Archives for Movie Commentary

With Lebowski, Coens Create Successful Inside Joke

by Dennis Mayer June 22nd, 2011 | Movie Commentary, Movie Reviews
Joel and Ethan Coen have a long history of bucking convention and making whatever movies they want to make. That habit was never more evident than in 1998, when on the heels of the Academy Award success of Fargo (the picture won Best Original Screenplay, earned Frances McDormand a Best Actress win, and scored five more nominations), they released The Big Lebowski, a well-crafted pastiche of quirky characters, buddy comedy, and film noir conventions. The brothers capitalized on the success of Fargo by lovingly creating an inside joke of a movie.

Lebowski functions as a  rewrite of a Raymond Chandler
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Super 8: Abrams Brings Hope to 21st Century Hollywood

by Samantha Glavin June 16th, 2011 | Action, Drama, Movie Commentary, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi
One could say that all my cinematic hopes and dreams for the future of film rested in large part on the success of JJ Abrams’ Super 8 (2011). I am one of those suckers for Abrams’ viral marketing, and he had roped me in months ago. I told everyone I ever knew to remember the title and to see it when it came out seven months later. A lot was riding on it. So much so that for one of the very few times in my life I was almost as hesitant to see it as I was
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An Impact Far Greater than What Even Indy Bargained For

by Samantha Glavin June 3rd, 2011 | Action, Movie Commentary, Movie Reviews
30 years ago, the world met Indiana Jones, a never-shaven and ever-curious college professor whose real job in life was that of the explorer; an adventurer who pursued the world’s lost treasures and artifacts that lay shrouded in the haze of legend. Whatever he retrieved was always selflessly sent to the museum for the purpose of preservation. Every journey was an incredible voyage, every chase a thrilling adventure full of all the makings of an epic. And he always, always, made it out safe, hat in tow. These lines may be dramatic, but after watching Indiana Jones: Raiders of
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Snap Judgment: The Smurfs

by Ronald A. Rowe June 1st, 2011 | Animated, Comedy, Family, Movie Commentary, Movie Reviews, TV-based Movies
Welcome to Snap Judgment – our new feature in which we review movies that aren’t out yet based on the advanced promotion. For the inaugural edition we consider the upcoming children’s film, The Smurfs. Any readers of the ripe old age to remember the 80s will surely remember the little blue guys who dominated Saturday morning cartoons for a while. The endless gristmill of Hollywood movie-making will regurgitate this classic as a live action/CGI film on July 29th.
On the plus side, there’s Neil Patrick Harris as the main human character in the film. Harris has delightful comedic timing and
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Thor

by Ronald A. Rowe May 18th, 2011 | Action, Family, Movie Commentary, Movie Reviews
Thor is a rare type of movie that has something for everyone. For once, Hollywood failed to insert their usual quota of foul language into a PG-13 movie. The ladies will love Chris Helmsworth as Thor, the Norse god of Thunder, especially when he’s shirtless. Comics fans cannot help but be impressed with the care taken to keep true to the feel of the comic book, particularly in the casting. Supporting characters Sif, Hogan, and Fandral played by Jamie Alexander, Josh Dallas, and Tadanobu Asano respectively (“Xena”, “Jackie Chan”, and “Robin Hood” as seen by SHIELD agents) in particular
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