sidekick honoring the role she created before she hit it big, and Ashley Green because, well as Mrs. Reel Rhino put is, is adorable.

Lautner had me going full on Team Jacob, until that scene were he was wolfed out and has the meeting with his wold pack, him proclaiming "I follow no one....I am the grandson of a chief!!!!" The wolfpack scene was re-dick-U-lous.

I didn't hate this movie...I just find it more silly than it had to be, and for a richer bit of acting, the story may actually have stuck a little more solid.

Notice how I didn't mention Kristen Stewart....yep, that was on purpose. I only hope she is asleep through much of Snow White and the Huntsman, which otherwise looks pretty damn good. I'm not trying to judge, but she is terribly melodramatic.

See this movie if you must. See it on the big screen if you plan on seeing it, as it will accentuate it just a little bit...speaking of accentuating the movie going experience. There was a crying infant front and center. The screaming lasted from beginning to end...intermittently. When the baby wasn't yelling, the other audience members were...at the baby's parents. Nice. See also, my last post on being an ass at the theater. These people qualified whole hearted as a bunch of asses. Nice one.

Our Idiot Brother: 4 of 5 Horns

From IMDB: "A comedy centered on an idealist who barges into the lives of his three sisters."

A formulaic, but enjoyable film, featuring Paul Rudd as said Idiot Brother. This film has a star studded cast in Rashida Jones, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, T.J. Miller, and Kathryn Hahn.

Basically, Paul Rudd is sent to jail for selling weed to a uniformed officer. This act should give some insight to the intelligence level of the man, but what you also see out of the gate is the heart of this guy. He is as compassionate and caring as he is idiotic, but most of his caring leads to more idiotic antics.

After being released from jail, we see him bounce from his mother's house, to each of his sister's, and back to his mother's. In each scenario, Rudd's Ned gets involved in the lives of his family, and in each scenario, he gets them into hot water.

The formulaic part is that in the end, everyone is better for the chaos that has invaded their lives. That is no spoiler, but only info as to the type of movie...for take away the f-bombs and weed dealing, and this would almost qualify as a feel good family film.

Instead, we have a really competent adult comedy with a decent feel good flow to it.

Check it out when you get a chance, which will likely be at home as this flick has already been through a pretty limited run in the theaters.

Whew!

That's a lot of movies! I am about spent and for now, I will bid you adieu. Until next time, take care!

Reel Rhino

TOWER HEIST Review and Am I an Ass...don't answer that.

2011-11-05T00:41:00.000-05:00

So I'll cut to the "I'm an Ass" part first. I did go and see Tower Heist this evening. I would like to think that for around 150 movies at the theater a year, that I am a sensitive movie goer.

I hate when folks bring loud and inappropriate aged kids to the theater.

I hate when cell phones aren't set to silent and when these phones do ring, the person who owns it can't seem to sort out: --a) where the phone is, and --b) how to stop the phone from ringing in the darkened environment of the theater.

Even more so, I hate so very much, when people actually answer the phones in the theater. Are you kidding me...you are really answering the phone...

"Hello"

"I'm at the movies..."

"I'll call you back later..."

"Yeah, okay, I'll meet you there..."

"Tell Bob I said hi..."

"Okay....okay...okay....bye."

Cardinal rule...you don't answer your phone at the theater. I am on call, 24/7/365. Usually 5 or 6 times a year, I will have a movie interrupted by a call out. When my phone "rings," at the theater, it is set to silent. I get up, press answer, and let the person on the other end of the phone listen to the movie as I walk out of the theater.

Bottom line, I hate inappropriate disruptions at the theater.

I am a considerate movie goer, but apparently today, I stepped over one man's line.

When the credits were approximately 3/4 of the way through, I pulled out to update the Media Stinger page. If you don't use it yet, be sure to check out MEDIA STINGER to see what movies have scenes during or after the credits. I use it for every flick I go see, to see if it will benefit me to stay until the lights come on. I contribute when I can, and I got credit for getting the Stinger submission for Tower Heist, but not without a price.

When I pulled out my phone, and this was the first time it was out since the trailers ended, within seconds, a man sitting two seats to my right stood up, tried to tough guy tower over me, and said "THANKS FOR HAVING YOUR PHONE OUT DURING THE MOVIE!" Caps indicate his tone, and I was quite frankly, flabbergasted.

My quick retort was: "I didn't!" to which he said "IT IS OUT RIGHT NOW!"

I should have just uttered: "NUHHH UHHHHHH, POPPY PANTS!," but what I actually said was that I thought he was a real joy to be around and told him to get out of my face. Now I have been losing weight, but at 335, I am still quite formidable. He left immediately and no blood was shed or blows were thrown. I was angry, but I still have self-restraint.

My statement regarding this interaction is this: for my agitation at others during a movie, I consider the trailers and the credits fair game for cell phone use, especially when there are no stingers at hand.

I was sorry that this jackalope was upset and had he handled it differently, I would have apologized in kind. But I stand by my take on credits rolling cell phone usage.

What say you Reel Rhinoites? What are your boundaries for theater etiquette? What is your worst disturbance at the theater story?

Mine relates to an infant child crying through the duration of Drag Me To Hell. That screaming infant helped me on my own personal descent into hell...what theater behavior has got your goat...let me know in the comments or via e-mail, and if I get a good enough response, I'll do a follow up post.

Now, on to the show...

TOWER HEIST 3.5 of 5 Horns

This was a passable entry into the adventure heist comedy genre. I will say that if this was an R-rate flick (it was PG-13), that Eddie Murphy would officially be back. For what he could spout in this milder environment, he was channelling very well, a similar vibe he had in Trading Places, the 1983 classic Eddie Murphy/Dan Aykroyd flick. If you've never seen it, stop reading right now and go do it. I mean it!

Okay, welcome back.

Brett Ratner specializes in movies that seem to avoid risk, giving us much of the same old stuff, rather than anything resembling new ideas. I don't say that to be mean, but I find his films so middle of the road. Not since 1998, when he gave us the original Rush Hour, did he really impress me as a director...Rush Hour the first was well paced and funny as hell.

Even Red Dragon (2002) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) were based on previous properties and in both instances, these missed the bar set forth by their predecessors.

There really is an all-star cast here: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Michael Pena, Tea Leoni, Judd Hirsch, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, and Gabourey Sibide. For as great as that sounds, they all deliver fair performances, but Murphy and Sibide stand above the others, by far.

From IMDB: When a group of hard working guys find out they've fallen victim to a wealthy business man's (Alda) Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.

Alda is a penthouse pimp who is adored by the staff at his high end apartment tower. The bend to his every whim until they find out he is being charged with securities fraud, an investigation being led by Tea Leoni's free spirited FBI Agent.

Our hero is Stiller's character, the apartment manager who is fired after taking out some aggression on Alda when he finds out they have been swindled. He was canned along with Casey Affleck and Pena, and the three of them hatch a plan to get it all back, but they need help.

Broderick is evicted from the apartment, a former market expert, and he is brought in for his expertise.

Murphy is a low level criminal who Stiller knows as a neighbor, and he is brought in as the expert in all things criminal.

Round out the gang with Sibide, a disgruntled maid who is about to be deported for an expired work Visa, and the gangs all here.

The vehicle for the MacGuffin (the cash) in this movie is a bit interesting, but I won't spoil it here. The fact that the backdrop for this film is an apartment along the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route, is also interesting.

Really that is a good way to describe this movie: interesting.

It is an interesting movie with a great cast, but the movie is never brought to the sum of its parts. It is like Oceans 14, without Clooney or Pitt, and not nearly as good as any of Soderbergh's offerings. I enjoyed seeing this, especially due to the resurgence of the Eddie Murphy I remember from my youth...here's hoping we can get this guy into an R-rated flick soon. If they reboot Beverly Hills Cop with a rumored sequel, if it is PG-13, I will protest.

No more Meet Dave, no more Imagine That, no more Norbit...get back to the good stuff, baby. And for the record, I am a Pluto Nash apologist...yep, like it a lot. Get over it folks...it was the last time Randy Quaid was funny and overall, it is much more fun than anyone give it credit for.

Until later, have a Very Harold and Kumar Christmas...maybe that's up next for me...maybe Anonymous. I haven't decided yet. Who knows what the weekend will hold...just hopefully it doesn't involve any more verbal lashings by codgery old men. A boy can dream...

Reel Rhino

Puss in Boots, Margin Call - Reel Rhino (Mini) Reviews

2011-11-03T23:30:00.000-05:00

Yep, mini reviews...that's all I have for you...

I gave the leaves in my yard round two this week, so I am a little tuckered out. I would like to get this out there...I think that Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill will be THE atrocity of 2011.

There, I said it...I think they should reconsider the title, and change it to Battlefield Earth II. What is he thinking? Sandler can really be funny, sweet, dramatic, and more, but what in the hell is going on here?

This could officially be his first steps down Eddie Murphy Road...which hopefully Eddie, an insanely talented guy, is about to pull himself out of. Tower Heist has had some early reviews that sound not so bad. We'll see. Who knows, Eddie's Nutty Professor was a blazing success, perhaps Jack and Jill will...nope, I can't even say it, let alone write it...

This poster is awful...it looks like a parody poster. The thing is, its rated PG. I am guessing this is being drummed out as a family movie. I think it will flounder.

Puss in Boots - 3.5 of 5 Horns

This is the not so necessary spin-off to the Shrek flicks, that perhaps wore out their welcome, by at least one film. I guess Shrek Forever After was funny, but really their writers do a good job of channeling the zeitgeist of popular culture and film. The Shrek flicks always also seemed to work in some hidden, yet very adult humor, without risking they not as savvy kiddies getting the jokes.

That is really what Puss in Boots got right...some well placed jokes, some decent action, and a really good looking presentation of the IMAX version. But, what in the hell are the prices like in Denver...$17.00 for a matinee showing at the United Artists downtown theater?!?

That's a little too rich for my blood, but they do have a great auditorium for their IMAX screen. Too much dough, though, too much dough.

Puss in Boots is an enjoyable, mindless day at the theater. Antonio Banderas has charm, Selma Hayek is tone perfect as Kitty Softpaws....she is one bad kitty. Zach Galifianakis plays Humpty Dumpty...he is as talented in voice as he is in person, but I think it is mainly because you can picture him making silly faces as he delivers each and every well enunciated line.

A passable effort...okay, an enjoyable one, but not mind-blowing and I stand by what I always say...I prefer originality to the same old thing, and this is sadly, the some more of the same old thing.

Margin Call - 4 of 5 Horns

A timely film, albeit this being a fictional tale, depicting in spirit of the fall of the Lehman Brothers investment firm. I saw this on On-Demand, which is nice, but curious...why not the big rant from the theater owners here?

The cast alone warrants checking this one out...Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany, Simon Baker, and more...it plays out with something like a Glengary Glen Ross, just not exactly as engaging, and with a couple of gals thrown in, like Mary McDonnell and Demi Moore.

This is an enjoyable film as a procedural on the dark side of finance. It's relevance makes it more exciting, and generally speaking, being primarily a talkie, there are some decent thrills and tension throughout.

Again, for a shorty review, I say see it, but save the big screen for big screen type flicks. Check it out On-Demand, and enjoy a flick and send the message...if you build it, we will watch.

Until later, take care...we'll see how Tower Heist holds up. I'll be back soon with more to report.

Reel Rhino

In Time - Reel Rhino Review

2011-10-29T00:45:00.000-05:00

I may be light on the filmgoing this weekend...if any of the Reel Rhino faithful get a chance to see Puss in Boots, Anonymous, or The Rum Diary...please drop your opinion in the comments section below. And now on to the show...

IN TIME

I was extremely excited to see IN TIME. I say that, knowing full well that the lead was played by none other than J Tim...Justin Timberlake that is. I am here to announce once and for all, I no longer recognize as a former boy band member and I now recognize him as an actor. His role as Jacques Grande in The Love Guru withstanding.

Granted, he wasn't in Sean Parker form (see also: The Social Network), but he can pass for an action/adventure hero, and I think that we will be seeing a lot more from him in the very near future.

When I saw the trailer for this, I was pretty blown away at the concept of the flick....see for yourself;

I think I will describe this film more than offer a commentary, other this: go see this flick...it is an original concept, and for that alone, it deserves to be seen.

When Will Salas (Timberlake) is falsely accused of murder, he must figure out a way to bring down a system where time is literally money, enabling the wealthy to live forever while the poor, like Will, have to beg, borrow, and steal enough minutes to make it through another day.

Currency is time, in every sense of the word in this film. There is no paper money...set in the near future, you are paid for work with time, you pay your bills with time...time is all that matters. You age normally from birth through age 25...that's when your "clock" starts and you maintain a youthful appearance until the day you "time out." Imprinted on your arm is the sum of your wealth, being the amount of time you have left in your life, unless you can get more time.

Salas stumbles into a great deal of currency, when he saves a stranger from a group of thieves. Muggings in this future society have a bit more of a dire impact, than just losing your wallet. Time can be shared with friends or family, which is also how the thieves make their run at getting minutes however they can. The means of transfer is touch, with the grip and direction of twist in the hands affecting the direction of flow of time. A neat concept, indeed.

Then there are the timekeepers...the cops of the future, who are tasked with investigating unbalances in the distribution of time in society.

The concept is made even more complex as the nature of these unbalances become more clear. There are neighborhoods, known as "time zones," \which to travel into, you must pay a steep toll, to the tune of a day up to a few months, to travel from one to the other. A sort of population control. The rich and famous live in Zone 1, where people have time banked to the proportion that they are essentially immortal. The poor live day to day, literally.

When Salas gets this load of time dropped in his lap, he quickly maneuvers himself to Zone 1. He makes some friends and is invited to a party, where he meets Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried). This is where the story really takes off and i'll leave it to you to see how it plays out.

The lead timekeeper is played by Cillian Murphy. He looks twice the size as he was in 28 Days Later and truthfully, he was pretty bad ass!

Also making an appearance here was Olivia Wilde, 2011's It-Girl. She plays Will's mother, Rachel. It is kind of an odd concept to get used to, given the oldest anyone looks is 25 years old. Yes, some of the less fortunate do look a bit more haggard...Johnny Galecki for one...good to see you back in features, my friend.

Murphy's timecop is certain that Salas must have stolen the windfall of time that he was given, and the cat and mouse game is on.

This film was written and directed by Andrew Niccol. A notable work in his past that bleeds through in this flick is Gattaca. The bio-medical sci-fi genre is clearly something he does well...but then again, he also gave us S1mOne, the Al Pacino atrocity. He was the screenwriter on Peter Weir's The Truman Show, a Reel Rhino favorite. I think as a filmmaker, Niccol has talent, I only wonder why his films are so few and far between. Gattaca was Niccol's first feature, released when he was just 33 years old. Since then, he has made only 4 other films, In Time included. He does have another writer/director credit slated for 2012, a sci-fi flick called The Host. Given my enjoyment of this flick, I can't wait.

The tone of the film reminded me of Gattaca, as well as last year's Surrogates, the later being the much less sophisticated of the two, but a film I like none the less. I liked the tone, as well as the overall look of In Time, very industrial and dark, where appropriate, which was contrasted nicely with the light colored and more clinical look of things, also when appropriate.

This film had some good laugh out loud moments, a solid through and through storyline, and a real cute hair cut on Seyfried. What more could you ask for from an original sci-fi film, the likes of which was reminiscent of Christopher Nolan, with just a little less panache.

A real decent outing by all, I give this 4 of 5 horns.

FYI: Ghostbusters is still playing at AMC Theaters...they are running two shows, including a midnight screening, through Halloween. Go see it if you can!!

Until later, take care,

Reel Rhino

Footloose and Paranormal Activity 3 Reviews

2011-10-28T00:21:00.000-05:00

FOOTLOOSE (2011)

I am a slacker.

What I should have done is to have watched the original Kevin Bacon classic, a childhood favorite of mine, before having watched this film.

The truth...well the truth is I never planned on watching this remake, mostly because the trailer gave me more a vibe of Step Up, rather than Footloose.

I was wrong. Footloose (2011) was a sweet film, with a decent emotional core, that had some really enjoyable action set pieces. Now read that correctly, please...an action scene in Footloose, for me, is a well choreographed dance number, and of this, there were several.

What you may not know is that I am a sucker for a good choreographed dance number. That is one of the reasons I love Glee, but with Glee, they have been mostly devoid of fun songs this season and things have been a little too much show-tuney. A good dance scene can nearly bring me to tears...okay, it does bring me to tears...

I never intended to see Footloose. I actually meant to go see The Three Musketeers 3-D, given the 3-D trailer for Attack of the Clones preceded it. You would think after 1050 movies at the theater, that I could read the times correctly, but I'm a rhino, not an elephant...rhinos can be forgetful!

So Footloose it was and I am better for it. The film is really a standard fish out of water story, combined with a standard stranger in a strange town, outsider story...set to music.

The original Footloose was a film I saw in the theater, and much like Ghostbusters inspired my friends and I to hunt the spirits roaming our neighborhood...Footloose inspired us to dance. We had roots in the breakdancing years, so making the jump to more contemporary moves shouldn't have been a problem...within a few days, we were back to headspins and backspins. You should have seen us after Karate Kid, now that was a show. All three; Footloose, Ghostbusters, and Karate Kid all came out in 1984. I was 8....it was a big summer. You should have seen the bunch of us after 1985's The Goonies...adventure was afoot plenty that summer.

The acting performances were passable. Unknown actor Kenny Wormland plays Ren, just moved to Bomont, TX from Boston following the death of his mother. Ren isn't really a troublemaker, but in a town where dancing is illegal, any non-Bomontian would seem like a rabble-rouser. Wormland would be just any up and comer to me, except when checking his bio, I see that he played an unknown dancer in Kevin Smith's Clerks II. That knocks him up a notch in my book.

We learn early on that five students were killed in a car wreck three years prior to the timeline of this movie. This event led to the institution of a curfew, and among other laws, the banning of public dancing by the town's youth and any playing of "disrespectful" music.

The love interest is Ariel (Julianne Hough) and the best friend role of Willard is played by Miles Teller. Ariel's brother was one of the kids killed in the wreck. Her father, the town Reverend, was played quite stoically by Dennis Quaid.

As an aside, I thought that Hough and Teller were the spitting image of both Jennifer Aniston and Shia LeBouf. Also as an aside, Hough is listed as an uncredited extra from Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone.

Zac Efron was originally slated to play the role of Ren. I am glad he did not, as his presence may have been a little distracting. Wormland was better than passable in his performance, but I mean c'mon, he's no Kevin Bacon...but few are.

There are a few recognizable faces in the rest of the cast, including Andie MacDowell, Ray McKinnon, and Kim Dickens.

This film has your standard love triangle and several montages, perfectly lifted from the 1980's blueprint for this type of film. The music was good, but not as memorable as the original, but in a turn of homage, all of the best songs from the 80's classic, were organically integrated into this film. That was a surprising and very welcomed aspect of the film.

An enjoyable film, I give Footloose 4 of 5 horns.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3

Given this film had a Tomatometer score hovering around 80%, I entered the theater with high expectations.

I think I like this movie more in hindsight, much more than in the first few minutes after walking out of theater. But don't put too much stock in that, as I have decided to upgrade PA 3 to a 2.5 from a 2.

This is a barely passable offering as a horror movie. There were some good jump scares, but for 88 minutes running time, it seemed to take way to long to get into the meat and potatoes of the mythology. Everything were simple scares until the last few minutes of the films. And what you learn in those last few minutes, seem highly unlikely give you know exactly the fate of these two young ladies.

That's right, if you didn't know it, this film it a prequel. It covers a period of time in the young lives of Katie and Kristi Rey, the two fated heroines of the first two flicks.

Paranormal Activity, the original, was shot and produced for $15,000. It made $107 million domestically. That's a profit many would kill for...it didn't hurt that the film was viewed by Steven Spielberg, who championed its theater release. With Pappa Steve guiding the ship, he suggested a change to the ending, and it was so. Given the $15,000 independent spirit of the original, although I didn't love it, I respected the hell out of it. Much the same is my opinion of the first Saw film and the sequels that followed. Much like Saw, it seems as though the more of these are made, the crazier things will get. Not good crazy, though. (see also; Halloween, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Child's Play, etc......)

An interesting aside is that the directors for this film were none other than Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the directors of the 2010 documentary hit, Catfish. Catfish was one of my favorites of last year and I stand by you should watch it, just don't check out anything about the movie before you see it. The description by the critics of the film's Hitchcockian feel was accurate.

But the past is the past, and what have you done for me lately?

Jost and Schulman were logical selection as the lead male in PA 3 was as much obsessed with filming their day to day lives as the pair was filming Nev Schulman in his romantic endeavors as was pursued by his Facebook girlfriend.

Paranormal Activity 3 is a lackluster film that is good for jump scares only. If you haven't seen the first two, it won't matter. It will help give some context, but not much.

I am told they are planning a total of five movies, and for now, they are left with a tough choice...do they stick with the found footage approach, or do they flip over to studio films. It didn't work for Blair Witch...the original Blair Witch is a cult classic...yes, it only holds up for one viewing, but it is effective. Blair Witch: Book of Shadows was an atrocity. It's a tough choice, but to make these worth watching, it may take more than adding a tradition shoot to pull it off.

As an aside, as a Maryland Terrapin, the first time I saw Blair Witch on an unmarked VHS tape making the bootleg rounds around campus, long before the first ad for it hit newsstands or theater previews. It was scary as hell, and for all we could have known, it may have been real. That's one helluva way to watch a flick.

I don't think Paranormal Activity will be able to turn it around...but you know that I'll be there to figure it out.

2.5 of 5 horns. Mediocre at best.

Until later, take care.

Reel Rhino

Who You Gonna Call??? -- They're Baaaackkkkk!

2011-10-25T23:27:00.000-05:00

GOPHER-BUSTERS!

Well that's what my 2-year old was saying, at least....

It's the Ghostbusters and they're ready to believe you!

This is, without question, my favorite film of all-time. I saw it first in the theater in 1984. I was eight.

So I am about to weave a yarn, like my grandma used to tell about a spectral-locomotive that would rocket by her farmhouse as a little girl...but let me be clear...my point here is to let you know that this Thursday, October 27th, 2011, GHOSTBUSTERS is back. It has played the last two Thursdays on a special Halloween re-release, and this Thursday is it the end of the run. Your last chance (for now) to see this film on the big screen.

So as I was saying...I was 8 years old.

The film came out in June. We spent the rest of that summer trying to fashion proton packs from miscellaneous scraps of metal and wood and nuts and bolts from my dad's leftovers from his constuction business taken clandestinely from my garage. Of course some of the best stuff came from the Mulvin's shed up the street. They had scrapped electronics, sheet metal, and everything needed to make a real sweet proton pack.

But as it went, we were eight. Instead of getting a decent pack built, we nearly burned down that shed, thinking we could replicate some wicked Hot Wheels stunts if we trenched out a track and filled it, moat-like, with gasoline. That day things went a bit awry.

Now a few years later, when we were in 6th grade, a friend of mine's older brother had actually made a proton pack. I can't promise that it worked (heehee) but it looks effing awesome. He made it in shop class and bought a GB-like jumpsuit, got creative for the patches, and for my money, he was a fire-breathing pimp who as far as I knew, was sure as hell ready to bust some heads, in a spiritual sense, of course.

(Note: these days, for anywhere from $50 to several thousand, you can actually by a pre-made proton pack...just remember if you do, you may be walking around with an unlicensed particle accelerator on your back!)

Smash cut to high school...in eleventh grade, I had moved handily past trying to create a respectable Ghostbuster costume...or as I would have referred to it, a uniform. But I was admitted into "The Vault' that year. Named after the in-joke to Seinfeld, The Vault consisted of a group of close friends, who had the unfortunate pleasure of spending junior prom night shooting hoops in Mike Wargo's driveway. They would be there for the Zima incident of 1994 and for the record, initiation for me was strutting into Victoria's Secret and asking if they had a crotchless teddy in my size. By the time I did it, dozens of my classmates had gathered outside the store, by the time it was over, security had been called and I left a little piece of my dignity inside of the Millcreek Mall that day. Although many shuvs and zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the slor that day I can tell you, but it was worth it. (C'mon, you remember, the last of the McKetrick supplicants!)

So one night, I am at a volleyball game with some of my fellow vaultians. I turn to take a picture and the flash fires, with my friend Mike uttering, I looked at the trap Ray. Golden.

For either my one of my birthdays or graduation, my best gal pal Lora got me a VHS copy of the flick. You can read more from Lora here: http://www.afever.com/. She's pretty awesome and to her credit, she knew exactly what I would need foraying to the big city (College Park, MD)...yes, I know, its not that big, but leaving McDowell High School in Erie, PA...really any city is a big city.

I watched that copy of Ghostbusters a lot and I estimate today that I have see the film in general no less than 500 times. I watched it falling asleep, watched it studying for tests, I watched it a lot.

Between high school and now, I have always come back to this film. One of my best friends Eric and I would quote GB back and forth like we were breathing. Like the ebb and flow of the tide, I haven't seen Eric in some time, well over a year by this typing, actually a bit closer to 18 months.

Eric, Reel Rhino, and John (l to r)

I bet next time we get together, I'll drop the Gozer the Gozarian speech...he may say something or another about "the twinkee," and perhaps one of us will agree that 'yes, this is true....this man has no dick."

I love the film Ghostbusters. It is the embodiment of a type of film from that era that at the same time were sweet, well-written, well-shot and re-donk-u-lously funny.

SEE ALSO: Stripes, Caddyshack, Spies Like Us, The Three Amigos, Animal House, Meatballs, Vacation, Fletch, and a handful others that in the spur of the moment, I am certainly forgetting.

As the pre-production work for Ghostbusters 3 is reportedly underway, who knows if we will ever get to see that film. I for one would like to...while I enjoy Ghostbusters 2, it is the far lesser film. It would be nice to renew enjoyment in this series for a new generation of viewers....

Oh wait...maybe instead of waiting for Ghostbusters 3, you could get out to the theater and go see the original...in theaters for one last showing this month....OCTOBER 27th, 2011...

GHOST BUSTERS (yep, I used the original spelling...)

People, get out there and see this film. What's ironic is that this is a digital copy, so I figured it would be crisp and clear along the lines of the Blu-Ray release...THANK GOD, it was not.

It had the filmic look as though the film reels were spinning up in the projection booth and it looked glorious...let me say that as a big guy, I typically save the term glorious for only the most savory of treats (or whatever I happen to be jamming down my gullet) so you can rest assured that I really, really mean it.

Ghostbusters is playing at AMC and Cinemark theaters nationwide...it may be at more theaters elsewhere, but those are the two carrying it around my parts.

Do your duty folks...go see this movie because it is great. Go see it to reinvigorate interest in this great franchise. Take your kids, take your friends...go see this movie.

If you hadn't guessed, this flicks gets pretty high marks from The Reel Rhino...I'd give is a 5 of 5, but I would say that it probably deserves a 6.

Until next time...always remember...they're ready to believe you!!

THE THING, THE BIG YEAR, WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER, ABDUCTION

2011-10-20T23:32:00.000-05:00

Here's a mini-cavalcade of film for your reading pleasure. Reviewed this post:

THE THING (3.5 of 5 Horns)

THE BIG YEAR (4 of 5 Horns)

ABDUCTION (3.5 of 5 Horns)
WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER (2 of 5 Horns)

THE THING: 3.5 of 5 Horns

I prepared for The Thing, by watching The Thing. When I say "The Thing," I am referring to the 1982 John Carpenter version of course. I have not seen the more aged classic, The Thing from Another World, but I am okay with that. While there are many who pine for 1960 and older horror, my love of the genre begins with the 1968 Romero classic, with many of my favorites spanning the 70's into early 80's.

You see the concept of The Thing is based on a 1938 short story, "Who Goes There," by John W. Campbell Jr. The 1982 film was adapted by Bill Lancaster, whose only other credits include all of the Bad News Bears films and series from the late 1970's. Bizarre.

I love The Thing. I think it was one of Carpenter's finest, and that is saying a lot from the creator of Halloween. Seminal Carpenter for me includes Big Trouble in Little China. Carpenter pulled some great performances from Kurt Russell, and Big Trouble is no different. See also, Escape from New York. Skip Escape from L.A.

John Carpenter lost his groove in the 90's. If you have ever seen Ghosts of Mars, I'm sorry. I you ever consider it, don't.

But lest I digress...I was excited to see this prequel in a part based on my love of the first, but also I am a big fan of both Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Joel Edgerton, most notably from their roles in Scott Pilgrim and Warrior, respectively.

So knowing that this current offering was a direct prequel to the Carpenter classic, I had to go in primed. That score is so damn haunting and so perfect for the original, I am pleased to say that they channelled it nicely for this film as well.

This film serves as a suitable prequel, but it is certainly a lesser movie in general. The first 15 minutes had some of the grit of the original, this film also set in 1982, prequeling immediately the events that took place in the Carpenter classic.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead was a suitable lead and she gave an enjoyable performance. The problem is that this film was a carbon copy of the original film from 1982. There was very little difference, other than the gender of our hero, and for my money, I expected more.

Granted, one of the great aspects of the original were the practical effects that were exceptionally creative. This film offered a wide range of effects that actually stood up in comparison to the original, which lifted this from a mundane prequel to an enjoyable film.

As a fan of the original, I think I was drawn to this film and more apt to enjoy it. It is sitting at 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, but perhaps the higher IMDB ranking at 6.7 of 10 is more fair a score for this movie with a a variety of thrills, decent effects, and a similar storyline to a predecessor in the series.

I say check it out. If you haven't seen the original, put it in your queue and give it a run. 3.5 Horns of 5 for The Thing (2011).

I would support a sequel set after the events of the Carpenter effort that takes elements of both films and creates a new story based in the mythology of The Thing. A few characters seemingly survive the original and both actors are still working...close this series with a bang and give us a new story within this familiar, enjoyable horror world.

The Big Year: 4 of 5 Horns

Don't listen to the critics...well, if you consider me a critic, listen to me, but ignore the naysayers!

The Big Year succeeds as a sweet, funny film, that is much better than it's Tomatometer score would let on (40%).

How about this cast...

Wow! The cast alone should have your interest peaked...I went in not having seen the trailer, only having heard through the scuttle that the film was about birdwatching, or birding.

It is in fact based on an actual contest, called appropriately, The Big Year, in which birders try and see how many different species of bird they can see or hear within a calender year.

Being a stranger to the birding world, I was happy to learn so many aspects of this sport, albeit it a dramatized version of this world.

In addition to being a comedy and a drama, there are elements of thrills thrown into the mix, as whether one is engaged in a Big Year, is typically kept secret, for fear that other birders will set to derail them in their quest.

4 of 5 Horns for this very sweet and enjoyable film.

Abduction: 3.5 Horns of 5

The timing was right, so I subjected myself to this film, starring Team Jacob aka Taylor Lautner. 4% on Rotten Tomatoes....4%.

This is a better film than 4% indicates and better than the IMDB 3.8/10 as well.

John Singleton is a talented director. I had no idea until moments ago that he directed this film. His experienced hand definitely elevated this picture from mundane to mildly exciting.

And for a mildly exciting film, in general I have no real complaints. Taylor Lautner is a tweenagers dream, Lily Collins is an up and comer (she'll be the other Snow White next summer), and the experienced cast like Alfred Molina and Sigourney Weaver actually show up and don't just appear to be grabbing a pay check.

The gist is Nathan (Lautner) is assigned a school project on Internet websites. In his web travels, he comes across a website that is dedicated to missing children. He finds an age progression photo of a boy that looks exactly like him.

Nathan confronts his mother and she admits that while a complicated situation, she and Nathan's Dad have only ever acted in his best interest. As this is happening, some black suited baddies show up and kill both his parents, and he becomes the pursued.

From the moment of the initiating events, Nathan is pursued by two groups, a terrorist and his endless supply of heavies; and the CIA. He doesn't know who to trust and the story is coherent and the action decent, if not a little underused in terms of thrilling action set pieces.

A short but effective sequence takes place at the stadium of the Pittsburgh Pirates, with a game underway. While coming off as a bit needy for some cheap action, Nathan's parkour escape run is actually well choreographed.

There a few cheesy bits of dialogue, but they are not overly distracting.

3.5 of 5 Horns for this a mindless but enjoyable film that would likely look better on the big screen than at home, so if you can work it in, check it out. Give preference to more competent films, but if you must, don't hate yourself for seeing this film. I am often accused of being overly generous when rating films, but I really think this is not a terrible film. Perhaps I went in with a negative attitude given the poor reviews and awful box office performance, but none the less, I liked it.

What's Your Number: 2 of 5 Horns

The real shame about this movie is that Anna Farris and Chris Evans are two talented actors, both with solid comedic chops, with a great sense of on-screen chemistry.

How is that a shame, you say? Because all that good couldn't save this flick from being just another entry into the romcom trope.

This was an r-rated movie, and while they touched on some decent adult humor, they made the mistake that decent raunch comedies have avoided...they had too many schlocky romcom staples.

Girl is hopeless...

Girl developed a plan...

Girl meets boy, but not "the boy" she thinks he is...

Boy helps girl...

Boy falls in love with girl...

Enter nameless conflict...

Enter heroic resolution...

Cue their kiss...

Roll credits...

The Break Up, for its darker moments, was one of the first films to have boy not get girl. It wasn't exceptionally successful, but I applaud its courage.

Bridesmaids had a subtle romance intermixed with the hijinx, letting your affection for the on-screen couple develop just as such, with a deft sense of underwhelming.

These chick flicks that focus on the love story, with the love story hijinks first, and the comedy second, will always fall prey to this pitfall.

One For The Money, starring Katherine Heigl trailered before my viewing of Number. What a pile this looks like, and its just another notch in Heigl's long list of clusters that are destined for disaster. This film can't be good, but it will be profitable, and that's the problem. That it is based on Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich, may save it. And for the more gritty tone, it will only succeed if they go dark. Keep things too light and bouncy, and it will just be the same old same old, regardless of the source material.

There were decent moments in Number, both funny and sweet, but I attribute that to the pure affability of Farris and Evans.

2.5 of 5 for What's Your Number. See it at home, at best, and only if you've already seen all of the decent comedies that have romance at the core. ComRom's, I say. Let's start putting the funny first.

That's all for now. Here's hoping that Paranormal Activity 3 will give us a decent horror entry for this Halloween season. If not, there's always Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence. If you get a chance, Centipede is playing at the Screenland Crossroads. I have a feeling it will be the only spot in KC courageous enough to show it.

Until later, take care.
Reel Rhino