Wednesday, October 27, 2010

NOW SHOWING:
the spirit Pictures, Images and Photos
On Cable: SHOWTIME on Demand- The Spirit (2008), written and directed by Frank Miller, Starring: Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L.Jackson and Gabriel Macht as the Spirit. Unlike its uncanny predecessor, Sin City, this Frank Miller installment is not co-directed by Robert Rodriguez. When this movie came out in 2008 many reviewers saw it as hokie or camp or even a parody of itself, but now that I have seen this flick twice, I realize it is not just the stunning visual effects that make this movie intriguing as much as the throwback to cheese ball comic book dialog that sucks you in, as if you are watching a living comic book. To me this is another success for Frank Miller, although slightly behind Sin City and 300 in comparison. But those are two very hard movies to live up to.

*Action rating; 4/5 plenty of gun fights and action sequences.
*Sex appeal; 5/5 plenty in a movie that features Johansson, Vega, King and Mendes!
*Comedic appeal; 3/5 between the cheesy dialog and the flat out peculiar multiple characters played by Louis Lombardi, definitely some laughs to be had.
*Deep thought rating; 2/5 falls way short if looking for a 'thinker' of a movie, however, what is your expectations from a comic book movie?

-Rottentomatoes.com=15%
-IMDB rating=4.9/10
-CVB rating=7/10 perhaps rent, definitely if on cable
-Final Comment- now past the theater and rental stage there is no risk in giving this past poorly reviewed flick a try. If you have enjoyed any previous Frank Miller contributions, there is a good chance the result will be the same!


ip man 2 Pictures, Images and Photos
On Video: rented through Redbox- Ip Man (2008), Written by Wilson Yip and directed by Edmond Wong, this foreign film was originally released in 2008, but was not released in the US until October of 2010. A semi-biographical account, this movie is a dramatization of Kung Fu/Wing Chun master Yip Man's experiences in his life that supposedly took place in the city of Foshan during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Starring Donnie Yen, he is beyond words in both portrayal of character as well as high flying martial arts. A star is truely born, albeit late in his career, (Yen has done many Chinese produced films) as Jet Li should be looking over his shoulder at the new face of martial arts if Yen continues to put up similar contributions. Though self proclaimed as a only semi biographical movie, this flick has you gasping that such a human could ever have existed. The man who taught perhaps the greatest martial arts legend of all time, Bruce Lee, has a legend of his own, and one that was built for Hollywood.

*Action rating- 5/5, perhaps the best fight scenes you will ever see!
*Sex appeal-none
*Comedic appeal-none
*Deep thought rating- 4/5, a movie that will have you running to wikipedia to learn more about the history of this legend.

-Rottentomatoes.com=83%
-IMDB rating=8.2/10
-CVB rating= 10/10 Must see!
-Final comment- a movie with a little bit of everything for everyone, a foreign flick that you don't even notice the subtitles; it's Schindlers list meets Enter the Dragon meets Cinderella man!


catfish Pictures, Images and Photos
On the Big Screen- released September of 2010- Catfish (2010), directed by Ariel Schulman , Henry Joost,- Think Blair Witch, less scary, but maybe better cause it just may be real. The beauty of this movie is its simplicity! The unfortunate truth about the movie however is that it is virtually un reviewable without completely ruining the movie for all of you my readers. With a story that can best be described as a love story, one must enter this flick with an open heart, and an open mind. The movie will tug at your heart strings, and in the end is a roller coaster of emotions that leaves you pondering how and why. My advice; see this movie quickly and as soon as you can, as it is sure to be water cooler fodder which will just destroy the suspense and illusion that is the movie Catfish. So don't wait, go now, and hurry!

*Action rating-2/5, for a few scenes where the main characters were in possible danger and took some suspenseful chances.
*Sex appeal-1/5, for some steamy text messages sent back and forth
*Comedic appeal-5/5, for awkward situations that leave you blushing, think David Brent from the original Office except real life!
*Deep Thought rating-5/5, a lot to ponder, I have already said too much.
-Rottentomatoes.com=78%
-IMDB rating=7.0/10
-CVB rating=9/10 and despite not being a 10 out of 10, still a must see immediately for the fact this flick can be destroyed by the mouths of others rendering it less than what it should be.
-Final comment- A beautiful, yet unconventional story told in an unconventional manner. Enter with an open mind, and you just may be surprised.

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