For the most part, and with only a few recent exceptions, the studio-funded American action picture is dead. The PG-13 rating, the homogenized superhero film, and an over-reliance on CGI have become the new norms, with films like Con Air, The Rock, Air Force One, Face/Off, and Bad Boys 2 never feeling like they could…
I don’t get too hung up on poetic license and the reshaping of history when it comes to glossy and well-meaning Hollywood biographical tales, so in that regard, I enjoyed last year’s Oscar nominated drama Hidden Figures from director Theodore Melfi (St. Vincent). This is the compelling story of three African-American women who led the…
It took me a few viewings to totally appreciate Hal Ashby’s barely released 1986 film 8 Million Ways To Die, which was the eclectic and troubled helmer’s unique spin on the crime film, and would serve as his final major motion picture. This was the first attempt to adapt the Matt Scudder detective character from…
This is a shamelessly entertaining film with lots of heart and a tone that bounces all over the place. Gregory Hoblit’s underrated 2000 genre-bender Frequency was a modest hit with critics and audiences at the time of its release, and while it’s hardly a great movie, it’s so much fun to watch, and it stands…
Luc Besson’s wild and wacky sci-fi action film The Fifth Element is one of the most insane pieces of eye-candy ever devised, with a cartwheeling sense of manic energy, absolutely stunning production values, an overstuffed screenplay, and performances that range all over the map in terms of tone. I can vividly remember seeing this film…
I’m not exactly sure what all the bitching and moaning was about (56% at Rottentomaotes – are you kidding me?!), but from where I sit and view cinema, the new Netflix original movie War Machine, from hot-shot director David Michod (Animal Kingdom, The Rover) is a pointed, extremely funny, and often times sad commentary on…
John Carpenter’s 1981 classic Escape from New York, which the filmmaker wrote in the late 70’s as a direct response to the Watergate scandal, was not a movie that I grew up repeatedly watching as a kid, even though I’m definitely a “child of the 80’s.” That being said, I was always aware of its…
If you’ve ever experienced a long distance relationship, chances are you’ll be able to relate to the central themes in the 2011 film Like Crazy from filmmaker Drake Doremus (Breathe In, Equals). This is one of my favorite movie romances in a very long time, and every time I watch the film in full or…
The Game is my FAVORITE film by David Fincher. I’m not saying it’s his BEST (between Seven and Zodiac I’m still undecided), but make no mistake, the one I keep coming back to the most over the years is this underrated 1997 effort, which coming two years after Seven, seemed like the next logical step…
First it was Baywatch and now it’s The Mummy feeling the wrath of the sharp tongued critics so off I went to my local cinema with an open mind and actually rather excited about seeing a Universal Monsters movie as it’s been so long since i’ve seen one. The Mummy kicks off the brand new…
Many people seem to love to hate David Fincher’s divisive, Oscar-baiting epic The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but I’m definitely not in that group. This is a ravishing movie, filled with more emotion and heart than any previous Fincher film and any Fincher film to come after. Yes, the heart that beats all throughout…
David Fincher’s apocalyptic, hysterical, and blood-soaked satire of male (wish) fulfillment Fight Club escaped into theaters in 1999, and yet its message still rings loud and clear: F**K THE MAN. And make no mistake – this film literally escaped. How did they ACTUALLY get away with all of the stuff in this movie? I’m not…
I was 12 years old when my father took me to see David Fincher’s Alien 3 on opening night, totally unaware of the behind the scenes fiasco that had occurred during production, and that’s probably why I’ve always enjoyed it more than most. I still think that, for all the documented issues that befell this…
I expect more from David Fincher than remakes of airport novels, but even when he’s “slumming,” the end-result can be fascinating and visually striking. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had of course become a smash-hit in both book and film form in its home country of Sweden, but that meant nothing to the Hollywood…
When I first heard that David Fincher would be directing a film about the formation of Facebook, my initial response, as was likely the same response from many others, was one of befuddlement. Why would this exquisitely talented filmmaker spend his time telling a story about a relatively young social media empire? What’s so…
Tonight’s super-shitty and yet super-awesome feature presentation. This film CHANGED MY LIFE when I was six years old. Released in theaters for about two hours in 1985, My Science Project became a tremendous point of obsession for me during the VHS revolution, as I introduced this complete piece of nonsense to all my friends, with…
