Where did all the money go? That’s all I could think about while watching Miami Vice, the summer stinker for this week. Let’s get something out of the way right from the outset: Miami Vice, the TV show, was no great shakes. Sure it’s fun, now, to point and laugh… Continue reading
21 Eyes is an independent film experiment of the do-or-die nature. Had the film gone awry, it would just be classified as a gimmick-gone-wrong. Since it succeeds for the most part, it is an innovative take on the sparsely populated mystery genre. When you sit back and think about all… Continue reading
Redefining a genre is a nearly impossible task these days. With the current state of Hollywood, that which plays it ridiculously safe and treats us all like morons most of the time, one will usually find themselves feeling completely blindsided when a film of true originality comes around. Enter Inside… Continue reading
16 Blocks is a film run ragged from simply trying to accomplish too much. Part lean thrilling machine and part overdone drama, the film is probably the longest 105 minutes in recent memory. The usual aberrations creep into the picture as it uncoils from its intriguing setup, and those include… Continue reading
Harrison Ford came out of semi-retirement for this? I guess I shouldn’t be overly surprised seeing as though Ford hasn’t appeared in a truly superb film since 1994’s The Fugitive. Firewall is a classic Ford project through and through, but the difference now is that he is 63 years old… Continue reading
Johnny Slade’s Greatest Hits is a thoroughly entertaining mob satire that is joyously campy. That’s welcome in my book since we have had some fairly rotten entries into this genre over the past few years. The story is one that could have run dry and overstayed its welcome in a… Continue reading
Is there a day that goes by anymore where we don’t hear about a suicide bombing somewhere in the world? It seems as though this has become a rejuvenated, popular practice, particularly in the Middle East. We read the headlines and shake our heads, moving on to the next depressing… Continue reading
And now for something different. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a marriage of old film noir elements with more modern black comedy techniques, and the result is an occasionally funny and entertaining film that ultimately tries too hard and cannot maintain the breakneck pace that the first act antes up.… Continue reading
I had this horrible dream the night after I watched Domino. The Earth was being taken out War of the Worlds-style, complete with tripods shooting lasers, turning people and buildings into dust. After the demolition was complete, one of the pesky extraterrestrials descended into the last film vault left to… Continue reading
There is no question that many will be wondering why Roman Polanski, of all directors, has decided to do another telling of the classic Charles Dickens story, Oliver Twist. Polanski is, after all, one of our most creative directors and one who is rightfully associated with very high quality productions.… Continue reading