Pop Culture and Politics on the Artistic Spectrum
The 2000s By: Eddie Caiazzo Why didn’t the year 2000 have any movies named in this survey? Unfortunately, the Y2K hysteria was scarier than any horror movies released that year. We’ll leap right over the first year in the decade straight into 2001, where some asbestos removal guys get to work on the Danvers State… Continue reading 1990 to Now, A Perspective on Horror Films by the Decade: Part III of V
We are joined by the one and only TommyNC2010 for a WWE Survivor Series preview and a chat about film making, Star Wars and how Batman was risen from the ashes / Dan Mainsplains #Supernatural Tweets from girls on Twitter / Heading down to the salt mines to find celebrities losing their shit over Donald Trump / Lena Dunham… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 221: Tell Em Tommy Sent Ya!
Welcome back to another super-awesome weekly Goob News! I'm your host, Alex Gross, inviting you to come on this fantastic journey with me every week into the realm of the magically autistic. And what a week it was! We've got Burger King's Brand New MAYOnator, Tommy runs afoul of a North Carolina Denny's, and JXC Studios releases the full version of The Book of… Continue reading Friday Goob News (10/21): The Triggering Investigation
Ben Relethford from the Cartoncast Podcast joins us to shoot the shit and play a big old game of 'Cards Against Humanity'...super-fun and laid-back show for you boys and girls to enjoy while you gain 15 pounds and murder each other over deals on electronics over the Thanksgiving weekend. #IthinkIcan DOWNLOAD THE LATEST EPISODE HERE!… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Episode 122: Thanksgiving Against Humanity with Ben Relethford
Brandi Lukas, founder of Olio.fm and host of the 'Going to Hell' podcast, joins us in studio to talk about the unfathomable events of September 1, 2014, otherwise known as: The Fappening. We get into some further news and wrap up the show with a Charlie Sheen edition of The Rotten Tomatoes game! DOWNLOAD THE… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 110: Fappenheit Nine-One with Brandi Lukas
Special Guests Dan Scully & Garrett Smith from "I Like to Movie Movie" along with Rap Artist A.G. Fernandez join the crew for our second ever LIVE show with the Philadelphia Podcast Festival! We play games like "Drunk or Kid" and "TV Guide Movie Game", give away prizes, and talk about shitty craft beers. #TalkingNerdy… Continue reading Talking Nerdy LIVE from the 2014 Philadelphia Podcast Festival
Yahoo Sports Contributor, KDH News Correspondent, and Multimedia Hippie Milly B. joins us to tell you why you're going to lose your Fantasy Football games. The aftermath of the VMAs and EMMYs are discussed. We also get the news from Joe Z., play a game of 'Swift or Dylan' and try to guess the films… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 109: Final Fantasy Football with Milly B.
Director: James Gunn Writers: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman Studios: Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro Release Date (UK): August 1, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 122 min “Guardians of… Continue reading Watson’s Review of Guardians of the Galaxy
It's the premiere night for Sharknado 2: The Second One, and we offer our live commentary and talk about the biggest San Diego Comic Con reveals. Comic Book writer, Gigio Longo, joins us in the studio to talk DC, Marvel, and the franchises built around both--as well as his own independent mini-series: ADAM 12! We… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 105: Comics After Dark…Nado with Gigio Longo
Sex Expert and host of the 'Sex with Timaree' podcast, Dr. Timaree Leigh joins the boys in studio this week to talk about gender roles, religion, comic book movies and chick flicks. We play the Urban Dictionary Game and promote the Philadelphia Podcast Festival happening this August! DOWNLOAD THE LATEST EPISODE HERE or on iTUNES … Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 104: Talking Derty with Dr. Timaree Leigh
Director: Richard Linklater Writer: Richard Linklater Studios: Universal Pictures, IFC Films Cast: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater Release Date (UK): 11 July, 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 166 min Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" is a soaringly epic yet deeply intimate journey through the life of a boy from age 5 to age 18 that… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Boyhood”
Director: Michael Bay Writer: Ehren Kruger Studios: Paramount Pictures, di Bonaventura Pictures, Hasbro, China Movie Channel, Jiaflix Enterprises Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Nicola Peltz, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Reynor, Sophia Myles Release Date (UK): 4 July, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 165 min I wouldn’t be at all surprised if audience members emerge from “Transformers: Age of… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’
Special Guest Porn Sensation Tinslee Reagan joins us to talk about her career, gang bangs, dick pics, and her upcoming indie film: "Nowhereland." We get into the news, Game of Thrones, Tattoos, Marijuana Laws and more! Tinslee Reagan joins us to play "WHO TWOTE THAT TWEET?!" #TalkingNerdy @NerdyPodcast Download the Latest Episode HERE or on… Continue reading Talking Nerdy Episode 100: Five Guys Inside Tinslee Reagan
Director: Josh Boone Writers: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber Studios: 20th Century Fox, Temple Hill Entertainment Cast: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Willem Dafoe Release Date (UK): 19 June, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 125 min Lotsa snifflin’. “The Fault in Our Stars,” the new teen-oriented cancer weepy, is, like most… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “The Fault in Our Stars”
Directors: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Writers: Michael Bacall, Oren Uziel, Rodney Rothman Studios: Columbia Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Media Rights Capital, Original Film, Lord Miller Productions Cast: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Peter Stormare, Ice Cube Release Date (UK): June 6, 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 112 min “Everybody knows the sequel’s never quite as good,” sang Kermit the… Continue reading Watson Reviews ’22 Jump Street’
Director: Doug Liman Writers: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson Release Date (UK): May 30, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 113min “Edge of Tomorrow” might just be the greatest video game movie ever made. Only, it’s not actually based on a video game,… Continue reading Watson Reviews ‘Edge of Tomorrow’
Director: Seth MacFarlane Writers: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild Studios: Universal Pictures, Media Rights Capital, Fuzzy Door Productions, Bluegrass Films Cast: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Liam Neeson Release Date (UK): May 30, 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 116 min “A Million Ways to Die in the… Continue reading Watson Reviews: A Million Ways to Die in the West
Director: Bryan Singer Writer: Simon Kinberg Studios: 20th Century Fox, Marvel Entertainment, Bad Hat Harry Productions, The Donners’ Company Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Peter Dinklage, Ellen Page, Nicholas Hoult Release Date (UK): May 22, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 131 min 14 years after effectively jump-starting the… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “X-Men: Days of Future Past”
Since the year 2009, when Disney took over the Marvel universe, more and more classic comic book characters find their way on the big screen. Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Thor and the whole bunch of superheroes saving the Earth (The Avengers), and even Nick Fury himself (he was revived in an excellent way… Continue reading Marvel Everywhere
Director: Nicholas Stoller Writers: Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O’Brien Studios: Universal Pictures, Point Grey Pictures, Good Universe Cast: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse Release Date (UK): 2 May 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 97 min “Bad Neighbours,” the new comedy starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, is not a film for… Continue reading Watson Reviews: Neighbors
Director: Marc Webb Writers: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner Studios: Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Colm Feore, Felicity Jones, Campbell Scott, Emberth Davidt, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field Release Date (UK): April 16, 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 142 min Without doubt, the absolute best thing about Sony’s… Continue reading Watson Reviews “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”
Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely Studios: Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson Release Date (UK): 26 March 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 136 min Though recently defrosted from his days as a WWII super-soldier… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
Director: Neil Burger Writers: Evan Daugherty, Vanessa Taylor Studios: Summit Entertainment, Lionsgate, Red Wagon Entertainment Cast: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Kate Winslet Release Date (UK): 4 April 2014 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 139 min Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: in a future dystopia ruled by a twisted totalitarian government,… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Divergent”
Director: Noam Murro Writers: Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad Studios: Legendary Pictures, Cruel and Unusual Films Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson, Rodrigo Santoro Release Date (UK): 7 March 2014 Certificate: 15 Runtime: 102 min Buff, baby-oiled beefcakes prance about in bulging leather underpants, letting out roars of pure testosterone and swinging their… Continue reading Watson Reviews “300: Rise of an Empire”
Am I too late to be posting this? Most people post their “best of the year” lists in late December, early January, right? And this is March. Bugger. Oh well, better late than never. And hey, the Oscars were on last night, so I can just seamlessly tie it into that. Yeah, that’ll work. So,… Continue reading Watson Presents the 25 Best/Worst Movies of 2013
Director: Peter Jackson Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, WingNut Films Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lily, Luke Evans Release Date (UK): 13 December 2013 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 161 min “I do believe the worst is… Continue reading Watson’s Review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Director: Francis Lawrence Writers: Simon Beaufoy, Michael deBruyn Studios: Lionsgate, Color Force Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland Release Date (UK): 21 November 2013 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 146 min Like “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope” before it,… Continue reading Watson’s Review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
It’s pretty weird how quiet everyone is being about Under the Dome, because in theory it should be awesome. It’s based on a Stephen King novel! Its creator is Brian K. Vaughan, of LOST fame! It stars the Breaking Bad dude who’s going to give it to Walter in the end, Dean Norris! (He is cool, come on. That punch...)… Continue reading ‘Under the Dome’ Flying Under the Radar
From Justin Timberlake to Syria, we discuss a wide range of political issues with our special guest, former Green Party candidate Hugh Giordano. After that, it's Lightning Round Sports and we find out how Mayor Stubbs the Cat was almost assassinated. Download HERE or on iTUNES!
Philadelphia comedians and hosts of the "1st World Problems" podcast, Dave Temple and Chris Cotton stop by to talk about the history of racism, Velociraptors, Jurassic Park, and more! Download the Latest Episode HERE or on iTUNES!!
The Talking Nerdy Boyz are joined live at PhilaMOCA for the Philadelphia Podcast Festival by Fetish Model Scarlett Storm and Comedian Extraordinaire Ryan Shaner! Our discussion of geek culture is rapidly derailed and turned into a discussion about porn and dirty things. We play the Celeb Game and give away prizes! Check out all of the… Continue reading TALKING DERDY LIVE at PhilaMOCA #PhillyPodFest
Director: Guillermo del Toro Writers: Travis Beacham, Guillermo del Toro Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman Release Date (UK): 12 July 2013 Rating: 12A Runtime: 131 min “Pacific Rim” is a mega-budgeted summer blockbuster about giant robots doing battle with giant alien monsters, and… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Pacific Rim”
Director: Shawn Levy Writers: Jared Stern, Vince Vaughn Studios: 20th Century Fox, Regency Enterprises, Wild West Picture Show Productions, 21 Laps Entertainment, Dune Entertainment Cast: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Aasif Mandvi, Max Minghella Release Date (UK): 4 July 2013 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 119 min The glorified 120-minute Google ad “The Internship” might just… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “The Internship”
In this episode, we talk about the San Francisco plane crash, Dr. Who, Science news, and Charlie Lightning's big Lightning birthday party. Go cop tickets for our live show at PhillyPodFest.com--August 2nd 7-9pm!! Download HERE or on iTUNES!
Director: Dan Scanlon Writers: Daniel Gerson, Robert L. Baird, Dan Scanlon Studios: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures Cast: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Helen Mirren, Nathan Fillion, Steve Buscemi Release Date (UK): 12 July 2013 Certificate: U Runtime: 104 min In “Monsters University,” studios Disney and Pixar pay a grand revisit to the world of… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Monsters University’
Scientists say we're growing ever closer to human head transplants. We say, we're closer to two dead monkeys. This week's episode celebrates our Independence Day by talking nonsense, and repeatedly talking over each other--as is American custom. Download HERE or on iTUNES!
In our 50-episode mark, we talk SUPERMAN! Man of Steel sets off a rally of comic book talk, ended with some bizarre sports news, and a fun new way for non-sports fans to play Fantasy sport games! Thanks for listening! Check out http://www.PhillyPodFest.com for ticket info for the upcoming PODCAST FESTIVAL featuring TALKING NERDY! Download… Continue reading Talking Nerdy, Ep. 50 “DAN of STEEL”
Director: Zack Snyder Writer: David S. Goyer Studio: Warner Bros. Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane Release Date (UK): 14 June 2013 Certificate: 12A Runtime: 143 min A common criticism of “Superman Returns,” director Bryan Singer’s spiritual 2006 follow-up to Richard Donner’s triumphant 1980 comic-book sequel “Superman II,”… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Man of Steel”
And so Marvel’s Phase Two begins, with a crash, a bang, a wallop and, strangely enough, the unmistakable, toe-tapping intro to Eiffel 65’s late-’90s Europop hit, “I’m Blue (Da Ba Dee, Da Ba Da).” “Iron Man 3” is Marvel Studio’s first theatrical release since their epic superhero team-up “The Avengers” kicked movie-goers’ butts in the summer of… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “IRON MAN 3”
It almost sounds like the premise for a horror movie: 34 years ago, in the winter of ‘79, a couple of college pals ventured deep into the dark woods of Morristown, Tennessee to make a low-budget splatter-shocker called “The Evil Dead.” The result, made with $90,000 and bathed in gallons of red karo syrup, was… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Evil Dead (2013)”
In the brain-bending, high-concept psycho-thriller “Trance,” director Danny Boyle takes us on a ride into the shattered mind and misplaced memories of an amnesiac art aficionado in search of a missing multimillion-pound painting. The painting is Francisco Goya’s late 18th century masterpiece “Witches in the Air,” and in an electrifying 20-minute opening — as slickly… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Trance”
American commercials director Joseph Kosinski made an ambitious feature debut in 2010 with Disney’s “TRON: Legacy,” the anticipated sequel to the game-changing 1982 cult sci-fi flick “TRON” which, both in spite of and because of the hype, proved a disappointment for many: though visually dazzling, it was emotionally vacant and featured a leading performance so… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Oblivion”
Download this week's episode featuring "A Day Without Love" Here or on iTunes! A Day Without Love releases their first EP, Island on April 16. You can download it NOW right here. Check out aDayWithoutLove.com for more info! Special thanks to Brian Walker, Jake Detwiler and Julian Wallace
The amazing Technicolor dreamworld of Oz, as originally imagined at the turn of the 20th century by children’s author L. Frank Baum, was unforgettably brought to life in the iconic 1939 screen musical “The Wizard of Oz,” a groundbreaking masterwork that would enrich and live on in childhood memories for decades to come — just… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Oz the Great and Powerful”
“Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” is a fairy tale remix that’s Grimm in all the wrong ways, a one-joke premise that’s stretched paper-thin before the end of the first reel. Its title will remind many of last year’s “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” a goofy comic-book actioner in which America’s 16th president was reimagined as an… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters”
Download HERE or on iTunes!
(written by Milly B. Chacon for The Sports Junkie Hippie) Let's put this Ravens Super Bowl win in context. The Ravens are, almost unquestionably, a great football team. They just beat what most people would have suggested to be the league’s three best teams in three consecutive games, with zero of those games played at home. They… Continue reading Super Bowl Hangover
Tonight, I was perusing Twitter for my daily dose of hashtag-related humor, suggestive images, and kids using language that I stopped understanding long ago. This is when I stumbled upon a gun-control related tweet from the lovely Aubrey O'Day. Another shooting at a hospital, this time a doctor. What makes me more sick than unstable… Continue reading How Aubrey O’Day Broke My Heart…
“How are you, Sheriff?” Arnold Schwarzenegger’s grizzled lawman Ray Owens is asked in the central firefight of “The Last Stand" after hurling himself through the front doors of a bakery. “Old," is his deadpan reply as he staggers to his feet and brushes the debris off his dusty leather jacket. It’s one of several self-deprecating… Continue reading Watson’s Review of The Last Stand
“The spaghetti western is one of the greatest genres, as far as I know, in the history of the world cinema and definitely in the history of the Italian cinema. The fact is that they've never been truly appreciated.” So says Quentin Tarantino, the exploitation maestro whose encyclopedic knowledge of cinema is legendary and whose… Continue reading Watson’s Review of Django Unchained
Look out at the Toulon dock on the right day in 1815 and you shall see a magnificent sight: a monster sailing ship being dragged to dry land by ropes exhaustively heaved by a raggedy chain gang who are thrashed by waves as they sing a song of slavery. This is the big opening to… Continue reading Watson’s Review of Les Miserables
The problem with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” — and it’s a problem many fans have likely foreseen — is that it follows in the Middle-earth-shattering footsteps of a giant. Peter Jackson’s masterfully assembled “Lord of the Rings” films, based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy book series, arguably made for the greatest trilogy… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
It is as remarkable a culture clash as I can recall. In a small, wooden lifeboat straddling the waves of the vast Pacific Ocean sits an Indian teenage boy named Pi and a fully-grown Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Victims of a shipwreck, they sit at opposite ends of the 27-foot boat, watching the horizon… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Life of Pi”
“End of Watch” is a no holds barred, vivaciously visceral thriller centred on two workaday cops as they patrol the mean streets of South Central Los Angeles. Writer-director David Ayer has been working towards this film his whole career. In his previous efforts, such as “Street Kings,” “S.W.A.T.,” and “Dark Blue,” Ayer strived to enter,… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “End of Watch”
In a breathtaking, action-drenched prologue that boosts the heart rate and then brings it to a sudden, chilling halt, James Bond adventure “Skyfall” triumphantly vanquishes the bitter aftertaste left behind by the enduring M16 agent’s previous escapade, the chronically arse-numbing “Quantum of Solace,” and boldly promises that great things are to come. It’s an audaciously… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Skyfall”
Detective Alex Cross must be some kind of superhuman. He waltzes into a homicide scene, informed only of the basic details of the situation, and instantly knows all that has occurred. He knows how many were involved in the killing. He knows if the victim was drugged and whether or not they screamed. He knows… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Alex Cross”
Few will disagree that Paul Verhoeven’s planet-hopping, ultraviolent sci-fi classic “Total Recall” is utterly bonkers — those who do disagree need to order it on Netflix or buy the DVD/Blu-ray and watch it again, this time more closely. Loosely sprung from Philip K. Dick’s mind-boggling, reality-bending short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale,"… Continue reading Watson’s review of ‘Total Recall’
Here is a film in which an alien menace is treated with indifference by those being menaced. “The Watch,” scribed by “Superbad” helmers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, is a science-fiction comedy in which little green men (who aren’t so little) plan to annihilate all of mankind. A buddy film, it has four male leads… Continue reading Watson’s review of ‘The Watch’
“The Dark Knight Rises” opens not with a whimper but with an ominous crack of heart-stopping thunder. In the clouded skies looming large over a desolate landscape in central Asia, a CIA plane manned by a cocky agent and three handcuffed mercenaries is hijacked by its prisoners, suspended nose-down in mid-air from a second, much… Continue reading Watson’s Review of The Dark Knight Rises
I doubt we will see a funnier character on the big screen this year than Ted, the eponymous secondary protagonist of “Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane’s feature-length debut. This is at first surprising for the same reason it becomes so obvious: Ted is a stuffed teddy bear, the kind you can make at a Build-A-Bear… Continue reading Watson’s Review of TED
“The Amazing Spider-Man” is a reboot of a blockbusting franchise that got off to a good start with “Spider-Man” in 2002, web-slung to towering new heights with “Spider-Man 2” in 2004, and lost its footing with “Spider-Man 3” in 2007. While each of those films were helmed by horror maestro Sam Raimi, this redo is… Continue reading Watson Reviews “The Amazing Spider-Man”
“Friends with Kids” is an effective comedy and an even more effective drama, though technically it’s more of a comedy. More specifically, it is a romantic comedy ostensibly not about romance but about parenthood and child-rearing, two topics that - in spite of and because of the hardships that naturally accompany them - provide direct… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Friends with Kids”
“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is based on a true story, in a way. Part biopic and part action-horror film, it takes more than a few creative liberties in telling the life story of America’s 16th president, reimagining him as a professional slayer of demonic bloodsuckers. Apparently, when not governing the US of A, Mr. Lincoln… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”
The films of Wes Anderson exist in their own little world, and what a strange little world it is. As shown in his “Rushmore" and “The Royal Tenenbaums," it is an eccentric, colourful world populated with flawed individuals who wander about in unfashionable clothing and whose every reaction is almost a non-reaction. It is soundtracked… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Moonrise Kingdom”
In his joyously vibrant comedy musical “Hairspray,” backing dancer-turned-Hollywood-movie-maker Adam Shankman transported us to 1962 Maryland, where racial segregation sadly ran rampant. In “Rock of Ages,” Shankman transports us to 1987 Los Angeles, where many things run rampant, not least of all the devil’s music - or rock and roll, to be less damning. Like… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Rock of Ages”
...And that concludes our Wizard World Comic Con adventures in Philadelphia...for this year. And for more from Charles "Charlie Lightning" Lecki, visit his TUMBLR and listen to us every week on SUPER DUDES POWER SHOW: The Podcast.
Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” intrigues with its opening scene and sustains this right up until the end credits, perhaps even after this point: hours after seeing the film, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it. A semi-prequel to Scott’s science-fiction horror masterpiece “Alien,” it begins rather appropriately with the silent introduction of an extraterrestrial… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Prometheus’
“Mirror mirror on the wall,” commands the villainous Queen Ravenna, as played - or rather performed - by South African Oscar-winner Charlize Theron in fantasy action picture “Snow White and the Huntsman.” “Who is fairest of them all?” she questions her magic mirror with sturdy self-assurance. But, much to the evil queen’s tumultuous horror, the… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’
Not since Marty McFly sent streaks of fire hurtling through the streets of 1955 Hill Valley has a method of time travel been so exciting. In “Men in Black III,” alien-hunting MiB Agent J (Will Smith, of course) time jumps: he climbs to the 61st floor of the Chrysler Building, steps out to the edge… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Men in Black III’
Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows” is a Frankenstein’s Monster of a movie - or should that be a Frankenweenie? Like Mary Shelley’s undead creature, Burton’s gothic horror-comedy is constructed from separate bits and bobs dug up from hither and thither and hurriedly stitched together without the slightest care for sightliness or collectivity. The result is indeed… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Dark Shadows”
If there’s one thing I admire about Sacha Baron Cohen, it’s his uncanny ability to always get a laugh out of his audience. The English actor and comedian, whose award-winning “Da Ali G Show" launched a television comedy career to be reckoned with, has what some would refer to as “funny bones,” although perhaps those… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “The Dictator”
I don’t need to tell you that “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble” is the full-blown manifestation of many a comic-book nerd’s wet dream - I assume you’ve seen the film’s many marketing materials, which show Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Incredible Hulk heroically assembling, and have come to the exact same conclusion all by yourself.… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “The Avengers”
To my knowledge, “Safe” is the one and only Jason Statham vehicle to not only utilise the “odd couple” formula, but to effectively epitomise it. The film, a balls-to-the-walls actioner, is a classic case of brain and brawn, pairing a stubble-faced cockney geezer (who once rammed the barrel of a tarred-up shotgun deep inside a… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Safe”
As twenty-four young citizens from the twelve districts of Panem travel to the Capitol to take part in the annual Hunger Games, aliens from outer space are travelling to planet Earth to play a few rounds of Battleship. Following in the plodding footsteps left behind by “Skyline,” “Battle: Los Angeles” and “The Darkest Hour,” “Battleship”… Continue reading Watson’s Review of Battleship
The characters of the “American Pie” franchise have survived high school, college and a wedding, and now it seems a reunion is on the table. Well, I say survived, but the most dangerous circumstances these horny teens ever encountered merely involved unbearable discomfort, traumatizing embarrassment and, last but not least, sexually transmitted infections (the causes… Continue reading Watson’s Review of American Pie: Reunion
Before he began assembling the Avengers (that’s Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and that incredibly incredible Hulk, by the way), “Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon was helping longtime collaborator Drew Goddard (the writer of “Cloverfield") disassemble the horror genre in “The Cabin in the Woods,” a horror-comedy filmed three years ago but, due… Continue reading Watson’s Review of Cabin in the Woods
In her bestselling 2008 young adult novel “The Hunger Games,” Suzanne Collins imagined a futuristic world in which a post-apocalyptic North America (now renamed “Panem") revels in the thrills of televised adolescent violence, in much the same way that our present society revels in the intimate, private dramas of “Big Brother” contestants. In his adaptation,… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “The Hunger Games”
The thing about Indian film director Tarsem Singh is that he’s very much a visual filmmaker; take a look at his 2000 debut “The Cell” or last year’s “Immortals” and his keen dedication to catering to the viewer’s eyeballs is all too clear. And the thing about classical fairy tale “Snow White,” as written by… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Mirror, Mirror”
It’s clash of the accents in “Wrath of the Titans,” an action-packed blockbuster sequel that’s so multicultural you’d swear you were attending or listening in on a United Nations meeting - well, you would be, had it not been for all the fire-breathing monsters and lava-spewing demons on frequent display. While apparently set in ancient… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Wrath of the Titans”
You’ve gotta hand it to screenwriter Michael Bacall: he redeems himself pretty goddamn fast. Just two short weeks after the release of his last co-writing project, namely the earth-shatteringly dreadful found-footage party comedy “Project X,” Bacall has proven that his mouth-watering 2010 effort “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” wasn’t just a fluke, coming up with… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “21 Jump Street”
With a title like “Project X,” you could be forgiven for assuming that music video director Nima Nourizadeh’s feature film debut is a science-fiction film; there was, after all, a science-fiction comedy released in 1987 also called “Project X,” starring a fresh-faced Matthew Broderick alongside a trained chimpanzee named Willie. The “Project X” of 2012,… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Project X”
Almost a full century after its publication in 1917 and following decades of über-successful cinematic byproducts (I’m looking at you, George Lucas), Edgar Rice Burroughs' pulpy science fiction adventure novel “A Princess of Mars” has finally blasted its way onto the silver screen with a passionate, tremendously talented director in tow and the significantly less… Continue reading Watson Reviews “John Carter”
More of a bad script-picker than a bad actress, Katherine Heigl has certainly plummeted in public opinion since her shining performance alongside chuckling funnyman Seth Rogen in Judd Apatow’s phenomenal 2007 romantic comedy “Knocked Up.” In the five years following the film’s release, Heigl has taken on leading roles in such cinematic turds as “27… Continue reading Watson Reviews “One For The Money”
There’s something oddly enticing and almost appealing about a character who is a dangerous and cunning sociopath. Look back through the history of cinema and you will find many characters of this ilk in villainous and anti-hero roles, most notably cannibalistic mass murderer Hannibal Lecter from “The Silence of the Lambs” and clown-faced criminal mastermind… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Safe House’
“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” is an absolute headache, and I’m not just talking about the sloppy 3D. What I am talking about is a furiously mediocre sequel-slash-reboot to a comic-book stinker from 2007 that saw Nicolas Cage wearing shiny biker gear and having his dodgy hairpiece set on fire along with the rest of… Continue reading Watson’s Review of “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”
Josh Trank’s “Chronicle” further intensifies the stigma of being a creepy loner, almost as much as Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” and Michael Powell’s “Peeping Tom” did all the way back in 1960. The only difference here is that the creepy loner in “Chronicle” is not a psychotic serial killer, but instead a teenage boy who is… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Chronicle’
The premise of “Man on a Ledge” naturally calls for a constant assortment of nausea-inducing visuals; I trust you can decipher the reason why just by reading the film’s brilliantly blunt title. The film takes a man, takes a ledge and places the man on top of the ledge; it’s as simple a concept as… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Man on a Ledge’
The fact that “Carnage” is based on a stage play is very evident in the way in which the film is presented to its audience; if it weren’t already based on a play, I’m sure I’d be recommending that a stage production be based on the film. The play in question here is the Olivier… Continue reading Watson’s Review of ‘Carnage’
“Young Adult” marks the second collaboration between talented screenwriter Diablo Cody and very talented director Jason Reitman. The pair’s first film together was “Juno,” the surprise smash-hit comedy of 2007 about a teenage girl whose likability depended almost entirely on one’s tolerance for quirky-turkey dialogue. “Young Adult” is slightly different; it too is a comedy,… Continue reading Watson Reviews ‘Young Adult’
Yesterday evening, I posted a list of what I believe to be the top 25 best films of 2011; now it’s time to look at the opposite end of the spectrum. Listed below are the ten films I believe to be the worst of the worst of 2011 – yes, these are the cinema releases… Continue reading Top Ten Worst Films of 2011
Probably the most interesting thing about 3D family film “Hugo” is that it is directed by Martin Scorsese, a filmmaker famed for his viciously violent and prodigiously potty-mouthed 18-rated flicks suitable only for mummy and daddy. Look down his filmography before the release of “Hugo” (ignoring 1993’s U-rated romance “The Age of Innocence,” which, to… Continue reading Watson reviews Martin Scorsese’s Hugo
I'd like to kick-start this review by openly stating that I, hand on heart, am an enjoyer of the first three "Twilight" movies. Now, notice I used the word "enjoyer" and not "fan;" there is a difference between the two. You see, yes, it's true, I have indeed enjoyed the opening three chapters of the… Continue reading Watson Reviews “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, pt. 1”
Following my viewing of the newly-released festive family film “Arthur Christmas,” I’ve been furiously racking my brains (and my google machine) for other genuinely decent Christmas movies that have been released in the last ten years. I discovered that, off the top of my head, I could name only two: Jon Favreau’s “Elf” and Terry… Continue reading Watson Reviews “Arthur Christmas”
It’s no secret that Hunter S. Thompson was a bit of a mad hatter; indeed, it’s practically the only way to describe the man. Known for his regular consumption of drink and drugs, the American author and gonzo journalist would frequently write of the substance-fueled exploits and helplessly whacky adventures (possibly tall tales) he experienced… Continue reading Watson Reviews “The Rum Diary”
One wonders if “The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)” was ever intended to be taken seriously; I suppose the same could be said for the first sequence too. You see, this full sequence rendered me confused, in that I was unsure if the rib-tickling moments, of which there are many, were an attempt at dark… Continue reading Watson Reviews “The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence”
I’m sure you, dear reader, have heard the saying “time is money” at some point or another; it’s typically spoken by those who are in a rush or are on a tight schedule. Well, writer-director Andrew Niccol has certainly heard of this three-word phrase, given the fact that he decided to base an entire movie… Continue reading Watson Reviews “In Time”
The thing that I love about the “Paranormal Activity” franchise is its use of tension and build-up. Each instalment, from the 2009 original to this brand new third entry, is absolutely littered with the kind of hair-raising tension that will shred your nerves and cause you to bite your fingernails down to the bone. I… Continue reading Watson Reviews Paranormal Activity 3
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