Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

 Genre: Romantic Comedy / Drama
Directed by: Lorene Scafaria
Cast: Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Adam Brody
Running Time:101 minutes

 

A giant asteroid is coming towards the earth, spelling doom for all of humanity within three weeks. In this apocalyptic setting, Dodge Petersen and Penny Lockhart are two strangers who meet in New York City and end up helping each other find closure before the end comes.

This is a very charming film greatly helped by the solid performance offered by the two leads. Carell and Knightley make their characters believable and share a great chemistry on screen. The story gets a little messy and sidetracked at one point, but, overall, I was entertained and touched.

Rating: ««««

Sparkle (1976)

Genre: Musical / Drama
Directed by: Sam O’Steen
Cast: Irene Cara, Philip M. Thomas, Lonette McKee 

Running Time: 98 minutes

 

Inspired by the story of The Supremes, Sparkle tells the tale of three sisters from Harlem, New York, who form a musical group in the last 50’s and early 60’s, only to break up with various difference get in the way.

This film is fine for what it was. The music was good, and the acting by the two leads, was solid. The supporting cast, on the other hand, was weaker. The story itself felt a little clichéd and silly at times, but it also had its moments when it shined.

Rating: «««

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Genre: Comedy / Horror
Directed by: Rob Zombie
Cast: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon
Running Time: 89 minutes

 

A group of four young adults are on a road trip to do research for a book on roadside attractions. After a stop at Captain Spaulding’s Museum of Monsters and Madmen, they head out to look for the tree from which Dr. Satan was hanged. They pick up a hitchhiker, a young woman named Baby, who will lead them to her family’s house for more horrors than they ever asked for.

 This is a very cool throwback to such classics as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with a touch of dark comedy to it. It is a lot of fun, very entertaining. The storytelling gets a little messy in execution at times, but, overall, I very much enjoyed.

Rating: ««««

Count Me In (2021)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Mark Lo
Cast: Cindy Blackman, Jess Bowen, Chad Smith
Running Time: 81 minutes

 

A group of rock drummers from various bands discuss their love for the beat and for drumming. They talk about how they started in that field, about their inspirations and about what keeps them going as the backbone of the band. Some of them then get together to jam.

I love so much to listen to passionate people talk about their craft and their inspirations, especially when the topics interest me. As a massive rock music fan, I was all ears and all eyes here and enjoyed every second of it.

Rating: «««««

Spotlight (2015)

Genre: Biographical / Drama
Directed by: Tom McCarthy
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams
Running Time: 129 minutes

 

This film covers how the Spotlight investigation team of the Boston Globe looked deep into the issue of systemic child sex abuse by the Roman Catholic Church in the Boston area and produced a series of article on the serious matter.

This is such a good film. The acting is solid, the story is compelling and the storytelling is masterful. I was hooked from the start up until the end, and the movie is still on my mind days later. I highly recommend this. It stirs emotions, that is for certain.

Rating: «««««

Hysteria (2011)

Genre: Biographical / Romantic Comedy
Directed by: Tanya Wexler
Cast: Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Pryce
Running Time: 95 minutes

 

In the London of the 1880’s, Dr. Mortimer Granville starts working for Dr. Robert Dalrymple, an old doctor that specializes in the treatment of women’s hysteria. Granville’s work leads him to the creation, with a friend of his, of the first vibrator.

These Victorian period films are usually not my cup of tea, but, between the solid acting offered by all involved here and the cheekiness of the tone, I thoroughly enjoyed this. As usual, Maggie Gyllenhaal is a breath of fresh air, and the rest of the cast do a good job also.

Rating: ««««

The Rolling Stones: Sweet Summer Sun - Hyde Park Live (2013)

 Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Paul Dugdale
Cast: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Charlie Watts
Running Time: 121 minutes

 

In 1969, The Rolling Stones played in Hyde Park, in London. It was a pivotal moment for the band. Brian Jones had just died and it was Mick Taylor’s debut on stage with them. In 2013, to end the tour celebrating their 50 years anniversary, The Stones played the same venue. For two hours, they rocked a large crowd. Mick Taylor even joined them on stage.

 You can hardly go wrong with a Rolling Stones concert. On top of the list of great songs performed, it was cool to see Taylor perform with the band again. And it was nice to hear in voice-over, from the band members, about the significance of Hyde Park for the band. Loved it.

Rating: «««««

Untold: Crime and Penalties (2021)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Chapman Way and Maclain Way
Cast: Richard Brosal, James Galante, A.J. Galante
Running Time: 85 minutes

 

This documentary covers the true story of James Galante, a Connecticut business man with mob ties who bought his 17 year old son a hockey team. That is how the Danbury Trashers came to be in the UHL, a team with a reputation for scoring goals but also for violent fights.

This is such a good documentary. I love stories about such wild situations, and this story is told brilliantly on screen. The people interviewed were all interesting and the direction was well done. I was hooked from beginning to end.

Rating: «««««

The Voyeurs (2021)

Genre: Thriller
Directed by: Michael Mohan
Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Justice Smith, Ben Hardy
Running Time: 116 minutes

 

Pippa and Thomas are a young couple starting their life together, as they move into a studio apartment in Montreal. From their window, they can clearly see their neighbors across the street having sex and living a passionate life. They become intrigued, and later obsessed (particularly Pippa) about what they see across the street.

While not a film without flaws, The Voyeurs remains a very enjoyable thriller, with a cool plot twist, some good acting and even some enjoyable nudity. In its perversion and horniness, this movie so does not feel like it has been made in 2021. It strikes a very pleasant change from this prudish era.

Rating: ««««

Winter's Tale (2014)

Genre: Fantasy / Romance
Directed by: Akiva Goldsman
Cast: Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Russell Crowe
Running Time: 118 minutes

 

Peter Lake is a thief that decides to leave his boss Pearly Soames’ gang. Pearly is a supernatural demon that raised Peter with the same superpowers. When his protégé leaves, Pearly starts hunting him down, but Peter escapes on a magical white horse. In the process of escaping, Peter finds the love of his life, Beverly, a fragile woman that suffers from consumption.

This film, which is based on the novel of the same name, written by Mark Helprin, offers a good visual presentation, but the story just never hooked me. I found the characters uninteresting and the story simply too silly to care about.

 

Rating: «

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

 Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway
Running Time: 165 minutes

 

Eight years after sacrificing Batman to keep the deceased Harvey Dent a hero for the sake of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne is living a secluded life. But the arrival of a dangerous revolutionary named Bane, with an evil plan to destroy the city with an atom bomb while turning its citizens against each other, the Dark Knight will have to rise again.

While extremely long, this film offers a compelling story and some good action. The acting is mostly very good, albeit a little over the top at times. That is often a given with superhero movies. Bale’s Batman voice is still weird, and there are other little faults here and there in the film, but, overall, it is a lot of fun to watch.

Rating: ««««

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021)

Genre: Documentary
Directed by: Joshua Rofé
Cast: Steve Ross, Vicky Ross, John Thamm
Running Time: 92 minutes

 

This documentary covers the life and times of Bob Ross, a painting instructor that became known worldwide for hosting The Joy of Painting, where he would paint a nice scenery over the course of 28 minutes while instructing viewers on how to do the same. The film also discusses the legal battle over Bob Ross’ business empire after the painter’s passing.

This is a brilliant documentary. I remember seeing Bob Ross on TV as kid and never understanding why anyone would want to watch someone paint for half and hour. This film helped me understand the impact that man had on people. It is also sad to see the ordeal his son had to go through with the fight for his father’s name and legacy.

This documentary made me smile, it made me sad and it made me angry. Job well done.

Rating: «««««

 

Cop Land (1992)

 Genre: Drama
Directed by: James Mangold
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro
Running Time: 109 minutes

 

Freddy Heflin is a washed up law enforcer who never got accepted as a true cop because of a bad ear, so he became sheriff of Garrison, New Jersey. At first he refuses to see that his city is overrun with corrupt NYPD cops, led by Lt. Ray Donian, but events force Freddy to consider taking action.

This film greatly benefited from a loaded cast of actors offering solid performances. Stallone was particularly noteworthy, in a role that was quite different for him. The problem here is the story. It was interesting, but it lacked focus and went into too many directions at once. It should have been tightened up a bit.

Rating: «««

The Girlfriend Experience (2009)

 Genre: Drama
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Sasha Grey, Chris Santos, Emma Lahana
Running Time: 77 minutes

 

A high-end escort in the New York City area must contend with the struggles of her work in the adult business while trying to maintain a normal love relationship with her boyfriend.

The look at human nature that this short film offers is compelling, but it would be so much more so if the characters were not so uninteresting and if the dialogues were not so pointless. I fell asleep the first time I tried to watch this, so I gave it another chance. It is not without merit, but the good points are few and far between.

Rating: ««

The Dark Knight (2008)

 Genre: Superhero
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger
Running Time: 152 minutes

 

Batman, Police Lieutenant James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent work together to attempt to stop evil mastermind The Joker, who is trying to undermine them and create chaos in Gotham City.

The Dark Knight offers a compelling, albeit charged, story, with some very good action. Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker needs to be commended. His transformation was insane, and it might have cause the actor’s demise in the end. I still feel like the performance was not really Oscar-worthy, but it was nonetheless remarkable.

Christian Bale’s Batman voice was a weird acting choice in my book. It took away from an otherwise good performance. I also felt like the Dark Knight character was made much too weak and vulnerable here.

All things considered, this is a very good movie with a few flaws.

Rating: ««««