Brian Lambert comment-77741 2013-01-02T16:30:22Z 2013-01-02T16:30:22Z you might like Seven Psychopaths. The comedy follows a struggling screenwriter ('Colin Farrell' ) who inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends (Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) kidnap a gangster's (Woody Harrelson) beloved Shih Tzu. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvuNfq5vN-w Brian Lambert 2013-01-02T16:30:22Z Tony Sheppard comment-77667 2013-01-01T08:41:33Z 2013-01-01T08:41:33Z "In spite of high-profile cases of the past few weeks, there hasn’t been an uptick in mass shootings this year, said James Alan Fox, a professor of criminology, law and public policy at Northeastern University. Fox tracks mass murders dating back to 1976 and said most occur inside places such as homes and workplaces. But he said public shootings in restaurants and malls are nothing new. “It’s awful,” Fox said. “Yet this is not an epidemic and we’re not seeing a new upward trend.” In schools, where public angst over shootings is often highest, the truth is actually more definitive: Deadly shootings are rare and getting rarer." http://tucsoncitizen.com/usa-today-news/2012/12/14/crime-stats-mass-shootings-are-not-on-the-rise/ Tony Sheppard 2013-01-01T08:41:33Z ViolaDeSilva comment-77653 2012-12-31T13:45:17Z 2012-12-31T13:45:17Z ...and THAT takes some doing.... ViolaDeSilva 2012-12-31T13:45:17Z ViolaDeSilva comment-77652 2012-12-31T13:43:45Z 2012-12-31T13:43:45Z Relentless violence and the glorification of it, at a time when mass murders are at an all time high in America -- yep, yep, THIS is what the nation needs, content from one of the most over-rated directors on the planet, whose abject arrogance seems to know no bounds, with no moral compass or message in particular, save dispute resolution with a gun... One of the year's WORST..... ViolaDeSilva 2012-12-31T13:43:45Z TWRL comment-77648 2012-12-31T02:30:52Z 2012-12-31T02:30:52Z True Grit was pretty good. TWRL 2012-12-31T02:30:52Z Laura Good comment-72108 2012-08-08T23:14:01Z 2012-08-08T23:14:01Z I fall into the category of those who loved the original. Total Recall is on my list of "must see" SciFi films -- right up there with Blade Runner, Alien, The Matrix and Battlestar Galactica (ok--that last one isn't a movie but the reimagined series is ambrosia for science fiction enthusiasts). I saw the originalTotal Recall when it premiered in 1990 and at that time, in my opinion, it helped to define a new genre of SciFi. I own it on DVD and have probably seen it close to 10 times--maybe more. And I always wonder at the end, was this real or is it recall? I haven't seen the remake yet but am looking forward to seeing it, mainly because I am curious about a different rendering of the short story by Philip K. Dick, "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale." In the trailers, the film looked different enough to me that I'm not sure I'd really call it a remake or even a "reimagining" -- it looks like the similarity is just in the story that inspired both films. I have to admit that I only read the first paragraph of this article because I was worried about spoilers. I'll come back and add my two cents after I've seen the new film. By the way, for those not familiar with Philip K. Dick, his imaginative writings have inspired other movies like Blade Runner (Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep?), Minority Report, Paycheck, and The Adjustment Bureau. So pick up a book! Reading is fun! Laura Good 2012-08-08T23:14:01Z Tony Sheppard comment-71979 2012-08-07T00:51:03Z 2012-08-07T00:51:03Z The shaky cam was less annoying than the constant lens flare. And I agree that the films lack any questioning perspective (which is the real reality?) - an aspect which was better in the original. The only part that is interesting in that regard is the idea of being presented with a different version of you which might be more 'real" but deciding that you like a different version of yourself better, even if it's not the real you. Tony Sheppard 2012-08-07T00:51:03Z Laura Good comment-70436 2012-07-05T16:29:52Z 2012-07-05T16:29:52Z I disagree about the reweaving of the origin story being a downside to Amazing Spider-Man. I loved the pace of the story telling in this film--it jumped right out of a Marvel comic book! Stan Lee's influence as a producer made this movie for me--the story was more engrossing than Avengers. This is a must-see action flick and my experience was made even more "amazing" by experiencing it in IMAX 3D! Laura Good 2012-07-05T16:29:52Z Luke Soin comment-70421 2012-07-04T17:21:57Z 2012-07-04T17:21:57Z I think the movie also took itself too seriously. I don't know how it was in the book but I think if the movie was a little aware of how ridiculous the premise is and made some jokes about it it would have been more successful. Luke Soin 2012-07-04T17:21:57Z Cristina Lupercio comment-70060 2012-06-26T19:45:04Z 2012-06-26T19:45:04Z Read the novel, and thought it was great! Too bad to see that the film did not translate the novel well to those who did not read it. I highly recommend the novel - and it sounds like it fills a lot of the gaps the film seemed to have left out. Cristina Lupercio 2012-06-26T19:45:04Z Luke Soin comment-69198 2012-06-08T21:49:11Z 2012-06-08T21:49:11Z Oh yeah. They don't have the same rating system do they? Haha. Luke Soin 2012-06-08T21:49:11Z Tony Sheppard comment-68568 2012-05-29T08:35:54Z 2012-05-29T08:35:54Z My bad - it was rated PG in the UK where we saw it. Tony Sheppard 2012-05-29T08:35:54Z Luke Soin comment-68526 2012-05-27T01:53:21Z 2012-05-27T01:53:21Z It's still PG-13. But it does feel a little tamer. And you've made me glad I don't live in England... Luke Soin 2012-05-27T01:53:21Z Tony Sheppard comment-68495 2012-05-25T22:19:21Z 2012-05-25T22:19:21Z Luke has covered the film well - so I won't add too much more this week, although I do have a few comments.... I watched this on opening night at what seems to be a fairly large multiplex in the north of England - and the theater was relatively empty. It was a 3D screening at which you bought the ticket and paid separately for the glasses with, apparently, the assumption that you'd keep them and not pay for them the next time. But the total price for admission and glasses was approx. $17.50 - and this isn't a major city like London. Drinks and snacks were comparable in price to the Sacramento multiplexes, with a medium soda, nachos, and a candy item clocking in at approx. $15. And realize that gas (petrol) costs approx. $9 for the equivalent of a US gallon - which doesn't exactly encourage driving any distance to watch a movie. Meanwhile, the movie itself is lightweight fun, albeit rather stilted and forced at times. Many of the special effects seemed more fake than we've become accustomed to, with 3D that was distinctly layered. The re-writing may have been a result of plot holes surrounding the time travel element of the story. It ends up being somewhat internally consistent, but only because of a deus ex machina type character who pops up and explains assorted things at a couple of key moments and then disappears again when no longer needed. It reminded me in that sense of Cowboys and Aliens, in which the female lead serves a similar purpose and effectively undercuts the Cowboys' own triumphs by always being the critical element in each successful moment. And I agree with Luke that 10 years is a long gap after which to return to a franchise, especially with a PG rating - the original fans are going to find it awkwardly tame. Tony Sheppard 2012-05-25T22:19:21Z Luke Soin comment-65894 2012-04-01T21:18:14Z 2012-04-01T21:18:14Z Yeah I probably need to read Percy Jackson, I've heard good things. It's definitely sad we haven't gotten a truly great adaptation of any Greek mythology lately in movie form. I think the best example has been that TV movie of The Odyssey with Armand Assante... Luke Soin 2012-04-01T21:18:14Z Tony Sheppard comment-65847 2012-03-31T00:01:56Z 2012-03-31T00:01:56Z Percy Jackson is an interesting case - it's not an appallingly bad film but it is an appallingly bad adaptation of the source material, completely undermining much of the book's content. Meanwhile, I think we had similar opinions of both Clash and Wrath of the Titans. Tony Sheppard 2012-03-31T00:01:56Z Vicky comment-63304 2012-02-05T05:55:27Z 2012-02-05T05:55:27Z Just saw "The Artist" today. What a fantastic movie!! And a great soundtrack! Vicky 2012-02-05T05:55:27Z